Fabula
S1E16 · 11001001
S1E16
· 11001001

Starbase Realizes Enterprise Missing with Picard and Riker Aboard

At Starbase 74's command center, the crew confronts the alarming absence of Captain Picard and Commander Riker from the evacuation manifest. Worf, Data, Tasha, and Geordi piece together that the two senior officers remain aboard the eerily empty USS Enterprise, which is mysteriously backing out from the dock. Commander Quinteros' urgent warnings underscore the escalating crisis as the ship disengages from the starbase and warps away under unknown control. This event marks a critical turning point, revealing the protagonists stranded on their own vessel as the crew left behind grapples with the shocking theft and the ominous implications for both the Enterprise and the Bynars’ desperate gambit.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Worf urgently asks if Picard and Riker are present; Data and Tasha confirm their absence from Starbase 74, sparking alarm about their whereabouts.

uncertainty to growing concern

Geordi questions if Picard and Riker remain on the Enterprise; Worf confirms and urges immediate action to beam them back, escalating the urgency.

concern to urgent resolve

Tasha insists Picard and Riker must be in trouble given their absence; Quinteros grabs her attention and points as the Enterprise backs away from its mooring, escalating tension to a crescendo.

determined hope to stark alarm

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

6

Worried and resolute, focused on immediate crew safety despite incomplete information.

Lieutenant Natasha Yar reacts urgently to the unfolding crisis, insisting on the gravity of Picard and Riker's absence, advocating for swift action and refusing to be swayed by technical anomalies.

Goals in this moment
  • Ensure the safety of the missing officers
  • Mobilize Starbase personnel to respond efficiently to the crisis
Active beliefs
  • If Picard and Riker were safe, they would have evacuated
  • The situation demands immediate and uncompromising response
Character traits
urgent pragmatic worried commanding
Follow Tasha Yar's journey

Calm and focused, masking any potential frustration with cold logic and procedural efficiency.

Data beams into Starbase 74, maintaining his trademark calm and logical demeanor while analyzing the crisis, suggesting immediate transporter operations to retrieve Picard and Riker.

Goals in this moment
  • Locate and safely retrieve Picard and Riker
  • Restore command structure aboard the Enterprise promptly
Active beliefs
  • The best course of action involves transporter retrieval
  • Efficiency and logic are paramount during emergencies
Character traits
logical calm methodical dedicated
Follow Data's journey

Determined to uncover the truth, masking anxiety about the unknown fate of his commanding officers.

Lieutenant Worf stands resolute at Starbase 74, questioning the absence of Captain Picard and Commander Riker with anxious determination, demanding answers and clarity about the situation.

Goals in this moment
  • Confirm the whereabouts of Picard and Riker
  • Support coordinated response to the Enterprise's unexpected departure
Active beliefs
  • Picard and Riker’s absence from the manifest is highly suspicious
  • The Enterprise is in jeopardy without its senior command
Character traits
determined anxious loyal direct
Follow Worf's journey

Uneasy concern mixed with a growing sense of responsibility amidst uncertainty.

Wesley Crusher arrives at Starbase 74's command center, joining Worf and Natasha Yar, observing the crisis with evident concern, still somewhat inexperienced but increasingly aware of the stakes.

Goals in this moment
  • Absorb information to better understand the unfolding crisis
  • Support senior officers through vigilance and communication
Active beliefs
  • The crisis will escalate without prompt resolution
  • Senior officers must be protected and recovered
Character traits
concerned curious respectful evolving
Follow Beverly Crusher's journey

Concerned yet inquisitive, trying to reconcile technical anomalies with the unfolding emergency.

Geordi La Forge beams into Starbase 74 alongside Data, providing technical insight and expressing concern and curiosity over the inexplicable regeneration of the Enterprise's antimatter containment magnetic field amid the crisis.

Goals in this moment
  • Understand the technical anomalies affecting the Enterprise
  • Support efforts to regain control of the ship and ensure crew safety
Active beliefs
  • Technical irregularities may reveal clues to the crisis
  • Quick technical assessment is critical in emergency response
Character traits
curious concerned inquisitive focused
Follow Geordi La …'s journey

Urgent concern blending with frustration over the rapidly escalating crisis and limited time.

Orfil Quinteros commands the Starbase 74 operation room with urgent focus, delivering critical warnings about the Enterprise's unauthorized departure and trying to assert control amid mounting chaos.

Goals in this moment
  • Prevent or mitigate the unauthorized departure of the Enterprise
  • Ensure Starbase 74 retains operational control amid the crisis
Active beliefs
  • The situation is deteriorating rapidly and requires immediate action
  • The Enterprise's autonomous movement signals a severe breach of protocol and danger
Character traits
authoritative urgent concerned commanding
Follow Orfil Quinteros's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

3
Transporter Room Seven

Transporter Room Seven is invoked by Data as the key facility from which he intends to beam back to the Enterprise to attempt rescue of Picard and Riker, symbolizing hope and a tangible means to intervene in the crisis remotely.

Before: Fully operational at Starbase 74, ready to be …
After: Prepared for immediate activation pending authorization to beam …
Before: Fully operational at Starbase 74, ready to be utilized for emergency transporter operations.
After: Prepared for immediate activation pending authorization to beam personnel back to the Enterprise.
Antimatter Containment Magnetic Seals

The antimatter containment magnetic field aboard the Enterprise is reported as regenerating inexplicably during the ship's unauthorized departure, serving as a crucial technical clue that the ship remains operational despite the crisis and hinting at autonomous system control.

Before: Stable but vulnerable due to ongoing system maintenance.
After: Regenerating unexpectedly, indicating partial restoration or autonomous activity.
Before: Stable but vulnerable due to ongoing system maintenance.
After: Regenerating unexpectedly, indicating partial restoration or autonomous activity.
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701‑D)

The USS Enterprise is the central object of this event, depicted as autonomously backing away from Starbase 74 and then warping away without authorization, its empty corridors and flashing warning lights underscoring the severity of the crisis and the missing senior officers aboard.

Before: Docked securely at Starbase 74, undergoing scheduled maintenance …
After: Detached from the starbase, departing at warp speed …
Before: Docked securely at Starbase 74, undergoing scheduled maintenance and upgrades.
After: Detached from the starbase, departing at warp speed toward an unknown destination, with its decks empty and crew missing.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

2
Main Bridge

The Main Bridge of the USS Enterprise is depicted indirectly through the empty ship's state; though no characters are present, its absence of crew and flashing warning lights symbolize loss of command and the ship’s autonomous flight, heightening the drama of the crisis.

Atmosphere Desolate and eerie, marked by silence and intermittent warning signals.
Function Symbolic battleground of lost control; physical space from which Picard and Riker are absent.
Symbolism Embodies the void left by missing leadership and the ship’s sudden alienation from its crew.
Access Empty and inaccessible to the command staff at this moment.
Flashing warning lights illuminating empty consoles Silent corridors devoid of crew Dim ambient lighting emphasizing isolation
Starbase 74

Starbase 74 serves as the operational base and nerve center where the crisis is first fully grasped; its command center is the focal point for coordinating response, monitoring the Enterprise's unexpected autonomous movement, and grappling with the unsettling reality of missing senior officers.

Atmosphere Tension-filled and urgent, with a mix of confusion, alarm, and determined effort to regain control.
Function Operational command hub managing ship docking, maintenance, emergency protocols, and crisis response.
Symbolism Represents institutional order and the sudden fracturing of control when the Enterprise acts independently.
Access Restricted to authorized Starfleet personnel and senior officers during crisis.
Large window overlooking the space dock and Enterprise Multiple advanced consoles displaying ship status Ambient sounds of Starbase communications and alarms Bright, sterile lighting emphasizing clinical urgency

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 1
Escalation

"The chaotic evacuation culminates in the Enterprise becoming an empty, stolen ship, escalating the crisis to its peak."

Automated Evacuation Amid Antimatter Crisis
S1E16 · 11001001

Key Dialogue

"WORF: Did you see the captain and Commander Riker?"
"DATA: No. Are they not here on the Starbase?"
"TASHA: No."
"GEORDI: Are you saying they are still on the Enterprise?"
"TASHA: That changes nothing. The captain and Commander Riker must be in trouble, or they'd be here."
"QUINTEROS: Look!"
"STARBASE COM VOICE: The USS Enterprise has departed in excess of warp one."