Superconducting Attraction
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Wesley appears with a superconducting magnet; Salia notices, identifies the device, and flirts with scientific curiosity, sparking an immediate, reciprocal attraction that snaps the scene from protocol to personal stakes.
Anya abruptly pulls Salia away, shutting down the flirtation; Salia leaves a coy warning about magnets, Wesley erupts with frustrated curiosity, pulls Riker aside for answers, and steels himself with a hardening determination as the group departs.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Resolved and vigilant, prioritizing control and security over Salia's curiosity or spontaneity.
The guardian moves with quiet authority to physically seize Salia's attention and shepherd her away from Wesley, interrupting the exchange and reasserting custodial control over Salia's movements.
- • To maintain Salia's safety and political dignity by preventing unsupervised interactions
- • To assert political control and eliminate potential sources of vulnerability
- • Any unsanctioned intimacy could compromise Salia's mission or safety
- • Visible authority and immediate physical intervention are necessary to prevent breaches
Playful and hungry for discovery, carrying a child's wonder tangled with the weight of her diplomatic destiny.
Salia steps away from the formal entourage to study the magnet, displays bright curiosity and coy flirtation, delivering an innocent, teasing warning before allowing herself to be led away.
- • To explore new things and experience personal connection outside her guarded life
- • To test how outsiders (Starfleet) react to her and her knowledge
- • Her studies and background give her authentic knowledge worth sharing
- • Small acts of levity can feel like freedom from political constraint
Awestruck and nervously infatuated, mixing adolescent excitement with the awkward confidence of a budding engineer.
Wesley exits an aft turbolift holding a superconducting magnet, physically dazzled by Salia; he stumbles over words, attempts conversation, then urgently pulls Riker aside after she is taken away.
- • To connect with Salia and share common scientific knowledge
- • To learn more about her in hopes of sustaining the brief intimacy
- • Technical knowledge will create rapport and impress her
- • A genuine personal connection is possible even within formal Starfleet contexts
Calm, attentive to protocol; privately aware of the fragility of the diplomatic moment but keeping it professional.
Picard leads Salia and the escort toward assigned quarters, conducts the formal welcome earlier, and accepts Anya's directive—his presence frames the encounter as official rather than personal.
- • To uphold Starfleet protocols for heads of state
- • To ensure Salia is treated with respect while protecting ship order
- • Protocol preserves diplomatic legitimacy and prevents incidents
- • Demonstrating respect will facilitate political objectives
Professional and focused, prioritizing security and discipline over curiosity about the interpersonal spark.
Worf trails as part of the escort detail, maintaining a watchful presence as Salia and Anya move toward quarters; he remains a background enforcer of Picard's orders.
- • To provide secure escort for Salia
- • To ensure the bridge remains orderly and protected
- • Strict discipline prevents security risks
- • Personal attachments are secondary to duty
Amused and mildly indulgent, enjoying Wesley's fluster while acknowledging the political reality that will keep Salia distant.
Riker walks with the escort party then, after witnessing the interruption, reacts with light teasing and answers Wesley's urgent question with an amused, slightly patronizing aside.
- • To deflect Wesley's infatuation with humor and temper expectations
- • To maintain diplomatic composure and not exacerbate the interruption
- • Wesley's crush is harmless but unlikely to matter given Salia's status
- • A lighthearted response will keep the bridge tone calm
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The main/turbolift threshold functions as the physical entry point: Wesley emerges from the turbolift carrying the magnet, the motion staging the chance encounter; the turbolift's presence underscores transition—between private and public spheres—before Salia is led down an intersecting corridor.
Wesley's superconducting magnet is the immediate physical catalyst: he carries it as a pocket demonstration of technical competence; Salia recognizes and names it, turning the device into a conversational bridge and flirtation trigger before the guardian interrupts.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Enterprise main bridge is the public, official stage where private feeling collides with institutional duty: bright displays and formal escorts create a courtroom‑like backdrop that amplifies how quickly an intimate exchange can be disciplined into protocol.
The aft turbolift functions as the arrival conduit; Wesley's emergence from this private transit space supplies the physical momentum for the encounter and visually marks his movement from private corridor life into the bridge's public sphere.
The admiralty quarters are invoked as Salia's destination; their mention frames the escort as ceremonial and signals the immediate curtailment of unsupervised exploration, turning curiosity into a scheduled, restricted activity.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The instant attraction on the transporter (magnet flirtation) directly seeds the intimate holodeck encounter — the initial spark becomes the emotional foundation for their later closeness."
"The instant attraction on the transporter (magnet flirtation) directly seeds the intimate holodeck encounter — the initial spark becomes the emotional foundation for their later closeness."
"Wesley's distraction in Engineering (nearly dropping the probe) follows from his transporter infatuation — his fixation consistently undermines duty across scenes."
"Wesley's distraction in Engineering (nearly dropping the probe) follows from his transporter infatuation — his fixation consistently undermines duty across scenes."
Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"SALIA: That's a superconducting magnet, isn't it?"
"SALIA: You'd better be careful. I was taught those can rip the iron right out of your blood cells."
"WESLEY: Not her. The girl."