Plot
Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher is put in charge of a science team to help further his studies to become a Starfleet officer as the Enterprise surveys an area of unexplored planets that are all undergoing severe geological changes. Crusher is much younger than any of the other officers, and his authority is challenged; one team-member, Davies, rejects Crusher's request to run a time-consuming scan, leaving Crusher floundering. Meanwhile, during their explorations, Lt. Commander Data has received a primitive radio signal from a young girl on one of the planets. Knowingly violating the Prime Directive, Data makes contact with the girl, who he learns is named Sarjenka and using a home-built radio system. Data continues to converse regularly with Sarjenka over the course of the month.
When Sarjenka reports that there are frequent earthquakes on her planet, Data decides to report this to Captain Picard, hoping they would be able to find a way to save her planet. Picard sympathizes with Data's case, but sternly orders him to cease communication with Sarjenka to avoid any further violations of the Prime Directive. Meanwhile, Crusher has reported his poor progress to Commander Riker. Riker stresses that Starfleet training is both about responsibility and authority. Riker commends Crusher for his past records of responsibility, but urges him to command authority on the science team. Crusher returns to the team and requests the planetary scan from Davies in a more authoritative manner. Davies agrees without hesitation to do it.
This planetary scan proves to be key to understanding the geological instability of the planets, and Crusher's science team prepares a means of correcting it using the Enterprise's systems. Data receives another signal from Sarjenka, who is now calling for help as the volcanic eruptions threaten to wipe out her home. While her family escaped to caves in nearby mountains, Sarjenka stayed behind with her radio system in hopes Data would come to help. Picard recognizes they cannot ignore the cry of help from a child, and orders the Enterprise to Sarjenka's planet. The means to restore the planet as discovered by Crusher's team would not harm those sheltered in the mountains, but could harm Sarjenka, so Picard allows Data to beam down and return with the girl while they execute the process. Sarjenka is led on a brief tour of the Enterprise and shown her world from outer space as the Enterprise crew safely restores the planet's geological system. The tour ends with the Sickbay, where Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pulaski, under Picard's orders, anesthetizes Sarjenka and wipes the memories of Data and the Enterprise from her brain. Data returns the sleeping girl back to her home, now safe, leaving her with a "singing stone" that Dr. Pulaski had given her while in Sickbay.
Read more about this topic: Pen Pals (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
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