Picard and Troi Isolate Jeremy
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Captain Picard and Counselor Troi enter the classroom, immediately silencing the students and drawing attention.
The teacher approaches Jeremy Aster with reluctance, informing him that the Captain needs to speak with him.
Jeremy Aster, wide-eyed, steps forward under the supportive arm of his teacher to face Picard and Troi.
Picard acknowledges the teacher's offer of private space, as Troi comforts Jeremy while leading him out of the classroom.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Distraught and sorrowful beneath a composed exterior — hates the necessity of what he is doing and feels for Jeremy's impending distress.
The teacher, visibly pained, stands and crosses to Jeremy, summons him in measured words and indicates the way to his office, performing the adult duty of delivering a summons he clearly dreads.
- • To get Jeremy safely out of the classroom for a private conversation.
- • To shield the other students from the full reality of whatever follows.
- • To follow the Captain's authority while protecting his pupil's dignity.
- • Some information should be conveyed privately and by appropriate authority.
- • He must prioritize the emotional welfare of his students even when duty demands pain.
- • Signalling the office and stepping aside is the correct, humane protocol.
Nervous, apprehensive and vulnerable — outward politeness masking internal alarm and a dawning sense that something important (and likely distressing) is about to happen.
Jeremy walks forward guarded and small with the teacher's arm around him, complying politely with 'I'm Jeremy, sir,' his wide eyes registering fear, bewilderment, and the hush of sudden attention.
- • To respond respectfully to authority and follow the teacher's cue.
- • To seek implicit reassurance from Troi and Picard's manner.
- • To understand why he has been singled out without provoking the class.
- • Adults and authority figures will tell him what he needs to know.
- • He should be polite and not cause a scene even when frightened.
- • A comforting touch (Troi/teacher) will make him safer.
Controlled, solemn concern — outwardly composed while internally taking on the weight of responsibility and anticipating painful news to deliver.
Picard enters the classroom with measured authority, acknowledges the teacher's indication, kneels in attention through his gaze and absorbs the boy's innocence — a commander quietly accepting the moral responsibility implicit in the summons.
- • To personally assume responsibility for informing and protecting Jeremy.
- • To transform a public space into a private moment of care and authority.
- • To assess the boy's emotional state before speaking privately.
- • As Captain he must personally bear the ship's moral burdens.
- • Sensitive, direct handling by a senior officer is best for delicate matters.
- • Presence and demeanor can steady a frightened child and the classroom.
Gently resolute and quietly protective — present emotionally for the child while supporting Picard's authority and the classroom's order.
Troi accompanies Picard, immediately physical and protective: she places an arm around Jeremy and guides him toward the door, providing tactile comfort and a bridge between command and child.
- • To comfort and steady Jeremy so he can face whatever news follows.
- • To mediate between institutional formality (the Captain) and the child's vulnerability.
- • To minimize the scene's public exposure and preserve the boy's dignity.
- • Physical comfort and closeness help a child weather traumatic information.
- • Counseling must begin before words are spoken; presence matters.
- • The Captain's involvement requires her to support both command and the child.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
A cluster of potted plants occupies the classroom's windowsill and shelves, softening the institutional space and contributing to the warm, domestic atmosphere that contrasts with the gravity of the summons; they are purely environmental but shape the scene's intimacy.
A small cluster of antique children's books on a low shelf signals a lived-in, educational setting; the books are briefly noticed as students close them when authority arrives, reinforcing how normal childhood activity is interrupted by the Captain's presence.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Teacher's Office is invoked as the private destination for the Captain's conversation; it functions off the classroom as the intended space for confidential, authoritative disclosure and emotional care following the public summons.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
No narrative connections mapped yet
This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph
Key Dialogue
"TEACHER: "Jeremy, the Captain needs to talk with you.""
"JEREMY: "I'm Jeremy, sir.""
"TEACHER: "My office is over there, Captain...""