Fabula
Object
Object

Wesley Crusher's Running Plasma-Physics Experiment (Personal Antimatter Containment Station)

A Wesley Crusher–run antimatter/plasma physics experimental apparatus consisting of a compact engineering workbench with precision clamps, braided conduits, LEDs, diagnostic consoles and a recessed containment cradle sized for a small antimatter orb. The system emits continuous status reports and requires an on-site operator or remote shutdown to stabilize its energy cycle; it is treated as delicate and taboo by the crew and functions as both a technical apparatus and narrative moral focal point.
5 appearances

Purpose

To execute and record Wesley Crusher's antimatter/plasma physics trial runs — testing theoretical computations, collecting experimental data, and validating his academic/engineering work.

Significance

Functions as a plot catalyst and risk source: the running experiment creates urgency that tests command judgment, seeds suspicion about Wesley's motives, and provides the narrative justification for his proposed return to the Enterprise. It dramatizes the tension between adolescent ambition and shipboard safety.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

5 moments
S2E1 · The Child
The Captain's Last, Guarded Plea

Referenced only by Wes as ready-drafted academic busywork buying him bureaucratic daylight—projects unseen but felt as personal anchors extending his presence on the ship an extra heartbeat.

Before: Unfinished, piled, portable academic calibrations
After: Still unfinished; symbolically tied to Wesley’s desire to linger
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S2E21 · Peak Performance
Wesley's Casual Request, Riker's Tightening Doubt

Wesley's running plasma‑physics experiment is invoked as the reason for his request to leave. It operates offstage on the Enterprise and functions narratively as a potential risk source and character motivation — a personal responsibility that may conflict with present operational needs.

Before: Active on the Enterprise, requiring monitoring or shutdown by its owner.
After: Still active and unresolved; Wesley's permission request is pending, so no change has been enacted yet.
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S2E14 · The Icarus Factor
Wesley's Plea and Data's Quiet Compromise

Wesley's Paracelsian computations are the urgent deliverable that precipitates the exchange. They function as a plot device forcing Wesley to request a favor, converting personal academic work into a lever that pressures colleagues into intrusive action on Worf's behalf.

Before: In Wesley's possession/active workspace; unfinished and urgent as he rushes through the corridor.
After: Still in Wesley's possession as he departs hurriedly to finish them, now prioritized over observational protocol.
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S2E21 · Peak Performance
Worf's Improvised Bypass and Wesley's Casual Request

Wesley's running plasma‑physics experiment is invoked as a plot device: its active status on the Enterprise motivates Wesley's request to leave and creates a time‑sensitive reason to travel off the Hathaway, establishing potential tension between personal responsibility and operational necessity.

Before: Actively running aboard the USS Enterprise and remotely unattended except for Wesley's implied oversight.
After: Still running and unresolved — Wesley has requested permission to return to shut it down, leaving the experiment's fate pending command approval.
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S2E21 · Peak Performance
Wesley's Secret Jettison

Wesley's personal experimental station serves as the origin point for the clear antimatter containment orb; he delicately withdraws the orb from its magnetic cradle, exposing the rig's tubing and handles. The station functions as both a technical prop and moral focal point—evidence of unsanctioned experimentation and the immediate source of procedural risk.

Before: Intact on the engineering bench, containing the suspended antimatter orb connected by clear tubing and finger-friendly handles; in Wesley's custody during covert inspection.
After: Orb removed from its cradle (possession ambiguous but handled by Wesley); station left depleted and visible as evidence of an unauthorized experiment.
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