Star Trek The Next Generation
Object

Mysterious Cargo Barrel Containing Felicium

A precious cargo shipment containing Felicium, a scarce and vital medicine, enmeshed in high-stakes conflict aboard the Enterprise. The shipment is a large, industrial cargo barrel, ruggedly constructed and secured for space freight, originally from the doomed freighter Sanction. This barrel bears markings hinting at hazardous contents and is fiercely protected by its crew, symbolizing the intense moral and political struggles surrounding the medicine. The cargo's presence aboard the Enterprise escalates tensions, representing the critical substance vital to the Ornaran and Brekkian civilizations.
11 appearances

Purpose

To transport the Felicium medicine necessary to treat and save the Ornaran plague victims.

Significance

Central to the narrative conflict as a symbol of hope and contention, the Felicium shipment drives ethical dilemmas between humanitarian aid and interplanetary law. It ignites political tension among the rescued delegates and precipitates a Red Alert when the contagious plague surfaces aboard the Enterprise, propelling the story into a crisis mode that tests leadership, morality, and survival.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

11 moments
S1E23 · Symbiosis
Transporter Failure Reveals Crew Abandonment

The large cargo barrel unexpectedly materializes alone on the transporter platform aboard the Enterprise, revealing a critical malfunction in the transporter process and symbolizing the crew's prioritization of this precious cargo—Felicium—over their own rescue.

Before: Secured aboard the freighter Sanction, marked as valuable cargo vital to the freighter crew and their home planet.
After: Materialized aboard the USS Enterprise transporter platform alone, separated from its human carriers and becoming a focal point of the unfolding ethical crisis.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
Freighter's Final Moments and Obsession with Felicium Cargo

The mysterious cargo barrel containing Felicium is beam-transported from the freighter onto the Enterprise prior to the ship’s destruction, becoming the focal point of survivor panic and ethical conflict over its value versus human lives.

Before: Secured aboard the freighter Sanction, prioritized by crew over personnel evacuation.
After: Safely transported and physically present on the transporter pad aboard USS Enterprise, under secure hold.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
Rescue Amid Ruin and the Obsession with Felicium

The mysterious cargo barrel containing Felicium is prioritized for beam-up ahead of many crew members; it sits on the transporter pad, secured and dematerialized first, symbolizing the cargo's paramount importance to the survivors over human life.

Before: Secured aboard the freighter Sanction, at risk during atmospheric entry.
After: Safely materialized aboard the USS Enterprise in a cargo hold, possession secured by Starfleet.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
Survivors’ Cold Calculus: Cargo Over Comrades

The mysterious cargo barrel containing Felicium is transported aboard the Enterprise prior to the humanoid survivors, becoming the focal point of immediate survivor concern. Its presence symbolizes the critical ethical, medical, and political tension that eclipses even the value of human life in this fraught moment.

Before: Secured aboard the freighter Sanction, at risk during atmospheric entry and disintegration.
After: Safely beamed aboard the USS Enterprise in a cargo hold, guarded and central to survivor demands.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
Hostile Claims and Deadly Cargo: The Felicium Confrontation

The barrel containing Felicium is the contested cargo at the heart of the dispute. It symbolizes the collision of economic interests and desperate survival needs, triggering ethical and medical dilemmas as both the Brekkian merchants and Ornaran survivors lay claim.

Before: Impounded aboard the USS Enterprise, held under Starfleet custody.
After: Remains in Starfleet custody but under increasing scrutiny amid medical emergency.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
Felicium Conflict and Plague Revelation Spark Crisis

The Mysterious Cargo Barrel containing Felicium is the focal object of contention, representing both a life-saving medicine and a commercial asset. It is referenced repeatedly as the disputed cargo whose ownership ignites the confrontation and ethical debate.

Before: Securely impounded aboard the USS Enterprise, possession contested between Ornaran survivors and Brekkian merchants.
After: Remains aboard Enterprise under Starfleet custody, subject to legal and medical protocols following disease revelation.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
Contagion Revealed: Felicium Dispute Sparks Red Alert

The Mysterious Cargo Barrel containing Felicium is the focal point of the dispute, symbolizing both a critical life-saving medicine and a valuable economic asset. Its custody is contested fiercely, embodying the ethical and cultural conflict between the Ornarans’ desperate need and the Brekkians’ commercial rights.

Before: Secured aboard the USS Enterprise, held under Starfleet custody due to the freighter Sanction's distress.
After: Remains under Starfleet custody pending resolution; central to ongoing negotiation and quarantine concerns.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
Picard Negotiates Emergency Felicium Aid with the Brekkians

The Felicium cargo is the central object of negotiation, representing both a life-saving medicine for the Ornarans and a valuable economic asset for the Brekkians. In this event, it is the crucial leverage in the bargaining process, with access to two free dosages granted under strict oversight.

Before: Securely stored and controlled by the Brekkians aboard the Enterprise, inaccessible to those in need without Brekkian consent.
After: Partially accessed under supervision, with two dosages allocated for Ornaran use, still under Brekkian control.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
Felicium’s Temporary Respite and Hidden Desperation

The specialized device, a small cylinder designed to convert Felicium into an injectable form, is used by T'Jon and Romas to self-administer the narcotic into the fatty tissue of the hand. It serves as both a practical medical tool and a ritual object symbolizing their dependence and cultural practices around the drug.

Before: In possession of T'Jon and Romas, ready for use in self-administration.
After: Consumed to administer Felicium doses; remains physically intact and with the users.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
Crusher Reveals Felicium’s True Nature as a Potent Narcotic

The mysterious cargo barrel containing Felicium is the subject of the medical assessment; its contents are revealed to be a highly addictive narcotic, changing the crew’s perception of the cargo from medicinal relief to a cause of dependency and crisis.

Before: Secured aboard the USS Enterprise, treated as vital cargo but with unclear medical implications.
After: Still aboard the Enterprise, now identified as the source of a serious addiction problem requiring ethical and tactical consideration.
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S1E23 · Symbiosis
The Felicium Revelation and Picard’s Ethical Quandary

The mysterious cargo barrel containing Felicium is central to the briefing discussion, representing the physical catalyst of the ethical dilemma. Its status as a powerful narcotic rather than a medicine reframes the entire crisis, making the barrel a symbol of addiction, exploitation, and moral quandary.

Before: Secured aboard the USS Enterprise, held under careful watch as contentious cargo.
After: Remains aboard the Enterprise, now under closer scrutiny and ethical debate.
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