Star Trek The Next Generation
S1E20
· Heart of Glory

Urgent Escape Through Collapsing Engineering

As the Batris's engineering compartment teeters on the brink of catastrophic failure, Data identifies a damaged hatch offering a faster escape route. Geordi swiftly leads the away team through the hazardous interior, while Riker attempts to secure a transporter lock. The interference reported by Tasha forces the team deeper into the ship, increasing tension as a rising noxious gas and imminent explosion threaten their survival. Korris asserts his authority by personally carrying the critically wounded Klingon, underscoring the cultural and command tensions amid the desperate evacuation. This event heightens the stakes and accelerates the perilous retreat, marking a pivotal moment that propels the crew toward survival while intensifying the volatile dynamic between the Starfleet officers and Klingon renegades.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Data appears through the damaged hatchway, offering a quicker escape route; Geordi immediately agrees to move.

hesitation to action

The group rushes through the deteriorating ship as the vessel rumbles and boils, with Geordi warning that the ship is about to explode.

determination to rising dread ['damaged Engineering compartment']

Riker urgently requests transporter lock; Tasha’s voice reports interference, forcing the team to move farther from Engineering as ominous gas builds behind them.

hope to increased peril ['Engineering section', 'nearby gas buildup']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

5
Geordi La Forge
Chief Engineer
 primary

Focused anxiety driving swift action.

Geordi leads the away team through the hazardous engineering compartment, voices urgent warnings about the ship’s imminent explosion, and pushes the team forward with determination.

Goals in this moment
  • • Lead the team safely out of the Batris
  • • Avoid the catastrophic explosion by moving quickly
Active beliefs
  • • The environment is increasingly unstable and dangerous
  • • Quick action is the only path to survival
Character traits
anxious determined leader
Follow Geordi La …'s journey
Korris
Commander
 primary

Resolute and commanding, masking urgency with cultural pride.

Korris asserts his authority by introducing himself, refusing to delegate the responsibility of carrying the critically wounded Klingon, physically embodying Klingon honor and leadership amid crisis.

Goals in this moment
  • • Ensure the survival of his wounded comrade
  • • Maintain control and leadership over his faction during evacuation
Active beliefs
  • • Honor demands personal responsibility for the wounded
  • • Starfleet officers cannot be fully trusted to uphold Klingon values
Character traits
authoritative determined pragmatic
Follow Korris's journey
Tasha Yar
Lieutenant (Chief of Security)
 primary

Alert and cautious under pressure.

Tasha communicates via com, reporting interference blocking transporter lock, urging Riker and the team to move farther from engineering to secure transport extraction.

Goals in this moment
  • • Ensure safe transporter lock for the team's extraction
  • • Advise the away team to mitigate interference risks
Active beliefs
  • • Environmental interference can jeopardize transporter function
  • • Effective communication is critical to successful rescue
Character traits
concerned focused professional
Follow Tasha Yar's journey
Data
Second Officer
 primary

Detached analytical focus with respect for Klingon customs.

Data appears calmly through the torn hatchway, assesses the wounded Klingon with his tricorder, and lifts him to assist with evacuation, deferring to Korris’s cultural authority.

Goals in this moment
  • • Identify the best escape route to save the team
  • • Ensure the survival of the injured Klingon with medical scanning and support
Active beliefs
  • • Logical assessment prevails even in crisis
  • • Respecting cultural hierarchy aids mission success
Character traits
calm analytical deferential
Follow Data's journey
William Riker
Commander
 primary

Anxious urgency mixed with tactical calm.

Riker urgently commands the team, prioritizing swift evacuation while attempting to establish transporter lock despite interference, issuing clear directives to Data and coordinating with the Transporter Room.

Goals in this moment
  • • Evacuate the away team safely from the Batris
  • • Secure transporter lock to expedite extraction
Active beliefs
  • • Time is critically limited due to imminent explosion
  • • Effective coordination with the ship’s Transporter Room is essential for survival
Character traits
decisive focused authoritative
Follow William Riker's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Data's Tricorder

Data employs the Starfleet tricorder to scan the critically wounded Klingon, assessing vital signs and providing crucial medical information that informs immediate rescue decisions.

Before: In possession of Data, operational and actively scanning.
After: Remains in Data’s possession, continuously used to monitor …
Before: In possession of Data, operational and actively scanning.
After: Remains in Data’s possession, continuously used to monitor environmental and medical data.
Torn Hatchway

The torn hatchway serves as the critical escape route discovered by Data, facilitating the team's rapid exit from the engineering compartment despite its damaged, precarious condition amidst rising threats.

Before: Damaged with jagged edges, partially obstructed but identified …
After: Used actively by the away team for escape, …
Before: Damaged with jagged edges, partially obstructed but identified as viable escape path.
After: Used actively by the away team for escape, likely further stressed by hurried transit.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
USS Enterprise Transporter Room 4

The Batris's engineering compartment is a hazardous, unstable battleground where the away team confronts rising gas buildup and structural threats, forcing urgent evacuation through compromised corridors and damaged hatchways.

Atmosphere Tense, claustrophobic, filled with rumbling sounds and escalating danger.
Function Dangerous environment and stage for the desperate escape attempt.
Symbolism Represents the physical and cultural fracture within the Klingon renegades, embodied by the failing ship …
Access Restricted due to structural damage and environmental hazards; only experienced personnel traverse.
Boiling, rumbling ship hull indicating imminent explosion Thickening noxious gas buildup complicating evacuation

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

"KORRIS: I am Korris."
"RIKER: We'll handle the formalities later - right now we have to get off this ship. Are there any others still alive?"
"DATA: I believe there is a quicker way out of here."
"GEORDI: Let's go."
"RIKER: Check him, Data."
"DATA: He is alive -- but just barely."
"RIKER: Pick him up and let's get out of here."
"KORRIS: No. I will carry him."
"DATA: As you wish."
"GEORDI: We're out of time, Commander -- the ship's going to blow."
"TASHA'S COM VOICE: Not yet. Too much interference. You have to get farther away from the Engineering section."