Nose-to-Nose: Slade's Paid Threat
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
A looming presence freezes the pour; Picard clocks the shadow and greets Slade without turning, offering a drink to keep control as danger closes in.
Slade spins Picard nose‑to‑nose and demands Alva’s whereabouts; Picard stalls that he’s on it, and Slade clamps down harder, accusing him of not working fast enough.
Rex tries to defend his buddy, but Slade’s murderous stare shuts him down; Rex backs off to polish glasses, leaving Picard isolated.
Slade grabs Picard again and cites the money he’s paid, pressing for Alva’s location as the threat escalates and the clock tightens.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Awkward and apologetic; conflicted between loyalty to Picard and a pragmatic desire to avoid escalation that could endanger his bar or patrons.
Rex, the bartender, attempts to intervene verbally on Picard's behalf but immediately withdraws when Slade fixes him with a murderous stare; he busies himself drying glasses to signal Picard is on his own while trying to keep the bar calm.
- • defuse the confrontation to keep patrons safe and the bar intact
- • protect Picard without triggering greater violence
- • maintain social order and his reputation as a host
- • signal to Picard that he cannot engage further
- • Believes confronting Slade directly would likely provoke violence
- • Believes his primary duty is to keep the bar and its patrons safe
- • Believes non-confrontation is sometimes the safest option
- • Believes Picard (Hill) must handle the problem himself
Angry and menacing; driven by impatience and a readiness to use physical intimidation to compel action.
Slade materializes behind Picard, violently spins him nose-to-nose, grabs his shoulders and stares murderously at Rex; he presses a blunt, monetary-backed demand about his missing sister and asserts he has paid for results.
- • extract immediate information about Alva's whereabouts
- • force Picard/Hill to act because money has been paid
- • intimidate Rex and others to prevent interference
- • convert verbal assurances into concrete results
- • Believes Picard/Hill has accepted money and therefore owes results
- • Believes that threats and violence will prompt compliance more quickly than polite requests
- • Believes the situation is urgent and justifies force
- • Believes showing dominance will prevent others from intervening
Uneasy and threatened on the surface; inwardly alert and morally burdened, masking anxiety with practiced calm and the Dixon Hill persona.
Seated at the bar, nursing a glass of scotch, Picard is surprised by Slade's presence, is spun around, responds with measured verbal deflection and the line 'I'm working on it' while trying to preserve composure and his holonovel cover.
- • de-escalate the immediate physical confrontation without causing a scene
- • maintain the Dixon Hill persona to avoid breaking holodeck immersion
- • buy time to find or secure information about Alva
- • avoid violence that could jeopardize the mission or endanger others
- • Believes that open conflict will worsen the situation and harm the mission
- • Believes Slade's aggression is driven by desperation and a belief that Picard/Hill is responsible
- • Believes steady composure will help control the outcome
- • Believes he has an obligation (moral or contractual) to address Alva's disappearance
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Picard's lowball scotch functions as a tactile anchor and a mask for discomfort; he sips it to punctuate lines and to conceal unease when Slade confronts him. The glass underscores the noir refuge motif and contrasts the casual ritual of drinking with the sudden brutality of the interrogation.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Rex's Bar, the Dixon Hill holonovel setting, shifts from warm, confessional refuge to a pressure-cooker where private noir intimacy is pierced by real-world menace. The bar's physical layout funnels the confrontation into a public, claustrophobic exchange that exposes Picard to coercion in front of witnesses.
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
"PICARD: I recognize the size of the shadow. Hello Slade. Buy you a drink?"
"SLADE: Where's my Alva?"
"SLADE: I paid you money, Hill. Where is she?"