Object

Spindle (Spinning‑Wheel Component — Mariposa Manifest)

Recorded as a line‑item on the archived Mariposa cargo manifest, the spindle appears as an ordinary spinning‑wheel component: a short turned shaft that would accept a whorl and hold fiber for twisting into yarn. The prop never appears physically on camera; its presence in the manifest draws Picard's eye and sparks interrogation of the manifest's odd cargo mix.

2 appearances

Purpose

To serve as the central rotating shaft of a spinning wheel, holding the whorl and tensioning fiber so fibers can be twisted into yarn or thread.

Significance

Narratively minor yet catalytic: the spindle's listing amplifies the manifest's paradox (homestead tools alongside advanced equipment), converting Picard's archival curiosity into active investigation and signaling a cultural dissonance that the plot will probe.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

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

From Curiosity to Command: Picard Seizes the Mariposa Lead

The spindle (spinning-wheel component) is referenced by Data as part of his definition of spinning wheels, adding material specificity to the pastoral goods and reinforcing the genuineness of the agricultural cargo entry.

Before: Part of the manifest's line-item description held in archive.

After: Cited by Data as evidence the spinning-wheel entry is literal rather than metaphorical.

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

Mariposa Manifest — A Contradiction Unearthed

The spindle — a minor spinning-wheel component noted in the manifest — is used by Data to define the traditional craft item, reinforcing the manifest's oddly domestic details against the ship's high-technology list.

Before: Recorded on the manifest as part of cargo line-items.

After: Cited by Data and mentally registered by Picard as further evidence of cultural complexity.

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