A rats nest of different connector cables. All relatively common and still
useful except it will take several minutes to disentangle any single cable from
the mass. There are some cable ties in the middle holding the whole mass
together. About half are frayed or broken in some manner. A few are for
connecting to equipment that no longer exists.
WHOOMP! You have just described about 4 bins full of cabling I have. And some data or charging cables, not distinguishable from others, have proven intermittent in the past but have ended up back in with the good ones... *@#%!@!!!
A box of data storage devices, except none of the computer terminals on board
accept the interface for them. Each has some writing on it that indicated it
contains data that may be important, probably. Jump drive repair manual,
computer OS backup, Jump Tapes, wilderness survival guide, and the like.
Do you have clairvoyance, Thomas? I have about probably 12 or 15 different disk drives plus likely about 20-25 memory card/sticks of various generations in varying states of 'where is the adapter for THAT one?' and 'That adapter fits, but I'd better find a manual to make sure it is electrically compatible...' and 'Do I still have a machine that can accomodate that format?'.
A box of a dozen holoprojector lenses. The engineer was going to build a
theater quality projector for the common area. Still in the planning stages.
*ahem* storage array *ahem* - currently still in boxes - I keep looking at it, but I need electrical work first before I risk the new hardware.
Half a dozen bottles of over-the-counter medications for uncommon, but only
annoying, medical conditions. Each bottle is opened, and about half the
medication missing. The medication is expired by between 6 months and 10 years.
... but if you were desperate, it might still work at reduced efficacy....
A chunk of hardened fiberglass resin in the shape of a jar with an embedded
applicator brush. The steward thinks they make interesting table centerpieces.
I have a solidified (well, the hose and nozzle) hazardous spray foam unit for insulating (in a water resistant way) that may well have a half a pressurized tank left, but I can't dispense it and I can't just send a pressurized vessel anywhere. I have to find out from the local contracting store how we get rid of this.
ObTrav: Could be similar in the locker with "spray seal" for small puncture or for "spray insulator" to do a fast seal on electricals or even "spray steel" that you could use to do a quick seal with some sturdiness (but maybe not quite full airtightness).
A box for a small personal electronic gadget. All of the packing material is
there, manuals, cables, except the device is missing. Everything is otherwise in
pristine shape.
Get out of my closet, Thomas. Seriously. I didn't realize your career was Tavchredl.
A dark brown bottle, sealed, with a hand written label "cleaning solvent". It
is half full of some viscous liquid. Opening the bottle emits an aggressively
pungent scent that everyone finds repulsive. It really is an important solvent
for cleaning parts of the drives in engineering.
My dad, passed in 2017, left a lot of cans and containers with mystery contents - could be xylol, acetone, diesel, gasoline, mixed gas and oil, other cleaners, etc. Opening up the garage months after his passing, I had to immediately throw open all garage bay doors and do it fast so as not to pass out from the solvent fog... and that was just from the open ones. But he knew what they all were and what they were for...
A 10 cm high kinetic sculpture, with a half a dozen brightly colored arms
gently rotating. The rumor is if the battery in the thing dies, so does some
important piece of equipment in the ship. The battery is replaced every year
when the ship is in port for annual maintenance. It's on the checklist.
Brilliant!
Spacers likely have superstitions. Good play on that!
Reminds me of a Rolemaster game many years ago where a party was fleeing from a Dragon's Lair and it was flying after them. Rolemaster has an open ended roll engine. So, with the Dragon bearing down on them, one of the players grabbed a hammer he'd found in the dungeon and thought might be magical (it was... it was CURSED to apply a negative DM to attacks). Anyway, his D100 ended up with I think 3 consecutive rerolls to total well over 280... (normally you might get 140 to 160 with a lucky roll and an average follow on).
So the player through this hammer he was not proficient with at the Dragon (and it was cursed) and he hit a weak spot in the armour and killed it dead in a one shot.
Nobody (including the GM) at the table could believe it.
For the rest of his career, the character carried and used the cursed hammer thinking it was a Blessed Hammer of Dragonslaying.
It's all in your mind, good or bad... ;)