Star Trek The Next Generation
S2E17
· Samaritan Snare

Riker's Controlled Fury / Data's Interference Scan

Riker paces the bridge, tamping down anger into precise command as the stakes compress: Geordi is abducted and Picard's surgery makes time a lethal commodity. Riker's clipped impatience is a containment strategy—he cannot let fury fracture the crew's focus. Data answers with clinical efficiency, initiating a high-speed interference scan of the comm systems. His hands move with unusual speed and precision, producing crucial but incomplete data: a tactical foothold gained under a hard deadline. This is a pressure point—a turning beat that provides necessary intel while explicitly establishing the temporal limits and moral restraint that will shape Riker's rescue choices.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Riker stalks the Bridge, temper leashed, and presses Data to deliver. His urgency spikes as he demands progress now.

contained fury to sharpened urgency

Data drives the comm system to scan interference patterns and warns the analysis will take time. His hands blaze across the console, channeling pressure into precise, high-speed work.

pressure to acceptance of delay

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Data
Second Officer
 primary

Clinically focused with a sense of urgency; internally prioritizing data integrity while responding to command pressure without emotion.

Data rapidly programs the comm system, his hands moving with unusual speed and precision across his console to initiate an interference pattern scan, delivering a measured status update that admits delay but provides an initial lead.

Goals in this moment
  • • Produce useful interference analysis as quickly as possible
  • • Preserve analytical accuracy despite time constraints
  • • Support command decisions with the best available telemetry
Active beliefs
  • • Accurate diagnostic work requires time, but partial data can guide immediate action
  • • Adherence to procedure produces reliable results under pressure
Character traits
Clinical focus Uncharacteristic physical urgency Methodical efficiency Reliable technical competence
Follow Data's journey
William Riker
Commander
 primary

Controlled impatience — outwardly authoritative and measured while internally tense and urgent, using discipline to stop personal fury from undermining the crew.

Riker paces the bridge, visibly restraining impatience and addressing Data with a clipped prompt; he converts anger into command discipline to keep the bridge focused and operational under acute time pressure.

Goals in this moment
  • • Prevent crew morale and focus from breaking under stress
  • • Obtain usable sensor/comm data quickly to locate the abducted crewmember
  • • Maintain command authority and coordinate rapid response
Active beliefs
  • • Emotional outbursts will harm operational effectiveness
  • • Timely, even imperfect information is better than waiting for perfect analysis
  • • He is responsible for keeping the crew functional in the captain's absence
Character traits
Restrained anger Commanding presence Pragmatic urgency Containment-focused
Follow William Riker's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Transporter Control Console (Transporter Room)

Data's communications console is the instrument through which the interference scan is configured and launched. Its tactile pads and holo displays allow Data to pull real‑time comm telemetry and begin pattern analysis, turning raw signals into the partial clue the bridge needs to act.

Before: Idle and online at its station on the …
After: Actively running an interference scan with pulsing status …
Before: Idle and online at its station on the bridge, awaiting commands; emitting routine status lights and ready for operator input.
After: Actively running an interference scan with pulsing status lights and updated overlays; displaying preliminary telemetry and queued for further analysis.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Main Bridge

The main bridge functions as the nerve center where command discipline and technical action intersect: Riker's pacing and verbal containment occur here while Data manipulates consoles to produce usable intel. The bridge turns emotional friction into coordinated procedure in a confined operational space.

Atmosphere Tension-filled and tightly focused, with low-level hum of processors punctuated by clipped speech and rapid …
Function Command center for immediate crisis assessment and tactical decision-making.
Symbolism Embodies institutional authority and the pressure to convert personal emotion into collective duty.
Access Restricted to bridge officers and senior staff during the crisis; not a public area.
Curved LCARS consoles with amber and blue lights Low processor hum and intermittent status chimes Officer clustering in a tight command circle Visible, responsive holo‑status windows on Data's console

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

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Key Dialogue

"RIKER: Data, come on..."
"DATA: I am programming the comm system to scan the interference patterns, but a full analysis will take time."