The Quality of Life story
Data observes self-guided "tools" used at a mining station display signs of sentience, and fights for their preservation, even risking Captain Picard's life on the ground that it is unacceptable to kill one sentient being to save another.
21 total · 4 choice · 9 major · 8 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| AI rights | choice | Data advocates for exocomp rights |
| duty vs. conscience | choice | Data :: Data must decide whether to side with his orders or with protecting the exocomps |
| sentient machine | choice | Data discovered that the exocomp autonomous tools had become sentient. |
| what is life | choice | In a discussion with Data, Beverly defined life as that which "enables plants and animals to consume food, derive energy from it, grow, adapt themselves to their surroundings and reproduce". |
| AI point of view | major | Data, Exocomps :: Data and exocomp point of view |
| AI prejudice in society | major | crew generally prejudiced against exocomps |
| engineered trans-orbital structure | major | Dr. Farallon was using the planet Tyrus 7A as a testing ground for a fledgling technology, known as a "particle fountain", that, if successful, would mine the planet from orbit. |
| integrity | major | Data :: Data takes a principled stand on exocomp rights |
| obsession | major | Farallon :: Farallon wiil do whatever it takes to master particle fountain technology |
| obsession with a life-dedicated project | major | Farallon :: Farallon wiil do whatever it takes to master particle fountain technology |