Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

The Offspring (1990)

Patrick Stewart: Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Photos 

Quotes 

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard : There are times, sir, when... men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders. You acknowledge their sentience, but... you ignore their personal liberties... and freedom. Order a man to hand his child over to the state? Not while I'm his Captain.

• Lt. Cmdr. Data : Admiral, when I created Lal, it was in the hope that someday she would choose to enter the Academy and become a member of Starfleet. I wanted to give something back in return for all Starfleet has given me. I still do. But Lal is my child. You ask that I volunteer to give her up. I cannot. It would violate every lesson I have learned about human parenting. I have brought a new life into this world, and it is my duty, not Starfleet's, to guide her through these first difficult steps to maturity, to support her as she learns, to prepare her to be a contributing member of society. No one can relieve me from that obligation. And I cannot ignore it. I am her father.

  Admiral Anthony Haftel : Then I regret that I must order you to transport Lal aboard my ship.

  [Data begins to rise] 

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Belay that order, Mister Data.

  Admiral Anthony Haftel : I beg your pardon?

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : I will take this to Starfleet myself.

  Admiral Anthony Haftel : I am Starfleet, Captain! Proceed, Commander.

  [Data again begins to rise] 

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Hold your ground, Mister Data.

  Admiral Anthony Haftel : Captain, you are jeopardizing your command and your career.

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders. You acknowledge their sentience, but you ignore their personal liberties and freedom. Order a man to hand his child over to the state? Not while I am his captain.

• Counselor Deanna Troi : Data has created an offspring - a new life out of his own being. To me, that suggests a child. If he wishes to call Lal his child, then who are we to argue?

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Well, if he must. But I fail to understand how a five-foot android with heuristic learning systems and the strength of ten men can be called a child.

  Counselor Deanna Troi : You've never been a parent.

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard : The Admiral is taking the position that Lal's development should be overseen by the most experienced personnel.

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : Then he is questioning my ability as a parent?

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : In a manner of speaking.

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : Does the Admiral have children?

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Yes, I believe he does, Data. Why?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : I am forced to wonder how much experience he had as a parent when his first child was born.

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard : [after learning from Data's creation of a new android]  Data... I would like to have been consulted.

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : I have not observed anyone else on board consulting you about their procreation, Captain.

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Commander Data is completing his final neural transfers to the android he has named Lal, which, I have learned, in the language Hindi means 'beloved'.

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard : I will take this to Starfleet myself.

  Admiral Anthony Haftel : *I* am Starfleet, Captain!

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard : [Data has created an android offspring]  What you have done will have serious ramifications. I am truly dismayed that you told no-one of what you were doing.

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : I am sorry, Captain. I did not anticipate your objections. Do you wish me to deactivate Lal?

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : [flabbergasted]  Its a life Data! It can't be activated and deactivated simply.

• Capt. Picard : It would seem you've actually improved upon yourself, Data.

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : Is that not the goal of every parent, sir?