Star Trek: Discovery

Previously on Star Trek: Discovery...

Hey, Michael, I was on my way to the Bajoran exchange

when this guy sitting next to me...

and I think his black box is one of the ones you're looking for.

It's on Hunhau, Emerald Chain territory.

- I won't be long. - This was three weeks ago.

If Book found a third black box, and it shows the same variance,

that means the Burn didn't happen all at once.

We have got to get to Hunhau.

- At the moment, we cannot. - Yes, sir.

You're the only person on this ship who'd say yes

to going on an unsanctioned mission.

Are you in or out? Georgiou?

You had me at "unsanctioned mission".

The spore drive's new and improved.

I redesigned it so you won't have to use those shunts.

Little gooey.

Commander Burnham left to pursue a mission of her own,

against my direct orders.

Sir, you know, Michael is one of the people that I love

most in this world, but she made a choice,

and now because of that, you don't have one.

You have to tell the admiral.

That is astute, Ensign.

Commander Burnham's mission

was 100% rogue.

Until we solve the mystery of how the Burn happened,

and why, I believe the Federation

will never be, can never be, brought back together again.

Well, we'll see what your intel brings, Commander.

I will leave it up to you, Captain,

to determine the consequences of her insubordination.

As of now,

you're relieved of your duty as my Number One.

You will restrict yourself

to chief science officer duties only.

Personal log supplemental.

Even after a year of finding my way alone,

I truly believed I could find a way

to fit back into this uniform,

onto this ship.

Now I'm not so sure.

I've become someone new.

Still just as committed to the Federation,

to my friends...

but there's a distance between us now.

I know I'll never be at peace until I solve the Burn.

But I don't know if I can do it from Discovery.

This may not be my home anymore.

And I don't know what that means.

Or where it will lead me.

So, when are we getting out of here?

You really hate it.

"Hate" is a strong word.

But I'm also living

on the shuttle bay of a Federation starship

And no one knows what to make of me.

Let's acknowledge this isn't a long-term situation.

Where would we go?

Space.

Hmm. And what about... ?

- The Burn? - Yeah.

The biggest, most dangerous cosmic puzzle of all time?

Have you always been this way?

My brother,

he called me on it...

... how I take responsibility for everything.

Sounds like we'd have gotten on, me and your brother.

- Is that right? - Yeah.

We'd bond over your endearing messianic complex.

Hmm. Says the man who risks his life to save helpless creatures.

- Oh, yeah. - Mm.

Hey.

- Saru, uh... - Demoted me.

Yeah.

Hey, um,

you put me in a really horrible position with Saru,

and with the admiral when you went off on your own.

It would've been so much worse if I had told you.

My choice. Not yours.

I'm sorry, Tilly.

This transition has been difficult for all of us.

I had to go.

I had to.

The truth is...

... I don't know how I fit in anymore.

Uh, one one-millionth of a microsecond.

You were right. Uh, that was the difference.

The USS Yelchin, the first black box you found.

When the Burn happened, it lost contact

at precisely 8-1-9-8-6 mark 2-7-2-1-3-9.

Now, t-the Gav'Nor, a thousand light-years away, lost contact

one one-millionth of a microsecond later.

What about the Giacconi? The data recorder Book found?

The computer's still working on it.

But with three points of data, we can triangulate and pinpoint

- the source of the Burn. - In two dimensions, maybe,

but in three-dimensional space, that still leaves an area

far too large to explore in several lifetimes,

so we have to narrow it down.

Somehow we need to find more data.

Well, I flagged this...

... when I was going through Federation databases.

It's an experiment, SB-19.

They spread sensors

across dozens of light-years of subspace.

They had a front-seat view of the Burn.

SB-19 reported no findings.

So, either the sensors didn't record anything...

Which isn't likely.

... or they didn't make their results public.

In which case, the admiral might have access to it.

He's not my biggest fan right now.

This is bigger than you. And bigger than him...

It's bigger than everybody. Right?

What if you hadn't made it back?

What would I do?

Analysis complete.

The Giacconi. It lost contact

seven one-millionths of a microsecond after the Yelchin.

That confirms it.

You're telling me these three ships

were all destroyed by the Burn at different times.

The difference is in millionths of a microsecond,

but yes, there is a difference.

Son of a bitch.

Are you familiar with an experiment called SB-19?

We can't access it.

Why?

It's Ni'Var.

You'd know it by its former name: Vulcan.

Vulcans... the Vulcans changed their name?

Well, it's not just the Vulcans who live there now.

They share the planet with the Romulans.

The Romulans were considered enemies in our time.

And for a long time after.

Until Ambassador Spock brought them back.

You see, history had forgot this in your time,

but the Vulcans and the Romulans

were two tribes of the same species

that went their separate ways.

Your brother started the process of reunifying them.

And he succeeded?

It took centuries after his death, but yes.

But the Vulcans were always the first to share

their research with the Federation.

Maybe in the past.

But Ni'Var left the Federation nearly a hundred years ago.

Vulcan was one of the founding members

of the Federation.

They would never abandon it.

Must have been the Romulans.

No, the Romulans wanted to stay.

Even before the Burn, the Federation

was running out of dilithium.

All member planets were ordered

to put their best scientists towards finding a solution.

Ni'Var's contribution...

was SB-19,

a system to transport starships thousands of light-years

in an instant, much like your spore drive.

What happened?

Well, it was new technology.

Ni'Var scientists felt

ultimately that it was too dangerous,

so they asked permission to shutter the program.

But it was the most promising

dilithium alternative of the day,

and so the Federation ordered them to proceed.

They think they caused the Burn?

No.

They think we forced them to cause the Burn.

So they left the Federation

and kept the SB-19 data from us.

Sir...

we have proof the Burn had a different origin.

I don't think any claims of proof

are gonna make any difference.

They're convinced they're right.

Well, perhaps, then, this new information

would be sufficient to reopen diplomatic relations.

We have to tell them.

There must be a way to get them to listen.

Spock's sister.

Sending Commander Burnham as our representative

- might tip the scales. - Admiral, I must inform you,

Commander Burnham was reprimanded

for her insubordinate actions

and dismissed as my first officer.

Insubordinate or not,

she's the only person who could open that door.

- And now with this new information... - Sir,

I don't think I can genuinely represent

the Federation right now.

Find a way.

I'm gonna bring the diplomatic corps into the loop.

I'm gonna send a full report to Ni'Var, headline:

"Michael Burnham Is Coming".

Listen to me, little brother.

This is the last advice I'll ever be able to give you.