S2E15
· Pen Pals

Wesley Asserts Command: Orders the Ico‑Spectrogram

Wesley Crusher enters the Geophysical Lab with a rigid, determined posture and cuts through the room's casual rhythm by issuing a crisp order: run the Ico‑spectrogram on the Selcundi Drema system. His terse command and Davies' immediate compliance signal a concrete shift — Wesley is no longer merely a junior observer but a decisive officer willing to claim authority. The beat functions as a quiet turning point and setup: it externalizes Wesley's internal work on leadership (after counsel with Riker) and prepares him to play a pivotal role in the unfolding crisis over Drema Four.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Wesley enters the geophysical laboratory with rigid determination and issues a direct, commanding order for the Ico-spectrogram, shattering the lab's casual rhythm and forcing Davies to confront the weight of his authority.

casual to charged ['Geophysical Laboratory']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2

Relaxed and professional on the surface; obliging and ready to implement orders without resistance or commentary.

Davies is at a console studying test results when Wesley enters; he greets Wesley casually, acknowledges Wesley's order with a light 'You got it,' and immediately moves away to carry out the commanded scan.

Goals in this moment
  • Maintain lab workflow and execute technical tasks efficiently.
  • Respond to legitimate orders quickly to keep operations moving.
  • Avoid unnecessary debate that would delay data acquisition.
Active beliefs
  • He believes following direct orders is the fastest way to get useful results.
  • He believes the Ico‑spectrogram request is routine and not worth contesting.
  • He believes lab efficiency and prompt action are more valuable than prolonged discussion.
Character traits
pragmatic cooperative efficient deferential to clear authority
Follow Davies's journey

Surface command presence masking underlying anxiety and need for validation; immediately followed by astonished relief and brief self-doubt when compliance is granted.

Wesley enters the lab holding himself stiffly, delivers a concise, authoritative order to run the Ico‑spectrogram on the Selcundi Drema system, then freezes in stunned amazement after Davies immediately complies.

Goals in this moment
  • Assert emergent authority and demonstrate competence as a field officer.
  • Initiate a specific technical scan (Ico‑spectrogram) believed necessary for Drema analysis.
  • Translate private mentorship (Riker's counsel) into visible leadership action.
Active beliefs
  • He believes decisive, clear orders will establish his command credibility.
  • He believes the Ico‑spectrogram will produce data that matters to the Drema crisis.
  • He believes senior officers have implicitly sanctioned him to act and that seizing initiative is expected of him.
Character traits
determined formal tense insecurely hopeful
Follow Wesley Crusher's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Ico-Spectrogram Scanner

The Ico‑spectrogram is invoked by Wesley's order as the specific analytical tool needed to scrutinize the Selcundi Drema system; it operates as the technical means to escalate the lab's activity from casual monitoring to directed investigation, turning a hypothesis into an actionable procedure.

Before: Idle or not currently running for Selcundi Drema; …
After: Has been ordered to run on the Selcundi …
Before: Idle or not currently running for Selcundi Drema; treated as an available lab function referenced but not engaged.
After: Has been ordered to run on the Selcundi Drema system and is about to be initialized by Davies or queued for execution.
Ico‑spectrogram Readout — Selcundi Drema System

A pulsing spectrogram readout is the immediate focus of Davies's attention at the scene's start; its displayed test results provide the empirical backdrop that prompts Wesley's intervention. The readout functions as both clue and provocation, anchoring Wesley's decision to order a full Ico‑spectrogram on Selcundi Drema.

Before: Active on the geophysical lab console, showing test …
After: Remains active and now becomes the reference point …
Before: Active on the geophysical lab console, showing test results and data for Davies to study.
After: Remains active and now becomes the reference point for queuing or comparing the new Ico‑spectrogram run requested by Wesley.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

2
Geophysical Laboratory

The Geophysical Laboratory is the confined, instrument‑dense space where technical authority and professional hierarchy play out. It houses the consoles and readouts that produce the data Wesley reacts to, and it serves as the practical arena where a junior officer's assertion is immediately tested and validated.

Atmosphere Quiet, technical and workmanlike—hum of consoles, focused but conversational; the mood tightens briefly when Wesley …
Function Operational workspace for analysis and the stage for Wesley's public claim of initiative.
Symbolism Represents the institutional proving ground where theoretical knowledge is converted into command action; a small …
Access Functionally restricted to scientific staff and officers on duty; not an open public area.
Hum of consoles and active displays Screens showing test results and spectrogram traces Crowded aisles, cabinets of samples and technical apparatus Fluorescent lab lighting and metallic smells
Selcundi Drema System

The Selcundi Drema system is the off‑screen object of study referenced in Wesley's order; it provides the remote focus that motivates the lab's instruments and the narrative urgency behind running an Ico‑spectrogram.

Atmosphere Absent in physical presence but present as an abstract, data‑driven threat—its imagined instability creates tension …
Function Target of analysis and the implied locus of potential crisis (Drema Four) that the Enterprise …
Symbolism Symbolizes the external problem that forces internal validation and decision‑making within Starfleet personnel.
Access Not directly accessible; subject to sensor scans and remote instrumentation only.
Referred to through console readouts and spectrogram parameters Exists as remote sensor coordinates and labeled system data on displays

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

"DAVIES: "Hey, Wes, hi.""
"WESLEY: "Ensign Davies, I want that Ico-spectrogram run on the Selcundi Drema system.""
"DAVIES: "You got it.""