Unlocking the Hidden Secrets: Unveiling 5 Epic Star Trek Easter Eggs in Anomaly Storage Room Across TOS, TNG & DS9

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Episode 3 - "In The Cradle of Vexilon"

Summary

In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 3, viewers are treated to a visit to the anomaly storage room where they can find Easter Eggs from different Star Trek shows, bringing joy to dedicated fans. This episode highlights an array of fascinating artifacts, such as a Klingon bat'leth, a Vulcan lirpa, a Nomad probe, a Betazoid gift box, and a Romulan cloaking device.

Lieutenant Dirk's initiation leads Mariner, Tendi, and Rutherford to seek retribution using the Wadi Chula Game and Betazoid Gift Box, resulting in humorous chaos.

In episode 3 of season 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks, titled "In the Cradle of Vexilon," the Lower Deckers venture into the USS Cerritos' anomaly storage room, which houses various Easter Eggs from different Star Trek shows. While Lieutenant Brad Boimler takes charge of his inaugural mission, Lieutenants Beckett Mariner, D'Vana Tendi, and Sam Rutherford explore the anomaly storage room, stumbling upon recognizable artifacts that will excite devoted Trek enthusiasts.

5 Vulcan Lirpa

Upon reaching the storage room, the lieutenants find themselves promptly summoned by Lt. Dirk (Phil LaMarr) to undertake the task of scanning numerous isolinear chips in order to locate a single faulty chip. Engaging in their meticulous endeavor, Mariner, Tendi, and Rutherford gradually arrive at the realization that they are the targets of a prank orchestrated by the senior officers. Subsequently, they devise a cunning scheme to retaliate against Lt. Dirk by utilizing the Wadi Chula Game and the Betazoid Gift Box procured from the anomaly room. Although these two artifacts take center stage, the Cerritos' anomaly storage room conceals several other hidden Star Trek Easter Eggs.

The anomaly storage room in Star Trek: Lower Decks houses a variety of dangerous items, with numerous hidden weapons among the artifacts. One of such weapons is a Klingon bat'leth, stored inside a box. Furthermore, a Vulcan lirpa can be found concealed behind several crates. The lirpa, a traditional Vulcan melee weapon, features a long staff with a curved blade on one end and a club on the other. It made its debut appearance in Season 2, Episode 1 of Star Trek: The Original Series, titled "Amok Time." In this episode, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) returns to Vulcan due to his pon farr and becomes involved in a kal-if-fee challenge with his fiancée, T'Pring (Arlene Martel). As part of this challenge, Spock and Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) engage in combat wielding lirpas.

4 Nomad Probe

3 Betazoid Gift Box

In episode 8 of season 2 of Star Trek: TOS, titled "The Changeling," the Enterprise encounters a probe that was launched from Earth 265 years ago. During its journey, this probe, known as Nomad, merges with a highly advanced alien probe, granting it enhanced capabilities. After beaming Nomad aboard the Enterprise, Captain Kirk and his crew discover that it has transformed into a merciless entity, committed to exterminating any lifeforms it deems imperfect. As Nomad begins to kill members of the crew, Kirk manages to persuade the probe to self-destruct. The appearance of a different Nomad probe in storage on the Cerritos remains a mysterious yet amusing moment.

A Betazoid gift box was utilized to contain presents exchanged between Betazoids, commonly during wedding ceremonies. The box featured a humanoid face that served as a means of communication for the recipient. Despite its human-like appearance, the box lacked sentience and could only repeat phrases it had previously heard. In episode 11 of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, titled "Haven," Counselor Deanna Troi (portrayed by Marina Sirtis) receives a Betazoid gift box from the parents of a man she had a childhood connection with. In episode 3 of Lower Decks season 4, the gift box comically encounters a similar Kataan probe that previously led Captain Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) to live an entire alternate life in episode 25 of TNG season 5, known as "The Inner Light."

2 Romulan Cloaking Device

When examining some of the artifacts, Rutherford, Mariner, and Tendi notice a circular Romulan cloaking device displayed on a shelf behind them. This device, capable of rendering a ship invisible, bears a striking resemblance to the one first introduced in the "The Enterprise Incident" episode of Star Trek: The Original Series' third season. In that episode, Captain Kirk and Spock collaborate to steal the cloak from a Romulan vessel, with Kirk successfully locating it while Spock distracts and seduces the Romulan commander. Interestingly, the Romulan cloak prop was ingeniously crafted using parts from Nomad's head and a sphere previously featured in the "Return to Tomorrow" episode of Star Trek: The Original Series' second season.

1 Wadi Chula Game

In the tenth episode of the first season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, titled "Move Along Home," the Wadi species makes a journey from the Gamma Quadrant in order to pay a visit to Deep Space 9, the prominent space station. With a profound fascination for games, the Wadi individuals promptly head to Quark's bar located on the station, where they eventually introduce him to their beloved game known as Chula. Within the realm of Chula, participants are transported into a virtual world where they must successfully unravel puzzles until they can advance further in the game. The version of Chula showcased in Star Trek: Lower Decks appears to be notably smaller in scale compared to its counterpart in DS9, but its functionality remains unchanged. In an amusing turn of events, Rutherford unintentionally becomes immersed in the game and astoundingly completes it at an astonishing pace in order to swiftly return to aiding his comrades.

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.