Object
Ian Andrew's Umbilical Cord
A glistening, pale cord pulsing with residual life force, stretching from Deanna Troi's body to her newborn's abdomen. This once-vital lifeline—now severed by Dr. Pulaski's precise medical tools—lies coiled on the sterile medical tray like an ethereal rope connecting the immediacy of birth to the ancient mystery of creation itself. The cord's surface still gleams with amniotic fluid under Sickbay's harsh overhead lights, its translucent matrix revealing the network of vessels that until moments ago carried starlight and oxygen between mother and child.
3 appearances
Purpose
To provide oxygenated blood and nutrients from mother to fetus during gestation, now serving as the final physical connection requiring medical closure during post-partum care.
Significance
This biological remnant crystallizes the miraculous collision of science and wonder—the same cord that fed a human child now lies impossibly saturated with readings that transcend Federation medical understanding. It marks the precise moment when Deanna Troi ceases to carry mystery within her body and must instead cradle it in her arms, transforming the embodied unknown into the eternal question of parenthood.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used