History Recap / StarTrekPicardS1E06TheImpossibleBox

** Picard himself goes on a tirade over how the Borg never change, although to his credit, once he sees the work that Hugh is doing, he realizes its importance in making people see the xBs as victims, not monsters of the Collective.

* NeverBringAGunToAKnifeFight: Contrary to the claim of a Romulan thug in "Absolute Candor", Elnor proves that a tan qalanq is indeed a match for an energy weapon in the hands of a MasterSwordsman because he slays three Romulan soldiers armed with disruptors in a few seconds with only his sword. He moves and reacts more swiftly than his foes, so they're dead before they can fire a single shot.

* TerrifyingRescuer: While facing traumatic memories on the Artifact, Picard sees two Borg grab him and starts fighting them until it turns out that they're xBs pulling him away from a bottomless chasm.

* TraumaButton: As soon as Picard beams onto the Artifact, his mind is assaulted with flashbacks to his time as Locutus. At one point, he can barely stand and would've fallen into a chasm if he wasn't grabbed by two [=xBs=].

-->'''Picard:''' What you're doing here is good, Hugh. It doesn't have to be perfect.

* BrutalHonesty: Jurati doesn't appreciate Elnor pointing out what she's feeling.
-->'''Elnor''': [Picard] can't see that you're also... haunted by something you'd like to forget.\\

* ItIsDehumanizing: Narissa corrects herself from calling Soji "she", replacing this with "it" to show her contempt.

* TomatoInTheMirror: Soji learns that she isn't "real", although the particulars are left out given the current situation and Picard promises to fill her in.

* PerfectSolutionFallacy: Soundly {{defied}} when Picard sees the work being done at the Borg Reclamation Project. Having admitted that he "allowed the perfect to become the enemy of the good," he commends Hugh for doing an imperfect job the best way he can.

* AlienBlood: The Romulans who die by Elnor's tan qalanq bleed green.

* BetterTheDevilYouKnow: Hugh informs Picard that any Borg who is liberated at the Romulan Reclamation Site are prisoners of the Romulan Free State. Although neither of them are happy that the former drones have essentially traded one villainous overseer for another, both Hugh and Picard consider assimilation to be a FateWorseThanDeath, so letting the xBs regain their individuality, even if it means they have little to no personal freedom under the new Romulan government, is still better than the alternative. Between the Borg and the Romulans, the latter are the LesserOfTwoEvils -- at least it's possible to negotiate with the Romulans, especially now that they no longer have a homeworld. Hugh even puts aside his terror of being on a Borg Cube to be the Executive Director of the Borg Reclamation Project so that he can offer support to the patients during their recovery. (It helps that Hugh is a Federation citizen, so he can leave if he wants; he simply chooses to stay so he can help his de-assimilated brethren, and his protection under treaty gives him the clout to do so.)

* BetterTheDevilYouKnow: Hugh informs Picard that any Borg who is liberated at the Romulan Reclamation Site are prisoners of the Romulan Free State. Although neither of them are happy that the former drones have essentially traded one villainous overseer for another, both Hugh and Picard consider assimilation to be a FateWorseThanDeath, so letting the xBs regain their individuality, even if it means they have little to no personal freedom under the new Romulan government, is still better than the alternative. Between the Borg and the Romulans, the latter are the LesserOfTwoEvils -- at least it's possible to negotiate with the Romulans, especially now that they no longer have a homeworld. Hugh even puts aside his terror of being on a Borg Cube to be the Executive Director of the Borg Reclamation Project so that he can offer support to the patients during their recovery. (It helps that Hugh is a Federation citizen, so he can leave if he wants; he simply chooses to stay so he can help his de-assimilated brethren.)

* BetterTheDevilYouKnow: Hugh informs Picard that any Borg who is liberated at the Romulan Reclamation Site are prisoners of the Romulan Free State. Although neither of them are happy that the former drones have essentially traded one villainous overseer for another, both Hugh and Picard consider assimilation to be a FateWorseThanDeath, so letting the xBs regain their individuality, even if it means they have little to no personal freedom under the new Romulan government, is still better than the alternative. Between the Borg and the Romulans, the latter are the LesserOfTwoEvils -- at least it's possible to negotiate with the Romulans, especially now that they no longer have a homeworld. Hugh even puts aside his terror of being on a Borg Cube to be the Executive Director of the Borg Reclamation Project so that he can offer support to the patients during their recovery.

* DisapprovingLook: Picard is displeased when [[DrugsAreBad Raffi takes a hit from her pipe]].

Romulan Zhat Vash Hit mooks arrive, but then so does Elnor's sword. ("I thought I told you stay on the ship!" "Yes. I didn't listen.") He and Hugh, now armed with a disruptor rifle, stay behind to HoldTheLine as Picard and Soji escape, and the screen fades to black as the door of the queencell closes.

On the Artifact, Narek finds Narissa in his quarters. She's messing with his ''tan zhekran'', the eponymous [[TitleDrop impossible box]] (a.k.a. a Romulan Rubik's Cube). She admits that her first impulse with these things is to smash it open to get to the prize, but Narek shows her that if she simply takes the time to understand the darn thing, it will yield its secrets up to her. He relates it to Soji: he believes her dreams are not some sort of random positronic firing-off, but rather her brain trying to reconcile what she was programmed to believe -- that she is a normal {{muggle}} human -- with reality -- that she is a {{gynoid}} implanted with FakeMemories. Narek believes that, caught somewhere in that maelstrom of forced ignorance is the location of the lab whence Soji, Dahj and the others (remember, the ''Zhat Vash'' are convinced there are more) came from. Narissa allows him to proceed.

Soji, shaken, confesses the nature of her belongings to Narek. He offers her a solution: a (normally-Romulans-only) meditation technique called ''Zhal Makh''. It's essentially a PensieveFlashback: Soji first relives the dream, including the CatapultNightmare component, and then, under the guidance of Narek as he continues to fiddle with his ''tan zhekran'', takes control of the memory. Instead of jolting awake when her father yells at her, she presses through the orchids to see a lifesize wooden doll on a work-table... a doll that has her face. Looking up, she sees "two red moons, dark as blood, surrounded by lightning." Narissa, who has been listening in this whole time, congratulates Narek on finding the synth homeworld. Narek then bids Soji a [[InLoveWithTheMark tearful]] goodbye and locks her in the meditation chamber. He leaves behind only the ''tan zhekran''... which opens to reveal poisonous gas. Mortal danger, as it did for Dahj at the start of the series, triggers Soji's TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening, and she smashes through the floor of the meditation chamber.

Romulan ''Zhat Vash'' Hit Mooks arrive, but then so does Elnor's sword. ("I thought I told you stay on the ship!" "Yes. I didn't listen.") He and Hugh, now armed with a disruptor rifle, stay behind to HoldTheLine as Picard and Soji escape, and the screen fades to black as the door of the queencell closes.

* CharacterDevelopment: The interaction between Captain Picard and Hugh wasn't particularly friendly in the past (Hugh had befriended Geordi [=LaForge=] instead) but here they are shown to be genuine friends.

* ManHug: When Hugh and Picard meet up on the Artifact, they warmly embrace each other.

* PerfectSolutionFallacy: Soundly {{defied}} when Picard sees the work that the Reclamation Project is doing. Having admitted that he "allowed the perfect to become the enemy of the good", he commends Hugh for doing an imperfect job the best way he can.
--> '''Picard:''' What you're doing here is good, Hugh. It doesn't have to be perfect.

* PassiveAggressiveCombat: For once, Narek comes out on top in his interactions with his sister.

'''Narek''': ''(like an upset child)'' That's mine. Give it to me. You'll break it.

* BigBrotherIsWatching: As Narek explains to Soji, the [[SecretPolice Tal Shiar]] routinely monitors all incoming and outgoing transmissions on any Romulan facility, including the Romulan Reclamation Site. The system automatically flags any anomalies, which is why he knows that Soji's nightly calls to her mother lasts exactly 70 seconds ''every single time''.

** Picard himself goes on a tirade over how the Borg never change, although to his credit, once he sees the work that Hugh is doing, he realizes its importance in making people see the xBs as victims, not symbols of the Collective.

[[ItWasADarkAndStormyNight It Was A Dark And Stormy]] {{Flashback}}. Young Soji Asha is walking down a hallway clutching a stuffed animal, looking for her father. She enters a laboratory overflowing with orchids, but then a man calls her name. Back in the present, Soji [[CatapultNightmare awakens]], and mentions to Narek that this has become a recurring dream.

On the Artifact, Narek finds Rizzo in his quarters. She's messing with his ''tan zhekran'', the eponymous [[TitleDrop impossible box]] (AKA a Romulan Rubik's Cube). She admits that her first impulse with these things is to smash it open to get to the prize, but Narek shows her that if she simply takes the time to understand the darn thing, it will yield its secrets up to her. He relates it to Soji: he believes her dreams are not some sort of random positronic firing-off, but rather her brain trying to reconcile what she was programmed to believe -- that she is a normal {{muggle}} human -- with reality -- that she is a {{gynoid}} implanted with FakeMemories. Narek believes that, caught somewhere in that maelstrom of forced ignorance is the location of the lab whence Soji, Asha and the others (remember, the ''Zhat Vash'' are convinced there are more) came from. Rizzo allows him to proceed.

''La Sirena'' is about to leave the Former Romulan Neutral Zone and enter Actual Romulan Space. This will be a treaty violation unless they have some sort of excuse. After juggling some ideas, particularly Dr. Jurati's (perfectly legitimate) credentials as a cyberneticist, the crew settle on fishing Raffi, [[DrowningMySorrows drunk]], out of her room. Raffi calls an old friend, Emmy, who is still active in Starfleet, and explains the situation -- [[RefugeInAudacity exactly as it is]]. If Emmy can't get them diplomatic credentials to visit the Artifact in, oh, three hours -- yes, Picard did it all on his own, you know what that guy's like -- there's going to be an interstellar incident. Emmy, angry, agrees. The crew applauds Raffi as she [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame staggers back to her quarters]]. Later Rios visits her to make sure she's okay, and she mentions that she has a son -- not to mention a Romulan daughter-in-law and a granddaughter on the way -- as a way to castigate herself about being too devoted to business.

Soji is, as Narek indicated, beginning to grow suspicious of her own nature. This increases when Narek mentions that every time she calls her mother, it lasts exactly 70 seconds. (He's not stalking her ''personally'' -- all transmissions into and out of a Romulan installation are monitored [[ProperlyParanoid by procedure]].) When she talks to her Mom that night, Mom mentions that she (Soji) must be tired and overworked, and Soji is almost overwhelmed by a need to sleep. When she manages to fight it by poking herself awake, "Mom" repeats the command and Soji passes out. When she wakes up, though, her memory remains. She grabs a scanner and goes through the objects in her room -- her childhood diaries, photos of herself and Asha, the stuffed animal she was carrying in that opening flashback, the twin-rings necklace she wears. All of them register as being approximately 37 months old.

The diplomatic credentials Raffi's friend manage to wrangle up will only cover Picard, who is being sent as an envoy to the Borg Reclamation Project. Picard must go in alone, litle though he cares to; he gives explicit orders to Elnor to stay behind. Once aboard the Artifact, {{flashback}}s to his time in the Collective assail him, and he's caught between rampaging Borg drones on one hand and [[NoOSHACompliance a bottomless drop]] on the other... until a voice rings out: "They don't want you to fall!" It's Director Hugh. The two old friends embrace, and Hugh agrees to bring Picard to Soji.

Soji, shaken, confesses the nature of her belongings to Narek. He offers her a solution: a (normally-Romulans-only) meditation technique called ''Zhal Makh''. It's essentially a PensieveFlashback: Soji first relives the dream, including the CatapultNightmare component, and then, under the guidance of Narek as he continues to fiddle with his ''tan zhekran'', takes control of the memory. Instead of jolting awake when her father yells at her, she presses through the orchids to see a lifesize wooden doll on a work-table... a doll that has her face. Looking up, she sees "two red moons, dark as blood, surrounded by lightning." Narissa, who has been listening in this whole time, congratulates Narek on finding the synth homeworld; Narek then bids Soji a [[InLoveWithTheMark tearful]] goodbye and locks her in the meditation chamber. He leaves behind only the ''tan zhekran''... which opens to reveal poison gas. Mortal danger, as it did for Dahj at the start of the series, triggers Soji's TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening, and she smashes through the floor of the meditation chamber.

Picard, led by Hugh, apprehends her as she drops through the floor on another level. Basically the only reason she trusts her is that he holds out Dahj's necklace, the twin-ring thing that is only 37 months old. Hugh leads them to the "queen's cell" (neither Picard nor Hugh has ever been there before, but the memories are there nonetheless), in which is secured a piece of technology called the Sikarian Trajector (see ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager VOY]]'': "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS1E9PrimeFactors Prime Factors]]"), which can send humanoid-sized objects up to 40,000 LY. Picard orders ''La Sirena'' to break orbit and meet them at "Nepenthe" (wherever ''that'' is), and Rios agrees, only to look around and realize: "Where's the kid?"

Romulan ''Zhat Vash'' Hit Mooks arrive, but then so does Elnor's sword. ("I thought I told you stay on the ship!" "Yes. I didn't listen.") He and Hugh, now armed with a disruptor rifle, stay behind to HoldTheLine as Picard and Soji escape, and the screen fades to black as the door of the queen's cell closes.

* DoorClosesEnding: The final shot of the episode is of Hugh and Elnor preparing to hold off Romulan footsoldiers until the Sikarian Trajector can power down, with the Trajector's chamber door closing over them.

* InLoveWithTheMark: Narek falls for Soji and tells her his real name (which a Romulan would only disclose to someone they're in in love with), but duty always comes first for a Romulan (especially for a spy), so he still carries out his orders to murder her, and he cries as she pleads for her life.

Aboard ''La Sirena'', Dr. Jurati (MD) gives her post-mortem on Bruce Maddox, whose heart simply couldn't take the abuse and who passed of his injuries. They then discuss the Artifact, where Maddox confirmed Soji is. Elnor, whose Qowat Milat BrutalHonesty training apparently includes being a SensorCharacter, notes that Picard is not looking forward to visiting a Borg Cube, and Picard admits that his last visit to one was highly involuntary (see ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]]'': "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds The Best of Both Worlds]]"). Jurati points out that the Borg on the Cube have been cut off from the Collective, and may be different in nature, but Picard doubts it: "[The Borg] don't change. They metastasize."

Romulan ''Zhat Vash'' Hit Mooks arrive, but then so does Elnor's sword. ("I thought I told you stay on the ship!" "Yes. I didn't listen.") He and Hugh, now armed with a disruptor rifle, stay behind to HoldTheLine, and the screen fades to black as the door of the queen's cell closes.

-->'''Elnor''': "Please, my friends, choose to live."