FREEMAN: Captain's log, stardate 58130.6.
TheCerritos has rendezvoused with theArchimedes
and my old friend Captain Sonya Gomez
so that we can assist in her first contact of the Lapeerians.
ADMIRAL FREEMAN: The Laap System is fairly unassuming:
a gas giant, couple Class Js,
obviously our new Class M,
and an unstable planetoid right here,
just off its ecliptic.
The Cerritoswill be positioned outside the system.
Isn't that overly cautious for a planetoid?
Carol, I know Cali-class isn't afraid
of getting their nacelles dirty.
We just don't want multiple ships approaching at once,
or the Lapeerians might mistake "first contact"
-for a "first invasion." -Of course.
Once formalities are complete,
the Cerritoscan install subspace transponders
and join us for a celebration with the locals.
[chuckles] I'll tell sickbay to brace for hangovers.
One more thing, Captain Freeman.
I've heard that congratulations are in order.
[glass clinking]
[both grunt]
Oh, great. Jennifer.
I'm sure you just love catching me with contraband,
but can you try not to rat me out to Ransom this time, okay?
Yeah, I don't care.
Oh, please, I know you hate me.
Pfft, I don't think about you at all.
[under breath]: Yeah, right, I bet you dream about me
every night with your stupid little butt--
Whoa.
Enjoy your final mission on the Cerritos.
New ships are exciting, but trust me:
you'll miss your crew.
You don't think the admiralty
will let me transfer my senior staff?
With California-class?
Command likes to keep a real sense of consistency.
You're gonna have to make some tearful goodbyes.
♪
RUTHERFORD: [grunts] Aw, man, this again?
Hey, Boimler, my implant's messing up my vision.
Can you take my shift in Cetacean Ops
-so I can get it fixed? -Sorry, I can't.
Captain Freeman Day's only a week away.
My decorations have to be the best.
Isn't that a craft day for toddlers?
-Not anymore. -[door whooshes open]
Hey. I-I was just hiding behind a bush
and I heard the captain's getting a promotion.
Whoa, really? Good for her.
Bad for us! I don't want a whole new captain.
We could end up with some weirdo with a riding crop.
Yeah, but this is huge for your mom.
She gets to dive into the unknown on a whole new ship.
Gah, I never get to dive into unknowns.
Ooh, a promotion means a big party and a fancy dinner.
-I hope it's fajitas. -Ooh. Ooh, ooh,
then we get to line up in the hallway, right?
And then we all applaud
while the captain walks off the ship for the last time.
Ooh, that sounds great!
It sounds like betrayal, but with clapping.
Ugh, this is totally going to ruin
the timing for Captain Freeman Day.
You think Ransom might be willing to move it up?
It is a vanity holiday
to trick kids into respecting authority,
plus she hasn't even told Ransom...
And he'd probably be super pissed.
-[gasps] Thanks, Boimler! -Mariner, no.
Mariner! Ah! That wasn't my idea!
[whimpers]
[sucks in air] Oh, no.
Dr. T'Ana wants to see me in her office.
I think she's mad at me.
For what?
Ugh, well, I mean,
there's just so much to study on the Cerritos,
sometimes it's hard to stay focused on just sickbay.
Come on. Dr. T's grouchy, and you're great.
I'm sure you're overthinking it.
Aw, thank you, Rutherford.
You're welcome.
Well, I guess I'll head off.
You don't think this alert will mess with my work, do you?
Hello?
Tendi?
She says "hi" to everyone, she's a waitress.
But it's different. She's, like, so attentive.
I mean, always asking what I'm doing...
Yo, what's up? Talking about bridge crew stuff?
Tough gig, tough gig.
Uh, this booth's full, Ensign.
I get it, yeah, no,
and you want to maintain the illusion of command, yeah.
It's not an illusion. I'm your commander.
Sure. I'll take off, but first,
I think I have something
that you guys are going to want to hear.
Yeah, so I was on the station...
♪
We'll see you in the Laap system, Captain Freeman.
Looking forward to it, Captain Gomez.
Ransom, take us out.
Oh, is it time to go?
Thank you so much for all that information, Captain.
Okay...
Shaxs, any update on those phaser repairs?
No. And if there was an update, I would tell you.
I wouldn't keep that information to myself. I'm an open book!
Did someone buy an alien mood-altering plant
on the station or something?
Maybe everyone feels like they should know more
about what's going on on the ship.
Like need-to-know stuff that they don't know, you know?
[sadly]: The Cerritosis ready for warp, Captain.
You know, your ship?
Oh. Just warp me already.
Senior staff, in my ready room. Now.
Look, at this point, it's pretty [bleep] clear
she's not cut out for Medical.
What? No!
[sniffing]
What the hell is going on here?
I heard you and Gomez,
-back on the station. -Heard what?
That you're being offered a promotion to a new ship,
and while I can assume I'll remain at your side,
everyone else here is pretty upset.
Who said I'm taking you with me?
-You aren't? -So you are leaving?
Why didn't you tell us?
You're lucky I'm so spiritually centered or I'd snap!
It's not official.
Why the hell wouldn't you take your number one?
I agree with you at all times!
I would transfer all of you if I could,
but Command doesn't like
shuffling crews off California-cla...
Oh, that's such [bleep] [bleep]!
We are just as good as any other [bleep] class!
Our warp core is twice as [bleep] fast
as any other ship in the fleet!
Whoa! Mr. Billups...
Oh, hey. So who's going to be the new captain?
Come on, who else would it be?
-They'll be bringing on someone new. -What?!
-SHAXS: This is ridiculous! -RANSOM: Are you saying...
[all clamoring]
-Rutherford! -Hey!
How'd it go with Dr. T?
I-I didn't talk to her.
I think she's going to transfer me.
-From Medical? -No! Off the ship!
I saw her delete me from the system.
What? No way! That's crazy!
You're, like, the nicest person in sickbay.
I don't think that Dr. T'Ana cares about being nice.
She's more into hostility.
Oh! I should've been more mean!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I gotta see this for myself.
Hang on.
[gasps] You're right.
You're not in there! That's so unfair.
I can't believe this.
I'll miss the Cerritosso much.
Then let's make sure you see her one last time. Come on.
-W-What do you mean? -Let's go visit
all your favorite places on the ship,
so you can have a proper goodbye.
-That's a great idea. -Ow!
-[groans] -Uh, maybe I should lead the way.
Yeah, that's an okey dokey from me.
FIRST OFFICER: All scans nominal, Captain Gomez.
Welcome to the Laap system.
Take us in nice and slow.
Let's give them plenty of time to scan us.
Nobody likes unexpected guests.
Ah!
Uh, I'm okay.
Please don't, it's fine.
Don't worry about it.
I've done way worse
in front of much more intimidating captains.
Ah. Maintenance hatch 788,
always warm to the touch.
-[sizzles] -Ow!
[exhales]
Little ship, but a big warp core.
Oh, listen to that thrum.
-Ah! -Whoa.
[sniffing]
This is where we watched the Trivoli pulsar.
[cries]
They-they always tell you
not to get too attached to your ship.
But how could you not?
Hey, can I tell you something?
Y-Yeah?
I am attached to the ship.
I love the Cerritos.
I have for a long time now.
And no one can tell me otherwise!
I love the Cerritos,too.
Ooh, I know where we should go next.
Somewhere off-limits.
[gasps] The rubber ducky room?
Better.
RANSOM: Not fair! Not fair!
-That job is mine! -[whining, grumbling]
That job is mine!
Enough!
Look. Your complaints are noted.
Now get back to your stations.
-[grumbling] -Oh, come on!
FREEMAN: Except you.
What were you thinking?
I was going to tell them at the right time.
I was trying to avoid conflict.
That's super messed up. Those are your friends.
A captain can't worry about feelings
when it comes to a decision like this.
Oh. Well, then, you're in luck, because you don't have feelings.
Gosh, you've got so much to learn.
[alarm wailing]
-Report. -The Lapeerian sun
just emitted an unpredicted flare.
It's headed straight for that planetoid!
[grunting]
♪
[groaning]
All right. Give me the bad news.
Magnetized ionic plasma in those fragments
overloaded the ship's systems.
It's like we were hit with an EMP.
Warp core's off-line.
What about reserves?
Backup power cells are down.
-Captain, it's all down. -But... we're still moving?
Momentum, plus the Lapeerian gravity well.
But that means...
Unless we figure something out,
first contact is going to be
us crashing into that planet.
Okay, that's enough existential dread.
Let's get back to work.
The Archimedestook a full hit. Her engines are down.
That planetoid was stuffed with radiolytic isotopes.
They're caught in the gravity well.
20 hours until impact.
Planetary damage... it'll be catastrophic.
If we can get a tractor beam on them...
Not going to happen, Captain:
that debris is caught in the orbit, too.
If a piece as small as a pomegranate hit our shields,
the reaction would knock out our systems.
Hold on. What about the deflector?
I mean, isn't that its whole job, to deflect?
If we project any sort of energy field,
it'll draw the plasma right to us.
Can't we just warp past the debris?
[all clamoring]
That was merely a suggestion.
[grunts] Just break the rules.
There has to be something we can do, right?
I...
I don't know.
[groans]
[door whooshes open]
The captain's yacht? Mom, that's not going to work.
It's got the same shielding as the Cerritos.
Voice authorization: Freeman.
-[gasps] -If I can navigate through the debris...
MARINER: You haven't piloted anything in years.
Please. I've still got the hydroscoot record
back at the Academy.
This isn't a hydroscoot!
You know what? I'll do it.
No! Off my yacht!
Do you think they always come here to fight?
[gasps] Maybe that's why it's off-limits.
I-I don't know,
but look at all this ionic plasma.
This is bad.
What are you trying to prove?
You already got the [bleep] promotion.
Get off my yacht! That's an order!
To let you get killed? Uh, no way.
I won't give you the satisfaction.
I'm trying to save lives.
You can't just bully your way into whatever you want.
Why do you act like this?
Because I'm a Kirk-style free spirit
who kicks butt and it super intimidates people.
You know that, that's why you've always
protected me from getting court-martialed.
You're not a Kirk. Kirk was confident.
-So am I! -You used to be.
But now the only thing you're confident of
is that everything has to be a fight.
You have to drop your defenses and make some allies.
-That's it! -BOTH: Whoa!
Rutherford! Were you, were you spying on us?
I think I know how to save the Archimedes.
We have to drop our defenses,
like how Mariner has to do with people.
Ah, you heard that, huh?
Even if we lower our shields,
the hull itself has magnetic shielding.
There's no way to discharge it.
Yes. So we remove the hull.
TENDI: Whoa.
Okay, uh, we do kind of need that to, you know,
like, protect us from the vacuum of space.
That's the inner hull.
The outer is an extra layer of protection...
RUTHERFORD: Which we wouldn't need, because we aren't even going to warp.
Wait, you guys aren't seriously talking about
-stripping the ship. -It would take the whole crew
working around the clock to remove that many panels.
Then we'd have to fly through a dangerous debris field
with zero protection, all in 11 hours.
Are you saying it can't be done?
No, I'm saying we have to hurry!
We'd take a serious beating, but, Captain, this can work.
Attention, all hands.
Report to your commanding officers.
TheArchimedes needs our help.
So we have to remove our hull
one panel at a time.
I'm calling on every officer, no matter what
your usual duties are--
we have to work together.
It'll be close, people;
our lives will be on the line.
But we are Starfleet
and we never back down from a challenge.
Now, get to work.
Cerritosstrong!
Oh, and the ballroom dancing competition
will have to be postponed.
[growls in frustration]
♪
[grunts] Not now, not now!
Problem with the coupling?
No, my implant has an error message
that's covering my vision.
That's odd. Your storage is maxed out.
Oh, yeah, no; that makes sense.
Last year, I lost all my memories of Tendi.
So whenever I make a new one,
I save three copies just in case it happens again.
BILLUPS: Well, it's only going to get worse
until you free up some space.
But what if I forget her again?
Son, if you can't keep making new memories, does it matter?
[sighs] Man, am I going to miss those nacelles.
We need all volatiles deeper in the ship.
Nothing explodes around here
unless I'm the one blowing it up.
Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?
A powered-down viewscreen isn't going to be any help.
I need to see where we're going.
We're going to have to do this the old-fashioned way.
[grunting]
Try it now!
[groans]
Still nothing.
Damn it. With a couple of shuttles
we could redirect the ship,
or at least get some crew to safety.
You should rest. You've been up forever.
I'll have a break in seven hours either way.
But in seven hours, we'll be dea--
Oh, I see what you did there.
Come on.
[Freeman clears throat]
Don't phaser your foot.
Just worry about your own thing.
Well, at least when I'm gone
you won't have anyone pissing you off around here.
[chuckles]
[sighs] I get it, you're still upset.
No, I'm not-- and I'm pretty confidentof that.
[groans] Look, all I meant was that
you can still improve yourself
by just opening up to other people.
[scoffs] You are always trying to change me.
You know what? I am glad
this is your last mission here,
because I never want to work with you again.
Beckett.
Whoa! [grunts]
You okay?
Dragon's blood. Access controls are fused.
We're going to have to release this one manually.
FREEMAN: We're out of time.
Billups, tell me we're good to go.
We still have one more hull plate.
[sighs] And it's a big one.
Captain, if we're going, we have to go now.
That panel's just going to have to come off on the fly.
Red alert.
Helm: get us up to speed. Carefully.
STEVENS: Let's go, let's go! Everyone inside, quick!
[panting]
[grunts]
Ah! Hold on.
I gotta do something.
MALE: What if someone asks why he has it?
MALE 2: We programmed that in.
He'll think it was elective.
RUTHERFORD: Huh?
Ha-ha! I can see again!
But I think I remembered something I wasn't supposed to?
Guys, quick!
We need a hand!
Cetacean Ops?
But don't these guys do navigation?
-Wait, what are we... -Hey, Kimolu! Matt! Heads up!
I would love to, but there's no time.
There's a busted hull panel we need to release manually.
Tendi and I can override the safety protocols,
but one of you guys has to swim down
and release the mag clamps.
The what? But the panel's outside.
Yeah, but the control node
for the manual access clamps are down there.
-Can't these two do it? -[chittering loudly]
Ah, yeah, it wasn't designed for flippers.
Okay, all right, sorry, sorry.
Uh, once again, Beckett Mariner saves the day.
Of course my frickin' mom'll get all the praise.
Oh, shut up!
You're just mad because you don't want her to leave.
So what if I am, okay?
This is the most I've gotten along with her in years,
and now she decides to take off.
That's messed up.
And I kind of already told her
I never want to work with her again.
The captain needs our support, especially from you.
Look, however this rescue goes,
either we're going to be dead,
or she's going to be on a new ship.
Is this really how you want to leave things with her?
Of course not! But I can't patch things up now.
I have to swim down and unclamp a thingy...
No, you don't! Boimler's got this.
You guys don't understand my family...
We are your family!
We will always be there for you,
And right now we're heading into a pile
of crazy dangerous space debris!
Whoa. Tendi, I...
Ah, no, no. Just trust us.
We can do this. Go to the bridge, apologize,
and make sure your mom doesn't get us all killed!
You guys are right.
[exhales] You got this, Boims?
Yes! Go!
Thanks, okay! Sorry, sorry, sorry!
RUTHERFORD: Okay, so you just gotta go all the way down
and then swim the length of the hydrotube
and then wedge into the filter nodule
to reach the clamps. Cool?
Oh. Oh, wow, that's a really long tunnel.
-Uh, I'm not sure... -Boimler, you're the one
who wants to dive into the unknown.
Now's your chance.
So, get diving!
[grunting]
[exhales]
So, you guys doing anything for Captain Freeman Day?
[grunting]
[breathing heavily]
Approaching debris field, Captain.
Mom, I was being a jerk, I'm sorry.
I don't know why I turn everything into a fight.
I think it's because one time after the Academy I was in...
No time for emotional bids, Ensign.
Also, I was being a jerk too,
-and I love you. -Aw!
Now post up.
We need all the help we can get.
Prepare to cut power.
That panel is still up.
Boimler's got it. Just give him time.
We don't have time.
[straining]
Come on, come on...
Got it!
Panel's free!
Cut power!
[exhales]
Ah! Ah! No, no, no!
No, no, no, no, no! [inhales]
Big chunk, starboard, roughly 55.18 degrees.
And another at 38.20!
Got it. Hang on to something.
He should have come up already.
Boimler!
He's in arrest!
We have to get him to sickbay!
There's no time!
[grunts]
[grunting]
Incoming! Direct ahead!
I can't avoid it! Brace for impact!
[yells]
-Mom! -Beckett!
Whoa!
TENDI: Okay, come on, Boimler. Come on.
Come on, you're going to make it.
-[coughing] -Boimler! Talk to me.
Did... did I miss Captain Freeman Day?
Yes! He's gonna be okay!
I saw a koala...
Uh, yeah, you know, it's probably best
you just keep that to yourself.
[whimpering]
No!
[panting]
Gotcha.
[grunts]
Five minutes until we hit atmosphere, Captain.
Everyone, if you move to the back of the ship,
there's a chance you'll survive.
Sonya, no. We are staying with you.
It has been an honor.
[grunting]
Wait, what's happening?
It's the Cerritos!
[cheering]
The Archimedesis in stable orbit, Captain.
No lives lost.
Oh...
[indistinct chatter]
Hey, I'm proud of you, Mom.
You saved the day, kept it together...
I guess I understand why Command was so impressed.
Thank you.
But I'm a little nervous.
How do I look?
Like a badass captain who knows what's up.
On behalf of the United Federation of Planets,
allow me to introduce myself.
I am Captain Carol Freeman,
of the starship Cerritos,
and I come in...
-[laughs] -Whoa!
Lapeeria welcomes you!
We must drink!
[cheering]
Every time I think I'm out of this thing,
boom, hit by an asteroid.
Well, don't worry. I'm sure you're the doc's top priority.
Ensign Tendi, get over here.
Listen, I-I know what you're going to say,
and I'm so sorry for letting you down.
I-I know I don't belong in sickbay.
You're right, you don't.
-[sobs] -You master
everything you put your mind to.
It's unsettling.
Oh, uh, thank you?
You shouldn't be treating phaser burns.
I'm moving you into senior science officer training.
Wait, like, to work on the bridge?
Like Jadzia Dax?
Who the [bleep] is that? I don't know who that is.
No, like Spock.
It means a lot more experiments, away missions--
think you can handle it?
-Thank you so much! -[yowls]
I'm okay with this.
[purring]
Ha! Rutherford!
I get to stay on the ship!
And Dr. T'Ana hugged me!
You do? She did?
Hey!
Happy first first contact, Cap.
[slurring]: Oh, thank you, Jack.
It was great.
Are you-- Have you been drinking?
They're a very welcoming culture.
Repairs on the Archimedesare going smoothly.
Captain Gomez is recovering nicely.
It was kind of her to let me finish the mission.
No ego on that one.
-Hey. -Hey.
Thanks for doing a super dangerous space walk
to save my life. That was pretty cool.
No worries. Cerritosstrong, right?
Totally.
Sorry I've been a jerk all year.
I kind of thought you hated me.
Yeah, you know, I think when I like people,
I maybe go out of my way
to force some distance, so that's on me.
So what I'm taking away from that was that you like me?
No. Shut up, come on.
Congrats, Brad. You were a real hero today.
Thanks, but anyone would have done the same.
Whoa, check out Mr. Humble Confidence.
Where'd you come from?
I guess when you almost drown in whale pee,
it makes you not sweat the small stuff anymore, you know?
Oh, Mom noticed the decorations, by the way.
What? D-D-Did she know it was me?
Mm, she probably assumes it was children, actually.
[gasps] Cap'n! Cap'n! I drew the banners!
Huh. I like that guy.
Right? He's great.
To the Captain!
No, no, no. To the Cerritos!
-[cheering] -RUTHERFORD: The Cerritos, I love you!
OFFICER: Captain, a team from Starfleet Command
is requesting to come aboard.
[exhales] That was fast. Permission granted.
Escort them to the senior conference room.
If they were impressed with you before...
Whew! Today must have sealed the deal.
Hey, nobody deserves the recognition more than you, Mom.
Nothing would make us prouder
than seeing you move up to bigger and better.
Maybe bigger, but never better.
I'm turning down the transfer.
-What? -But Captain,
you've been working so hard for this.
Yeah, well, maybe a little too hard.
It blinded me to what I already have
right here on the Cerritos.
What good would a new ship be
without the best crew in the fleet?
Mom! No way!
Come on, let's go tell them they wasted their trip.
BOIMLER: Cap'n! Cap'n! I drew the banners!
It was Boimler! It was Boimler!
Captain Freeman. I'm Commander Mandel.
Under the authority of Starfleet Command, you...
I have to stop you right there, Commander.
I'm not leaving the Cerritos.
I'm afraid you don't have a choice.
[laughs] I'm turning down the promotion.
Look, she might not seem like much to you,
but this ship is my home.
You're under arrest for the destruction of Pakled Planet.
What? Wh-- What are you talking about?
Hey! Let-let her go!
This is madness!
Captain! What are your orders?
Stand down! What are the charges?
We have proof that you colluded with Klingon extremists
to plant a Varuvian bomb in the Pakled capital city.
My God, when did this happen?
Today, 0900, while you were conveniently on a mission...
I'm sure just as planned.
She had nothing to do with this!
-That is for a tribunal to decide. -I'll kill you!
Stop. Let them do their job.
-But Mom... -Captain...
That's an order.
We have the truth on our side.
And I don't want the crew finding out
until we know more.
Congratulations, Captain!
-On behalf of the crew... -[crew gasping]
Starfleet Security.
This woman is under arrest.
♪
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org
[man imitates weapons firing]
Chirp.