Noir Respite Cut Short
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard savors his scotch while Rex riffs about being a bartender‑psychologist, the two sinking into weary camaraderie as the noir refuge holds for a beat.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Uneasy and apologetic — wants to defuse the situation but recognizes the real danger Slade represents and steps back to avoid inflaming matters.
Leaning against the bar, Rex pours, trades jokes, then notices Slade approaching and attempts a mild verbal intervention before withdrawing, drying glasses and signaling to Picard he is unable to physically confront Slade.
- • Protect his establishment and customers from violence.
- • Avoid direct confrontation with a dangerous patron.
- • Support Picard verbally while signaling he cannot intervene physically.
- • The bar functions as a refuge; violence would break the delicate balance he maintains.
- • Confrontation with someone like Slade is likely to escalate and should be avoided.
- • Maintaining the program's social rhythm (pour/listen) is his duty to regulars.
Angry, threatening, and impatient — uses physical intimidation to compel answers and expresses disbelief at perceived delays or incompetence.
Arrives behind Picard, violently spins him around, grabs his shoulders and presses him aggressively for information about Alva, asserting he has paid money and demanding results with a murderous stare at the bartender.
- • Force Picard/Hill to reveal Alva's whereabouts immediately.
- • Intimidate and coerce through physical threat to extract information or action.
- • Hold Picard accountable for money paid and results expected.
- • That force and presence will produce compliance and information.
- • That Picard (as 'Hill') is responsible for delivering what was paid for.
- • That threatening behavior is an effective and justified means to resolve his grievance.
Fatigued composure — outwardly calm and wry, inwardly tense and defensive as the confrontation forces his duty and discomfort to the surface.
Seated at the bar with a glass of scotch, Picard trades weary banter with Rex, acknowledges Slade without turning, then is spun around and physically grabbed while answering curtly that he is 'working on' finding Alva.
- • Maintain outward composure and the ritual of solace to steady himself.
- • Gather information and buy time in the face of Slade's aggression.
- • Avoid escalation while signaling that he is handling the Alva matter.
- • That small rituals (drink, banter) preserve his ability to function under pressure.
- • That direct, overt conflict should be minimized to prevent violence and protect the bar's patrons.
- • That he bears responsibility (moral and practical) to find Alva despite threats.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
A lowball tumbler of scotch functions as Picard's comfort prop and ritual anchor; he 'makes love to his scotch' to steady himself during banter, using the glass to punctuate pauses and mask pain or weariness as the tension rises and Slade's entrance interrupts the ritual.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Rex's Bar, the holodeck's noir dive, serves as a temporary sanctuary where Picard slips into Dixon Hill's ritual comforts. Its familiarity is weaponized by the scene: the bar's intimacy makes Slade's intrusion feel more violating and converts private solace into a public confrontation that forces a return to real stakes.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
No narrative connections mapped yet
This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph
Key Dialogue
"REX: She just doesn't understand the service I perform here. My regulars depend on me to pour and listen, listen and pour. I'm like some kind'a psychologist to you guys, am I right?"
"PICARD: (speaking, without turning around) I recognize the size of the shadow. Hello Slade. Buy you a drink?"
"SLADE: I paid you money, Hill. Where is she?"