Star Trek The Next Generation
Object

Cellular Commlinks (Mariposa Manifest)

A pallet of compact, palm‑sized cellular commlinks listed on the Mariposa cargo manifest — small handheld radio/comm units packed among crates of spinning wheels and livestock. The devices appear as a neat, incongruous block of advanced electronics on an otherwise rustic manifest entry; officers treat the listing as a physical clue rather than a background prop. Data flags the requisition discrepancy and Picard leans into the anomaly, the commlinks' presence prompting close scrutiny and catalog review rather than direct hands‑on use in the scene.
2 appearances

Purpose

Short‑range personal/field communication: portable comm devices intended to enable voice hails and localized data exchange between individuals or small teams.

Significance

Functions as a narrative clue: the commlinks' advanced technology, juxtaposed with spinning wheels and livestock, crystallizes the Mariposa manifest contradiction and propels Picard from curiosity to formal investigation, signaling a deeper cultural or logistical mystery about the vanished colony.

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

Cellular commlinks are listed in large quantity on the manifest; they suggest the ship carried modern communications equipment, deepening the conceptual contradiction with primitive agricultural goods.

Before: Recorded in archived manifest data.
After: Noted aloud and integrated into Picard's immediate list of investigative anomalies.
View full event
S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder
Mariposa Manifest — A Contradiction Unearthed

A block of seven hundred cellular commlinks listed in the manifest compounds the technological side of the inventory, making the presence of spinning wheels and livestock more puzzling.

Before: Logged in the archived cargo manifest.
After: Raised as a puzzling detail during Picard's reading, remaining an unresolved entry.
View full event