Hidden Sensors, Open Judgment
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Data operates a cluttered, unauthorized sensor array at Science One, deliberately reconfiguring equipment to hunt for faint artificial signals beyond standard scans, revealing his secret pursuit of an unknown communication.
Worf confronts Data’s disarray with skepticism, questioning whether the chaotic setup constitutes proper duty, exposing Starfleet protocol’s tension with Data’s hidden obsession.
Data confirms his scans can detect artificial transmissions, his calm assurance masking the gravity of his secret: he is listening for—and has likely heard—a child’s plea from a dying world.
Worf stumbles through Data’s clutter, nearly crashing into isolinear chips, his frustration boiling over as Data nonchalantly vows to remove the equipment, transforming physical disorder into emotional friction.
Worf’s guttural 'Good!'—spit into the air like a challenge—crystallizes his distrust, turning institutional protocol into a silent verdict: Data’s humanity has become dangerous, and his secret is a breach waiting to explode.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Focused, quietly driven by curiosity; outwardly composed but subtly protective of his experiment and its findings.
Data is kneeling at Science One running unauthorized scans, calmly explaining technical choices while defending the rig as a 'personal project' and planning to remove the equipment to his quarters to avoid further notice.
- • Detect and isolate faint artificial transmissions by extending sensor range
- • Preserve the integrity of his improvised rig and continue analysis without interruption
- • Scientific inquiry justifies careful technical deviation
- • The potential discovery of artificial signals is of high value and worth discreet effort
Annoyed and disapproving; restrained irritation surfaces as a controlled, sullen rebuke rather than open confrontation.
Worf navigates the messy workstation, physically encounters the hazard of loose components, questions Data about duty boundaries, and issues a clipped, disapproving response that reads as both procedural enforcement and moral condemnation.
- • Reinforce Starfleet protocol and discourage unauthorized modifications aboard the bridge
- • Prevent physical danger or operational compromise caused by the cluttered equipment
- • Obedience to duty and procedure maintains ship safety and order
- • Unauthorized tinkering undermines discipline and can create unacceptable risk
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The exposed improvised circuit board is the functional heart of Data's unauthorized sensor rig; its presence explains the open panel and scattered components, creates a physical trip hazard, and materially enables the boosted sensitivity Data describes. Narratively it embodies the rule-bending technical solution that precipitates the ethical conflict.
The improvised CRT screen sits among the clutter at Data's feet as the immediate visual readout for his unauthorized scans, marking the work as field-expedient and out-of-band. It functions as both tool and visual evidence of tampering, drawing Worf's attention and helping establish the hazard and clandestine nature of the activity.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Main Bridge functions as the institutional heart of the ship where an otherwise private experiment visibly clashes with operational order. The bridge's public, authoritative nature ratchets the stakes: unauthorized equipment is both a safety hazard and a breach of command expectations.
Science One (the aft science station) is the immediate locus of Data's clandestine work; its technical focus makes it plausibly suited for sensor experiments but also magnifies the transgression because it is part of the bridge's operational fabric.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Data's unauthorized sensor array (slightly chaotic, yet meticulously tuned) is the direct mechanical cause of him detecting Sarjenka’s signal. His deviation from protocol creates the emotional catalyst for the entire crisis—collapsing the boundary between duty and desire."
"Data's calm assurance that his sensors can detect artificial transmissions is the first textual clue that his obsession is not merely scientific curiosity—but spiritual. This moment lays the groundwork for his later choice to answer Sarjenka, revealing his machine nature is incapable of ignoring a cry for help."
Key Dialogue
"Worf: Is this part of your regular duties?"
"Data: No, a personal project. I have just reset the sensors to scan for frequencies outside their usual range."
"Worf: Good!"