Ares
Detailed Involvements
Events with rich location context
The Ares is invoked as the absent but potent destination and career object — its mission and command are the factors concentrating Riker's choice, transforming conversation into a crossroads.
Absent physically but charged with implied urgency and professional weight.
Narrative objective — the command opportunity that catalyzes Riker's internal conflict and the episode's career question.
Symbolizes career ambition, distance from personal ties, and the institutional door Riker must walk through or close.
Ares command is subject to Starfleet assignment and authorization, pending briefings and approvals.
The Ares functions as the absent-but-present mission-object: the unknown ship whose command is the decision's prize. It exists as narrative gravity, making the briefing's content pivotal and converting institutional opportunity into a personal fork in Riker's career.
Unseen and suspense-generating — the Ares is an implied locus of duty and risk.
Narrative pivot and object of Riker's impending choice; a professional commitment that demands immediate resolution.
Symbolizes opportunity, command responsibility, and the career-personal tradeoffs Riker must weigh.
Not physically present; command offer implies Starfleet assignment protocols and formal transfer processes.
Events at This Location
Everything that happens here
On the Enterprise bridge Picard quietly frames a career-defining crossroads: he informs Riker that Starbase Montgomery is sending a civilian advisor to brief him on command of the Ares. The …
On the bridge Picard quietly delivers news that a "civilian advisor" from Starbase Montgomery will personally brief Riker on the Ares mission. The line carries more weight than the words; …