02x03 - Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

[bunniefuu]

♪ ♪

Previously on
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds...

LA'AN: All my life, I've hated augments.

The damage they did.
They almost destroyed Earth.

BATEL: You have a very unique last name.

Do you have any relation
to Khan Noonien Singh?

Yes.

"You're an abomination, an augment".

That's what the other kids called me

when they heard my name.
Augment. Monster!

NEERA: Genetics is not destiny, despite

what you may have been taught.

You were not born a monster.

You were just born with
the capacity for actions,

good or ill.

LA'AN: Security officer's log,
stardate . .

Nobody told me
when I took this assignment

just how many friends
it would make for me.

The ring was a gift from my matriarch.

The transporter buffer
doesn't steal from people.

Okay. That's enough. Thank you.

It is a well-known fact
that people love it

when you bring them bad news.

May I inquire as to who filed
this noise complaint against me?

It was anonymous.

I shall make every effort
to practice less vigorously

going forward.

LA'AN: And, quite frankly,

who doesn't find having their
belongings searched endearing?

By "suspicious provenance"
you're implying

that I stole these artifacts?

"Property of the Archeology Department".

I used to work there, didn't I?

So this is all aboveboard.

Once you have lived through

every natural disaster

and economic calamity in human history

without becoming a pack rat,

then you can judge me.

I still have a bunker
in Vermont where I used to live

in case this whole

"no money, socialist utopia" thing

turns out to be a fad.

Yes, well, and that's a fake,

so you can tell the Louvre

to stop calling me!

You can take it up with Captain Pike.

[GRUNTING]

Easy.

You are going to take my head off.

As your physician, I'd advi...

You're not here as my physician.

Well, as your sparring partner,

I'd advise you talk to your physician.

Maybe he could help...

I don't need to talk, okay?

I don't need to be medicated.

You didn't come to the party for Una

at the captain's quarters.

[YELLS]

What was that?

I simply used your energy against you.

Trying to bear all of this by yourself,

- it's got to be...
- What?

Lonely.

It doesn't need to be.

I'll see you tomorrow.

FEMALE [OVER P.A.]: Attention - ,

- attention, Bay - , maintain tactical...
- [WHOOSHING]

[THUMP]

Who are you? How did you get aboard?

Help.

LA'AN: That's not from a phaser.

It... it's from a b*llet.

There's been an att*ck. In the past.

You have to stop it.

[GRUNTING, PANTING]

You need to get to the bridge.

[ALARM BLARING]

Captain, I need to t...

... talk to you.

Ma'am, not to be impolite,
but who are you

and what the hell are
you doing on my ship?

PIKE: Space.

The final frontier.

These are the voyages
of the starship Enterprise.

Its five-year mission:

to explore strange new worlds...

... to seek out new life

and new civilizations,

to boldly go where no
one has gone before.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Captain, incoming hail
from the Vulcan ship.

On viewer.

I'm Captain James Kirk

of the United Earth Fleet
ship Enterprise.

You've violated our sovereign territory.

State your intentions.

I am Spock, captain of the Sh'Rel.

I am here to formally request
your assistance.

Our w*r with the
Romulan Star Empire has been...

Disastrous. We're aware.

It is a human adage, I believe,

that the enemy of your enemy
is your friend.

Maybe in some other lifetime,
Captain Spock.

We have our own problems with Romulus

and we can't afford
to fight a w*r on two fronts.

Without your assistance,
the last of our fleet

will be destroyed.

Our home world will be left defenseless.

I'm sorry. I wish there was
something we could do.

Captain, I... I think it's best

we have a discussion in private.

KIRK: So you're telling me that

there's an alternate timeline

where I'm not the captain of this ship?

All I know is that ten minutes ago

I was on my ship with
my captain and now I'm here.

And everything's changed.

Yes.

Our scientists have theorized that

such a thing could be possible.

A far simpler explanation

is you've lost your mind.

Except there's no record of you
in our database.

Because this isn't my Enterprise.

It certainly is not.

But it's supposed to be.

I guess the man I spoke to was right.

There was some kind of att*ck. Something

in the past changed,
which would mean that...

... my reality is gone.

But you can't tell me
what changed or when.

Or why.

Except that it's the work
of some kind of

time-traveling assassin?

Someone sh*t the man
before he gave me this.

It must be the reason
why I'm still here,

why I remember my own timeline.

- Can we use it to send you back?
- No. I told you,

I-I'm pretty sure there's
nothing for me to go back to.

My timeline doesn't exist

unless I can stop this att*ck.

Well, you're asking me
to take an awful lot on faith.

- I am.
- Neither of us has any idea

what that device really does.

It could be a w*apon.

The man told me to get to the bridge.

I think you're supposed to help me.

Starfleet has regulations
for situations like this.

I have to stop you there, ma'am.

I have never heard of this Starfleet.

I am a captain
in the United Earth Fleet.

And you are a guest...
an intruder, really...

on my ship.

I need you to hand that over.

My science officer and chief engineer

will study it and report it
back to UEF Command.

No.

- [SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE]
- [TRAFFIC WHOOSHING IN DISTANCE]

Wait!

You got to be kidding me.

- Did you break it?
- Did I... did I break it?

No, it's just not programmed correctly

or-or out of energy, maybe.

Or it's put us where
we're supposed to be

and doesn't want us to leave.

I have to get back to my ship.

My God, what have you done?

Oh, I'm sorry, but this was done to me

just as much as it was done to you.

So we can stand here and argue about it

or we can try and figure out a plan.

There is going to be an att*ck.

It's going to change the timeline.

We have to stop it.

Do you have a tricorder?

No. Or a communicator

or a phaser. Thanks for that.

Right, well we'll have to have
a look around then, won't we?

Thank you.

Seems to be New York City.
Mid- st century.

- What?
- What?

It's Toronto.

The biggest city in what
used to be called Canada?

You know, maple leaves,
politeness, poutine.

I take it you've never been.

I've never been to Earth at all.

I was born in space on the USS Iowa.

Earth in my time isn't like this.

What is it like?

A battleground for a while,
then occupied territory

and then a ruin.

God!

Was it always this freezing on Earth?

This isn't actually that bad for Canada.

But it will get colder at night.

We need to change before we freeze.

Come on.

[POP MUSIC PLAYING ON SPEAKERS]

Never seen a revolving door before?

I'm from space.

Find an outfit.

There's changing rooms over there.

- [CLEARS THROAT]
- Hmm.

- Huh.
- Hmm.

What do you think?

It's fine.

Mm.

Grab your clothes.

Ah.

- They're going to expect us to, um...
- I know.

You a fast runner?

- [CASHIER CHUCKLES]
- CUSTOMER: Thanks.

I have a better idea. Hold that.

[ALARM BLARING]

Ma'am, can you step to the side?

WOMAN: Sorry. This still
has a tag on it, here.

We can't do that again.

People during this time
traded currency for everything.

Housing, food...

All right, so let's get some currency.

What kind of marketable
st century skills do you have?

You know what?

Give me a few minutes.

["THIS IS IT" BY
THE HOME OF HAPPY PLAYING]

♪ We had to find our way back ♪

♪ To the place with the morning sun ♪

♪ Ain't no doubt, ain't no mistake ♪

♪ 'Cause we got it all in hand ♪

♪ We got it all in hand ♪

♪ The time is right ♪

♪ To claim my stake ♪

♪ So, come on ♪

♪ And this is it ♪

♪ This is what we got going ♪

♪ People, get ready to feel ♪

♪ This is it ♪

♪ This is what we got going ♪

- ♪ People, get ready to feel ♪
- ♪ People, get ready ♪

♪ This is it ♪

♪ This is what we got going ♪

♪ People, get ready to feel. ♪

Don't take this the wrong way, but...

What, I don't seem like a

"thinking five steps ahead" kind of guy?

- Mm-mmm.
- [CHUCKLES]

I used to play all the time
with my first officer,

till she got sick of losing.

- Been looking for a proper opponent ever since.
- Mm-hmm.

That old-fashioned,
two-dimensional version, though,

it's basically idiot's chess.

Ooh.

Come on.

Hi. Two, please.

MAN: Yeah, sure thing.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Enjoy.

Mm-mmm.

Come on.

I... I am your superior officer

and I am ordering you to have a hot dog.

You don't work for Starfleet,

so you can't order me do anything.

We need to be looking of
some sign of what's changed

or who changed it.

With what to go on?

Wh... Why this day? Why-Why us?

Why here?

Nothing seems threatening.

It's all just sort of, I don't know...

pleasant.

I know. It's terrible.

You know what I mean. I just...

But we were sent back
for a reason, so...

[CLEARS THROAT]

- What?
- Uh, nothing.

You don't have sunsets in your time?

From the videos I've seen,
we mostly have

clouds of ash that won't clear
for a thousand years

and underground lunar habitats

with no view of the sun at all.

My advice...

... don't skip good hot dogs
when you can get them.

Fine.

We eat, we find some place to warm up,

- then...
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, we do your thing.

Yeah. Mmm.

Mmm.

I'm gonna go back and get one more.

[SIGHS]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[SIGHS]

Ah.

Whew. Well, that really
beats a sonic shower.

What are you doing?

Trying to remember st century history.

You should write a list
of what you remember, too.

We can figure out what's changed.

When there's a tiny little bar
to go through?

Are you serious?
We may not have much time.

Not much time? I may have missed

a few lectures in temporal mechanics,

but I understand enough

to know what you're asking me to do.

This is a fork in the road.

Your future and mine
diverging from this moment.

If we fix your timeline,

we destroy mine.

My life, my friends,

my whole existence erased.

I'm sorry, but your timeline

- isn't supposed to exist.
- According to who?

My best option
is to do absolutely nothing.

Enjoy the hot dogs and the hot showers

and let whatever's gonna happen happen

and then figure out
how I can get back home.

I've seen your timeline.

You're at w*r. Your Earth is a ruin.

We've made the stars our home.
The moon, Mars,

- Venus, Europa.
- In my timeline,

humanity has spread across
dozens of worlds.

We're part of a federation of species.

We don't need anyone else's
help to survive.

And just surviving
is good enough for you?

Oh, and I suppose you come from

some sort of a utopia.

My Earth still has sunsets.

Okay, yes, our st century, it got bad.

But after the first contact
with the Vulcans,

our Earth became a paradise.

The Federation and Starfleet
are forces for good,

not just on Earth but
throughout the entire galaxy.

You're a soldier fighting a w*r

it seems like you've already lost...

We're not out of the fight yet.

... when you could be an explorer.

Or...

... I may not exist
in your timeline at all.

But you do.

I mean, we-we've never met, but

I... I've heard stories about you

from your brother.

Sam's alive?

My God.

"Get to the bridge".

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

It's been about an hour since

we first learned of the expl*si*n...

The bridge expl*si*n...
all of this is familiar.

I think it happened in my timeline.

Mine, too.

One of the longest bridges
in the world destroyed

just after it was completed.

That means this can't
be the att*ck that he was

talking about. This-this isn't
the moment things changed.

Wait, look over there. Do you see that?

- See what?
- The wreckage.

[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]

Can I see the photos you just took?

Uh, please.

She meant to say please.

Right, that right there.
Does this get bigger?

Like, you want me to zoom in?

Right. Uh, zoom in.

Is something wrong?

No. Thank you.

That charring... I've seen it before.

- It's from a photonic b*mb.
- Photonic?

They're not supposed
to develop that technology

for at least a hundred years.

The kind of technology a time-
traveling assassin might use?

Except, if our memories are correct,

this was already supposed to happen.

They're removing the evidence.

Come on, we need to follow them.

We'll never keep up on foot. Come on.

Hey.

Most vehicles have
private ownership in this time.

Oh, I know.

Where did you learn to do that?

Spent six months in a Denobulan prison.

Cellmate was a Vulcan.

I can also make Plomeek soup
in the toilet.

There. There, there, there. Go, go, go.

Uh, yeah, I'm trying. Uh...

[ENGINE STARTS]

There it is.

- Slow down.
- I'm slowing.

Be discreet.

Basically my middle name.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

No, actually, I've read
your personnel file.

- You have some insane...
- No, Tiberius is not insane.

The least discreet middle name.

It was my grandfather's.

What's your brother's?

Sam Aurelius Augustus Benedictus Kirk?

Sam is his middle name.
Most people call him George.

[SCOFFS] Absolutely no one
calls him George.

Tiberius and Sam.

- Your parents must really hate you.
- Oh, you're one to talk,

La'An Noonien-Soong.

- Singh.
- Whatever.

You-you haven't heard it before.

- What?
- Uh...

Just the first time in a while
someone hasn't recognized it.

Oh. Famous?

- Infamous is more like it.
- Oh.

OFFICER: Hey!

Damn it.

♪ K-Hole at the Dali ♪

♪ Seeing the unknown ♪

♪ Well, I might have been on molly ♪

♪ 'Cause my mind's being blown... ♪

Hold on.

♪ To the next floor ♪

♪ Such a strong sedater... ♪

No, you don't actually have to...

You literally just told me to hold on.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa!

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

- That was a person.
- All right.

Well, actually, keep holding on.

♪ It's a total light picture ♪

♪ Kaleidoscope ♪

♪ You turn around ♪

♪ And you don't know where you been ♪

♪ You look up at the glass dome ♪

♪ And the room begins to spin ♪

- ♪ Let's go out and find the ocean ♪
- [GRUNTS] That's the...

♪ 'Cause I think we need a swim ♪

♪ Turn around, start it over ♪

♪ Let's begin ♪

♪ In the K-Hole at the Dali ♪

[SIREN WAILING]

♪ Seeing the unknown ♪

♪ Well, I might have been on molly ♪

♪ 'Cause my mind's being blown ♪

♪ You turn around ♪

♪ And you don't know where you been ♪

♪ You look up at the glass dome ♪

♪ And the room begins to spin ♪

♪ Let's go out and find the ocean ♪

♪ 'Cause I think we need a swim ♪

♪ Turn around ♪

♪ Start it over ♪

♪ Let's begin. ♪

I really don't know what
the problem is. [GRUNTS]

Where are you taking him.
What are you charging him with?

Driving without a license,
failure to follow traffic laws.

No, I told you my license
is in my other pants.

I'll be fine, just see if you
can pick up on their trail.

What trail?

What an incredible surprise.

Let me guess, you haven't made
your quota for the week yet?

Uh, move along, ma'am.

Just so you're aware,
this is streaming live.

Say hello to the entire
very judgmental Internet.

Are your cameras active for the stop?

No?

Did you stop this man
because you were profiling him

for being American?

This is a totally routine stop.

Sure, you just randomly pulled over

a famous civil rights attorney.

Nothing random about it.

So you agree, this is
targeted harassment.

Did you stop the doctor
because of his work

defending victims of tyrannical
law enforcement overreach

or is it because of the op-ed
he published in The Atlantic

- about breaking up police unions?
- DISPATCHER: Backup required

- at bridge bombing site.
- Copy, Dispatch.

All right, we're gonna
let you go with a warning.

This time.

Drive more carefully in the future.

What the hell was that?

I have no idea.

[ENGINES START]

Uh, thanks.

Yeah, no problem.

Sera.

Va-Vanessa.

Jim.

You know I'm not
a civil rights attorney.

Totally.

Then why did you...

'Cause you were following the van.

Without a lot of discretion,
for what it's worth.

Discretion is his middle name.

Wait, you were following them, too?

Well, if you hadn't let them get away,

we could have found out
where they were taking

the evidence from the bombing.

Okay, look, I'm used to
doing this on my own,

but if you have notes
that we can compare...

You know who blew up the bridge?

Well, I can make an educated guess.

I mean, it was destroyed,
obviously not randomly,

because of what it symbolized.

International cooperation,
the world getting smaller,

humanity working together.

They'll blame it on a t*rror1st att*ck

and we'll go back to fighting each other

instead of the real thr*at.

You mean...

Aliens.

Anyway, uh, it was super fun

saving you from an illegal
black site t*rture dungeon.

I got to go.

My-my wife was abducted.

Taken aboard an alien ship.

She saw things.

Uh, yes,

I-I'm his...

I did. [CLEARS THROAT]

It was terrifying, the-the things I saw.

Well, like, what did you see?

Advanced technology far beyond
anything humans possess.

What kind of technology?

Something called a photonic b*mb.

That's what blew up the bridge.

Have you heard of anything like that?

A lot of crazies latch onto this stuff.

They're looking for
something to believe in

outside the mainstream,

trying to find the seams
in the bunny suit.

Right.

Well, things have been changing.
You have to have noticed. Right?

I mean, there's more att*cks
and they're closer together.

Usually the government is better
at covering them up.

To be clear, we're talking about
the government of...

No, no, no, it's an international cabal.

It's the only thing all of
the governments in the world

can agree on.

Keeping the alien att*cks secret
in exchange for

any advanced tech that they recover.

I mean, they have a facility here

where they work on it.

Experimental aircraft,
quantum computers.

I heard that they even have
a cold fusion reactor

here in the city

that powers their entire operation.

The bridge was about sowing division.

What about the other att*cks?
What was the connection?

Okay, so Chernobyl, Tunguska, JFK,

random gas leak explosions...

all of it is about

slowing down human progress.

Keeping us stuck on this rock

so we never go to space.

Are you guys hungry? 'Cause I'm hungry.

I am hungry, actually.

Wait, I...

KIRK: Wait, poutine has gravy?

- This is amazing.
- Can you focus?

I'm not sure we can believe
anything she's telling us.

She knew enough to follow the van

from the bridge expl*si*n.

She's unhinged.

She grew up in a time
when everyone thought

aliens were science fiction.

But in her gut she knows
that they're real,

and that they aren't
necessarily friendly.

I mean, that would make
anyone unhinged, right?

Hey, sorry. This works
better with visuals.

I have spent years
collecting these pictures.

I mean, there's plenty available
on the Internet,

but % of it is nonsense
and memes, right?

- [WHISPERS]: What's a meme?
- I don't know.

SERA: Sorry these are so blurry.

I swear, half of these people on forums

are still using dial-up.

KIRK: How did you get this?

An astronomer trying to take a picture

of the International Space Station.

In the right place at the right time.

And speaking of...
there's a hookah place

across from the bridge expl*si*n site.

I bought the surveillance
footage off the owner

before the police could
confiscate it, and...

he was waiting minutes
before the expl*si*n.

And that's one of the guys
who made off with the wreckage.

Like he already knew
it was going to happen.

Well, I'm sorry we didn't
have more to tell you.

We're, uh, we're new at this.

No, I mean, you-you listened.

You didn't tell me that I was crazy.

You have no idea what that means to me.

Anyway, uh, thank you.

You have to feel bad for her.

To be so certain of something,
so close to the proof.

Well, she's closer than she thinks.

That ship she showed us...

it's Romulan.

I remember now.

Look, she said that
there's an experimental

cold fusion reactor
somewhere in the city.

Well, I know that there is
because in a few days

it's gonna be destroyed
and wipe out Toronto.

A Romulan first strike.

None of that happens in my timeline.

Then we need to find
the cold fusion reactor first.

Stop the time traveler
from destroying it.

Which would be trivial
if we had a tricorder.

Yeah.

If only someone hadn't impulsively

zapped us over here without one.

Any chance that same someone

took a lot of engineering
extension courses

at the Academy?

Maybe she can build one for us?

Someone had to audit
the intro course, so...

Mm. So I guess we just
need to find an engineer

from the stone ages

- to build us a cold fusion detector.
- Yeah.

Ideally one who's not gonna ask
a lot of follow-up questions.

[REPORTER SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

LA'AN: Vermont.

I might actually know somebody

in Vermont.

♪ ♪

Just trust me.

- PELIA: Ugh. Damn it! [GROANS]
- [GLASS SHATTERS]

[SINGSONGY]: We're closed.

This is going to sound crazy, but...

we spent all day getting here.

We had to bribe a border guard,

we took a cab and-and four buses.

Please, Pelia.

How do you know my name?

I know you.

And I know your secret.

So, please, open the damn door.

Come on, come on.

PELIA: Look, I have a terrible
memory for faces,

and yours does not ring a bell.

And besides, people don't just
wander in off the street

saying, "I know your secret".

To get a free pass from me
I need more to go on than that.

How else would I know
that you're a Lanthanite,

an ancient sect of beings
who live impossibly long lives,

who've hidden amongst humans
largely undetected

for thousands of years?

How else could I know that
you stole that

from the Louvre?

How did you find me?

I knew you were at a place called

The Archaeology Department.

But I thought it was
an actual, well, you know,

archaeology department.

So, then we checked out
a lot of universities.

And when that didn't work,

a guy at the Apple Store taught me

how to use DuckDuckGo.

None of that answers
how you know about me

in the first place.

I don't exactly advertise.

We have something in common.

We both have secrets that would topple

a lot of people's firmly-held beliefs.

Uh, all I can say is...

... my friend and I...

we're on a mission
to protect something...

... beautiful.

The future of humanity.

And I think you know from experience

just how fragile that future is.

We are maybe hours away

from losing that future entirely.

You are the only person

I can trust to help us.

We both have brain-melting
secrets is, I guess,

a good enough reason to help someone.

What you need?

An engineer.

Well, then,

why the hell did you come to me?

You're not an engineer?

I work retail.

D-Does this look like

an engineer's e-engineering place?

I haven't taken a math class

since Pythagoras made the crap up.

You two are trying to find
a nuclear reactor?

Why is that?

I-I've had enough bad run-ins
with law enforcement

to last several lifetimes.

And now, this business with the bridge.

We're the ones trying
to not blow up the reactor.

I guess it doesn't matter much.
I like a good puzzle,

but I don't know what help I can be.

I'm the one that thought
cold fusion was pretend,

like Bigfoot or lasers.

Lasers

are also real.

All right, you know, I can't keep up

with every scientific whatever.

- You let this lady repair my ship?
- Okay, what?!

We don't have to understand
how cold fusion works

to find the reactor, we just
need to find its byproducts.

Excess heat, neutrons, tritium.

Tritium, like in divers' watches.

Old divers' watches from the ' s.

I'm gonna show you. Follow me.

- I guarantee you this is going to be insane.
- Shh!

PELIA: Here you go.

They light up.

Or-or they used to. Something about

tritium running out after
about years. And then

they're basically worthless after that.

LA'AN: Tritium gives off
a small amount of radiation.

The dials must be coated in something

that reacts with it.
Maybe, um, phosphor?

Tritium has a short half-life,

so it would decay.

Leaving only
the reactive material behind.

Which means what?
Oh, oh, careful of the...

If we take the glass casing off...

the reactive material
will be exposed to the air,

and if there's tritium present...

The hands of the watch

will glow.

Thank you so much for your help.

You are more of an engineer
than you think.

Thank you.

Maybe I missed my calling.

Be nice to make an honest
living for a change.

Not that

any of this stuff is stolen.

[LA'AN CLEARS THROAT]

KIRK: Wandering for hours. Anything?

I promise I will mention it
if it starts to glow.

Could've just let me wear it, is all.

- Oh, that again.
- No, it's a man's watch.

You just want to be in charge.

You know, if I was in your position,

I don't know that I would have
gone along with this.

I don't think I could have
gotten this far without you.

You'd definitely have frozen to death

on the first night.

Or starved. That hot
dog saved your life.

[LAUGHS]

Well, how many people can say that?

I might be the only one.

Uh, truth is,

if we can only save one timeline, I'd...

I'd rather live in yours.

I mean, I know that's not how it works.

Like I mentioned,
I missed a few lectures

- in temporal mechanics, but...
- What if you could?

Come to my time.

I'm not sure one timeline
is big enough for two of me.

I'm serious.

I brought you here.

If we can fix this,
maybe-maybe the device could

take us both back.

People are...

... usually...

difficult for me.

There's always been a barrier,

and it can get

lonely.

But you...

Me?

I'm... I'm special?

[LAUGHS]

Yes.

No.

- Both, I guess.
- Mm.

I-I've been carrying something
around for a long time.

Something in my heritage.

You come from a long line
of axe murderers?

Oh, no, we never use axes.

Truth is, maybe I'm letting that go now.

And maybe it helps that
you've never even heard

of the scarlet letter
I've worn my whole life.

The Scarlet Letter?

It's a novel by Hawthorne.

It's about a woman who's marked,

like the mark of Cain.

You've never even...

Yes, I know Hawthorne

and the Old Testament.

I'm just messing with you.

You assh...

♪ ♪

- Hey.
- Yeah?

You broke your promise.

We're close.

This must be it.

The cold fusion reactor is in here.

- [LOCK CLICKS]
- [DOOR OPENS]

Well, this is your mission.

- What's the play?
- [DOOR CLOSES]

We need to get inside,

find out what we're really dealing with.

All right. So, we wait here,

watch for someone coming or going,

force their hand into the scanner.

We won't need to.

Look at the sign.

"Noonien-Singh".
That can't be a coincidence.

You wanted to know why you were

picked for this mission.
What does it mean?

What does your family
have to do with this?

What did they do?

[SCANNER HUMS]

- [LOCK CLICKS]
- It...

it worked.

Marker in my DNA, maybe.

- SERA: Well, this worked out.
- [g*n COCKS]

Thank you for helping me
get into this place.

I'm gonna need both of you

to come with me inside.

Don't.

You're the one we're
looking for, aren't you?

- You're from the future?
- As are you.

You're Captain James T. Kirk.

Embarrassing how long
it took me to recognize you.

Recognize me?

I would say that your
reputation precedes you,

but it's kind of the other way around.

You blew up the bridge.

I didn't.

But everything I told you was true.

My people have been
slowing human progress,

but they should have gone much further

than blowing up
a couple of labs and bridges.

They have no idea

how troublesome humanity becomes.

Your people.

You're a Romulan from the future.

Shh.

A hell of a job on the disguise.

Still not quite used to the ears yet.

- Now get in.
- Not a chance.

You want to sh**t us? Go ahead.

You have to know that if you do,

the building's alarms will go off.

Security will lock the place down,

your plan will fail.

You're bluffing.

Try me.

- [GROANS]
- LA'AN: No.

No.

No, no...

- You're gonna be okay.
- [ALARM BLARING]

Not bluffing.

No, you're gonna be okay. Look at me.

It's okay.

Keep your eyes on me.

Say hi to Sam for me.

No.

No, no. James.

James.

[MUFFLED]: James.

Okay,

a little impulsive on my part.

But maybe worth it

to be the one to k*ll

James T. Kirk.

[GRUNTING]

[LOCK CLICKS]

WOMAN [OVER P.A.]:
Attention: security breach

- in progress.
- MAN: Freeze!

Stop! [GRUNTS]

Attention: security breach in progress.

[ANNOUNCEMENT CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY]

Security won't let you
get to the reactor.

I'm not going to the reactor.

What?

The reactor exploding,
destroying the city,

that's what changes.

Well, that was plan A.

But if you can't use a hand grenade

you should use a scalpel.

[GRUNTS]

Open it.

Use your handprint to open the door.

No.

You know who's in there, right?

You're here to k*ll Khan Noonien Singh.

Why?

Because a computer simulation
told me to.

You can't be serious.

Time is like a black box.

It's too complicated
to leave to intuition,

so we built computers
that will tell us the results

of, uh, certain changes.

And this was your answer?

Khan becomes a brutal tyrant.

I mean, maybe humanity needs
the dark age that he brings in

to usher in their age of enlightenment.

Or maybe it's just random.

Doesn't really matter, though,
'cause if I k*ll him,

the Federation never forms,

and the Romulans lose
their greatest adversary.

But, yeah, so many people
have tried to influence

these events, you know,
to delay them or stop them.

I mean, whole temporal wars

have been fought over them.

And it's almost as if
time itself is pushing back,

and events reinsert themselves.

And all this was supposed
to happen back in ,

and I've been trapped here for years

trying to get my sh*t at him.

I'm not gonna stop now.

So open the door.

My real name

is La'An Noonien-Singh.

My ancestor is Khan Noonien Singh.

And his legacy is genocide,

t*rture...

... and me.

You have a device in your pocket

that protects you from changes

in the timeline.

If he dies...

you can live whatever
kind of life you want,

and you'll never have
to hear the name Khan

ever again.

You can be free of him.

[GRUNTING]

[LOCK CLICKS]

[ALARM CONTINUES BLARING IN DISTANCE]

CHILD: Are you gonna k*ll me?

No, of-of course not. I...

[g*n SOFTLY CLATTERS]

You don't need to be scared of me.

Come here.

You're just a little boy.

Are you alone or are
there others like you?

Are you here to take me away?

This won't make any sense right now.

Maybe it won't ever.

But you are right where you need to be.

GUARD [IN DISTANCE]: Got a man down!

[INDISTINCT CHATTER IN DISTANCE]

PELIA: Perhaps I'll just mail it.

Really doesn't matter
what the bulletin says,

the statute of limitations
passed decades ago.

I checked.

UNA: Is there a statute of limitations

on plundering antiquities?

Oh, La'An.

Maybe Starfleet security
wants to weigh in on this.

I'd-I'd...

say we should
let this one slide, Captain.

You're not wearing your uniform.

Is something wrong?

Nothing's wrong, Captain.

I just needed to check on something,

and now I have.

Excuse me.

[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]

La'An Noonien-Singh. I'm Agent Ymalay

from the Department
of Temporal Investigations.

Am I meant to know what that is?

A division of the Federation

that investigates and repairs
damage to the timeline.

You haven't heard of us
because we don't exist yet.

The man who gave me this.

Was one of us.

Thank you again for
completing his mission.

It must have been harrowing.

I have to insist that you not share

any of what you experienced,

even with Captain Pike,

or anyone else from this time.

You sent me back

to protect a mass m*rder*r?

To be clear, I didn't send you anywhere.

I had to k*ll to protect him.

I had to watch my f...

And I can't even talk about it?

Those events were never
supposed to happen

and you were never meant
to be aware of them.

Neither was your companion.

You protected the timeline

in a way no one else could have.

Would you risk

undoing all of that?

No.

Thank you again for your assistance.

And, if you could...

... return our equipment.

♪ ♪

[LINE RINGING]

This is Lieutenant Kirk.

Uh, hi.

Do I know you?

No, we-we've never met.

I am... I'm La'An Noonien-Singh,

chief of security on the Enterprise.

Oh, God. What did Sam do?

Oh, no, no, Sam... Sorry.
Sam-Sam's fine.

Sorry to worry you. Um...

I-I was just looking for, um, a...

something for his file.

- Uh...
- His security file?

That's right. Uh, just a place
of birth, please.

Riverside, Iowa. Same as me.

Iowa on Earth?

Um...

Iowa on Earth.
[SOFT CHUCKLE] Yes, ma'am.

Is that really why you're calling?

That's it. I'm just, um,

a stickler for, uh, an orderly
security record, so...

Well, if you want the, uh,

the real dirt on George Samuel Kirk,

buy me a drink next time
we're on starbase together.

I got some real gems
for his permanent file.

That, uh, sounds lovely.

Kirk out.