Redblock's Hostile Takeover and the Deadly Ultimatum
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard and the Enterprise crew realize the Holodeck controls have failed; Data confirms the computer ignores commands, trapping them inside the 1941 simulation with no accessible exits.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Grim determination with underlying tension and a careful balancing of hope and caution.
Jean-Luc Picard remains grim and resolute as he attempts to negotiate with the hostile Redblock and Leech, enduring physical assault and threats while trying to protect Beverly and leverage possession of the mysterious item to save his crew.
- • Protect Beverly Crusher and other crew members
- • Negotiate for the safety of the injured Whalen
- • Convince Redblock of possessing the mysterious item
- • Maintain composure under physical and psychological threats
- • Believes leverage via claiming possession of the 'item' is essential to survival
- • Believes that direct confrontation with Redblock's greed can be used to de-escalate violence
- • Believes his crew’s lives depend on his negotiation skills
- • Believes that the Holodeck's simulated danger feels real and must be treated as such
Calm and methodical, masking the tension of the hostile encounter.
Data remains calm and analytical, assisting Picard and Beverly by assessing the situation logically, engaging with Redblock and Leech on their ontological nature, and enduring physical intimidation without losing composure.
- • Support Picard and Beverly during the siege
- • Analyze and explain the fictional nature of the antagonists
- • Maintain composure to avoid escalation
- • Assist in finding a way out or negotiating
- • Believes the attackers are fictional constructs from the Holodeck
- • Believes logic and truth can influence their behavior
- • Believes his android nature may intrigue or disarm the antagonists
- • Believes keeping calm aids survival
Angry, frantic, and desperate, bordering on unhinged.
Felix Leech acts as the volatile, aggressive enforcer, physically assaulting Picard, threatening Beverly with gun and stiletto, displaying growing frustration and violent instability under pressure.
- • Intimidate and control the Enterprise crew
- • Secure the 'item' for Redblock
- • Express frustration and assert dominance
- • Eliminate perceived threats quickly
- • Believes the crew is hiding the 'item'
- • Believes that violence compels compliance
- • Believes Picard is lying and must be punished
- • Believes Redblock’s commands are absolute
Concerned and fearful but maintaining clinical focus and composure.
Beverly Crusher is tense and fearful yet professional, tending to the critically wounded Whalen while under direct threat from Leech's gun and the hostile intruders, attempting to mediate the escalating violence through reasoned appeals.
- • Provide medical aid to Whalen
- • Defuse the violence and protect herself and the crew
- • Support Picard’s negotiation efforts
- • Keep the situation from escalating further
- • Believes Whalen's life is worth saving despite the chaos
- • Believes reason and appeals can influence the criminals
- • Believes the situation is dangerously real and requires careful handling
- • Believes her medical skills can be crucial in this crisis
Critically ill, incapacitated, his fate weighing heavily on others.
Charles Whalen lies critically injured, his dying body moved by Redblock’s thug, becoming the tragic catalyst for Picard’s urgent negotiation to save a life amid the chaos.
- • Survive the injury (unconscious goal)
- • Serve as bargaining chip for Picard’s negotiation (by circumstance)
- • Elicit care from Beverly and the crew
- • Represent the real stakes amidst fiction
Cool and wary under duress, maintaining concern for Picard.
Lieutenant McNary enters unexpectedly, quickly disarmed and assaulted by Redblock’s thug, warns Picard not to trust Redblock, showing loyalty and wariness despite his compromised state.
- • Warn Picard against trusting Redblock
- • Survive the assault
- • Support Picard and crew despite limited power
- • Maintain personal integrity
- • Believes Redblock is untrustworthy and dangerous
- • Believes loyalty to Picard is paramount
- • Believes caution is essential in this hostile environment
- • Believes physical resistance is limited but moral support matters
Intrigued and impatient, with moments of cold amusement and merciless resolve.
Cyrus Redblock exerts ruthless, imposing control over the office siege, orchestrating intimidation and violence to extract the 'item,' alternating between charm and menace while enforcing strict discipline on his henchmen and captives.
- • Obtain the mysterious 'item' at all costs
- • Maintain control over his henchmen and captives
- • Test Picard’s resolve and extract information
- • Leverage the hostage situation to his advantage
- • Believes violence and intimidation are effective tools
- • Believes the 'item' holds crucial value
- • Believes he can manipulate Picard through threats
- • Believes civility can still serve as a weapon in negotiation
Focused and menacing, following orders without hesitation.
Redblock’s Thug executes orders with menacing efficiency, disarming and assaulting Lieutenant McNary and physically handling Whalen’s body, embodying ruthless loyalty and escalating physical threat.
- • Control and subdue opposition
- • Assist Redblock in acquiring the 'item'
- • Neutralize threats swiftly
- • Enforce Redblock's will physically
- • Believes in unquestioning loyalty to Redblock
- • Believes physical force is necessary
- • Believes obedience ensures survival
- • Believes intimidation will secure objectives
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Leech's stiletto dagger is pressed threateningly against Picard’s chest and used to pluck buttons off his shirt slowly, symbolizing escalating menace and imminent physical danger.
Felix Leech's gun is wielded as a weapon of intimidation and violence, used to threaten Picard, fatally shoot Whalen, and coerce compliance from the crew, transforming the Holodeck's simulation into a lethal battleground.
The Dixon Hill Office Floor Lamp provides practical lighting initially, is briefly extinguished when its cord is yanked out, adding to the tension, then restored, contributing to the noir ambiance of the setting.
The mysterious 'item' remains unseen but is the central object of desire driving the conflict, negotiation, and violence, embodying the elusive key to resolution and survival within the Holodeck simulation.
Cyrus Redblock's white handkerchief is used to wipe sweat from his brow, signaling his exertion and stress as he manages the siege and negotiation, symbolizing a veneer of civility amidst brutality.
The lamp cord, when yanked out accidentally, causes the floor lamp to go dark briefly, exacerbating tension and symbolizing the fragile control over the environment during the violent siege.
Buttons on Picard's shirt become symbols of intimidation as Leech slowly plucks them off during a high-tension moment, underscoring Picard’s vulnerability and the personal nature of the threat.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Dixon Hill's Office Hallway functions as the ominous entrance point where the hostile intruders gain uninvited access, setting the stage for the siege and escalating the sense of vulnerability within the office.
The Holodeck Dixon Hill San Francisco Simulation serves as the claustrophobic and volatile battleground where the line between illusion and deadly reality dissolves, amplifying tension through its immersive 1941 noir atmosphere.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The realization of lethal stakes causes Picard and Data to confront the invading Redblock gang, heightening danger and transforming the scenario into a fight for survival."
"The realization of lethal stakes causes Picard and Data to confront the invading Redblock gang, heightening danger and transforming the scenario into a fight for survival."
"The realization of lethal stakes causes Picard and Data to confront the invading Redblock gang, heightening danger and transforming the scenario into a fight for survival."
"Riker's confirmation of orbit and subsequent urgent reaction reflect rising external pressure that parallels the internal Holodeck crisis, linking dual narrative tensions."
Key Dialogue
"REDBLOCK: Life is an endless stream of choices. Unfortunately, you have chosen to make my life more difficult."
"LEECH: (waving gun; growing frantic) Shut up!! Let me shoot them, Mister Redblock. Let me kill them, one by one."
"PICARD: Redblock. I have the item."
"REDBLOCK: At last. I knew it! God, man, you are a character! Waiting until the last moment! Testing my resolve! What an ally you would make! Now -- where is it?"