Previously on "Star Trek: Discovery"...
MADDOX: All hail her most Imperial Majesty,
mother of the Fatherland.
All hail the Emperor,
Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centaurius.
ALL: All hail the Emperor!
BURNHAM: You're a fugitive wanted for my murder.
You attempted a coup against the Emperor.
Listen to me.
I need you. You need you.
Your Georgiou is dead.
- Just a ghost. - GEORGIOU: Captain Michael Burnham.
You brought us a gift?
BURNHAM: Captain Gabriel Lorca.
CULBER: In his universe,
that Stamets exploited the network for his own gain.
He's the one who corrupted it. There's no difference
between his network and our network.
It's just one.
And that's why the damage is spreading.
Eventually, everything everywhere will be exterminated.
There's a clearing
in the forest.
That's how they go. (sharp clank)
I'm sending you the coordinates to the Emperor's ship now.
SARU: I would feel better if Captain Lorca were the one
making this request for a rendezvous.
Trust me, so would I.
Acknowledged. We'll see you soon.
You're sensitive to light.
Lorca is sensitive to light, too.
The Lorca I knew was my right hand.
I trusted him with you.
(grunting)
BURNHAM: My so-called captain's not from my universe.
He's from yours.
♪♪
*STAR TREK DISCOVERY* Season 01 Episode 13 Title: "What's Past Is Prologue"
♪♪ (Original Star Trek theme plays)
♪♪
LORCA: One year,
212 days of torture,
of agony, my friends,
my followers.
But I have returned to give meaning to your suffering.
Today is the day we reclaim our empire.
Long live the Empire. Long live the Empire.
Captain?
Welcome back, Commander Landry.
They told us you were dead.
And you believed them?
- Not for a second, sir. - MAN: Sir.
Let's get you geared up.
Sir,
Charon has ten battalions of Imperial guards on station.
I don't know how you got here,
or how you got us all out alive, but we should withdraw, regroup.
We still have supporters on several worlds.
The Emperor's ship is exactly where we need to be.
I have been to another universe and back.
You think I'd come all this way without a plan?
Clear.
Stamets is gone.
Coward probably left at the first sign of trouble.
All his research is still here.
I've known more than one Stamets,
and they both have one thing in common:
they love their work too much...
to leave any of it behind!
(gasps)
Hello, Paul.
Gabriel.
I really hoped you were dead.
Well, you can't always get what you want.
Hi, Doc.
Ironically, I have to thank you
for helping me finish what I started.
After you sold me out and ruined our coup attempt,
I was down on Priors World
recruiting allies
when the Emperor caught up with the Buran.
As I beamed back to join the fight, her torpedoes hit.
And luckily, so did an ion storm,
which caused a transporter malfunction.
(chuckles) And...
know where I ended up?
Frankly, I'm still stuck on the "not dead" part.
A parallel universe.
The ion storm must have
swapped your transporter signatures. Mm.
To me, it was physics
acting as the hand of destiny... My destiny.
The bioweapon you were developing for the Emperor...
Show it to me.
Happily, sir.
(people coughing, choking)
Sensors have detected mass casualties
on decks through 17.
He's come back from the grave to stage a revolution,
and that's the best he's got?
If he keeps doing that,
he'll reveal his location; then he's mine.
Emperor, I've seen firsthand how he operates.
He can get inside your head, manipulate you.
You think I don't know that?
He is baiting you. He wants you to come to him.
Let me contact my ship again.
They have no idea they're flying into a battle zone.
Please, Philippa.
I'm not Philippa to you.
But you are right about one thing.
He preyed on my sentiment, my weakness for your face.
It will not happen again.
Take her to the brig.
Your choices have
determined your fate.
No.
(Guards shouting)
They'll find her, Emperor. Take your men.
Bring Lorca to me alive.
I will kill him myself this time.
SARU: Captain's Log, stardate 1834.2.
Acting Captain Saru recording.
We are en route to the Terran flagship,
having been summoned by Specialist Burnham.
Discovery's spore drive is operational again,
thanks to the full recovery
of our navigator, Lieutenant Stamets.
Yet, despite his best efforts, the lieutenant was unable
to save Discovery's mycelium crop.
His fear is that his Terran counterpart
has already contaminated the network,
and if so, the results could be catastrophic.
What is it that you wish to show me, Lieutenant?
We have less than 30 minutes before
we reach the Terran vessel.
STAMETS: Airiam flagged it... A massive energy signature
coming off the central orb.
It's mycelial.
This is what my counterpart has been using his mycelium for.
It powers their ship.
- As it does ours. - TILLY: Not exactly.
We ride along the network
with the spores. That orb is
pulling power directly out of the network.
But I thought the network could regenerate itself.
Typically it does, but...
this process is poisoning it,
spreading infection back up into the system.
Without a fresh supply of spores, it'll only get worse.
The Terrans must be aware of this flaw; it's not sustainable.
STAMETS: I don't think sustainability
is their main objective, but it does provide them
with far more energy than I ever thought possible...
Enough to run their city-sized ship
and power weapons that can destroy a planet.
As they did on Harlak.
How can a people be so shortsighted?
Well, the Terrans are egotistical enough to believe
that they can replenish this resource before it collapses.
The other Stamets must have been looking for a solution
when he got trapped in the network with me.
If we don't stop them soon,
the contamination will be irreversible.
The network will
continue to deteriorate everywhere.
Here, in this universe,
back in ours, across the entire multiverse.
And when it does...
Life, as we know it, will cease to exist.
Take this shipwide.
(console beeps)
Hello, Philippa.
(over comm): I've watched for years;
you let alien races spill over the borders,
flourish in our backyard,
then have the gall to incite rebellion.
The Terrans need a leader
who will preserve our way of life, our race.
Try as you might, it's clearly not you.
Even Michael knew that.
It was her great shame.
Well, it's indecorous of me to share pillow talk.
To the rest, many of you know me.
Some of you served with me.
To all, I make this offer:
renounce Georgiou.
The Empire is dying in her hands.
But you don't have to... Not today.
Michael Burnham is not to be touched.
She is integral to our future plans,
a future where we together
will make the Empire glorious again.
Got him. He's in the main labs.
Lorca does not control this ship.
I do.
We take the fight to him.
ALL: All hail the Emperor!
♪♪
(footsteps echoing)
(weapon powers up)
(weapons power up)
MIRROR OWOSEKUN: Don't shoot.
(weapon powers down)
Where are your troops, Commander?
We were ambushed.
How did you survive?
Lorca spared me.
He said he wanted you to know...
Know what?
That he was here.
(weapons power up)
Hello, Pippa.
Did you miss me?
(weapons power up)
(grunting)
Light her up.
Mr. Stamets?
Containment field at 30%. 25%.
Five, four, three, two.
It's down!
- Flash grenade! - Cover, cover!
(shouting)
Emergency transport!
You didn't warn me
she could do that, Mr. Stamets.
Please tell me we can kill him now.
Well, that depends if he can disable
an emergency transport system.
I can.
I can do that. (beeping)
Good.
Set up a perimeter around the throne room.
Let's tighten the noose.
Burnham to Discovery. Do you copy?
Come in, Discovery.
(static crackles)
(beeping)
Burnham to Discovery. Do you copy?
Come in.
(static crackling)
Discovery, do you copy?
Come in.
Please come in.
(beeping)
Discovery here.
We are receiving you.
(exhales)
It's good to see you, Saru.
You as well, my friend.
It appears your situation has become dire.
Is the captain with you?
He's one of them. He's Terran.
He used us and the Discovery to jump here, to his own universe.
It was his plan all along.
SARU: That's impossible.
Surely, we would have sensed something. I would have.
That's why we didn't end up at Starbase 46.
Lorca altered the coordinates of my last jump.
How?
He-he got the data he needed from those jumps I did
around the Klingon ship.
Then all that was left was to access
navigation control.
And... he can do that from his chair.
Lorca's staging a coup against the Emperor.
You have to abort coming to the palace ship.
Get as far away as you can.
I will not consider leaving you behind.
Saru, he has no need for our crew.
He will kill all of you.
He might take Discovery back to our universe
and bring the whole Terran fleet with him.
Not if the Terrans have wiped out all life already.
They have created a super-mycelial reactor
on the Charon, and it's destroying the network.
When it goes, it takes all life with it, in all universes.
How do we stop it?
Lieutenant Stamets believes a direct hit
from our photon torpedoes on their energy orb
would create a detonation large enough to sever
the reactor's connection and
allow the network to heal itself.
We're running simulations to account for energy dispersal.
But?
There's a containment field protecting the orb.
Our weapons can't penetrate it.
Leave the containment field to me.
Stay at warp, so you can't be boarded,
and I'll find a way to signal you when I'm in place.
Be ready to blow up the reactor when I do.
Burnham out.
Believe in destiny now, Mr. Stamets?
That's, uh, rhetorical, right?
Your lack of vision continues to disappoint me.
I used to suffer from that, too.
But nothing that's happened to me was an accident.
Not ending up in another world,
not finding a ship that would help me return here.
None of it.
I'm living proof
that... fate is real.
Speaking of which,
we've reached the tipping point, where your usefulness to me
is outweighed by the risk of keeping you alive.
I mean, how am I ever gonna trust you?
Honestly.
(beeping)
The living core of the mycelial network.
It's poetic justice, don't you think?
A scientist destroyed by his own creation?
Just kidding.
I hate poetry.
(comm chirping)
Sir, I'm getting word of an unauthorized
ship-to-ship transmission.
That'll be my Burnham.
LORCA: Hello, Michael.
Judging from your communications hack,
you're somewhere on the third deck...
Where, precisely, I can't tell.
But no matter, I'm not gonna hunt you down.
I'll wait for you to come to me.
What makes you think I'd do that?
Because you belong here.
With you?
In the real world.
I know that's hard for you to see right now
because you're blinded by your emotions.
The only thing I was blinded by was you.
I know you understand that I had to lie to you, Michael,
to get home.
Just like you know that the Federation is
a social experiment doomed to failure.
Childish idealism.
Every species, every choice, every opinion is not equal,
no matter how much they want it to be.
The strong and the capable will always rise.
Like you and me.
And every living being is safer and happier
knowing their place.
That's why we have a duty to lead.
Like what you did that day at the Binaries.
Stay with me.
Stay here and help me bring peace to this world
through strength and order, the right way.
There was no one else like the other you.
And what she and I set out to achieve
was gonna be remarkable.
And then I met you.
And the truth is... your gifts
far surpass hers.
I see you, Michael Burnham.
I see your power.
And I'm offering you a future.
I have since the day I brought you onto the Discovery.
Take it.
(sighs)
She rerouted the feed and disabled the carrier address.
She could be anywhere.
She'll come.
(footsteps approaching)
(weapon powers up)
(weapon powers down)
How did you find me?
My bracelet makes my life signs undetectable.
(sighs)
This is your sanctuary.
Considering the situation, it made sense you'd come here.
I should have known.
Lorca seduced you, too.
Why would you say that?
He broadcast for everyone to hear.
Why else would he protect you?
Lorca believes destiny brought me to him.
But he doesn't get to tell me what my future is.
I'm responsible for forging my own path.
We all are.
My Philippa taught me that.
This...
belonged to my Michael.
Now Lorca has taken everything from me.
You lost a daughter.
An empire.
I lost a captain.
And a life.
Both versions of me betrayed both versions of you.
I won't let that happen again.
And I won't let you die again.
So that's what happened to me on your side.
I'm gonna stop Lorca.
I see why he's so enamored with you.
You almost make me believe you can do it.
I will do it.
For what he's done to me.
For what he's done to all the innocent people
who have stood in his way.
And for the loss of life to come if no one stops him here...
today.
What is your plan?
I have to disable the orb's containment field.
Those controls are in the throne room.
How will you get to them?
By giving Lorca exactly what he wants.
STAMETS: We have a problem.
We knew the orb harnessed exotic energy
by blocking the flow of the network,
but we didn't know that all those
mycelial spores packed in together
created hyper-gravitational and magnetic fields, too.
TILLY: Even a blast from our photon torpedoes
won't be enough to free it.
Well, then we'll have to create a chain reaction,
overload it with potential energy.
What do we have that harnesses that kind of power?
Uh, our harvested spores.
They hold enough energy to power us across galaxies.
We-we should modify our warheads by loading them up.
And how much of our spore supply would we need to use?
All of it.
We won't be able to jump back home.
We need to get in close for a clear shot.
The orb is in the heart of that superstructure.
I don't think we could outmaneuver
a blast like that if we're that close.
TILLY: Um, I just ran the simulations.
Discovery's shields aren't strong enough to protect us
from the energy wave that will be released
when the network is freed.
The shock wave will incinerate us.
I don't think we can make it out alive.
(clicks)
It is well known
that... my species has the ability to sense the coming of death.
I do not sense it today.
I may not have all the answers;
however, I do know that I am surrounded
by a team I trust.
The finest a captain could ever hope to command.
Lorca abused our idealism.
And make no mistake,
Discovery is no longer Lorca's.
She is ours.
And today
will be her maiden voyage.
We have a duty to perform,
and we will not accept a no-win scenario.
You have your orders.
On your way.
CREW: Aye, Captain.
We've executed her lords and senior officers, sir.
The rest of the crew are swearing allegiance to you.
Good.
I was just thinking about everyone who's ever said that
victory felt empty when it was attained.
What a bunch of idiots they were.
(laughs)
(comm chirping)
She's here.
LORCA: Michael.
What's this about?
I won't let another crew die on my watch, Gabriel.
(grunts)
I've been here long enough to know
that if you want your claim to the throne to be legitimate,
you have to execute the Emperor.
And you're prepared to condemn Philippa here to death?
What you said on the shuttle yesterday
was right... She's not my Philippa.
LORCA: That's very Terran of you.
But you and I both know that I have her now.
What are you really bargaining with?
I think you know.
In exchange for my crew, I offer you me.
Let them leave safely and I'm yours.
Like you said,
my future... is here.
But know this:
I'm offering you my mind, nothing more.
Until you've completely settled in...
I'm sure you understand.
Well...
it looks like you are destined to be betrayed
by Burnhams in every universe.
No.
I'm destined to kill you.
Wow. That would certainly be an impressive trick.
(chuckles)
(laughter)
Welcome home, Michael.
(beeping)
Captain was right.
What about?
"Do not accept a no-win scenario."
They're may be a way out of this after all.
I've reanalyzed the simulations.
Now, if we blow the reactor core,
the resulting explosion will be
pure mycelial energy, right?
Right. Right.
But not just an explosion.
According to this,
the mother of mycelial shockwaves.
If we can stay right on the leading edge, we can ride it
long enough for the energy to activate the drive, and then you
- can navigate us home. - But, um...
the ship's shields still aren't strong enough to protect us,
unless we modify
the spore drive to run concurrently
with the warp drive.
The resulting warp bubble may provide
a secondary layer of protection.
A shield from the blast.
If I reverse engineer the coordinates
that Lorca used to get us here,
I should be able to pinpoint the-the right pathway to take.
And-and that will get us to the same point in our timeline.
Or at least close to it.
There will be infinite pathways opening up in front of you.
That-that's gonna be really...
"Hard" is the word you're looking for?
But I don't accept no-win scenarios.
Thank you for your inspiration, Cadet.
Now, please.
Inform the captain of your findings.
Looks like we may be going home after all.
BRYCE: Message from the Charo sir.
We're advised that it's safe to drop out of warp.
The message has Burnham's security code on it.
Lieutenant Detmer,
- drop us out of warp. - Yes, Captain.
(comm chirping)
Captain, we're being hailed.
It's Lorca, sir.
On screen.
Mr. Saru.
It's good to see you.
I'm glad I got a chance to say good-bye to you,
and the rest of the crew.
I want you to know that my admiration for you
was and is sincere.
When I look at you,
I see the formidable unit of soldiers that I sculpted.
If I thought for a second that any of you were capable
of relinquishing this cult-like devotion to the Federation,
I'd enlist your skills today.
SARU: We are not interested in your sentiments.
Where is Specialist Burnham?
She's fine.
You don't die today
'cause she chose to stay by my side.
I would like to hear that from her.
You are not a reliable source.
I'm where I need to be, Saru.
This is my place.
That is all I needed to see.
Fire!
Owosekun, keep your eye on that containment field.
- Aye, Captain. - Detmer, get ready to give
- Rhys a clear shot. - Yes, sir.
SARU: Let's go, people.
♪♪
(gasps)
♪♪
(shouting)
Wait.
Stop!
Don't make me have to kill you.
You won't.
♪♪
(Weapon powers up)
We would've helped you get home if you had asked.
That's who Starfleet is.
That's who I am.
That's why I won't kill you now.
GEORGIOU: But I will!
(groans)
(weakly): We...
We could've...
(grunts)
♪♪
(distorted screaming)
It was a good plan.
Burnham did it.
The containment field is down.
Beam her back now.
I can't get a lock, Captain.
- I'm working on it. - Work faster.
You fought well.
For a moment...
I thought I had her back with me.
(banging on door, men shouting)
Lorca's troops.
I will buy you some time.
I am a defeated emperor.
They've seen my neck.
I have no future now.
But I will die on my feet as fitting my station.
Go, Michael Burnham.
Find a way home.
Live.
Burnham to Discovery.
- I've got her. - Get her out of there now.
She's on board.
Black alert. Aye, Captain.
COMPUTER: Black alert. Black alert.
(grunts)
(alarm wailing)
Lock weapons onto that ship!
The Terran ship is targeting us, sir.
It's now or never, Lieutenant Detmer.
Aye, Captain.
What the hell are they doing?
Is the containment field up?
Locked on, Captain. Fire, Mr. Rhys!
Aye, sir.
Warp speed now!
Yes, sir.
Ambient mycelial energy is interacting with the drive.
(loud rumbling)
- Cadet Tilly? - Levels look good.
Engage the spore drive now.
Aye, Captain.
(whooshing, crackling)
STAMETS: It's working.
The network is regenerating.
(grunting)
(loud rumbling continues)
Heat shields at maximum.
STAMETS: The pathways are
bifurcating too quickly.
I don't know where to go.
CULBER: The network is a gift.
It's the thread that weaves life through space.
I can't even find my way out.
(exhales)
Follow the music, Paul.
Open your eyes.
(exhales slowly)
♪♪
Wait.
It's the clearing in the forest.
♪♪
Thanks, Hugh.
(crackling)
(exhales)
♪♪
(spores crackling, tinkling)
STAMETS: Tilly.
Reboot the system and find out where we are.
And when.
(beeping)
What have you done to me?
Captain, celestial patterns and subatomic analysis confirm
we are in our Alpha Quadrant.
- Oh. - But...
we overshot by nine months.
(clicks)
Mr. Bryce.
Send a transmission to Starfleet.
Inform them we have returned.
Aye, Captain.
Mr. Rhys.
Update our tactical map.
- I need to see the status of the war. - Aye, sir.
BRYCE: Captain, there's no response
from the Federation to our signal.
Not even an automated one.
What does that mean?
RHYS: War map on screen, Captain.
SARU: Well, if the map is to be believed,
it appears...
the Klingons have won the war.
Captioning sponsored by CBS
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org
Sync corrections by srjanapala