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Object

Dixon Hill Private Investigator Office Door

A heavy, noir‑styled wooden door inset with a frosted glass pane etched in block letters bearing the name 'DIXON HILL.' The wood shows gentle wear—scuffs and a dulled varnish—while the etched glass slightly diffuses the dim hallway light. It reads as both utilitarian entrance and crafted prop: shoulder‑height brass hardware, a narrow vertical glass panel, and the unmistakable namecut that claims the room beyond. Picard halts before it, reverent and ritualistic, fingers brushing the frame as he slips into the simulated office.
2 appearances

Purpose

To serve as the physical entrance to the Dixon Hill private investigator's office within the holodeck simulation, providing controlled access between the corridor and the programmed 1940s setting.

Significance

Functions as a symbolic threshold and ritual anchor for Picard's escape into his Dixon Hill persona: it marks the moment he abandons the ship's pressures, establishes his detective identity, and sets the narrative desire (a case to solve) that propels the simulated mystery and emotional refuge.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments
S2E19 · Manhunt
A Gangster's Commission: Slade Hires Dixon Hill

The Dixon Hill office door frames the ritual of the scene: it opens to admit Slade, serves as the boundary between the receptionist/hallway and the private office, and is the portal through which Slade exits and Picard follows, marking the transition from staged holonovel to active pursuit.

Before: Closed while Picard sits with his back to it; then opened by the arrival of Slade.
After: Left open as Slade departs through it into the reception and hallway; Picard follows through the same threshold.
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S2E19 · Manhunt
Lwaxana's Unsolicited Appraisal

The transporter room door serves as the entrance vector for Lwaxana and Homn; it provides dramatic timing—its opening interrupts the guarded stillness and allows Lwaxana to intrude into the operational space, then it closes behind them as they exit, restoring immediate privacy.

Before: Closed (or at least not open to admit new arrivals) as Wesley and Worf monitor the platform.
After: Open briefly to permit Lwaxana's entrance and then closed as she and Homn exit; remains the point of ingress/egress for visitors.
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