02x04 - Among the Lotus Eaters

[bunniefuu]

♪

Previously on Star Trek:
Strange New Worlds...

We're going to find a way to
win because it's what's right.

There's the Boy Scout in you again.

BATEL: I've done everything
in my power to help Una.

But if you take that stand,
your whole crew could be at risk.

The w*r is over, Joseph.

Yes, but how could it ever be?

LA'AN: The enemy doesn't
care about my feelings,

so I don't waste my time having any.

Know how you used to brag you
were going to be the best pilot

ever to graduate the academy?

Time to prove it, Lieutenant.

No presh.

Open emotion is dangerous.

It's good to get mad sometimes.

PIKE: Captain's personal
log, stardate . .

Enterprise is currently
assisting the USS Cayuga

in a joint mission,
charting a new binary system.

Captain Batel and I are taking advantage

by attempting a perilous
maneuver of our own:

- stealing a little personal time.
- [DOOR CHIMES]

Come in.

Mmm.

Mmm. Is that your mother's sauce?

- Anything else would be a crime against tomatoes.
- [COMM CHIMES]

UNA: Bridge to captain
Pike. The latest duty reports

- have been finalized.
- Number One,

unless it's a red
alert, I'm incommunicado

for the next half hour.

- Understood, Captain.
- Now,

where were we?

Didn't realize we were doing gifts.

- Well, you made dinner, so I thought...
- [COMM CHIMES]

UHURA: Bridge to Captain Batel,
the Cayuga's hailing you, sir,

- Is it the Admiral calling?
- Negative.

They are asking you to
confirm a course correction.

- It can wait.
- Acknowledge. I will relay.

- It's rude to arrive empty-handed.
- Well...

Where did you...

Found it on Galt.

An Opelian Mariner's Keystone.

BATEL: Ancient Opelian
Captains wore them

to guide lost sailors home.

Yeah. It's amazing.

- Thank you.
- [COMM CHIMES]

UHURA: Bridge to Captain Batel.

Incoming transmission
from Admiral Eldon.

- Sorry, I have to...
- Yeah, no, go, go.

I've got sauce.

Route transmission to Captain Pike's

personal station, please.

I understand.

It's just one of those things.

Yes. I'm fine, thank you.

Everything okay?

Yeah, let's just have dinner.

Cayuga expects me back in ten.

William Geary was promoted to commodore?

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

- It's just not my time.
- That promotion was yours.

Well, apparently there are concerns.

What, do they mean us or...

This is Judge Advocate
Pasalk. He's punishing me.

For Una's trial.

Yeah, so it is about us.

Okay, Chris, can we just eat?

I'm worried.

This is difficult.

Difficult is not the same as impossible.

minutes here, ten minutes there,

- who are we kidding?
- Even if it's just a moment together,

- I'll take what I can get.
- Now I'm hurting your career.

That sounds like an excuse.

I'm just...

I'm saying...

May-maybe we should
pull it back a little.

Your timing is perfect.

I should get back to my ship.

See you when I see you, Captain.

[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]

- [COMM CHIMES]
- [DOOR WHOOSHES SHUT]

UNA: Bridge to captain Pike.

Apologies for the
interruption, but we received

a sensitive communication from Command.

It's about Rigel VII.

Copy, Number One.

Pike out.

UNA: Rigel VII.

We were there five years
ago as a routine exploration

of a remote M-Class planet.

Then we discovered the Kalar.

Bronze Age society
organized in a caste system.

A formidable warrior class
and a secretive ruling class.

That's it.

We didn't have much time
to do a proper survey.

LA'AN: The entire mission was only

four hours with an emergency evacuation?

It was short. Yes.

We had just arrived
when the landing party...

ran into some complications.

We were ambushed. We lost three people.

Had to get to Vega colony

before Spock's injuries made it four.

So, why go back now?

Scans can't penetrate
Rigel VII's atmosphere.

Part of why we went in
underprepared last time.

It's documented using
long-range photography

scheduled for observation
every couple of years.

We're here to take photos?

No, a recent flyby already sent images

to Starfleet a week ago.

The data was analyzed this morning.

[MONITOR CHIRPS]

They're using our Delta.

PIKE: We must have
left something behind.

Any level of cultural
contamination needs to be

surveyed and corrected if possible.

So you need a doctor for
a Prime Directive mission?

I need you.

The initial landing party
will be a small strike team

to assess how bad the
cultural contamination is.

PIKE: Last time we went down
there, we were in uniform.

I am not making that mistake twice.

This is an undercover recon operation.

Once we have our intel,
we can devise a plan

- to retrieve any Starfleet tech we can find.
- Let's get to it.

[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]

[DOOR WHOOSHES SHUT]

I noticed the Cayuga
left in a bit of a rush.

She had lots of pressing
issues to manage,

much like Enterprise.

We decided to take some time apart.

Oh.

- You did that thing you do.
- What thing?

That thing when someone gets too close.

It's tough, so you panic,
find reasons to push 'em away.

I don't do that.

Do I?

You do that.

Hmm.

I like her, Chris.

I like her, too.

I like her for you.

So do I.

Then why torpedo it?

It's just... it's complicated.

You know how it is as a command officer.

We're responsible for
other people's lives.

That doesn't leave a whole
lot of time for our own.

Everyone deserves joy in their life.

Even a captain.

Well, it's not like I have the
luxury of working it out now.

Rigel VII.

I still think about it.

What could I have done differently?

- It wasn't your fault, Chris.
- I led the mission.

Whatever we find down there, it's on me.

If it really bothers
you, I'm sure Command

would understand if
we recused ourselves.

Command offered us this
assignment as a courtesy.

Their way of saying
what we already know.

Enterprise needs to
clean up its own mess.

♪

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.

♪

♪

♪

ORTEGAS: Pilots personal
log. Stardate . .

I'm Lieutenant Erica Ortegas.

Most of the time, I fly the ship,

which is cool but can get boring.

Today is different.

Rigel VII'S atmosphere is a hot mess

of wind shear, exotic radiation

and heavy particles that jam
the sensors on our shuttles.

Piloting down takes incredible skill,

which I have, but the best part:

I'm with the landing party,

something I almost never get to do.

Nice.

You're actually wearing the hat?

Are you kidding? The hat is supreme.

We're Kalarans now. Recon .

The Stecora Debris Field
we observed previously

is descending. By my calculations,

it will intersect multiple points

along these ship's
intended orbital plane.

- Debris from what?
- Likely an impact

between two large celestial bodies

that orbited Rigel VII
several centuries ago.

Can't you just say "two moons"?

I could, but that would
be leaping to a conclusion.

Analysis is underway,

but I would merely characterize
the fragments as volatile.

We get it, Spock.

ORTEGAS: All right, well, on we go.

Let's get to that shuttle bay
and have ourselves a landing...

party.

PIKE: Maintaining stability will require

piloting Enterprise by hand.

Between the fragments
and the gravity shifts,

I'll have to make manual adjustments

every minutes

or lights out, Enterprise.

I'm glad you get it.

We need you here keeping Enterprise safe.

Aye, Captain, but, uh,
who's gonna fly the shuttle

through all that choppy
sky and radiation?

I may not be Erica Ortegas,
but I was a test pilot,

remember? We'll get
you next time, promise.

[SHUTTLE BAY DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

I was not responsible for the data.

- It would be illogical to blame...
- Shh, shh.

Just...

learn when to leave people alone, Spock.

Sorry. I'm working on that.

♪

LA'AN: Hello, atmospheric disturbance.

I'm guessing that's what messes
with our scans from orbit.

Well, according to the readings,

impact happened thousands of years ago.

M'BENGA: An asteroid
that size should have

- wiped out half the planet.
- PIKE: Probably did.

The Kalar settlement's
a hemisphere over.

We're flying in under cloud cover.

So they won't see us coming.

Then hiking kilometers
through hostile territory.

You read the brief. Good.

Now hold on to your saddles,

it's gonna get a little
choppy on descent.

Hold up, I need to fill you in

on a unique condition of our being here.

We cannot risk any
further contamination,

so we're not bringing
any of the usual tech.

Spock mocked up some
items consistent with

the planet's current development.

Are you joking?

We just said this is hostile territory.

I brought the both of you for a reason.

Kalar warriors are fierce.

M'BENGA: You needed fighters

who can handle themselves
without a phaser.

We've got subdermal
universal translators.

- That's all we'll need.
- And if things go sideways again?

They won't. But if they do,

I trust the three of us to handle it.

- You're good?
- I'm fine.

Doctors love being tasked for a mission

because of their combat skills.

[HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]

[RINGING STOPS]

PIKE [ECHOING]: La'An.

[ECHO FADES]: Hey, La'An.

La'An.

You all right?

Sorry, what was-what was I saying?

Lieutenant?

How are you feeling?

Not gonna lie, a little light-headed,

but, um, I'm past it now.

Do you have any other symptoms?

Maybe...

For a moment, I heard this...
this ringing in my ears.

Tinnitus. Could be the altitude.

To be sure, I have to run a diagnostic.

We're six hours from
where we hid the shuttle.

Six hours, really?

It's not too far to go back.

We'd never make it by nightfall.

Temperature drops
drastically, it gets deadly.

No, our best tactical
option is to move forward.

Clear these foothills,
get into the valley.

I'm not so sure.

Is your official diagnosis
that we need to go back?

No.

Her pulse is normal.

Other than momentary confusion,

I see no reason to turn around.

La'An?

I'll be fine, Captain.

All right.

Let's get into the valley.

Find our objective, make
camp for the night there.

Sir.

La'An's breathed thinner air than this.

I hope it really is nothing.

LA'AN: It's not just the garden.

They've put the Delta on the entryway.

PIKE: We need to speak to Kalar
who live outside the palace.

They're more likely to talk to us.

Maybe they can tell us
what it means to them.

LA'AN: And if that fails,
we blend in as servants,

- infiltrate the castle.
- [BRIEF, HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]

[SHARP INHALE, EXHALE]

- You all right?
- [SIGHS]

Yeah, it's nothing, just a...

headache.

Probably need to eat something.

Or M'Benga was right.

Maybe we lay low tonight,
make for the shuttle at dawn.

No. Captain, you need to see this.

Spock was bleeding out
when I ordered the evac.

We fought our way back
to the landing zone.

I wasn't exactly tracking
gear at that point.

Captain!

Captain...

we've got company.

Three on six. We've got this.

Let's try diplomacy first.

Greetings.

My friends and I have
traveled far from the north.

We apologize if we're trespassing.

We mean no disrespect.

[WHIRRING UP]

We know you come from Starfleet.

[HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]

GUARD [ECHOING]: Get going. Move it.

[RINGING, ECHO FADES]

What is this place?

Where are you taking us?

MAN: I saw that little
streak in the sky.

I knew it had to be a shuttle.

When you serve as
yeoman on the Enterprise,

- you become an expert.
- Zac?

You're alive. I-I thought...

Does it ease your conscience?

I-I'm just happy to see you.

Are we meant to know this person?

He's a KIA from the report.

Only I wasn't k*lled in action.

- I was left behind.
- PIKE: Zac,

they told me that you went down.

But you never saw it for yourself.

- You didn't bother to confirm it.
- Zac...

It's High Lord Zacarias.

That's what they call me here.

You'll do the same.

I'm a long way from yeoman.

Arming your men with phaser
r*fles probably helped.

PIKE: We're here now.

We can fix whatever mistakes we made.

- It's a little late for that.
- PIKE: Zac.

W-we saw your message, the, um...

the Delta in the garden.

It's why we came. Isn't
that why you did it?

The people here adopted it as my symbol.

I should have known better.

It's all getting torn out tomorrow.

Look, I understand you're upset.

It must have been hard surviving
here all on your own, but...

[SHORT CHUCKLE] you managed it.

You have no idea.

This isn't a normal planet, Pike.

Haven't you noticed
how hard it is to think?

- The ringing in your ears.
- You felt that, too?

ZACARIAS: The radiation
here affects your brain.

First the ringing.

Lost time, fear.

Then, finally, the forgetting, and...

you're a Kalar.

PIKE: Whatever you're
going through, we can help.

- Come back to the ship.
- I armed the locals

with Starfleet tech
and made myself king.

- There's no going back for me.
- Zac, please listen to reason.

Reason doesn't exist here.

You'll learn that. [GRUNTS]

Feels right...

to watch you suffer like I did.

Enterprise is in orbit.
They'll be coming for us.

By tomorrow, no one will remember.

Including you.

- M'BENGA: Captain?
- What are you doing?

Zac, what are you doing?

Zac, you're making a mistake.

Rigel VII changes people.

- [HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]
- ZACARIAS [ECHOING]: I'm gonna have fun

watching it work its magic on you three.

[RINGING CONTINUES]

- [RINGING STOPS]
- What happened?

Where are we?

This is a cage. We were captured?

My head.

Ow. Mine, too.

If we can find the source of the-the...

the radiation, it...

Maybe that volcano, um...

The steam vents...

How long has she been out?

[GRUNTS]

- Get away from me!
- [PIKE GROANS] La'An.

Who are you?

- La'An.
- Is that my name?

What's happening?

Time loss. Fear.

And then you forget.

This is what he was talking about.

Who?

The... the...

Him. The, uh...

H-He said...

he said we would forget,

uh...

Can anyone tell me
what we're doing here?

I don't know.

I don't know.

- [HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]
- SPOCK [ECHOING]: % iron, % nickel,

detectable magnesium, radium

and at least three
unidentified elements.

ORTEGAS: Plan on marrying
that debris field, Spock?

UNA: Ensign Uhura, report.

- [RINGING, ECHOING STOPS]
- Ensign Uhura?

I'm sorry, yes.

Uh, submitting our situation
report to the UFP relay.

Situation report?

I ordered that two hours ago.

Two hours ago?

Really?

This is what happens when you stay up

translating Tellarite sonnets
instead of getting shut-eye.

Uh...

A-a question, sir.

Did I do it?

Did I transmit the report?

UNA: Ensign Uhura,

I want you to report
to sickbay immediately.

Uh-huh. I-I agree with that.

I'm feeling a little disoriented.

Maybe someone should make
sure she actually gets there.

UNA: You go. I'll take over.

ORTEGAS: Are you sure?
What about the debris field?

I flew the Enterprise
before you did, Lieutenant.

Right.

Report back on her condition
as soon as possible.

Aye, Commander.

Come on, Nyota. Let's
get you sorted out.

CHAPEL: So, how are
you feeling, exactly?

Uh, at first, there was this

loud ringing sound.

Now I have a headache.

Does that mean something?

Hey. It's gonna be okay. Relax.

So, does it mean something?

I need to run a complete
neurological analysis.

I've never seen anything like this.

Synaptic degradation in frontal,

parietal and temporal lobes.

That doesn't sound good.

Hey, you rest.

I'll run some more tests.

Half an hour ago she was fine.

Yeah, and now something's
blocking her neural pathways.

Could be viral, bacterial,

environmental exposure.

She's been at her station all day.

Maybe a delayed reaction. Hey,

what did you have for breakfast?

Uh...

same thing I always have.

Oatmeal.

dr*gs are working.

As long as it stays isolated to Uhura,

- we should be able to manage it.
- Cool.

- [COMM CHIMES]
- SPOCK: Bridge to sickbay.

We have a medical emergency.

Hi, Spock. What's happening?

I am getting reports
that six crew members

in engineering are suffering
from acute memory loss.

I am having them come to you now.

Definitely not the oatmeal.

[WOMAN COUGHS]

[DOOR OPENS]

Move or starve.

[GROANS]

Wait. Wait!

It's all right. They've...
they've had a rough forgetting.

There is no totem here to guide you.

What totem?

- Why are we in a cage?
- MAN: You must have wandered.

These keep us safe at night.

I can help you re-center, but hurry.

- They don't like to wait.
- I don't know you.

I don't know any of you.

Or maybe we've known each
other our whole lives.

Look at your colors... blue.

That means you work in
the stone quarry, like me.

- My colors are green.
- So you chop the wood.

- Hurry up!
- Okay. All right.

We're coming.

- The three of you...
- Move.

look at me.

Be in the moment with me.

Follow along.

- How are you so calm?
- I'll show you later, my totem.

I wake every morning to it.

Right now, just be in this moment.

[GRUNTS]

I don't like not
knowing what's going on.

I don't like being forced labor.

Our work is a blessing.

We have purpose.

That's why we're here.

Is that from your totem?

It's how we all live.

You had a hard forgetting last night.

Tonight your forgetting will be easier.

- I'll guide you, all of you.
- PIKE: Forgetting.

Are... are you talking about sleep?

Sleep is what the
Kalar in the palace do.

We have forgettings.

Okay, listen... whatever your name is,

thank you for helping,

but unless I get some
straight answers from you,

I'm gonna take this hammer

and get it from those guards over there.

Please don't. You'll be hurt.

We are the Kalar from the field.

We look out for each other.

Every night, we have our forgetting.

We don't lose the deeply known things.

Walking, talking,

other things deep inside us.

But the remembered things...

who we are, where we live...

those go away.

Every night?

How does society work?

Well, the Kalar from the palace

keep their memories.

We have pictures and each other

to help guide us.

And...

fruit of the gods.

Its oils help to create our symbols.

It's how I know my name is Luq.

I don't... I don't have any...

No... no pictures.

Me neither.

And look, these are not hands

that have seen work in a stone quarry.

Something's not right here.

You aren't from the field.

That's what keeps bothering me.

We don't belong here.

Do the palace Kalar have pictures?

Maybe that's where we came from.

And, oh, look. I have this.

It, uh, it belongs to someone,

but it's also mine, a gift.

[SIGHS] There's something else.

Yes, that's how it's done.

Emotions can guide you
where memories can't.

I-I feel like he also came with us.

We need to get back
to where we came from.

You can chase that feeling and
never find the answer you seek.

The totem says, "Let go of before.

Live in the moment."

Hey! Back to work.

There's only two guards now.

LA'AN: We could overtake
them, but it doesn't

look like anyone else
wants to fight back.

They've been conditioned.

Maybe one day you fight,

next day you forget why.

You give up.

Move! Faster.

- He's in pain.
- Field Kalar don't talk back.

[GRUNTING]

Look out! [GRUNTING]

What have you done?

Put pressure on the wound.

You know to fix her.

You must be a healer, uh, a doctor.

Yes, maybe.

I believe I know how to ease her pain.

We can't stay. We need to leave now.

She's right. More guards will come.

We need to find a
place where we can hide,

- stay out of the open.
- I don't even know where we are.

I can help. Follow me.

Synaptic degradation is apparent
across all neural pathways.

And this is affecting our memory?

Only explicit memory is lost.

Information and-and facts.

Implicit memory...

- uh, procedures we learn
-[HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]

and can recall by instinct or emotion...

those all remain intact.

[RINGING STOPS]

Sorry. Explain it again.

I could treat a simple wound.
I've done it a thousand times.

But I won't remember
that it's my job to do it.

And I couldn't perform
any complicated procedures.

Or surgery.

That's what's happening.

And a third of the crew is already down.

We are forgetting who we are.

- What's this?
- All vital crew members should carry

their personal information
file, in case you forget.

It's a Band-Aid. It's not a solution.

How long before it gets everyone?

There's no pattern,

no common denominator among patients.

But the first symptom is tinnitus,

followed by an intense migraine.

According to my calculations,
it will be less than an hour

before we are unable to
cover all critical stations.

Theories. What's causing this?

Best guess, some kind
of exotic radiation.

It started when we arrived here.

We were not in orbit this
long on our last visit.

Logic suggests Rigel VII is the source.

We need to go. But we can't...

[RINGING RESUMES]

... leave them. We
c-can't leave the, um...

Do you mean the landing party?

- Yes.
- [RINGING STOPS]

Them and a cap... and
the Captain, and...

- Damn it, I can't think.
- I need to get you to sickbay.

I have no desire to
strand our landing party,

but we must prioritize the
safety of our entire crew.

May I alter course?

Keep us close.

If we have it this bad up here,

who knows how they're doing down there.

Lieutenant, break orbit and set
a course for the debris field.

That's a terrible idea.

I believe radiation from
the planet's atmosphere

is interfering with the crew's memory.

Many of the elements in the debris field

are a natural shield
against radioactive isotopes.

They may protect us.

Before or after they pulverize us?

Are you not able to safely
navigate through the field?

Hey, now you're being offensive.

- Then plot a course.
- [SCOFFS]

In case of memory loss.

Right.

I fly the ship.

[SIGHS] I fly the ship.

LUQ: The sign matches my symbol.

This belongs to me. This is my home.

[LA'AN GROANS]

Water. Water.

Easy.

Don't strain yourself.

[LA'AN SIGHS]

Her wound is deep.

She won't last much
longer without treatment.

I believe I can save her.

But her injury is complex.

I can't treat it by guessing
blindly with hunches.

So you need your memories back.

You need to let it go, both of you.

Allow her last moments to be serene,

not anxious and fearful.

I'm not ready to have my
last moments yet, thank you.

This woman...

she's my friend.

I can feel it now.

I have to try.

We can't just let her die.

You are not seeing the point.

The forgetting is a blessing.

Things from the heart,
things that matter...

they don't go away.

But the details, the anguish...

those will all fade.

- That sounds like a nightmare.
- Why?

Instead of feeling the
pain of her passing,

we will be spared the memory of it.

Stop saying I'm going to die.

Please calm down.

She's running a fever.

You keep talking about a totem

that-that explains everything.

- Where is it?
- You're standing right next to it.

The story of the Kalar.

It greets us when we rise

and helps make sense of the world.

What does it say about the palace?

The gods decided long
ago that there would be

two types of Kalar.

Those who remember to plan our future

and record our past, and...

and those who forget

to keep the work of
the present continuing.

It's convenient that some do
all the work while others don't.

That is not true.

The palace Kalar remember so
the rest of us can be free.

We have no past, no burdens.

I'll take my burdens if it means

- I can heal people.
- PIKE: Wh...

How do the palace Kalar
hold on to their memories?

I-I... I do not know for certain.

There's a legend that

the palace Kalars'
memories are protected

inside a casket hidden in the palace.

Yes, you said we were from the palace.

Must be, look... we-we have no calluses.

I said you were not from the field.

The answers we need
are not on this totem.

Listen to me.

She risked her own life to save mine.

And right now the only
thing that will save her

is in his memory.

We have to get them back.

You are serious. You want to save her.

Yes.

Yes, we have to try.

Then we do it now.

Before the next forgetting starts

and we lose our convictions.

Suddenly, you're okay with this?

You are guided by your emotions.

They are your truth.

I find them convincing. The totem

teaches that we live in
each moment, embrace them.

If this is your moment,

then I will help.

Yes, this-this is my moment.

I'm going to the palace
to get our memories back.

♪

Here.

Rest.

[LA'AN GROANS]

You sure it was okay to move her?

When I get my memory
back, she should be close.

Plus, if the forgetting starts...

We won't remember that she needs help.

Keep her safe. When we find the casket,

I'll get your memories, too.

LUQ: No.

Leave mine in there.

You don't want to know your past?

That symbol around your neck...

you said there was
something else about it.

Have you deciphered it yet?

I just know that it was a-a gift...

from someone I'm connected to,

someone I need to get back to.

I-I feel it. I feel them.

You're talking about love.

It's something that
forgetting can't take from you.

Love.

And its absence.

I inked over them. I don't remember why.

Even without memories,
pain also remains.

Totems pass from parent to child,

yet I have no one to give it to.

I don't know the story.

I don't want to know.

I feel the absence,

the loss.

Knowing the story won't ease my sorrow.

If you still carry the weight...

... don't you want to know what it is?

Would that make it any better?

You're searching for your lost memories,

but do you really know
what you will find?

We're doing this for her.

And for whomever gave you that.

You're brave to face it.

I am past the need to remember.

I'm too afraid of the pain.

[LA'AN GROANS]

Hey, come on.

Stay with us.

I wish I could, but I...

M'BENGA: We'll be back soon.

Give 'em hell for me.

M'BENGA: So,

we're doing this?

We get in close.

[HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]

[RINGING CONTINUING]

[GROANS]

Huh.

- [RINGING STOPS]
- [ALARM BLARING]

What is this place?

Why have you brought us here?

Me?

Did I do this?

Who are you?

I...

... should know, but I do not.

I believe the answer is
here, but I cannot read it.

What is this place?

I do not know.

I feel like we were trying

to make something better.

But somehow...

... it got worse.

Plus, I feel

I'm angry at you.

So maybe it's your fault.

Emotions are not facts.

[GROANING]

I see you're experiencing

the same cranial discomfort that I am.

I need to, uh...

I need to get out of here.

Find someplace...

... safe.

I do not believe that is possible.

COMPUTER: Destination?

Hello?

COMPUTER: Please state your destination.

Me?

Uh...

home.

Take me home.

Deck Six.

[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]

This is home?

Officer's quarters are on Deck Six.

Where?

Section G, Room .

But where is that?

Follow the illuminated path.

Oh.

Right.

Follow the path.

At Junction B , turn right.

Just follow the path.

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

This feels right.

I feel safe here.

[BOOMING]

Oh...

Please, please make it stop.

Somebody, make it stop.

Make it stop.

Make it stop.

Please, make it stop. Make it stop.

[HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]

[RINGING STOPS]

[GRUNTING]

[PHASER r*fle WHIRRS UP]

He grazed my leg.

It's not too bad, but I
can't put weight on it.

We'll just have to take it slow then.

No, it's getting late.

I've already lost time.
Maybe you have, too.

Hold 'em back as long as you can.

Then get inside and lock the gate.

I'll come find you when
I get our memories back.

- [BANGING, RUMBLING]
- No. No.

Not like this.

I'm not ready.

Are you still there?

Miss? Ma'am?

Can you hear me?

COMPUTER: Affirmative.

Stop the rocks.

Unable to comply.

Do something with...

Help. We need help.

Do you require medical attention?

No! Uh, we-we need to get out of here.

Would you like to plot a course?

Plot a what?

Say that again.

Would you like to plot a course?

I know that.

I don't know who I am.

So why do I know that?

You are Lieutenant Erica Ortegas,

alpha shift pilot assigned
to the USS Enterprise.

I'm a pilot?

Affirmative.

I fly the ship?

Affirmative.

Wh...

So...

So...

if the ship is gonna get
out of this horrible place,

it's up to me?

Affirmative.

Oh.

Ah.

[SHORT EXHALE] I'm Erica Ortegas.

I fly the ship.

Affirmative.

I'm Erica Ortegas.

I fly the ship.

I fly the ship?

I am Erica Ortegas.

I fly the ship.

I am Erica Ortegas.

I fly the ship.

I'm Erica Ortegas. I fly the ship.

You know how to operate this?

I think so.

It feels like mine.

Emotions are not fa...

I'm the pilot, just trust me.

I feel like I know how to do this.

And I'm the only one who can.

Yes. Yes, you are.

I believe you.

Now get us out of here.

Abso-friggin'-lutely.

[GRUNTS]

PIKE: I've barred the doors.

It's just you and me.

You aren't supposed to be here.

Well, I am.

You tell me you're in charge?

[GRUNTING]

I yield.

- I yield.
- Where's the casket?

What?

Our memories.

[CHUCKLES]: Oh.

You heard the story.

That nonsense from the totem.

I don't want to hurt you.

But if you don't tell me...

... I will.

It isn't real.

Stop lying!

[GROANING]

It's all a lie!

You have your memories and we don't.

How do I get them back?

I can't.

What is it?

A machine?

A chemical that takes them away?

I need our memories!

So far...

so good.

Not too bad.

It would be wise to avoid that.

No time. Got to thread the needle.

Hang on.

♪

ZACARIAS: There!

That's all I have.

PIKE: These are all...

... tools.

I need our memories to come back.

Don't you recognize those things?

They feel familiar, but I...

A box can't hold memories.

You know that.

It's a myth.

An asteroid hit this planet
thousands of years ago.

This palace is made of an ore

that protects us against its radiation.

Like our helmets.

I don't believe you.

- There has to be something more.
- It's true.

But of course you don't believe me.

Not you.

You know me.

You know who I am?

I thought you would wander around.

Get lost among the field Kalar.

It figures you'd start a revolution.

- [LAUGHING]
- My friend is dying.

It'll come back to you soon.

You've been inside
the palace long enough.

[LAUGHING]

Stop laughing.

[GROANING]

[GIGGLING]

You fell for that lame totem story.

[GROANS]

I just want our memories.

Your-your friend is going to die.

[CONTINUES LAUGHING]

Enough.

No.

Please don't k*ll me. I take it back.

[HIGH-PITCHED RINGING]

I take it all back.

[RINGING STOPS]

I'm not gonna k*ll you, Zac.

You were about to.

All over a fairy tale.

I told you. Rigel VII changes people.

No.

No, it doesn't.

It shows us who we really are.

I came here to save my security officer.

The lives of my crew
mean everything to me.

When we left you before, I...

I mourned you.

Zac.

I'm so sorry you got left behind.

But everything that came
after... that's your own doing.

You cannot blame me for that.

All right.

So, now what?

I'm bringing you home.

Starfleet will decide the rest.

He was right.

Not having a past...

... it can be nice for a while.

I know what you mean.

But maybe some memories are
worth the pain of others.

It's good to be back.

Yes, it is.

- You decided to stay.
- [SHUDDERS]

You got memories back.

I had a family.

A son.

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY] A lot like you.

[EXHALES, SNIFFLES]

Thank you for giving
them all back to me.

I was wrong before.

All field Kalar should
know about their past.

The story of your life,

the details...

... they matter.

So...

... now you know who gave you that.

Who is it?

Someone I need to apologize to.

ORTEGAS: Pilot's personal
log, stardate . .

As soon as we cleared the debris field,

our memories came back.

Turns out those unknown elements
Spock found in the asteroids

were causing all the problems.

We went there to save ourselves

but almost lost the Enterprise instead.

I don't blame Spock.

He's still got a lot to learn.

Plus, he made up for it by
devising a shield harmonic

to protect us from the radiation.

As for the Kalar on Rigel VII,

Captain Pike has a more
permanent solution in mind.

Shuttles report tractor locks stable.

You are certain this is not a violation

of the Prime Directive, sir?

A single asteroid changed the
course of history on this planet

for thousands of years.

That's not natural development.

Your logic...

feels sound to me.

Ready for some fancy flying, Erica?

No one but you could pull this off.

Oh, you know I've got this.

♪

When you do the same thing every day,

it's easy to forget how
important that thing is,

how awesome that thing is.

I won't let that happen again.

I'm Erica Ortegas,

and I fly the ship.

So you diverted two starships
for a routine prisoner transfer?

You know it's more than that.

I read the report.

Sounds like you had a
rough couple of days.

Yeah, I did.

But I learned something.

About me.

Uh, and about us.

Us?

I was wrong.

You tried to tell me
and I couldn't see it.

Instead I acted like an ass.

Can I get that in writing?

Whatever it takes.

Oh, and you were right about this, too.

[CHUCKLES]

It brings lost sailors home.

I don't know.

You said it yourself... it's not easy,

whatever this is between us.

Was.

I know.

But... [SIGHS]

... there are only a handful
of people in the galaxy

who get what it is to
be a Starfleet captain.

Who aren't diminished by the
fact that our duties come first,

our crews come first.

That's a strength, not a weakness.

So where are you gonna find another gal

who gets you like I do?

You brought me home.

That's what happened on Rigel VII.

I can't walk away from that.

I know I don't deserve you.

But I'm asking.

Will you forgive me?

[SIGHS]

Let's see how the next minutes go

and take it from there.

♪