A Message in a Bottle is a storyline mission in Star Trek Fleet Command where you work with Scotty to install a temporal resonator. It starts at warp 1 and needs warp 56 to complete, and the game lists a recommended level of 1. There are no fights. You report a time incursion in Fibona, hand over 1M Parsteel, and install the resonator at your station. The reward is 160 4★ Uncommon Refined Ore, and it unlocks Forwards is Backwards.
A Message in a Bottle objectives
There are three objectives and no choice split:
- Report the time incursion to Scotty. Location: Fibona.
- Provide 1M Parsteel to Scotty.
- Install the Temporal Resonator at the Station.
The first step is travel to Fibona, where Scotty is waiting. The Parsteel payment has no location, so it can be made as soon as the step opens. The final step brings you back to your station for the installation, and the mission completes there.
No hostile is listed. The Parsteel is the only cost beyond travel.
Where and what warp
The mission is available from warp 1. Completing it takes warp 56, the range needed to reach Fibona. After that the route is simply back home.
The recommended level is listed as 1. Warp 56 and 1M Parsteel in storage are the real requirements.
A Message in a Bottle rewards
The mission pays 160 4★ Uncommon Refined Ore. Completing it also unlocks the next mission in the storyline, Forwards is Backwards.
Where it sits in the storyline
A Message in a Bottle is the quiet middle step between two missions that involve the USS Newton. All three need warp 56. Current game data:
| Mission | What you do | Fights | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Vacuum | Defend against the USS Newton and trace warp emissions in Nikola | USS Newton, about 1,969,977 | 16 × 1 Hour Repair Speed Up |
| A Message in a Bottle | Report to Scotty in Fibona, pay 1M Parsteel, install the resonator | None | 160 4★ Uncommon Refined Ore |
| Forwards is Backwards | Transmit the temporal echo in Mina, meet the Newton in Sotavi, then a choice | None listed | 500 Federation Recruit Token and 87,000 Officer XP, or 665,000 Dilithium and 290 4★ Common Interceptor Parts |
The Vacuum is the hard fight of the three, and the 16 repair speed ups it pays are there to help you recover from it. A Message in a Bottle swaps combat for a Parsteel cost, and Forwards is Backwards ends in a choice with two very different reward sets.
Tips
Have the 1M Parsteel ready before you start. With no fights, the payment is the only step that can hold you up, and it is a large sum if you are also saving for station upgrades.
Any ship with warp 56 range can run this one. A survey ship works fine and leaves your combat ships free.
The 4★ Uncommon Refined Ore suits the upgrades that ask for higher grade refined material, so keep it rather than spending it on something a lower grade would cover.
Once the resonator is installed, move straight on to Forwards is Backwards, which needs the same warp. Other missions sorted by level are on the mission guide.
