The Orville

Sorry to keep you all waiting, but trust me, this is gonna be worth it.

We're getting a pool table in the mess hall.

No.

We've been assigned to pick up Vice Admiral Christie from Outpost 35

and then transport him to rendezvous with a Krill vessel.

Once there, the Admiral will begin negotiations

to allow Union access to the Naklav Sector.

That's on the other side of Krill space.

Correct. Union ships have never had a conduit.

Until now.

Early indications are that, with treaty negotiations going smoothly,

the Krill may be willing to permit passage, which means...

entire regions of unexplored space are gonna be wide open.

Does he believe we can trust them?

That's the word. Christie's one of the top Union diplomats.

He was the guy who negotiated the Din'jon Accords.

So if this all goes through, will we be able to get in on it?

Well, we were the ones who shepherded the Lock Vai pact,

and we are an exploration vessel, so I would say our odds are pretty good.

Doctor.

You okay?

Oh, I-- I'm fine.

I just didn't sleep well last night.

Any questions?

Gordon, set a course.

Aye, sir.

Dr. Finn?

Admiral.

Whoa, at ease. What's with the formality?

Standing at attention in the presence of an admiral is Protocol 101.

Well, can I come in, or do I need to make an appointment?

No appointment necessary.

It's been a long time.

It really has.

It's amazing to see you.

And this... your own sickbay.

I always knew you'd be successful,

but chief medical officer on a Union starship?

Boy, you must've had some top-notch professors.

One or two.

Well, this one is very proud of you.

Thank you, sir.

Please, it's Paul.

Admiral Paul.

Well, I'm as shocked about that as you are.

I'm not shocked at all. You always had the heart of an explorer.

It was only a matter of time before you left the university for the universe.

Well, most of my time now is spent behind a desk,

so whenever a mission like this comes along, I jump at the chance.

And I must admit, seeing your name on the crew manifest

gave me a little extra incentive.

Well, you look healthy. Time's been good to you.

Maybe on the outside.

But you know what they say:

unmarried men look younger, feel older.

You're as beautiful as ever.

Save your charm for the Krill.

- You're gonna need it. - (Christie chuckles)

Speaking of which,

I'm scheduled to brief your Captain on tomorrow's negotiations.

How about we get some dinner afterward?

Got a lot of years to catch up on.

Actually, I promised my kids I'd stay home tonight

and watch a movie with them.

You, uh...

you have kids?

Two boys.

Um...

I'd love to meet them.

Maybe it's best if we just stay focused on the job at hand.

There's a lot at stake here,

and I don't think either of us need any distractions.

Right. I didn't mean to push.

I was just excited to see you again.

Um...

for what it's worth...

it may be 25 years too late, but...

I'm sorry.

I don't want to keep you from your briefing.

Right.

No distractions.

I fail to see the purpose of this gathering.

Well, diplomatic receptions are an old Earth custom.

Think of it as a way for us to get to know each other before the real work begins.

I think I speak for everyone here when I say

we very much hope that this temporary alliance

will become permanent.

Do not "hope" too fervently.

Once the Kaylon are crushed, the alliance will be dissolved.

Only then will we celebrate.

Well, still...

Ladies and gentlemen, a toast.

It's not every day one gets a chance to be part of history.

But tonight, history is being made in this room.

As we prepare to begin an epic journey into unexplored realms,

we also take the next step toward healing the wounds of the past

and forging a new path toward lasting friendship.

Here's to a better future.

Hey. I'm gonna take this bottle somewhere else.

You wanna join me?

God, yes.

Can you handle this alone? I'll owe you one.

Yeah, I'll just stay here and give myself cirrhosis.

I feel like we should make this a weekly ritual.

You and me, draining a bottle?

- Why not? - No argument here.

You know,

there's a line from a very old book I once read:

"It is only with greatest care

that memory can be kept from becoming a prison or a gallows."

I'll go along with that.

You know, I was married once.

- What? - Mm-hmm.

- You were married? - Yup.

How come you've never told me this?

Uh, I don't talk about it often.

Who was the guy?

Wait...

No.

Yeah.

Admiral Christie? Are you serious? You were married to Admiral Christie?

It was a long time ago.

I was a medical student at Union Point. He was one of my professors.

We started seeing each other at the beginning of my final year.

Kept it a secret until I graduated.

Then, six months later, we got married.

The official story was that we'd only been together a short time

and then rushed to the altar, but I don't think anyone was fooled.

Never in a billion years would I have pegged you

as someone who'd hook up with your professor.

Everything forbidden is sweet.

So what happened?

Long story short: I don't think he really wanted a wife.

He wanted someone young and smiling

to come home to at the end of the night after a long day's work.

Which was sort of how it was when I was still in school,

but once the ranks were dropped, I was looking for a partner.

He was looking for a bed warmer.

I gave him an ultimatum, and...

he walked away.

Were you devastated?

At the time, I was crushed, yeah.

I questioned everything about myself.

Every way I turned it over in my head,

I kept feeling like I was the one at fault,

like I made a huge mistake.

But when I remember it now, it's like...

I'm watching someone else's daughter.

I'm sad for her, but I know she needs to learn her own lessons.

It must've been really hard seeing him again.

Oh, in a weird way, I think it was harder for him.

Well, yeah, I get that.

The pain can be worse when you're the one ending things.

Personally, I'd always rather be dumped than be the dumper.

Same.

Anyway, different lifetime. On to the future.

Well, maybe one of the Krill is single.

That's a thought.

And, hey, there's two of them.

I can't date anyone who dresses more glam than I do.

Okay, fair enough.

We have considered your request for passage through our territory,

and we are prepared to grant it.

But there are certain conditions.

We're listening.

There is an uninhabited planet in Union space

that is rich in harcarium.

We use it in our propulsion systems.

We wish to secure extraction rights.

- Where? - The third planet in the Obrall system.

Well, I think that can be arranged.

I'll need to get approval from the Union Council, of course.

Passage will be allowed for one vessel alone.

If there are no...

incidents, we will consider further allowances.

Well, I don't think anyone here would object to getting the first solo crack

at unexplored space.

No, sir, we would not.

While in our space, your vessel will follow this course to the Naklav Sector.

Any deviation will be forbidden to you.

Not exactly the quickest way to get there,

but it shouldn't be a problem.

Anything else?

Upon entry into our territory,

a tracking beacon will be installed on your ship

so we can monitor your coordinates at all times.

That would be a violation of our security protocols.

I think it's all right, Commander. We really don't have anything to hide.

Captain?

I'm sure we can find a way to accommodate.

We have little to no information about the regions beyond your space

that we intend to explore.

Anything your cartographers could share with us would be greatly appreciated,

especially concerning the Kalarr Expanse.

You...

do not intend to enter the Expanse?

Why wouldn't we?

It is a domain of evil.

What do you mean?

Demons dwell within the Expanse.