Object

Federation Shuttle Distress Signal

A compact hull‑mounted emergency locator beacon that emits thin, cyclical subspace pulses and clipped, mechanical distress tones rather than full voice transmission. The signal registers on the Enterprise's sensors as a localized, repeating header with encoded position data; officers view waveform traces and diagnostic readouts while Troi, Riker, Data, Worf, and La Forge react to it as a concrete clue. Initially treated as an authentic plea for help, forensics later reveal the call's timing and signature as deliberately staged to manipulate sensor interpretation and lure a crewman into captivity.

5 appearances

Purpose

To broadcast automated emergency locator and distress pulses so nearby vessels can detect and localize the source for rescue or recovery.

Significance

Functions as the pivotal plot device and pretext: the manufactured distress call converts routine diagnostics into a hostage crisis, reframes command decisions, and exposes deliberate deception that drives the bridge's tactical showdown and rescue plan.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

5 moments

S2E13 · Time Squared

Picard Calls the Trap

The shuttle (its distress signal and the fact the duplicate arrived 'in a shuttle') is invoked by Picard as a clue that the incident is staged; the shuttle's presence reframes the duplicate from unexplained phenomenon into a possibly planted element of a deliberate deception.

Before: Transmitting a thin, cyclical Federation shuttle distress signal detected by the ship's sensors and known to command staff as the origin of the duplicate's transport.

After: Remains an active clue in the investigation; its role is now being treated as potential evidence of manipulation rather than mere transportation.

View full event

S2E13 · Time Squared

Crossing into Sickbay — When Command Cracks

The shuttle (represented by its distress signal) functions as the provocative clue Picard references to justify suspicion. He explicitly asks why the duplicate arrived 'in a shuttle,' using that detail to argue the incident is staged, not accidental.

Before: Referenced as the origin of the duplicate and a focal clue under investigation; sensors and officers are already aware of the shuttle's distress signal.

After: Remains a central piece of evidence under investigation; its presence strengthens Picard's assertion of a set-up and prompts further forensic scrutiny.

View full event

S2E13 · Time Squared

Six Hours Ahead: Picard Meets His Future Self

The shuttle's machine distress ping is the inciting technical fact that brought the duplicate aboard. Its activation and telemetry gave engineers a contact point to power up the shuttle and recover P2, transforming a single medical case into evidence of a larger temporal phenomenon.

Before: Dormant or emitting a distant, unresolved ping until engineers activated the shuttle.

After: Activated and identified by the Enterprise as the source of the duplicate; under technical and investigative scrutiny.

View full event

S2E13 · Time Squared

When Frameworks Fail: Time as the Adversary

The Federation Shuttle Distress Signal is the proximate mystery under discussion: it is the evidentiary touchpoint prompting hypotheses about warp, gravitational slingshots, or sentient temporal forces. Though not active within the room, its existence shapes the tone and stakes of the debate.

Before: Detected by ship sensors and under investigation; registered on bridge consoles and driving the ready room inquiry.

After: Remains an unresolved datum as Picard and Riker leave the ready room to take immediate action, its mystery carried forward to the bridge response.

View full event

S2E13 · Time Squared

The Persian Flaw and the Shudder

The Federation shuttle (evoked via Picard's opening question) functions narratively as the inciting clue that spurs the philosophical debate; its anomalous return is the subject under dispute and the emotional focal point for Picard's compulsion to act.

Before: An unresolved mystery: its distress signal or anomalous arrival has been detected elsewhere and is being analyzed by the crew.

After: Still an open question; the ship's sudden shudder interrupts further analysis and propels immediate operational response.

View full event