Object
Captain Garrett's Automated Distress Call
A clipped, automated distress transmission emitted from a battered starship that suddenly appears through a temporal rift. The message carries Captain Garrett's strained voice layered atop carrier noise, alarm tones, and intermittent static. It announces catastrophic damage, requests immediate aid, and cuts across Picard and Riker's conversation, compelling officers to crowd consoles. Sensors flag the call as urgent; bridge reactions shift instantly from debate to emergency procedures as transport teams are readied and tactical posture changes under looming Klingon closure.
2 appearances
Purpose
To broadcast an urgent SOS and status report—automatically requesting immediate assistance and relaying the originating ship's emergency condition and location so nearby vessels can render aid.
Significance
Functions as the story's catalytic pivot: it converts an ethical deliberation about altering history into a pressing operational crisis, creates moral and tactical tension for Picard's command decisions, reveals survivors and damage aboard the Enterprise‑C, and draws hostile Klingon forces into the scene.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used