Object

Riker's Desk

A cleared patch of Riker's personal quarter desk converted into a makeshift cooking and communal surface. The area presents a worn flat desktop temporarily cleared of papers and personal tokens to hold a mixing bowl, a small pan and utensils while eggs are whipped and an omelet is prepared; characters gather around its edge, lean in to share the food, and use it as a focal point for candid conversation. The surface reads as domestic and improvised rather than permanent kitchen hardware, stained faintly from use and arranged for an intimate, short‑lived ritual.

2 appearances

Purpose

Provide a temporary working surface on Riker's desk for preparing and sharing a simple meal (an improvised cooking and communal dining spot).

Significance

Serves as the scene's emotional anchor: an old‑fashioned ritual Riker stages to create warmth and intimacy among officers. The workstation's conversion from private desk to communal kitchen heightens vulnerability and is abruptly negated by a command call, pivoting the beat from personal solace to duty.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S2E13 · Time Squared

When Frameworks Fail: Time as the Adversary

Riker's improvised desk workstation functions as the physical locus of the meeting: Picard sits behind it while Riker faces him across the cleared surface. It stages the personal, domestic scale of their conversation and emphasizes the transition from private counsel to command action when they rise together.

Before: Cleared and set as an impromptu meeting surface with minimal personal clutter; functioning as a communal focal point for discussion.

After: Abandoned mid-conversation as both men stand and exit toward the door, leaving the improvised setup temporarily unused.

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S2E13 · Time Squared

The Persian Flaw and the Shudder

Riker's improvised desk workstation functions as the immediate physical locus for the exchange: Picard sits behind it, Riker across it, and the desk's cleared surface frames the transition from domestic calm to command urgency. It anchors the characters' proximity and the intimacy of Riker's critique.

Before: Cleared and serving as Picard's desk surface; occupied by Picard and forming the meeting geometry.

After: Still in place but momentarily abandoned as both men rise and move toward the door following the shudder.

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