Star Trek: Discovery (2017) s04e10 Episode Script
The Galactic Barrier
Previously on Star Trek: Discovery
Mr.
Saru.
I hope I'm not disturbing you.
Not at all.
It is always a pleasure to hear from you.
Do you have feelings for her? Perhaps I do.
The power source that controls the device, I need it to go home.
- A place where we could be free.
- Who's "we"? A friend.
A scientist, like me.
I took what I learned about the device at the center of the DMA and designed this, a weapon capable of destroying it.
And what I'm about to propose is a plan President Rillak and Admiral Vance approved.
If that fails, they'll back your plan to destroy the controller.
We'll stand down for a week.
- What are you doing? - I'm being clearheaded.
No! It's not here.
The power source it's powered from the other side of the wormhole.
Outside the galaxy.
A new DMA has appeared? - In the exact same place.
- What happens now? The admiral's implementing emergency protocols in case of retaliation.
We're fast-tracking the first contact mission.
Whatever we think we know about Species Ten-C, we're wrong.
However we think first contact will go, it won't.
The fact that the DMA controller was destroyed then reappeared tells us nothing concrete.
Our mere arrival could be perceived as an act of aggression.
We did attack their technology with an isolytic weapon.
We did not.
Tarka and Booker acted unilaterally.
How would the Ten-C know the difference? We have to find a way to communicate the distinction.
Isn't that what all these translators are for? No, they're here in case you feel like translating confirmation bias from Federation Standard into Klingon.
Confirmation bias.
He's saying the universal translator's been so successful because we tend to look for and find what's familiar to us.
Species that communicate verbally, for example.
But since we know nothing about the Ten-C, it's naive to assume the translator would even work.
It was funny.
Dr.
Hirai is a specialist in astrolinguistics, uh, xenophonology and theoretical semiotics.
If I may, the very purpose of this task force is to establish the parameters for successful communications.
Are you both now suggesting that may be impossible? Vulcan surveyed Earth for almost a century before making first contact.
Discovery leaves in fewer than 24 hours.
We have to start the communication process somewhere.
The oversight committee has questions.
As do the planetary delegates.
It's nice that they're all so eager for a three-hour tour outside the galaxy.
It will take longer than three hours.
Figure of speech.
Ah.
Point being, I understand their emotional desire to be present when we make contact.
I wish I could be there myself.
- You're not coming? - Unfortunately, there are other urgent matters that I must attend to.
I cannot fathom anything even remotely as urgent as this.
And I intend to keep it that way.
You're in good hands with Dr.
Hirai.
Uh, Madam President, Admiral.
If you'll come with me.
Scan data shows that the new DMA controller is the same size but significantly more powerful than the one that Tarka and Book destroyed.
It's churning through space at a much faster rate.
How long before it moves to a new harvesting location? 12 hours at most.
Are we looking at a precursor for a retaliatory attack? There's no way to know, sir.
Any word from Mr.
Booker? He and Tarka cannot escalate this situation further.
I have not heard from him, ma'am.
But given the new timetable, I think we should make first contact as soon as possible.
A number of delegates are still on their way, including the representative from Ni'Var.
But I agree, we can't afford to wait.
How soon can you be ready, Captain? Two hours.
To finish loading and to give my crew time to say their goodbyes.
Two hours it is.
Yes, sir.
Madam President.
It's a hell of a thing.
Yes, it is.
Admiral, it's my constitutional duty to inform you that I'm transferring power to the vice president.
Excuse me? I'll be joining the mission.
Madam President, you I was the Federation's top ambassador for 20 years.
Given the complexities that we'll face, I believe my skills will be needed.
They're leaving the galaxy.
We've never done that.
You know as well as I do, Discovery might not be coming back from this.
Which is why I am counting on you to support the vice president in my absence.
However long it may be.
Laira.
You are the Federation now.
What your presence means, what you represent Makes it all the more crucial that I be there when we make contact.
I can't talk you out of this, can I? No.
But you have gotten us through so much.
Wherever the DMA goes next, what whatever is to come I know you'll get us through that, too.
Found a habitable planet nearby for you.
They haven't discovered electricity yet, but you'll do fine.
Here's your bag.
We'll be there in a few minutes.
Hold on.
I understand that you're a little upset, but The DMA's back and more powerful because you wouldn't stand down.
All evidence pointed to an internal power source.
That's science.
Hypothesize, test, iterate.
Now, thanks to me, we know the power source has to be outside the galaxy, within the Ten-C's hyperfield.
You're welcome.
And just to be clear, I didn't stand down because I was following our plan.
We both acted unilaterally, but only one of us put more lives at risk.
I got the hyperfield coordinates from Haz.
I'm stopping the DMA before it moves again.
And how do you expect to get through the galactic barrier? You must know the mycelial network can't exist in there, right? You have to jump up as close as you can get.
The barrier has some especially nasty sections.
The negative energy will eat through shields and fry a frontal cortex like that.
But surely you have a plan.
I'll figure something out.
Assuming you make it, how do you plan to find the power supply and remove it? Come on, tell me.
Hit me with it.
You're an asshole.
You know that? I'm also the guy who created a working model of the DMA without ever having seen it.
How do we get through the barrier? Programmable antimatter.
We need to apply it to our shields.
Discovery will have to do the same thing.
It'll repel negative energy like two magnets with the same polarity.
And how will you find some without getting us caught in the process? Surely you have a plan.
I know where there's a stash.
Discovery will leave as soon as shield upgrades are complete.
I'm sorry you won't be joining us, Commander Bryce, but I trust your work for Dr.
Kovich is going well? It is.
Uh, not sure we'll figure out galactic-barrier communication soon enough to help with first contact, but a breakthrough anytime would be huge.
I mean, the possibilities it would open up, everything that's beyond our galaxy to explore, I-I'm pretty excited, obviously.
I-I'll miss you guys, though.
A voyage of this kind without you will be quite the adjustment.
Though I am happy for you and the opportunities this has created.
Good luck out there.
And thank you, Mr.
Saru, for everything.
Madam President.
Do you have a moment? Of course.
When last we spoke, you suggested we might share a meal.
I would very much like to take you up on that offer.
But Discovery is leaving very shortly and as you know, we may not So, I thought I should um, tell you, while I'm able, how much our new friendship has meant to me.
And how much I've enjoyed working alongside you.
In any event, I feel as if there could be something here perhaps more than a friendship? Uh, Mr.
Saru, if you will excuse me.
Ah - Ensign Tal.
- Hi.
Welcome back.
- Thank you.
- How is Gray? Uh, he's-he's great.
Um, he's really enjoying his guardian training.
I think we're both right where we need to be.
I'm glad you feel that way.
It's really good to have you with us again.
Isn't it? I mean, they've already put us ahead of schedule with the shield upgrades, and now they're off to monitor the forward emitters for the mission.
It's really not that big a deal.
It is, though.
They're gonna take a lot of damage along the way, and if you're not repairing them, we won't make it through the barrier at all.
I think I'm gonna j go back to work.
If that's okay.
Um, Captain.
Hang in there.
You're doing great.
Captain, the president is ready for you.
Given some of the issues that came up on our last mission together, I thought we should take a moment to speak frankly.
Please.
If I'm to bring us through the galactic barrier safely, I can't have you questioning my orders on the bridge.
I presume we're now clear on the difference between asking a question and questioning? We are.
But I hope it's also clear that introducing doubt amongst my crew could endanger the ship.
It is.
And understood.
- Thank you.
- You should also know this is all quite delicate, politically.
I need to manage this situation as I see fit.
So, while your xenoanthropological expertise is invaluable to the first contact task force, it will need to remain my task force.
The ship and crew are my purview, diplomacy and delegates are yours.
Sounds like progress.
All crew, prepare for departure.
Ah.
All additional supplies are loaded and secured, Captain.
- And the delegates? - Uh, settled in.
I believe there is an Earth simile, something to do with "herding cats"? I can imagine.
Commander Nilsson? The mycelial network thins as it approaches the galactic barrier, so Commander Stamets expects us to arrive about four light-years away.
We'll warp from there.
Thank you.
Commander Detmer, take us to safe distance.
- Aye, Captain.
- Lieutenant Christopher, open a shipwide channel.
Aye, Captain.
Channel's open.
Discovery, delegates, when I was a child, I, like many of you, dreamed of going where no one has gone before.
None of us could've imagined it would be under these circumstances, with so much uncertainty, so much at stake.
We don't know what we'll find, we don't know how we'll be received.
Once we enter the galactic barrier, we'll be beyond comms contact and on our own.
Innumerable worlds are counting on us to make first contact and ensure Species Ten-C stops the DMA before it can do any more harm.
It won't be easy.
But with this crew, with these leaders and delegates united, I know that we'll succeed.
Black alert.
Let's fly.
Godspeed, Discovery.
Not the view I was expecting.
Where are we in relation to the galactic barrier? It looks like we're nine light-years away.
Commander Stamets, you owe me five light-years.
This is going to put us behind schedule.
I'm sorry, Captain.
We've never been out this far.
Uh, it's not an exact science.
I got us as close as I could.
Can you update the delegates? Of course.
Commander Detmer, set a course for the galactic barrier.
The DMA will move soon.
We don't have much time.
- Maximum warp.
- Aye, Captain.
Dr.
Culber, if you are able, I would appreciate your assistance in spreading the word that Madam President? I was not aware that you would be joining us.
Our delegate did not arrive in time.
It was decided that Ni'Var must be represented, even if by its president.
I see.
Do not let me delay you any further.
You said something to her, didn't you? Good for you.
I would never have done so had I known she would be joining us.
That we would see each other in meetings every single day.
Oh, beginnings can be messy.
That's all right.
Ah, I cannot envision any situation more awkward than this.
When I first met Paul, those blue eyes, I'm telling you.
Anyway, I thought I'd totally blown it.
I obsessed over every word.
He was so brilliant, and blunt.
Anyhow, it's not just you.
Insecurity is universal, and totally normal.
It's okay.
Oh, it is helpful to realize that I am not alone in being made foolish by such feelings.
I am grateful you shared.
- So am I.
- Now, let us inform the delegates.
They will want news of our delay as soon as possible.
You said we couldn't beam up the programmable antimatter.
I don't see any shield generators here.
This friend of yours who told you about this place, who was he, exactly? Doesn't matter.
What the hell are you playing at? - What? - You think I don't know an Emerald Chain work camp when I see one? - It's not what you think.
- Then what is it? Attention, cell breach.
Attention, cell breach.
- What are you keeping from me? - Nothing.
- Answer me! - Nothing.
Listen to me.
The camp has been out of commission for years.
It was here, wasn't it? Where you were held prisoner? We're not going anywhere until you tell me.
Yes, it was here.
Almost ten years ago.
You're interrupting my work.
Osyraa wants to fast-track your design.
Since you lost your last helper, she's giving you a new one.
A real charmer, that one.
Impressive design.
It's a dilithium-alternative engine, right? They've had me working on one, too.
But those equations are for something else.
I didn't ask for help.
Well, I didn't ask to be here, but lucky for you, I am.
Where am I supposed to sleep? This uh, good spot.
How long you been here? I'd rather not engage in personal conversation.
Just work, then.
That's fine by me.
The scientist friend you told me about, this was him? Oros.
His name was Oros.
We weren't friends at first.
But it was a relief to have someone to talk to again.
For both of us.
You should rest.
You can't work all day and all night.
I'm fine.
What are you working on? Just running some numbers.
Looks like galactic proper-distance equations, but there's a variable you're using I don't recognize.
I was alone in a cell.
Had to pass the time somehow.
I ran numbers, too.
A lot of time, a lot of numbers.
How long were you alone for? I lost track.
Four, five years? I used to talk to myself.
Narrate the day.
Just to hear words aloud, you know? So you're out of practice being with others, and respecting boundaries.
Yeah, you could say that.
I'm sorry.
I understand.
I have a trick to fall asleep.
Want to hear it? Sure.
I list the digits of the golden ratio.
That's too easy.
Fine, every third digit.
Eight.
Three.
Eight.
Nine.
Four.
Eight.
Four.
Six.
Four.
It took a year, but eventually we became friends.
Under Osyraa and the Chain, we were all we had.
I know something about that.
I figured you might.
Let's get the antimatter and get out of here.
How much further? It's just beyond the trees.
Commander Detmer, how soon until we reach the galactic barrier? Coming out of warp now, Captain.
So that's the edge of the galaxy.
Is it wrong that I think that's pretty damn cool? Frontiers are always cool, Mr.
Rhys.
If only we could enjoy it.
But we have a job to do.
Double-check shield systems and run a multiphasic scan on the barrier itself.
I want to know what we're heading into and how to get ourselves and everyone out quickly and safely.
- Let's get to it.
- Aye, Captain.
- Status report? - Shields are ready, Captain.
All other systems are nominal.
- Mr.
Saru? - Well, unfortunately, scans show that the density of negative particles in this sector are significantly higher than predicted.
- Meaning what? - Our shields may not hold as long as expected, even with the antimatter upgrades.
- Commander Stamets.
- Already on it, Captain.
And when this is all over, you should thank Heisenberg instead of us.
Noted.
What's your suggestion? Vacuum-state fluctuations are creating discrete bubbles of protected space that pass through the galactic barrier at random intervals.
Spacial cells, for lack of a better term.
If we can position Discovery inside of one, we should be able to safely ride it through to the other side of the barrier.
Okay, but I don't see a lot of consistency amongst the spacial cells.
Neither do we, Captain.
95% are too unstable.
Yeah, those are the ones that are showing up gray scale.
Negative energy isn't allowing them to reach equilibrium and settle into a fixed spectrum emission.
So the colorful ones are our best bet.
Yeah, should be.
Zora found one nearby that's forming right now.
Sending the coordinates.
Commander Detmer, plot a course.
Let's get through the barrier as fast as we can.
It'll be bumpy.
Red alert.
We're inside the barrier.
You may notice a shift in your visible spectra.
No kidding.
It will return to normal once we reach a cell that is in equilibrium.
Closing in on the spacial cell.
Shields dropping to 85%.
- 75%.
- Mr.
Saru? The cell is not yet large enough to hold us, Captain.
- How much longer? - Approximately 20 seconds.
Sensors show gamma rays from a radioactive burst incoming in four seconds, six degrees off port.
Adjusting course! Shields down to 45%.
35.
Stand by, Commander Detmer.
Spacial cell ready in three, two, one.
- Now.
- Take us in.
Aye, Captain.
Holding steady.
- Ah.
- Good work.
Maintain position.
Let's get shields repaired.
Let's keep an eye on cell stability in here.
Captain? A word.
This is not an ideal time, Madam President.
I received a classified message as we entered the barrier.
Marked urgent, our eyes only.
It's being decrypted now.
You good? Yeah.
It's a ship.
You said this place was abandoned.
It was.
Whoever it is, they're cloaked.
It's a courier model.
Must be here to scavenge.
And if they're flying that low, it's not the first time.
What if they found the antimatter? It was hidden the last time I checked.
When was that? I come here every year.
Why? - One.
- Two.
- Six.
- Three.
Six.
No.
Damn it.
Two.
That one always trips me up.
For someone who says he's not hard on himself, you're pretty hard on yourself.
No.
No.
No.
No.
It's okay.
It's just someone probably trying to escape.
The last time the other engineer with me - It'll be over soon.
- His head.
His head.
Hey, hey.
It's all right.
Okay? It's all right.
Come on.
It's all right.
It's all right.
See? It's done.
You're okay.
Why did you You didn't have to do that.
I never had a real friend before.
You were right, you know.
About what? About the equations.
The variable is for multiverse positioning.
I have a way out of here.
There is no way out of here.
Not with this.
True.
If one is traveling within this universe.
You're working on an interdimensional transporter? I've been designing it for years.
But the power required to successfully target a specific universe, that's This camp runs off of a massive geothermal energy source.
Combined with power from the warp core that we're building, it could be enough.
Where would you go? Kayalise.
It means something like "home".
My people say that Kayalise is a place beyond suffering.
It's long been part of our cultural history.
And out of all of the possible universes, it is said to be the most peaceful.
I've been searching for it for years, and my calculations prove that it's real.
That sounds like paradise.
You could come with me.
If you want.
Come on.
Let's get this over with.
President Rillak, Captain Burnham.
I hope this reaches you before you move out of comms range.
I'm sorry to report that the DMA has just moved to a new harvesting location in the Alpha Quadrant.
I've attached all data that we have.
Based on its current trajectory, we expect debris hit by the gravitational wave to begin impacting Ni'Var and Earth in the next few days.
71 hours by our best estimation.
I'm sending ships to evacuate, but - Zora? Can you restore the rest? - I'm sorry, Captain, it's damaged beyond repair.
We need to go back.
We can't afford to do that.
Not now.
We have to stay the course.
We have to get to the Ten-C.
- I need to tell my crew.
- No.
No.
News like this will spread faster than we can control.
This-this has to remain classified until Telling them is my prerogative.
Assembling this delegation was delicate work.
Earth is home for so many of my crew.
They deserve to know.
Captain, we need you on the bridge immediately.
We have stopped moving.
Our spacial cell has drifted into a cluster of 42 others.
It's like a traffic jam.
- What can we do here? - Not much.
I can't control the trajectory of the cell we're in.
How long will this take to clear? It could be moments, hours or weeks.
In the meantime, it would seem we have no choice but to wait.
Commander Stamets, have you found a way - to get us moving yet? - I think so.
Another cell's forming.
Pretty far away, but it's near a current.
If we can get there, we can ride it out of the barrier.
We'll be out in no time.
The faster the better, Commander.
Captain, I don't think shields will hold long enough - to get there.
- No, no, no, no.
They might.
Yeah, i-if we if we use the cells that are blocking us and then move quickly through them before they collapse.
Moving through the unstable cells will expose us to negative energy and a lot of it.
How long will our shields hold? Maybe five minutes, at this point.
Five minutes? Captain.
We don't have any other options.
Engineering, can you do anything to buy us more time? Well, if, uh, we continually recalibrate to counter the fluctuating Will it work, Commander? I'm cautiously optimistic.
Ish.
That'll have to do.
Commander Detmer, plot us a course.
Aye, Captain.
Leaving our spatial cell now.
This is where you were held? Home for nearly two years in the end.
The programmable antimatter used to be in the cabinets.
Should be more than enough for our shields.
There's nothing in here.
There's a spot behind the wall, under the sand.
We stole our own stash.
We hid it there.
- To use in the transporter.
- Yeah.
You never finished it? No, we did.
Had to use it sooner than expected.
The Chain was planning to shut down the camp.
This was our only chance.
Oros.
It's a masterpiece.
Couldn't have done this without you.
You know that.
Do you think we have enough power? We're drawing from the entire warp core.
It'll work.
Ready? Yeah.
Let's go home.
No.
No! Needs more energy.
What happened after that? You were right.
I was the worst kind of asshole.
I get it, you know.
Looking back can be hard.
For years, I blamed my father for negotiating with the Chain.
But I realized maybe it was easier to blame him than to face the fact that, ultimately he was powerless to stop them.
And he knew it.
That's part of what drives me, I think.
Refusing to be powerless like that.
Look, whatever happened here with Oros, it drives you.
And if we're going outside of the galaxy together, I need to know who I'm dealing with.
Get the shuttle ready.
- We're taking Oros with us.
- No.
You're lucky I haven't shot you yet.
You told us his transporter wouldn't work.
You said it never would.
No, stop.
Please.
- Tarka? - Yeah.
We knew you were working on something.
Said we'd let him go if he found out what it was.
Osyraa hates liars.
I'm so sorry.
I didn't know you back then.
I'm gonna get us out of here.
What are what are you doing? No! Okay, hold still.
Oh.
We're free.
We're free.
Come on.
Let's go.
Let's go.
All guards - assigned to Lab 4 - Come on.
Please.
We got to go.
We have to go now.
The golden ratio, okay? - My ribs.
- Every three digits.
Eight, - three It's okay.
- I think they're broken.
I'm gonna - slow you down too much.
- I can carry you.
I can carry you.
It's okay.
I forgive you.
I don't deserve that.
I I would have done anything for freedom.
I will fix the transporter.
I will find another way.
We will go to Kayalise together.
I believe it.
But you must leave now.
Please.
I'll come back for you.
I promise.
I hid in a cave for a week, trying to find a way back in.
One day, there was this massive power surge at the camp.
I heard ships leaving.
I went back.
The place was deserted.
Oros was gone.
But I found this.
The golden ratio.
His message to me.
It was our symbol for Kayalise.
Home.
You think he made it.
He's brilliant.
If anyone can do it, it's him.
I've never found any record of Oros since, alive or dead.
Nothing.
That's why you come here every year.
Looking for another sign.
Statistically, anything's possible.
So I built my own transporter.
But trying to find the power to make it work, it's taken years.
And the DMA's power source should have more than enough.
So that's it.
That's who you're dealing with.
We just lost one of our forward emitters.
- Ensign Tal? - Making repairs now, Captain.
Commander Detmer, how much longer until we reach the target cell? It's dead ahead.
Few more minutes.
Once we arrive, the new spacial cell should carry us out of the galactic barrier within the hour.
We will then be able to proceed to first contact.
Commander Owosekun, how are we doing on shields? - Down to four percent! - Engineering? We might be able to buy another 30 seconds, but that's it.
- It's not enough.
- Hey.
We've got this.
A month from now, you'll be back skiing in Zermatt.
And where you gonna go? Astoria.
On Earth's Oregon Coast.
It's heaven.
Hawaii, for me.
The beach.
A mai tai.
Maybe I'll take up snorkeling.
Great, I'm coming with you.
I'm gonna hike the Pacific Crest Trail.
I've locked onto the target cell, Captain! Stamets, we'll need those 30 seconds on shields right now! I'll do my best not to kill us.
Always appreciated.
Owosekun, track our time.
Detmer, on your mark.
Aye, Captain.
Here we go! 15 seconds! Fourteen.
Thirteen.
Twelve.
Eleven.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
Sev We're in.
Six seconds to spare.
Nothing like cutting it close, huh? Great work, Detmer.
Great job, everyone.
Mr.
Saru, let's get a team on repairs.
You have the conn.
Madam President.
A word? Well done, Commander.
- You, too, Zora.
- I don't know.
You were cutting it pretty close.
I like living on the edge.
Okay.
Hey.
Um About earlier, with the captain, um, I might have been a little enthusiastic.
Yes.
I I did think that I might lose my lunch.
And I had curry, so It's just I, um I know how hard it's been for you, being apart from Gray.
I was trying to help.
I know.
I've-I've been all right, actually.
I mean, it's different, but it's not bad-different.
I-I get to tell Gray about all this when I see him.
You know? And we're, like, leaving the galaxy.
So Yeah.
I, um I probably worry a bit too much.
Fair warning, but, um I will always reach for you if it seems you're hurting.
My dad never did that for me.
So, uh I might do it a little extra for you.
Okay.
I have been warned.
I, too, was moved by hearing what Earth means to them, but it does not change my belief that this information cannot be shared yet.
With respect, I think something else is going on here.
For both of us.
What do you mean? Right now, we can control who knows what.
And not much else.
Mm.
It's a hard place to be.
Earth and Ni'Var are the only homes I've ever known.
And what I am right now is angry.
I am angry at this situation.
I'm angry at the DMA creators, whoever they may be.
I'm angry at Book.
And at the possibility that we, uh we could fail.
Your mother, she hasn't returned to Ni'Var yet, has she? No.
No, thankfully, she's still with J'Vini on P'Jahr.
My mother's family is on Earth.
And my partner just started a new research project on Earth's moon.
I had no idea.
I wish you had said something.
Putting words to it won't help him.
But it might help you.
We're all we have out here, Madam President.
We have to support each other.
That's what this crew has done in the darkest of times.
But to do that takes honesty.
With ourselves and with everyone.
Let me know where you land.
I applied the programmable antimatter to the shield generator.
We're ready to go.
You shouldn't blame yourself for leaving him behind.
There's not a day goes by that I don't.
I hope he's out there and you get to see him again.
Along the way, we'll stop the DMA and save billions of lives.
That's the definition of a win-win.
I'll take it.
Now let's get through the damn barrier.
Captain, I couldn't be happier to report that we're officially out of the galactic barrier.
Out of the Milky Way and into extragalactic space.
Well done.
All of you.
It's weird to see so few stars.
Space has never felt this empty.
Or quiet.
Not many people have gotten to see this.
Well, Captain, should I set a course for the Ten-C? We should address the ship first.
Lieutenant Christopher, open a channel.
Channel's open.
Madam President.
Discovery crew, esteemed delegates, we have faced and met our first challenge of this mission.
Thank you.
For your bravery, your focus, your strength.
Unfortunately, I have some difficult news to share.
We have received word that the DMA has moved.
It is now days away from Ni'Var, Titan and Earth.
To the many on board with family, friends and colleagues now under direct threat, I, too, feel your pain in this moment Madam President.
Madam President.
I am so deeply sorry for this news.
Could you sit with me a while? I would appreciate your company.
I find you a comforting presence.
Of course.
So that's the hyperfield.
As much as our long-range scans can show us.
I think I preferred it as a blob of radio waves.
Yeah.
There is a planet about two light-years away from it.
Initial scans don't show any signs of life.
But given its proximity, I'm having a team check it out to see if there's anything there that can help us with first contact.
Good idea.
Thank you for sharing the news.
We could have told them together.
Why did you want me to do it? In times of crisis, people need to know that their leaders are not rattled by uncertainty or overwhelming odds.
They need to know that there is a plan.
That they'll be okay.
You're their president.
You can give them confidence.
A sense of security.
You're my president, too.
Oh I'm grateful we had the chance to connect before we approach Species Ten-C.
If we can't communicate with each other, what chance do we have with them? Hmm.
What do you think we'll find when we get to the hyperfield? I have no idea.
But we have to succeed.
We have to.
Saru.
I hope I'm not disturbing you.
Not at all.
It is always a pleasure to hear from you.
Do you have feelings for her? Perhaps I do.
The power source that controls the device, I need it to go home.
- A place where we could be free.
- Who's "we"? A friend.
A scientist, like me.
I took what I learned about the device at the center of the DMA and designed this, a weapon capable of destroying it.
And what I'm about to propose is a plan President Rillak and Admiral Vance approved.
If that fails, they'll back your plan to destroy the controller.
We'll stand down for a week.
- What are you doing? - I'm being clearheaded.
No! It's not here.
The power source it's powered from the other side of the wormhole.
Outside the galaxy.
A new DMA has appeared? - In the exact same place.
- What happens now? The admiral's implementing emergency protocols in case of retaliation.
We're fast-tracking the first contact mission.
Whatever we think we know about Species Ten-C, we're wrong.
However we think first contact will go, it won't.
The fact that the DMA controller was destroyed then reappeared tells us nothing concrete.
Our mere arrival could be perceived as an act of aggression.
We did attack their technology with an isolytic weapon.
We did not.
Tarka and Booker acted unilaterally.
How would the Ten-C know the difference? We have to find a way to communicate the distinction.
Isn't that what all these translators are for? No, they're here in case you feel like translating confirmation bias from Federation Standard into Klingon.
Confirmation bias.
He's saying the universal translator's been so successful because we tend to look for and find what's familiar to us.
Species that communicate verbally, for example.
But since we know nothing about the Ten-C, it's naive to assume the translator would even work.
It was funny.
Dr.
Hirai is a specialist in astrolinguistics, uh, xenophonology and theoretical semiotics.
If I may, the very purpose of this task force is to establish the parameters for successful communications.
Are you both now suggesting that may be impossible? Vulcan surveyed Earth for almost a century before making first contact.
Discovery leaves in fewer than 24 hours.
We have to start the communication process somewhere.
The oversight committee has questions.
As do the planetary delegates.
It's nice that they're all so eager for a three-hour tour outside the galaxy.
It will take longer than three hours.
Figure of speech.
Ah.
Point being, I understand their emotional desire to be present when we make contact.
I wish I could be there myself.
- You're not coming? - Unfortunately, there are other urgent matters that I must attend to.
I cannot fathom anything even remotely as urgent as this.
And I intend to keep it that way.
You're in good hands with Dr.
Hirai.
Uh, Madam President, Admiral.
If you'll come with me.
Scan data shows that the new DMA controller is the same size but significantly more powerful than the one that Tarka and Book destroyed.
It's churning through space at a much faster rate.
How long before it moves to a new harvesting location? 12 hours at most.
Are we looking at a precursor for a retaliatory attack? There's no way to know, sir.
Any word from Mr.
Booker? He and Tarka cannot escalate this situation further.
I have not heard from him, ma'am.
But given the new timetable, I think we should make first contact as soon as possible.
A number of delegates are still on their way, including the representative from Ni'Var.
But I agree, we can't afford to wait.
How soon can you be ready, Captain? Two hours.
To finish loading and to give my crew time to say their goodbyes.
Two hours it is.
Yes, sir.
Madam President.
It's a hell of a thing.
Yes, it is.
Admiral, it's my constitutional duty to inform you that I'm transferring power to the vice president.
Excuse me? I'll be joining the mission.
Madam President, you I was the Federation's top ambassador for 20 years.
Given the complexities that we'll face, I believe my skills will be needed.
They're leaving the galaxy.
We've never done that.
You know as well as I do, Discovery might not be coming back from this.
Which is why I am counting on you to support the vice president in my absence.
However long it may be.
Laira.
You are the Federation now.
What your presence means, what you represent Makes it all the more crucial that I be there when we make contact.
I can't talk you out of this, can I? No.
But you have gotten us through so much.
Wherever the DMA goes next, what whatever is to come I know you'll get us through that, too.
Found a habitable planet nearby for you.
They haven't discovered electricity yet, but you'll do fine.
Here's your bag.
We'll be there in a few minutes.
Hold on.
I understand that you're a little upset, but The DMA's back and more powerful because you wouldn't stand down.
All evidence pointed to an internal power source.
That's science.
Hypothesize, test, iterate.
Now, thanks to me, we know the power source has to be outside the galaxy, within the Ten-C's hyperfield.
You're welcome.
And just to be clear, I didn't stand down because I was following our plan.
We both acted unilaterally, but only one of us put more lives at risk.
I got the hyperfield coordinates from Haz.
I'm stopping the DMA before it moves again.
And how do you expect to get through the galactic barrier? You must know the mycelial network can't exist in there, right? You have to jump up as close as you can get.
The barrier has some especially nasty sections.
The negative energy will eat through shields and fry a frontal cortex like that.
But surely you have a plan.
I'll figure something out.
Assuming you make it, how do you plan to find the power supply and remove it? Come on, tell me.
Hit me with it.
You're an asshole.
You know that? I'm also the guy who created a working model of the DMA without ever having seen it.
How do we get through the barrier? Programmable antimatter.
We need to apply it to our shields.
Discovery will have to do the same thing.
It'll repel negative energy like two magnets with the same polarity.
And how will you find some without getting us caught in the process? Surely you have a plan.
I know where there's a stash.
Discovery will leave as soon as shield upgrades are complete.
I'm sorry you won't be joining us, Commander Bryce, but I trust your work for Dr.
Kovich is going well? It is.
Uh, not sure we'll figure out galactic-barrier communication soon enough to help with first contact, but a breakthrough anytime would be huge.
I mean, the possibilities it would open up, everything that's beyond our galaxy to explore, I-I'm pretty excited, obviously.
I-I'll miss you guys, though.
A voyage of this kind without you will be quite the adjustment.
Though I am happy for you and the opportunities this has created.
Good luck out there.
And thank you, Mr.
Saru, for everything.
Madam President.
Do you have a moment? Of course.
When last we spoke, you suggested we might share a meal.
I would very much like to take you up on that offer.
But Discovery is leaving very shortly and as you know, we may not So, I thought I should um, tell you, while I'm able, how much our new friendship has meant to me.
And how much I've enjoyed working alongside you.
In any event, I feel as if there could be something here perhaps more than a friendship? Uh, Mr.
Saru, if you will excuse me.
Ah - Ensign Tal.
- Hi.
Welcome back.
- Thank you.
- How is Gray? Uh, he's-he's great.
Um, he's really enjoying his guardian training.
I think we're both right where we need to be.
I'm glad you feel that way.
It's really good to have you with us again.
Isn't it? I mean, they've already put us ahead of schedule with the shield upgrades, and now they're off to monitor the forward emitters for the mission.
It's really not that big a deal.
It is, though.
They're gonna take a lot of damage along the way, and if you're not repairing them, we won't make it through the barrier at all.
I think I'm gonna j go back to work.
If that's okay.
Um, Captain.
Hang in there.
You're doing great.
Captain, the president is ready for you.
Given some of the issues that came up on our last mission together, I thought we should take a moment to speak frankly.
Please.
If I'm to bring us through the galactic barrier safely, I can't have you questioning my orders on the bridge.
I presume we're now clear on the difference between asking a question and questioning? We are.
But I hope it's also clear that introducing doubt amongst my crew could endanger the ship.
It is.
And understood.
- Thank you.
- You should also know this is all quite delicate, politically.
I need to manage this situation as I see fit.
So, while your xenoanthropological expertise is invaluable to the first contact task force, it will need to remain my task force.
The ship and crew are my purview, diplomacy and delegates are yours.
Sounds like progress.
All crew, prepare for departure.
Ah.
All additional supplies are loaded and secured, Captain.
- And the delegates? - Uh, settled in.
I believe there is an Earth simile, something to do with "herding cats"? I can imagine.
Commander Nilsson? The mycelial network thins as it approaches the galactic barrier, so Commander Stamets expects us to arrive about four light-years away.
We'll warp from there.
Thank you.
Commander Detmer, take us to safe distance.
- Aye, Captain.
- Lieutenant Christopher, open a shipwide channel.
Aye, Captain.
Channel's open.
Discovery, delegates, when I was a child, I, like many of you, dreamed of going where no one has gone before.
None of us could've imagined it would be under these circumstances, with so much uncertainty, so much at stake.
We don't know what we'll find, we don't know how we'll be received.
Once we enter the galactic barrier, we'll be beyond comms contact and on our own.
Innumerable worlds are counting on us to make first contact and ensure Species Ten-C stops the DMA before it can do any more harm.
It won't be easy.
But with this crew, with these leaders and delegates united, I know that we'll succeed.
Black alert.
Let's fly.
Godspeed, Discovery.
Not the view I was expecting.
Where are we in relation to the galactic barrier? It looks like we're nine light-years away.
Commander Stamets, you owe me five light-years.
This is going to put us behind schedule.
I'm sorry, Captain.
We've never been out this far.
Uh, it's not an exact science.
I got us as close as I could.
Can you update the delegates? Of course.
Commander Detmer, set a course for the galactic barrier.
The DMA will move soon.
We don't have much time.
- Maximum warp.
- Aye, Captain.
Dr.
Culber, if you are able, I would appreciate your assistance in spreading the word that Madam President? I was not aware that you would be joining us.
Our delegate did not arrive in time.
It was decided that Ni'Var must be represented, even if by its president.
I see.
Do not let me delay you any further.
You said something to her, didn't you? Good for you.
I would never have done so had I known she would be joining us.
That we would see each other in meetings every single day.
Oh, beginnings can be messy.
That's all right.
Ah, I cannot envision any situation more awkward than this.
When I first met Paul, those blue eyes, I'm telling you.
Anyway, I thought I'd totally blown it.
I obsessed over every word.
He was so brilliant, and blunt.
Anyhow, it's not just you.
Insecurity is universal, and totally normal.
It's okay.
Oh, it is helpful to realize that I am not alone in being made foolish by such feelings.
I am grateful you shared.
- So am I.
- Now, let us inform the delegates.
They will want news of our delay as soon as possible.
You said we couldn't beam up the programmable antimatter.
I don't see any shield generators here.
This friend of yours who told you about this place, who was he, exactly? Doesn't matter.
What the hell are you playing at? - What? - You think I don't know an Emerald Chain work camp when I see one? - It's not what you think.
- Then what is it? Attention, cell breach.
Attention, cell breach.
- What are you keeping from me? - Nothing.
- Answer me! - Nothing.
Listen to me.
The camp has been out of commission for years.
It was here, wasn't it? Where you were held prisoner? We're not going anywhere until you tell me.
Yes, it was here.
Almost ten years ago.
You're interrupting my work.
Osyraa wants to fast-track your design.
Since you lost your last helper, she's giving you a new one.
A real charmer, that one.
Impressive design.
It's a dilithium-alternative engine, right? They've had me working on one, too.
But those equations are for something else.
I didn't ask for help.
Well, I didn't ask to be here, but lucky for you, I am.
Where am I supposed to sleep? This uh, good spot.
How long you been here? I'd rather not engage in personal conversation.
Just work, then.
That's fine by me.
The scientist friend you told me about, this was him? Oros.
His name was Oros.
We weren't friends at first.
But it was a relief to have someone to talk to again.
For both of us.
You should rest.
You can't work all day and all night.
I'm fine.
What are you working on? Just running some numbers.
Looks like galactic proper-distance equations, but there's a variable you're using I don't recognize.
I was alone in a cell.
Had to pass the time somehow.
I ran numbers, too.
A lot of time, a lot of numbers.
How long were you alone for? I lost track.
Four, five years? I used to talk to myself.
Narrate the day.
Just to hear words aloud, you know? So you're out of practice being with others, and respecting boundaries.
Yeah, you could say that.
I'm sorry.
I understand.
I have a trick to fall asleep.
Want to hear it? Sure.
I list the digits of the golden ratio.
That's too easy.
Fine, every third digit.
Eight.
Three.
Eight.
Nine.
Four.
Eight.
Four.
Six.
Four.
It took a year, but eventually we became friends.
Under Osyraa and the Chain, we were all we had.
I know something about that.
I figured you might.
Let's get the antimatter and get out of here.
How much further? It's just beyond the trees.
Commander Detmer, how soon until we reach the galactic barrier? Coming out of warp now, Captain.
So that's the edge of the galaxy.
Is it wrong that I think that's pretty damn cool? Frontiers are always cool, Mr.
Rhys.
If only we could enjoy it.
But we have a job to do.
Double-check shield systems and run a multiphasic scan on the barrier itself.
I want to know what we're heading into and how to get ourselves and everyone out quickly and safely.
- Let's get to it.
- Aye, Captain.
- Status report? - Shields are ready, Captain.
All other systems are nominal.
- Mr.
Saru? - Well, unfortunately, scans show that the density of negative particles in this sector are significantly higher than predicted.
- Meaning what? - Our shields may not hold as long as expected, even with the antimatter upgrades.
- Commander Stamets.
- Already on it, Captain.
And when this is all over, you should thank Heisenberg instead of us.
Noted.
What's your suggestion? Vacuum-state fluctuations are creating discrete bubbles of protected space that pass through the galactic barrier at random intervals.
Spacial cells, for lack of a better term.
If we can position Discovery inside of one, we should be able to safely ride it through to the other side of the barrier.
Okay, but I don't see a lot of consistency amongst the spacial cells.
Neither do we, Captain.
95% are too unstable.
Yeah, those are the ones that are showing up gray scale.
Negative energy isn't allowing them to reach equilibrium and settle into a fixed spectrum emission.
So the colorful ones are our best bet.
Yeah, should be.
Zora found one nearby that's forming right now.
Sending the coordinates.
Commander Detmer, plot a course.
Let's get through the barrier as fast as we can.
It'll be bumpy.
Red alert.
We're inside the barrier.
You may notice a shift in your visible spectra.
No kidding.
It will return to normal once we reach a cell that is in equilibrium.
Closing in on the spacial cell.
Shields dropping to 85%.
- 75%.
- Mr.
Saru? The cell is not yet large enough to hold us, Captain.
- How much longer? - Approximately 20 seconds.
Sensors show gamma rays from a radioactive burst incoming in four seconds, six degrees off port.
Adjusting course! Shields down to 45%.
35.
Stand by, Commander Detmer.
Spacial cell ready in three, two, one.
- Now.
- Take us in.
Aye, Captain.
Holding steady.
- Ah.
- Good work.
Maintain position.
Let's get shields repaired.
Let's keep an eye on cell stability in here.
Captain? A word.
This is not an ideal time, Madam President.
I received a classified message as we entered the barrier.
Marked urgent, our eyes only.
It's being decrypted now.
You good? Yeah.
It's a ship.
You said this place was abandoned.
It was.
Whoever it is, they're cloaked.
It's a courier model.
Must be here to scavenge.
And if they're flying that low, it's not the first time.
What if they found the antimatter? It was hidden the last time I checked.
When was that? I come here every year.
Why? - One.
- Two.
- Six.
- Three.
Six.
No.
Damn it.
Two.
That one always trips me up.
For someone who says he's not hard on himself, you're pretty hard on yourself.
No.
No.
No.
No.
It's okay.
It's just someone probably trying to escape.
The last time the other engineer with me - It'll be over soon.
- His head.
His head.
Hey, hey.
It's all right.
Okay? It's all right.
Come on.
It's all right.
It's all right.
See? It's done.
You're okay.
Why did you You didn't have to do that.
I never had a real friend before.
You were right, you know.
About what? About the equations.
The variable is for multiverse positioning.
I have a way out of here.
There is no way out of here.
Not with this.
True.
If one is traveling within this universe.
You're working on an interdimensional transporter? I've been designing it for years.
But the power required to successfully target a specific universe, that's This camp runs off of a massive geothermal energy source.
Combined with power from the warp core that we're building, it could be enough.
Where would you go? Kayalise.
It means something like "home".
My people say that Kayalise is a place beyond suffering.
It's long been part of our cultural history.
And out of all of the possible universes, it is said to be the most peaceful.
I've been searching for it for years, and my calculations prove that it's real.
That sounds like paradise.
You could come with me.
If you want.
Come on.
Let's get this over with.
President Rillak, Captain Burnham.
I hope this reaches you before you move out of comms range.
I'm sorry to report that the DMA has just moved to a new harvesting location in the Alpha Quadrant.
I've attached all data that we have.
Based on its current trajectory, we expect debris hit by the gravitational wave to begin impacting Ni'Var and Earth in the next few days.
71 hours by our best estimation.
I'm sending ships to evacuate, but - Zora? Can you restore the rest? - I'm sorry, Captain, it's damaged beyond repair.
We need to go back.
We can't afford to do that.
Not now.
We have to stay the course.
We have to get to the Ten-C.
- I need to tell my crew.
- No.
No.
News like this will spread faster than we can control.
This-this has to remain classified until Telling them is my prerogative.
Assembling this delegation was delicate work.
Earth is home for so many of my crew.
They deserve to know.
Captain, we need you on the bridge immediately.
We have stopped moving.
Our spacial cell has drifted into a cluster of 42 others.
It's like a traffic jam.
- What can we do here? - Not much.
I can't control the trajectory of the cell we're in.
How long will this take to clear? It could be moments, hours or weeks.
In the meantime, it would seem we have no choice but to wait.
Commander Stamets, have you found a way - to get us moving yet? - I think so.
Another cell's forming.
Pretty far away, but it's near a current.
If we can get there, we can ride it out of the barrier.
We'll be out in no time.
The faster the better, Commander.
Captain, I don't think shields will hold long enough - to get there.
- No, no, no, no.
They might.
Yeah, i-if we if we use the cells that are blocking us and then move quickly through them before they collapse.
Moving through the unstable cells will expose us to negative energy and a lot of it.
How long will our shields hold? Maybe five minutes, at this point.
Five minutes? Captain.
We don't have any other options.
Engineering, can you do anything to buy us more time? Well, if, uh, we continually recalibrate to counter the fluctuating Will it work, Commander? I'm cautiously optimistic.
Ish.
That'll have to do.
Commander Detmer, plot us a course.
Aye, Captain.
Leaving our spatial cell now.
This is where you were held? Home for nearly two years in the end.
The programmable antimatter used to be in the cabinets.
Should be more than enough for our shields.
There's nothing in here.
There's a spot behind the wall, under the sand.
We stole our own stash.
We hid it there.
- To use in the transporter.
- Yeah.
You never finished it? No, we did.
Had to use it sooner than expected.
The Chain was planning to shut down the camp.
This was our only chance.
Oros.
It's a masterpiece.
Couldn't have done this without you.
You know that.
Do you think we have enough power? We're drawing from the entire warp core.
It'll work.
Ready? Yeah.
Let's go home.
No.
No! Needs more energy.
What happened after that? You were right.
I was the worst kind of asshole.
I get it, you know.
Looking back can be hard.
For years, I blamed my father for negotiating with the Chain.
But I realized maybe it was easier to blame him than to face the fact that, ultimately he was powerless to stop them.
And he knew it.
That's part of what drives me, I think.
Refusing to be powerless like that.
Look, whatever happened here with Oros, it drives you.
And if we're going outside of the galaxy together, I need to know who I'm dealing with.
Get the shuttle ready.
- We're taking Oros with us.
- No.
You're lucky I haven't shot you yet.
You told us his transporter wouldn't work.
You said it never would.
No, stop.
Please.
- Tarka? - Yeah.
We knew you were working on something.
Said we'd let him go if he found out what it was.
Osyraa hates liars.
I'm so sorry.
I didn't know you back then.
I'm gonna get us out of here.
What are what are you doing? No! Okay, hold still.
Oh.
We're free.
We're free.
Come on.
Let's go.
Let's go.
All guards - assigned to Lab 4 - Come on.
Please.
We got to go.
We have to go now.
The golden ratio, okay? - My ribs.
- Every three digits.
Eight, - three It's okay.
- I think they're broken.
I'm gonna - slow you down too much.
- I can carry you.
I can carry you.
It's okay.
I forgive you.
I don't deserve that.
I I would have done anything for freedom.
I will fix the transporter.
I will find another way.
We will go to Kayalise together.
I believe it.
But you must leave now.
Please.
I'll come back for you.
I promise.
I hid in a cave for a week, trying to find a way back in.
One day, there was this massive power surge at the camp.
I heard ships leaving.
I went back.
The place was deserted.
Oros was gone.
But I found this.
The golden ratio.
His message to me.
It was our symbol for Kayalise.
Home.
You think he made it.
He's brilliant.
If anyone can do it, it's him.
I've never found any record of Oros since, alive or dead.
Nothing.
That's why you come here every year.
Looking for another sign.
Statistically, anything's possible.
So I built my own transporter.
But trying to find the power to make it work, it's taken years.
And the DMA's power source should have more than enough.
So that's it.
That's who you're dealing with.
We just lost one of our forward emitters.
- Ensign Tal? - Making repairs now, Captain.
Commander Detmer, how much longer until we reach the target cell? It's dead ahead.
Few more minutes.
Once we arrive, the new spacial cell should carry us out of the galactic barrier within the hour.
We will then be able to proceed to first contact.
Commander Owosekun, how are we doing on shields? - Down to four percent! - Engineering? We might be able to buy another 30 seconds, but that's it.
- It's not enough.
- Hey.
We've got this.
A month from now, you'll be back skiing in Zermatt.
And where you gonna go? Astoria.
On Earth's Oregon Coast.
It's heaven.
Hawaii, for me.
The beach.
A mai tai.
Maybe I'll take up snorkeling.
Great, I'm coming with you.
I'm gonna hike the Pacific Crest Trail.
I've locked onto the target cell, Captain! Stamets, we'll need those 30 seconds on shields right now! I'll do my best not to kill us.
Always appreciated.
Owosekun, track our time.
Detmer, on your mark.
Aye, Captain.
Here we go! 15 seconds! Fourteen.
Thirteen.
Twelve.
Eleven.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
Sev We're in.
Six seconds to spare.
Nothing like cutting it close, huh? Great work, Detmer.
Great job, everyone.
Mr.
Saru, let's get a team on repairs.
You have the conn.
Madam President.
A word? Well done, Commander.
- You, too, Zora.
- I don't know.
You were cutting it pretty close.
I like living on the edge.
Okay.
Hey.
Um About earlier, with the captain, um, I might have been a little enthusiastic.
Yes.
I I did think that I might lose my lunch.
And I had curry, so It's just I, um I know how hard it's been for you, being apart from Gray.
I was trying to help.
I know.
I've-I've been all right, actually.
I mean, it's different, but it's not bad-different.
I-I get to tell Gray about all this when I see him.
You know? And we're, like, leaving the galaxy.
So Yeah.
I, um I probably worry a bit too much.
Fair warning, but, um I will always reach for you if it seems you're hurting.
My dad never did that for me.
So, uh I might do it a little extra for you.
Okay.
I have been warned.
I, too, was moved by hearing what Earth means to them, but it does not change my belief that this information cannot be shared yet.
With respect, I think something else is going on here.
For both of us.
What do you mean? Right now, we can control who knows what.
And not much else.
Mm.
It's a hard place to be.
Earth and Ni'Var are the only homes I've ever known.
And what I am right now is angry.
I am angry at this situation.
I'm angry at the DMA creators, whoever they may be.
I'm angry at Book.
And at the possibility that we, uh we could fail.
Your mother, she hasn't returned to Ni'Var yet, has she? No.
No, thankfully, she's still with J'Vini on P'Jahr.
My mother's family is on Earth.
And my partner just started a new research project on Earth's moon.
I had no idea.
I wish you had said something.
Putting words to it won't help him.
But it might help you.
We're all we have out here, Madam President.
We have to support each other.
That's what this crew has done in the darkest of times.
But to do that takes honesty.
With ourselves and with everyone.
Let me know where you land.
I applied the programmable antimatter to the shield generator.
We're ready to go.
You shouldn't blame yourself for leaving him behind.
There's not a day goes by that I don't.
I hope he's out there and you get to see him again.
Along the way, we'll stop the DMA and save billions of lives.
That's the definition of a win-win.
I'll take it.
Now let's get through the damn barrier.
Captain, I couldn't be happier to report that we're officially out of the galactic barrier.
Out of the Milky Way and into extragalactic space.
Well done.
All of you.
It's weird to see so few stars.
Space has never felt this empty.
Or quiet.
Not many people have gotten to see this.
Well, Captain, should I set a course for the Ten-C? We should address the ship first.
Lieutenant Christopher, open a channel.
Channel's open.
Madam President.
Discovery crew, esteemed delegates, we have faced and met our first challenge of this mission.
Thank you.
For your bravery, your focus, your strength.
Unfortunately, I have some difficult news to share.
We have received word that the DMA has moved.
It is now days away from Ni'Var, Titan and Earth.
To the many on board with family, friends and colleagues now under direct threat, I, too, feel your pain in this moment Madam President.
Madam President.
I am so deeply sorry for this news.
Could you sit with me a while? I would appreciate your company.
I find you a comforting presence.
Of course.
So that's the hyperfield.
As much as our long-range scans can show us.
I think I preferred it as a blob of radio waves.
Yeah.
There is a planet about two light-years away from it.
Initial scans don't show any signs of life.
But given its proximity, I'm having a team check it out to see if there's anything there that can help us with first contact.
Good idea.
Thank you for sharing the news.
We could have told them together.
Why did you want me to do it? In times of crisis, people need to know that their leaders are not rattled by uncertainty or overwhelming odds.
They need to know that there is a plan.
That they'll be okay.
You're their president.
You can give them confidence.
A sense of security.
You're my president, too.
Oh I'm grateful we had the chance to connect before we approach Species Ten-C.
If we can't communicate with each other, what chance do we have with them? Hmm.
What do you think we'll find when we get to the hyperfield? I have no idea.
But we have to succeed.
We have to.