Star Trek The Next Generation
S2E22
· Shades of Gray

Holodeck Duet — Data's Duet and the Away Team Offer

Riker opens the holodeck into an expansive park and follows an off‑key whistle to find Data practicing a melody. Riker corrects the notes, sits beside the android, and in a quiet, human moment recruits him for an away team Picard requested. The exchange simultaneously humanizes Data, exposes Riker's casual, affectionate prejudice (the 'Pinocchio' jab), and functionally sets up Data's presence on the planet mission. It’s a tonal, character-driven beat that both eases tension and advances the plot by pairing Riker and Data for the investigation.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Riker snaps his assent and the hatch slides open to a sweeping Parkland. He tracks the off-key whistling across a stream and calls out to the unseen source.

impatience to curiosity ['Holodeck hatch', 'Parkland', 'stream']

He discovers Data struggling with a melody; Riker nails the notes and settles beside him, turning awkward noise into shared rhythm.

surprise to camaraderie ['Woodland glen']

Riker recruits Data for an away team at Picard's behest; Data accepts with crisp professionalism.

formality to collaboration ['Woodland glen']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
Data
Second Officer
 primary

Calm, curious, mildly puzzled by human idioms; inwardly earnest longing for humanity expressed plainly.

Data is found practicing a melody, startled into attention, but remains literal and earnest in conversation. He answers Riker's questions about rank and origin, expresses desire to be human, and formally accepts the offer to join the away team with procedural courtesy.

Goals in this moment
  • • Demonstrate competence and willingness to serve on the away team
  • • Understand human social signals and the implications of prejudice
Active beliefs
  • • Procedural records and formal credentials are meaningful indicators
  • • Prejudice is a human behavior that can be observed and named
  • • Service and function are paths to acceptance
Character traits
earnest inquisitive literal-minded courteous
Follow Data's journey
William Riker
Commander
 primary

Warm, slightly self-conscious; proud but masking unease about Data's nonhuman status with jocular affection.

Riker enters the simulated parkland, tracks a flawed whistle across stepping stones, nearly slips on a stream stone, then discovers Data. He corrects the melody, sits beside Data, delivers the mission invitation, probes Data's identity, and uses humor to diffuse his own awkwardness while recruiting Data for the away team.

Goals in this moment
  • • Locate and recruit the best available specialist for the planet mission
  • • Humanize and test Data personally to gauge compatibility and reliability
Active beliefs
  • • Personal assessment matters beyond official records
  • • Data's nonhuman nature is noteworthy and may affect team dynamics
  • • Leaders should vet team members both formally and informally
Character traits
confident observant affectionately biased socially deft under pressure
Follow William Riker's journey
Custodian Voice
primary

Neutral, impersonal delivery consistent with system protocol.

The USS Enterprise Computer Voice issues the holodeck invitation that opens the hatch and initiates Riker's entry, performing its procedural function without affect and enabling the private encounter that follows.

Goals in this moment
  • • Announce and authorize holodeck access when prompted
  • • Facilitate safe, procedural movement of crew through ship systems
Active beliefs
  • • System protocols must be followed to grant access
  • • Clear verbal prompts are sufficient to elicit crew action
Character traits
impassive procedural authoritative
Follow Custodian Voice's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Holodeck Park Stepping Stones

The stepping rocks provide deliberate footing across the holodeck stream; Riker uses them to traverse toward the glen, their uneven spacing forcing a minor physical stumble that humanizes him and stages an intimate, unguarded arrival.

Before: Rendered by the holodeck as a stable stepping-stone …
After: Remain in place as part of the park …
Before: Rendered by the holodeck as a stable stepping-stone path across a shallow stream.
After: Remain in place as part of the park simulation after Riker crosses; their only narrative effect is the near-miss stumble.
Holodeck Park Stream Stone

A river‑worn stone in the holodeck stream causes Riker to misstep as he crosses; he glances back at it after recovering, making the stone a tactile cue that punctuates the quiet search and underscores the simulated environment's physicality.

Before: Partially submerged in the simulated stream, slick and …
After: Unchanged physically; remains in the streambed as an …
Before: Partially submerged in the simulated stream, slick and stationary as part of the holodeck terrain.
After: Unchanged physically; remains in the streambed as an incidental hazard observed by Riker.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

3
Holodeck Parkland Stream

The simulated stream threads through the park, creating an obstacle that requires careful stepping; it provides choreography for Riker's approach, the near slip grounding the scene physically and reminding the viewer of the holodeck's tangible effects.

Atmosphere Quietly active—the water's murmur punctuates the silence and frames the approaching whistle.
Function Minor terrain feature that structures movement and stages a brief vulnerability in Riker's approach.
Symbolism Suggests small, testable hazards in an otherwise safe environment—mirroring emotional missteps in cross‑species understanding.
Access Open within the holodeck environment to permitted users; no physical barrier beyond the need for …
Shallow, laughing water sound Slick stone surfaces that catch a boot heel
Woodland Glen

The Woodland Glen is the secluded focal point where Data practices and the private exchange occurs; its sheltered quality allows candid conversation and emotional exposure away from bridge formality.

Atmosphere Intimate, hushed, lightly pastoral—suitable for small, personal revelations.
Function Meeting place and conversational refuge enabling Riker to probe Data and recruit him informally.
Symbolism A human pastoral idyll that paradoxically reveals the distance between human emotion and Data's mechanical …
Access Part of the holodeck simulation, accessible once inside; effectively private due to shrubbery screening.
Deep cushioning grass where Data lies Muted bird-song and off-key whistle echoing among trunks
Parkland (Holodeck)

The wide holodeck Parkland serves as the initial doorway into an expansive, pastoral space that relaxes Riker, conceals the private glen, and offers a believable natural setting for a candid human-android exchange away from formal ship spaces.

Atmosphere Warm, expansive, deceptively real—comforting and lightly uncanny.
Function Primary setting that initiates the private meeting and transitions shipboard duty into personal conversation.
Symbolism Represents a human-crafted refuge where artificiality and authenticity meet; a neutral ground for testing intimacy …
Access Access controlled by holodeck protocols; effectively open to anyone granted permission but presented as a …
Sunlit faux grass and distant simulated horizon Ambient birdcalls layered over faint holodeck hum

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

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Key Dialogue

"DATA: "Marvelous how easily humans do that, sir. I still need much practice.""
"RIKER: "There are some puzzles down on the planet that Captain Picard wants answered. He suggests I take you on the away team I'll be leading.""
"RIKER: "Nice to meet you, Pinocchio.""