Riker Orders Data’s Solo Mission Amid Viral Outbreak and Romulan Threat
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Riker confronts Doctor Crusher about Lieutenant La Forge's condition and the plan to beam up survivors, but Crusher denies permission due to the uncontrollable viral outbreak, establishing the mounting medical crisis and strict quarantine.
Riker probes whether the virus would affect Data, receiving Crusher's assurance it would not, prompting Riker to issue a direct order for Data to return alone to pilot the Enterprise and counter the escalating Romulan threat.
Data complies with the order, dematerializing to return to the Enterprise alone, while the away team turns their attention to the doomed survivors, heightening the stakes of sacrifice and isolation.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Worried and tense, anticipating escalating dangers and the need for cautious measures.
Security Chief Natasha Yar expresses worry about the worsening conditions aboard the Enterprise, implicitly supporting medical restrictions and showing awareness of the deteriorating situation.
- • Ensure crew safety amid contagion
- • Support command decisions that protect the ship from internal threats
- • The situation aboard is worse than initially assessed
- • Strict security measures are necessary to manage the crisis
Uncertain yet resolute, balancing duty with the isolation of solitary command.
Data is given a direct order by Riker to return alone to the Enterprise and pilot the ship to the Neutral Zone. Though showing a brief pause of uncertainty, Data complies with stoic resolve, embodying the logical and immune intermediary role between crew and crisis.
- • Pilot the Enterprise safely to the Neutral Zone
- • Carry out Commander Riker's orders precisely
- • Data is immune to the viral contagion
- • Following Starfleet command protocol is paramount
Pragmatic resolve tinged with conflicted sorrow over the tragic sacrifices necessitated by crisis.
Commander William Riker navigates the impossible choice of denying survivors safe transport due to the viral outbreak, inquiring about Geordi's condition and decisively ordering Data to pilot the Enterprise alone to the Neutral Zone. His demeanor blends pragmatic command with underlying conflict and sorrow.
- • Protect the majority aboard Enterprise by preventing viral spread
- • Ensure the Enterprise reaches the Neutral Zone before Romulan interference
- • The viral outbreak poses a grave threat to the ship and crew
- • Data’s immunity and capability make him the only viable pilot option
Concerned and resolute, balancing medical urgency with protective caution to prevent further contagion.
Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher stands firm in her decision to prohibit beaming survivors aboard, articulating the uncontrollable nature of the virus and the unknown immunological risks posed by Angel One. She conveys concern and professional caution, prioritizing crew safety above all.
- • Prevent exposure of uninfected crew to the virus
- • Understand and contain the viral outbreak before allowing survivors aboard
- • The virus is uncontrollable and highly dangerous
- • Exposing new individuals without containment knowledge risks catastrophic spread
Concerned and uncertain, sensing the emotional weight of the difficult decisions made.
Counselor Deanna Troi expresses concern about the fate of the survivors left behind, acting as emotional conscience and moral barometer for the away team.
- • Understand the survivors’ fate
- • Support the crew's emotional balance
- • The survivors' fate is uncertain and potentially tragic
- • Emotional support is crucial during crises
Weak and incapacitated, clinging to duty despite physical decline.
Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge is shown barely conscious in the command chair, incapacitated by the virulent contagion, embodying the physical toll the virus exacts on key personnel.
- • Maintain awareness despite illness
- • Support ship operations if able
- • The virus is overwhelming his physical capacity
- • The ship must continue functioning despite his condition
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Contagion Virus serves as the invisible yet deadly antagonist in this event, its uncontrollable spread forcing command decisions that prevent survivors from being beamed aboard and incapacitating critical crew members like Geordi La Forge. Its presence creates a pervasive threat that drives the narrative tension and the tragic necessity of isolating infected zones.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Angel One is the origin of the survivors and the possible source of the unknown immunological risks that complicate medical containment efforts. It underlies the dilemma faced by the away team, as its matriarchal society and cultural tensions add layers of complexity to the rescue mission.
The Neutral Zone represents the strategic boundary the Enterprise must reach to prevent Romulan escalation. It embodies the fragile hope of safety and the political tension looming over the crisis.
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
"RIKER: Doctor, where is Lieutenant La Forge?"
"BEVERLY: He's right here, Will, but he's in no shape to be here."
"RIKER: Doctor, I can't let anyone new be exposed."
"BEVERLY: Things must be worse up there than we thought."
"RIKER: You're going back alone, Data. We have no idea what the Romulans plan to do to that outpost. You're going to have to get the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone before it's too late."
"RIKER: That's a direct order, Mister Data."
"DATA: Neutral Zone before it is too late. Understood, Commander."