A Slaver stasis box
Slaver stasis boxes were priceless artifacts from the Slavers, a race which ruled over most of the Milky Way galaxy one billion years ago. Spock described the effects of these types of stasis boxes on Federation science as "incalculable." Artificial gravity aboard Federation starships resulted from Slaver technology, from a box found to contain an anti-gravity belt.
Specifics[]
A Slaver stasis box was an ancient type of stasis box in which a temporal stasis energy field preserved its contents, and which could be opened with a stasis field nullifier. One box contained a printed photograph of a Slaver, protoplasmic meat, and a mysterious Slaver weapon, a multi-purpose device with settings for a portable telescope, laser, energy absorber, personal rocket-motor, and an artificial intelligence interface. It also had a metaweapon setting that produced a total-conversion beam.
A stasis box could locate another box within a few light years, generating a glowing teardrop arrow pointing the way. (TAS episode & novelization: The Slaver Weapon)
- In the novelization, the Slaver was a simuhologram, and the meat was wrapped in a metal-ceramic polymer. The box was a 50 centimeter-per-side cube with a silvery, mirrored surface
History[]
Kzinti used a stasis field nullifier to open a Slaver stasis box.
Opening a box could be dangerous. One contained a live disruptor bomb. When another one was placed inside an excavating crusher, the extreme pressure triggered a defensive reaction, encasing the person responsible within a stasis field. Another box contained fresh but poisonous meat. On the other hand, one box found by Kzinti archeologists contained nothing of value. Because of the potential risks, Starfleet assumed jurisdiction over the boxes, permitting only key specialists to open them. (TAS - Log Ten novelization: The Slaver Weapon)
In the year 2270, the starship USS Enterprise sent Spock, Nyota Uhura, and Hikaru Sulu aboard the Copernicus shuttle to retrieve a stasis box, but its contents were lost thanks to intervention by Kzinti privateers. (TAS episode & novelization: The Slaver Weapon)
By that decade, only one box had been found in the Klingon Empire, but Klingon Captain Kumara was familiar with them, and went to great lengths to steal one. However, this box had previously been opened by personnel from the Enterprise. Montgomery Scott rigged it so that when it was reopened, it would play the Federation Interstellar Anthem. (TAS - Log Ten novelization: The Slaver Weapon)
Later that year, four unopened stasis boxes were unearthed at a newly discovered Slaver outpost. They contained an anti-gravity belt, a neuronic whip, a live sonic grenade, and a psionic amplifier. (Heritage Models RPG module: Adventure Gaming in the Final Frontier)
In 2381, a Slaver stasis box was among Kerner Hauze's collection of artifacts to be sorted through after his passing. (LD episode: "Kayshon, His Eyes Open")
- In the final draft script of "The Slaver Weapon", a Slaver stasis box was described as mirror-sided, cubical, and 20 inches per side, though it appeared yellow and sometimes rectangular onscreen. Spock said during an unaired portion of his log entry that, "Of the dozen stasis boxes found during the Federation’s history, [the one aboard the Copernicus] is the fifth to be found on Kzin itself." Its mirrored nature was also reported in the unofficial Concordance.
Alternate timelines[]
In an alternate timeline beset by the temporal anomaly crisis, the Kzinti Chuft-Captain was pulled into the late 24th century along with the Slaver stasis box he stole from the Copernicus. (ST video game: Timelines)
Appendices[]
Background[]
- Slaver stasis boxes were an element of Larry Niven's Known Space stories, first introduced in his novel World of Ptavvs in 1966. One was featured in his short story "The Soft Weapon", from which "The Slaver Weapon" episode was based.
Appearances and references[]
Appearances[]
- TAS episode & novelization: The Slaver Weapon
- Heritage Models RPG module: Adventure Gaming in the Final Frontier
- ST video game: Timelines
- LD episode: "Kayshon, His Eyes Open"
References[]
- The Complete Star Trek: Animated Adventures Trading Cards, No. 118
- TAS reference: The Official Guide to The Animated Series
External links[]
- Slaver stasis box article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Slaver stasis box article at Fandom's Larry Niven Wiki.
- Slaver stasis box article at The Known Space Concordance.