Object
Deuterium Control Conduit
A thick, ribbed alloy conduit running through Main Engineering, its matte-black jacket braided with fiber conduits and punctuated by service ports and diagnostic nodes. Scorch marks and hairline stress fractures suggest overdue wear; violet diagnostic beams play across its surface as Geordi probes a complaint point. Crew members lean close to read flickering status indicators; tools and an SCM Model Three part are requisitioned nearby. The conduit occupies a low catwalk corridor, emits a faint hum when pressurized, and demands hands-on adjustment rather than remote patching.
3 appearances
Purpose
To channel and regulate deuterium feed and flow control to engineering systems (including the warp core), maintaining fuel pressure and safety margins for warp operations.
Significance
Functions as the plot-trigger: its overdue maintenance forces the Enterprise out of warp, removes warp as an immediate option, compresses mission timelines, and creates interpersonal beats—Geordi's technical authority, Wesley's errand of responsibility, and Anya's procedural distrust coalesce around the conduit’s failure.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used