Star Trek: Discovery

Previously onStar 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.

Discoveryleaves 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, Discoverymight 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.

Discoverywill 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.

Discoverywill 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...