Object
Observation Lounge Computer Panel
A low-profile shipboard control pad mounted in the observation lounge: a compact rectangular surface with softly glowing indicators and a responsive touch area. The unit sits near the lounge viewscreen and feeds audiovisual data to the room; fingers tap the pad to cue recovered shuttle camera footage and distorted audio. Geordi manipulates the controls with practiced speed while Data references timestamps; Picard, Riker and Worf crowd the console’s glow, watching the displays as the panel dutifully plays the log that collapses debate into immediate action.
1 appearances
Purpose
To retrieve, cue, and control playback of shipboard audiovisual records (shuttle camera logs) on the observation lounge viewscreen and provide direct, tactical access to archived evidence.
Significance
The panel functions as the narrative pivot: it surfaces the shuttle’s fatal recording and Picard’s recorded audio, transforming abstract speculation into a three-hour nineteen-minute countdown. The device converts distant data into an urgent, shared reality and forces command into decisive motion, making technological access itself the catalyst for the crew’s strategy and emotional reckoning.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used