S2E18

· STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder

Silent Abduction — Granger's Lie

Riker and Pulaski are ambushed in Granger's office when Mariposan clones suddenly draw phaser-like weapons and knock the officers unconscious, then quickly bundle them through a side door. The physical seizure reads as clinical and organized — not rescue but theft — setting up the moral breach to come. Geordi arrives moments later; Granger calmly denies any knowledge. Geordi masks his suspicion with an outwardly neutral courtesy and withdraws to investigate, turning the abduction into an explicit catalyst for discovery and confrontation.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

Riker and Pulaski step into Granger’s office expecting a summons; clones at the door snap up phaser-like weapons, drop them in an instant, and the athletic doubles move to haul the unconscious officers toward a side door.

professional expectation to violent betrayal ["Granger's desk area", 'side door']

Geordi arrives mid-cover-up and politely asks after Riker and Pulaski; Granger lies, and Geordi keeps his tone easy, masking suspicion as he withdraws to begin the hunt.

polite inquiry to covert suspicion ['office doorway']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

Katherine Pulaski

Doctor (Chief Medical Officer)

primary

Assaulted and rendered unconscious; any prior professional readiness is negated by sudden physical domination and abduction.

Pulaski enters with Riker, is immediately struck by the clones' fire, collapses unconscious and is carried out by aides; she contributes no dialogue in the moment and is the principal victim of the medical-political violation.

Goals in this moment

• Attend the meeting to offer medical assessment or counsel
• Maintain Starfleet medical protocols and assert safety for civilians

Active beliefs

• Her presence will be respected in an official meeting
• Medical neutrality offers some protection in foreign contacts

Character traits

professional prepared (was present as medical authority) physically overpowered

Follow Katherine Pulaski's journey

Walter Granger

Captain

primary

Externally serene and measured; potentially evasive or concealing responsibility — calmness appears practiced rather than naive.

Granger sits at his desk as Riker and Pulaski enter; when questioned by Geordi he calmly and directly denies knowledge of their whereabouts, offering polite, closed answers that deflect scrutiny.

Goals in this moment

• Maintain diplomatic composure and protect political position
• Avoid admitting complicity or knowledge that could escalate conflict

Active beliefs

• A public denial preserves order and his authority
• Deflection will prevent immediate confrontation with Starfleet

Character traits

composed evasive politically controlled

Follow Walter Granger's journey

William Riker

Commander

primary

Physically assaulted and abruptly incapacitated; surface shock transitioning into enforced unconsciousness (no agency while abducted).

Riker enters Granger's office, speaks once, is suddenly struck by energy fire, collapses unconscious, and is physically carried out by athletic clones — rendered passive and removed before he can react.

Goals in this moment

• Determine why Granger requested their presence
• Protect the medical officer and assert Starfleet authority

Active beliefs

• This is a routine official meeting until proven otherwise
• Granger, as a political leader, will follow diplomatic norms

Character traits

professional quick to respond vulnerable (physically surprised)

Follow William Riker's journey

Geordi La Forge

Chief Engineer

primary

Outwardly neutral and polite; inwardly skeptical and alert, quickly shifting into investigative focus.

Geordi enters, asks courteously for Riker and Pulaski, reads Granger's denials, masks a growing suspicion with an outwardly neutral expression and polite words, then exits to search for the missing officers.

Goals in this moment

• Ascertain the whereabouts and safety of Riker and Pulaski
• Gather information without provoking a diplomatic incident

Active beliefs

• Something irregular has occurred despite Granger's denials
• A direct, immediate search is the safest option to recover colleagues

Character traits

technically observant socially adaptive strategic restraint

Follow Geordi La …'s journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

Armed Clones' Handheld Weapons (Mariposa Lab)

Handheld, phaser-like energy weapons are produced by clones beside the door and discharged at point-blank range, instantly rendering Riker and Pulaski unconscious. The weapons function as clinical tools of seizure, allowing clones to incapacitate without public bloodshed and carry out an organized removal.

Before: In the possession of Mariposan clone aides at …

After: Still in possession of the clones who used …

Before: In the possession of Mariposan clone aides at the side of Granger's office, concealed or held at ready.

After: Still in possession of the clones who used them; weapons remain at hand as the clones carry the unconscious officers out through the side door.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

Granger's Office

Granger's office side door functions as the physical egress and staging mechanic for the abduction: clones move the victims through this narrow threshold, then answer an external knock to admit Geordi, converting the doorway into a tool of concealment and controlled exposure.

Atmosphere Quietly tense and deceptively ordinary; an atmosphere of formal diplomacy fractured by a sterile, clinical …

Function Primary escape/egress route used by clones to remove abducted officers; also used to choreograph the …

Symbolism Represents a false threshold — a portal that turns diplomatic space into a staging ground …

Access Practically controlled by Granger's aides and clones in this event; effectively restricted despite seeming openness.

Soft office lighting and a seated political desk (formal interior) A knock at the door moments after the abduction, admitting Geordi Sound of collapsing bodies, muffled by quick, efficient movement toward the door

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 3

Causal

"After Riker refuses DNA donation, Mariposan clones abduct him and Pulaski to harvest tissue without consent."

Replicative Fading and the Demand for DNA