Object

Drema Four Dilithium Lattice Deposit

A vast, naturally occurring, planet-scale network of perfectly aligned dilithium crystals embedded in Drema Four’s crust. The crystalline lattice spans kilometers in ordered arrays; facets gleam with a cold inner light and pulse in phased synchronization. Subsurface heat drives a piezoelectric response: seams hum, microfractures bleed heat, and stress concentrates into titanic tectonic motion that fractures the crust and releases pale, radioactive Illium‑629. Wesley’s ico‑gram and the crew’s holo‑projections map the lattice geometry and guide engineers as alarms rise and command decisions (including a Prime Directive breach) follow.

4 appearances

Purpose

A natural mineral formation whose aligned dilithium structure converts geothermal energy via a piezoelectric effect into localized tectonic stress, actively driving seismic rupture and releasing Illium-629.

Significance

Serves as the causal fulcrum of the episode’s crisis: it explains Drema Four’s catastrophic instability, forces the crew to choose between strict Prime Directive adherence and saving a native child, and catalyzes Picard’s decision to authorize contact. The deposit transforms a technical discovery into an ethical rupture with lasting consequences.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments

S2E15 · Pen Pals

Lattice Revelation and the Prime Directive Compromise

The perfectly aligned dilithium lattices are revealed by Wesley's ico‑gram as the central mechanism driving the planetary catastrophe; they are the discovered causal engine the team now targets for reversal and engineering intervention.

Before: Active and intact beneath Drema Four's crust, emitting piezoelectric pulses and contributing to tectonic instability.

After: Still present and active; newly identified as the target of planned engineering countermeasures initiated by the survey team.

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S2E15 · Pen Pals

Authorizing the Breach

The perfectly aligned dilithium lattices are the diagnosed causal mechanism: crew dialogue explains how the crystal geometry focuses heat into destructive mechanical energy. They function narratively as the scientific 'smoking gun' that converts curiosity into crisis and forces ethical choice.

Before: Active subterranean lattice network generating piezoelectric stress and contributing to escalating tectonic failure.

After: Identified, mapped, and targeted for engineering remediation; still present and hazardous while the survey team prepares interventions.

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S2E15 · Pen Pals

Resonator Plan and Picard's Reluctant Order

The perfectly aligned dilithium lattices are the target problem: they are described as brittle, planet‑scale crystal formations that the resonators must shatter. They function as both a scientific puzzle and the moral stakes that justify—or prohibit—intervention.

Before: Intact but failing: lattices are straining, generating tectonic upheaval and justifying the emergency plan.

After: Still intact at scene's end; designated as the objective for the planned resonator strike pending command approval and transport operations.

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S2E15 · Pen Pals

Data's Challenge — Picard's Compromise

The perfectly aligned dilithium lattices are the planetary-scale threat motivating the entire plan; they are discussed as the fragile, crystalline structure that must be shattered by resonant frequencies — the raison d'être for transport and intervention.

Before: Actively destabilizing Drema Four's crust, producing tectonic rupture and environmental collapse.

After: Remains the looming hazard necessitating the resonator plan and the subsequent transport authorization.

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