01x03 - Ghost of Illyria

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Star Trek:
Strange New Worlds...

Is everything all right, Captain?

We're going back out.

Captain Pike.

Lieutenant La'An Noonien,
Chief of Security.

- La'An.
- Hey, Chief.

Wait, you two know each other?

She helped me find my way back home.

Permission to return to Enterprise, sir.

- What's the mission?
- Explore.

We seek out new life,

new civilizations.

We boldly go where no
one has gone before.

UNA: First officer's
log, stardate . .

The Enterprise has arrived at Hetemit ,

the site of an abandoned
Illyrian colony.

Illyrians are a humanoid species known

for modifying their genes
to enhance their capabilities

and levels of function.

However, because genetic modification

is forbidden in the Federation,

they have always been outcasts.

Our presence here is
part of a standing mission

to discover what happened to them.

Unfortunately, research time
on the surface is limited,

as the planet is regularly
swept by ion storms.

One of which is fast approaching.

It's funny how genetic modification

still puts everyone on edge.

Even you, it would seem.

I just don't like loose ends.

[THUNDER CRASHES]

Damn it. I wish we had more time.

These shelters are pretty old.

We should get everyone
back to the Enterprise.

All right, everyone,

pack up your data and head to the
rendezvous point for transport.

Spock, this is Pike. Come in.

The storm must be
interfering. I'll go grab him.

No, no. I got him.

You get the rest of the team back home.

Ensign Lance.

Energize.

Commander, I'm having trouble
getting a lock on your signals.

The ion storm is interfering.

Storm's only getting closer, Enterprise.

One second, Commander.

Energizing.

[WHIRRING WEAKLY]

Transporter Room to Engineering.
Hemmer, I'm losing them.

Rerouting auxiliary power. Get ready.

Chief Hemmer to Bridge.

Prepare for temporary engagement
of emergency systems backups.

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER P.A.]

Engineering to Transporter. Try it now.

What the... ? How did you... ?

I am a genius. Move quickly.

Copy.

[SIGHS]

Better not be out of miracles, Mr. Kyle.

Captain and Mr. Spock
are still on the surface.

Captain, I think I've managed to uncover

a previously undiscovered cache

of journals that may be relevant.

- I'm looking forward to reading them.
- Great.

How about we get to the rendezvous point

before the storm
overtakes us, so you can?

Pike to Enterprise. Two to beam up.

- [SIGHS]
- [SIGHS] I can't get a lock.

- Pull more power.
- Power's not gonna help.

The ion storm is too strong.

We try to transport them through that,

who knows when we'll get back?

Number One to Captain Pike.

You and Mr. Spock should find shelter

until the storm passes, and quickly.

Copy, Number One.

PIKE: Suggestions, Mr. Spock?

Run.

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.

♪

♪

♪

[BOATSWAIN'S WHISTLE SOUNDS]

The captain and Mr. Spock
are stuck on the surface.

As soon as it's safe,
we'll get them back.

In the meantime, we do our jobs.

Cadet Uhura, can you get a signal?

No, Commander.

The ion storm is functionally
a communications blackout.

I want to know the second
you connect with the captain.

- Yes, Commander.
- Lieutenant Wheeler,

I want round-the-clock
monitoring of the storm.

The second it starts to
let up, I want to know.

And tell Chief Kyle
to have relief ready.

I want the transporter standing by.

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER P.A.]

ORTEGAS: Ensign Lance?

Are you all right?

It's too dark in here.

Okay, it's been a
long day for all of us.

But maybe this is something
you should, you know,

do in your own quarters?

LANCE: I need to feel
the light on my skin.

Whatever tweaks your freak, pal.

[GRUNTS]

What the hell are you doing?

Ortegas to Security.

I need help on Deck .

Computer, increase illumination %.

[EXHALES]

Number One to Dr. M'Benga.

What is the status of the landing party?

M'BENGA: Good evening, Commander.
Funny you should mention it.

I have several of them
in here as we speak,

presenting with some
very curious symptoms.

I was about to call you.
Are you feeling all right?

- I'm okay.
- Better come down here

and let me check you out, just in case.

On my way.

M'BENGA: It's odd.

Half of them have b*rned
or shocked themselves,

all on sources of illumination, and yet

the light's the only thing
that seems to calm them down.

[SIGHS] They're being
attracted to light.

So much so they're willing to
hurt themselves to get to it.

I take it you haven't exhibited
any of these unusual behaviors?

No.

You found nothing else in their systems?

No form of contagion?

Well, the transporter's biofilters

would have screened
out anything abnormal.

But I ran viral and bacterial
scans anyway as a precaution.

They're clean.

Only thing I've been able to find

is a severe drop in cholecalciferol.

Vitamin D?

All show levels in the red.

Outside of this and
the aberrant behavior,

you'd never know they were sick.

How were my vitamin D levels?

Normal.

Whatever affected them
seems to have missed you.

I'd like to take a
blood sample nonetheless.

Commander?

Of course.

Have you been able to reach
the captain and Mr. Spock?

Still too much
interference with the storm.

[WHIRS]

We'll have to hope they weren't exposed

to whatever this is.

I have to believe the landing
party came into contact

with something down there
that the biofilters missed.

HEMMER: Nonsense.

The biofilters would have caught

any contamination during transport.

Unless it was something they
weren't programmed to catch.

Can't happen.

If they don't recognize
it, they filter it out.

What about the ion storm? Could
that have interfered with it?

- No.
- [BEEPING]

I mean...

... it shouldn't have.

And yet M'Benga's got four

landing party members in sickbay.

Anything else abnormal during
transport you can think of?

Besides the landing party's atoms

almost getting mixed up into
a puddle of bio-organic stew?

No.

I can sense that expression, you know.

Oh, I know.

You had to pull a lot of power
to keep pattern stabilization.

Could that have
inhibited the biofilters?

Not only are all the ship's transporters

networked for emergency
power distribution,

the new systems have discrete
backups for biofilters

and pattern stabilizers.

I will run a level
diagnostic ship-wide.

- To make you feel better, Commander.
- Thank you.

Which, I might add,
may well take all night.

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER P.A.]

[BOATSWAIN'S WHISTLE SOUNDS]

UNA: On screen.

Number One?

Are you and Lieutenant Spock all right?

We're fine, but the storm has
us pinned down in the library.

We have an emerging situation here.

Landing party members are getting ill.

The doctor thinks they were exposed

to something on the surface.

[DISTORTED]: What kind of something?

Apologies. The signal's out again.

The storm's interference is too strong.

UNA: Computer, show
me everything you have

on Illyrian genetic modifications,

specifically related to disease control.

COMPUTER: Working.

Computer, isolate any files pertaining

to the original Illyrian settlement

on the Vaultera Nebula.

Records are limited.

[SIGHS]

You wanted to see me, Chief?

Yes. Several landing party members

are showing symptoms of
some kind of contamination.

Security needs to keep an eye out

for anyone exhibiting strange behavior.

Mm-hmm.

Illyrians?

You think this contamination
might be related to them?

I don't know what to think.
I'm just doing research.

Well, it seems to me,
things like this are exactly

why the Federation is so wary
of genetically-modified species

like the Illyrians.

You start breaking
down the genetic code,

who knows what the unexpected
consequences can be?

If the problem originated
with the Illyrians,

maybe they could also
provide us with a cure.

Isn't using any Illyrian medical tech

against Federation regs?

Thanks to the Eugenics Wars.

I imagine you know all
about that period in history.

Well, you don't grow up with
a bio-engineered mass m*rder*r

as your ancestor and
not develop a thick skin.

Khan Noonien Singh.

Made myself a kind of an
expert on him when I was a kid.

I never think of you as a child.

Yeah.

For a while there, the worst thing

that had ever happened to me

was a bunch of the other kids' teasing.

I'd hope that someone with
your last name would know

that snap judgments made on
genetics are faulty at best.

Individuals are so
much more than just...

Is it me or is it dark in here?

[EXHALES]

- UNA: La'An?
- [EXHALING]

Is this the only light you have?

Number One to Dr. M'Benga?

M'BENGA: Commander?

I think we have a new problem.

M'BENGA: Same vitamin D deficiency.

Same attraction to light.

She wasn't part of the landing party.

- She never went down to the planet.
- I know.

How is that possible?
How is it spreading?

- I don't know.
- Internal contact tracing

shows that Lieutenant Noonien
shared a turbolift with Ensign Lance.

- It's a possible source of exposure.
- M'BENGA: Maybe.

Except whatever it is isn't being passed

by any traceable viral
or bacteriological means.

What do you recommend, Doctor?

To keep it from
spreading, full lockdown.

UNA: Computer, open
a channel ship-wide.

Attention all crew members,

we are initiating Level
Five lockdown protocol,

effective immediately.

All nonessential personnel

will be confined to quarters
until further notice.

All on-duty personnel

will be confined to specific
work zones until further notice.

You have your orders.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

I believe there is a human phrase.

"A watched kettle never boils."

It's a pot.

And in this case, I'm pretty sure

we're gonna get hit
with the scalding water.

You are deliberately mixing my metaphor

in order to indulge your anxiety.

There are sick people on my
ship, and we're stuck down here?

I don't like feeling helpless.

Pacing relentlessly back and forth

will not change the situation.

[THUNDER CRASHES]

PIKE: This place is fun.
They should sell tickets.

It seems this particular
group of Illyrians

wanted to join the Federation.

As Federation law forbids
genetic manipulation,

this group was attempting to reverse

its DNA modifications to gain entry.

De-engineering themselves, as it were.

- That's a new one.
- Indeed.

Any clue as to what
happened to the colony?

I am only halfway through
these records, Captain.

Consider maybe skipping to the end

before the storm tears
the building apart?

[THUNDER CRASHES]

[HIGH-PITCHED SHRIEK]

Tell me you saw that, too.

I did.

Although what I saw,
exactly, I am not sure.

[WHOOSHING NEARBY]

UHURA: What are y'all doing?

Computer, end simulation!

- What did you do that for?!
- We need light!

UNA: How many more?

Almost . I had to open

our auxiliary bay to
handle the overflow.

CHAPEL: Contact tracing
is all over the map.

Some people are getting it

after being down the hall
from someone who's sick.

Meanwhile, Cadet Uhura's roommates

both came down with it,
she's completely fine.

UNA: Hemmer, did you find anything?

Of course. That's why I'm
wandering around the ship

in the middle of the
night running diagnostics.

For fun.

Doctor, we need to check your
emergency medical transporter

for systems integration
and excess power usage.

Please!

I have research in there.

[SIGHS]

You doing anything right now?

If you hadn't noticed, I'm in the middle

of a ship-wide medical emergency.

Trust me, I've noticed.

[WHIRRING]

[GASPING]

My medical transporter is fine.

That shouldn't have affected the lights.

Please stop messing around in here!

You're only making things worse.

Point taken.

Whatever made that sound,
looks like it's gone.

A curious figure of speech.

[WARBLING]

Captain.

[HIGH-PITCHED SHRIEKING]

- I think we know what made that sound.
- Indeed.

Oh, you're lucky.

Any closer and that could
have hit the carotid.

On a human.

The journals did mention
unconfirmed rumors

of creatures living inside the storms.

I think we can confirm them.

[HEAVY THUDDING]

What do you think the
odds are that'll hold?

Perhaps we should weight
probability in our favor.

A lockdown is instituted,
you're off duty, you come here.

Your roommates contract
the contagion, you do not.

Why?

UHURA: I went to bed.

Like this?

I closed the door.

I need it pitch-black to fall asleep.

I'm like The Princess and the...

... Pea that way.

Uhura was exposed to the same
conditions as her roommates,

with one exception: she was in the dark.

I ran an electromagnetic
scan on the ship.

Around infected crew members,

light waves carry additional energy.

The contagion travels on light.

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY] Insidious.

And remarkable.

The most successful
viruses propagate in a host,

then trigger a spreading response.

The way a common cold
makes humans sneeze

to transfer itself to other humans.

Once we're exposed, this virus triggers

our pleasure centers when we
are in close contact with light.

Light is literally everywhere.

Any light wave could
carry the infection.

CHAPEL: It's only a matter of time

before we all become
infected if we don't stop it.

So how do we stop it?

What's the one thing we can control

that counteracts light?

Dark hates light, light hates dark.

So we turn off the lights.

We have a sickbay full of patients

who are essentially light addicts.

The virus is gonna make
them very uncomfortable.

Would it be too intrusive
to sedate all of them?

Given the alternative...

... I think it's the best option.

Computer, narrow search parameters

to Illyrian genetic modifications.

- COMPUTER: Classified.
- Override.

Narrow search parameters to Illyrian

genetic modifications
related to disease control.

- Classified.
- Override. Override.

Alert. Blackout override
in Transporter Room.

Danger of critical circuit overload.

Commander Chin-Riley
to Transporter Room.

- What's going on?
- [WHIRRING]

Acknowledge.

Computer, clear screen.

[LOW RUMBLE]

Hemmer, what are you doing?

Performing a miracle.

Come in. You'll enjoy it.

[GASPS SOFTLY] What is that thing?

An iron-sulfur alloy, I believe.

It took all my skills to isolate
a portion that could transport

from the core of Hetemit .

It's not fully materialized.

You're transporting a
piece of the planet's core?

Mantle, to be precise.

I want to feel the radiance on my skin.

I've almost stabilized the signal.

Hemmer, it's a thousand
degrees. It'll k*ll you.

More like , .

Just a few seconds
more and it'll be here.

[HIGH-PITCHED WHIRRING]

Hemmer, stop!

♪

[HEAVY THUDDING]

[w*apon WHIRS]

Does that thing have a setting for stun?

I am arming us with knowledge.

You think the Illyrians knew
how to stop these things?

Perhaps. But even if they did not,

we may be able to learn
from their misfortune.

I have deduced that these
creatures did not destroy them.

That, in fact, they began to appear

as the Illyrians were
starting to be wiped out

by a mysterious disease.

I'm still waiting for the useful part.

SPOCK: I have found no entry describing

the creatures causing
harm to the colonists.

My ears are popping.

The atmospheric pressure is rising.

Ionization levels in the storm

are now lethal to organic matter.

[METAL CREAKING]

Ground.

[GRUNTING]

♪

[PANTING]

- Looks like they're gone.
- Indeed.

And thanks to them, it
would seem, we are not.

How in the exact hell
are you carrying him?

UNA: Never mind. He needs to
be sedated before he wakes up.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to be next.

My cholecalciferol levels are plunging.

And it's down to Nurse
Chapel and myself, I'm afraid.

You took my blood earlier.

Did you find anything that
could help synthesize a cure?

- Just because you haven't caught this thing yet...
- I'm immune.

- You don't know that.
- I've already come down with it,

and my immune system did what
it was bio-engineered to do.

I didn't tell you earlier because...

... I'm an Illyrian.

- Would that even work?
- No.

Why not? My body knew how
to fight off the infection.

It's not that simple.
There are other factors.

Neither of us has any experience with...

your unique metabolism.

Mm.

Why do I get the feeling
you're about to quote

Starfleet regulations?

Oh, no, I'm not. I just...

Look, I know there's a directive

against mixing human and Illyrian blood,

but I couldn't care less right now.

Then why are we wasting time?

- [GROANING IN DISTANCE]
- Go.

- What is the issue?
- I've looked at your blood.

It has no novel antibodies.

And that is consistent with what
I know of Illyrian biochemistry.

You don't create
antibodies that lie dormant.

Your immune system literally burns out

new infections immediately.

Which means I have nothing left
to synthesize an antidote from.

So I'm protected but I
can't help anyone else?

Perhaps if I was there at
the moment you were infected.

- You'd better put me out.
- UNA: No, no, no, wait.

We'll come up with something.

- There's nothing to come up with.
- [EXHALES]

You're a Starfleet doctor.
There's always something.

You put a lot of faith in Starfleet.

That must be hard.

Starfleet is right
about a lot of things,

but not all of them.

Not about us.

- If my blood...
- I understand.

Prejudice has kept people from
helping each other for centuries

with no scientific justification.

And after we met our
neighbors in the galaxy,

we found new bigotries.

Human and Vulcan blood.

Now it's human and Illyrian.

In any case, they're meaningless to me.

I am a physician.

I'd beg you to help if you could,

regulations be damned.

But you can't help here.

I'm sorry.

[EXHALES]

Now put me out. Before I lose control.

COMPUTER: Warning. Warp core
containment field has been deactivated.

Recommend reestablishing
containment field immediately.

[ALARM SOUNDING]

Warning. Warp core containment
field has been deactivated.

Warp core breach imminent.

La'An.

[ALARM SOUNDING]

Warning. Containment
field has been deactivated.

Warp core breach imminent.

UNA: La'An, stop.

Back away from the panel.

- That's an order.
- Denied, Commander.

You know what'll happen if that
containment field goes down.

We'll be flooded with light.

La'An, stop.

Danger of exposure to
matter/antimatter radiation.

Containment field at %.

Seventy percent.

Fifty-five percent.

Radiation nearing critical levels.

LA'AN: Let me go.

Containment field at %.

Get off of me!

I'm trying to help you. It's me, La'An.

You know me. I'm your friend.

You lied to me every day for years.

What kind of friend is that?

- %.
- You're an abomination. An augment.

That's what the other kids called me

when they heard my
name: augment, monster.

Like you are. [GRUNTS]

Radiation levels are now
toxic to organic species.

Warp core breach imminent.

[COMMUNICATOR TRILLS]

Pike to Enterprise. Do you read me?

I think it's safe to go back out now.

We'll get a stronger signal.

Those plasma creatures...

they went to great
lengths to save our lives.

They shielded us when
the storm broke through.

Why wouldn't they have done
the same for the colonists?

I see two possibilities.

They were not motivated to save them

because of some previous
interaction with the colonists.

And the second?

They were unable to save the colonists

because they are the colonists.

How?

I found mention of some odd behavior

in reaction to the disease
I mentioned earlier.

The infected had a compulsion for light.

Some were driven so mad,
they ran into the storms,

chasing the lightning.

Wouldn't they have d*ed?

Yes.

Although it is possible
the charged storm particles

bonded with the colonists'
electromagnetic presence,

creating what we saw.

Fascinating.

This is a thorough account
of the colonists' initiative

to renounce their genetic engineering

in order to join the Federation.

It would seem, even in death,

they wanted us to be aware
of who they really were.

What is it, Spock?

Some Illyrians were, among other things,

bio-engineered to fight disease.

Had they not tried to
reverse their augmentation,

they may not have all d*ed.

They wanted to join
the Federation so badly

their good-faith
gesture got them k*lled.

[HYPOSPRAY HISSES]

UNA: It's okay.

It's okay. We got an antidote.

La'An tried to jump into the warp core

while the containment field was down.

As I was stopping her, she
got a bad dose of radiation,

and so did I.

Apparently, my body cured both of us

before I reengaged the field.

La'An is not an Illyrian.

Her proximity to the commander

created chimeric
antibodies in her system.

I was able to synthesize them
into a cure before they set.

Don't thank me. I know
I'm good at my job.

Everyone here owes you their life.

There's something I
need to take care of.

Mind if I sit?

You pack one hell of
a punch, Lieutenant.

Thank you.

That wasn't a compliment.

What's the penalty for
striking a superior officer?

I can't seem to remember.

Thanks.

I mean, we're friends, right?

Do you want me to tell you it
was just the sickness talking?

I don't know. Was it?

Yes. And also, no.

All my life I've hated augments.

Hated what-what people thought of me

because I was related to them.

Understanding why they were
outlawed in the Federation.

The damage they did. They
almost destroyed Earth.

The augments, yes, but not us.

My people were never
motivated by domination.

Illyrians seek
collaboration with nature.

By bio-engineering our bodies,

we adapt to
naturally-existing habitats.

Instead of terraforming
planets, we modify ourselves.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

If that's what you
believe, why do you hide it?

Why hide it from me?

I've been hiding it
from a lot of people.

[INHALES]

All I ever wanted,

since I first saw the
stars, was to join Starfleet.

I know.

You're the one who gave me that dream.

And the fact that strawberries
are my comfort food.

[CLEARS THROAT]

UNA: Captain.

I'm an Illyrian.

Not from this colony, from far away.

Starfleet policy is clear.

By not disclosing my
genetic augmentation...

worse, by enlisting in Starfleet...

I've committed a Federation offense.

I am resigning my commission

and surrendering myself
for disciplinary review.

I only ask that my sincere
desire to join Starfleet

be taken into consideration.

Rejected.

- Sir?
- I don't care where you come from.

You're the best first
officer in the fleet.

Thank you, sir, but I
feel obligated to point out

that Starfleet does not allow...

Una, stop.

Chris, that's kind, but I've
broken a dozen regulations.

I lied to get into Starfleet.

According to Federation
law, if you shelter me,

they could come after you, too.

I welcome that discussion.

One thing became clear
to me on Hetemit .

Illyrians are severely misunderstood.

Your actions in the
crisis prove that again.

I just did my job, sir.

No.

You defy every stereotype

the Federation has about Illyrians.

You're an example to them.

And to all of us.

What do we do when Starfleet finds out?

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

You let me worry about Starfleet.

Oh, before you go...

Uh, the glitch was with the
transporter's biofilter, right?

That's how the virus got on board?

- Let's get that fixed.
- Yes, sir.

M'BENGA: Come in.

It was your medical transporter
that inhibited the biofilters.

The new transporters keep
biofilter and pattern integrity

power systems separate.

But you didn't let them
upgrade the medical transporter

when we were in spacedock.

I'm starting to suspect you couldn't.

Hemmer's diagnostic

shows you're keeping something
in the pattern buffer.

And whatever it is, you
needed to preserve it,

even if it ended up k*lling
everyone on the ship.

- Isn't that right, Doctor?
- No.

I didn't know.

It was an accident.

What are you keeping in there

that could be worth all our lives?

Not what.

Who.

Rukiya.

My daughter.

A year ago, she was
diagnosed with cygnokemia.

Brutal disease.

You can't imagine what it's like
to watch your child wither away.

To see a lifetime of potential
reduced to a -week prognosis.

I'm sorry.

I am chief medical officer.

On the flagship of Starfleet.

You'd think I'd be able
to do something about it.

But nothing worked.

Did you know there's no limit

on how long you can store
someone's pattern in the buffer?

You just have to
materialize them regularly.

In the buffer, my daughter doesn't age.

And her disease can't progress.

We travel light-years in hours.

And somewhere out there

is a planet that has
the discovery I need.

Only...

... the light virus
epidemic was my fault.

It seems so, yes.

If I thought, even for a second,

that could have happened...

It won't happen again.

I can't endanger our crew for one life.

No matter how much
that life means to me.

But I ask, would you consider,

before you return me to Starfleet,

that I might have a chance to spend

a little more time with my daughter?

To say goodbye.

No.

I'll provide a dedicated power source,

direct from the warp core.

This problem?

We can ensure it never happens again.

[DOOR WHOOSHES OPEN]

I look forward to meeting her one day.

First officer's personal log.

The lights are back on.

But that doesn't mean we see clearly.

People are always hiding things.

Hi, Dad. Story time?

You bet.

- Now, where were we?
- King Ridley was about to climb the tower

to rescue Princess Thalia
from evil Queen Neve.

[SHUSHES] Wait.

[CHUCKLES]: No spoilers.

Dad, we've read this,
like, a hundred times.

That doesn't mean that the ending

couldn't miraculously change.

UNA: Dr. M'Benga stopped hiding today,

just a little.

And for once,

I did, too.

I told Captain Pike
the truth about myself.

And he defended me.

Told me I was exemplary.

That he would fight for me.

So why do I feel terrible?

What if I hadn't saved all those lives?

Would the captain feel the same?

What would he do if I wasn't a hero?

One of the "good ones"?

When will it be enough to just...

... be an Illyrian?

Computer.

Delete log entry.

COMPUTER: Log entry deleted.

M'BENGA: If King Ridley would
seek out the Mercury Stone

and win it as his own,

his victory over Queen
Neve would be assured.

It is said that in the right hands,

the Mercury Stone has the power
to cleanse the land of evil

and bring prosperity to all.

But if it were to fall
into the wrong hands,

the Mercury Stone's power
would bring about a terrible,

long-lasting dark age across the land.