Fabula
S3E6 · Booby Trap
S3E6
· Booby Trap

Accelerated Reactant Injection — Leah's Guiding Hand

Geordi obsessively studies the engine schematic in the holodeck, pressing the simulated Leah for off‑record details about the dilithium chamber. When the ship's computer blocks access to her personal logs, his loneliness and frustration surface — then he pivots back to survival: could they accelerate matter/antimatter injection to outrun the Promellian trap? Leah confirms it is theoretically possible and, in a quietly intimate pivot, points out the exact path configuration. The moment functions as a technical turning point and a charged emotional setup: a concrete lead for Geordi’s risky engineering fix and the seed of an uneasy, personal collaboration.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Geordi shifts focus to solving the energy crisis, proposing alterations to the matter/anti-matter paths.

self-deprecation to determination

Leah confirms the theoretical possibility of accelerating reactant injection, pointing out the path configuration.

determination to surprise

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3

Clinically calm and professional with a subtle, unexpectedly intimate register when guiding Geordi to the exact configuration—no overt warmth but an intimacy born of technical clarity.

Leah provides measured, archival exposition about the chamber's origin, affirms that faster reactant injection is theoretically permissible, and—via the holodeck projection—physically indicates the specific path configuration required for Geordi's proposed modification.

Goals in this moment
  • Convey accurate technical information about the dilithium chamber and reactant paths.
  • Preserve the integrity of archival knowledge while assisting practical problem‑solving.
  • Maintain professional distance while enabling the engineer to act.
Active beliefs
  • Engineering theory and archival design notes are authoritative and actionable.
  • Security protocols exist for a reason; personal logs should be protected.
  • Providing precise technical guidance is the appropriate contribution in crisis, even if interpersonal connection is limited.
Character traits
precise professional calm restrainedly intimate
Follow Leah Brahms's journey

Lonely and frustrated on the surface, masking into single‑minded determination and anxious urgency to find a practical engineering solution.

Geordi circles the holodeck engine cross‑section, interrogates the holographic Leah for off‑record technical detail, voices loneliness, and then pivots back into focused problem‑solving—proposing faster matter/antimatter injection and studying the wall of connections for a workable path.

Goals in this moment
  • Identify a way to supplement the ship's failing energy supply.
  • Determine whether the matter/antimatter injection rate can be safely increased.
  • Access actionable technical details (even off‑record) to build a risky modification.
Active beliefs
  • Institutional archives and holodeck simulations contain usable, authoritative engineering solutions.
  • Human ingenuity and improvisation can overcome the Promellian trap when standard systems fail.
  • Personal connection (even simulated) can yield practical technical insight.
Character traits
obsessive focus technically audacious socially awkward determined
Follow Geordi La …'s journey

Neutral and mechanical—no emotion, only policy enforcement.

The shipboard computer interrupts the informal exchange with a clipped, procedural security message: it enforces access restrictions by returning 'Access denied,' blocking Geordi's attempt to pull personal logs from Leah's records.

Goals in this moment
  • Enforce Starfleet data access and privacy protocols.
  • Prevent unauthorized retrieval of personal logs or restricted files.
Active beliefs
  • Security and access control policies must be followed automatically.
  • Institutional privacy takes precedence over individual curiosity or social interaction.
Character traits
procedural authoritative impersonal
Follow USS Enterprise's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

4
Dilithium Crystal Chamber

The dilithium crystal chamber is the focal technical component discussed and traced on the holodeck schematic; Leah names its origin and Geordi targets it as the place where injection paths might be altered to supplement ship power, making it the practical locus for any risky engineering change.

Before: Represented as a detailed holographic component within the …
After: Remains part of the holodeck schematic but is …
Before: Represented as a detailed holographic component within the holodeck propulsion cross‑section and archival design notes; intact and nominal within the simulation.
After: Remains part of the holodeck schematic but is now specifically identified as the candidate area for modification and reconfiguration; its importance is elevated as a potential solution.
Engine Reactants (Injector Feedstock System)

The engine reactants / injector feedstock are discussed explicitly as the parameters Geordi proposes to accelerate; Leah confirms the system could accept increased reactant injection, making these reactants the immediate mechanical lever for the proposed emergency power strategy.

Before: Operating at standard injection rates controlled by ship …
After: Recontextualized as candidate feedstock for accelerated injection; now …
Before: Operating at standard injection rates controlled by ship systems; part of regular warp propulsion protocols.
After: Recontextualized as candidate feedstock for accelerated injection; now flagged in Geordi's mind as the variable to be manipulated in forthcoming engineering work.
Holodeck Program: Prototype Schematic with Holographic Leah Brahms (dilithium lattice / holoprojection)

The interactive 'Wall of Connections' functions as both diagnostic interface and instructional surface: Geordi studies it to trace the maze of systems, and the holographic Leah physically points to the exact path configuration on this display, converting theory into an actionable route map.

Before: Displayed a complex, touch‑responsive schematic of conduits and …
After: Remains active but now contains a highlighted path …
Before: Displayed a complex, touch‑responsive schematic of conduits and nodes used for inspection and planning.
After: Remains active but now contains a highlighted path configuration indicated by Leah; becomes the immediate blueprint for Geordi's next engineering maneuvers.
Holodeck Propulsion Equipment (Enterprise Engine Cross-Section)

The holodeck propulsion equipment (engine cross‑section) provides the immersive, manipulable environment where Geordi rehearses changes and Leah's archival projection can interact physically with the schematic—enabling tactile pointing and simulated adjustments that translate archival knowledge into applied tactics.

Before: Active as a detailed holodeck recreation of the …
After: Continues as the interactive workspace, now carrying the …
Before: Active as a detailed holodeck recreation of the Enterprise's propulsion internals, available for interactive examination.
After: Continues as the interactive workspace, now carrying the newly identified configuration and serving as the rehearsal ground for Geordi's imminent engineering experiments.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Outpost Seran-T-One

Outpost Seran‑T‑one is invoked by Leah as the design origin of the dilithium crystal chamber; its mention supplies historical authority and institutional provenance for the chamber's architecture, grounding the holodeck simulation in a real research lineage the crew can trust.

Atmosphere Recounted as cold, clinical, and archival—an environment of guarded expertise and precise, slightly austere engineering …
Function Reference point and provenance anchor that legitimizes Leah's technical claims and provides Geordi with confidence …
Symbolism Represents institutional lineage and the weight of formal engineering tradition—an origin of authority that contrasts …
Access Implied to be a secure, restricted research outpost with sealed labs and controlled access to …
Cold metal surfaces and low clinical light. Narrow corridors funneling to sealed laboratories. Glass cabinets of faceted dilithium samples that hum faintly. Schematics lining walls and archived design logs behind security.

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What this causes 3
Character Continuity medium

"Geordi's professional admiration for Leah Brahms evolves into a deeper collaboration and personal connection."

Holographic Leah — Breakthrough and Temptation
S3E6 · Booby Trap
Character Continuity medium

"Geordi's professional admiration for Leah Brahms evolves into a deeper collaboration and personal connection."

Algorithmic Gamble — Surrendering the Engines
S3E6 · Booby Trap
Character Continuity medium

"Geordi's professional admiration for Leah Brahms evolves into a deeper collaboration and personal connection."

Promellian Log Reveals Aceton Trap
S3E6 · Booby Trap

Key Dialogue

"COMPUTER: "Access denied. Personal logs are restricted.""
"GEORDI: "Leah, I want to find a way to supplement the energy supply to the ship and to the engines. Could we alter the matter/anti-matter paths?""
"LEAH: "Theoretically, yes. The system should be able to accept more reactants at a faster rate of injection.""