Picard's Farewell and the Collapse of Illusion
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Picard steps through the portal, leaving McNary’s world behind, which immediately plunges into total darkness, signaling the finality of their separation and the collapse of this simulated reality.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Focused and concerned, balancing clinical urgency with empathy for the critically injured Whalen.
Doctor Beverly Crusher assists Data in carrying the wounded Whalen out of the office, maintaining professional focus and concern for his well-being amidst the chaos of the collapsing simulation.
- • Ensure Whalen receives immediate medical attention.
- • Support a swift and safe evacuation from the collapsing environment.
- • Medical intervention is critical for survival.
- • Maintaining calm under pressure benefits the entire crew.
Physically weak and vulnerable, likely disoriented and in pain, reliant on others for survival.
Charles Whalen lies wounded and vulnerable, carried by Data and Beverly, embodying the human cost and physical toll of the simulation’s deadly breach as he is evacuated toward Sickbay.
- • Survive the injury sustained within the simulation.
- • Receive urgent medical treatment.
- • Trust in Picard and the medical team to save him.
- • His condition is critical and requires immediate care.
Concerned and dutiful, with a faint thread of curiosity about Picard's departure and the uncertain fate of their shared environment.
Data dutifully carries the critically wounded Whalen out through the office toward Sickbay, responding to Picard's orders and questioning his own fate when Picard departs, embodying a blend of concern and mechanical efficiency.
- • Transport Whalen safely to medical care.
- • Follow Picard's commands without hesitation.
- • Understand the implications of Picard leaving behind the simulation.
- • Picard’s safety and the crew’s survival are paramount.
- • The simulation’s collapse requires orderly evacuation and caution.
Worried and melancholic with an undercurrent of leadership-bound determination; masking fear of loss with calm resolve.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard orchestrates the evacuation by ordering Data and Beverly to carry the wounded Whalen to Sickbay, then pauses to share a deeply personal and worried farewell with Lieutenant McNary, expressing his uncertainty about the fate of this simulated world and his loved ones before stepping resolutely through the portal.
- • Ensure Whalen receives urgent medical care.
- • Bid a meaningful farewell to McNary acknowledging their shared ordeal.
- • Seek reassurance about the continuity of the Dixon Hill world and his personal ties within it.
- • Physically exit the collapsing simulation to protect himself and his crew.
- • The simulated world may not persist once they leave, threatening those within it.
- • His leadership requires sacrifice, including leaving allies behind for the greater good.
Resigned acceptance tinged with sadness and loyalty; aware of the imminent end of his world and the loss of his friend.
Lieutenant McNary remains behind with Picard for a final exchange, acting as the last bastion of the Dixon Hill simulation’s fading reality, offering a resigned yet sympathetic presence as he accepts Picard’s farewell and witnesses the world’s collapse.
- • Support Picard emotionally in their last moments together.
- • Bear witness to the closing of the simulation’s reality.
- • Maintain composure despite uncertainty and impending darkness.
- • The simulation is ending irrevocably with Picard’s departure.
- • Duty and loyalty persist even in the face of oblivion.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Dixon Hill Office Exit Portal serves as the critical threshold through which Picard steps to leave the collapsing simulation. It functions both as a physical escape route and a symbolic boundary between the fragile simulated world and harsh reality. Its unstable, flickering presence underscores the precariousness of their situation and the irreversible severance from the fictional danger.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Dixon Hill's Waiting Room and Office is the confined, shadowy setting for the final exchange between Picard and McNary. Its dim lighting and period-authentic decor emphasize the noir atmosphere while serving as the emotional crucible for the farewell. This location embodies the fragile boundary between fantasy and reality, collapsing literally and metaphorically as the scene concludes.
The Dixon Hill Holodeck Office Floor acts as the transit area through which Data, Beverly, and Whalen move toward the exit, while Picard remains behind with McNary. The floor's tremors and instability visually and physically manifest the imminent collapse of the simulation, heightening the scene’s tension and urgency.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Picard's farewell to McNary and his uncertainty about the fate of this world echo the theme of fragile boundaries between simulated and real worlds, underscoring the story's core tension."
"Picard's farewell to McNary and his uncertainty about the fate of this world echo the theme of fragile boundaries between simulated and real worlds, underscoring the story's core tension."
"Picard's farewell to McNary and his uncertainty about the fate of this world echo the theme of fragile boundaries between simulated and real worlds, underscoring the story's core tension."
"Picard stepping through the portal and the subsequent darkness foreshadow the collapse of the simulated world and the finality of their separation from it."
"Picard stepping through the portal and the subsequent darkness foreshadow the collapse of the simulated world and the finality of their separation from it."
"Picard stepping through the portal and the subsequent darkness foreshadow the collapse of the simulated world and the finality of their separation from it."
"Picard's farewell to McNary and his uncertainty about the fate of this world echo the theme of fragile boundaries between simulated and real worlds, underscoring the story's core tension."
"Picard's farewell to McNary and his uncertainty about the fate of this world echo the theme of fragile boundaries between simulated and real worlds, underscoring the story's core tension."
"Picard's farewell to McNary and his uncertainty about the fate of this world echo the theme of fragile boundaries between simulated and real worlds, underscoring the story's core tension."
"Picard stepping through the portal and the subsequent darkness foreshadow the collapse of the simulated world and the finality of their separation from it."
"Picard stepping through the portal and the subsequent darkness foreshadow the collapse of the simulated world and the finality of their separation from it."
"Picard stepping through the portal and the subsequent darkness foreshadow the collapse of the simulated world and the finality of their separation from it."
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"PICARD: I can't think of a way to thank you. You know I can't take you with me."
"MCNARY: Someone's gotta book this creep. Once a cop always a cop, I guess."
"PICARD: Tell me something, Dixon. When you've gone.... will this world still exist?.. Will my wife and kids still be waiting for me at home?"
"PICARD: I honestly don't know. Good-bye my friend."