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S2E7 · Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unnatural Selection
S2E7
· Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unnatural Selection

Pulaski and Data's Poignant Parting

In the isolation lab, Dr. Pulaski and Dr. Mandel bid farewell to Data as he prepares to return to the Enterprise. Pulaski, visibly weakened by the contagion, shares a rare moment of warmth with the android, acknowledging his efforts despite their inability to cure her condition. Their handshake transcends the mechanical nature of Data's existence, becoming a fleeting human connection in the face of impending doom. As Data beams away and his shuttlecraft detonates—likely part of quarantine protocols—the emptiness left behind underscores Pulaski's isolation and the grim acceptance of her fate. This quiet exchange serves as both elegy for Pulaski's deteriorating condition and testament to her unexpected bond with Data.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Data declares himself ready to beam and vanishes in the transporter shimmer — relief fractures instantly when the shuttlecraft detonates. The hopeful transmission collapses into sudden, visceral catastrophe as the explosion severs the last connection.

hope to dread ['space near the Enterprise']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
Dr. Sara Mandel
Doctor
 primary

Resigned hopelessness with suppressed survivor's guilt

Silent witness to the exchange, physically present but emotionally distant—her clinical detachment underscoring the finality of the moment.

Goals in this moment
  • • Maintain quarantine discipline
  • • Document the farewell's scientific implications
Active beliefs
  • • Physical containment outweighs emotional needs in biocrises
  • • Deterioration follows inevitable trajectory despite interventions
Character traits
Professionally detached Exhaustedly observant
Follow Dr. Sara …'s journey
Katherine Pulaski
Doctor (Chief Medical Officer)
 primary

Sorrowful acceptance mixed with admiration, masking fear of impending mortality

Physically weakened but emotionally present, extends genuine admiration to Data through a deliberate handshake—turning protocol into human connection despite her condition.

Goals in this moment
  • • Acknowledge Data's efforts meaningfully
  • • Preserve dignity in crisis
Active beliefs
  • • Gestures of respect matter even in dire circumstances
  • • Android capabilities deserve recognition equal to biological life
Character traits
Professionally gracious Emotionally transparent Physically deteriorating
Follow Katherine Pulaski's journey
Data
Second Officer
 primary

Solemn recognition of limitations with underlying desire to provide comfort

Offers sincere apology for scientific limitations before executing departure protocols with flawless efficiency, embodying the paradox of emotional awareness within programmed parameters.

Goals in this moment
  • • Fulfill quarantine protocols without delay
  • • Validate Pulaski's suffering through acknowledgement
Active beliefs
  • • Efficiency serves greater good in biocontainment scenarios
  • • Social rituals hold intrinsic value even when functionally futile
Character traits
Procedurally precise Socially attuned Analytically humble
Follow Data's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Pulaski's Withered Hand

Pulaski extends her withered hand—a visceral symbol of mortality—in deliberate contrast to Data's synthetic perfection. The handshake becomes both professional courtesy and tragic acknowledgement of biological frailty.

Before: Resting at Pulaski's side, visibly aged
After: Lowered after handshake, tremors revealing further deterioration
Before: Resting at Pulaski's side, visibly aged
After: Lowered after handshake, tremors revealing further deterioration
Starfleet Shuttlecraft

Serves as Data's transport vessel before becoming an instrument of biocontainment—its sudden destruction via remote detonation underscores Starfleet's ruthless epidemiological protocols. The explosion visually punctuates the farewell's finality.

Before: Intact and operational on Darwin Station landing pad
After: Destroyed in controlled explosion as quarantine measure
Before: Intact and operational on Darwin Station landing pad
After: Destroyed in controlled explosion as quarantine measure

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Darwin Genetic Research Station

The lab's sterile environment amplifies the emotional weight of departures—its quarantine seals and biohazard warnings framing the farewell as both personal tragedy and institutional necessity. Observation windows reflect the shuttle's destruction like a clinical epitaph.

Atmosphere Oppressive finality underscored by humming containment fields
Function Stage for irrevocable goodbyes and biocontainment protocols
Symbolism Represents science's limits when confronting its own catastrophic failures
Access Sealed to all but infected personnel and androids
Glare of bioluminescent panels on aged skin Distant thrum of forcefield generators

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

Part of Larger Arcs

Pulaski's scientific curiosity versus her Hippocratic duty as she exposes herself to the contagion

Key Dialogue

"DATA: "I am sorry I could not be more helpful, Doctor Pulaski.""
"PULASKI: "You did everything you could, Commander.""
"PULASKI: "As androids go, you're in a class by yourself.""