02x06 - Lost in Translation

[bunniefuu]

♪

Previously on Star Trek:
Strange New Worlds...

HEMMER: My sacrifice will save
the lives of those I care most about.

- It's time for me to go.
- SPOCK: I've let something out.

- CHAPEL: It's your emotions.
- SPOCK: I can't control it.

Mr. Kirk, clean your mess.

T'Pring and I have
decided to take time apart.

I am conflicted because I
have feelings for someone else.

I don't want to suppress
this one any longer.

YMALAY: Those events were
never supposed to happen

and you were never meant
to be aware of them.

I have to insist that you not share

any of what you
experienced from this time.

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

That, uh, sounds lovely.

UHURA: The people you love the
most can cause you the most pain,

but it's the people you
love that can mend your heart

when you feel broken.

UHURA: Communications
Officer's Log, stardate . .

Enterprise has been
sent to Bannon's Nebula,

on the edge of explored space.

I've seen a lot of nebulas,
but this one's special.

It's a stellar nursery,
the birthplace of new stars.

But that's not why we're here.

The nursery is also full of
deuterium... starship fuel.

Starfleet's building an outpost
here to collect and refine it,

if they can ever get it working.

PIKE: Amazing to think that
a million years from now,

those brand-new stars will shine
down on explorers just like us,

but this place will look
entirely different by then.

Uhura. You awake there, Ensign?

My eyes are technically open, Captain.

Just didn't get much sleep last night.

Or the last ten.

Oh. Well, I appreciate all
the work you've put into

coordinating this mission,

but you generally only want
to burn the candle at one end.

- I'll take that under advisement.
- [EARPIECE CHIRPS]

The crew of the refinery
sends their greetings

and they're waiting for
our engineering details.

Have Chief Kyle stand
by to initiate transport.

[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]

I hear congratulations are
in order, Fleet Captain.

- Stop it.
- Fleet Captain?

I've been given command of
the refinery and the Farragut,

just until we get the station on line.

Well, it's the shiniest
gas station I've ever seen.

Well, it's not just a
gas station, Lieutenant.

It's right at the edge of the frontier.
It unlocks half the quadrant.

It'll be the jumping-off point
for the next great age of exploration.

Oh, good, I was afraid
I'd miss the speech.

Well, I started earlier
but Uhura fell asleep.

I assumed Starfleet's primary motivation

was the nebula's
proximity to Gorn space.

Sadly, you're probably right.

Their presence is growing.
This will help us counter it.

Which is why the refinery
needs to be finished

- as soon as possible.
- SPOCK: While the refinery is off-line,

Enterprise's collectors are operational,

though the process may be slower.

It would be logical to use this
opportunity to refuel ourselves.

My thoughts exactly, Mr. Spock.

Ortegas, find us a dense pocket
of deuterium and do some laps.

Rip some doughnuts through
the gas cloud, aye, sir.

Nice and slow, we don't want to
use more fuel than we collect.

Activating Bussard collectors.

- Refueling underway, Captain.
- [CHIRPS]

- [DRONING SIGNAL]
- [CHATTER CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY]

Sorry to interrupt, Captain.
I'm receiving a signal.

On speakers.

Any time, Ensign.

Uh...

- It's gone.
- Can you play back the recording?

I can't find it, sir.

It was there, Captain.

- It's probably just a glitch...
- I'll run a full diagnostic

on the communication system.

HEMMER [ON VIDEO]: First,
disable the subspace antenna.

Check for a charge on the EPS manifold

before disconnecting this tap.

Perfect.

- Now, if there's any residual ionization...
- [DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]

- ... here is where you'll find it.
- Uh, what the hell

- are you doing inside my nacelle?
- Sorry.

I am recalibrating the
communications array.

The antenna assembly
goes through the nacelles.

I like to be thorough,
and I've asked for so many

of these recalibrations that
eventually Hemmer got annoyed

and said it would be easier
to show me how to do it myself.

You know, "teach a cadet to fish."

So we made a recording.

Hemmer was our chief
engineer, before he...

I know. He was one of my best students.

I'm sorry, I just said
that because he's dead.

Actually, he was just okay.

But look... look what
he made of himself.

[CHUCKLES] Right.

Anyway, I'm almost done.

How come you never talked to me before?

Uh, I'm... I'm sure I have.

Oh, no.

- No, no.
- Oh.

I'm sorry.

I've just been busy, I guess.

Welcome to the Enterprise.

HEMMER: ... here is
where you'll find it.

Now, what do you do next?

I don't know.

[SHORT CHUCKLE] I won't let
you blow up the ship, I promise.

- Not that!
- [GASPS]

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

- Important lesson: be less gullible.
- Hey!

HEMMER: Back to work.

Let's start by turning down the
gain on the subspace antenna...

PIKE: Between us and the bulkhead,

the whole project's been a fiasco.

The refinery was supposed
to be on line two months ago.

What's slowing it down?

"Organizational difficulties"

was the polite term that Starfleet used.

Their previous superintendent
got shipped back to Earth,

which is why they could
really use your version of...

managerial fervor?

Mm! Nothing beats cleaning
up somebody else's mess.

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER P.A.]

[DRONING SIGNAL]

[GASPS]

[ROARS]

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.

♪

♪

♪

Based on what you heard and saw,

and the elevated readings
from your visual cortex,

I'd say it's pretty clear
you were hallucinating.

You said you had just
watched a video of Hemmer.

His death was fresh in your mind.

Starfleet officers aren't
supposed to randomly hallucinate.

You didn't do anything wrong.

And there was nothing random about it.

While working in the
nacelle you were exposed

to a small amount of refined deuterium,

which can be dangerous.

You have a mild case
of deuterium poisoning.

And that can cause
terrifying hallucinations?

It can.

You could also experience headaches,
blurred vision, nausea.

This should help with the symptoms.

[GRUNTS SOFTLY]

But there is something else here.

Your serotonin and cortisol levels.

You haven't been sleeping.

Oh.

It's been a busy...

year.

Exhaustion can exacerbate
the effects of deuterium poisoning.

You need to rest.

How am I supposed to sleep
after what I just saw?

I empathize.

But I also know a stubborn
patient when I see one.

You aren't going back on duty
until I'm satisfied you've slept.

Head to Deck Seven,

get to work stabilizing
the life-support grid.

Aye, sir.

It's not as bad as it looks.

It's way worse.

The central refining and storage systems

all seem to be in good shape.

Have you looked at the maintenance logs?

Because you get the feeling
that this place has been

breaking down a lot faster

than the crew is able to fix it.

Luckily, we have three crews now.

Enterprise and Farragut's teams
can mop up the problem systems

while the station's teams
get the refinery running.

Yes. But if there is
an underlying issue,

and it smells like there is,

we ought to figure that out.

I typically don't
base my decision-making

off of feelings and smells.

Oh. [CHUCKLES]

Any underlying issues will
become clear as we work.

Mm. Aye aye, Commander.

[SIGHS]

♪

Hello?

[DRONING SIGNAL]

[GASPS]

- Sam.
- Jimmy.

Welcome to the Enterprise.

Hell of a ship.

And they let you work here?

What can I say? Captain Pike

asked for the more
handsome Kirk brother.

[LAUGHS]

You want a tour?

As long as it ends at the bar.

[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

So, what's new and exciting

in the world of xenoanthropology?

Literally everything in
xenoanthropology is new and exciting.

But instead of giving you

a long answer you don't
actually care about,

why don't we skip to your news?

Wow.

Sensing some hostility there, Sam.

Not at all.

Congrats, Jim. First
officer of the Farragut.

Well, not for another few months.

I still have to train my replacement.

Still, it's quite an achievement.

- Thank you.
- And youngest first officer in the whole fleet.

Youngest first officer ever, actually.

I don't suppose you remember
who held the record before you?

Ah, okay. That's what this is.

It was George Kirk, Sr.
First officer of the Kelvin.

Dad gave you his first name,

even if you choose not to use it,

so I have to do something to keep up.

You're making me look...

Like what?

Sam, what does my ambition
have to do with you?

Dad has a very old-fashioned idea

of what a successful career looks like,

what a fulfilling life looks like,

and it just so happens
it looks a lot like you.

Well, if you're so worried
about impressing Dad,

then why are you
wallowing in a science lab?

Wallowing, seriously?

Records are made to be broken.

I put in some legwork to
b*at this one. So what?

We can make the old man
proud in our own ways.

Or not at all.

[SIGHS]

Finally! Okay,

life support's been stabilized.

Are you kidding me?

We need to send a team to Deck Five

to get the EPS regulators back on line.

Yes. Well, that is
going to have to wait.

One of my teams found something
in the fuel distribution system.

That system was on line
already. What were you...

- [SIGHS]
- You disobeyed my direct orders

and went digging around in
the functioning systems...

If I had followed your
orders to the letter,

we would never have found
evidence of sabotage.

Sabotage?

SPOCK: Your move.

I know.

Is that not a polite euphemism
for "make your move faster"?

Am I boring you, Mr. Spock?

Decidedly not.

Your move.

There is a matter I've
been meaning to discuss.

Should I get a drink first?

You sound serious.

Starfleet is built on
a command hierarchy.

Fraternization can lead
to... complications.

- As such, there are protocols...
- You want to tell Starfleet about us.

If there is anything to tell.

Your move.

Relationships...

at least for humans, can be...

quantum things.

Think about Schroödinger's cat...

they exist or

they don't,

- depending on who's observing them.
- That is...

Not how quantum
superposition actually works?

[CHUCKLES]: Yeah, I know.

It's a-a metaphor, Spock.

A messy one. Just like

whatever this is.

My point is

if we let Starfleet...

or anyone else, for that matter...

look inside the box, then...

Our quantum cat

might disappear.

I'd just as soon let it live,

see how big it grows.

- Your move.
- UHURA: Excuse me.

- Ensign, aren't you...
- Supposed to be resting, sir, yes, but...

Everybody ignores the "orders"
part of doctor's orders.

I don't have deuterium poisoning.

When I saw Hemmer on the turbolift,

I heard the same sound
that I heard on the bridge,

but I heard it on the bridge
before I went into the nacelle,

before I was exposed to deuterium.

You believe your hallucinations
began on the bridge.

Logic would suggest that

the simplest solution is often

the correct one, right?

You seem to be the only
Enterprise crewmember affected.

Scans show nothing in the sector
that would explain your symptoms.

Logic would suggest exposure
to a known hallucinogen

is a more likely source
of hallucinations than...

Than nothing at all.

CHAPEL: Yeah, I looked
at your chart, Nyota.

It's... You have a textbook case

of overwork and exhaustion.

I can prescribe you
something to help you sleep.

Sleeping is the last thing
I want to do right now.

Saurian brandy.

Coming right up.

Your, uh, Vulcan buddy
should protect his queen.

He was two moves away from checkmate

until you distracted
him, now he's in trouble.

James Kirk.

Uhura. You're Sam's brother.

Oh. You're friends with Sam.

[SIGHS] Look.

I really don't want
to be hit on right now.

Oh. You're friends with Sam.

[SCOFFS] Come on.

Nobody's hitting on anyone.

You sat next to me.

You just look like
you could use a friend.

I appreciate the sentiment,

but I am not in the market
for friends right now.

[DRONING SIGNAL]

♪

It's not real. It's not real.

It's not real.

[DRONING CONTINUES]

[GRUNTING]

[KIRK GROANING]

I told you

I am not hitting on you.

- [GROANS]
- I am so sorry.

- I can't believe I...
- Yeah, I can't believe it, either.

You seem so pleasant.

I will walk you to sickbay.
Dr. M'Benga will fix you up.

Whoa, hold on. You really
want to take me to sickbay

and explain all this?

I mean, it looked to me like
you were seeing something

that wasn't there.

You have big enough
problems to worry about

without being written up for
striking a superior officer.

I have a dermal
regenerator in my quarters.

- Come on.
- [GROANS] Ow, ow.

- You're making it worse.
- You're being a baby.

- [GROANS] Ah...
- I'm done.

I think your nightmare visions
are turning you into a sadist.

You think it's all in my head.

[SIGHS] Of course not.

Look, I-I've had deuterium poisoning,

and I've gone days without sleep,

but I have never punched an
officer because of either one.

The point is I'm an
exquisite judge of character,

and I believe you.

There's something else going on here.

And if you'll let me, I can
help you figure out what.

Okay. I've triple-checked
the sensor logs,

and there's nothing
but deuterium out there.

But something must be doing this to me.

No one else has reported
the same symptoms?

M'Benga says I'm the only one.

- On the Enterprise, anyway.
- Good idea.

I'll check in with the Farragut's doctor.

Can I bring her your medical record?

You gonna be okay alone?

Yeah. Just, uh...

don't punch any more
officers until I get back.

- [DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]
- [SIGHS]

♪

UNA: Well, this would be a lot easier

if you'd gotten the station's
lighting grid on line.

Or the internal sensors.

Yes, but if I had done that,

we might have just exploded
and never known why.

MAN: It's too close.

It's too close, it's too
close, it can't breathe.

UNA: Our saboteur is Starfleet?

What is he saying?

[MAN BREATHING SHAKILY]

Get away from me.

Get him away from me. Get him away!

There's nothing there.

Nobody's gonna hurt you.

This isn't real.

It can't be real. It can't be real.

Are you real?

What's your name?

Ramon.

Saul Ramon.

Lieutenant Ramon, why did
you sabotage the station?

Sabotage?

That... that isn't real.

It's-it's not real.

Enterprise, we have a medical emergency.

[ALARM BLARING]

[BOOMING IN DISTANCE]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

What's going on, Captain?

Contact Starfleet. We're
being att*cked by an enemy...

[RUMBLING]

[GASPS]

[expl*si*n]

[DRONING SIGNAL]

PIKE [ECHOING]: Ensign Uhura.

[CLEARLY]: Ensign Uhura.

You're supposed to be on
medical leave, are you not?

PIKE: As your captain, I
need all my officers healthy,

both physically and mentally.

As your friend,

I just want to help you
understand what's happening.

You know, the irony's not lost on me.

The communications officer

who can't communicate
what's wrong with her.

[CHUCKLES]

- [DOOR CHIMES]
- Come in.

- Lieutenant Kirk.
- [DOOR WHOOSHES SHUT]

That's right.

It's an honor to meet you, sir.

Congratulations on your
promotion to Fleet Captain.

Uh, it's temporary.

I came to find Ensign Uhura.

I ran into her earlier
and I was concerned.

- As am I.
- As am I.

Not the time, got it.

I heard one of the station's
crew was arrested for sabotage.

That's right. I had him beamed
to sickbay for evaluation.

Farragut's medical officer got
a call about him yesterday.

One of his friends
was worried about him,

said he kept talking about
seeing things that weren't there.

Ring a bell?

We need to know what
you saw, Lieutenant.

It's the only way we can help you.

He might not understand us.

There's significant damage to the speech

and language centers of his brain.

And it's getting worse.

His auditory nerves are f*ring wildly.

[DRONING SIGNAL]

[GRUNTING]

I'm fine. Go after him.

Security to Deck Four!

This isn't real.

Nyota, wake up, this isn't real.

- No, hey, Uhura.
- This isn't...

This is very real, okay?

You aren't imagining it.

Okay.

We have to stop Ramon
before he hurts anyone else.

Come on.

♪

COMPUTER: Emergency lighting activated.

♪

Sickbay, we need immediate medical
assistance outside Astrometrics.

M'BENGA: Acknowledged, sending a medic.

Captain.

Ramon cut the power conduits.

That's why it went dark.

Definitely gonna make
finding him harder.

Stay with her.

Ramon's headed towards Engineering.

[DRONING SIGNAL]

You okay?

I'm fine.

[DRONING RESUMES]

Okay, maybe not.

- [DRONING SIGNAL STOPS]
- James?

[DRONING SIGNAL]

Hey.

I got you. What happened?

Sorry, I can't. I should
just go back to sickbay.

- I'll walk back with you. Come on.
- No.

You keep searching for Ramon.

I'll be fine.

I promise.

♪

James?

- You two know each other?
- Now's not the time to explain, Captain.

If you haven't seen Ramon, then...

He must have found a hole to hide in.

We should double back.

[CLEARS THROAT]

♪

Uhura to all teams.

I may have found Lieutenant Ramon

in the access tunnel
to the port nacelle.

KIRK: I'm not far. Wait for me.

[GRUNTS]

Step away from the console.

Listen, the things you've been seeing...

I've been seeing them,
too. I understand.

But whatever it is you saw
that made you come here,

it wasn't real.

None of it.

But I am.

My name is Nyota.

I'm the communications officer.

I-I was born in Kenya.

I used to have a cat named Kamili.

My-my first memory

is watching my dad play the piano.

I'm real.

Ramon, please.

I am begging you.

Step away from the console.

I don't want to blow
either of us up. Please!

COMPUTER: Fuel pod
ejection sequence initiated.

[GRUNTING]

- Emergency transport. Beam us out, now.
- Wait!

Two dead, chief medical
officer in surgery,

the ship almost disabled,
and we have no idea why.

When Ramon was in sickbay,
he seemed to be hearing

the same sound I've been hearing.

[CLEARS THROAT]

The way I see it, that's good news.

You're not crazy.

Something is affecting you,
the same way it affected him.

And we're gonna figure out what.

I think you should confine
me to my quarters, Captain.

Why?

How long until I'm sabotaging the ship

- or jumping out of an airlock?
- Oh.

It won't come to that, I promise you.

Now I need to talk to
Commander Chin-Riley

and find out how much damage
Ramon did to the refinery.

Getting it on line is critical.

But since Lieutenant Ramon is deceased,

Starfleet gave me permission
to decrypt his personal logs

and private medical files.

Maybe there's answers in there.

[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]

[DOOR WHOOSHES SHUT]

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER P.A.]

James Kirk. Sam's brother.

La'An Noonien-Singh.

Stickler for orderly security records.

Were-were you injured?

Uh, no. I am just, uh,
waiting for Ensign Uhura.

Oh. Right.

- I didn't know you were friends.
- Oh, we just met.

I happened to be there
when she needed some help.

Although she seems like
the type who has trouble

asking anyone for help,
especially her friends.

And you're the type who can't
walk past a stranger in need.

[CHUCKLES]

What?

My, uh, my dad was in Starfleet.

My mom, my brother and I,

we spent my whole childhood chasing him

from one posting to another,

barely seeing him.

When I'd ask why,

my mom would always say,

"He's helping people
who really need it."

But when you're a kid, you think...

Why does he care more about
strangers than he does about me?

So you tell yourself,

"Hey, if my dad chose helping
total strangers over me,

it must... must be important."

As one of those strangers
that Starfleet helped,

I promise you...

it is.

I, uh, I should finish my rounds.

Good evening, Lieutenant.

I haven't forgotten that
drink you owe me, by the way.

Looks like the routing
system is almost back on line.

You should be on Enterprise,
supervising the repairs there.

That's what I told him,
but Captain Pike disagrees.

Getting the station on line
remains the first priority.

I got to know... what exactly
is your problem with me?

I don't have a problem with you.

I have a problem with the situation.

That is malarkey,

and you know it.

You're sloppy. Okay?

You don't respect protocols.
You're too loose with discipline.

You don't follow orders
unless you feel like it,

and you have crumbs on your uniform.

When did you even eat?

You're like...

a space hippie.

Ooh. Well, I have been called more names

than there are stars in the sky,

but "space hippie" is a new one on me.

I think you've gotten too used to being

the smartest person in the room.

[SCOFFS] I don't think I'm the
smartest person in the room.

Oh, sure you do.

You hide behind order and discipline

because it kills you
when someone has the nerve

to question your decisions.

You don't think my years of experience

should buy me any deference?

You've been in Starfleet
since before I was born,

but I outrank you.

Why do you think that is?

I'll have the station
on line in a few hours.

RAMON: I swear I saw John
standing in the mess hall,

like he never...

Like he was still alive.

And I tried to say something to him,
and everyone just stared at me.

They thought I'd lost my mind.

And that noise...

I think I am losing my mind.

[LOG CHIMES OFF]

He was having the same kind
of hallucinations as me.

Hearing the same sound. His...

his brain scans show
activity in the same region.

But his case was more severe.

Or it just started earlier.

I mean, based on the date of these logs,

I may be...

a day and a half from
losing my mind entirely.

Look, why don't we just
take a break, all right?

Update Captain Pike on our progress,

or lack thereof.

Maybe get something to eat.

I hear the mess is serving real cookies,

not from the matter synthesizer.

I don't need a cookie.

Okay, now you sound crazy.

[SCOFFS]

[SIGHS] I'm sorry, it was a dumb joke.

It's not a joke.

That's the problem.

This isn't the first time
I've seen something like this.

Imagined someone who isn't there.

A few years ago,
I lost my parents and my brother

in a shuttle accident.

I-I wasn't there when it happened.

I never saw the crash site, but...

after they d*ed,

it felt like every time

I closed my eyes, I'd see it.

The crash, their final moments.

I don't know what to say, except...

I'm sorry.

Got so bad I couldn't even
look at pictures of them.

Just seeing their faces...

And then Hemmer d*ed,
and it all came back.

But I kept covering it with
work and smiles and more work.

The truth is I've never
been able to face death.

Everyone has some way of dealing with it

and moving on, but I just...

I don't know how.

How can I be a Starfleet officer
if I can't handle death?

Maybe you can't.

Look, I could tell you
some comforting fairy tale,

but we both know the truth.

Our job puts us up against death

more than is fair. And
we might not like it,

but we do have to face it.

And right now, death is winning.

It claimed your family,

it claimed your friend.

It convinced you to forget them,

because it's less painful than
holding on to their memories.

Now, you can let death win...

or you can fight back.

Hold on to them.

Still no to that cookie?

[BOTH CHUCKLE SOFTLY]

Be right back.

[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]

[DOOR WHOOSHES SHUT]

- Not that!
- [GASPS]

- [HEMMER CHUCKLES]
- [LAUGHS]

Important lesson: be less gullible.

- Hey!
- [LAUGHS]

Let's start with dialing down the gain

on the subspace antenna,

or else you'll burn out the receiver.

♪

Burn out the receiver.

Got the last one.
Thought we could split it.

Forget about the stupid
cookie for a second.

I think I figured something out.

Ramon's brain scan.

What am I supposed to be noticing?

There was damage to the
language center of his brain.

My brain scan shows elevated
activity in the same spot.

And we were both
hearing that same sound.

What if someone or something

was trying to communicate with him,

with me,

but their signal's too strong?

So strong it that b*rned out
that area of his brain entirely.

It's a message from some...

invisible alien?

You want to talk to Sam, don't you?

SAM: Your symptoms started
once we arrived in the nebula, right?

So it makes sense that our
mystery alien would live here.

But our sensors aren't
showing any life-forms.

Well, there's a theory...

it's a little bit
fringe, but hear me out...

that extra-dimensional life-forms

could actually poke into our space

and attach themselves to
atoms from our dimension.

Meaning they aren't
sophisticated life-forms

capable of speech or even language.

There are similarities

in the ways different species
process thoughts, ideas.

That's how the universal
translator works...

by recognizing those similarities.

Maybe my brain is doing the same thing?

Invisible aliens are using your
brain as a universal translator.

It might be the only way
they know how to communicate.

They send simple ideas to the
language center of my brain,

then my brain interprets

those ideas the only way it can...

through my thoughts, my memories.

The visions,

they're like vocabulary.

What are they trying to say?

UHURA: I felt the walls closing
in because they feel trapped.

I was attacking myself because

we're responsible.

They showed me the ship exploding

because they are desperate
to break free, but...

We're k*lling them.

We're k*lling the ones they love,
and they're terrified.

And that's what they're making me feel.

If they're living in the
nebula, in the deuterium...

In a way, they are the deuterium.

So, then when we pull the deuterium

out of the nebula into our nacelles,

and when the station
processes and refines it...

We're basically torturing them.

Uhura to Captain Pike.

Sir, we need to stop the fuel
refinery from being activated.

PIKE: I'm not sure what's going
on, Ensign, but it's too late.

The refinery was
activated five minutes ago.

Captain, you have to
shut down the station!

It's a matter of life or death!

PIKE: I'll contact
Una and do what I can.

Nothing's working.

The refinery's automated
systems aren't responding

to any commands. It's not shutting down.

Perhaps Lieutenant Ramon

did more damage than we thought.

Bridge.

[DRONING SIGNAL]

[METAL CREAKING]

Keep going.

[DRONING SIGNAL CONTINUES]

[DRONING STOPS]

[DOOR WHOOSHES SHUT]

You all right?

The station's emergency shutdown
procedures aren't working.

You mind telling me why we need
to shut it down in the first place?

We believe there's some
sort of alien life-form...

We're k*lling them, Captain.

The creatures that live in
the deuterium in the nebula...

we're k*lling them

by pulling them into our
fuel pods and our nacelles,

and now the station's
doing the same thing,

but at a much larger scale.

But we can't see them or
detect them in any way.

I can hear them.

So could Ramon.

They're screaming for our help.

Ramon d*ed trying to save them.

Captain, you told me
the point of this station

was to help us find new forms of life.

But what is the point of exploring

if we're just gonna k*ll what we find?

We can't shut it down.

Then we need to destroy it.

How certain are you?

I'm certain, Captain.

What's the play?

Hail the refinery,

order an emergency evacuation,

then vent all the deuterium
from Enterprise's fuel pods.

Order the Farragut to do the same.

You heard her.

FEMALE: Aye, sir.

Attention. All refinery
crew and maintenance teams,

evacuate immediately. Repeat: all...

[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]

♪

No life signs aboard.

All crew have safely
cleared the refinery.

Fire torpedoes!

Torpedoes away.

Did that work?

Uhura, what is it?

We did it.

They're safe.

ORTEGAS: That's it?

UHURA: Yeah.

That's it.

The jumping-off point for
a new era of exploration.

Well...

Starfleet can build a new
gas station someplace else.

One where there isn't anything
living in the deuterium.

And if there's any blowback, it's on me.

End of the day, that was my call. Okay?

Or we can tell 'em someone's
brash influence rubbed off on you.

Always happy to be of service.

You know, I was thinking,

you discovered a
completely new form of life.

They might give you a medal.

And now, if you don't mind,

would you take your station.

Hail the Farragut.

As soon as we've collected
all of our escape pods,

let's get out of this nebula
before we cause any more damage.

And then I am going
to need Admiral Nagawa

on my private channel. And after that,

go take a nap.

That's an order.

♪

Starship Maintenance .

Starship Maintenance, what about it?

You were my professor at the Academy.

Oh, I remember.

You gave me a C.

And you deserved that C.

My final paper was
meticulously researched.

It was sloppy.

But for what it's worth,
that well-deserved C

is absolutely not what's
been bothering you.

It's Hemmer.

I'm a reminder that your
friend d*ed and I replaced him.

And every time you see me,

it dredges up all of that sadness.

I get it.

I've been there.

Too many times.

And if you want to
keep saying it's the C,

I don't have to contradict you.

♪

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

- It's your family?
- My mother always knew how to make me laugh.

[CHUCKLES]

[SIGHS] It's been a long time

since I've been able to look at that.

To staying in the fight.

Why do you think they chose me?

You were exactly what they needed.

Thoughtful, empathetic.

You heard them.

I mean, maybe all it
took was a good listener.

Well, I'm glad to see that
everything worked out for the best.

And I think I'm gonna write a
paper about our deuterium friends.

- Hey.
- Oh. Wow. Sounds thrilling.

I've been wanting to say...

the Farragut is lucky to have you, Jim.

I'm proud of you. Honestly.

Thanks, Sam.

What is happening right now?

I'm not sure, either.

You're seriously not gonna apologize?

For what... for being
extremely competent?

For being a... Okay.

You know what? Forget it.

Go have fun on your stupid little ship.

I'm gonna be here, on the flagship.

- [SHORT CHUCKLE]
- Well,

- that was something.
- Yeah, it's just

Sam being Sam.

- Sometimes he can be, uh...
- SPOCK: Frustrating.

James, meet our chief
science officer, Mr. Spock.

Spock, meet James Kirk,
first officer of the Farragut.

Why don't you join us?

Yeah.

♪

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]