Wesley and Robin uncover Data’s sabotage
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Wesley informs Robin that he spoke with Captain Picard, raising concerns about the game. They both observe the pervasive nature of the game's influence in Ten Forward.
Wesley and Robin connect Data's earlier 'injury' to the timing of the game's arrival. This realization leads them to suspect the game may be a possible cause of Data's malfunction and decide to investigate.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Unsettled and increasingly alarmed, with a growing sense of urgency as she realizes the depth of the conspiracy.
Robin sits at her table in Ten Forward, her posture tense as she watches O’Brien and others play the game. She lies to O’Brien about having tried the game, her voice leery and her eyes darting around the lounge. When the unnamed crew member offers her game, Robin declines firmly, her discomfort palpable. She exchanges a look with Wesley, her expression reflecting their shared unease about the crew’s behavior. Her dialogue with Wesley is hushed and urgent, her concern growing as they realize the game’s pervasive influence. She agrees with Wesley’s deduction about Data, her voice low but decisive, signaling her commitment to their plan to investigate.
- • To avoid the game’s influence and protect herself from its addictive properties.
- • To support Wesley’s investigation into Data and the game’s true nature.
- • The game is dangerous and its effects are not being taken seriously enough by the crew.
- • Data’s deactivation is connected to the game’s arrival, and investigating him is the key to uncovering the truth.
Obsessively focused, with a surface-level friendliness masking his deep addiction to the game.
Miles O’Brien stands near Robin’s table in Ten Forward, his body half-turned toward her as he plays the Risan game, his fingers deftly manipulating the discs and cones. His voice is casual but insistent as he asks Robin if she’s tried the game, his eyes never leaving the grid. He wanders away moments later, sitting down to continue playing, his posture relaxed yet entirely absorbed in the game’s hypnotic rhythm. His actions reveal a man under the game’s spell, his usual warmth replaced by an addictive single-mindedness.
- • To recruit Robin into playing the game, driven by the game’s addictive influence.
- • To continue playing the game, prioritizing it over all other activities or social interactions.
- • The game is harmless and enjoyable, a belief reinforced by his addiction.
- • Everyone should experience the game’s pleasures, reflecting the game’s manipulative design.
Not applicable (Data is not present), but his implied state is one of potential vulnerability—his deactivation may have been orchestrated to remove the only crew member immune to the game’s influence.
Data is not physically present in Ten Forward during this event, but his absence is a critical focal point. Wesley and Robin discuss him at length, noting that he is the only crew member unaffected by the game’s addiction due to his android nature. His recent deactivation, coinciding with the game’s arrival, becomes a subject of suspicion and intrigue. The implication is that Data’s deactivation may not be accidental, and his positronic network could hold clues to the game’s true purpose. His role in the event is indirect but pivotal, serving as the catalyst for Wesley and Robin’s decision to investigate further.
- • To serve as a potential ally in resisting the game’s influence (implied by Wesley and Robin’s discussion).
- • To provide answers about the game’s origins and purpose (implied by his connection to the game’s arrival).
- • His deactivation is not a coincidence but part of a larger conspiracy (as deduced by Wesley and Robin).
- • His positronic network may contain critical information about the game’s true nature.
Obsessively focused on the game, with little regard for the feelings or comfort of others.
The unnamed crew woman stops at Wesley and Robin’s table, her demeanor persistent as she offers them her game. She seems indifferent to their decline, her focus entirely on recruiting them to play. Her actions underscore the game’s pervasive influence, as she prioritizes the game over social norms or the comfort of her fellow crew members. When Wesley firmly declines on Robin’s behalf, the woman backs off, her eyebrows raised in mild surprise, but she quickly moves on, her attention already shifting back to the game.
- • To recruit Wesley and Robin into playing the game, driven by the game’s addictive influence.
- • To continue playing the game, prioritizing it over all other activities.
- • The game is the most important activity on the ship, a belief reinforced by her addiction.
- • Everyone should be playing the game, reflecting the game’s manipulative design.
Captain Picard is mentioned by Wesley as someone who has agreed to look into the game’s effects, though it is …
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Risan game is the central antagonist device in this event, its presence dominating Ten Forward and the crew’s behavior. O’Brien is seen playing it, his fingers deftly manipulating the discs and cones as he becomes absorbed in the game’s hypnotic rhythm. The unnamed crew woman offers her game to Wesley and Robin, her persistence underscoring the game’s pervasive influence. The game’s addictive properties are on full display, as nearly every crew member in the lounge is playing, their focus entirely on the cascading discs and cones. Wesley and Robin’s discussion about Data’s potential connection to the game’s arrival is directly tied to the game’s suspicious timing and the crew’s unusual behavior, making it a critical clue in their investigation.
The Risan game’s discs and cones are the physical components that drive the game’s addictive mechanics. In this event, they are scattered across the playing grid in Ten Forward, with O’Brien and the unnamed crew woman manipulating them with intense focus. The discs cascade into the cones in a mesmerizing rhythm, symbolizing the game’s hypnotic pull. Wesley and Robin observe this behavior with growing unease, their realization that the game’s influence is systemic tied directly to the visual spectacle of the discs and cones in motion. The objects serve as a tangible representation of the game’s hold on the crew, their cascading motion a metaphor for the addiction spreading through the ship.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Ten Forward, the Enterprise-D’s forward lounge, serves as the battleground for the Risan game’s insidious spread in this event. Once a sanctuary of camaraderie and respite, the lounge is now dominated by the game’s addictive influence, with nearly every table occupied by crew members absorbed in playing. The wide viewports frame passing starfields, a stark contrast to the unnatural focus of the crew on the game’s discs and cones. The soft lighting, usually warm and inviting, now casts long shadows over the compulsive players, heightening the tension. Wesley and Robin sit at their table, their unease palpable as they observe the crew’s behavior, their conversation hushed and urgent. The lounge’s usual hum of conversation is replaced by the rhythmic clinking of discs and cones, a sound that underscores the game’s hypnotic pull.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Starfleet’s influence is subtly but critically present in this event, as the Risan game’s infiltration of the Enterprise crew represents a direct threat to the organization’s principles of exploration, diplomacy, and crew well-being. The game’s addictive properties undermine the crew’s ability to function effectively, compromising Starfleet’s mission and the safety of the ship. Wesley and Robin’s realization that even Captain Picard may be under the game’s influence highlights the depth of the crisis, as Picard is a symbol of Starfleet’s authority and leadership. Their decision to investigate Data, the only crew member unaffected by the game, reflects their commitment to Starfleet’s values, even in the face of such a pervasive threat.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Knowing the game affects higher reasoning and seeing how pervasive it is, Wesley and Robin remember how conveniently Data was taken offline, leading to their decision to investigate his deactivation and seeking out the truth. It adds a layer of importance since now Data, the android, is a person of interest."
"Knowing the game affects higher reasoning and seeing how pervasive it is, Wesley and Robin remember how conveniently Data was taken offline, leading to their decision to investigate his deactivation and seeking out the truth. It adds a layer of importance since now Data, the android, is a person of interest."
"Riker dissuading Geordi from checking on Data, suggesting he relax and try the game in Ten Forward, creates a parallel to O'Brien's later attempts to entice Robin to play, both illustrating the pervasive and pushy nature of the game's influence. The game actively wants more players."
"Their suspicion about Data and the connection with the game leads directly to the discovery that his positronic links were deliberately severed, confirming a sinister purpose behind the game's arrival and escalating the threat."
"Their suspicion about Data and the connection with the game leads directly to the discovery that his positronic links were deliberately severed, confirming a sinister purpose behind the game's arrival and escalating the threat."
Key Dialogue
"O'BRIEN: Have you tried this?"
"ROBIN: No thanks..."
"WESLEY: She said no thanks."
"WESLEY: There's something else bothering me about all this—if the game is addictive... there's only one person on the ship we can be sure wouldn't be affected by it..."
"ROBIN: Data."
"WESLEY: Right. And he just happened to get injured at the same time this game was brought on board."