Object

Sabotaged Laser Drilling Systems

The sabotaged laser drilling systems consist of advanced, high-precision laser emitters and associated hardware designed to bore through planetary or structural materials at the Velara III terraforming base. Originally tools of scientific progress and material excavation, these systems were deliberately reprogrammed and tampered with to operate erratically and lethally, firing hostile laser blasts autonomously and targeting crew members such as Data. Located in key areas including the hydraulics room, these devices have become central to the sabotage investigation, embodying the shift from peaceful terraforming to dangerous internal threat. Key crew involved include Picard, Data, Tasha Yar, Geordi La Forge, and William Riker.

7 appearances

Purpose

Originally designed for subterranean drilling and mechanical tasks within the terraforming base, facilitating construction and maintenance operations.

Significance

Its deliberate sabotage and hostile self-defense reveal the presence of an inorganic life form's interference, escalating the crew's investigation from accidental malfunction to intentional attack. The drill's aggressive behavior drives critical narrative tension, marking a turning point where the team must confront a lethal, unseen adversary threatening their survival and the base's integrity.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

7 moments

S1E17 · Home Soil

Hydraulics Power Shutdown and Laser Sabotage Escalation

The sabotaged laser drill initially malfunctions violently, then is intentionally reactivated by Data to monitor its behavior. It unexpectedly turns hostile, targeting Data with lethal laser blasts, exposing deliberate sabotage and escalating the threat level within the terraforming base.

Before: Inactive after erratic, self-destructive malfunctioning during sabotage.

After: Reactivated and weaponized, firing deadly laser blasts at Data, resulting in significant equipment destruction.

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S1E17 · Home Soil

Data Confronts Deadly Sabotage in Laser Drill

The sabotaged laser drill, once a tool for precise industrial drilling, is reactivated by Data to test its program. It immediately turns hostile, firing lethal laser blasts targeted at Data, demonstrating that it has been deliberately reprogrammed as a weapon against the crew.

Before: Inactive, embedded in the hydraulics room, after malfunction and sabotage.

After: Actively firing under hostile reprogramming until disabled by Data's command.

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S1E17 · Home Soil

Data Alone Confronts Sabotage Amid Laser Barrage

The sabotaged laser drill serves as the primary lethal hazard in the hydraulics room. Reactivated by Data, it unexpectedly targets him with deadly blasts, transforming from a tool of construction into a weaponized menace. Its erratic firing heightens tension and underscores the sabotage’s dangerous intent.

Before: Inactive and malfunctioning, locked down within the hydraulics room amid wreckage.

After: Briefly reactivated, firing hostile laser blasts at Data, then presumably disabled or rendered harmless after the confrontation.

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S1E17 · Home Soil

Picard Demands Urgent Status Amid Deadly Sabotage

The sabotaged laser drill, once a routine industrial tool, is reactivated by Data to understand its malfunction but turns aggressively hostile, firing lethal laser blasts at Data. It transforms from benign equipment into a direct antagonist, revealing the inorganic life-form’s dangerous interference.

Before: Inactive, embedded within the hydraulics room amid twisted wreckage, disabled remotely via power shutdown.

After: Reactivated and hostile, actively firing laser blasts targeting Data before being shut down again.

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S1E17 · Home Soil

Picard Claims Command, Confronts Sabotage, and Initiates Psychological Inquiry

The laser drilling systems are revealed as the instrument of sabotage, deliberately reprogrammed to attack Data upon activation. This transforms a routine tool into a lethal weapon, shifting the narrative tone from technical malfunction to intentional violence, highlighting the severity and calculated nature of the threat.

Before: Activated for standard drilling operations on Velara III, under terraformer control.

After: Deactivated and under investigation; identified as a sabotage weapon posing lethal risk.

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S1E17 · Home Soil

Crusher Confirms Malencon’s Fatal Injuries, Picard Tightens Command Amid Sabotage

The laser drilling systems are identified by Data as the instrument of sabotage, having been reprogrammed to attack and kill any person moving within their operational zone. This transforms them from tools of terraforming to lethal weapons, central to the event's deadly stakes.

Before: Operational as standard drilling equipment on Velara III, under terraforming project control.

After: Deactivated and under forensic scrutiny as evidence of sabotage and attempted murder.

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S1E17 · Home Soil

Picard Declares Investigative Command Amidinveling Crisis

The laser drilling system is identified as the weaponized mechanism used in the sabotage against Data, having been expertly reprogrammed to attack any personnel in its vicinity. It serves as the tangible evidence anchoring the investigation into deliberate malicious intent.

Before: Operational and controlled remotely at the Velara III terraforming station but secretly reprogrammed.

After: Deactivated and subject to detailed technical inspection by Data and Geordi.

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