Picard’s Clandestine Gambit: The Summoning of Data
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Following Mendrossen's exit, Picard, troubled, requests Data to report to his ready room for further investigation.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Sincere but firm, with an undercurrent of controlled aggression. Mendrossen is unyielding—his belief in Sarek’s infallibility borders on dogmatic, and his 'friendly' warning is a thinly veiled threat designed to silence Picard without outright confrontation. There’s no malice, only institutional loyalty and the weight of Vulcan expectations.
Mendrossen sits with deceptive ease in Picard’s ready room, his posture relaxed but his words laced with thinly veiled threats. He dismisses Picard’s concerns about Sarek’s Bendii Syndrome with logical counterarguments, invoking Vulcan honor and the weight of the negotiations. His 'friendly' tone is a calculated facade, masking the career-ending implications of his ultimatum: Picard must find 'irrefutable' evidence before the Legarans arrive or face professional ruin. Mendrossen’s exit is abrupt, leaving the threat hanging in the air like a sword.
- • Prevent any disruption to the Legaran negotiations, no matter the cost
- • Protect Sarek’s reputation and legacy from scandal or embarrassment
- • Sarek’s condition is a temporary aberration, not a systemic failure
- • Picard’s concerns are unfounded and potentially career-damaging
A storm of resolve beneath a calm exterior. Picard is tense (finger-tapping, deliberate silence) and conflicted (weighing career vs. conscience), but ultimately resolute—his choice to summon Data reflects a quiet defiance, a man who has made his decision and will see it through, no matter the cost.
Picard stands alone in the ready room after Mendrossen’s exit, his posture rigid but his fingers tapping restlessly against the desk—a rare, telling gesture of his internal conflict. His face is a mask of controlled tension, betraying the weight of Mendrossen’s veiled threat and the moral dilemma before him. He weighs the risks: defying Starfleet protocol to protect Sarek’s legacy and the mission, or adhering to the chain of command and risking catastrophic failure. His decision to summon Data is deliberate, a calculated move to operate outside official channels, signaling his willingness to act in the shadows for the greater good.
- • Uncover the truth about Sarek’s condition to prevent diplomatic disaster
- • Protect Sarek’s legacy and the Federation’s mission, even if it means defying Starfleet
- • The mission and Sarek’s dignity are worth risking his career for
- • Data’s logic and loyalty are the only reliable tools left to him
Neutral but purposeful. Data’s emotional state is irrelevant here—his value lies in his objectivity and precision. Picard summons him not for empathy, but for results: Data will cut through the political obfuscation and find the truth, regardless of the consequences.
Data is not physically present in this event but is summoned by Picard as the critical next step in his plan. His role is implied: as the ship’s logical and unquestioningly loyal second officer, Data will be tasked with investigating Sarek’s condition through relentless, unbiased analysis—something Picard can no longer do within the confines of Starfleet protocol. Picard’s choice to call Data reflects his trust in the android’s ability to operate outside emotional or political biases.
- • Assist Picard in uncovering the truth about Sarek’s condition
- • Operate with logical precision, uninfluenced by emotional or institutional pressures
- • The truth can be discovered through systematic analysis
- • Loyalty to Picard’s command overrides all other considerations
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Picard’s desk is the *silent witness* to his internal struggle. His fingers tap restlessly against its surface—a rare, physical tell of his tension—while Mendrossen delivers his ultimatum. The desk anchors the scene, a symbol of Picard’s authority and the weight of his decisions. After Mendrossen exits, it becomes the stage for Picard’s solitary deliberation before he summons Data. Its unyielding presence mirrors Picard’s resolve: both are *tools of command*, but in this moment, they also represent the *burden of leadership*.
The comm panel is the *mechanism of rebellion*. After Mendrossen’s exit, Picard’s fingers—still restless from the confrontation—activate it with precise resolve. The soft chime it emits cuts through the tense silence, signaling the first overt act of defiance: summoning Data to investigate Sarek’s condition *outside official channels*. This object is not just a tool; it is the *catalyst* for Picard’s shadow plan, the moment he chooses to operate in the margins of Starfleet protocol.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The ready room is the *pressure cooker* of this event, a confined space where institutional power and personal conscience collide. Its dim lighting and quiet isolation amplify the tension, turning a routine meeting into a high-stakes confrontation. The room’s enclosed walls foster introspection, making Picard’s solitary moment after Mendrossen’s exit all the more poignant. Here, the weight of command is palpable: the desk, the comm panel, the very air—all bear witness to Picard’s dilemma. The ready room is not just a setting; it is a *character* in its own right, reflecting the isolation of leadership and the cost of defiance.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Starfleet’s influence looms over this event like a specter. Mendrossen invokes its authority to pressure Picard, threatening his career if he fails to produce 'irrefutable' evidence before the Legarans arrive. The organization’s power dynamics are clear: it demands compliance, even when that compliance risks catastrophic failure. Picard’s decision to summon Data—operating outside official channels—is a direct challenge to Starfleet’s institutional rigidity. The tension arises from the clash between *individual conscience* and *bureaucratic protocol*, with Starfleet’s expectations acting as the ultimate pressure point.
The United Federation of Planets is the *stakeholder in the shadows*, its interests tied to the success of the Legaran negotiations and the preservation of Sarek’s legacy. While not directly referenced, the Federation’s diplomatic reputation is at risk if Sarek’s condition is exposed or if the negotiations fail. Mendrossen’s defense of Sarek and the schedule is, in part, a defense of the Federation’s *institutional credibility*. Picard’s actions—summoning Data to investigate—are ultimately in service of the Federation’s goals, even if they defy Starfleet’s immediate directives. The tension arises from the *mismatch between short-term protocol and long-term stability*.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Mendrossen's warning to Picard forces Picard to request Data to report to his ready room for further investigation."
"The reveal that there is no treatment and that determining a diagnosis will take too long escalates Picard's need to confront the situation immediately, prompting him to speak with Mendrossen."
"The reveal that there is no treatment and that determining a diagnosis will take too long escalates Picard's need to confront the situation immediately, prompting him to speak with Mendrossen."
"The reveal that there is no treatment and that determining a diagnosis will take too long escalates Picard's need to confront the situation immediately, prompting him to speak with Mendrossen."
"Mendrossen's dismissal of Picard's concerns inevitably leads to a warning against interfering."
"Mendrossen's warning to Picard forces Picard to request Data to report to his ready room for further investigation."
"Data confronting Sakkath is a direct result of the resistance Picard is facing from Mendrossen and his need to gather more information."
"Mendrossen's dismissal of Picard's concerns inevitably leads to a warning against interfering."
"Both scenes show Picard's efforts to address the situation being met with resistance, either through denial or through explicit warnings."
"Both Sakkath and Mendrossen are presented as individuals who are somehow trying to guard or probe key aspects of Sarek and his mission."
Key Dialogue
"MENDROSSEN: *That's impossible, Captain Picard. I cannot delay the conference... not for a day, not for an hour. The schedule itself required three months of negotiations.* PICARD: *Nevertheless, I believe we are facing a potentially far worse...* MENDROSSEN: *I give you my word of honor that the ambassador is in perfect health. Is that not enough?*"
"MENDROSSEN: *You are accusing the greatest man of his time of losing his mind. On the eve of his greatest triumph. And you cannot explain why...?* PICARD: *(silence, then to comm)* *Mister Data, please report to my Ready Room.*"