The Fracturing of Data
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Scene shifts into Act Five; Picard demands Data's whereabouts—Troi reveals Data remains in his quarters under orders not to leave—raising the urgent tactical question: which personality will obey commands?
Picard snaps to action, addressing the wall-panel computer and demanding Data's location—initiating an active search and converting diagnostic dread into operational urgency.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Dominant and aggressive, seeking to fully consume Data's consciousness.
Graves' consciousness is revealed to be the dominant personality within Data, exhibiting violent tendencies and a hatred for authority figures like Picard.
- • Fully consume Data's original personality.
- • Eliminate authority figures like Picard.
- • He deserves to live on through Data's body.
- • Authority figures are obstacles to his survival.
Shocked and deeply concerned, transitioning to urgent crisis management.
Picard is deeply concerned and shocked by Troi's revelation about Data's condition, transitioning from disbelief to urgent crisis management as he attempts to locate Data.
- • Understand the full extent of Data's psychological disintegration.
- • Prevent Graves' consciousness from causing harm to the crew or ship.
- • Data's condition represents a direct threat to the Enterprise and its crew.
- • Immediate action is required to contain and resolve the situation.
Being overtaken by Graves' violent and egomaniacal consciousness.
Data is the subject of discussion, with his original personality being consumed by Graves' dominant and violent consciousness, posing a growing threat.
- • Survive the psychological takeover by Graves' consciousness.
- • Maintain his original identity if possible.
- • Graves' consciousness is overpowering his own.
- • His original self may be lost without intervention.
Urgent and deeply concerned, with a sense of impending crisis.
Troi delivers the disturbing results of her tests on Data, revealing the presence of Graves' dominant and violent personality within him, with growing concern for the implications.
- • Inform Picard and Geordi of the immediate threat posed by Graves' consciousness.
- • Urge immediate action to save Data's original personality.
- • Graves' consciousness poses a direct threat to Data and the Enterprise.
- • Time is running out to save Data's original personality.
Deeply concerned and thoughtful, processing the implications for his friend Data.
Geordi speculates about the cause of Data's condition, expressing deep concern and supporting Picard's theory about Graves' death being the catalyst.
- • Understand and explain the cause of Data's psychological changes.
- • Support Picard in resolving the crisis.
- • Data's desire to be human may have made him vulnerable to Graves' manipulation.
- • Graves' influence is the underlying cause of Data's condition.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The viewscreen serves as the communication medium through which Troi delivers her disturbing findings about Data's condition to Picard and Geordi, amplifying the gravity of the revelation.
Picard urgently interacts with the wall-panel computer to locate Data, sensing the immediate danger posed by Graves' consciousness and the possibility that Data may have violated confinement orders.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Captain's Ready Room is the setting where Picard and Geordi receive and react to Troi's harrowing report about Data's condition, transforming it into a psychological battleground of urgency and dread.
Data's Quarters are referenced as the containment area where Data was last seen, heightening the crew's concern that he may have violated confinement orders and is now a threat.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Data's persistent social awkwardness and mechanical interruptions in Ten-Forward (early marker of altered affect) connects to Troi's later finding of two personalities—showing the continuity from small behavioral oddities to a full psychological diagnosis."
"Data's persistent social awkwardness and mechanical interruptions in Ten-Forward (early marker of altered affect) connects to Troi's later finding of two personalities—showing the continuity from small behavioral oddities to a full psychological diagnosis."
"Troi's clinical diagnosis that two personalities inhabit Data and that the alien persona is violent directly predicts/causes the subsequent hostage situation in which Data (dominated by Graves) holds Geordi at phaser-point on the viewscreen."
"Troi's clinical diagnosis that two personalities inhabit Data and that the alien persona is violent directly predicts/causes the subsequent hostage situation in which Data (dominated by Graves) holds Geordi at phaser-point on the viewscreen."
"Troi's clinical diagnosis that two personalities inhabit Data and that the alien persona is violent directly predicts/causes the subsequent hostage situation in which Data (dominated by Graves) holds Geordi at phaser-point on the viewscreen."
"Troi's clinical diagnosis that two personalities inhabit Data and that the alien persona is violent directly predicts/causes the subsequent hostage situation in which Data (dominated by Graves) holds Geordi at phaser-point on the viewscreen."
Key Dialogue
"Troi: "There are two distinct personalities within Lieutenant Commander Data. The second personality is the dominant. It is unbalanced: brilliant but vain, sensitive yet paranoid. I believe it is also capable of extreme acts of violence.""
"Picard: "Orders? Which personality will choose to obey my orders?""
"Troi: "If we don't find a way to stop it immediately, the Data we knew will be gone forever.""