SYNOPSIS FOR THE BIG GOODBYE


The U.S.S. Enterprise must pass through the quadrant Korona IV, which is inhabited by the Jarada, an insect-like race
that demands a precise greeting from the captain of any ship wishing to enter their territory.

Picard must deliver a flawless greeting in the native tongue of the Jarada in order to establish diplomatic relations with
this highly touchy race of insects.
One mistake, and, well.. the last time it was tried by a Federation emissary, something horrible happened to the emissary.
Data wants to review the details, so as to better prepare the captain for this difficult mission, not understanding that
reviewing the gruesome details will just make Picard more nervous.
What he needs, suggests Troi, is to get away from it all.

Thus....

Picard escapes to the holodeck where he has designed an authentic historical environment, complete with the
buildings, automobiles and newspapers of 1940s San Francisco, where he can play detective and solve mysteries in the
role of Dixon Hill, a Sam Spade type character in a Dashiell Hammett type setting.
Picard is so excited by the fantastic detail and reality of the environment that he plans a return visit, this time asking
Doctor Crusher and ship's historian Whalan to return with him, along with Data who invites himself.
They all don 1940s clothing and accompany Picard back to San Francisco on the holodeck.
One of the gangsters who arrive in Dixon Hill's office shoots and seriously wounds Whalan, for real!
The crew find themselves locked in the holodeck with holodeck gangsters using real guns - the safety lock not on !

The Jarada had been scanning the Enterprise and in doing so, have glitched the holodeck computer system,
overriding its safety controls and its communications system, so that Crusher has to use old-fashioned first-aid on
Whalen as she can't get him to Sick Bay.

Engineer Geordi La Forge and Wesley Crusher are trying to repair the holodeck systems but, of course, they've got
real flesh and blood inside, including Wesley's mother. They have to be careful what they do; they can't just terminate
the program !
By now the Jarada are threatening to prevent the U.S.S. Enterprise from traveling through their quadrant unless they
are greeted by the captain... in one hour !

Picard is forced to negotiate with a gangster named Cyrus Redblock who demands that Picard produce a mysterious,
un-named "item".

Picard is eventually forced to tell Redblock and the other holodeck figures, including Dixon Hill's friend, Police Lieutenant
Bell, that they are part of an artificial environment.
Redblock immediately starts scheming to invade the Enterprise and commit theft, while Bell agonizes over the unreality
of his wife and child, not to mention himself.
With repairs done, the holodeck portal opens and Redblock & his cronies are only on board the ship for a moment
before they begin to evaporate.

Upon returning safely to the ship, Picard successfully executes the Jaradan greeting, allowing the U.S.S. Enterprise to
pass through without incident.