Object

Derelict Control Room Sliding Handle

A hand‑sized, corroded metal sliding handle mounted at hip height on an aged control console in a cramped, late‑twentieth‑century control area. Steel shows pitting and dark patina; the short lever rides a narrow spindle and moves stiffly, engaging a purely mechanical sliding mechanism. Data turns it with measured precision, fingers deliberate to avoid forcing fragile hardware while Worf snarls at the temptation to breach the panel.

2 appearances

Purpose

To mechanically actuate a sliding door or access panel, providing manual, non‑electronic entry through an older analog control system.

Significance

The handle enables cautious access that preserves fragile legacy hardware and crucial evidence: Data's restraint in operating it contrasts Worf's brute impulse, allowing a physical disk retrieval that becomes central to identifying a cryo‑survivor and advancing the plot under a tight shuttle ETA.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S1E26 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — The Neutral Zone

Analog Recovery: Data Counters Worf's Force

The corroded sliding handle is turned by Data with measured force to engage the door's mechanical track; it serves as the precise instrument of nonviolent entry, its successful operation underscoring Data's care.

Before: Pitted and stiff in its spindle, attached to the door at hip height, not yet manipulated by the away team.

After: Turned and actuated by Data, the handle now sits in the engaged/open position as the door slides aside.

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S1E26 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — The Neutral Zone

Low‑Tech Discovery and Twelve‑Minute Countdown

The corroded sliding handle is the precise mechanical interface Data manipulates to avoid damaging the mechanism; it is the small, tactile action that resolves the standoff and preserves surrounding electronics.

Before: Stiff and corroded, engaged in a recessed spindle and resistant to blunt force manipulation.

After: Deliberately turned by Data, allowing the door to slide open without brute force and keeping adjacent hardware intact.

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