Remmick’s Ominous Passing and Riker’s Sinister Awakening
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Remmick casually passes by Picard during dinner, chillingly reminding him that his food is getting cold, hinting at hidden menace lurking among Starfleet elites.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Measured concern coupled with guarded suspicion, balancing command responsibility with growing paranoia.
Captain Picard listens intently to Dr. Crusher’s briefing, asks pointed questions about the parasite and its effects, remains cautious and concerned. He receives a chilling remark from Remmick and prepares to leave for dinner, instructing that Riker join him when possible.
- • to understand the nature of the parasitic threat
- • to maintain control of the Enterprise’s crew safety
- • to manage Riker’s recovery carefully
- • to remain vigilant against internal betrayal
- • Believes the parasite infestation threatens Starfleet’s integrity
- • Trusts medical expertise but remains wary of hidden dangers
Committed and alert, prepared to act.
Worf responds dutifully to Geordi’s summons, exiting Sickbay to reinforce the bridge, demonstrating his loyalty and tactical readiness during the crisis.
- • to provide security on the bridge
- • to respond swiftly to emergent threats
- • Believes in stringent security measures
- • Trusts Picard’s command
Conflicted and disoriented, harboring suppressed menace beneath a sudden, wild awakening.
Initially unconscious, Riker suddenly bolts upright with wild, disoriented eyes and a menacing demeanor, silently rising behind Beverly Crusher and approaching her with ominous intent, suggesting internal compromise and imminent threat.
- • to silently intimidate or possibly harm Beverly
- • to act out under the parasite’s influence
- • to assert control physically
- • to challenge the current safe status quo
- • Believes he is controlled by an external parasitic force
- • Unaware or unable to resist the parasite’s dominance
Anxious and deeply concerned for crew safety, balancing clinical detachment with personal alarm at Riker’s menacing behavior.
Dr. Crusher delivers a grave medical briefing explaining the parasitic infestation controlling Admiral Quinn. She is anxious and alarmed, particularly as Riker suddenly moves behind her, causing her to gasp in shock and fear.
- • to inform Picard of the medical truth
- • to warn about the parasite’s lethal threat
- • to protect herself from Riker’s sudden approach
- • to maintain control of the situation
- • Believes the parasite is a deadly threat requiring lethal force
- • Trusts Picard to act decisively
Calm focus mixed with urgency.
Geordi’s intercom voice is heard summoning Worf to the bridge, indicating ongoing operational coordination and rising alertness aboard the Enterprise.
- • to ensure security presence on the bridge
- • to maintain communication lines open
- • Believes the situation requires tactical vigilance
- • Trusts the chain of command
Unconscious, his vulnerability underscores the parasite’s deadly control.
Admiral Quinn lies unconscious on the medical bed, visibly controlled by a parasitic alien whose tendrils are entwined around his brainstem, symbolizing his loss of autonomy and the insidious nature of the threat.
- • N/A due to unconscious state
- • N/A due to unconscious state
Calm exterior masking underlying threat and intent.
Dexter Remmick exits the dining room and coldly passes by Picard, delivering a chilling, loaded remark about Picard’s dinner getting cold, signaling subtle menace and hidden hostility within Starfleet’s ranks.
- • to unsettle Picard subtly
- • to signal hidden conspiracy
- • to maintain cover while intimidating
- • Believes in the conspiracy’s success
- • Distrustful or hostile toward Picard
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Captain's Ready Room Intercom is used indirectly during this event, heard transmitting Geordi’s summons for Worf to the bridge, underscoring ongoing communication and operational coordination amid the crisis.
The Medical Screen Display projects a detailed anatomical image of Admiral Quinn’s brain, vividly revealing the alien parasite’s tendrils entwined around his brainstem and its gill-like protrusion, serving as the critical visual evidence that anchors Dr. Crusher’s medical briefing and intensifies the narrative tension.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Reception Room outside the Dining Room provides the physical space traversed by Remmick as he delivers his subtly menacing remark to Picard, embedding a layer of covert hostility and foreboding menace within the ship’s social spaces.
Enterprise Sickbay serves as the claustrophobic crucible where the parasite’s insidious threat is medically revealed, paranoia escalates, and Riker’s sudden menacing awakening foreshadows imminent violence, embodying the frontline against an unseen enemy within Starfleet.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The discovery of the parasitic insect controlling Quinn’s brainstem and granting superhuman strength parallels the broader theme of insidious alien infiltration undermining trusted figures."
"The discovery of the parasitic insect controlling Quinn’s brainstem and granting superhuman strength parallels the broader theme of insidious alien infiltration undermining trusted figures."
"The discovery of the parasitic insect controlling Quinn’s brainstem and granting superhuman strength parallels the broader theme of insidious alien infiltration undermining trusted figures."
"The discovery of the parasitic insect controlling Quinn’s brainstem and granting superhuman strength parallels the broader theme of insidious alien infiltration undermining trusted figures."
"The discovery of the parasitic insect controlling Quinn’s brainstem and granting superhuman strength parallels the broader theme of insidious alien infiltration undermining trusted figures."
"The discovery of the parasitic insect controlling Quinn’s brainstem and granting superhuman strength parallels the broader theme of insidious alien infiltration undermining trusted figures."
Key Dialogue
"BEVERLY: "A parasitic being has invaded his body. It has complete control over all brain functions. It seems to breathe through a small gill protruding through the back of Quinn's neck. Look for this, Captain. I believe it will be visible on anyone who has been compromised.""
"BEVERLY: "You must set your phaser on kill, Captain. Stun has little effect --""
"REMMICK (as he passes): "Your food is getting cold, Captain.""