01x01 - Runaway

[bunniefuu]

Shift five has ended, shift five has ended.

All nonessential personnel, please exit Cargo Bay 3 in preparation for standard decontamination.

It's called the Command Training Program.

It trains you for command.

Right, right.

You know who I was just speaking about this with?

Me, right now? Your stepsister.

She is always so smart about these things.

Oh, honey. Look at your desktop.

You're just so clearly over-caffeinated.

It's fine. Sweetie, you called for my advice.

You know how you can get.

No, how can I get? Sylvia.

Remember when you were a little girl at school, and all the kids were climbing that wall?

And you just couldn't make it, so you ran away?

It was so painful, and I don't want the Command Program to be like that for you.

Anyway, I love you, and we'll talk soon.

Quadruple espresso with milk alternative?

Ill-advised.

That amount of caffeine is not...

Is my best friend, so shush.

Have a glorious day.

I will remember to expect nothing.

Even from this espresso.

Espresso, I release you.

Hello?

What the hell?

Spaghetti with meat sauce. Gelato.

Lasagna. Lemon ice cream.

Doughnut. Cheeseburger. Caesar salad.

French fry. Lycopene. Chicken noodle soup.

Chicken pot pie.

Chicken noodle soup.

Cheesecake.

Snacks, snacks, snacks.

Who the hell are you?

No, it's okay, it's okay, it's a... just a tricorder, it's not gonna hurt you.

It's okay. It's okay.

Xahean blood-based circulatory fluid.

You're Xahean?

Xahea just achieved warp capacity.

I read about it.

Identify.

Post-larval intermediate quiescent-stage development.

Female, approximately 17 years.

You're a kid?

You're a teen and a kid.

Well, at least you're not a contagious teen.

The sensors would have initiated quarantine protocol.

Ice cream.

It's primarily sugar.

Sugar is awesome.

And how did you subdue the alien presence, Ensign Tilly?

Can I please just...

Universal translator. Tilly.

I'm Tilly. What's your name?

My name is Keep Your Human Digits Off Me, Please.

It's a family name. My name is also I Can Build a Translator Like That in My Sleep.

In fact, I did when I was nine.

Oh, yeah? Did you calculate the precise protein concentration and small particle dispersion of emulsifiers to make a matter synthesizer dispense nothing but spumoni ice cream when you were nine?

No, you didn't.

Because you didn't know what ice cream was until 30 seconds ago.

Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po.

Oh, okay. Can you actually just go to the beginning and just very slowly...

Po.

Po. Okay, Po.

Listen, you're injured, and you are very far away from home, and you've boarded a Federation starship, unauthorized.

That is a very big deal.

And quite an accomplishment, maybe? Listen, whatever's going on with you, you need to let me in a little.

Okay? Otherwise, we're both gonna end up in the brig.

And the next shift is coming in a couple minutes, and...

I'm supposed to report you.

No! I had to run.

You're somebody's kid, and your parents are probably losing their minds right now.

My parents are dead. My brother is dead.

Sh...

There was a hormonal space rabbit.

He escaped from the lab and then he got loose in here.

He's got mood swings.

Searching Starfleet database for recent incidents involving Planet Xahea.

Did you know that Xaheans are the only species that were born at the same time as our planet?

That's not possible. The-the temperatures would, um...

You have no idea what's possible.

Xaheans were born with our planet.

That means that you and your planet are...

Twins. Born at the same time.

Grew up at the same time.

There's always been a natural balance, a give and take.

I've been mining the caves since I was little.

What do you mine on Xahea?

Dilithium.

Dilithium?

Search complete.

Po, there's... like, a galactic APB out on you.

It's a diplomatic hail.

Classified as "strategically critical"?

"At all costs, keep Mei Hani...

Po alive and secure."

Hey! Did you do that? Don't do that. That's rude.

Po, are you a fugitive?

No, don't go away.

You come back this instant, young lady.

You got me turning into my mother.

I was doing what I love.

Po.

I was being extraordinary.

It's something my mom told me. I...

I built... it's complicated.

Try me. I'm in the Command Training Program.

That means I've made a horrible mistake if you ask my mom.

What do you mean?

Nothing. What did you build?

I built an incubator to recrystallize dilithium.

Wow. That's...

Holy sh*t.

I had a hairline fracture in my orbital socket.

My mom made me stay inside.

After that, because of that, everything went crazy.

Yeah, maybe because you made Xahea the most politically relevant planet in the galaxy.

A dilithium incubator? Are you freaking kidding me?!

I built it because my planet is my twin, my twin sister.

I spent so much time in the caves and I just wanted something to be just for her, but then I said that, and no one...

Nobody listened to you.

Yeah, when the people who are supposed to care about you don't listen to you, it's... it's frightening and it's lonely and... it makes you feel like you're crazy or like you're... like, not even there.

I get that.

Um, sit. I want to look at your arm.

You're not crazy. You're right.

And I can tell you that the Federation would also agree with you.

Does anyone else know how to build it?

I'm not stupid.

They're vultures.

Good.

"Strategically critical"?

You have the only key to a very big door.

It's staying closed. It can't stay closed.

But I didn't mean it. Maybe you did.

Maybe it's not an aberration.

Maybe it's reality.

No. No. No more disappearing.

I-I'm just an engineer. You can't hide.

I just said that they're vultures.

Weren't you listening? Of course I was.

Give me one good reason.

Because your planet is moving on to its next phase of evolution.

But everyone got greedy and awful and they forgot that evolution is about soul, not just k*lling our planet so that we can have warp.

You're the evolution.

How do you think they're gonna handle this thing you built for Xahea?

Do you think they're gonna protect her during this...

No! No one will protect my planet.

No one loves my twin sister like I do.

I think you have your answer, kid.

Let's get you home.

Does it function by compensating for the position and direction of the subject's subatomic particles?

Um, pretty much. How did you learn all this stuff?

My brother.

Was he a scientist?

No. He was the king.

So...

So... Sorry, did you say the...? The king.

Yeah, got it. So your, um, your parents d*ed and your brother, so that means that you are...

Tomorrow is my coronation.

I ran away because I wasn't ready.

Supposed to become...

The queen. Okay. Got it.

Um... oh, man.

Why didn't you tell me that?

Because people stop listening after the word "queen."

Something changes.

They become someone else.

I guess I just needed you to be... you or something.

It's a dilithium crystal from my planet.

You keep it.

Thank you.

Coordinates locked in.

Prepare for transport.

You're walking a little taller, Po.

You're gonna be a great queen.

What did you mean about making a mistake, before, with the Command Training Program?

Oh, I, um...

I was just holding onto something dumb.

Hmm, that's dumb.

That's gone.

You're gonna be a great commander.

Will you come visit me?

Xahea's so beautiful.

I'm sure. She's your twin.

Bye.