A turbolift was a device mounted on starships and buildings, such as space stations, to allow easy movement of cargo and people between key areas of buildings or starships. They came in two forms: horizontal and vertical, the ancestor of the latter being the mechanical elevator. They were complemented by a network of Jefferies tubes when turbolifts failed. Norexan-class starships were equipped with turbolifts right behind the bridge. (RIS Bouteina: "The Departure")