Star Trek: Discovery (2017) s03e11 Episode Script
Su’Kal
1
[narrator.]
Previously on Star Trek: Discovery: [Burnham.]
Seven hundred years after we left, dilithium supplies dried up.
Then came the Burn.
No one knows how or why it happened, but in an instant, all dilithium went inert.
Any ship with an active warp core detonated.
This is where the Burn started, the Verubin Nebula.
There's a signal coming from the center of the nebula? The message is over a hundred years old, made a few years before the Burn.
This is Dr.
Issa of the KSF Khi'eth.
She started being affected by the radiation.
- Those marks on her forehead - all channels.
We are stranded, but we have not lost hope.
I have a Kelpien research vessel and a captain who hasn't seen another Kelpien face since he got here.
I wouldn't blame you if you were a little distracted.
I assure you, admiral, that is not the case.
I would like you to serve as my acting first officer till I find a permanent replacement.
[Vance.]
Osyraa is desperate for dilithium.
Discovery has a spore drive.
It's not a good combination.
We're going to have to be exceptionally careful at all times.
[suspenseful music playing.]
You have just sealed your own fate and the fate of the Federation.
I promise you will feel the full weight of the Chain.
You were angry with Gray I don't miss him.
I mean, if he was here right now, I would thank him for leaving without a word.
Maybe he's doing what he thinks is best.
He doesn't get to decide what's good for me.
You have always been far greater than you could imagine, Michael.
So have you, Philippa.
- [Saru.]
She will not return.
- [Burnham.]
Never.
Then she is deceased.
To Philippa.
[all.]
To Philippa.
[tender music playing.]
[Burnham.]
Georgiou was something else.
Such a force of nature.
[indistinct chatter.]
[Stamets.]
Wherever she is, I'm sure she's giving them hell.
[Adira.]
You guys are really lucky to have each other.
You're a part of that, you know.
You have them and you have us.
I miss her already.
We're sort of a package deal.
You have me, too.
You're back? - Is that Gray? Gray's here? - Um You're lucky that we are at a memorial service or I'd be giving you a piece of my mind.
- Um, I'll just be checking some data.
- Yeah.
I'm sorry.
I That Is that it? What, you show up out of nowhere, and then you're sorry? I just I haven't known how to be.
You get to interact with the world and be who you are, and I'm just stuck.
You're the only one that can see me, and that's not how it's supposed to be.
I'm supposed to be connected.
But that doesn't excuse my disappearing.
[exhales sharply.]
But I get it.
As much as I can, anyway.
We'll figure this out.
We're gonna figure this out.
[computer beeping.]
Computer must have found data from the Khi'eth.
The Kelpien ship where the message came from.
Oh, my God.
Captain, um the Khi'eth, there's a life sign.
Someone is alive inside that ship.
Wait, how is that possible? The crash happened before the Burn.
The radiation alone How could Dr.
Issa survive that long? Not her.
The child.
[dramatic music playing.]
Child? Those marks on Dr.
Issa's head, they were not from radiation poisoning.
She was pregnant.
We need to set course for the Verubin Nebula.
[suspenseful music playing.]
[Owo.]
The crash site is 200 kilometers into the nebula.
[Detmer.]
There's a nasty storm in there.
I'll do my best.
[Saru.]
Take us in, lieutenant.
Quickly.
Whoever's down there, they've been waiting for rescue.
Aye, sir.
[Saru.]
Shields up.
Red alert.
[grunts.]
[alarm blaring.]
We're being barraged by ionizing radiation.
- Scan for the life sign.
- [rumbling.]
Way too much subspace density interference.
Damn it.
This storm is not supposed to be this bad.
Got a mass of hydrogen and dust collapsing.
Hang on! [grunts.]
Shields at 80 percent.
- Where is our secondary emitter? - Nilsson's working on it.
Shields down to 60 percent.
Captain? - Take us closer to the planet.
- If we lose shields, - the hull breach will be catastrophic.
- We cannot simply leave.
Shields at 50 percent.
Scan again.
Captain.
[all grunt.]
Captain Saru.
Let me take my ship in to scout.
Discovery's too big.
Radiation winds hit you like a sail.
I've lost 10 percent of starboard-side thrusters.
My ship is smaller and can morph.
She can take the heat.
Trust me.
Go.
And be safe, Mr.
Booker.
Mr.
Bryce.
- Transport him now.
- [whirring.]
[sighs.]
[sighs.]
You in, Book? - [Book.]
Yeah.
- [Burnham.]
Let us know the moment - you get a clear scan of the life sign.
- [Book.]
Copy that.
Found a subspace fissure.
Should make it possible to complete the scan.
[computer.]
Warning.
Radiation breach detected.
Come on.
How are shields holding, Book? [Book.]
Diverting auxiliary power to strengthen them.
Found the ship's approximate landing site.
[computer.]
Emergency force fields failing.
- Radiation at critical level.
- [Book grunting.]
[Burnham in distorted voice.]
Book, how are you doing? Book? - [Burnham in normal voice.]
Book? - [computer.]
Life sign detected.
Got the life sign.
In a structure with breathable atmosphere.
Has to be the crashed ship.
Transmitting coordinates.
I have a visual on the planet.
Located a pocket where Discovery can jump safely.
Got them.
We got the coordinates.
Get the hell out of there.
- [thumping.]
- [groans.]
- Mr.
Booker? - [Book groans over comms.]
I'm fine.
- [Book sighs over comms.]
- [computer over comms.]
Autopilot engaged.
[Saru.]
I trust Mr.
Booker will be all right? [Burnham.]
Culber said he should be fine after a few cycles of DNA recombination.
[Saru.]
Good.
Then let us see what Ensign Tilly has for us.
The data from Book's ship shows that Khi'eth crashed into a massive supply of dilithium.
Well, they were on a mission to investigate a dilithium nursery.
Sir, I'm reading that there is dilithium dispersed throughout this entire planet.
[dramatic music playing.]
We triangulated those black boxes.
Ni'Var's data led us to the nebula.
Now we find a dilithium planet inside? I think we may have just found the source of the Burn.
[theme music playing.]
[explosions in distance.]
[dramatic music playing.]
A planet made of dilithium.
The Federation could use that kind of news right about now.
Nice work.
And the life sign? We have confirmed that it is within the crashed ship, admiral.
Conditions? Catastrophic outside the vessel.
Inside, however, there is a breathable atmosphere with only moderate radiation exposure.
Provided we bring the appropriate medications, we can safely beam in to recover the Kelpien.
We? I plan to accompany the away team.
While I'm gone, my Number One, Ensign Tilly, will be in charge.
I have every confidence in her.
You believe this planet is also the source of the Burn? [Burnham.]
Yes, sir.
Is Discovery safe? Well, it has been 120 years.
Presumably, whatever unique phenomenon caused the Burn then could repeat now.
But in that case, distance would not spare us.
Any chance the life sign might have been somehow involved? The scientists were members of the Federation.
And the child would have been, perhaps, 4 or 5 at the time.
So, no.
There's one thing you should be aware of before you go.
I had to send part of the fleet to Kaminar.
Kaminar? [Vance.]
Soon after you left, we received word that the Chain were conducting military exercises nearby.
We can jump there immediately.
Remember what Osyraa did to draw Book out.
She attacked Kwejian.
[Vance.]
We believe she's doing the same with Kaminar.
Trying to lure Discovery.
She wants our spore drive.
We will take good care of your home.
I promise.
- Thank you, admiral.
- [Vance.]
Now, go.
Rescue the life sign.
And find out what we need to do to get that dilithium.
And, captain do be careful down there.
- Hello there, lady.
- [cat meowing.]
Did you miss me? [cat purring.]
Mm.
Yeah.
I know you missed me.
Did I? How'd his DNA recombination go? He'll be fine.
I'm always fine.
And Grudge? Her DNA recombination was also successful.
She's good as new.
Well, on the ship, she was favoring her front left paw.
Could you check her out? I'll let you know when she's ready.
[cat meows.]
[dramatic music playing.]
How's my ship? DOTS are working on it.
She'll survive.
Glad the autopilot kicked in when it did.
Yeah, me, too.
You see the data? Hell of a thing, all that dilithium.
Game changer, right? No more planets stuck out on their own, held hostage by Osyraa.
The galaxy just got a whole lot smaller.
Hey.
What's on your mind? I'm going with Saru.
And Culber.
And Saru worries you.
I'm not sure he can be objective.
How he'll handle it if he has to make a hard call.
A painful one? One that costs him.
But that's what it means to be a captain.
He's gonna need you down there.
Well, whatever answers we find, I just hope they're enough.
For all of us.
No, no, no.
The radiation levels are off the charts.
- I know.
- And the odds of someone surviving for that long are vanishingly small.
I know that, too.
You can't go, Hugh.
You have me, you have Adira, and everyone here.
Paul.
[tender music playing.]
I need to go for me.
I was so lost after I came back.
And ever since we came to this future, I I found a purpose I didn't even know I was looking for.
I can help Saru.
And if there is a survivor they've been alone for decades.
And maybe I can help them, too.
Promise me that you'll be safe.
We'll keep comms open.
You can listen in the whole time.
I gotta go.
Hey.
What's up? We're gonna jump in, like, ten minutes.
Come sit.
Before things get crazy.
Oh, things are already crazy.
Fair enough.
I know it's a lot, taking the conn.
First time Georgiou left me in charge, I don't think I took a deep breath the entire five hours and 37 minutes she was gone.
Well, you know, it's like my Granna Adele always used to say, until you've flown a starship into a flaming nebula and gotten everyone out, you haven't lived.
So - She didn't really say that.
- Right.
Listen, there is a metal burr under the left armrest of the captain's chair.
We had one in the same place on the Shenzhou.
Construction glitch at the San Francisco Fleet Yards.
Whenever Georgiou got into a tricky situation, she felt like all the different choices were mind-numbing she would press on it with her thumb.
To kind of stay in the moment.
You know? [dramatic music playing.]
And first time she made me acting captain, when I sat down, I immediately felt for it.
But all that was there was this little shiny spot, where she had rubbed that burr into a dent.
And I've seen Saru touch the one here on Discovery.
So, burr, dent, shiny spot, whatever, it's there for you.
You belong in that chair, Tilly.
Thank you.
Hey, keep an eye on those radiation levels, okay? - I need you all to come back one piece.
- Aye, captain.
Oh.
[man over PA.]
Ensign Tilly, please report to the bridge.
[whimpers.]
[breathes deeply.]
Okay.
Here we go.
[explosion, then thunder rumbling.]
- [Saru.]
Status report.
- Shields dropping as expected, sir.
Ship's holding steady in the pocket.
Nice find, Book.
Coordinates for the Khi'eth are locked in.
Sending to your badges now.
- Dr.
Culber.
- Radiation levels on the Khi'eth are lower than on the rest of the planet but still too high for us.
So, keep an eye on your radiation levels.
The meds we've just taken will help as will the anti-radiation boosters that we're bringing with us.
But we'll still need to be back in sickbay in four hours, at the most.
Shields will be repaired in three hours.
Soon as they're ready, we'll jump back - to get you and the life sign.
- Shields 35 percent - Thirty.
- Captain.
It is time.
[dramatic music playing.]
Number One, you have the conn.
Black alert.
[whirring.]
What the? [dramatic music playing.]
[whirring.]
Culber? Culber You're Bajoran.
[gasps.]
You're Trill.
- [gasps.]
- What the hell is going on? Where's Saru? Saru? [Saru.]
My heel is touching the ground.
You're human.
What is happening? [Burnham.]
Where are we? If we beamed directly to the planet, we'd be dying right about now.
Gruesomely, I might add, so So, we are on the ship.
Discovery.
Come in, Discovery.
We have no badge.
No Phaser or Tricorder either.
Our supplies.
We need those radiation meds.
We must be in some kind of advanced holo-program.
It is possible that our supplies are being simply masked by the program.
Computer, exit program.
[in alien language.]
[in English.]
I suppose that was too much to hope for.
You think Discovery can still hear us? Guess there's no way to tell for sure.
At what point should we worry about our health? Well, as long as the ship returns as scheduled, we'll be sick, but we'll live.
[Burnham.]
Four hours.
Clock starts now.
[Saru.]
We should not waste any time.
Locate the source of the life sign as quickly as possible.
[woman.]
as you may remember from our lesson, a replicator takes subatomic particles and turns them into the component molecules of the food or object.
And then forms the food or object from those molecules.
Like a peanut butter sandwich, hasperat or sautéed Sautéed algae.
- Greetings.
- When the replicator goes down, you'll need a submicron scanner.
A submicron scanner like this to get inside the panel.
We are here in response to a Federation distress call.
You are in the wrong program.
Go to History and Current Events.
The computer sees us as part of the program.
That must be why we look like this.
What is the purpose of this environment? Its purpose Purpose Purpose is training.
Its purpose Purpose Purpose Program malfunction.
Poor thing.
A hundred and twenty-five years of radiation.
I'm surprised it hasn't broken down further.
[Culber.]
Imagine what it's done to the life sign.
[Saru.]
We have to find it somehow.
[Burnham.]
Maybe that holo led us over here for a reason.
[Saru.]
We should proceed carefully.
The rest of this training program may not be so innocuous.
[clattering.]
[Culber.]
Oh, my.
The holo's changed our clothing again.
Do human bodies respond negatively to heights? My heart seems to be racing.
- Yeah, that makes two of us.
- Looks like an ancient stepwell.
A lot of pre-warp civilizations used them for irrigation.
The holo's damaged there, too.
We have to be careful.
[thunder crashing and rumbling.]
Look at that.
Looks like no one wants that door to open.
These appear to be a ritual of some kind.
I'm gonna take a wild guess and say it's for protection.
The shape is vaguely familiar.
[man singing in foreign language.]
Maybe the holo can tell us where we are.
Excuse me.
Hello? What are you doing here? You don't belong here.
[dramatic music playing.]
What program are you from? Um, I realize that our appearance might be confusing to you.
We are not from any program.
[banging.]
I don't understand.
[Saru.]
I am Saru.
This is Michael and Hugh.
We are so relieved to find you.
We came in response to I believe it was your mother's distress call.
- [banging continues.]
- [Saru gasps.]
Where are you from? We are from outside.
Outside the program.
Outside? You woke the monster.
[whimpers.]
- Wait.
- Captain.
Those doors unlocked from the outside - the moment he got scared.
- [monster growling.]
We only scanned one life sign down here.
So, whatever's in that room, whatever its emotional connection to him, - it still has to be a holo.
- Unless it leaves that room and threatens us, it is not our priority.
- We're wasting time.
- Wait.
What if the survivor doesn't know the outside world even exists? What if he's never heard of the Burn? Or doesn't even know he's on a planet? Think about it.
If all he knows is this program, we're basically dealing with a child.
She's right.
We should be careful.
Emotionally, he's likely to be fragile.
We should go slowly, treat this as first contact.
Yes.
Of course.
You two should go find him.
I'll stay and make sure whatever's in there stays in there.
Yeah.
[Stamets.]
We need shields up and running to get back into the nebula.
Reroute all additional power from backup systems.
And hurry.
They're on a clock.
Three shield generators are too damaged to take the charge.
[Gray.]
Someone check structural integrity? - [Adira.]
Of course.
- [Stamets.]
Boost comms, please.
[Burnham over comms.]
If you can hear us, we've found something.
[monster growling over comms.]
What was that? [Stamets.]
Captain Saru? Commander Burnham, this is Discovery.
Pease respond.
[growling continues.]
Hugh? Bridge, are you monitoring comms? We heard it, commander.
We need to bring them home.
We can't jump back in the nebula without full shields.
Owo? Only at 40 percent.
Stamets, take all the power you need.
Captain? Long-range sensors have picked up a ship approaching.
[suspenseful music playing.]
It's Federation.
Shouldn't be any Federation ships here.
Unless they've been stranded since the Burn.
This is not the place I'd wanna stay for 125 years.
Hail them.
[signal beeping.]
They're not answering.
But they sent the correct response codes.
They're ten minutes out.
[male voice.]
The Federation is honored to welcome - The Kelpien Ba'ul Alliance - [Culber.]
What's this? [male voice.]
as the newest members of the United Federation of Planets.
- Your reconciliation - It's the day Kaminar officially joined - the Federation.
- Yeah.
The first holo led us inside.
Perhaps these can help us find the survivor.
I'll ask.
Excuse me.
Hello.
You are anticipated input.
Classification, rescuer.
If true, skip, skip, skip.
Process emotion.
Ecstatic gratitude.
[crowd applauding.]
What did we just do? I'm so pleased you have finally come.
You are anticipated input.
Yes or no.
May I ask? Anticipated input? You are rescuers, are you not? The child has been waiting for Cache database.
125 years, three months, 17 days, four hours.
How did you keep him alive for 125 years? Executed protocols include life support, education, preparation for arrival of anticipated input.
Does he have a name? How has he survived the radiation here? Does he take medicine, were his genes epigenetically altered in utero? [in high-pitched voice.]
Cue three, one, two, one.
[in normal voice.]
My friends, the child may be frightened of your true appearance.
You will be the first sentient beings he's encountered since the program was initiated.
Your appearance has been altered to be consistent with the program.
Repeat query.
Are you the anticipated input? If no, then initiate defense protocols.
Yes, we are the anticipated input.
We have come to rescue the child.
[crowd applauding.]
Now, please, where is he? [dramatic music playing.]
[whooshing.]
[monster growling.]
[suspenseful music playing.]
[Burnham gasps.]
I'm Michael.
What are you? Are you a part of the program? [screeching.]
Wait.
Wait! [Burnham gasps.]
[screams.]
[gasps, then screaming.]
Unknown vessel in range in two minutes.
Why didn't we notice its signature when we jumped in? Could be interference from the nebula.
Are there any M-Class planets within five light-years of this location? [Owo.]
None, captain.
I'd have set a course for a new home ages ago.
Me, too.
Owo, scan again, but don't scan the ship.
Scan the area around the ship.
Neutrino emissions around the ship are off the charts.
They make no sense.
That's because that's not a Federation ship.
We have a spore drive and we're right next to a dilithium planet.
There's one person who wants both of those enough to come all the way out here.
[suspenseful music playing.]
Red alert! Shields up! - Osyraa's coming in, weapons hot.
- Ready photon torpedoes.
[Detmer.]
How did she even get here? Transwarp tunnel on the courier maps.
But nobody in their right mind would use it.
- [Detmer.]
Should we jump away? - We can't.
We have to stay to protect the away team.
[Owo.]
She's scanning us.
We have the ability to cloak since the retrofit? Yes, but we can't jump while cloaked.
If anything happens One crisis at a time.
Do it.
What do you wanna do now, captain? [dramatic music playing.]
[Burnham gasps.]
[groans.]
You are a program, are you not? Yes, I am a program.
I knew it.
Which one? Let me guess.
Combat? Um, survival skills? I've done the others so many times.
I did not think I would find something new.
I am teaching the dynamics of social interaction.
Why? For sentient beings, connection to others is incredibly important.
It helps sustain them.
Like my connection to the holos.
Exactly.
And this can prepare you for when you talk to someone else one of these days.
Someone unexpected.
The other holo, the human, was he also part of your program? Why do you ask? He was unexpected.
He said he was from Outside.
I have not heard that teaching in a long time.
How long has it been? Uh There used to be lots of holos that talked about Outside.
But the Outside never came inside.
Probably the Outside is dead by now.
Well, I was also programmed to help you understand what is outside.
I'm sorry to have to tell you you are obsolete.
Then I suppose I should deactivate? If you don't want a new connection.
No.
No, wait.
We can still run the program.
It's been a long time since I've encountered a new program.
All right.
Let's talk about social units.
[Saru.]
Hello? Can anyone hear us? [Culber.]
He must be in here.
[dramatic music playing.]
That is an elder.
When I was a boy, the village elders would gather around the fire with us at night and tell stories.
It was how we preserved our history.
But they never survived to this age.
So, this is the oldest Kelpien you've ever seen? I know it is not real, but yes.
[Culber.]
Hopefully he knows where the survivor is.
Captain, look at this.
[Saru.]
Su'Kal.
That is his name.
Does it have any significance? Well, it does not directly translate, but it means something like "beloved gift.
" It is a tradition in Kelpien families that after you have suffered a great tragedy, the next child born in your family is named Su'Kal.
The child symbolizes the end of suffering.
Honored elder, excuse me.
Hello.
Would you like a story? No, elder, thank you.
We are looking for Su'Kal.
Do you know where he might be? I am programmed to teach Kelpien and Ba'ul history and traditions, and to provide social and emotional support for the growing child.
Can you tell us who created you? Why, his mother, of course.
We are all from her.
Dr.
Issa.
She knew she was dying, that they were all dying, and that Su'Kal would survive.
That's what this is.
A whole world created to raise her son and protect him until somebody came to rescue him.
To know that she was leaving her child, it must have been heartbreaking.
Every moment.
[Burnham.]
Tell me what you know about families.
[Su'Kal.]
Families are where children are nurtured and loved, and taught the norms and rules of the society in which they are raised.
Do you remember your family? We played together.
Harvested kelp.
I liked that.
I liked being in the water.
I liked the way it smelled.
I had a We ate together.
Those are family things.
It was a long time ago.
The harvesting environment is no longer functional.
Do you remember anything before all of this? Before? I wonder if you might remember a time with your family before the harvesting environment.
When you were on a ship, perhaps? Computer, reset parameters.
Hello.
Hello.
You're here to teach me.
Yes.
Forgive me.
My programming is unstable.
Where is the exit? I don't understand.
There is always an exit.
A way to turn off the holo program.
To reset all parameters.
No, no, no.
No, stop it.
Why would you do that? I do not like this program.
[dramatic music playing.]
I know this is meaningful for you, but we can't stay here, captain.
We need to finish the mission, find Commander Burnham and get out of here.
Elder we understand the nature of your programming, but in order to provide social and emotional support for the growing child, we must locate him.
When he is afraid, he goes to his fortress.
The child hides away from all of us.
I'll try to find him.
May I examine the book? Oh, yes.
Would you like a lullaby? Yeah.
[singing in Kelpien.]
[tender music playing.]
[Saru.]
This totem.
I saw these near the entrance.
The All-Seeing Eye has become protection? Um Su'Kal, he uses this design to build these totems.
What is he protecting himself from? The monster from the story.
It rises from the sea, covered in kelp to remind the children of Kaminar that to be truly free They must face their deepest fear.
I remember that story.
Yes.
Su'Kal is afraid of whatever is behind that locked door.
So long as he will not face it, he will remain in this place.
As will you.
[thunder rumbling.]
Oh, no.
Discovery? If you're listening, Paul? Hurry back.
We need you.
[dramatic music playing.]
Any sign of Osyraa? Nothing.
[Tilly.]
How did she even find us? [Book.]
If she wants your spore drive, she's been tracking it.
[Detmer.]
Scanning for our jump signature? [Book.]
She'd have gotten a read on it back at Kwejian.
Why didn't she fire on us? It's not like her.
Whatever she's got planned, I'm guessing she'll need us whole to make it work.
Engineering, what's the status on shields? [Stamets.]
Thirty minutes before we can jump.
- [signal beeping.]
- We're being hailed.
It's Osyraa.
Tell Stamets we need shields in ten.
Put her through.
On-screen.
Where is the captain? - I'm acting captain.
- [laughs.]
The Kelpien left you in charge? Damn straight.
Mm.
Kind of busy right now, so could you get to the point? You are not really captain material.
Oh, nice try.
You don't know anything about me.
Oh, sure I do.
Everybody's friend, right? Good with people, team player.
But deep down in that pretty little heart of yours, you know that you're just a fraud.
- How am I doing? - Mm.
A certain 19th-century Earth neurologist would say that you've just proven the idea of projection.
You tell me I'm a fraud because deep down inside you kind of feel like a fraud.
It's interesting, it's not just a human defense mechanism.
It's galactic.
Don't test me, Red.
Okay.
Let's skip Freud.
What do you want? Your ship, your spore drive and your crew as leverage.
[dramatic music playing.]
Oh, no.
Not gonna happen.
You will not take this ship or anyone on it.
Not now, not ever.
No.
[Su'Kal humming.]
[monster growling.]
[whispers.]
Michael.
[monster.]
See me.
[Saru.]
That holo, it is the monster from Su'Kal's story.
[whimpering.]
[monster.]
See me.
No! No! No! [Su'Kal shrieking.]
[dramatic music playing.]
- [Bryce.]
Uh, captain.
- [computer beeping.]
There's some kind of disturbance from the surface.
And it's increasing.
The warp core.
Lock down the magnetic constrictors.
- What do you think I'm doing? - Adira, purge the dilithium chamber.
[Tilly.]
Stamets, what's happening? Something is destabilizing the dilithium in the core.
It'll cause a chain reaction.
I have to reroute all power.
- [computer beeps.]
- We're de-cloaking.
If it's happening to us, it's happening to her, too.
[suspenseful music playing.]
[Owo.]
She's got weapons locked.
- [Detmer.]
We're not ready to jump.
- Prepare to fire! [dramatic music playing.]
Weapons ready.
Shields at 54 percent.
Stamets, get in the spore cube.
What? - You've gotta be kidding.
- I will not let Osyraa take this ship.
No! We can't leave them! [Tilly.]
I will come back for them, I promise you, Paul.
I'll get them.
Right now.
I'll take my ship.
Bring them back safely.
- [Stamets.]
Book? - I got them, don't you worry.
- Go to the spore cube, now.
- Lieutenant Bryce.
[whirring.]
[Adira.]
Hugh will die down there.
They all will.
I have an idea, but I need your badge.
[Stamets.]
Ready to jump on your mark.
[Su'Kal.]
No! No! - [monster hissing.]
- No! [singing in Kelpien.]
[dramatic music playing.]
[growls.]
Captain, the disruption from the planet has stopped, and we're being hailed again.
Owo, tell me the second Book's ship's clear.
Put her through.
[sighs.]
I found you.
We found each other.
You do realize that I have bigger torpedoes.
And an ever bigger ego.
But don't forget, last time we ran you off with just our itty-bitty little scout ship.
What your ship exploited was a structural anomaly.
And I assure you it's been fixed.
Well, we can fire on each other all day if that's your thing, but in the end, I will self-destruct Discovery before I let you have her spore drive.
Just to be clear.
You know, I've been asking myself, why are you notjust jumping away? What is it that you're protecting out there in the nebula? Or who? I wonder.
Is your captain out there? [dramatic music playing.]
- He's clear.
- Black alert.
No.
[grunts.]
[Tilly.]
Stamets, why aren't we jumping away? [rumbling.]
[shouting indistinctly.]
Paul? Michael? If you can hear, - I'm in the nebula.
- Book? Whatever just happened, you can't let it happen again.
It nearly caused another Burn.
Su'Kal.
[dramatic music playing.]
He caused the Burn.
How? [Culber.]
Bodies adapt.
All this dilithium and subspace radiation.
His cells acclimatized to it in utero as they divided.
[Burnham.]
But he was only a child.
[Culber.]
Then something must have happened to trigger him.
[Book.]
I'll have to pull you out now.
I'm in a stable pocket, but it won't be for long.
Meet me at the rendezvous point.
Osyraa's here.
Osyraa.
Michael, I must ask the impossible.
I need you to stay.
- Captain.
- If we leave Su'Kal alone, it's a matter of time before the Burn happens again.
- With your xenoanthropological skills - Right.
But it has to be you.
I am the captain.
He responded to you when you sang.
You have a connection with him.
Osyraa is here.
My responsibility is to the Discovery - and her crew.
- You'll be distracted.
I will not allow emotions to factor into my decisions.
Saru you already have.
Whatever Tilly needs, I will be there for her.
[dramatic music playing.]
- Okay, come on.
- I'm staying.
- Hugh.
- [Saru.]
Dr.
Culber.
I know what it's like to be alone in a world that doesn't make sense, captain.
No one should experience that.
Not you and not Su'Kal.
You tell Paul I love him.
[Book.]
I'm here.
Where are you? I'll come back for both of you.
If more than a day goes by there's no point.
[Book.]
Come on, Michael, where are you? [computer.]
Radiation levels elevated.
Shields at 60 percent.
Adira? - I'm beaming down.
- No way I'm letting you off.
They need this medication to survive until Discovery comes back.
Reno gave me her badge to transport.
- I'm not asking for permission.
- Hey! [sighs.]
Damn it, Adira.
[computer.]
Shields at 40 percent.
Come on, Michael.
Where the hell are you guys? Gotcha.
- Book.
- Radiation levels critical.
- [Burnham.]
Stay back.
[groans.]
- You're dangerously radioactive.
Big deal.
Shields at 30 percent.
This should help.
Gonna need some love from Dr.
Pollard.
Let's worry about that when I get back.
Where are the others? We have to go back for them.
I'll explain on the way.
- Shields at 20 percent.
- [Burnham groans.]
Adira was here.
They beamed down.
- Couldn't get a lock.
- What? On the bright side, they took my radiation pills.
- Should buy them some time.
- I hope so.
Shields at critical levels.
Let's go.
[Tilly.]
Stamets, what's happening down there? Stamets? I won't help you.
You can't use it without me.
What you want is irrelevant.
No.
Please no! [whirring.]
- [Detmer.]
I can't get us out of this.
- Commander Stamets, respond.
Charming.
Take their badges.
Get up.
You know, you're gonna have to kill me first.
And get blood all over the chair? [chuckles.]
Please.
Ahh You two make the smart choice.
Take your hands off the console.
This isn't over.
Oh? [sighs.]
I think it is.
Coordinates for Federation headquarters are already set.
I mean, how convenient.
Now, tell me, what is it you say when you do your jumpy thing? Huh? Anybody? Fine.
Get us out of here.
[dramatic music playing.]
No, no.
Oh, no.
We're too late.
[theme music playing.]
Previously on Star Trek: Discovery: [Burnham.]
Seven hundred years after we left, dilithium supplies dried up.
Then came the Burn.
No one knows how or why it happened, but in an instant, all dilithium went inert.
Any ship with an active warp core detonated.
This is where the Burn started, the Verubin Nebula.
There's a signal coming from the center of the nebula? The message is over a hundred years old, made a few years before the Burn.
This is Dr.
Issa of the KSF Khi'eth.
She started being affected by the radiation.
- Those marks on her forehead - all channels.
We are stranded, but we have not lost hope.
I have a Kelpien research vessel and a captain who hasn't seen another Kelpien face since he got here.
I wouldn't blame you if you were a little distracted.
I assure you, admiral, that is not the case.
I would like you to serve as my acting first officer till I find a permanent replacement.
[Vance.]
Osyraa is desperate for dilithium.
Discovery has a spore drive.
It's not a good combination.
We're going to have to be exceptionally careful at all times.
[suspenseful music playing.]
You have just sealed your own fate and the fate of the Federation.
I promise you will feel the full weight of the Chain.
You were angry with Gray I don't miss him.
I mean, if he was here right now, I would thank him for leaving without a word.
Maybe he's doing what he thinks is best.
He doesn't get to decide what's good for me.
You have always been far greater than you could imagine, Michael.
So have you, Philippa.
- [Saru.]
She will not return.
- [Burnham.]
Never.
Then she is deceased.
To Philippa.
[all.]
To Philippa.
[tender music playing.]
[Burnham.]
Georgiou was something else.
Such a force of nature.
[indistinct chatter.]
[Stamets.]
Wherever she is, I'm sure she's giving them hell.
[Adira.]
You guys are really lucky to have each other.
You're a part of that, you know.
You have them and you have us.
I miss her already.
We're sort of a package deal.
You have me, too.
You're back? - Is that Gray? Gray's here? - Um You're lucky that we are at a memorial service or I'd be giving you a piece of my mind.
- Um, I'll just be checking some data.
- Yeah.
I'm sorry.
I That Is that it? What, you show up out of nowhere, and then you're sorry? I just I haven't known how to be.
You get to interact with the world and be who you are, and I'm just stuck.
You're the only one that can see me, and that's not how it's supposed to be.
I'm supposed to be connected.
But that doesn't excuse my disappearing.
[exhales sharply.]
But I get it.
As much as I can, anyway.
We'll figure this out.
We're gonna figure this out.
[computer beeping.]
Computer must have found data from the Khi'eth.
The Kelpien ship where the message came from.
Oh, my God.
Captain, um the Khi'eth, there's a life sign.
Someone is alive inside that ship.
Wait, how is that possible? The crash happened before the Burn.
The radiation alone How could Dr.
Issa survive that long? Not her.
The child.
[dramatic music playing.]
Child? Those marks on Dr.
Issa's head, they were not from radiation poisoning.
She was pregnant.
We need to set course for the Verubin Nebula.
[suspenseful music playing.]
[Owo.]
The crash site is 200 kilometers into the nebula.
[Detmer.]
There's a nasty storm in there.
I'll do my best.
[Saru.]
Take us in, lieutenant.
Quickly.
Whoever's down there, they've been waiting for rescue.
Aye, sir.
[Saru.]
Shields up.
Red alert.
[grunts.]
[alarm blaring.]
We're being barraged by ionizing radiation.
- Scan for the life sign.
- [rumbling.]
Way too much subspace density interference.
Damn it.
This storm is not supposed to be this bad.
Got a mass of hydrogen and dust collapsing.
Hang on! [grunts.]
Shields at 80 percent.
- Where is our secondary emitter? - Nilsson's working on it.
Shields down to 60 percent.
Captain? - Take us closer to the planet.
- If we lose shields, - the hull breach will be catastrophic.
- We cannot simply leave.
Shields at 50 percent.
Scan again.
Captain.
[all grunt.]
Captain Saru.
Let me take my ship in to scout.
Discovery's too big.
Radiation winds hit you like a sail.
I've lost 10 percent of starboard-side thrusters.
My ship is smaller and can morph.
She can take the heat.
Trust me.
Go.
And be safe, Mr.
Booker.
Mr.
Bryce.
- Transport him now.
- [whirring.]
[sighs.]
[sighs.]
You in, Book? - [Book.]
Yeah.
- [Burnham.]
Let us know the moment - you get a clear scan of the life sign.
- [Book.]
Copy that.
Found a subspace fissure.
Should make it possible to complete the scan.
[computer.]
Warning.
Radiation breach detected.
Come on.
How are shields holding, Book? [Book.]
Diverting auxiliary power to strengthen them.
Found the ship's approximate landing site.
[computer.]
Emergency force fields failing.
- Radiation at critical level.
- [Book grunting.]
[Burnham in distorted voice.]
Book, how are you doing? Book? - [Burnham in normal voice.]
Book? - [computer.]
Life sign detected.
Got the life sign.
In a structure with breathable atmosphere.
Has to be the crashed ship.
Transmitting coordinates.
I have a visual on the planet.
Located a pocket where Discovery can jump safely.
Got them.
We got the coordinates.
Get the hell out of there.
- [thumping.]
- [groans.]
- Mr.
Booker? - [Book groans over comms.]
I'm fine.
- [Book sighs over comms.]
- [computer over comms.]
Autopilot engaged.
[Saru.]
I trust Mr.
Booker will be all right? [Burnham.]
Culber said he should be fine after a few cycles of DNA recombination.
[Saru.]
Good.
Then let us see what Ensign Tilly has for us.
The data from Book's ship shows that Khi'eth crashed into a massive supply of dilithium.
Well, they were on a mission to investigate a dilithium nursery.
Sir, I'm reading that there is dilithium dispersed throughout this entire planet.
[dramatic music playing.]
We triangulated those black boxes.
Ni'Var's data led us to the nebula.
Now we find a dilithium planet inside? I think we may have just found the source of the Burn.
[theme music playing.]
[explosions in distance.]
[dramatic music playing.]
A planet made of dilithium.
The Federation could use that kind of news right about now.
Nice work.
And the life sign? We have confirmed that it is within the crashed ship, admiral.
Conditions? Catastrophic outside the vessel.
Inside, however, there is a breathable atmosphere with only moderate radiation exposure.
Provided we bring the appropriate medications, we can safely beam in to recover the Kelpien.
We? I plan to accompany the away team.
While I'm gone, my Number One, Ensign Tilly, will be in charge.
I have every confidence in her.
You believe this planet is also the source of the Burn? [Burnham.]
Yes, sir.
Is Discovery safe? Well, it has been 120 years.
Presumably, whatever unique phenomenon caused the Burn then could repeat now.
But in that case, distance would not spare us.
Any chance the life sign might have been somehow involved? The scientists were members of the Federation.
And the child would have been, perhaps, 4 or 5 at the time.
So, no.
There's one thing you should be aware of before you go.
I had to send part of the fleet to Kaminar.
Kaminar? [Vance.]
Soon after you left, we received word that the Chain were conducting military exercises nearby.
We can jump there immediately.
Remember what Osyraa did to draw Book out.
She attacked Kwejian.
[Vance.]
We believe she's doing the same with Kaminar.
Trying to lure Discovery.
She wants our spore drive.
We will take good care of your home.
I promise.
- Thank you, admiral.
- [Vance.]
Now, go.
Rescue the life sign.
And find out what we need to do to get that dilithium.
And, captain do be careful down there.
- Hello there, lady.
- [cat meowing.]
Did you miss me? [cat purring.]
Mm.
Yeah.
I know you missed me.
Did I? How'd his DNA recombination go? He'll be fine.
I'm always fine.
And Grudge? Her DNA recombination was also successful.
She's good as new.
Well, on the ship, she was favoring her front left paw.
Could you check her out? I'll let you know when she's ready.
[cat meows.]
[dramatic music playing.]
How's my ship? DOTS are working on it.
She'll survive.
Glad the autopilot kicked in when it did.
Yeah, me, too.
You see the data? Hell of a thing, all that dilithium.
Game changer, right? No more planets stuck out on their own, held hostage by Osyraa.
The galaxy just got a whole lot smaller.
Hey.
What's on your mind? I'm going with Saru.
And Culber.
And Saru worries you.
I'm not sure he can be objective.
How he'll handle it if he has to make a hard call.
A painful one? One that costs him.
But that's what it means to be a captain.
He's gonna need you down there.
Well, whatever answers we find, I just hope they're enough.
For all of us.
No, no, no.
The radiation levels are off the charts.
- I know.
- And the odds of someone surviving for that long are vanishingly small.
I know that, too.
You can't go, Hugh.
You have me, you have Adira, and everyone here.
Paul.
[tender music playing.]
I need to go for me.
I was so lost after I came back.
And ever since we came to this future, I I found a purpose I didn't even know I was looking for.
I can help Saru.
And if there is a survivor they've been alone for decades.
And maybe I can help them, too.
Promise me that you'll be safe.
We'll keep comms open.
You can listen in the whole time.
I gotta go.
Hey.
What's up? We're gonna jump in, like, ten minutes.
Come sit.
Before things get crazy.
Oh, things are already crazy.
Fair enough.
I know it's a lot, taking the conn.
First time Georgiou left me in charge, I don't think I took a deep breath the entire five hours and 37 minutes she was gone.
Well, you know, it's like my Granna Adele always used to say, until you've flown a starship into a flaming nebula and gotten everyone out, you haven't lived.
So - She didn't really say that.
- Right.
Listen, there is a metal burr under the left armrest of the captain's chair.
We had one in the same place on the Shenzhou.
Construction glitch at the San Francisco Fleet Yards.
Whenever Georgiou got into a tricky situation, she felt like all the different choices were mind-numbing she would press on it with her thumb.
To kind of stay in the moment.
You know? [dramatic music playing.]
And first time she made me acting captain, when I sat down, I immediately felt for it.
But all that was there was this little shiny spot, where she had rubbed that burr into a dent.
And I've seen Saru touch the one here on Discovery.
So, burr, dent, shiny spot, whatever, it's there for you.
You belong in that chair, Tilly.
Thank you.
Hey, keep an eye on those radiation levels, okay? - I need you all to come back one piece.
- Aye, captain.
Oh.
[man over PA.]
Ensign Tilly, please report to the bridge.
[whimpers.]
[breathes deeply.]
Okay.
Here we go.
[explosion, then thunder rumbling.]
- [Saru.]
Status report.
- Shields dropping as expected, sir.
Ship's holding steady in the pocket.
Nice find, Book.
Coordinates for the Khi'eth are locked in.
Sending to your badges now.
- Dr.
Culber.
- Radiation levels on the Khi'eth are lower than on the rest of the planet but still too high for us.
So, keep an eye on your radiation levels.
The meds we've just taken will help as will the anti-radiation boosters that we're bringing with us.
But we'll still need to be back in sickbay in four hours, at the most.
Shields will be repaired in three hours.
Soon as they're ready, we'll jump back - to get you and the life sign.
- Shields 35 percent - Thirty.
- Captain.
It is time.
[dramatic music playing.]
Number One, you have the conn.
Black alert.
[whirring.]
What the? [dramatic music playing.]
[whirring.]
Culber? Culber You're Bajoran.
[gasps.]
You're Trill.
- [gasps.]
- What the hell is going on? Where's Saru? Saru? [Saru.]
My heel is touching the ground.
You're human.
What is happening? [Burnham.]
Where are we? If we beamed directly to the planet, we'd be dying right about now.
Gruesomely, I might add, so So, we are on the ship.
Discovery.
Come in, Discovery.
We have no badge.
No Phaser or Tricorder either.
Our supplies.
We need those radiation meds.
We must be in some kind of advanced holo-program.
It is possible that our supplies are being simply masked by the program.
Computer, exit program.
[in alien language.]
[in English.]
I suppose that was too much to hope for.
You think Discovery can still hear us? Guess there's no way to tell for sure.
At what point should we worry about our health? Well, as long as the ship returns as scheduled, we'll be sick, but we'll live.
[Burnham.]
Four hours.
Clock starts now.
[Saru.]
We should not waste any time.
Locate the source of the life sign as quickly as possible.
[woman.]
as you may remember from our lesson, a replicator takes subatomic particles and turns them into the component molecules of the food or object.
And then forms the food or object from those molecules.
Like a peanut butter sandwich, hasperat or sautéed Sautéed algae.
- Greetings.
- When the replicator goes down, you'll need a submicron scanner.
A submicron scanner like this to get inside the panel.
We are here in response to a Federation distress call.
You are in the wrong program.
Go to History and Current Events.
The computer sees us as part of the program.
That must be why we look like this.
What is the purpose of this environment? Its purpose Purpose Purpose is training.
Its purpose Purpose Purpose Program malfunction.
Poor thing.
A hundred and twenty-five years of radiation.
I'm surprised it hasn't broken down further.
[Culber.]
Imagine what it's done to the life sign.
[Saru.]
We have to find it somehow.
[Burnham.]
Maybe that holo led us over here for a reason.
[Saru.]
We should proceed carefully.
The rest of this training program may not be so innocuous.
[clattering.]
[Culber.]
Oh, my.
The holo's changed our clothing again.
Do human bodies respond negatively to heights? My heart seems to be racing.
- Yeah, that makes two of us.
- Looks like an ancient stepwell.
A lot of pre-warp civilizations used them for irrigation.
The holo's damaged there, too.
We have to be careful.
[thunder crashing and rumbling.]
Look at that.
Looks like no one wants that door to open.
These appear to be a ritual of some kind.
I'm gonna take a wild guess and say it's for protection.
The shape is vaguely familiar.
[man singing in foreign language.]
Maybe the holo can tell us where we are.
Excuse me.
Hello? What are you doing here? You don't belong here.
[dramatic music playing.]
What program are you from? Um, I realize that our appearance might be confusing to you.
We are not from any program.
[banging.]
I don't understand.
[Saru.]
I am Saru.
This is Michael and Hugh.
We are so relieved to find you.
We came in response to I believe it was your mother's distress call.
- [banging continues.]
- [Saru gasps.]
Where are you from? We are from outside.
Outside the program.
Outside? You woke the monster.
[whimpers.]
- Wait.
- Captain.
Those doors unlocked from the outside - the moment he got scared.
- [monster growling.]
We only scanned one life sign down here.
So, whatever's in that room, whatever its emotional connection to him, - it still has to be a holo.
- Unless it leaves that room and threatens us, it is not our priority.
- We're wasting time.
- Wait.
What if the survivor doesn't know the outside world even exists? What if he's never heard of the Burn? Or doesn't even know he's on a planet? Think about it.
If all he knows is this program, we're basically dealing with a child.
She's right.
We should be careful.
Emotionally, he's likely to be fragile.
We should go slowly, treat this as first contact.
Yes.
Of course.
You two should go find him.
I'll stay and make sure whatever's in there stays in there.
Yeah.
[Stamets.]
We need shields up and running to get back into the nebula.
Reroute all additional power from backup systems.
And hurry.
They're on a clock.
Three shield generators are too damaged to take the charge.
[Gray.]
Someone check structural integrity? - [Adira.]
Of course.
- [Stamets.]
Boost comms, please.
[Burnham over comms.]
If you can hear us, we've found something.
[monster growling over comms.]
What was that? [Stamets.]
Captain Saru? Commander Burnham, this is Discovery.
Pease respond.
[growling continues.]
Hugh? Bridge, are you monitoring comms? We heard it, commander.
We need to bring them home.
We can't jump back in the nebula without full shields.
Owo? Only at 40 percent.
Stamets, take all the power you need.
Captain? Long-range sensors have picked up a ship approaching.
[suspenseful music playing.]
It's Federation.
Shouldn't be any Federation ships here.
Unless they've been stranded since the Burn.
This is not the place I'd wanna stay for 125 years.
Hail them.
[signal beeping.]
They're not answering.
But they sent the correct response codes.
They're ten minutes out.
[male voice.]
The Federation is honored to welcome - The Kelpien Ba'ul Alliance - [Culber.]
What's this? [male voice.]
as the newest members of the United Federation of Planets.
- Your reconciliation - It's the day Kaminar officially joined - the Federation.
- Yeah.
The first holo led us inside.
Perhaps these can help us find the survivor.
I'll ask.
Excuse me.
Hello.
You are anticipated input.
Classification, rescuer.
If true, skip, skip, skip.
Process emotion.
Ecstatic gratitude.
[crowd applauding.]
What did we just do? I'm so pleased you have finally come.
You are anticipated input.
Yes or no.
May I ask? Anticipated input? You are rescuers, are you not? The child has been waiting for Cache database.
125 years, three months, 17 days, four hours.
How did you keep him alive for 125 years? Executed protocols include life support, education, preparation for arrival of anticipated input.
Does he have a name? How has he survived the radiation here? Does he take medicine, were his genes epigenetically altered in utero? [in high-pitched voice.]
Cue three, one, two, one.
[in normal voice.]
My friends, the child may be frightened of your true appearance.
You will be the first sentient beings he's encountered since the program was initiated.
Your appearance has been altered to be consistent with the program.
Repeat query.
Are you the anticipated input? If no, then initiate defense protocols.
Yes, we are the anticipated input.
We have come to rescue the child.
[crowd applauding.]
Now, please, where is he? [dramatic music playing.]
[whooshing.]
[monster growling.]
[suspenseful music playing.]
[Burnham gasps.]
I'm Michael.
What are you? Are you a part of the program? [screeching.]
Wait.
Wait! [Burnham gasps.]
[screams.]
[gasps, then screaming.]
Unknown vessel in range in two minutes.
Why didn't we notice its signature when we jumped in? Could be interference from the nebula.
Are there any M-Class planets within five light-years of this location? [Owo.]
None, captain.
I'd have set a course for a new home ages ago.
Me, too.
Owo, scan again, but don't scan the ship.
Scan the area around the ship.
Neutrino emissions around the ship are off the charts.
They make no sense.
That's because that's not a Federation ship.
We have a spore drive and we're right next to a dilithium planet.
There's one person who wants both of those enough to come all the way out here.
[suspenseful music playing.]
Red alert! Shields up! - Osyraa's coming in, weapons hot.
- Ready photon torpedoes.
[Detmer.]
How did she even get here? Transwarp tunnel on the courier maps.
But nobody in their right mind would use it.
- [Detmer.]
Should we jump away? - We can't.
We have to stay to protect the away team.
[Owo.]
She's scanning us.
We have the ability to cloak since the retrofit? Yes, but we can't jump while cloaked.
If anything happens One crisis at a time.
Do it.
What do you wanna do now, captain? [dramatic music playing.]
[Burnham gasps.]
[groans.]
You are a program, are you not? Yes, I am a program.
I knew it.
Which one? Let me guess.
Combat? Um, survival skills? I've done the others so many times.
I did not think I would find something new.
I am teaching the dynamics of social interaction.
Why? For sentient beings, connection to others is incredibly important.
It helps sustain them.
Like my connection to the holos.
Exactly.
And this can prepare you for when you talk to someone else one of these days.
Someone unexpected.
The other holo, the human, was he also part of your program? Why do you ask? He was unexpected.
He said he was from Outside.
I have not heard that teaching in a long time.
How long has it been? Uh There used to be lots of holos that talked about Outside.
But the Outside never came inside.
Probably the Outside is dead by now.
Well, I was also programmed to help you understand what is outside.
I'm sorry to have to tell you you are obsolete.
Then I suppose I should deactivate? If you don't want a new connection.
No.
No, wait.
We can still run the program.
It's been a long time since I've encountered a new program.
All right.
Let's talk about social units.
[Saru.]
Hello? Can anyone hear us? [Culber.]
He must be in here.
[dramatic music playing.]
That is an elder.
When I was a boy, the village elders would gather around the fire with us at night and tell stories.
It was how we preserved our history.
But they never survived to this age.
So, this is the oldest Kelpien you've ever seen? I know it is not real, but yes.
[Culber.]
Hopefully he knows where the survivor is.
Captain, look at this.
[Saru.]
Su'Kal.
That is his name.
Does it have any significance? Well, it does not directly translate, but it means something like "beloved gift.
" It is a tradition in Kelpien families that after you have suffered a great tragedy, the next child born in your family is named Su'Kal.
The child symbolizes the end of suffering.
Honored elder, excuse me.
Hello.
Would you like a story? No, elder, thank you.
We are looking for Su'Kal.
Do you know where he might be? I am programmed to teach Kelpien and Ba'ul history and traditions, and to provide social and emotional support for the growing child.
Can you tell us who created you? Why, his mother, of course.
We are all from her.
Dr.
Issa.
She knew she was dying, that they were all dying, and that Su'Kal would survive.
That's what this is.
A whole world created to raise her son and protect him until somebody came to rescue him.
To know that she was leaving her child, it must have been heartbreaking.
Every moment.
[Burnham.]
Tell me what you know about families.
[Su'Kal.]
Families are where children are nurtured and loved, and taught the norms and rules of the society in which they are raised.
Do you remember your family? We played together.
Harvested kelp.
I liked that.
I liked being in the water.
I liked the way it smelled.
I had a We ate together.
Those are family things.
It was a long time ago.
The harvesting environment is no longer functional.
Do you remember anything before all of this? Before? I wonder if you might remember a time with your family before the harvesting environment.
When you were on a ship, perhaps? Computer, reset parameters.
Hello.
Hello.
You're here to teach me.
Yes.
Forgive me.
My programming is unstable.
Where is the exit? I don't understand.
There is always an exit.
A way to turn off the holo program.
To reset all parameters.
No, no, no.
No, stop it.
Why would you do that? I do not like this program.
[dramatic music playing.]
I know this is meaningful for you, but we can't stay here, captain.
We need to finish the mission, find Commander Burnham and get out of here.
Elder we understand the nature of your programming, but in order to provide social and emotional support for the growing child, we must locate him.
When he is afraid, he goes to his fortress.
The child hides away from all of us.
I'll try to find him.
May I examine the book? Oh, yes.
Would you like a lullaby? Yeah.
[singing in Kelpien.]
[tender music playing.]
[Saru.]
This totem.
I saw these near the entrance.
The All-Seeing Eye has become protection? Um Su'Kal, he uses this design to build these totems.
What is he protecting himself from? The monster from the story.
It rises from the sea, covered in kelp to remind the children of Kaminar that to be truly free They must face their deepest fear.
I remember that story.
Yes.
Su'Kal is afraid of whatever is behind that locked door.
So long as he will not face it, he will remain in this place.
As will you.
[thunder rumbling.]
Oh, no.
Discovery? If you're listening, Paul? Hurry back.
We need you.
[dramatic music playing.]
Any sign of Osyraa? Nothing.
[Tilly.]
How did she even find us? [Book.]
If she wants your spore drive, she's been tracking it.
[Detmer.]
Scanning for our jump signature? [Book.]
She'd have gotten a read on it back at Kwejian.
Why didn't she fire on us? It's not like her.
Whatever she's got planned, I'm guessing she'll need us whole to make it work.
Engineering, what's the status on shields? [Stamets.]
Thirty minutes before we can jump.
- [signal beeping.]
- We're being hailed.
It's Osyraa.
Tell Stamets we need shields in ten.
Put her through.
On-screen.
Where is the captain? - I'm acting captain.
- [laughs.]
The Kelpien left you in charge? Damn straight.
Mm.
Kind of busy right now, so could you get to the point? You are not really captain material.
Oh, nice try.
You don't know anything about me.
Oh, sure I do.
Everybody's friend, right? Good with people, team player.
But deep down in that pretty little heart of yours, you know that you're just a fraud.
- How am I doing? - Mm.
A certain 19th-century Earth neurologist would say that you've just proven the idea of projection.
You tell me I'm a fraud because deep down inside you kind of feel like a fraud.
It's interesting, it's not just a human defense mechanism.
It's galactic.
Don't test me, Red.
Okay.
Let's skip Freud.
What do you want? Your ship, your spore drive and your crew as leverage.
[dramatic music playing.]
Oh, no.
Not gonna happen.
You will not take this ship or anyone on it.
Not now, not ever.
No.
[Su'Kal humming.]
[monster growling.]
[whispers.]
Michael.
[monster.]
See me.
[Saru.]
That holo, it is the monster from Su'Kal's story.
[whimpering.]
[monster.]
See me.
No! No! No! [Su'Kal shrieking.]
[dramatic music playing.]
- [Bryce.]
Uh, captain.
- [computer beeping.]
There's some kind of disturbance from the surface.
And it's increasing.
The warp core.
Lock down the magnetic constrictors.
- What do you think I'm doing? - Adira, purge the dilithium chamber.
[Tilly.]
Stamets, what's happening? Something is destabilizing the dilithium in the core.
It'll cause a chain reaction.
I have to reroute all power.
- [computer beeps.]
- We're de-cloaking.
If it's happening to us, it's happening to her, too.
[suspenseful music playing.]
[Owo.]
She's got weapons locked.
- [Detmer.]
We're not ready to jump.
- Prepare to fire! [dramatic music playing.]
Weapons ready.
Shields at 54 percent.
Stamets, get in the spore cube.
What? - You've gotta be kidding.
- I will not let Osyraa take this ship.
No! We can't leave them! [Tilly.]
I will come back for them, I promise you, Paul.
I'll get them.
Right now.
I'll take my ship.
Bring them back safely.
- [Stamets.]
Book? - I got them, don't you worry.
- Go to the spore cube, now.
- Lieutenant Bryce.
[whirring.]
[Adira.]
Hugh will die down there.
They all will.
I have an idea, but I need your badge.
[Stamets.]
Ready to jump on your mark.
[Su'Kal.]
No! No! - [monster hissing.]
- No! [singing in Kelpien.]
[dramatic music playing.]
[growls.]
Captain, the disruption from the planet has stopped, and we're being hailed again.
Owo, tell me the second Book's ship's clear.
Put her through.
[sighs.]
I found you.
We found each other.
You do realize that I have bigger torpedoes.
And an ever bigger ego.
But don't forget, last time we ran you off with just our itty-bitty little scout ship.
What your ship exploited was a structural anomaly.
And I assure you it's been fixed.
Well, we can fire on each other all day if that's your thing, but in the end, I will self-destruct Discovery before I let you have her spore drive.
Just to be clear.
You know, I've been asking myself, why are you notjust jumping away? What is it that you're protecting out there in the nebula? Or who? I wonder.
Is your captain out there? [dramatic music playing.]
- He's clear.
- Black alert.
No.
[grunts.]
[Tilly.]
Stamets, why aren't we jumping away? [rumbling.]
[shouting indistinctly.]
Paul? Michael? If you can hear, - I'm in the nebula.
- Book? Whatever just happened, you can't let it happen again.
It nearly caused another Burn.
Su'Kal.
[dramatic music playing.]
He caused the Burn.
How? [Culber.]
Bodies adapt.
All this dilithium and subspace radiation.
His cells acclimatized to it in utero as they divided.
[Burnham.]
But he was only a child.
[Culber.]
Then something must have happened to trigger him.
[Book.]
I'll have to pull you out now.
I'm in a stable pocket, but it won't be for long.
Meet me at the rendezvous point.
Osyraa's here.
Osyraa.
Michael, I must ask the impossible.
I need you to stay.
- Captain.
- If we leave Su'Kal alone, it's a matter of time before the Burn happens again.
- With your xenoanthropological skills - Right.
But it has to be you.
I am the captain.
He responded to you when you sang.
You have a connection with him.
Osyraa is here.
My responsibility is to the Discovery - and her crew.
- You'll be distracted.
I will not allow emotions to factor into my decisions.
Saru you already have.
Whatever Tilly needs, I will be there for her.
[dramatic music playing.]
- Okay, come on.
- I'm staying.
- Hugh.
- [Saru.]
Dr.
Culber.
I know what it's like to be alone in a world that doesn't make sense, captain.
No one should experience that.
Not you and not Su'Kal.
You tell Paul I love him.
[Book.]
I'm here.
Where are you? I'll come back for both of you.
If more than a day goes by there's no point.
[Book.]
Come on, Michael, where are you? [computer.]
Radiation levels elevated.
Shields at 60 percent.
Adira? - I'm beaming down.
- No way I'm letting you off.
They need this medication to survive until Discovery comes back.
Reno gave me her badge to transport.
- I'm not asking for permission.
- Hey! [sighs.]
Damn it, Adira.
[computer.]
Shields at 40 percent.
Come on, Michael.
Where the hell are you guys? Gotcha.
- Book.
- Radiation levels critical.
- [Burnham.]
Stay back.
[groans.]
- You're dangerously radioactive.
Big deal.
Shields at 30 percent.
This should help.
Gonna need some love from Dr.
Pollard.
Let's worry about that when I get back.
Where are the others? We have to go back for them.
I'll explain on the way.
- Shields at 20 percent.
- [Burnham groans.]
Adira was here.
They beamed down.
- Couldn't get a lock.
- What? On the bright side, they took my radiation pills.
- Should buy them some time.
- I hope so.
Shields at critical levels.
Let's go.
[Tilly.]
Stamets, what's happening down there? Stamets? I won't help you.
You can't use it without me.
What you want is irrelevant.
No.
Please no! [whirring.]
- [Detmer.]
I can't get us out of this.
- Commander Stamets, respond.
Charming.
Take their badges.
Get up.
You know, you're gonna have to kill me first.
And get blood all over the chair? [chuckles.]
Please.
Ahh You two make the smart choice.
Take your hands off the console.
This isn't over.
Oh? [sighs.]
I think it is.
Coordinates for Federation headquarters are already set.
I mean, how convenient.
Now, tell me, what is it you say when you do your jumpy thing? Huh? Anybody? Fine.
Get us out of here.
[dramatic music playing.]
No, no.
Oh, no.
We're too late.
[theme music playing.]