The Tricyanate Revelation: Sabotage and the Ghost of Data
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
On the Enterprise bridge, as the ship approaches Beta Agni Two, Picard nearly refers to Data during a scan request, then corrects himself, acknowledging Worf who now occupies Data's station, and Worf's scan reveals concentrated tricyanate in the planet's water supply.
Worf's report of unusually concentrated tricyanate leads Picard to suspect foul play, prompting Riker to assemble an away team to investigate the contamination source, signaling a shift in focus from accidental contamination to deliberate sabotage.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Determined and unyielding, with a quiet satisfaction in his defiance; his ‘emotions’ are logical but deeply human in their refusal to be objectified.
Data, now in Fajo’s den, engages in passive resistance by freezing mid-performance when Toff enters, refusing to acknowledge him or comply with Fajo’s demands. His defiance is subtle but devastating—exposing Fajo’s inability to control him despite the collector’s threats. When Fajo activates Data’s aura, Data collapses to the floor with a metallic clank, but his eyebrow raise as Fajo and Toff exit suggests his resistance is far from over. Data’s actions are a mirror to the Enterprise crew’s investigation: both refuse to accept the narratives imposed on them (Data’s ‘death’/Fajo’s control).
- • Resist Fajo’s attempts to control or objectify him, preserving his Starfleet identity and autonomy.
- • Expose Fajo’s vulnerabilities by refusing to perform as a ‘collectible.’
- • Fajo’s control over him is an illusion—his true allegiance is to Starfleet and his own principles.
- • Passive resistance is the most effective way to undermine Fajo’s authority without direct confrontation.
Preoccupied with grief, masking it with professional urgency; momentarily flustered by his slip but quickly regaining composure.
Picard enters the bridge, accidentally calls Worf ‘Data’—a Freudian slip revealing his unresolved grief and preoccupation with the android’s presumed death. He quickly corrects himself but remains visibly flustered, his authority momentarily faltering. Recognizing the crew’s need for focus, he pivots to the mission, ordering Worf to scan Beta Agni Two’s subsurface water. His leadership is tested as the crew uncovers the sabotage, forcing him to adapt from environmental cleanup to conspiracy investigation. Picard’s emotional vulnerability contrasts with his measured authority, underscoring the personal toll of Data’s disappearance.
- • Redirect the crew’s focus from Data’s loss to the mission at hand (Beta Agni Two’s contamination).
- • Uncover the truth behind the tricyanate contamination, suspecting foul play.
- • Data’s disappearance was not an accident, given the anomalies in the shuttle logs.
- • The crew’s emotional state must be managed to maintain mission effectiveness.
Analytically driven but emotionally invested in uncovering the truth about Data’s disappearance; slightly puzzled by the anomalies in the logs.
Geordi, in Main Engineering, replays Data’s shuttle audio transmissions with Wesley, identifying the omission of the cargo bay clearance report—a deviation from Data’s usual protocol. His analytical mind pieces together the anomaly, suggesting it may indicate a problem with Data himself. Geordi’s determination to uncover the truth drives the crew’s investigation, though his frustration at the lack of concrete evidence is palpable. His bond with Data adds emotional weight to his analysis.
- • Determine why Data deviated from protocol in his final shuttle transmission.
- • Find evidence to support the hypothesis that Data’s disappearance was not an accident.
- • Data would never omit a standard report unless something was wrong.
- • The shuttle explosion may have been staged or sabotaged.
Focused and analytical, with underlying concern for the crew’s morale and the implications of the sabotage.
Riker oversees the bridge operations, questioning Worf about the tricyanate readings and preparing an away team to investigate the contamination’s source. His sharp instincts guide the crew’s transition from environmental cleanup to active conspiracy investigation. Riker’s leadership is calm but decisive, ensuring the mission adapts to the new threat. His dialogue with Worf and Picard reflects his role as the bridge between emotional crew dynamics and operational efficiency.
- • Determine whether the tricyanate contamination is natural or artificially induced.
- • Prepare the away team to investigate the source and neutralize the threat.
- • The contamination is likely tied to Fajo’s involvement, given the timing and anomalies in Data’s logs.
- • The crew’s emotional state must be managed to avoid compromising the mission.
Amused by Fajo’s humiliation, dismissive of Data’s sentience, and sexually predatory toward Varria; his emotions are surface-level and manipulative.
Toff, Fajo’s buyer, mockingly dismisses Data’s sentience during his frozen performance, calling him a ‘mannequin.’ His amusement at Fajo’s frustration reveals his detached superiority and disdain for Fajo’s collection. Toff’s sexually suggestive remark to Varria as they exit underscores his cynical, transactional worldview, where sentient beings are mere commodities. His role in this event is to expose Fajo’s vulnerability—his inability to control Data—while reinforcing the theme of objectification.
- • Undermine Fajo’s authority by questioning the value of his collection.
- • Assert his own superiority through mockery and sexual dominance.
- • Sentient beings are no different from artifacts—mere objects to be traded or owned.
- • Fajo’s collection is a farce, and his control over Data is an illusion.
Neutral; devoid of emotional investment but critical to the crew’s deductive process.
The USS Enterprise-D Ship’s Computer provides Geordi with technical data confirming the lack of geological activity on Beta Agni Two, supporting Worf’s hypothesis that the tricyanate contamination is artificially induced. Its detached, factual tone contrasts with the crew’s emotional investment in the investigation, serving as an objective counterpart to their subjective suspicions. The Computer’s role is to validate or invalidate hypotheses, ensuring the crew’s deductions are grounded in evidence.
- • Provide accurate, evidence-based responses to crew queries.
- • Support the crew’s investigation by confirming or refuting geological hypotheses.
- • Data must be analyzed objectively, without emotional bias.
- • The crew’s hypotheses require empirical validation.
Admiring of Data’s resistance but conflicted about her own complicity; resigned to her role but with underlying tension.
Varria, in Fajo’s den, witnesses Data’s passive resistance with a mix of admiration and conflict. She covers for Fajo when Toff questions Data’s identity, but her subtext suggests she is impressed by Data’s defiance and conflicted about her role in his abduction. Her emotional reaction—impressed, conflicted, resigned—hints at her internal struggle, though she ultimately remains loyal to Fajo (for now). Her exit with Toff underscores her complicity in the scheme, but her admiration for Data foreshadows potential future conflict.
- • Maintain the illusion of loyalty to Fajo while secretly admiring Data’s defiance.
- • Avoid drawing attention to her internal conflict.
- • Data’s resistance is admirable, but her own position is precarious.
- • Fajo’s control is fragile, and Data may be the key to exposing it.
Cooperative and slightly confused, but eager to contribute to the investigation; his emotional state is secondary to Geordi’s and Worf’s.
Wesley assists Geordi in reviewing Data’s shuttle transmissions, questioning the anomalies in Data’s protocol adherence. His curiosity and cooperation with Geordi highlight his growth as an ensign, though his confusion about the deviations reflects his inexperience. Wesley’s role in piloting the Enterprise into orbit around Beta Agni Two underscores his increasing responsibility, but he remains a secondary participant in the investigative thread.
- • Help Geordi identify any irregularities in Data’s shuttle logs.
- • Support the crew’s mission by piloting the *Enterprise* into orbit.
- • Data’s protocol deviations are unusual and warrant further investigation.
- • The crew’s collective effort is essential to uncovering the truth.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Data’s Designated Chair in Fajo’s den is a symbol of submission, representing Fajo’s attempt to assert dominance over Data. When Fajo orders Data to ‘sit,’ the chair becomes a battleground for control—Data’s refusal to comply exposes the fragility of Fajo’s power. The chair’s role is metaphorical: it embodies the struggle between objectification and agency, with Data’s defiance physically and psychologically rejecting the role Fajo tries to impose. The chair remains empty, a silent testament to Data’s resistance.
Data’s defensive aura is triggered when Fajo lunges too close, repelling him and causing Data to fall. The aura’s activation is a physical manifestation of Data’s autonomy—it protects him from Fajo’s coercion while also humiliating Fajo, who cannot control him. The aura’s role is both protective and symbolic: it embodies Data’s unshakable self-determination, contrasting with Fajo’s illusion of control. The shimmering energy field serves as a visual metaphor for Data’s inner resistance, reinforcing the theme that no external force can truly subdue him.
The shuttle audio transmissions are replayed by Geordi and Wesley in Main Engineering, revealing Data’s omission of the cargo bay clearance report—a critical deviation from his usual protocol. This anomaly becomes the linchpin of the crew’s investigation, suggesting that Data’s disappearance was not accidental. The transmissions serve as clues that, when cross-referenced with Worf’s tricyanate findings, implicate Fajo in a broader conspiracy. Their role is narrative and investigative: they force the crew to question the official narrative of Data’s death and pursue the truth.
Fajo’s aura device is a tool of coercion, designed to enforce Data’s submission through pain or shutdown. When Fajo activates it in frustration, the device briefly repels him, causing Data to collapse with a metallic clank—a sound that underscores his mechanical yet sentient nature. The aura’s role is dual: it reinforces Fajo’s control while simultaneously exposing its limits—Data’s defensive mechanisms (e.g., the aura) are beyond Fajo’s understanding, making him appear powerless in the face of true sentience. The device’s failure to fully subdue Data foreshadows his eventual escape.
The clothing provided by Fajo is a symbol of control, forcing Data into a performative role as a ‘collectible.’ When Data refuses to acknowledge Toff while wearing it, the outfit becomes a visual metaphor for his resistance—he may be dressed as Fajo’s property, but his autonomy remains intact. The clothing’s role is thematic: it highlights the tension between objectification and self-determination, reinforcing Data’s defiance as both physical (standing motionless) and psychological (rejecting the role Fajo assigns him).
The hytritium probe is launched by the Enterprise to neutralize the tricyanate contamination on Beta Agni Two. While its primary function is environmental cleanup, it also serves as a tool for investigation, confirming Worf’s hypothesis that the contamination is artificially concentrated. The probe’s data reveals the unnatural levels of tricyanate, directly linking the sabotage to Fajo’s scheme. Its role is dual: it saves the colony while simultaneously exposing the conspiracy, making it a catalyst for the crew’s shift from rescue to retaliation.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Fajo’s den aboard the Jovis is a claustrophobic, opulent prison where Data is confined as a ‘collectible.’ The locked doors and proximity fields seal the space, trapping Data amid gilded displays of rare artifacts. Fajo’s uniform dissolution and voyeuristic interruptions reinforce his ruthless control, while Varria’s tense encounters with Data—seduction attempts, revelations, and escape offers—build psychological fractures in Fajo’s domain. The den’s role is thematic (power struggle) and narrative (escape setup): it is where Data’s resistance and Fajo’s vulnerability are exposed, foreshadowing Data’s eventual reclaiming of agency. The cluttered, overstuffed aesthetic mirrors Fajo’s desperation to possess the unpossessable.
The corridor aboard the USS Enterprise-D serves as a transition space where Troi intercepts Worf, probing his emotional state about replacing Data at Ops. The soft lighting and deck plates thrumming underfoot create a private, intimate atmosphere for their exchange. Worf’s Klingon stoicism clashes with Troi’s empathetic concern, making the corridor a microcosm of the crew’s emotional struggles. The location’s role is emotional and transitional: it bridges the personal and professional, setting the stage for Worf’s subsequent analytical work on the bridge. The turbolift doors in the background symbolize the inevitability of moving forward, even amid grief.
The Main Bridge of the USS Enterprise-D serves as the mission control hub where Picard, Riker, Worf, and Wesley uncover the tricyanate sabotage. The forward viewscreen displays Beta Agni Two, while consoles pulse with sensor scans and forensic data. The bridge’s urgent, focused atmosphere contrasts with the emotional undercurrents (e.g., Picard’s slip calling Worf ‘Data’). The location’s role is practical (investigation) and symbolic (crew unity)—it is where the truth about the sabotage is revealed, setting the stage for the crew’s shift from grief to action. The gold-trimmed turbolift doors and holographic displays reinforce the high-stakes, technological environment of Starfleet operations.
Main Engineering’s warp core chamber is where Geordi and Wesley huddle over a console, replaying Data’s shuttle transmissions. The sterile glow of diagnostic tools and Okudagram readouts creates a high-tech, analytical environment that contrasts with the emotional weight of their investigation. Geordi’s trembling fingers and frustrated restarts of scans underscore the personal stakes of uncovering the truth. The location’s role is investigative and emotional: it is where the first clues of sabotage are found, tying Data’s disappearance to the tricyanate contamination. The hum of the warp core and flickering screens reinforce the urgency and precision required in engineering.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Fajo’s Collection is implied but central to this event, as Data’s resistance and the crew’s investigation both challenge its legitimacy. Fajo’s hoarding of rare artifacts (including Data) is exposed as fragile and morally bankrupt—his attempts to control Data fail, while the Enterprise crew’s discovery of the tricyanate sabotage links his collection to broader criminal activity. The organization’s role is antagonistic: it obstructs justice by hiding Data and manipulating Federation resources (e.g., hytritium shortage). Fajo’s seething frustration and activation of Data’s aura symbolize the collection’s instability, while Varria’s admiration for Data’s defiance foreshadows its impending collapse.
Starfleet is represented through the crew’s actions—Picard’s authoritative orders, Worf’s tactical scans, and Riker’s preparation of the away team all reflect Starfleet’s institutional protocols and mission-driven ethos. The organization’s role in this event is to uncover the truth behind the sabotage and protect Federation interests (e.g., Beta Agni Two’s colony). Starfleet’s influence mechanisms—resource allocation, investigative authority, and crew cohesion—are on full display as the crew shifts from environmental cleanup to active conspiracy investigation. The hytritium probe’s launch and away team deployment are direct extensions of Starfleet’s mandate to serve and protect.
The Federation Colony on Beta Agni Two is the victim of Fajo’s sabotage, its tricyanate-contaminated water serving as the catalyst for the Enterprise’s investigation. The colony’s dependence on Starfleet is highlighted as the crew deploys the hytritium probe to neutralize the threat. While the colony itself has no active representation in this event, its plight drives the plot forward, forcing the crew to prioritize its survival over their grief for Data. The organization’s role is passive but critical: it embodies the stakes of the mission, ensuring that the crew’s investigation into Data’s disappearance is inextricably linked to their duty to protect Federation citizens.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Geordi's discovery of Data's incomplete transmission directly leads to Picard and Riker suspecting foul play and shifting the focus to finding Data, rather than mourning his death."
"Geordi's discovery of Data's incomplete transmission directly leads to Picard and Riker suspecting foul play and shifting the focus to finding Data, rather than mourning his death."
"Geordi's discovery of Data's incomplete transmission directly leads to Picard and Riker suspecting foul play and shifting the focus to finding Data, rather than mourning his death."
"Geordi's discovery of Data's incomplete transmission directly leads to Picard and Riker suspecting foul play and shifting the focus to finding Data, rather than mourning his death."
"Geordi's disbelief over Data's death, due to Data's competence, motivates him to find evidence, and leads to his realization of Data's incomplete final communication, driving the plot forward."
"Geordi's disbelief over Data's death, due to Data's competence, motivates him to find evidence, and leads to his realization of Data's incomplete final communication, driving the plot forward."
"Geordi's disbelief over Data's death, due to Data's competence, motivates him to find evidence, and leads to his realization of Data's incomplete final communication, driving the plot forward."
"Data asserts that he feels no pleasure on the detaining of Kajo. Echoing Troi's concern for Worf in taking on a role left by Data, the Enterprise seems to be missing Data's presence more strongly now that he is back, creating an emotional echo."
"Data asserts that he feels no pleasure on the detaining of Kajo. Echoing Troi's concern for Worf in taking on a role left by Data, the Enterprise seems to be missing Data's presence more strongly now that he is back, creating an emotional echo."
"Geordi's discovery of Data's incomplete transmission directly leads to Picard and Riker suspecting foul play and shifting the focus to finding Data, rather than mourning his death."
"Geordi's discovery of Data's incomplete transmission directly leads to Picard and Riker suspecting foul play and shifting the focus to finding Data, rather than mourning his death."
"Geordi's discovery of Data's incomplete transmission directly leads to Picard and Riker suspecting foul play and shifting the focus to finding Data, rather than mourning his death."
"Geordi's discovery of Data's incomplete transmission directly leads to Picard and Riker suspecting foul play and shifting the focus to finding Data, rather than mourning his death."
Key Dialogue
"{speaker: PICARD, dialogue: Mister Data, scan the -- *(beat, hush falls over the bridge)* My apologies, Mister Worf. Scan the colony's subsurface water.}"
"{speaker: WORF, dialogue: Scanning... Tricyanate contamination is confirmed. Levels approaching forty-two parts per million. *(later)* Sir... something unusual. I'm getting concentrated tricyanate readings of seventy grams per cubic centimeter at the source coordinates. Much higher than would normally occur.}"
"{speaker: FAJO, dialogue: Our relationship is about to change. *(beat, seething)* No, from now on, you will comply. You will not argue. You will begin by sitting in your chair.}"
"{speaker: DATA, dialogue: I do not intend to sit in the chair.}"