A Request, a Demonstration, and a Charged Look
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Riker requests for himself and Geordi to stay on the station, despite Manua's reluctance.
Riker and Manua share a prolonged, intense gaze while Apgar continues his explanation.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Uneasy and conflicted: outwardly polite and supportive of her husband, inwardly unsettled by Riker's presence and the implications of his request and stare.
Hands glasses of champagne to Riker and Apgar, offers encouraging looks to her husband, then visibly recoils into discomfort when Riker requests that he and La Forge stay and when Riker fixes his gaze on her; studies her glass to avoid direct confrontation.
- • Support and reassure her husband, Apgar, socially and emotionally.
- • Avoid escalating confrontation with Riker while managing the awkwardness of the situation.
- • Preserve appearances and minimize inconvenience to house guests.
- • Her husband needs encouragement and validation in front of guests.
- • Riker's insistence is socially inappropriate or inconvenient and may cause trouble.
- • Maintaining calm and courtesy will defuse tension and protect Apgar.
Pressed and anxious but defensive; proud of his work and eager to validate it as a means of control and approval.
Seated on the couch, Apgar initiates a toast, senses pressure when Riker requests to stay, stands and begins to pace as he launches into a technical exposition about being close to collimate a Krieger field—shifting the focus from social friction to scientific claim-making.
- • Impress the visitors with the progress of his research to gain credibility and support.
- • Deflect social tension by redirecting attention to his scientific achievement.
- • Secure implicit approval that could translate into resources or continued backing for his project.
- • Scientific success (collimating a Krieger field) will justify his behavior and protect his reputation.
- • Demonstrating technical competence will neutralize personal or social scrutiny.
- • The visitors (Riker, La Forge) can be persuaded or influenced by proof of progress.
Surface calm and professional; underneath, quietly insistent and possessive, using proximity and gaze to exert pressure and observe reactions.
Standing close to Manua, Riker diverts the social ritual by asking that he and Commander La Forge be allowed to stay aboard; he watches Manua intently, contributes minimal small talk and presses the request with a controlled, insistent tone.
- • Secure permission for himself and La Forge to remain on the station until the Enterprise returns.
- • Maintain proximity to Manua and Apgar to observe and influence their testimony or behavior.
- • Create procedural cover (a legitimate reason) for staying that also allows continued oversight.
- • Being present will accelerate access to information and control the unfolding investigation.
- • His request can be framed as procedural necessity and will be granted without causing alarm.
- • Proximity and a quiet, intent gaze can unsettle or reveal the true emotional state of witnesses.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The holodeck living area couch functions as the physical anchor for the scene: Apgar is seated on it during the toast and uses its proximity as the staging point from which he stands and paces into technical exposition. It visually centers the domestic recreation and frames interpersonal distances between Riker, Manua, and Apgar.
The Krieger field is referenced verbally by Apgar as a near-achieved technical breakthrough. Though not physically present, the field functions narratively as the scientific thread that redirects the scene from personal tension to investigatory relevance, planting a tangible lead for later forensic scrutiny.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
No narrative connections mapped yet
This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph
Key Dialogue
"APGAR: "To success.""
"RIKER: "I'd appreciate it if Commander La Forge and I could stay here until the Enterprise returns.""
"APGAR: "Now, where shall I start... well, first of all, you should know that I'm very close to being able to collimate a Krieger field...""