Object
Derelict On-Board Computer Console
A battered, compact late‑twentieth‑century control-room/on‑board computer console: boxy metal-and-plastic chassis with tactile switches, analog dials, faded labels, and a removable mechanical disk-drive bay. Non‑voice‑activated and mechanically operated, panels and linkages look corroded and fragile. Tricorder scans register the system dead; Data treats the unit as delicate machinery—sliding a handle to isolate and preserve a removable disk while Worf urges forceful access—making the unit an inert archival conduit requiring careful manual intervention under a limited shuttle ETA.
1 appearances
Purpose
To operate and record the vessel's onboard systems and archival data—providing control over ship functions, environmental monitoring, and storage/access of logs and mission records.
Significance
Acts as a narrative obstacle that forces manual recovery: its failure prevents automated download, compels Data's forensic caution over Worf's blunt force, preserves evidentiary integrity, and enables retrieval of a disk whose contents later identify a cryo‑survivor—heightening urgency and character contrast within the scene.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used