Object
Setal's Rating Code
A compact personnel credential expressed as a short alphanumeric authorization that Setal offers to display in Sickbay. The scene leaves its physical form ambiguous — it may be a printed code strip on identification paperwork, a stamped authorization on a folded communiqué, or a small digital readout on a device — but it reads as portable, concise, and scannable. Characters treat the code as tangible proof: Setal produces or references it, Beverly registers its medical-forensic implications, Worf reacts with immediate suspicion, and Riker listens for corroboration while defusing rising tension.
3 appearances
Purpose
To prove the bearer’s official rating or status by providing a concise, verifiable authorization code tied to personnel credentials.
Significance
Serves as contested evidence that can validate or undermine Setal’s defection narrative. The code functions as a turning-point prop: its potential authenticity lends credibility to Setal’s story, while the possibility of forgery heightens mistrust, fuels Worf’s alarm, and forces Riker and Beverly to adjudicate truth under political pressure.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used