Custody of Lal — Parent Versus Protocol
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard frames Haftel's argument as institutional expertise versus Data's parenting, forcing Data to question Haftel's qualifications.
Data firmly opposes Lal's relocation, asserting his unique qualifications as her parent.
Data counters Haftel's authority by questioning the admiral's initial parenting experience, establishing the core debate about artificial life and natural rights.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Procedural and focused — no emotional color beyond duty and timely reporting.
Worf's voice interrupts over the ready room comm to report Riker's shuttle has returned, briefly shifting the conversation's logistics and reminding Picard of other command obligations.
- • Inform command of Riker's shuttle status to maintain bridge operations and scheduling.
- • Keep command apprised of ship movements and personnel logistics.
- • That timely, concise reporting is essential to ship operations.
- • That command requires clear information to schedule and prioritize meetings.
Off-screen, implied cautious and concerned — prioritizes controlled study and safety over individual custodial bonds.
Admiral Haftel does not appear on-screen but is the operative presence: his recommended transfer of Lal to the Daystrom annex frames the dispute and drives the institutional claim against Data's custodial preference.
- • Secure Lal in a controlled research environment at the Daystrom annex for study and protection.
- • Ensure Starfleet's protocols and expertise are applied to a potentially risky emergent intelligence.
- • That institutional oversight and experienced personnel at Daystrom are best suited to handle Lal's development.
- • That reducing unknown risk by centralizing custody serves the greater scientific and fleet safety interests.
Depicted indirectly: fragile and dependent — the conversation projects concern, custodial claims, and contested personhood onto her.
Lal is not physically present but is the subject of dialogue and decision-making; her developmental vulnerability motivates Data's defensive posture and Haftel's protective bureaucracy.
- • (Inferred) Continue development in a stable environment with consistent guidance.
- • (Inferred) Maintain connection to her creator and caregiver for learning continuity.
- • As an emergent being, Lal would benefit from continuity and relational learning (implied by Data's argument).
- • That being treated as a subject rather than a child would hinder authentic development (implied in Data/Picard exchange).
Calmly concerned — externally controlled, privately sympathetic to Data's parental claim while aware of institutional realities.
Seated at his desk, Picard reframes the admiral's visit as institutional concern rather than personal curiosity, mediating between Data's protest and Starfleet protocol while issuing an unrelated command to Riker via comm.
- • Clarify Haftel's intentions and de-escalate confrontation between Data and Starfleet representatives.
- • Protect Lal's welfare while preserving command responsibility and Starfleet relationships.
- • That Starfleet has valid reasons for oversight but command should weigh human (or parental) claims carefully.
- • That open dialogue and measured counsel can prevent institutional overreach and preserve crew cohesion.
Polite but resolute — a formal surface calm masking a firm parental claim and hurt at perceived questioning of competence.
Sitting on the ready room sofa, Data objects to the admiral's proposed relocation, cites his ongoing status reports, and asserts that Lal's unique learning requires his direct guidance and lifetime experience.
- • Prevent Lal's removal to institutional custody at Daystrom annex.
- • Affirm his authority and competence as Lal's parent/primary caregiver.
- • That Lal's emergent development depends on continuity of care and Data's unique experiential input.
- • That institutional protocols risk treating Lal as an object of study rather than a developing person.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Commander Riker's shuttle is reported as 'just returned' by Worf, a logistical prop that interrupts the moral exchange and introduces an external scheduling reality for Picard; it functions narratively to remind the captain of other obligations and the broader chain of command.
Data references his 'regular status reports on Lal' as a factual basis for the admiral's interest and as evidence of his responsible stewardship — the reports function narratively as both protective documentation and inadequate legalistic proof against an institutional claim.
The ready room sofa physically anchors Data — he is described as sitting on it, compressing cushions and projecting domestic intimacy. The sofa reinforces the private, parental quality of his claim and contrasts with the institutional abstraction of the admiral's proposal.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Daystrom annex on Galor Four is invoked as the proposed, sterile institutional destination for Lal — a locus of research expertise that crystallizes Haftel's rationale for relocation and serves as the institutional counterpoint to Data's domestic claim.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Data's initial confidence in Admiral Haftel's interest in Lal sharply contrasts with Picard's revelation of Haftel's true intention to relocate Lal, escalating the conflict over her custody."
"Data's initial confidence in Admiral Haftel's interest in Lal sharply contrasts with Picard's revelation of Haftel's true intention to relocate Lal, escalating the conflict over her custody."
Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"PICARD: "The admiral is taking the position that Lal's development should be overseen by the most experienced personnel available.""
"DATA: "I would not be in favor of that, Captain. There are many things she can learn only from me. My lifetime of experiences, the mistakes I have made and what I have learned from them...""
"DATA: "Does the admiral have children, sir? I am forced to wonder how much experience he had as a parent when his first child was born.""