Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D. In this episode, [the rights of the android officer Lt. Commander Data are threatened by a scientist who wishes to dismantle him in order to produce replicas of him.] Captain Jean-Luc Picard fights in a Starfleet court for Data's right of self-determination in order not to be declared mere property of Starfleet, while Commander William Riker is obligated to argue on behalf of the scientist.
Episode #35; Scene #15
[THE HEARING HAS BEEN RECONVENED AFTER A RECESS.]
PICARD: Commander Riker has dramatically demonstrated to this court that Commander Data is a machine. Do we deny that? No. Because it is not relevant. We too are machines, just machines of a different type. Commander Riker has also reminded us that Lieutenant Commander Data was created by a human, do we deny that? Again it is not relevant. Children are created from the building blocks of their parents' DNA. Are they property? I call Lieutenant Commander Data to the stand. What are these? [holding a box of medals]
DATA: My medals.
PICARD: Why do you pack them? What logical purpose do they serve?
DATA: I do not know sir, I suppose none. I just wanted them. Is that vanity?
PICARD: And this? [Picard holds a book]
DATA: A gift from you.
PICARD: Do you value it?
DATA: Yes.
PICARD: Why?
DATA: It is a reminder of friendship and service.
PICARD: And this? (Picard turns on the holographic image of a female officer). You have no other portraits of your fellow crew members. Why this?
DATA: I'd prefer not to answer that question, sir. I gave my word.
PICARD: Under the circumstances, Data, I don't think Tasha would mind.
DATA: She was special to me. We were intimate.
PICARD: Thank you, Commander. I have no more questions for this witness. I call to the stand Commander Maddox as a hostile witness. Commander Maddox, is your contention that Commander Data is not a sentient being and therefore not entitled to all the rights reserved for all life-forms within this Federation?
MADDOX: Data is not sentient, no.
PICARD: Could you enlighten us? What is required for sentience?
MADDOX: Intelligence, self-awareness, consciousness.
PICARD: Prove to the court that I am sentient.
MADDOX: This is absurd. We all know that you are sentient.
PICARD: So I am sentient but Commander Data is not? Why? Why am I sentient?
MADDOX: Well, you are self-aware.
PICARD: Ah, that's the second of your criteria. Let's deal with the first: intelligence. Is Commander Data intelligent?
MADDOX: Yes, it has the ability to learn and understand and to cope with new situations.
PICARD: Like this hearing.
MADDOX: Yes.
PICARD: What about self-awareness? What does that mean? Why am I self-aware?
MADDOX: Because you are conscious of your existence and actions. You are aware of your self and your own ego.
PICARD: Commander Data. What are you doing now?
DATA: I am taking part in a legal hearing to determine my rights and status. Am I a person or am I property?
PICARD: And what is at stake?
DATA: My right to choose. Perhaps my very life.
PICARD: "My rights" . . "my status" . . "my right to choose" . . "my life". Seems reasonably self-aware to me. . . .Commander . . I'm waiting.
MADDOX: This is exceedingly difficult.
PICARD: Do you like Commander Data?
MADDOX: I don't know it well enough to like or dislike it.
PICARD: But you do admire him?
MADDOX: Oh, yes it is an extraordinary piece of . .
PICARD: . . of engineering and programming, yes you have said that. You have dedicated your life to the study of cybernetics in general and Data in particular.
MADDOX: Yes.
PICARD: And now you intend to dismantle him.
MADDOX: So I can learn to construct more.
PICARD: How many more.
MADDOX: As many as are needed. Hundreds, thousands if necessary. There is no limit.
PICARD: A single Data, and forgive me Commander, is a curiosity, a wonder even. But thousands of Datas isn't that becoming a race. And won't we be judged by how we treat that race? Now tell me Commander, what is Data?
MADDOX: I don't understand
PICARD: What is he?
MADDOX: A machine.
PICARD: Are you sure
MADDOX: Yes.
PICARD: You see he has met two of your three criteria for sentience. What if he meets the third, consciousness, in even the slightest degree? What is he then? I don't know. Do you? Do YOU [turning to the judge]? Well that's the question you have to answer. Your Honor, the courtroom is a crucible. In it we burn away irrelevancies until we are left with a pure product, the truth, for all time. Now sooner or later this man (MADDOX) or others like him will succeed in replicating Commander Data. Your ruling today will determine how we will regard this creation of our genius. It will reveal the kind of people we are, what he is destined to be. It will reach far beyond this courtroom and this one android. It could significantly redefine the boundaries of personal liberty. Expanding them for some, savagely curtailing them for others.
PICARD: Are you prepared to condemn him, and all those who come after him, to servitude and slavery? Your honor, Starfleet was founded to seek out new life -- well there it sits. Waiting. You wanted a chance to make law. Well here's your chance, make it a good one.
LAVOIR: It sits there looking at me but I don't know what it is. This case has dealt with questions best left to saints and philosophers. I am neither competent or qualified to answer that. I've got to make a ruling, to try to speak to the future. Is Data a machine? Is he the property of Starfleet? No. We've all been dancing around the main question: Does Data have a soul? I don't know that he has. I don't know that I have. But I have to give him the freedom to explore that question himself. It is the ruling of this court that Lieutenant Commander Data has the freedom to choose.
END SCENE
