- Lt. Commander Data: Captain, we're here. Why not avail ourselves of this opportunity for study? There is a giant protostar here in the process of forming. No other vessel has been out this far.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Spoken like a true Starfleet graduate.
- Commander William T. Riker: And you have this ability, to travel?
- The Traveler: Yes.
- Commander William T. Riker: And others of your kind have the same ability?
- The Traveler: Oh, yes.
- Commander William T. Riker: Then why, in all of our history, is there no record of you or someone like you ever having visited us?
- The Traveler: What wonderful arrogance! There is no record because we have not visited you before.
- Commander William T. Riker: Why not?
- The Traveler: Well, because, up until now - if-if you'll forgive this - you've been... uninteresting.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: What is our velocity?
- Lt. Commander Data: It's off the scale, sir.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Reverse engines.
- Lt. Commander Data: Captain, no one has ever reversed engines at this velocity.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: It's because no one has gone this fast. Reverse engines.
- [a boar-like creature appears on the bridge]
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: What is it?
- Lieutenant Worf: A Klingon targ! My pet... from home! But when I was a child...
- Lieutenant Tasha Yar: You're telling me it's a kitty-cat?
- Kosinski: I don't think you understand: this has already been approved by Starfleet Command.
- Commander William T. Riker: But it hasn't been approved by the chief engineer. Or by me.
- Kosinski: I didn't know that was necessary.
- Commander William T. Riker: Now you do.
- The Traveler: You do understand, don't you, that thought is the basis of all reality. The energy of thought, to put in your terms, is very powerful.
- Wesley Crusher: Is Mr. Kosinski like he sounds? A joke?
- The Traveler: No, that's too cruel. He has sensed some small part of this.
- Wesley Crusher: That space and time and thought... aren't the separate things they appear to be? I just thought the formula you were using said something like that...
- The Traveler: Boy, don't ever say that again, especially not at your age in a world that's not ready for such... such dangerous nonsense.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Captain's log, stardate 41263.2 - This will be a rather unusual log entry, assuming Starfleet ever receives it. As I already informed my crew, a phenomenal surge of power during a warp speed experiment has sent our starship hurtling out of our own galaxy and past another, taking us over 2,700,000 light years - in a few minutes.
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: Message on this has already been transmitted to Starfleet, sir.
- Lt. Commander Data: Which, traveling subspace, they should receive in 51 years, ten months, nine weeks, 16 days...
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Mr. Data.
- Lieutenant Worf: Captain, can you allow a man who's made one mistake back into a position where he may make another?
- The Traveler: Are you familiar with the intricacies of what is called here 'music'?
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Somewhat.
- The Traveler: And such musical genius as I saw in one of your ship's libraries, one called Mozart, who as a small child wrote astonishing symphonies, a genius who made music not only to be heard, but seen and felt beyond the understanding, the ability of others? Wesley is such a person, not with music, but with the equally lovely intricacies of time, energy, propulsion, and the instruments of this vessel, which allow all that to be played.
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: Our position reads exactly what it was before this sleigh ride began, sir.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Cease red alert.
- Lt. Commander Data: "Sleigh ride"?
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: Or whatever you want to call it, Data. I don't have a proper name for it.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Attention all decks. This is to inform you that, with your support, the Traveler has returned us to our own galaxy; however, he has now left us. Wherever he has gone - we wish him well.
- Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: All stop, sir.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Yes... But where is this place?
- Lt. Commander Data: Where none have gone before...
- Kosinski: Do you realize how many great advancements of mankind have been tied to speed? This is a moment in history, right here, right now, and your names will be forever linked with mine.
- [last lines]
- Commander Riker: Sir, shall I send for Doctor Crusher?
- Captain Picard: Why? Is someone ill? Or would you rather tell her about this, Wes?
- Wesley Crusher: If you don't mind, sir, I'd like to sit here awhile. I'll tell her later.