Star Trek The Next Generation
S1E6
· Where No One Has Gone Before

Picard Faces the Infinite Void in the Turbolift

The turbolift abruptly halts and its doors open onto a disorienting void of infinite emptiness, where an impossible, fierce wind lashes at Captain Picard despite the absence of physical matter. Forced to brace himself against the back wall, Picard grapples mentally with this surreal phenomenon that defies his understanding of reality. As the doors close and reopen, he cautiously steps into a seemingly normal corridor, though unsettled by the eerie reversal. This unsettling moment underscores the fragility of perception and foreshadows the crew's harrowing challenge of mastering thought to navigate their warped reality.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

The turbolift lurches to a sudden stop; Picard fights a surreal, impossible wind as the doors open onto an infinite void, forcing him to slam against the back wall, mind reeling.

shock to disorientation ['threshold to infinite nothingness, surreal void']

Before Picard can respond, the doors close then reopen, revealing a normal corridor; he cautiously steps out, confronting the eerie reversal and regaining composure.

fear to tentative relief ['normal corridor beyond turbolift']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

1
Jean-Luc Picard
Captain
 primary

Disoriented and unsettled by the surreal experience, yet maintaining disciplined resolve and guarded curiosity about the phenomenon.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard is physically assaulted by an inexplicable, fierce wind that defies physics as the turbolift doors open onto an infinite void. He braces himself desperately by jamming against the back wall, his mind swirling with disorientation and mental strain. After the doors close and reopen, he steps gingerly into the corridor, demonstrating caution and acute awareness despite his shaken state.

Goals in this moment
  • • Maintain physical stability amid incomprehensible forces
  • • Comprehend and survive the surreal phenomenon
  • • Ensure safe transition from the void back to known space
  • • Preserve command presence despite psychological assault
Active beliefs
  • • Reality should be governed by known physical laws
  • • His command and rationality are essential to crew survival
  • • Unexplained phenomena are threats requiring cautious engagement
  • • Order must be restored to chaotic situations
Character traits
Resolute Physically resilient Mentally alert Cautious Steely composure
Follow Jean-Luc Picard's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
USS Enterprise-D — Captain's Ready Room Turbolift Doors

The turbolift doors serve as a disorienting portal that inexplicably open onto an infinite void, exposing Picard to a fierce, intangible wind that violates physical laws. They function as a fragile threshold between the Enterprise's controlled environment and a hostile, metaphysical realm, symbolizing the precarious boundary of reality being tested.

Before: Closed, securing the turbolift interior from external environment.
After: Closed momentarily after initial exposure, then reopened to …
Before: Closed, securing the turbolift interior from external environment.
After: Closed momentarily after initial exposure, then reopened to allow Picard's cautious egress into the corridor.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

2
Enterprise Turbolift

The Enterprise Turbolift acts as the confined conduit where the boundary between normal space and the surreal void collapses. It becomes a liminal space filled with tense urgency and metaphysical uncertainty, physically trapping Picard momentarily as he confronts the impossible phenomena. It marks the nexus of the known and the unknown within the starship.

Atmosphere Oppressively surreal and tense, charged with disorienting energy and the threatening presence of a non-physical …
Function Trap and transitional space forcing confrontation with altered reality.
Symbolism Represents the fragile barrier between order and chaos, the known universe and the unfathomable beyond.
Sudden stop of the turbolift Doors opening onto infinite emptiness Presence of fierce, intangible wind Automatic closing and reopening of doors
Corridor Outside Sickbay

The Enterprise corridor, typically a beacon of normalcy and routine, now serves as an uneasy refuge after Picard's harrowing exposure to the void. The corridor appears normal but is imbued with an eerie undertone reflecting the fragility and instability of the crew's situation. It is the first anchor back to recognizable reality, though tension and uncertainty linger.

Atmosphere Calm on surface but imbued with subtle unease and residual disorientation.
Function Safe passage and transition back to the familiar environment from the metaphysical void.
Symbolism Symbolizes the thin line between sanity and madness, reality and hallucination.
Sterile, utilitarian design Normal lighting and soundscape Contrast to the void's emptiness

Narrative Connections

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