Object
Engine Computer Net
The Engine Computer Net is an intricate, interconnected digital system at the heart of the USS Enterprise's engine operations. Amid a lethal cosmic wager posed by Q, this network malfunctions, immobilizing the starship and severing Captain Picard's command links. The system's unstable behavior embodies the crew's loss of control and vulnerability, framing the tense confrontation as Q mocks Picard and issues his existential challenge. Its erratic performance symbolizes the fragile boundary between order and chaos aboard the vessel in a moment of escalating crisis.
1 appearances
Purpose
To manage and coordinate the USS Enterprise's engine operations by linking processors and sensors that regulate propulsion and maintain engine-related system integrity.
Significance
Becomes the focal point for a contagious technological malady: random system failures escalate into a suspected infection tied to the Yamato probe. The Net's breakdown crystallizes the abstract glitch into an immediate existential threat, forcing urgent containment decisions and driving the plot toward direct action against the external probe.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used