Fabula
Object
Object

Picard's Quarters Communications Console

A compact Starfleet communications console in Picard's private quarters, comprising a low-profile bank of wall-mounted control panels adjacent to the desk and an isolinear display with touch-sensitive controls. Hardware features include brushed-alloy bezels, narrow tactile and touch pads, a recessed holo/status viewport and a flat isolinear display that surfaces spectral graphs, waveform traces and incoming AV metadata. Thin speaker output and a row of indicator LEDs provide audio/status feedback; the panels and display register fingerprints and light scuffs consistent with active use. The device is used to monitor and route incoming transmissions (including Sarjenka's live feed), run remote scans, and adjust local comm/environmental settings.
4 appearances

Purpose

To execute a remote scan of subspace resonance and preserve/relay a live transmission signal, enabling continued contact with an external subject (Sarjenka).

Significance

Functions as the crucial technical enabler that converts abstract ethics into urgent human obligation: the scan preserves the child's live plea, collapses the Prime Directive debate in Picard's quarters, and precipitates Picard's decision to intervene.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments
S2E15 · Pen Pals
The Plea That Breaks the Directive

The wall-mounted control panels adjacent to Picard's desk are actively manipulated by Data and Picard; they spike with incoming metadata, produce the static that gives way to Sarjenka's voice, and serve as the tactile interface where the ethical debate converts into audible reality.

Before: Idle and readout‑ready on Picard's desk; indicator LEDs dim and panels unengaged.
After: Recently engaged: LEDs spiked, link open and playing a live transmission; panels remain active as the crew listens and the decision to keep the link is made.
View full event
S2E15 · Pen Pals
The Plea That Breaks the Directive

The wall‑mounted control panels adjacent to Picard's desk are actively used by Data to maintain and monitor the remote subspace scan; when Data manipulates the panels static and a child's voice emerge, the panels function as the physical conduit between abstract debate and concrete human contact.

Before: Mounted and idle beside Picard's desk, bearing faint finger smudges; operational and available for use by bridge or senior officers.
After: Touched and manipulated by Data to sustain the subspace scan; the panels displayed incoming signal activity and produced static/voice but remain physically unchanged.
View full event
S2E15 · Pen Pals
The Plea That Breaks the Directive

Picard's quarters control panels are physically manipulated by Data to access the remote subspace scan; their LEDs and readouts report the fragile connection, and the panels function as the tactile interface that converts abstract debate into audible evidence.

Before: Idle beside Picard's desk, showing normal standby indicators; available for use by the officers in the quarters.
After: Activated and in use; panels are engaged to sustain the subspace scan and project Sarjenka's voice into the room, remaining under Data's control until Picard orders otherwise.
View full event
S2E15 · Pen Pals
When a Child Speaks: Picard Forsakes the Directive

A bank of wall-mounted control panels in Picard's quarters is the physical interface Data uses to reestablish the com link; the panels produce the static and then the child's voice, making the distant plea tangibly present and catalyzing the moral reversal.

Before: Idle and integrated into the captain's desk area, with normal ambient indicators; available for access by officers.
After: Activated and producing incoming audio; used to sustain the tenuous subspace scan while debate converts to action.
View full event