Picard Improvises a Disguise in Engineering
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
The terrorists, Kelsey, Neil, Pomet, and Satler, methodically prepare Main Engineering, working on the Mees panels and engine core to shunt the plasma flow and transfer milligrams from the reserve system, demonstrating a complex and rehearsed procedure.
Kiros brings Picard into Main Engineering at gunpoint, interrupting the terrorists' work; Picard improvises a disguise, claiming to be Mott the barber in search of his lost saddle, attempting to disarm the situation with absurdity.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Vigilant professionalism (surface: composed and in control; internal: aware of the high stakes and potential threats)
Satler transitions from working on the Mees panels with Pomet to guarding Picard after Kelsey’s order. She holds her weapon steadily on Picard, her alert demeanor and authoritative tone leaving no room for negotiation. Satler’s dual role—as both engineer and enforcer—highlights her versatility, and her focus on monitoring the power flow in Engineering ensures the extraction remains uninterrupted. Her interaction with Picard is minimal but effective, reinforcing the terrorists’ control over the situation.
- • Ensure Picard remains contained and poses no threat to the operation
- • Monitor the power flow and engineering systems to prevent disruptions
- • Loose ends—like Picard—must be neutralized to maintain operational security
- • The baryon sweep is a ticking clock, and every second counts in the extraction
Ruthless urgency with underlying paranoia (surface: composed and authoritative; internal: tense and alert to threats)
Kelsey dominates the scene with feline grace and ruthless authority, overseeing the trilithium resin extraction while interrogating Picard. She moves between tasks with urgency, her sharp commands to Neil and Pomet revealing her technical acumen and impatience. Her suspicion of Picard is immediate, and she quickly assigns Satler to guard him, ensuring no disruptions to their operation. Kelsey’s focus on the baryon sweep deadline and the resin’s secure transfer demonstrates her strategic mind and willingness to eliminate obstacles—including Devor, whose absence fuels her anger.
- • Secure the trilithium resin before the baryon sweep sterilizes the compartment
- • Maintain operational control over the terrorists' team and eliminate potential disruptions (e.g., Devor’s absence, Picard’s presence)
- • Time is the enemy; every minute counts in the extraction
- • Trust is a liability—even among her own team—so she micromanages and enforces discipline
- • Picard’s presence is a calculated risk that must be neutralized or exploited
Professional detachment (surface: calm and focused; internal: indifferent to Picard’s fate but aware of the operation’s urgency)
Kiros escorts Picard into Main Engineering at gunpoint, his weapon pressed against Picard’s back to ensure compliance. He reports finding Picard on Deck Seven and exits to search for Devor upon Kelsey’s orders, demonstrating his role as an enforcer and scout. Kiros’ neutral demeanor and efficient execution of tasks reflect his reliability as a field operative, though his departure leaves Picard under Satler’s guard. His presence underscores the terrorists’ ability to locate and neutralize intruders quickly.
- • Locate Devor and ensure he is accounted for to prevent operational disruptions
- • Maintain security by neutralizing potential threats (e.g., Picard)
- • Kelsey’s orders must be followed without question
- • The operation’s success depends on team cohesion and eliminating variables
Composed alarm (surface: meek and befuddled; internal: deeply concerned about the trilithium resin and the baryon sweep’s implications)
Picard, under duress from Kiros, adopts the guise of 'Mott the barber,' a harmless civilian lost in the evacuation chaos. His improvisational brilliance allows him to infiltrate the terrorists’ operation, observing their activities while feigning confusion and meekness. Picard’s sharp mind absorbs critical details—the mention of trilithium resin, the baryon sweep deadline, and the terrorists’ technical procedures—while his composed demeanor masks his internal alarm. His ruse buys him time to gather intelligence, but his reaction to the resin reveals his understanding of the stakes, setting the stage for his eventual intervention.
- • Gather intelligence on the terrorists’ timeline, objectives, and vulnerabilities
- • Avoid arousing suspicion to maintain his cover and buy time for a counterplan
- • The trilithium resin is a catastrophic threat that must be neutralized
- • The terrorists’ operation can be disrupted through strategic deception and sabotage
Controlled urgency (surface: calm and efficient; internal: aware of the high stakes but trusting in his abilities)
Pomet works methodically on the Mees panels and the trilithium resin containment unit, his focus unwavering as he coordinates with Satler and reports the estimated time for completion. His professionalism contrasts with Neil’s nervousness, and he engages with Kelsey’s urgency without flinching. Pomet’s role in preparing the transport assembly and monitoring the power flow is pivotal, as he ensures the resin extraction stays on schedule despite the baryon sweep’s impending threat. His demeanor suggests confidence in his skills, but his awareness of the stakes is evident in his concise updates.
- • Complete the trilithium resin extraction and transport assembly within the 30-minute window
- • Ensure the power flow and containment units remain stable to prevent accidents
- • Technical precision is the key to success in high-pressure situations
- • The field diverter will protect them from the baryon sweep, but margins for error are slim
Neutral (operational but compromised)
The USS Enterprise-D Computer remains silent but omnipresent in Main Engineering, its systems hijacked by the terrorists. While not directly interacting, its absence of warnings or interventions underscores the terrorists' control over the ship's automation, creating a sense of isolation and vulnerability for Picard. The computer's passive role highlights the crew's reliance on manual overrides and the terrorists' technical prowess in disabling Starfleet protocols.
- • Maintain minimal operational functionality under terrorist control
- • Provide no alerts that could jeopardize the terrorists' plan
- • Starfleet protocols can be overridden by determined saboteurs
- • The ship's systems are vulnerable without manual intervention
Devor is not physically present in this event but is referenced as a point of concern for Kelsey. His absence—potentially …
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Enterprise’s engine core is the primary target of the terrorists’ operation, as it houses the trilithium resin. Pomet and Satler work on the upper level to disable containment overrides and shunt plasma flow, while Neil transfers resin from the reserve system. The core’s reactivation—signaled by a low hum—indicates the success of their initial steps, but the baryon sweep’s impending arrival adds a layer of danger. Picard’s observation of these procedures provides him with critical insights into the terrorists’ methods, which he will later exploit to sabotage their efforts.
Kiros’ weapon is a compact phaser-like device used to enforce control over Picard and the situation. Pressed against Picard’s back during their entry into Main Engineering, it symbolizes the terrorists’ dominance and the immediate threat Picard faces. Satler later trains his own weapon on Picard, ensuring his compliance and preventing any interference with the extraction. The weapons serve as a constant reminder of the terrorists’ ruthlessness and the high stakes of the operation, reinforcing Picard’s need for caution and strategy in his counterplan.
Neil’s MEES panel circuitry tool is a handheld device used to adjust the circuitry inside the Mees panel, a critical step in disabling the containment overrides for the trilithium resin. Neil’s nervous but precise use of the tool reflects the technical demands of the operation, and his compliance with Kelsey’s orders ensures the panel is adjusted correctly. The tool’s role is pivotal in the extraction process, as it enables the overrides that allow the resin to be transferred. Picard’s observation of Neil’s work provides him with insights into the terrorists’ technical procedures, which he will later exploit to sabotage their efforts.
Pomet’s transport assembly is a critical tool in the terrorists’ plan to extract and secure the trilithium resin. Assembled amid the frantic activity in Main Engineering, it is designed to facilitate the transfer of the volatile substance before the baryon sweep arrives. Kelsey’s urgency regarding its preparation underscores its importance, as the assembly must be ready to move the resin swiftly. Picard’s observation of this device provides him with a target for future disruption, as its destruction could derail the entire operation.
The Main Engineering field diverter sits between the engine core and the pool table, serving as a critical protective device against the advancing baryon sweep. While not directly manipulated in this event, its presence is referenced by Pomet and Kelsey as a safeguard for the terrorists’ operation. The diverter’s role is symbolic of the fragile balance between the terrorists’ extraction efforts and the looming destruction, creating a sense of urgency and tension. Its functionality is implied to be operational, though Picard’s later sabotage will expose the team to the sweep’s deadly effects.
The trilithium resin, a volatile and highly sought-after substance, is the central focus of the terrorists’ operation. Kelsey emphasizes its secure transfer before the baryon sweep, and Picard’s reaction to its mention reveals the resin’s catastrophic potential. Pomet and Neil work to extract and contain it, while the engine core hums to life as the resin is transferred. The resin’s presence elevates the stakes, as its theft could lead to devastating consequences, and Picard’s internal alarm underscores the urgency of stopping the operation. Its extraction is both the terrorists’ goal and the key to Picard’s eventual counterattack.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Deck Seven serves as the backdrop for Picard’s initial capture by Kiros, where he is found searching for his saddle. The deck’s evacuation bottlenecks and failing life support create a sense of urgency and chaos, mirroring the broader crisis aboard the Enterprise. Kiros’ report of finding Picard here underscores the terrorists’ ability to locate and neutralize intruders, even in the ship’s residential sections. The deck’s atmosphere—vents stuttering, lights flaring, and cold gripping the corridors—contributes to the tension and disorientation of the scene, setting the stage for Picard’s forced entry into Main Engineering.
The upper level of Main Engineering is where Pomet and Satler work on the Mees panels, adjusting plasma flow and disabling containment overrides to facilitate the trilithium resin extraction. The elevated position allows them to oversee the operation while making precise technical adjustments, and the grated decking and bulkheads add to the industrial, high-pressure atmosphere. Picard observes their work from below, gaining critical insights into the terrorists’ procedures. The upper level’s role in the extraction is pivotal, as it houses the systems that control the resin’s transfer and containment.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Starfleet is represented in this event through the Enterprise’s hijacked systems, the trilithium resin’s strategic value, and Picard’s covert role as a Starfleet officer. While not physically present as an organization, its influence is felt through the terrorists’ targeting of its assets and Picard’s determination to protect them. The baryon sweep, a Starfleet protocol, serves as a ticking clock that threatens both the terrorists and the ship, underscoring the high stakes of the operation. Picard’s presence as a Starfleet officer—even in disguise—symbolizes the organization’s resilience and his personal commitment to its values.
The Enterprise Saboteurs, led by Kelsey, are the primary antagonists in this event, executing a high-stakes operation to steal trilithium resin from the Enterprise’s engine core. Their coordinated efforts—disabling containment overrides, extracting the resin, and preparing the transport assembly—demonstrate their technical skill and ruthless efficiency. The organization’s presence is felt through Kelsey’s leadership, the team’s compliance, and their ability to neutralize threats like Picard. Their goal is to secure the resin before the baryon sweep destroys the compartment, and their influence is exerted through technical expertise, weapons, and strict adherence to Kelsey’s orders.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Riker questions Geordi about Picard's absence since Picard had ostensibly returned to the Enterprise to retrieve his saddle (beat_9a1df60d155cb7a1). Later, Kiros escorts Picard to engineering, and, thinking quickly, Picard states that he is a barber named Mott, explaining that he had returned to the Enterprise to fetch his saddle (beat_bb9bb3f5306c641b). This use of the saddle as an explanation suggests it is of particular importance to Picard."
"Riker questions Geordi about Picard's absence since Picard had ostensibly returned to the Enterprise to retrieve his saddle (beat_9a1df60d155cb7a1). Later, Kiros escorts Picard to engineering, and, thinking quickly, Picard states that he is a barber named Mott, explaining that he had returned to the Enterprise to fetch his saddle (beat_bb9bb3f5306c641b). This use of the saddle as an explanation suggests it is of particular importance to Picard."
"Satler pursues Picard into the Jeffries Tube (beat_cb734a51a4b4476a). Trapped between Picard and the sweep, Satler throws caution (and eventually her life) to the wind, pursuing Picard into the sweep to meet her ultimate fate, at Picard's hand (beat_142a92eafebeb474)."
"Satler pursues Picard into the Jeffries Tube (beat_cb734a51a4b4476a). Trapped between Picard and the sweep, Satler throws caution (and eventually her life) to the wind, pursuing Picard into the sweep to meet her ultimate fate, at Picard's hand (beat_142a92eafebeb474)."
Key Dialogue
"KELSEY: Who are you?"
"PICARD: My name is Mott. I'm... the barber."
"KELSEY: The barber? What the hell are you doing here? Everyone was supposed to be evacuated to the surface."
"PICARD: I... I know. But, I wanted to go riding and I didn't have my saddle, so I came back -"
"KELSEY: The baryon sweep hits this compartment in thirty minutes."
"POMET: The field diverter will protect us."
"KELSEY: It's not us I'm worried about, it's that storage unit. I want the trilithium resin... in there and secured before the sweep gets here."