Riker Demands Crusher's Return; Kolrami's Public Disdain
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
A hail hits; Picard throws it to the screen and Riker materializes on the Main Viewer from the Hathaway.
Riker requests permission for Ensign Crusher to return to the Enterprise; pressed by Picard, he admits Crusher left critical experiments unattended in his rush to the away team.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Calm, dutiful, focused on carrying out orders without commentary or personal judgment.
Stationed at Tactical, Burke announces the incoming message from the Hathaway, complies with Picard's instruction to 'handle that,' and then promptly exits to execute the order.
- • Relay and implement the captain's orders quickly and accurately.
- • Ensure the administrative and security measures for Ensign Crusher's reboarding are enacted.
- • Orders from the bridge must be followed promptly and without delay.
- • Operational procedure should be prioritized over interpersonal disputes.
Smug and contemptuous; deliberately theatrical in order to unsettle the command team and test reactions.
Sitting to Picard's left, Kolrami interposes himself in the personnel decision: recommends escorting and restricting Crusher's contact, then delivers a loud, contemptuous aside dismissing Crusher as a 'non‑commissioned child.'
- • Expose weaknesses in Starfleet decision‑making and provoke a reaction for his own analytical judgment.
- • Assert Zakdorn intellectual superiority and influence the simulation's moral and disciplinary parameters.
- • Hierarchy and commission matter; non‑commissioned personnel are less competent or worthy of trust.
- • Provocation can reveal true command character and tactical temperament.
Surface calm and professional; privately irritated by Kolrami's provocation and conscious of maintaining Starfleet decorum and optics.
Seated in the Command Chair, Picard displays the Hathaway transmission, solicits Kolrami's objection about the simulation, grants Riker permission, and orders Burke to handle the matter while deliberately restraining an irritated reaction to Kolrami's insult.
- • Maintain command authority and procedural correctness by responding decisively to Riker's request.
- • Protect crew safety and the integrity of the simulation while avoiding unnecessary public confrontation with Kolrami.
- • Chain of command and Starfleet protocols must be observed even under external provocation.
- • Public displays of temper or favoritism would undermine his authority and the Enterprise's reputation.
Absent physically; the crew's awareness of his absence creates a subtle anxiety about lost technical counsel and impartial analysis.
Not present on the bridge; Data's conspicuous absence is noted in stage direction and functions as a silent participation—his missing analytical presence is felt and alters the bridge's informational and moral texture.
- • If present, provide objective diagnostics and counsel to resolve procedural ambiguity (implied).
- • Act as impartial officer to minimize emotional bias in decisions (implied).
- • Precise, unemotional analysis improves command decisions (implied even when absent).
- • Presence of an objective officer stabilizes dispute and reduces personal bias (implied).
Concerned and assertive, balancing loyalty to his crew with the practical responsibilities of running the Hathaway during the simulation.
Appears on the main viewer from the Hathaway's bridge, requests permission for Ensign Crusher to reboard and reports that Crusher left critical experiments unattended in his haste to join the away team; speaks with a tone of concern and responsibility for ship operations.
- • Ensure the Hathaway's remaining operations are stable by having Crusher return under supervision.
- • Notify Picard and secure authorization for personnel changes to maintain discipline and safety.
- • Command decisions should be centralized and communicated through proper channels.
- • Crew members who neglect critical duties should be monitored and restricted to prevent further risk.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Enterprise Bridge Main Viewer visually conveys Riker's image and message, transforming a remote procedural request into an immediate, public moment on the bridge and allowing Kolrami and Picard to engage in live diplomatic and disciplinary exchange.
The 'Message from the Hathaway' functions as the immediate plot catalyst: a comms transmission that interrupts bridge business, presents Riker's request, and forces Picard to adjudicate personnel and safety issues in real time.
The Captain's Chair anchors Picard's authority visually and physically: he issues orders and accepts the comms while sitting in it; its presence reinforces institutional power and the expectation of measured command during provocation.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Conn Station stands as an observational perimeter: supernumeraries are posted there as the main viewer displays the Hathaway. It functions as a visual and operational witness to the exchange and emphasizes that the decision is being made in full view of the bridge crew.
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
"RIKER: I'd like to request permission for Ensign Crusher to reboard the Enterprise, Captain."
"KOLRAMI: He should be escorted, and have no contact with anything save his research."
"PICARD: Permission granted."