thebitterguy

In the part of the story set in Cardassia, Picard is subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques by his interrogator Gul Madred , who at first seeks information about the Federation's defense plans for Minos Korva, but instead soon tries to warp Picard's perception of reality by forcing him to see five lights where there are only four lights shining upon him. Initial attempts to appeal to his rights under treaties with the Cardassians fail, as the Federation will not admit Picard is acting on their behalf, making him an enemy combatant. At the conclusion of his enhanced interrogation ,Picard finds that he wants so badly to see five lights that he actually sees five. Fortunately just before he admits that, Cardassian officers come to return Picard to the United Federation of Planets as per a surrender agreement Jellico imposed. Triumphant, Picard shouts his seemingly unbowed defiance to the intelligence officer, but later privately admits to his counselor his moment of weakness. The sequence recalls the exchange between Winston and O'Brien in Orwell 's 1984 in which Winston sees O'Brien display five fingers, when there are in fact only four . The Cardassian interrogator enjoys the company of his daughter in the interrogation room in between enhanced interrogation sessions.

eyebeams