Rice

Rice functions here as a convincing, artificial simulacrum of a Starfleet captain deployed as a tactical lure. The projection mimics a real officer, registers brief, humanlike reactions (a twitch, confused response) and then peels away to reveal a hovering weapon that ensnares Commander Riker. This fabricated presence operates as a narrative Trojan horse—designed to disarm interpersonal trust, trigger close-range engagement, and convert a social encounter into a lethal assault—forcing the crew into immediate medical and tactical triage.