Ｑに降伏した Picardたちは、裁判の被告席に立たされます。 罪状は “人類が下品で野蛮であること”の罪。そしてその責任をとること。 Ｑ の強引なやり方に、有罪を認めます。ただし一つの条件をつけて... Captain Picardが、Ｑ に突きつけた条件とは？！
登場人物
| Jean-Luc Picard: | エンタープライズＤ艦長 |
| Data: | アンドロイド（科学主任で第二副長） |
| Deanna Troi: | カウンセラー（テレパスで、ライカーの元恋人） |
| Tasha Yar: | セキュリティー・チーフ |
| Q: | 謎の生命体 |
| Bailiff: | 廷吏 |
| Ba: | The prisoners will all stand. |
| Da: | Historically intriguing, Captain. Very, very accurate. |
| P: | Mid-21st century. The post-atomic horror. |
| Ba: | All present stand and make respectful attention to honored judge. |
| De: | Careful, Sir. This is not an illusion or a dream. |
| P: | But these courts belong in the past. |
| De: | I don't understand, either, but this is real. |
| Ba: | Get to your feet, criminals! |
| Da: | At least we are acquainted with the judge, Captain. |
| Ba: | Attention! On your feet. Attention. |
| Q: | You are out of order. The prisoners will not be harmed until they are found guilty. Dispose of that. |
| P: | Can we assume you mean this will be a fair trial? |
| Q: | Yes. Absolutely equitable. |
| Ba: | Before this gracious court, now appear these prisoners to answer for the multiple and grievous savageries of the species. How plead you, criminal? |
| Da: | If I may, Captain? Objection, your honor. In the year 2036, the new United Nations declared that no earth citizen could be made to answer for the crimes of his race of forebears. [forbearではなくて forebears = ancestorでしたね] |
| Q: | Objection denied. This is a court of the year 2079, by which time more rapid progress has caused all united earth nonsense to be abolished. |
| P: | Tasha, no! |
| Ta: | I must! Because I grew up in a world that allowed things like this court. And it was people like these that saved me from it. This so-called court should get down on its knees to what Starfleet is, whatever it represents. |
| De: | You barbarian! This woman cannot be gone! |
| Ba: | Criminals keep silence. |
| P: | You've got a lot to learn about humans if you think you can torture us or frighten us into silence! Will she live? |
| Da: | Uncertain. When he froze Lieutenant Torres on the bridge, we had our sick bay to help thaw him out. |
| Ba: | You will answer the charges, criminal. |
| P: | Or what?! Or this?! Or the death? Or worse? You promised the prisoners would not be harmed. We plead nothing so long as you break your own rules. |
| Q: | I suggest you center your attention on this trial, Captain. It may be your only hope. |
| P: | I suggest you are now having second thoughts about it. You are considering if you conduct a fair trial, which was your promise, you may lose. |
| Q: | LOSE? |
| P: | Yes. Even though you are judge and prosecutor. |
| Q: | And jury! |
| P: | Accepted, so long as you keep to your agreement. And assaulting a prisoner is hardly a fair trial. |
| Q: | This is a merciful court. Silence! Continuing these proceedings, I must caution you that legal trickery is not permitted. This is a court of f... |
| P: | A Court of Fact! We, humans know our past even when we're ashamed of it. I recognize this court system as the one we agreed with the line from Shakespeare; kill all the lawyers! | Q: | Which was done. | P: | Leading to the rule, "guilty until proven innocent." |
| Q: | Of course. Bringing the innocent to trial would be unfair. You will now anser to the charge of being a grievously savage race. |
| P: | "Grievously savage" could mean anything. I will answer only specific charges. |
| Q: | Are you certain you want a full disclosure of human ugliness? So be it, fool. Present the charges! |
| Ba: | Criminal, you will read the charges to the court. |
| P: | I see no charges against us, your honor. |
| Q: | You are out of order! Soldiers, you will press those triggers if this criminal answers with any word other than "guilty." Criminal, how plead you? |
| P: | Guilty... Provisionally! |
| Q: | The court will hear the provision. |
| P: | We question whether this court is abiding by its own trial instructions. Have I your permission to have Commander Data repeat the record. |
| Q: | There'll be no legal trickery. |
| P: | These will be your own words, your honor. What exactly followed his honor statement that "the prisoners will not be harmed?" |
| Da: | Yes, sir. The captain did ask the question, "Can we assume you mean this will be a fair trial?" And in reply the judge stated, "Yes, absolutely equitable." |
| Q: | Irrelevant testimony. Entirely irrelevant. |
| P: | All right! We agree that there is evidence to support the court's contention that humans have been savage! Therefore, I say, "TEST US!" TEST whether this is presently true of humans. |
| Q: | I see. I see... So you petition the court to accept you and your comrades as proof of what humanity's become? |
| P: | There must be many ways we can be tested. We have a long mission ahead of us. |
| Q: | Another brilliant suggestion, Captain. But your test hardly requires a long mission. Your immediate destination offers far more challenge than you can possibly imagine. Yes. This FarPoint Station will be an excellent test. |
| Ba: | All present, respectfully stand. |
| Q: | This court is adjourned to allow the criminals to be tested. |
| Ba: | This honorable court is adjourned. Stand respectfully. |
| Q: | Captain, you may find that you are not nearly clever enough to deal with what lies ahead for you. It may have been better to accept sentence here... |
Qに判決までの猶予を与えられたCaptain Picard は、Far Point Stationの謎に立ち向か
います。 “人類は野蛮ではない” という証を自らうちたてられるか、Jean-Luk!