Star Trek The Next Generation
S2E18
· STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder

Clucking in the Corridor

As Picard and Worf hurry down an overburdened corridor, the Transporter Room doors eject a terrified hen into their path — a small, absurd breach of Starfleet order. Worf instinctively recoils while Picard's calm curiosity wins out; when a Bringloidi child retrieves the bird and returns through the doors, the two officers follow. The beat converts a comic interruption into a practical lead: it physically draws Starfleet into the refugees' chaos, underlining cultural friction and propelling the team toward the Transporter Room where the larger confrontation awaits.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Picard and Worf drive down the corridor when the Transporter Room doors spit out a panicked chicken; Worf flattens against the wall as order buckles into absurdity.

professional urgency to startled bemusement

The doors open again and a SMALL GIRL gathers the hen, carrying it back into the Transporter Room.

alarm to amused clarity

Worf and Picard trade a look, then follow the child and the livestock into the Transporter Room.

bemusement to purposeful investigation

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Jean-Luc Picard
Captain
 primary

Calm curiosity — externally composed and mildly amused, internally alert and assessment-focused, ready to translate an oddity into information.

Picard hustles down the corridor alongside Worf, notes the chicken's arrival without alarm, exchanges a glance with Worf, and deliberately follows the small girl and the hen into the Transporter Room, converting a comic interruption into an investigatory lead.

Goals in this moment
  • • Determine the source and significance of the disturbance
  • • Maintain control and a humane posture while assessing refugees
  • • Gather information that will clarify the larger situation
  • • Prevent escalation or misunderstanding between crew and civilians
Active beliefs
  • • Unexpected incidents can reveal deeper cultural or operational problems
  • • Starfleet has a duty to investigate and assist rather than react with force
  • • Leadership requires presence at the scene to defuse tension and gather facts
  • • Small human details (like a frightened animal) can guide ethical choices
Character traits
calm curious measured authoritative
Follow Jean-Luc Picard's journey
Worf
Lieutenant, Chief of Security / Tactical Officer
 primary

Startled and defensive on the surface, dutiful and watchful beneath; discomfort with the chaos but bound to follow the captain's lead.

Worf hurries with Picard but, when the chicken skitters into the corridor, instinctively presses himself against the wall in a defensive, startled posture; after a brief exchanged look with Picard he follows the child into the Transporter Room, remaining alert and cautious.

Goals in this moment
  • • Protect the ship and crew from unknown biological or security risks
  • • Support the captain and follow his direction
  • • Assess any potential threat posed by unfamiliar refugees or animals
  • • Maintain a visible security presence to deter disorder
Active beliefs
  • • Unexpected organic intrusions pose potential danger
  • • Protocol and vigilance are necessary in the face of uncertainty
  • • Obedience to command and readiness to act are paramount
  • • Personal discomfort should not interfere with duty
Character traits
guarded reactive discipline-driven proud
Follow Worf's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Transporter Room Three

The Transporter Room's doors function as the physical mechanism that ejects the terrified hen into the corridor and as the portal through which the small girl returns with the bird, pulling Picard and Worf toward its interior. The space thereby converts a routine ship system into a staging ground for refugee disorder and cross-cultural contact.

Atmosphere Abruptly chaotic and slightly absurd — a junction of frightened animal sounds and hurried human …
Function Portal and threshold: the literal gateway between orderly ship corridors and the refugees' messy, domestic …
Symbolism Represents the boundary where institutional order meets refugee life — the Transporter Room physically embodies …
Access Normally controlled and restricted to authorized personnel; in this moment the doors are effectively open …
Doors open and close, releasing the hen into the corridor Audible clucking and rapid movement shift the corridor's tone A small child moves confidently through the doorway carrying the bird, emphasizing the room's function as a domestic staging area in this moment

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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