Frozen Simulation — Riker Denies the Holographic Accusation
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Manua insists on the accuracy of the simulation while Troi consoles Riker.
Real Riker vehemently denies the holographic simulation's depiction of events.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Curious and expectant, clinically invested in using the simulation as incontrovertible evidence rather than engaged empathy.
Krag watches the frozen reconstruction with professional curiosity, treats the paused hologram as demonstrative proof, and asserts control by ordering the program resumed to solidify his evidentiary claim.
- • To establish a causal, demonstrable record that supports extradition or charges
- • To preserve and present the holographic reconstruction as authoritative evidence
- • He believes that technological reconstructions, once frozen, can stand as reliable proof
- • He believes firm, procedural steps (resume, document) will strengthen his jurisdictional claim
Conflicted: embarrassed and exposed, but adamant and wounded; her conviction carries grief and righteous anger.
Manua inhabits the reconstructed role with emotional immediacy — embarrassed, angry and plaintive — insisting the frozen scene is an accurate rendering of what she experienced on the station.
- • To ensure her testimony is believed and taken seriously
- • To have the events acknowledged and validated as real
- • She believes the simulation faithfully duplicates her experience
- • She believes that telling the truth about what happened matters more than social discomfort
Controlled and resolute, though privately burdened: he balances a captain's duty to impartial investigation with loyalty to a friend and officer.
Picard exercises command authority by ordering the program frozen, crossing into the reconstruction to address Riker directly, and framing the confrontation as both procedural and personal.
- • To preserve the integrity of the investigation by objectively examining the holographic evidence
- • To prevent a breakdown in order and protect his command from hasty judgments
- • He believes formal, methodical handling of contested evidence is essential
- • He believes his intervention can limit harm to personnel while taking the evidence seriously
Righteously indignant on the surface; deeply unsettled and fearful that an external representation could overwrite his identity and reputation.
Riker moves through the reconstructed quarters with visible distress — accused by his own likeness, he physically reacts to the frozen image, insists on his innocence, and confronts Manua and Picard with indignation.
- • To assert that the holographic behavior is not his and protect his reputation
- • To locate the cause of the discrepancy and force the simulation to be questioned
- • He believes his actions and character are being misrepresented by the simulation
- • He believes that immediate, authoritative intervention (Picard) will restore the correct narrative
Steady empathy: she is compassionate toward both the alleged victim and the accused, and quietly convinced of the witness's emotional truth.
Troi moves toward Riker, offers soft physical and verbal grounding, and quietly corroborates the subjective truth of Manua's experience while calming Riker so he can respond without collapse.
- • To stabilize Riker so he can engage constructively
- • To ensure Manua's feelings are acknowledged and that the investigation remains humane
- • She believes subjective emotional memory is a legitimate part of evidence
- • She believes that empathy and restraint are necessary to prevent escalation
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The holodeck guest quarters environmental control pad is the tactile instrument Riker manipulates to CLOSE and secure the door, converting a simulated domestic detail into an act of entrapment; the pad's chime and door response are central to the illusion of coercion.
A small side table anchors the domestic tableau and acts as the place Riker retreats to when overwhelmed; it provides a physical stage for his subsequent composure-breaking and the scene's interpersonal choreography.
The holodeck investigative reconstruction functions as the evidentiary medium: it projects the guest quarters, freezes on Picard's command, and frames an emotionally convincing narrative that Krag treats as proof. Its ability to pause and resume is used to force a direct confrontation between simulation and living testimony.
Holodeck doors operate as the physical seam between the Enterprise and the simulated quarters; their hydraulic sealing supports the mise-en-scène of confinement and gives the hologram authenticity when the exit is blocked within the reconstruction.
Manua's shoulder garment is physically slipped over her by the holographic Riker and becomes the intimate prop that signifies contact and potential violation; observers fixate on the gesture as proof of unwanted closeness and intent.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Tanuga Four Research Station is the real-world site being reconstructed by the holodeck; its guest quarters are simulated to re-create the intimate environment where the alleged incident occurred, providing the investigative context for testimony and technical comparison.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Key Dialogue
"PICARD: "Freeze program...""
"RIKER: "This isn't me. I wasn't the one who closed the door... I didn't proposition her... I certainly didn't try to rape her...""
"MANUA: "It's exactly what happened...""