- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Clues were left behind that suggested a mystery. And to many humans, a mystery is irresistible. It must be solved.
- Commander William T. Riker: [after the Enterprise has allegedly passed through a wormhole] We're lucky we didn't end up halfway across the galaxy into the middle of next week.
- Lt. Commander Data: I am apparently guilty of falsifying the Enterprise's records. Of interfering with an investigation. Of disobeying a direct order from my commanding officer. Your duty seems clear, sir.
- [Picard and Guinan are on the holodeck, where a gangster is brutally shot before their eyes]
- Guinan: And this is what you do for fun?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: It's a mystery. Who is this man? Who killed him? Where is the money he was talking about? It's... it's a mystery. Now we have to go search for clues.
- Guinan: Ah, and that's fun?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: That's fun!
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: I am ordering you never to reveal what has happened here today. Not to Starfleet, not to myself even. You will conceal your knowledge of the Paxans for as long as you exist.
- Counselor Deanna Troi: [possessed by a Paxan] You are a most unusual species - worthy of a second chance.
- [Guinan enters Dixon Hill's office, dressed in an elegant 1940s dress]
- Guinan: Dixon Hill around?
- Madeline: He's occupied at the present moment.
- Guinan: Tell him Gloria's here.
- Madeline: Can't do that. He doesn't want to be disturbed.
- Guinan: Tell him it's Gloria from...
- [thinks hard, then remembers]
- Guinan: ...Cleveland.
- Madeline: Doesn't matter if you're from the moon, hon. Mr. Hill is incommunic... incommunica... ca...
- Guinan: ...cado.
- Madeline: That's it! Sorry, hon.
- Guinan: [sighs] Look, 'hon'. Just tell him Gloria's here.
- Madeline: Look, when the boss doesn't want to be disturbed, the boss doesn't want to be disturbed! Don't take it personal, like.
- Guinan: I have an appointment with Mr. Hill, at...
- [checks the clock]
- Guinan: ...two o'clock.
- Madeline: It's two ten.
- Guinan: So I had a little trouble getting into the dress! It took me a little while to figure out just exactly what I was supposed to do with these.
- [lifts her dress to show off her garters]
- Gunman: [referring to 'Gloria'] Who's the doll?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: She's, er...
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: [gangster accent] The doll's my cousin.
- [O'Brien has hurt his arm]
- Doctor Beverly Crusher: What on earth were you doing when you fell?
- Chief Miles O'Brien: Hanging a plant for Keiko. It's part of her running project to give me a green thumb.
- Doctor Beverly Crusher: How's it working?
- Chief Miles O'Brien: Everything I touch seems to turn brown and wither away.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: I would be prepared to live with the mystery. But Data's role in this must be ascertained, or he'll never be trusted with Starfleet duty again.
- Lt. Commander Data: It is a mystery, Captain.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: That is an understatement, Data.
- [first lines]
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Captain's log, stardate 44502.7 - Early completion of our mission at Harrakis V has allowed me to grant extra personal time for many of the crew. This has come as something of a relief, since our recent tight scheduling has prevented the pursuit of the leisure activities that are a normal part of life aboard the Enterprise. I expect our journey past the Ngame Nebula to be uneventful.
- Doctor Beverly Crusher: I have something of a minor mystery on my hands.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: A 'minor mystery'. That seems to be a recurring phrase these days.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: That's because there is no wormhole. There never was. It was a ruse, designed to throw us off the track. Look at the clues. Dr. Crusher's incubation experiment, computer clock, transporter trace all indicate the existence of a missing day. Lt. Worf's broken wrist would seem to suggest that we were awake and aware for that day, possibly in a struggle for our lives.
- Doctor Beverly Crusher: The fact that we're still alive suggests we might have won.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Not necessarily, Doctor. Data's behavior would seem to suggest that we did not.
- [last lines]
- Captain Picard: What happened, Data?
- Lt. Commander Data: The effect from the wormhole was rather intense.
- Captain Picard: So it would seem.
- Lt. Commander Data: Everyone but myself was rendered unconscious. My positronic system was immune to the effect.
- Captain Picard: How long were we out?
- Lt. Commander Data: Thirty seconds, sir.
- Commander Riker: Current position?
- Ensign McKnight: Point five four parsecs from our previous position. Bearing 285 mark 147.
- Captain Picard: It could be worse.
- Lt. Commander Data: Yes, sir. The wormhole appears to have been a local phenomenon.
- Doctor Crusher: [over communicator] Crusher to bridge. What happened, Captain?
- Captain Picard: The Enterprise went through a wormhole, Doctor. It seems the entire crew was unconscious for approximately thirty seconds.
- Doctor Crusher: [over communicator] Is anyone on the bridge hurt?
- Captain Picard: Apparently not.
- Doctor Crusher: [over communicator] I'll start checking the other decks. Crusher out.
- Captain Picard: Status reports?
- Lieutenant Worf: Shield and weapons systems unaffected.
- Commander Riker: No damage in Engineering.
- Captain Picard: Counsellor?
- Counselor Troi: There's a general feeling of disorientation on board, but nothing serious as far as I can tell.
- Captain Picard: Well then. There's still that anomalous Class M planet we were going to investigate. Ensign, replot a course to take us back to...
- Lt. Commander Data: [quickly] Sir, it is likely the anomalous readings were the result of the wormhole's effect. It was extremely unstable. I would recommend against returning. It might put the Enterprise at further risk.
- Commander Riker: We could launch a probe.
- Lt. Commander Data: That would certainly be sufficient, sir.
- Captain Picard: Make it so. And put out a hazard advisory to Starfleet. Ensign, set a course for Avadne 4.
- Ensign McKnight: Aye, sir.
- Captain Picard: Engage.