Object

Sarjenka's Hand

A small, child-sized alien hand—tense, curled fingers that lock around another's palm in a desperate, reflexive grasp. It reads as slight and fragile but stubbornly clinging: skin texture hints at youth, nails clean but small, joints white from pressure. Characters physically feel the grip; Data receives it without hesitation while O'Brien reacts with stunned outrage. The contact functions as an immediate, embodied plea and a physical tether through the transporter room's chaos.

2 appearances

Purpose

To grasp and hold another's hand as an instinctive physical plea for safety and guidance during moments of fear or transit.

Significance

Serves as the narrative fulcrum that converts an abstract Prime Directive debate into an undeniable moral act: the child's grip forces Data's compassion into visible breach of protocol, compels immediate crew reaction, and anchors the episode's ethical conflict in a concrete, emotional bond.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S2E15 · Pen Pals

Defiant Transport: Data Brings Sarjenka Aboard

Sarjenka's small hand functions as the scene's emotional anchor: its instinctive grip on Data embodies trust, converts Data's abstract compassion into a visible bond, and physically tethers the child to the android as they exit toward command.

Before: Not engaged with any crew member; Sarjenka's hand is unseen until materialization.

After: Locked in Data's hand as they leave the transporter room, signifying the child's enforced protection and the personal nature of the breach.

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S2E15 · Pen Pals

Quite Impossible

Sarjenka's small hand functions as the event's emotional tether: she places it in Data's, then locks onto his arm in desperation. The grip embodies trust and forces Data's moral choice into a physical act of guardianship.

Before: Not present on the transporter platform prior to materialization; hidden from the crew's view during the transmission.

After: Clasped in Data's hand as they exit the transporter area toward the bridge.

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