Object
Captain's Shuttle
A compact, single‑deck Starfleet shuttle reserved for the ship's captain: metal‑skinned with service scuffs, a reinforced docking collar, swept nose, and stubby impulse exhausts. The cockpit holds two pilot seats and a small passenger bay with multiplexed life‑support readouts. On these mentions the shuttle broadcasts a damaged, failing signal and carries three frozen humans; hull abrasions and flickering internal indicators mark it as compromised. Crew members treat its inbound ETA as an operational clock—Geordi reports the twelve‑minute approach, Data inspects its telemetry, and Riker converts that countdown into immediate retrieval orders.
4 appearances
Purpose
Short‑range personnel transport (captain's personal shuttle) used here as a rescue target and time‑critical transport.
Significance
Functions as a narrative clock and catalyst: the shuttle's damaged condition and frozen occupants force the Enterprise crew to escalate decisions, convert reconnaissance into rescue, and push into contested Neutral Zone space, raising diplomatic and survival stakes.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used