Fabula
S3E6 · Booby Trap
S3E6
· Booby Trap

Erratic Simulation — When the Trap Refuses Logic

In the holodeck drafting room Geordi runs iterative escape simulations with a holographic Leah Brahms to find a safe vector through the Promellian asteroid trap. An initial adjustment yields a successful run, but when Geordi repeats the exact inputs the computer inexplicably fails — a lethal radiation beam freezes the model. The calm computer announcement of 'deflector shield failure' and a twenty-six minute fatal countdown reframes the problem: this is not an optimization error but an inconsistent variable in the ancient trap. The scene serves as a turning point, forcing Geordi to accept that algorithmic certainty has been undermined and setting up the later, radical human-led gambit to shut systems down and rely on intuition and timing.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Geordi and Leah observe a simulation where the ship fails to navigate the asteroid field, resulting in fatal radiation exposure.

anticipation to frustration ['Holodeck drafting room']

Geordi adjusts thrust levels and trajectory, successfully simulating an escape through the asteroid field.

frustration to cautious optimism ['Holodeck drafting room']

Geordi repeats the simulation with the same parameters but fails again, highlighting the inconsistency and danger.

optimism to defeat ['Holodeck drafting room']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Leah Brahms
Doctor
 primary

Calmly satisfied after the first success, then quietly concerned and alert when inconsistency appears — emotionally controlled rather than reactive.

Leah watches the simulation with measured attention, offers a short affirmation after the successful run ('There you go. We got out.'), and remains observationally calm when the repeated run fails, exchanging a glance with Geordi that acknowledges the gravity of the new data.

Goals in this moment
  • • Observe and confirm the simulation results to provide authoritative propulsion feedback.
  • • Support Geordi by verifying that the chosen adjustments produce the intended outcome.
  • • Preserve the integrity of the archived model data while noting anomalies for further analysis.
Active beliefs
  • • Accurate modeling and archived propulsion theory should predict physical outcomes when applied correctly.
  • • Anomalous results are worth careful analysis but do not immediately invalidate the underlying physics models.
  • • Clear, unemotional observation helps engineers isolate variables more effectively than panic.
Character traits
clinical observant technically fluent measured
Follow Leah Brahms's journey
Geordi La Forge
Chief Engineer
 primary

Frustrated and anxious beneath a determined, professional exterior — confident in engineering logic but unsettled when repeatability fails.

Geordi operates the holodeck simulation console, issues precise command adjustments, watches the viewer intently, repeats the run when results diverge, and exchanges a worried glance with Leah as the console goes to static and Red Alert sounds.

Goals in this moment
  • • Find a reliable thrust/trajectory vector that safely threads the Promellian field.
  • • Validate that the simulation and computer will reliably reproduce a successful run under identical inputs.
  • • Diagnose whether the hazard is a calculable variable or an inconsistent, active phenomenon.
Active beliefs
  • • Engineered systems and simulations should be repeatable and predictable if inputs are identical.
  • • Fine adjustments and precise calculations can solve seemingly inscrutable propulsion problems.
  • • The computer and archived data (e.g., Brahms' models) are authoritative tools to be trusted until proven otherwise.
Character traits
methodical technically rigorous impatient with uncertainty tenacious problem-solver
Follow Geordi La …'s journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Holodeck Drafting Room Diagnostic & Playback Console

The Holodeck Drafting Room Console Screen projects the asteroid-field simulation and vocalizes system status; it accepts Geordi's input adjustments, displays the ship's passage, then abruptly goes to static when the simulated Promellian trap lashes out. Its calm voice delivers both the initial 'Fatal radiation exposure' and the final 'Deflector shield failure… twenty-six minutes' countdown, turning the console into the narrative mouthpiece of the trap's unpredictability.

Before: Fully functional, displaying holographic simulation schematics and responsive …
After: Console display collapses to static and loses coherent …
Before: Fully functional, displaying holographic simulation schematics and responsive to operator commands; emitting a cool, steady glow.
After: Console display collapses to static and loses coherent output; voice persists but system control is compromised and Red Alert is active.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Promellian Asteroid Field

The Promellian Asteroid Field functions as the simulated antagonist: its tumbling debris and unpredictable radiation beam provide the trap's mechanics. Within the holodeck viewer it tests trajectories and exposes the non-deterministic behavior that transforms a solvable navigation problem into a time-critical lethal threat, forcing human judgment beyond algorithmic optimization.

Atmosphere Coldly mechanical and malevolent within the simulation — clinical, tension-filled, and suddenly lethal when the …
Function Simulated battleground and diagnostic stress-test that reveals the trap's inconsistent variables and escalates the crisis.
Symbolism Represents an ancient, inscrutable intelligence that resists purely computational solutions, forcing reliance on human intuition …
Jagged rocks wheel in suspended motion and tumbling debris frames the ship's path. A pinprick sky contrasts with the brilliant, sudden radiation beam that freezes the image. The simulation includes clinical announcements (computer voice) and an inexorable twenty-six minute countdown adding temporal pressure.

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What this causes 2
Causal

"The failure of the computer-controlled escape simulation leads Geordi to propose the radical plan of shutting down all systems."

Cut the Power, Trust the Captain
S3E6 · Booby Trap
Causal

"The failure of the computer-controlled escape simulation leads Geordi to propose the radical plan of shutting down all systems."

Holodeck Farewell — Geordi Lets Go
S3E6 · Booby Trap

Part of Larger Arcs

Algorithmic reproducibility failure vs. human intuition — simulations and computer-driven strategies fail to model the trap's reflexive behavior; humans must improvise a non-algorithmic workaround.

Key Dialogue

"GEORDI: "Computer, reduce thrust levels another four percent... adjust trajectory angle to compensate... begin simulation again...""
"LEAH: "There you go. We got out.""
"COMPUTER VOICE: "Deflector shield failure. Lethal radiation levels. Fatal exposure in twenty-six minutes.""