Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022) s01e04 Episode Script

Previously on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Lieutenant La'An Noonien-Singh.
Chief of security.
I've been assigned as acting first officer.
No sedatives.
Maybe I wasn't clear about the terrible pain part.
Maybe I wasn't clear when I said no.
The Gorn captured my family's colony ship.
I was the only one to survive.
Can I help? - No.
- Hemmer may not be able to see, but his other senses compensate.
Compensate? They are superior.
What the How did you You beat out how many, - a thousand applicants? - Several thousand.
Both my parents were killed in a shuttle accident.
Didn't feel like I fit anywhere.
I understand you did not come to Starfleet the way many of us have.
That you are not sure you wish to stay.
Starfleet would be fortunate to have an officer like you.
Security officer's log, stardate 3177.
3.
The Enterprise is currently en route to deliver an atmospheric processor upgrade to Finibus Three.
Without our assistance, the air on this remote colony will become unbreathable in a matter of weeks.
As we prepare for our arrival, we pause to honor Starfleet Remembrance Day.
Attention.
This is the captain speaking.
Many of us have known those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Officers, scientists, civilians who gave their lives in the hope for galactic peace.
Today we remember the friends and comrades we lost.
Exploration can exact a heavy toll.
As captain, there is no loss more devastating than that of a crew member.
Remembrance Day is about them.
Those of us left behind wear the insignia of past ships on which we served together.
As we honor the lives that have been given, let us also be grateful to be still on the journey.
Tell me, what is the essential function of the AP350 device? It's an air filter.
Cadets.
Never read the assignment materials in advance.
Invented by a Zigwel Orgon in 2234.
First deployed on Titan after the Crestbrock mining collapse.
Unlike its predecessors, the upgraded model, AP350, uses charged positron rods to stabilize the ion matrix, which then, well, filters the air.
Fine.
Points granted.
Lieutenant Taft, please report - to the shuttle bay.
- Most cadets labor their rotation through engineering dreaming of command.
I'm enjoying it here, actually.
Engineering is a lot like linguistics.
Is that so? Sure.
Both are dependent on how seemingly unrelated systems communicate.
Big ideas.
To impress me, you're going to need to do better than theorize.
Challenge accepted.
You're not wearing your pin.
- No big deal.
- Okay.
- You know how I feel about it.
- Yeah, I definitely do.
The past is the past, there's no point in looking back.
- Closure seems like a reason.
- Una, stop.
- Starfleet has resources - I am not going to let some doctor inside my head to try and fix me.
I'm not broken.
I'm fine.
Captain, we've arrived in orbit.
So where's the welcome wagon? Sir, Finibus Three is still not responding to any hails.
When was their last transmission? According to the log, two days ago.
I have been monitoring radio wave interference emanating from a large brown dwarf in close proximity.
That's what's jamming the signal? Possible.
Let me adjust sensors.
The brown dwarf does not appear to be the problem, Captain.
Finibus Three is not responding because the colony's communications satellite has been destroyed.
Accidental? Impossible to say, Captain.
All right.
Report it to Starfleet.
Protocol now is we investigate, make contact on the ground.
Go slow.
No assumptions until we gather more intel.
I'll prep a landing party.
Lieutenant Noonien-Singh.
There are supposed to be hundreds of people here.
I'm not getting any human life signs.
Rushed evacuation? Rushed under fire.
Those are blast marks definitely a skirmish here.
That's not funny.
Commander, come take a look.
Not an evacuation.
A massacre.
Looks like the bodies were all dragged here.
But where are they now? Number One, we've got an unidentified ship up here.
We're beaming you back up.
The away team is on board, Captain.
No Federation badges.
Ship has her shields up.
Scans reveal multiple life forms.
Unable to identify.
Hail them.
All channels.
- No response.
- Yellow alert.
Shields up.
Captain, they're hailing us.
Belay that order.
On screen.
Thank God.
You're Starfleet.
This is Captain Christopher Pike of the USS Enterprise.
And you are? Professor Thandie of Finibus Three.
My apologies, but I needed to be sure.
- What's your status? - Most of us are injured.
This is a cargo vessel.
Life support is overextended.
Prepare for transport to the Enterprise.
Uh, Captain, this ship is used for hauling radioactive ore.
The hull is transport resistant.
Zuniga, attach a deep space transport tube.
Can you tell me what happened? A blast from the sky took out our main colony structure.
We then all heard a loud ringing sound.
Everything gets blurry after that.
No signs of any other vessels.
No residual warp signatures.
Hang on.
Everything's going to be all right.
I can't thank you enough.
All of us owe you our lives.
We're still trying to figure out who did this.
Did anyone see anything? A farmer saw streaks in the sky.
He said it was like rain on fire.
Most of us were unconscious by then.
We count about a hundred with you.
What happened to the rest of the colony? I don't know.
We woke up and they were gone.
No bodies.
Just blood.
Ringing maybe an ultrasonic cannon? Rain on fire.
Sub-orbital plasma bombardment.
No ships on our sensors, but my gut is telling me something's off.
- Fig! Come here, stop! Fig! - Hey, hey, hey.
The monsters are coming, hide! Honey, you know monsters aren't real.
What monsters? The ones who took Daddy.
This has been awful for her.
Did you see something, Fig? It was dark.
I didn't see it.
But it makes noises.
Like this.
La'An to Bridge.
We need to scan the area for polarized EM signatures.
Quickly.
What is it? I'm not sure yet.
Sensors are detecting a slight optical distortion near the second moon a hologram, sir.
Raise shields! Now! - Raise shields.
Red alert.
- We can't the transport tube.
We can't raise shields.
Oh, no.
La'An, move.
It's the Gorn.
Space.
The final frontier.
These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.
Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.
Okay, you're next.
Sit tight.
Clear that bed! She didn't make it.
What about the girl? - You're bleeding.
- I'll be fine.
Thank you.
I-I lo I locked up.
I just I Forget that.
I told the captain.
If you're right, they need you.
Get to the bridge.
Pike to Main Cargo Bay.
Warp is down, Hemmer.
Securing the processor first, Captain.
It's not safe under fire.
Do it, but get us warp, fast.
- Shields at 60%.
- Anything? Switching comm control to tactical.
Still no response to hails.
How fast can you push impulse? The starboard nacelle is half-damaged.
I can get us about half speed.
Initiate Pattern Echo Zeta.
That's an offensive pattern, Captain.
Order a retreat.
You have to get shields up and go.
Lieutenant, I understand how this might - You can't fight them.
- Confirmed sightings are rare, and they have never ventured - into Federation sp - It's the Gorn.
It's the Gorn, sir.
It's them.
This was a trap.
The hologram, the colonists as bait they waited for us to be vulnerable.
We're too damaged to stand and fight.
It's what they do first run you down, use up your resources.
Tire us out.
Smart tactic.
And deadly.
We have to find cover, regroup, level the playing field.
You have to trust me, Captain.
Please.
That brown dwarf that you mentioned before it's, uh, pretty much a gas giant, right? Where exactly is it? 200 million kilometers away.
But Captain, it is tethered in orbit around a black hole.
Like, how big of a black hole? One problem at a time.
Can we maneuver inside the brown dwarf? While technically possible, there are a number of dangers involved.
Shields at 40%.
Bottom-line it for me.
The central mass of the brown dwarf has a density that will crush the entire ship.
- Surrounding that is a volatile gas cloud.
- How volatile? Enterprise will need to lower its electrical output.
Primary and auxiliary systems need to go off-line.
We will lose sensors, optics, long-range communications and, most importantly, the shields.
We'll be running dark.
- That sounds - Perfect.
Anything following us will have to do the same.
If you're right, it's our best shot.
You're the acting Number One again.
Do you concur? Yes, sir.
Helm, full impulse to Spock's mark.
Aye aye.
Full impulse.
Into a giant gas cloud of death.
Why not? Captain, Sickbay and their cargo stores just took direct fire.
As did the Main Cargo Bay.
Lieutenant Hemmer? Lieutenant Hemmer?! Please get this off me.
Oh.
It's broken.
Well, let's get you to Sickbay.
- The door is blocked, isn't it? - Yep.
How long before it blows? I have time to stabilize the unit.
An explosion of that magnitude w Would consume the Enterprise in an atomic blast.
Yes.
Transporters are off-line.
We'll send in a team to dig you out.
Either way, I'll be here repairing.
Hemmer out.
Is it just me or is it hot in here? The ionic gas surrounding the ship is overwhelming climate controls.
Many systems are down.
Including Sickbay.
Everything is off-line.
We're stabilizing patients, but without medical systems, no one is getting better.
It's triage.
Casualties? Yes, Captain.
Nine confirmed.
The hit we took decimated our stock of treatment supplies.
And with the matter synthesizers also off-line, we can't make more when we run out.
- How's Una? - She reports that she's fine.
She's on her way in.
I haven't had time to check her yet.
We're still playing catch-up.
I've activated all backup medical personnel, but what I really need down here are supplies.
Doctor, I could really use some help over here.
M'Benga out.
Doctor! - You said you were fine.
- I was mistaken.
These are deep.
We can't power up the surgery bays.
If I recall, you have an interest in archeological medicine.
How good are you at sewing? Aces.
No weapons systems, no phasers.
What about photon torpedoes? Those can be self-guided.
The torpedo bay was hit in the attack.
We lost all but one.
We only have one photon torpedo? The amount is inconsequential.
If we fire a torpedo inside the brown dwarf, the atmospheric composition will cause a failure in the internal systems.
It would propel in a random direction, likely missing its intended target.
So, no shields and no weapons.
What do we do throw luggage at them? And the Gorn really? We're out here fighting the the boogeyman? No one has even seen one.
So how are we supposed to take them on? I've seen them.
They aren't supernatural.
But they are monsters.
The Federation teaches that if we can find a way to empathize with an enemy then they can one day become our friends.
They're wrong.
Some things in this universe are just plain evil.
Have you ever seen eyes that are both dead and hungry at the same time? To them, humans are just walking feed bags of flesh and bone and jelly.
The Gorn trigger a primitive, ancient, terror in warm-blooded species.
We are prey.
And when they hunt, they're unrelenting.
The truth is plenty of people have seen the Gorn.
They just don't live long enough to talk about it.
All right.
Be vigilant.
Get creative.
You're the best of Starfleet.
We survive this by working together.
A moment, Lieutenant.
How you holding up? The enemy doesn't care about my feelings, Captain, so I don't waste my time having any.
Well, that may be true, but it's not looking that way to the crew.
With all due respect, you know me well enough to know that I don't care what the crew thinks.
I've always been blunt.
That's just who I am.
Direct, looking at outcomes, not emotion.
- Exactly.
- But right now, your job isn't just about orders, it's about hope.
Belief can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Get a crew to believe in miracles, they might just give you one.
I will make the adjustment.
But I will not lie to them.
The best miracles are born from truth.
Understood, Captain.
Now, there's not much on the official record.
Is there anything else you can remember from your time with the Gorn anything that might help? The memories of what happened are, um, trauma-inhibited.
The It's all it's-it's it's all fragments.
Bit-bits and pieces.
Well, if anything comes to mind.
An engineer's most important tools are his mind and his hands.
And I can't move my fingers.
Oh Okay.
Let's just work on relaxing.
Here's what's gonna happen: you're gonna talk me through what to do.
We're gonna be a team.
It's not that simple.
There's a variety of data that only I can assess.
And I'm the only one here with a working set of fingers.
I am not fond of teams.
Get fond.
It would seem I have to.
Start by using the control panel to shut down the safety override.
You'll have to adjust the cooling system.
What did I do? Your other hand operates the cooling system as you work.
Take the time to get focused.
Don't let the core get above 110 degrees.
Captain, a moment please? You have something, Spock? You challenged us to get creative.
Computer, run program Vinci 7.
Primary sensors aren't available.
But navigation systems constantly take in atmospheric data to maintain stability.
Hey, I still do most of the work.
A ship traveling through the gas cloud creates oscillation in the atmosphere.
These are converted into - rotational motions by - Coriolis forces.
Which the nav-com detects automatically.
Marking Coriolis force readings would allow us to triangulate movement inside the gas giant.
We can track the Gorn.
You just turned a compass into a radar.
Do it.
It's working.
We've got a signal.
Analysis? The size and speed indicate it is the ship that attacked us.
They're coming right at us.
ETA is one minute.
Can they see us? It is impossible to tell, Captain.
Captain, evasive maneuvers? Negative.
Keep her steady.
Captain.
Preparing to engage the enemy Keep her steady, helm.
Aye.
The enemy has altered its course.
They can't see us.
But they won't stop looking.
Zuniga, arm the last torpedo.
Arming torpedo.
Captain, I must remind you that if you fire a photon torpedo inside a brown dwarf the guidance systems will not work.
I don't plan on firing it.
We're gonna drop it on them manually.
Now we're talking.
Set a course to pursue the enemy vessel.
Quick but quiet, Erica.
That is my specialty.
Put us right over her, then tilt axis 90 degrees.
Once the hatch opens, the higher mass below should pull the torpedo straight down.
On my mark.
Deploy torpedo.
Bombs away.
The signal is gone.
The enemy ship has been destroyed.
Captain, we have incoming.
Multiple incoming.
They wanted us to fire.
They sacrificed an entire ship just to get our location.
Why is that blip so much bigger? Three on one.
Not good.
We're outgunned.
Time to run, sir.
I concur.
But if we leave the brown dwarf they will see us.
If we go deeper, it could destroy the ship.
Good thinking, Mr.
Spock.
We need to go deeper into the brown dwarf.
That is not what I suggested.
Ortegas, plot a course.
- As close as you can get us to center mass.
- Sure.
Didn't our science expert just say that would crush the ship? Just asking, sir.
I did.
The pressure against the hull will increase the deeper we go.
If we venture too close, the density field will obliterate us.
Whatever happens to us will also happen to the Gorn.
I believe in Enterprise.
We can outlast them.
Captain, the lower decks will be first to take structural damage.
Immediate evacuation of all decks below 20.
I don't like it either, but Enterprise has to dive.
Helm, take us down.
Aye aye, Skipper.
Dive, dive, dive.
I've never heard a ship make a sound like that before.
No.
Keep your focus.
And maybe pick up the pace.
This isn't easy.
And I and, of course, diagnostics are off-line.
I can't tell which ones are broken.
Hold your hand out to each.
Tell me what you feel.
Aah! Hot! I did not say touch them.
The malfunctioning rods should be cool.
Be sure before you remove them.
All right, I think I've got a cold one.
Perfect.
Now lift it out gently.
Look at us! Come on! And the crowd goes wild.
Before replacing it, we have to reconfigure the host platform.
Reconfigure the Done.
Now we can get started.
Get started? The lower decks are beginning to buckle.
The evacuation isn't complete.
There's still crew down there.
Get them out.
Decks are collapsing.
If we do not seal them off now, loss of pressure could spread to the entire ship.
Seal the bulkheads.
Sir.
Uh, hey, hey! Hey.
I got you.
I got you.
Go! No, no, no, no! Structural collapse on Deck 22.
We've lost one crew person.
You made the logical choice.
Why doesn't it feel like that? For the same reason you made it.
Because you value life.
Captain, we're approaching critical hull failure.
If antimatter chambers become compromised, there will be no ship left to save.
Enterprise can't take much more of this.
We're overextended.
You said they wanted to take us prisoner, Number One? Well, if they think they're gonna board the Enterprise, they're gonna find one hell of a fight.
Battle stations.
Make ready for close quarters.
Ortegas, full stop.
Aye, sir.
Full stop.
Captain.
The enemy ship.
It appears the Gorn vessel could not withstand the atmospheric pressure.
It has imploded.
You said when the Gorn hunt they are relentless.
They don't stop.
You exploited that as a weakness.
Get me a damage report.
Mr.
Spock, keep scanning for the other two ships.
Two down, two to go.
Doing good.
How's it going? Think I'm a little like Frankenstein's monster, but I'll be all right.
There's one fragment left.
The intrusion on her abdominal aorta.
Okay, what are you not telling me? We need to sedate you.
The location of the fragment You're gonna bleed.
A lot.
We have just enough plasma, but we're gonna have to give it to you via IV.
Do I have a choice? You can decline.
Wait for the systems to be online.
We can take bets on when septic shock will begin.
I hear it's like giving birth out your mouth.
Who says something like that? Me.
Give me the gas.
Okay.
Just breathe.
You'll start to feel drowsy.
Nurse.
She needs plasma.
There's none left.
Give her mine.
It's the last one.
You're about to lose a massive amount of blood.
That's an order.
Captain's Log, supplemental.
Enterprise is currently in the center of a gas giant hiding from an enemy we've never faced before.
So far, three civilians and seven of my crew have lost their lives.
The battle is far from over.
But I am determined to keep everyone else alive.
My newest obstacle is the presence of a nearby black hole.
Atmospheric density is decreasing.
I believe the singularity is advancing its accumulation of substellar material.
Do you ever speak in plain English? The brown dwarf we're hiding inside - is being sucked into a black hole.
- We stay, we'll go with it.
Precisely.
And we can't pop our heads up to see if it's clear to leave.
They could see us.
Without long-range communication, we cannot even send a probe.
How much time before we can't escape the black hole's gravity? One hour, 32 minutes and 48 seconds.
What about a shuttle? Small enough to navigate undetected.
Minimize risk to the rest of the crew.
That sounds like a suicide mission.
Captain, a shuttle is our only shot.
You don't have to order anyone to go.
I'll do it.
As will I.
To put it in plain English: you will need backup.
Take the Galileo.
Get back here in 30 minutes, no matter what.
Sir.
Fascinating.
Why scan each other? No.
It's not a scan, it's something else.
You've seen this before.
When you were attacked by the Gorn.
The SS Puget Sound.
That was the name of our colony ship.
I remember some.
A lot of it is just flashes in the dark.
But I know I've seen those lights.
The mind is complex.
When faced with intense trauma it can manifest intricate defenses to aid survival.
I feel like there's something in there.
Something I should know.
Understandable, given the enemy we are currently facing.
You can help me.
I've heard what Vulcans can do.
The mind meld is not a shortcut for dealing with mental trauma.
Resurfacing hidden memories can be painful, even dangerous.
If somewhere in my head is the answer to saving the Enterprise, then that's a risk I have to take.
I can't just keep running.
My mind to your mind.
My thoughts to your thoughts.
My mind to your thoughts.
To your Mom? - La'An, be brave.
- Evacuate the ship! Not believing you're gonna die is what gets you killed.
Your memories are starting to surface.
This is a Gorn breeding planet.
They brought us here as food for their hatchlings.
Hunted us day and night.
Your mind is resisting.
You are Scared.
I don't like this place.
Do you want to stop? No.
I can do this.
I need to know.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
- I was trying to be quiet.
- It's okay.
I was trying to be quiet.
It's okay, it's okay.
It's okay.
Look at me.
La'An, it's okay.
Right here.
Right here, right here, right here.
Keep looking at me.
They're coming.
Take this.
It'll help you hide.
The lights.
I watched them.
It's how they talk to each other.
It's all in there.
What are you doing? You need to run.
Don't be afraid.
Don't look back.
J-just run.
Keep moving, no matter what.
Okay? - Come with me.
- I can't.
Run, La'An.
Run! What happened? Your subconscious is setting a boundary.
The lights they're a code.
My brother showed me how to read it.
I love you too.
You lost someone too, didn't you? You had a a sister.
But Starfleet records don't show any They do not.
She sacrificed herself for you, too, didn't she? I think we should end this mind meld now.
Spock, I have an idea.
I've modulated the shuttle's phasers per your instruction.
Surprised you agreed to this.
I believe it is a good plan.
And our mind meld reminded me of risks taken and their value to those that survive.
I just told them humans boarded and took over the vessel.
At least I hope I did.
Culling the weak makes them stronger.
Survival of the fittest.
And Uhura for the win.
Oh, stay awake.
Okay? Let's get you talking.
Uh So, an Aenar in Starfleet how's that even work? Thought you guys were all pacifists.
I actually wanted to be a botanist.
Love flora.
I will not fight for Starfleet.
But I will defend its ideals.
Pacifism is not passivity.
It is the active protection of all living things in the natural universe.
A matter of perspective.
Like using touch instead of sight.
I wouldn't know.
The matrix exceeded critical limits before we completed repairs.
Our only option now is to vent this bay and everything in it into space.
But we're in here, too.
Unfortunately, that is also true.
We have 20 minutes until the unit explodes.
Maybe less.
Acknowledged.
Stand by.
Welcome back, Lieutenants.
Good job.
Though we're not out of the woods yet.
Report.
It's not the Gorn.
It's this guy.
The brown dwarf is dissolving too fast.
We are losing our cover.
We don't get out of here pretty fast, we're gonna be sitting ducks.
Except that last Gorn ship will be on top of us the instant we leave.
Space really wants us dead.
Then why don't we let space win? Spock, could we use the black hole's gravity to slingshot us to safety? Mathematically, that is possible.
But the Gorn will see us and have the opportunity to pursue us.
- Maybe.
- Maybe? Explain gravitational redshift.
Gravitational redshift is an optical illusion that occurs as an object falls into a black hole.
The object falls faster than the frequency of light it emits.
To any outside observer, it would appear as though the object has stopped just outside the black hole.
Last question.
What do snakes, ducks, and possums all have in common? When hunted, they play dead.
Ortegas, plot a course to take us close to the event horizon.
Hemmer, you and the cadet have access to EV suits? We do, sir.
I hesitate to ask why.
You're going to slingshot off the black hole and drop the AP 350 as a decoy? Captain, your plan requires flying the Enterprise into one of the most turbulent phenomenons in space.
Hull integrity is already compromised.
- That kind of force - She'll hold.
The Enterprise is going to make it.
She'll hold.
We've got this.
Erica, if anyone can surf a wave on a black hole, it's you.
Ah, now you almost make it sound fun.
Suit up, strap in.
We're venting the hold on my signal.
I commit you to the cosmos.
I'm giving you high marks on your assessment today.
You impressed me after all.
Assuming that will still matter thank you.
Humans waste so much life worrying about death.
The Aenar believe the end only comes once you have fulfilled your purpose.
- It provides meaning.
- I-I like that.
So, what was your purpose? To fix what is broken.
You can throw in teaching.
Maybe even being inspiring.
A little.
And you? What do you feel is the purpose of your life's path? I really don't know.
Does that mean I'm not gonna die? There's only one way to find out.
Inertial dampers at max.
Brace for heavy gravity.
We pull this off, it's officially The Pike Maneuver.
Open a channel.
Ship-wide.
Attention, this is the captain speaking.
Earlier today, we were reminded of the cost of exploration.
What it means to chart the stars, to push the boundaries of what is known and what is possible.
When we seek out the unknown, we will find things that challenge us.
That frighten us.
But we do not back down.
We do not give in to fear.
And I believe today will not be our last mission, but our finest hour.
All hands make ready for impact.
Gorn ship changing course.
Accretion disc in sight.
Hit it.
Vent the hold! Ortegas.
Report.
No sign of the Gorn.
They've gone, sir.
We did it.
Show me Main Cargo Bay.
Pike to Main Cargo Bay.
Hemmer.
Hemmer? Uhura? Report.
La'An.
Send a recovery team.
We're here, sir.
We're still here.
Well, I don't know about you but I think that was quite a miracle.
What about next time? The Gorn have never come this far before.
They're opening up new hunting grounds.
Next time.
Next time, they they won't catch us by surprise.
We'll be ready for 'em.
Personal log, stardate 3177.
9.
Today, the Enterprise encountered the Gorn.
Seven of the crew gave their lives.
But we survived.