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

Single Strand Salvation

In a desperate race against time, Riker and Data ransack Pulaski's quarters with manic intensity, overturning every conceivable surface in search of her unaltered DNA—the last hope to reverse her accelerating degeneration. Riker's shout crystallizes their mission: they need biological evidence untouched by the contagion. The android's systematic efficiency contrasts with Riker's raw desperation as they tear through personal belongings. When Riker's gaze lands on Pulaski's hairbrush, time seems to freeze—one golden strand glints amid the chaos. This microscopic relic becomes their holy grail, transferring the scene's frantic energy into focused purpose as they bolt for the door, carrying not just a hair but the weight of a life hanging in the balance.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Riker and Data tear the quarters apart, turning over belongings and rifling through drawers in a frantic, all-or-nothing search for any biological sample that could save Pulaski.

controlled urgency to full-blown desperation ["Pulaski's quarters — general living area"]

Riker pleads for anything — a fingernail clipping, even a hair — his voice jagged with urgency as he searches for any trace of Pulaski's DNA, locking a beseeching look on Data for answers.

panic to guarded hope ["Pulaski's quarters — amid the ongoing …

Riker lunges to the dressing table and snags a single blonde strand from Pulaski's hairbrush; discovery ignites a rush of relief and they sprint for the exit, clutching the precious sample.

desperation to explosive relief and urgent resolve ["Pulaski's quarters — dressing table area"]

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Data
Second Officer
 primary

Neutral processing prioritizing logical urgency

Processing destruction systematically—jerky but precise movements that maximize search efficiency without wasted motion. His ocular implants track minute biological traces while verbally cataloging potential evidentiary sources.

Goals in this moment
  • • Optimize search patterns to locate viable DNA samples
  • • Balance speed with forensic preservation standards
Active beliefs
  • • Human emotional responses can compromise crisis efficiency
  • • Any organic material must be treated as potentially crucial evidence
Character traits
Methodical Hyper-efficient Analytical Objective-focused
Follow Data's journey
William Riker
Commander
 primary

Raw determination masking underlying panic

Physically dismantling Pulaski's dressing table with frenetic energy—muscles taut, breath ragged—while barking urgent commands to Data about potential DNA sources. His focused lunge toward the hairbrush reveals adrenaline-fueled precision beneath apparent chaos.

Goals in this moment
  • • Secure untainted genetic material to synthesize a cure
  • • Override personal discomfort with medical invasion for professional duty
Active beliefs
  • • Pulaski's survival depends on their speed and thoroughness
  • • Civilian privacy protocols must be sacrificed in crisis scenarios
Character traits
Desperate Urgent Physically aggressive Situationally aware
Follow William Riker's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Pulaski's Hairbrush

The hairbrush serves as narrative pivot point—a mundane object transformed into the locus of salvation. Riker's discovery of the single intact hair strand recontextualizes the chaotic search, shifting frantic energy into precise purpose as they extract this biological lifeline.

Before: At rest on Pulaski's dressing table amid personal …
After: Disturbed from original position, forensic evidence removed (hair …
Before: At rest on Pulaski's dressing table amid personal grooming items
After: Disturbed from original position, forensic evidence removed (hair strand)

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Pulaski's Quarters

Pulaski's quarters transition from private sanctuary to forensic battleground—walls echoing with the sounds of desperate searching as furnishings are overturned. The space becomes a racecourse against time where protocol collapses under medical necessity.

Atmosphere Chaotically charged with urgency
Function Ground zero for biological evidence recovery
Symbolism Threshold between personal privacy and collective survival
Access Breached under emergency protocols
Overturned furniture marking frenzied search patterns Harsh overhead lighting accentuating disordered surfaces

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: "Anything! Even a fingernail clipping!""
"RIKER: "Or a hair!""