Retellian escape pod The Retellian escape pod was a type of small escape pod used in the 22nd century to safely evacuate Retellian freighter s in the case of an emergency . Two escape pods were directly accessible from a particular section aboard the Retellian freighter . They were not entirely visible from inside the freighter , where merely an access hatch leading to each of the two utility craft was visible . Design . Exterior . The Retellian escape pods had small engine ports , stabilizer s , and braking thruster s . Each of the vessels also had a pair of landing thruster s , with one of the thruster s on the port side and another on starboard . The pod ' s exterior additionally included an enclosed panel that contained a homing beacon which , when active , blinked and beeped . However , the craft gave no indication , at least from its exterior , about the identity of anyone who locked onto the beacon . Interior . Each of the escape pods was built for only one occupant , though could accommodate two persons less comfortably . Each pod contained a single seat , under which was a concealed panel that included a control to activate the craft ' s two landing thrusters . There was also a storage compartment in the ceiling above the seat . The escape pod ' s engine ports , stabilizers , and braking thrusters could all be operated from inside the craft . Indeed , the pod ' s instruments were well equipped for setting and executing a course , with helm controls and a display that presented the distance between the craft and its destination . The instruments could additionally detect the atmosphere constituents of a nearby planet . History . In 2152 , Commander Charles " Trip " Tucker and Kriosian First Monarch Kaitaama used a Retellian escape pod to flee from Firek Goff , a Retellian who had kidnapped Kaitaama . Eventually , the escape pod landed in a swamp on an unnamed planet , where Tucker used the pod ' s thruster assembly to start a fire . The pod was discovered by Firek Goff but he was knocked unconscious by Tucker and Kaitaama , who were rescued by immediately thereafter . ( ) Background information . The terms " access hatch " and " small engine ports " originate from the final draft script of " Precious Cargo " . In that script , the interior of the Retellian escape pod was described thus ; " " Cramped , dimly lit , equipped with various control panels and a couple of monitors . " " The script also referred to the interior ' s single seat as a " jumpseat . " The Retellian escape pods were scripted to initially be depicted " sitting on the deck " of the Retellian freighter . The pods are not shown that way in the episode , though . Another detail which is not firmly established in the installment is that the escape pods were scripted as being capable of impulse drive . In ultimately omitted dialogue from the final draft script of " Precious Cargo " , the sensors on the escape pod used by Kaitaama and Tucker were established , following the vessel ' s crash - landing , as broken , with insufficient time for Tucker to repair them . This would explain why Tucker subsequently states that there is no way to determine the identity of anyone who locked onto the pod ' s homing beacon .