Fabula
S1E19 · Coming of Age

Remmick Commands Riker into Formal Interrogation

On the Enterprise’s main bridge, Commander Riker approaches Captain Picard with a hesitant apology, underscoring the tense atmosphere created by Inspector Remmick’s looming presence. Remmick interrupts, asserting authority by demanding Riker’s immediate availability and insisting the interrogation be held in Picard’s Ready Room, dismissing Tasha Yar’s attempt to relocate the meeting. Picard’s reluctant acquiescence signals the formal escalation of Starfleet’s investigation, unsettling the command staff and foreshadowing the probing scrutiny that threatens to fracture the crew’s cohesion and challenge Picard’s leadership.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

5

Riker steps off the turbolift and approaches Picard, offering an apology that acknowledges Picard's difficult position under Remmick's unsettling scrutiny.

unease to tentative respect ['Main Bridge']

Remmick arrives on the bridge and immediately requests Riker's availability for questioning, signaling an intrusive investigation that unsettles the crew.

tension rising to guarded compliance ['Main Bridge']

The crew silently resists Remmick’s intrusion as Tasha offers to relocate the interrogation off the bridge, highlighting discomfort with Remmick’s invasive presence.

discomfort to polite confrontation ['Main Bridge', 'Deck Fifteen (proposed)']

Remmick asserts preference to conduct the interrogation in the Ready Room despite crew objections; Picard yields control, grudgingly allowing Remmick to proceed.

resistance to reluctant acceptance ['Main Bridge', 'Ready Room (invoked)']

Remmick enters the Ready Room and signals Riker to follow for the interrogation, formalizing the shift to an intense, private confrontation off the bridge.

public unease to private tension ['Ready Room']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

4

Concerned and cautious, seeking to minimize disruption and maintain crew morale under pressure.

Lieutenant Natasha Yar offers an alternative interrogation location on Deck Fifteen with protective concern, attempting to shield Riker and the command staff from the immediate tension wrought by Remmick’s presence, but her suggestion is firmly overridden.

Goals in this moment
  • To protect the comfort and dignity of crew members involved in the investigation.
  • To reduce the intrusive impact of the interrogation on the ship’s command environment.
Active beliefs
  • The interrogation should be moved to a less stressful location if possible.
  • Crew morale and comfort are important factors during invasive investigations.
Character traits
protective concerned pragmatic
Follow Tasha Yar's journey

Reluctantly uneasy, balancing the need to maintain command authority with discomfort at the invasive nature of the investigation.

Captain Picard receives Riker’s apology with calm yet evident unease, acknowledges the unsettling presence of Inspector Remmick, and reluctantly grants permission for the interrogation to take place in his Ready Room, demonstrating measured leadership under institutional duress.

Goals in this moment
  • To preserve order and discipline aboard the Enterprise despite external investigation.
  • To protect the crew and command structure from unnecessary disruption where possible.
Active beliefs
  • Remmick’s investigation is intrusive but must be formally acknowledged.
  • Maintaining dignity and cooperation is essential even under pressure.
Character traits
authoritative measured reluctant composed
Follow Jean-Luc Picard's journey

Hesitant and uneasy, masking a firm acceptance of the situation’s seriousness despite personal misgivings.

Commander Riker steps off the turbolift with a demeanor marked by hesitation and respect, approaches Captain Picard to offer a measured apology that acknowledges the tension Remmick has caused, confirms his immediate availability to the investigator, and dutifully follows Remmick to the Ready Room, signaling compliance amid unease.

Goals in this moment
  • To maintain professionalism and respect toward Captain Picard and Starfleet protocol.
  • To comply swiftly with Remmick’s demands to avoid further conflict.
  • To uphold command cohesion despite external pressure.
Active beliefs
  • Captain Picard’s decisions and reasons must be respected even if not fully understood.
  • Remmick’s presence is a serious imposition on the ship’s routine and morale.
Character traits
respectful dutiful tentative loyal
Follow William Riker's journey

Authoritative and insistent, projecting control and urgency to enforce Starfleet’s investigative protocols without regard for shipboard discomfort.

Inspector Remmick enters the bridge asserting firm authority, questions Riker's availability with an undertone of impatience, dismisses Lieutenant Yar’s offer of an alternate interrogation site, and insists on using the Captain’s Ready Room, physically leading Riker away, embodying relentless institutional pressure.

Goals in this moment
  • To secure immediate and unimpeded access to Riker for interrogation purposes.
  • To maintain control over the investigation’s logistics and location.
  • To quickly establish dominance over shipboard command resistance.
Active beliefs
  • Starfleet’s investigation must proceed without delay or obstruction.
  • The Captain’s Ready Room is the appropriate venue for official Starfleet interrogations.
Character traits
authoritative relentless impatient determined
Follow Dexter Remmick's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
USS Enterprise-D — Captain's Ready Room Turbolift Doors

The turbolift doors serve as the entry point for Commander Riker’s arrival onto the main bridge, marking his transition from private movement to the public command space where the confrontation with Remmick and Picard unfolds. Their smooth operation facilitates a swift, almost clinical transition into the tense atmosphere.

Before: Closed, awaiting Riker’s arrival.
After: Open momentarily to allow Riker’s exit onto the …
Before: Closed, awaiting Riker’s arrival.
After: Open momentarily to allow Riker’s exit onto the bridge, then closed afterward.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

3
Main Bridge

The main bridge functions as the charged nerve center where the event’s confrontation occurs, its ambient lighting and forward-facing consoles framing the intrusion of Remmick’s investigation. The bridge’s atmosphere amplifies tension, reflecting the fracturing trust and pressure weighing on the command staff.

Atmosphere Tense, charged with underlying anxiety and unease due to the invasive presence of an external …
Function Primary meeting place for command staff confrontation and the initial assertion of investigative authority.
Symbolism Represents the heart of ship command now compromised by institutional scrutiny and distrust.
Access Restricted to senior officers and key personnel only.
Soft glow of consoles illuminating anxious faces Expansive forward viewports contrasting with the claustrophobic tension
Captain's Ready Room

The Captain’s Ready Room serves as the designated interrogation chamber where Remmick intends to question Commander Riker, its formerly private and strategic sanctuary now transformed into a battleground of institutional oversight and command vulnerability.

Atmosphere Oppressively formal and charged with latent confrontation, the Ready Room’s reserved lighting and confined space …
Function Official interrogation location chosen by Remmick, symbolizing institutional authority encroaching on command privacy.
Symbolism Embodies the isolation and pressure of command under investigation.
Access Restricted to the Captain and senior staff; access granted here by Picard’s reluctant permission.
Dim lighting emphasizing shadows and authority Sparse, reserved furnishings heightening the room’s formality
Deck Fifteen

Deck Fifteen is proposed by Lieutenant Yar as a more comfortable and less formal alternative interrogation location, envisioned as a refuge from the claustrophobic intensity of the bridge and Ready Room, but ultimately rejected by Remmick.

Atmosphere Presumed quieter and more relaxed, offering potential respite though never realized in this event.
Function Potential alternate interrogation site to reduce tension and protect crew morale.
Symbolism Represents a possibility for a gentler institutional approach, one that is overridden by rigid protocol.
Access Open to crew but not used in this interrogation due to Remmick’s insistence.
Less formal setting More spacious and comfortable ambiance suggested

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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Key Dialogue

"RIKER: Captain, I think I should apologize."
"REMMICK: Are you available now, Mister Riker? Or do you still have duties to perform?"
"REMMICK: It's more convenient here. Is there a problem, Captain?"
"PICARD: No, Mister Remmick. Be my guest."