Gesturing toward the mysterious object on the viewer, he said, "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Permission to speak, sir," Data said.

He drew himself up, saluted smartly, and said, ¡ Permission to speak to the captain, sir?

"Permission to speak freely," Mitchell said.

There was silence for a moment around the table, and then Leybenzon said, "Permission to speak freely, Captain?"

"Permission to speak, sir," the Klingon said to Captain Picard.

Instead Picard said, "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

Then, "Permission to speak," he said.

Pike watched a storm of emotions play silently across Kirk's face, before he asked, "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Permission to speak freely," Danilov said softly, "granted."