One Last Round — Confessions at Rex's
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Riker delivers the mission jolt—their two passengers are waking—and Picard calls it, signaling it’s time to leave the fantasy for duty.
Rex tempts them with one last round; Riker signals they have a moment, Picard relaxes, accepts the pour, introduces "Nails" and "Carlos," and Data studies the period money with bright curiosity.
Riker unloads his problem—a wealthy, beautiful woman has declared she’ll marry him—Picard clocks the subtext, and Rex spins it as a windfall, turning panic into rueful humor.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Amused and convivial, but responsive—he senses tension and shifts tone to keep the scene convivial.
Rex functions as bartender and social anchor: he laughs, mediates Slade's temper, opens and pours a new bottle, and invites the group to sit and unburden themselves.
- • Diffuse Slade's anger and keep the bar calm
- • Facilitate camaraderie by offering drinks
- • Maintain the bar as a casual sanctuary for the group
- • A drink and banter can calm people and restore perspective
- • His role is to host and to smooth social friction
- • Told stories and jokes are part of a man's way through trouble
Anxious, urgent and edged with suspicion—fear for his sister fuels bravado that borders on threat.
Slade sits beside the captain at the bar, becomes visibly agitated, rises and reaches under his coat when newcomers arrive; he is physically checked by Picard and ultimately keeps his gun concealed.
- • Convince Picard/Dixon to actively search for his sister immediately
- • Demonstrate seriousness so his plea isn't dismissed
- • Protect himself and assert readiness to escalate if ignored
- • His sister would contact him if she wanted help
- • Force or the suggestion of force is an effective way to be taken seriously
- • Picard/Dixon can deliver on a promise if persuaded
Neutral curiosity—Data is intellectually engaged with the simulation's fidelity and social niceties rather than emotionally invested.
Data enters quietly, offers a literal aside about the holodeck persona ('South America'), and reaches to examine the period money, commenting on its accuracy and thereby validating the simulated environment.
- • Authenticate and understand the holodeck's period details
- • Support Picard socially by participating in introductions and banter
- • Maintain program continuity by offering plausible cover identity
- • Material accuracy enhances social plausibility in the simulation
- • Explaining his adopted persona helps others accept his presence
- • Objective observation is a useful contribution to social interaction
Split between professional urgency and private embarrassment—he is serious about the mission yet briefly exposed by the personal confession.
Riker enters with Data, delivers operational news about the passengers awakening, and then — in a shift to personal disclosure — admits, awkwardly and vulnerably, that a wealthy woman claims she will marry him.
- • Inform Picard/Dixon promptly about the passengers awakening
- • Seek a private, human response or counsel regarding his romantic entanglement
- • Preserve professionalism while disclosing a personal complication
- • The captain deserves to be informed about mission timings immediately
- • Personal life intrudes unexpectedly on duty and should be acknowledged honestly
- • Confessing the problem may invite good‑natured counsel or teasing that will normalize it
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
A chilled bottle of Altairian brandy is held by Rex, used to punctuate the scene's conviviality: he opens and pours from a new bottle to supply the 'one last drink' that allows the crew a human moment before leaving.
The concealed handgun functions as implied menace: Slade reaches under his coat as Riker and Data enter, producing a spike of tension that Picard physically checks; the gun is a silent threat that never discharges but shapes the scene's interpersonal stakes.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Rex's Bar provides the atmospheric holodeck refuge where Picard slips into Dixon's persona and the crew can lower their guard; it contains the bar ritual (pouring drinks, introductions) that permits private disclosures and diffuses immediate crisis tension.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Upon learning the passengers are awake, Picard decides it's time to leave the fantasy."
"Upon learning the passengers are awake, Picard decides it's time to leave the fantasy."
"Data's declared mastery of the era flows into his entrance in Rex's bar within the Dixon Hill sim."
Key Dialogue
"PICARD: "Well then, it's time to go.""
"RIKER: "Troubles I've got, sir. There's a certain woman, a wealthy and beautiful woman, who suddenly says she's going to marry me.""
"PICARD: "Sure, I can afford another round.""