Object

Mariposa Cargo Manifest

A single archived cargo-manifest/requisition page for the colony ship Mariposa — a stamped administrative record rendered on the Captain's Ready Room display. Columns list an incongruous cargo mix (spinning wheels, livestock, homestead tools, advanced electronics and beacon satellites). The page functions as a factual clue that redirects Picard and the officers from curiosity to investigation when Data flags anomalous line items.

3 appearances

Purpose

To record and authorize cargo requisitions and manifest contents for a Starfleet‑registered vessel (the colony ship Mariposa), providing an official logistics and supply ledger.

Significance

Serves as the narrative turning point: the logistical discrepancy transforms Picard’s intellectual curiosity into a formal ship‑level investigation. The manifest’s incongruous cargo list raises suspicion about the vanished colony and propels command decisions and forensic scrutiny.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S2E8 · A Matter of Honor

Honor's Choice on the Pagh

The Starfleet Orders / Command Authorization functions narratively as the moral and institutional constraint that Riker invokes implicitly and explicitly: it represents the prior oath and duty he cannot violate, thereby blocking Kargan's demand for tactical secrets and transforming the request into a test of honor.

Before: In effect: Riker has previously sworn oaths and is bound by Starfleet directives and codes of conduct.

After: Remains binding: the orders continue to morally and legally constrain Riker, and their invocation shapes the Klingons' response and the political stakes of the standoff.

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S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder

From Curiosity to Command: Picard Seizes the Mariposa Lead

The Mariposa colony ship manifest appears on Picard's screen and becomes the central narrative clue; Picard reads items aloud from it, and the manifest's contradictory cargo list is the concrete evidence that transforms curiosity into an active investigation.

Before: Stored in the ship's historical archives and accessible via computer search.

After: Displayed and being interrogated by Picard and Data; now registered as a subject of the Enterprise's inquiry.

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S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder

Mariposa Manifest — A Contradiction Unearthed

The archived Mariposa colony-ship manifest appears on Picard's Ready Room console and functions as the primary clue: it lists ship name, launch date, captain, and a cargo roster that collides pastoral items with advanced electronics—this collision transforms curiosity into investigation.

Before: Stored in ship archives/databanks, inactive and unreferenced until Data or Picard queries it.

After: Displayed on Picard's ready room console and actively scrutinized; the manifest is flagged in the immediate conversation as an investigatory lead.

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