Object
Magnification Device Control
A compact, palm-sized tactile control built into the computer-room imaging rig. Matte-finished housing, a ridged rotary cap and a faintly luminous status ring mark its surface; small indicator LEDs flank its base. Embedded into the console adjacent to imaging displays, it responds to deliberate contact and transmits fine zoom and focus commands. Data presses and manipulates it to enlarge microscopic feeds, and the revealed imagery draws sharp, emotional responses from Picard, Worf, Riker, and Stubbs.
2 appearances
Purpose
To adjust magnification, focus, and imaging parameters on the console's microscope or visual feed so operators can enlarge and analyze microscopic phenomena.
Significance
By enabling Data to magnify the image and expose the nanites' activity, the control catalyzes the scene's moral pivot: the swarm reframes as nascent life, prompting Stubbs' confession and Picard's choice of forgiveness and diplomatic relocation instead of annihilation.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used