Object
Wesley Crusher's Tractor Beam Device (School Project Repulsor Beam with Tube and Fiber Optic Attachment)
This compact, handheld tractor beam device, originally crafted by Wesley Crusher as a school project, emits a focused, translucent energy field capable of engulfing and abducting individuals from the Enterprise bridge. Its modest size conceals advanced repulsor technology with a tube and fiber optic wire attachment, activated during a sudden crisis where Wesley vanishes in a flash of light amid escalating child abductions. The device’s use triggers panic and despair among the crew, underscoring its deadly efficiency as an abduction mechanism. Characters including Captain Picard, Beverly Crusher, and Worf respond with urgency and emotional weight, as the beam signals a catastrophic breach of the ship’s safety and moral order.
18 appearances
Purpose
To reverse or redirect tractor‑beam power into a focused repulsor pulse capable of physically pushing a tethered ship or hazardous debris away from the Enterprise, buying time for engines to come online.
Significance
The beam embodies the core conflict between the Enterprise crew’s desperate efforts to protect their own and the Aldeans' ruthless survival tactics, escalating emotional stakes and setting the stage for a fraught rescue mission. It symbolizes the collision of youthful ingenuity, cultural conflict, and ethical struggle at the heart of the crisis.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used