Data’s Unspoken Mission: The Android as Human Bridge
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Worf interrupts with news that the Romulan ship has decloaked, shifting the focus back to the immediate threat. Picard and Data leave the Ready Room, and Troi exits, leaving Data to address a lingering thought.
Data volunteers to accompany Tam Elbrun on his mission to Tin Man, arguing that he can serve as an intermediary and alleviate Elbrun's discomfort with humanity, offering a bridge back and a reminder of his obligations.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Inferred as distressed and unstable, with a deep sense of alienation from both the crew and his own humanity—driven by a compulsion to merge with Tin Man that he cannot control.
Tam Elbrun is not physically present in this scene, but his psychological state and the risks he poses are the central focus of the discussion. His earlier actions—warning Tin Man and potentially causing the destruction of a vessel—hang over the conversation like a specter. The debate about whether to send him on the mission is, in many ways, a debate about his reliability, his stability, and the very nature of his connection to the alien entity. His absence is felt acutely, as his fate is being decided without his input.
- • To fulfill his mission and make contact with Tin Man, regardless of the risks to himself or the crew.
- • To escape the overwhelming perceptions of human minds, which he finds unbearable.
- • Tin Man is calling to him, and he is powerless to resist its pull.
- • His connection to Tin Man is more important than his loyalty to the crew or Starfleet.
Conflict between duty and moral unease, masking a deeper fear of the unknown and the fragility of human judgment in the face of the alien.
Picard stands in the Ready Room, his posture rigid with conflicted authority as he weighs the risks of sending Tam Elbrun on the mission. His dialogue reveals a tension between his duty to protect his crew and his obligation to pursue first contact. When Data offers himself as an intermediary, Picard’s hesitation softens—his expression shifts from skepticism to reluctant acceptance, acknowledging the logic in Data’s proposal while still grappling with the moral weight of the decision.
- • Ensure the safety of the crew and the success of the mission without compromising ethical boundaries.
- • Find a solution that balances the risks of Tam Elbrun’s instability with the necessity of first contact.
- • Tam Elbrun’s psychological state is a liability that could jeopardize the mission and the crew’s safety.
- • Data’s offer provides a pragmatic solution, but it also raises questions about the nature of humanity and what it means to represent Starfleet in first contact scenarios.
A calm, analytical exterior masking a quiet realization of his own place in the mission—and the crew—beyond mere observation.
Data stands with quiet intensity, his golden eyes reflecting a calm, almost clinical detachment as he listens to Picard’s concerns. His dialogue is measured and precise, yet carries an undercurrent of something deeper—an unspoken acknowledgment of his own isolation. When he offers to accompany Tam Elbrun, his posture is erect, his voice steady, but there’s a subtle shift in his demeanor, as if this moment is a turning point in his own understanding of his role on the Enterprise. He doesn’t just propose a solution; he redefines his purpose.
- • Persuade Picard to trust Tam Elbrun’s intentions while mitigating the risks of his instability.
- • Position himself as a neutral intermediary to bridge the gap between Tam’s alienation and the crew’s distrust, thereby redefining his role in the mission.
- • Tam Elbrun’s motives are trustworthy, but his human fragility makes him a liability in this context.
- • His own inhuman nature makes him uniquely suited to serve as a mediator between the human and the alien, offering a detachment that humans cannot.
Anxious and concerned, but resigned to the fact that her warnings have been heard—and that the decision now rests with Picard and Data.
Troi exits the Ready Room as Worf interrupts with the Romulan alert, but her earlier warnings about Tam Elbrun’s precarious mental state linger in the air. Her absence is palpable—her concerns about Tam’s potential breakdown and the risks of merging with Tin Man have already been voiced, and her emotional insights have shaped Picard’s hesitation. Though physically gone, her influence is felt in the tension that remains.
- • Ensure that Tam Elbrun’s mental state is not overlooked in the pursuit of the mission.
- • Protect the crew from the potential fallout of Tam’s instability or a failed first contact.
- • Tam Elbrun’s judgment is compromised by his emotional and psychological state, making him a risk to both the mission and himself.
- • The alien entity Tin Man poses a threat not just to the crew, but to Tam’s very identity.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Captain’s Ready Room serves as the private, confined space where the critical debate over Tam Elbrun’s fate unfolds. Its sealed doors and humming systems create an atmosphere of isolation, sharpening the tension between Picard’s skepticism, Data’s logical appeal, and Troi’s earlier warnings. The room’s Starfleet-standard furnishings—desk, chair, viewscreen—ground the discussion in the institutional reality of the mission, while its intimacy forces the characters to confront their conflicting priorities without distraction. The space is not just a setting but an active participant in the drama, amplifying the stakes of the decision being made.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Captain’s Ready Room on the USS Enterprise-D functions as the private office where Picard convenes his senior staff to deliberate over Tam Elbrun’s psychological state and the risks of sending him on the mission. This space is more than just a setting—it is a crucible for the moral and strategic dilemmas facing the crew. The confined quarters force the characters to engage directly with one another, amplifying the tension and urgency of their debate. The room’s Starfleet-standard furnishings and sealed doors create an atmosphere of institutional authority, while its proximity to the bridge ensures that the discussion is both focused and time-sensitive.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Starfleet’s influence is palpable in this scene, not through direct intervention but through the institutional framework that shapes the crew’s actions and decisions. The mission to make first contact with Tin Man is a Starfleet directive, and the debate over Tam Elbrun’s role reflects the organization’s core values: exploration, diplomacy, and the protection of its personnel. Picard’s hesitation stems from his duty to uphold Starfleet’s protocols, even as he grapples with the ethical dilemmas they present. Data’s offer to accompany Tam Elbrun is, in many ways, an embodiment of Starfleet’s ideal of adaptability and innovation in the face of the unknown.
The Romulan Star Empire looms as an ever-present threat in this scene, its influence felt through Worf’s urgent interruption and the knowledge that the Romulans are racing to reach Tin Man first. The Romulans’ aggressive tactics and preemptive strikes reflect their ruthless pursuit of power and their willingness to sacrifice anything—including their own ships—to achieve their goals. Their presence escalates the stakes of the debate over Tam Elbrun, as the crew must now consider not only the risks of sending him on the mission but also the consequences of failing to act swiftly in the face of the Romulan threat.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Tam Elbrun pleas to help Gomtuu but Picard still doubts him and confers with Troi and Data to better assess the circumstances."
"Tam Elbrun pleas to help Gomtuu but Picard still doubts him and confers with Troi and Data to better assess the circumstances."
"Picard seeks assessment of Tam, interrupted by Worf who reports Romulan ship is revealed."
"Geordi picks up approaching ship which parallels Picard talking to Troi and Data about Tam. The imminent threat of the Romulans raises the stakes of the conversation."
"Geordi picks up approaching ship which parallels Picard talking to Troi and Data about Tam. The imminent threat of the Romulans raises the stakes of the conversation."
"Data volunteers, so a Romulan ship appears. This pushes the situation over the edge where Picard makes the only option based off Data offer."
"Data volunteers, so a Romulan ship appears. This pushes the situation over the edge where Picard makes the only option based off Data offer."
"Data volunteers, so a Romulan ship appears. This pushes the situation over the edge where Picard makes the only option based off Data offer."
"Picard seeks assessment of Tam, interrupted by Worf who reports Romulan ship is revealed."
Key Dialogue
"PICARD: Data, you and Tam Elbrun seem to have developed an affinity. Troi, you've known him for years. How far can he be trusted? TROI: Captain, the issue isn't one of trust in Tam's intentions, but in his judgment. I would trust him to do what he believes is right—but his judgment... is precarious. The stress of exposure to so many minds on the ship has been bad enough. Now he's strongly drawn to this creature. I'm afraid for him. PICARD: Afraid of what? TROI: I sense that the alien is somehow calling him. If we allow him to beam over—I'm afraid that we'll lose him to it. That he will lose himself."
"DATA: Captain, I agree that Tam's motives are trustworthy. I do not believe it is possible that he might act against us, or cause Tin Man to act against us out of malice. PICARD: Thank you both. [...] DATA: I am puzzled, sir. We have come this far. But you may not allow Tam to fulfill his mission. PICARD: Data—Elbrun warned Tin Man, and the first thing it did was to destroy a space vessel. DATA: I think I understand, sir. If you feel that the risk is too great to send Tam Elbrun, alone, then send me with him."
"DATA: I can serve as an intermediary... a bridge back, and a reminder of his obligations... both to us and to Tin Man."