Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra

Eyegal rightly pointed out to me that I left a very important show off my list yesterday. “Why, we used to rock Number One Son (she didn’t actually call him that but used his real name instead) to sleep while watching Star Trek: The Next Generation!”

And that we did. In fact, I used to think that I called him Number One because of the old Charlie Chan movies, but on second thought, maybe it was because of Lt. Riker (Picard–“Make it so, Number One!”).

Our two favorite episodes:

1. “The Inner Light.” The Enterprise is confronted with an alien space probe which shoots a nucleonic beam thingy at Picard, causing him to fall into a deep sleep. He “awakens” in a new world and finds that everyone knows him as “Kamin” and that he is married to “Eline.” He’s confused at first, having no memory of the events which preceded this, but over time he becomes convinced that he is indeed part of this gentle, agrarian society and integrates himself into the life and work of his community. He grows to love Eline, has both a daughter and a son with her, and enjoys the fellowship of his best friend, Batai. Many years pass, Batai dies, and it becomes clear that his planet is doomed to extinction by severe drought. Meanwhile, back on the Enterprise, all of this has actually occurred in only 20 minutes, with Dr. Crusher and the rest of the crew looking on anxiously as Picard comes dangerously close to dying. Back in Picard’s world, he is now a very old man and Eline has passed away. His daughter leads him to a site where a probe is being launched. Picard wants to know what is happening, and suddenly Batai appears to him, looking like he did in the prime of his life, and explains: “You saw it just before you came here. We hoped our probe would encounter someone in the future – someone who could be a teacher, someone who could tell the others about us.” Picard then turns as he hears another familiar voice–Eline. “Now we live in you. Tell them of us…my darling…” Picard awakens on the bridge of the Enterprise with the memory of a civilization which had become extinct a thousand years before. There is a box on the probe containing a flute that he had learned to play in his alternative life. The final scene shows him playing a beautiful melody, the same one that he played at the “naming ceremony” of his son.
2. “Darmok.” Picard and the rest of the Enterprise crew must establish relations and communicate with the Tamarians. The only problem is, the Tamarians speak a strange, metaphorical language that seems impossible to decipher. In a desperate attempt to bridge the gap, the Tamarian captain (Dathon) kidnaps Picard and together they are transported to the surface of the planet, El-Adrel IV. The Tamarians then set up a force field to block transportation and communication with the two stranded captains. At first, Picard thinks that Dathon wants the two of them to fight when he attempts to hand him a knife. Dathon keeps repeating the same phrase over and over: “Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra.” Through much pantomime and careful listening, Picard eventually comes to understand that Dathon doesn’t want to fight him, but instead wants him to fight with him–against a monster which threatens them both. Fight together they do, but Dathon is gravely wounded. As he is dying, Picard comes to understand that “Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra” is an epic story from the Tamarian past of two strangers who met and fought together against a common foe on the island of Tenagra. Dathon wants Picard to tell him a story too. Picard then relates another epic tale: Gilgamesh and Enkidu at Uruk.

Both of those episodes left deep impressions that remain years later. For one thing, it occurs to me that all of us want to leave a legacy, some trace of our time here on this earth, some evidence that we mattered, so that our memory will not be swept away in the dustbin of history.

Enter the blog.

And sometimes, just out of the blue and for no particular reason, I’ll repeat the phrase: Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra. It means, “To gain understanding or friendship through a shared struggle.” It illustrates to me the strength–and truth–of the “old stories” from our past. It gives me hope that in some times and some places, men and women from different backgrounds, even different worlds, can come together, listen to one another, and maybe even set aside their differences and work together for a common good.