Star Trek: Discovery (2017–…): Season 3, Episode 11 - Su'Kal - full transcript

Previously
on Star Trek: Discovery...

BURNHAM: 700 hundred years after we left,
dilithium supplies dried up.

Then came the Burn.

No one knows
how or why it happened,

but in an instant,
all dilithium went inert.

Any ship with an active
warp core detonated.

This is where the Burn started.

The Verubin Nebula.

There's a signal coming from
the center of the nebula.

The message is

over a hundred years old.



Made a few years
before the Burn.

This is Dr. Issa of the KSFPF...

She's already being affected
by the radiation.

Those marks on her forehead.

ISSA:
We are stranded,
but we have not lost hope.

VANCE: I have a
Kelpien research vessel

and a captain who hasn't
seen another Kelpien face

since he got here.

I wouldn't blame you if
you were a little distracted.

I assure you, Admiral,
that is not the case.

I would like you to serve
as my acting first officer

until I find a
permanent replacement.

VANCE: Osyraa is desperate

for dilithium.



Discovery has a spore drive.

That's not a good combination.

You're going to have to
be exceptionally careful

at all times.

You have just
sealed your own fate

and the fate of the Federation.

I promise you will feel
the full weight of the Chain.

You're angry with Gray?

I don't miss him.

And if he was here right now,

I would thank him

for leaving without a word.

Maybe he's doing
what he thinks is best.

He doesn't get to decide
what's good for me.

GEORGIOU: You have always been

far greater than you could imagine,
Michael.

So have you, Philippa.

(deep whooshing)

SARU: She will not return.

BURNHAM: Never.

Then she is deceased.

To Philippa.

OTHERS: To Philippa.

♪ ♪

WOMAN: Georgiou
was something else.

Such a force of nature.

(indistinct chatter)

Wherever she is,
I'm sure she's giving them hell.

ADIRA: You guys are really
lucky to have each other.

You're a part of that, you know.

You have them,

and... you have us.

(indistinct chatter)

We're sort of a package deal.

You have me, too.

You're back?

Is that Gray?

- Uh... - Gray's here?

You're lucky that we
are at a memorial service,

or I'd be giving you
a piece of my mind.

Um, I'll just be...

- checking some data. - Yeah.

I'm sorry. I...

Uh, is that it?

What, you show up out of
nowhere and then you're sorry?

I just,
I... haven't known how to be.

You get to interact
with the world and...

be who you are, and I'm just...

stuck.

You're the only one that can see me,
and...

that's not how it's
supposed to be.

I'm supposed to be connected.

But that-that doesn't
excuse my disappearing.

I...

I-I... I get it.

As much as I can, anyway.

We'll figure this out.

We're gonna figure this out.

(electronic chime)

Computer must have
found data from the Khi'eth.

The Kelpien ship where
the message came from.

Oh, my...

Captain, um...

the Khi'eth,
there's a life sign.

Someone is alive
inside that ship.

TILLY: Wait,
how is that possible?

The crash happened
before the Burn.

The radiation alone would...

How could Dr. Issa
survive that long?

Not her.

The child.

Child?

Those marks on Dr. Issa's head,

they were not from
radiation poisoning.

She was pregnant.

We need to set course
for the Verubin Nebula.

The crash site is 200
kilometers into the nebula.

DETMER: There's a nasty
storm in there. I'll do my best.

SARU: Take us in,
Lieutenant. Quickly. Whoever's down there,

- they've been waiting for rescue long enough.
- Aye, sir.

SARU: Shields up. Red alert.

We're being barraged
by ionizing radiation.

Scan for the life sign.

Way too much subspace
density interference.

Damn it,
the storm is not supposed to be this bad.

We've got a mass of
hydrogen and dust collapsing.

Hang on!

Shields at 80%.

Where's our secondary emitter?

Nilsson's working on it.

Shields down to 60%.

- Captain?
- Take us closer to the planet.

If we lose shields,
the hull breach will be catastrophic.

We cannot simply leave.

Shields at 50%.

- Scan again. - Captain?

Captain Saru.

Let me take my ship in to scout.

Discovery's too big.

Radiation winds hit
your disc like a sail.

I've lost ten percent of
starboard-side thrusters.

My ship is smaller
and can morph.

She can take the heat. Trust me.

Go. And be safe,
Mr. Booker. Mr. Rhys...

Transport him now.

♪ ♪

(exhales)

You in, Book?

- Yeah.
- Let us know the moment you get

- a clear scan of the life sign.
- Copy that.

Found a subspace fissure...
Should make it possible

to complete the scan.

COMPUTER: Warning.
Radiation breach detected

(quietly): Come on.

How are your shields holding,
Book?

I'm diverting auxiliary
power to strengthen them.

I found the crashed ship's
approximate landing site.

COMPUTER: Emergency
force fields failing.

Radiation at critical levels.

(Book grunts)

BURNHAM (distorting): Book,
how are you doing?

Book? Book!

COMPUTER: Life sign detected.

I've got the life sign.

It's in a structure with a
breathable atmosphere.

Has to be the crashed ship.

Transmitting coordinates.

I have a visual on the planet,
and I've located

a pocket where Discovery
can jump in safely.

Got 'em! We got the coordinates!

Get the hell out of there.

(exhales, groans)

Mr. Booker?

(panting): I'm fine.

COMPUTER: Autopilot engaged.

SARU: I trust Mr. Booker
will be all right?

BURNHAM: Culber
said he should be fine

after a few cycles of
DNA recombination.

SARU: Well, good. Then let us
see what Ensign Tilly has for us.

Data from Book's ship
shows the Khi'eth crashed

into a massive
supply of dilithium.

Well, they were on a mission
to investigate a dilithium nursery.

Sir... I'm reading that
there is dilithium dispersed

throughout this entire planet.

BURNHAM: We triangulated
those black boxes,

Ni'Var's data led
us to the nebula.

Now we find a
dilithium planet inside?

I think we may have just
found the source of the Burn.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

(original Star Trek theme plays)

♪ ♪

A planet made of dilithium.

The Federation could use that
kind of news right about now.

Nice work.

And the life sign?

We have confirmed that it is

within the crashed ship,
Admiral.

Conditions?

Catastrophic outside the vessel.

Inside, however,
there is a breathable atmosphere

with only moderate
radiation exposure.

Provided we bring the
appropriate medications,

we can safely beam in
to recover the Kelpien.

We?

I plan to accompany
the away team.

While I am gone, my number one,
Ensign Tilly, will be in charge.

I have every confidence in her.

You believe this planet is
also the source of the Burn.

BURNHAM: Yes, sir.

Is Discovery safe out there?

Well, it has been 120 years.

Presumably, whatever

unique phenomenon
caused the Burn then

could repeat now.

But in that case,
distance would not spare us.

Any chance the life sign could
have been somehow involved?

The scientists were
members of the Federation.

And the child would have been

perhaps four or
five at the time.

So no.

There's one thing you should
be aware of before you go:

I had to send part of
the fleet to Kaminar.

Kaminar?

VANCE: Soon after you left,
we received word

that the Chain were conducting
military exercises nearby.

Well,
we could jump there immediately.

Remember what Osyraa
did to draw Book out.

She attacked Kwejian.

VANCE: We believe she's
doing the same with Kaminar.

Trying to lure Discovery.

She wants our spore drive.

We will take good
care of your home.

I promise.

-Thank you, Admiral.

- VANCE: Now go
rescue the life sign.

And find out what we need
to do to get that dilithium.

And Captain...

do be careful down there.

- Hello there, lady. - (meows)

Did you miss me?

(purring)

Mm. There.

I know you missed me.

Did I?

How'd his DNA recombination go?

He'll be fine.

I'm always fine.

- (yowls softly) - And Grudge?

Her DNA recombination

was also successful.

She's good as new.

Well... on the ship,

she was favoring
her front left paw.

Could you check her out?

I'll let you know
when she's ready.

(Grudge yowls softly)

How's my ship?

DOTS are working on it.

She'll survive.

Glad the autopilot
kicked in when it did.

Yeah. Me, too.

See the data?

Hell of a thing,
all that dilithium.

Game changer, right?

No more planets
stuck out on their own,

held hostage by Osyraa.

The galaxy just got
a whole lot smaller.

Hey.

What's on your mind?

I'm going.

With Saru.

And Culber.

And Saru worries you.

I'm not sure he
can be objective.

How he'll handle it if he
has to make a hard call.

A painful one.

One that costs him.

But that's what it
means to be a captain.

He's gonna need you down there.

Well,
whatever answers we find...

I just hope they're enough.

For all of us.

No, no, no, no, no.

Radiation levels
are off the charts.

I know.

And... and the odds

of-of someone
surviving for that long

are-are vanishingly small.

I know that, too.

You can't go, Hugh.

You have me, you have Adira.

- And everyone here. - Paul...

I need to go for me.

I was so lost

after I came back.

And ever since we came to this future,
I...

I found a purpose I didn't
even know I was looking for.

I can help Saru.

And if there is a survivor...

they've been alone for decades.

And maybe I can help them, too.

Just... promise me

that you'll be safe.

We'll keep comms open.

You can listen
in the whole time.

Mm.

I gotta go.

Hey. What's up?

We're gonna, um...

we're gonna jump in,
like, ten minutes.

Come sit. Before
things get crazy.

(laughing): Oh,
things are already crazy.

Fair enough.

I know it's a lot.

Taking the conn.

The first time Georgiou
left me in charge,

I don't think I
took a deep breath

the entire five hours and
37 minutes she was gone.

Okay.

(sniffles)

Well, you know, it's like

my Granna Adele
always used to say.

Um, "until you've flown a
starship into a flaming nebula,

and gotten everyone out alive,
you haven't lived."

So...

She didn't really say that.

Right.

Listen, there is a metal burr

under the left armrest
of the captain's chair.

We had one in the same
place on the Shenzhou.

Construction glitch at the
San Francisco Fleet Yards.

Whenever Georgiou
got into a tricky situation,

and she felt like

all the different choices
were mind-numbing,

she would press
on it with her thumb.

To kind of stay in the moment.

You know.

And the first time she
made me acting captain,

when I sat down I
immediately felt for it.

But all that was there

was this little shiny spot

where she had rubbed
that burr into a dent.

And I've seen Saru
touch the one here.

On Discovery.

So... burr,

dent, shiny spot...

whatever.

It's there for you.

(whispers): You belong in that chair,
Tilly.

Thank you.

(exhales) Keep an eye on
those radiation levels, okay?

I need you all to come
back in one piece.

- Aye, Captain. - Oh. (scoffs)

- (comms chime) -
MALE: Ensign Tilly,

please report to the bridge.

(inhales)

(exhales) Okay.

Here we go.

SARU: Status report.

Shields dropping as expected,
sir.

Ship's holding
steady in the pocket.

Nice find, Book.

Coordinates for the Khi'eth are locked in,
Captain.

Sending to your badges now.

- Dr. Culber? - Radiation levels

on the Khi'eth are
significantly lower

than on the rest of the planet,
but still too high for us.

So keep an eye on
your radiation levels.

The meds we've just taken will help,
as will

the anti-radiation boosters
that we're bringing with us,

but we'll still need to be
back in sickbay in four hours,

at the most.

The shields will be
repaired in three hours.

As soon as they're ready,

we'll jump back in to get you

- and the life sign.
- Shields at 35%.

- Thirty. - Captain.

It is time.

Number One, you have the conn.

♪ ♪

Black alert.

(alert whooping)

(warbling)

What the...

(warbling)

Culber?

Culber.

You're Bajoran.

You're a Trill.

(gasps)

What the hell is going on?

Where's Saru? Saru?

SARU: My heel is
touching the ground.

You're human.

What is happening?

BURNHAM: Where are we?

CULBER: Well,
if we'd beamed directly to the planet,

we'd be dying right about now.

Gruesomely, I might add, so...

So we are on the ship.

Discovery.

Come in, Discovery.

I have no badge.

No phaser or tricorder, either.

Our supplies.

We need those radiation meds.

We must be in some kind of

advanced holoprogram.

It is possible that
our supplies are being

simply masked by the program.

Computer, exit program.

(wind blowing)

I suppose that was
too much to hope for.

Do you think Discovery
can still hear us?

I guess there's no
way to tell for sure.

At what point should we
begin to worry about our health?

Well,
as long as the ship returns as scheduled,

we'll be sick, but, uh...

we'll live.

BURNHAM: Four
hours. Clock starts now.

SARU: We must
not waste any time.

We must locate the
source of the life sign

- as quickly as possible...
- FEMALE: This is a replicator.

As you may remember
from our earlier lesson,

a replicator takes
sub-atomic particles

and turns them into the
component molecules

of the food or object,

and then forms
the food or object

from those molecules.

Like a peanut butter sandwich,

hasperat,

or sautéed... sautéed algae.

Uh, greetings.

When the replicator goes down,
you'll need

a sub-micron scanner... A
sub-micron scanner like this

to get inside the panel.

We are here in response
to a Federation distress call.

You are in the wrong...

Wrong program.

Go to History and
Current Events.

The computer sees us
as part of the program.

That must be why
we look like this.

What is the purpose of
this holo environment?

Its purpose...

Purpose...

Purpose is training.
Its purpose...

Purpose...

Purpose... Program
malfunction...

Poor thing.

125 years of radiation.

I'm surprised it hasn't broken
the system down further.

CULBER: I can only imagine
what it's done to the life sign.

SARU: We have
to find it. Somehow.

BURNHAM: Maybe that holo
led us over here for a reason.

(creatures calling in distance)

SARU: We should
proceed carefully.

The rest of this training
program may not be so innocuous.

♪ ♪

(low growling in distance)

SARU: Oh, my.

The holo's changed
our clothing again.

Oh. Do human bodies
respond negatively to heights?

My heart seems to be racing.

(chuckles softly) Yeah,
that makes two of us.

Looks like an ancient stepwell.

A lot of pre-warp civilizations
used them for irrigation.

The holo's damaged there, too.

We have to be careful.

Look at that.

Looks like no one
wants that door to open.

These appear to be
a ritual of some kind.

Gonna take a wild guess
and say it's for protection.

The shape is...
vaguely familiar.

(male vocalizing)

Maybe the holo can
tell us where we are.

Excuse me.

Hello?

What are you doing here?

You don't belong here.

What program are you from?

Um,
I realize that our appearance

might be confusing to you.

We are not from any program.

(loud pounding)

I don't understand.

I am Saru.

Uh, this is Michael and Hugh.

We are so relieved to find you.

Uh, we came in response to...

I believe it was your
mother's distress call?

(pounding, jangling)

Where are you from?

We are from outside.
Outside the program.

Outside?

(pounding)

You woke the monster.

Uh, wait.

Captain.

Those doors unlocked
from the outside.

The moment he got scared.

(growling)

We only scanned one
life sign down here.

So whatever's in that room,

what-whatever its
emotional connection to him,

it still has to be a holo.

Unless it leaves that room
and threatens us or him,

it is not our priority.

- We are wasting time.
- Captain, wait.

What if the survivor
doesn't know

the outside world even exists?

What if he's never
heard of the Burn?

What if he doesn't even
know he's on a planet?

Think about it. If all he
knows is this program,

we're basically
dealing with a child.

She's right. We
should be careful.

Emotionally,
he's likely to be fragile.

We should go slowly,
treat this as a first contact.

Yes. Of course.

You two should go find him.

I'll stay here and make
sure whatever's in there

stays in there.

Yeah.

STAMETS: We need shields up
and running to get back into the nebula.

Reroute all additional
power from backup systems.

And hurry it up.
They're on a clock.

Three of our shield generators

are too damaged
to take the charge.

- GRAY: Someone check structural integrity?
- Of course.

STAMETS: Boost comms, please.

BURNHAM (staticky):
If you can hear us,

we found something.

- (growling) - (static)

What was that?

STAMETS: Captain Saru?

Commander Burnham?

This is Discovery.
Please respond.

(growling)

Hugh?

Bridge,
are you monitoring comms?

We heard it, Commander.

We need to bring them home.

We can't jump back into
the nebula without full shields.

Owo?

Only at 40%.

Commander Stamets,
take all the power you need.

Captain, long-range sensors
have picked up a ship approaching.

It's Federation.

There shouldn't be any
Federation ships here.

Unless they've been
stranded since the Burn.

This is not the place I'd
want to stay for 125 years.

Hail them.

BRYCE: They're not answering.

But they sent the
correct response codes.

They're ten minutes out.

VULCAN (staticky): The Federation
is honored to welcome... to welcome

-the Kelpien... Kelpien and Ba'ul Alliance...
-What's this?

...as the newest members of the

United Federation of Planets.

It's the day that
Kaminar officially joined

- the Federation. - Yeah.

SARU: The first
holo led us inside.

Perhaps these can
help us find the survivor.

CULBER: I'll ask.

Excuse me.

Hello.

You are... Anticipated input.

Classification:
rescuer. If true,

skip-skip-skip...

Process emotion:

ecstatic gratitude.

(applause)

What did we just do?

I'm so pleased you
have finally come.

You are... Anticipated input.

Yes or no?

Uh, may I ask, uh,
"anticipated input"?

You are rescuers, are you not?

The child has
been waiting for...

Cache database...

125 years, three months,
17 days, four hours.

How did you keep
him alive for 125 years?

Executed protocols include life support,
education,

preparation for arrival
of anticipated input.

Does he have a name?

(static)

How has he survived
the radiation here?

Does he take medicine?

Were his genes
epigenetically altered in utero?

Cue 3121.

My friends,

the child may be frightened
of your true appearance.

You will be the first sentient
beings he has encountered

since the program was initiated.

Therefore,
your appearance has been... altered

to be consistent
with the program.

Repeat query.

Are you the anticipated input?

If no,
then initiate defense protocols.

-Y-Yes, we are the anticipated input.
-We have come

to rescue the child.

(applause)

Now, please, uh, where is he?

(hissing sounds)

(soft clacking)

- (hissing) - (skittering)

(hissing)

- (hissing) - (skittering)

(snarls)

(growls)

(clattering)

(snarling)

♪ ♪

(snarls softly)

I'm Michael.

What are you?

Are you a part of the program?

(snarls softly)

(moaning)

Wait. Wait!

(growling)

(skitters)

- (growling) - (gasps)

(snarling)

(screaming)

Unknown vessel will be
in range in two minutes.

Why didn't we
notice its signature

when we jumped in?

Could be interference
from the nebula.

Are there any M-class
planets within five light-years

of this location?

OWOSEKUN: None, Captain.

I'd have set a course
for a new home ages ago.

Me, too.

Owo, scan again, but,
this time, don't scan the ship.

Scan the area around the ship.

Neutrino emissions around
the ship are off the charts.

They make no sense.

That's because that's
not a Federation ship.

We have a spore drive
and we're right next

to a dilithium planet.

There's only one person

who wants both of
those things enough

to come all the way out here.

- Red alert! Shields up!
- Osyraa's coming in weapons hot.

- Ready photon torpedoes.
- DETMER: How the hell did she even get here?

There's a transwarp
tunnel on the courier maps,

but no one in their right
mind would actually use it.

- DETMER: Should we jump away?
- We can't jump away.

We have to stay near the
planet to protect the away team.

She's scanning us.

We had the ability to cloak
since the retrofit, right?

Yes, but we can't jump while
cloaked. If anything happens...

One crisis at a time. Do it.

What do you want to do now,
Captain?

♪ ♪

(Burnham groaning)

You are a program, are you not?

Yes.

I am a program.

I knew it! Which one?

Let me guess.

Combat?

Um, survival skills?

I've done the others
so many times.

I did not think I would
find something new.

I am teaching...

...the dynamics of
social interaction.

Why?

For sentient beings,

connection to others
is incredibly important.

It helps sustain them.

- Like my connection to the holos.
- Exactly.

And this can prepare you for
when you talk to someone else

one of these days.

Someone unexpected.

The other holo, the human,

was he also part
of your program?

Why do you ask?

He was unexpected.

He said he was from Outside.

I have not heard that
teaching in a long time.

How long has it been?

Uh,
there used to be lots of holos

that talked about Outside.

But the Outside
never came inside.

Probably the Outside
is dead by now.

Well, I was also programmed

to help you understand
what is outside.

I'm sorry to have to tell
you you are obsolete.

Then I suppose I
should deactivate

if you don't want
a new connection.

No. No, wait.

We can still run the program.

It's been a long time

since I encountered
a new program.

All right.

Let's talk about...

social units.

SARU: Hello?

Can anyone hear us?

He must be in here.

(gasps)

SARU: That is an Elder.

When I was a boy,
the village Elders

would gather around
the fire with us at-at night

and tell stories.

It was how we
preserved our history.

But they never
survived to this age.

So this is the oldest
Kelpien you've ever seen?

I know it is not real, but...

yes.

CULBER: Hopefully,
he knows where the survivor is.

Captain, look at this.

SARU: Su'Kal.

That is his name.

Does it have any significance?

Well,
it does not directly translate,

but it means something
like "beloved gift."

It is a tradition in
Kelpien families

that after you have
suffered a great tragedy,

the next child
born in your family

is named Su'Kal.

The child symbolizes

the end of suffering.

Honored Elder.

Excuse me.

Hello. Would you like a story?

No, Elder, thank you.

We are looking for Su'Kal.

Do you know where he might be?

I am programmed to teach Kelpien

and Ba'ul history and traditions

and to provide social
and emotional support

for the growing child.

Can you tell us who created you?

Why, his mother, of course.

We are all from her.

Dr. Issa.

She knew she was dying.

That they were all dying

and that Su'Kal would survive.

That's what this is.

A whole world

created to raise her
son and protect him

until somebody
came to rescue him.

To know that she
was leaving her child,

must have been heartbreaking.

Every moment.

BURNHAM: Tell me what
you know about families.

Families are where children
are nurtured and loved

and taught the norms and rules

of the society in
which they are raised.

(chuckles)

Do you remember your family?

We played together.

Harvested kelp. I liked that.

I liked being in the water.

I liked the way it smelled.

I had a...

We ate together.

Those are family things.

It was a long time ago.
The harvesting environment

is no longer functional.

Do you remember
anything before all of this?

Before?

I wonder if you might
remember a time with your family

before the harvesting
environment.

When you were on a ship,
perhaps?

Computer, reset parameters.

- Hello. - Hello.

You're here to teach me.

Yes.

Forgive me. My
programming is unstable.

Where is the exit?

I don't understand.

There is always an exit.

A way to turn off
the holoprogram.

To reset all parameters.

No. No. No, no.

Stop it.

Why would you do that?

I do not like this program.

I know this is
meaningful for you,

but we can't stay here, Captain.

We need to finish the mission,

find Commander Burnham
and get out of here.

(Saru clears throat softly)

Elder,

uh, we understand the
nature of your programming,

but in order to provide
social and emotional support

for the growing child,
we must locate him.

When he is afraid,

he goes to his fortress.

The child hides
away from all of us.

I'll try to find it.

May I examine the book?

Oh, yes.

Would you like a lullaby?

Yeah.

(singing in Kelpien)

(stops singing)

SARU: This totem.

I saw these near the entrance.

The All-Seeing Eye has become...

protection?

Uh, Su'Kal, he uses this design

to build these totems.

What is he protecting
himself from?

The monster from the story.

It rises from the sea,
covered in kelp,

to remind the
children of Kaminar

that to be truly free...

They must face
their deepest fear.

I remember that story.

Yes.

Su'Kal's afraid of
whatever's behind

that locked door.

So long as he will not face it,

he will remain in this place.

As will you.

Oh, no.

Discovery,
if you're listening...

Paul, hurry back.

We need you.

Any sign of Osyraa?

Nothing.

TILLY: How did she even find us?

If she wants your spore drive,
she's probably been tracking it.

DETMER: You mean
scanning for our jump signature?

BOOK: She'd have gotten
a read on it back at Kwejian.

- Why didn't she fire on us?
- BOOK: It's not like her.

Whatever she's got planned,
I'm guessing

she'll need us whole
to make it work.

Engineering,
what's the status on shields?

STAMETS: 30 more
minutes before we can jump.

BRYCE: Uh, we're being hailed.

It's Osyraa.

Tell Stamets we
need shields in ten.

Put her through.

On screen.

Where's the captain?

I'm acting captain.

(laughs)

The Kelpien left you in charge?

Damn straight. I'm
kind of busy right now,

so could you get to the point?

You are not really
captain material.

Oh,
nice try. You don't know anything about me.

Oh, sure I do.

Everybody's friend, right?

Good with people, team player.

But deep down in that
pretty little heart of yours,

you know that
you're just a fraud.

How am I doing?

Mm,
a certain 19th-century Earth neurologist

would say that you've just
proven the idea of projection:

you tell me I'm a fraud

because deep down inside,
you kind of feel like a fraud.

It's interesting. It's not just a
human defense mechanism.

It's galactic.

Don't test me, Red.

Okay, we'll skip Freud.

What do you want?

Your ship,

your spore drive and your crew

as leverage.

Oh, no. Not gonna happen.

You will not take this ship

or anyone on it.

Not now. Not ever.

No.

(Su'Kal singing quietly)

- (continues singing) - (hissing,
snarling)

(growling)

Michael.

MONSTER: See me.

SARU: That holo... it is the
monster from Su'Kal's story.

- (snarling,
growling) - (whimpering)

See me.

No! No! No!

(shrieking)

- (alarms sounding) - Uh,
Captain...

There's some kind of
disturbance from the surface.

And it's increasing.

STAMETS: The warp core!

Lock down the
magnetic constrictors.

What do you think I'm doing?

Adira,
purge the dilithium chamber.

TILLY: Stamets,
what's happening?

Something is destabilizing

the dilithium in the core.

It'll cause a chain reaction.

I have to reroute all power.

We're decloaking.

TILLY: Well,
if it's happening to us,

it's got to be happening to her,
too.

OWOSEKUN: She's
got weapons locked.

DETMER: We're not ready to jump.

Prepare to fire!

- Weapons ready.
- Shields at 54%.

Stamets, get in the spore cube.

What?

You've got to be kidding.

I will not let Osyraa
take this ship.

No! We-we can't leave them.

I will come back for them,
I promise you, Paul.

I'll get them. Right
now. I'll take my ship.

Bring them back safely?

- STAMETS: Book?
- I got them, don't you worry.

- Go to the spore cube. Now.
- Lieutenant Bryce.

Hugh will die down
there. They all will.

I have an idea,
but I need your badge.

Ready to jump on your mark.

- (growling) - No!
No! (whimpering)

- (growling) - No!

(Saru singing Kelpien lullaby)

(continues singing)

(growling)

(continues singing)

(stops singing)

(snarls softly)

Captain,
the disruption from the planet

has stopped,
and we're being hailed again.

Owo,
tell me the second Book's ship is clear.

Put her through.

Found you.

We found each other.

You do realize that I
have bigger torpedoes.

And an even bigger ego,

but don't forget,
last time we ran you off

with just our itty
bitty little scout ship.

What your ship exploited
was a structural anomaly,

and I assure you
it's been fixed.

Well, we can fire on each
other all day if that's your thing,

but in the end,
I will self-destruct Discovery

before I let you
have her spore drive.

Just to be clear.

You know,
I've been asking myself,

why are you not
just jumping away?

What is it that
you're protecting

out there in the nebula?

Or who?

I wonder... is your
captain out there?

- He's clear! - Black alert!

No! (groans)

TILLY: Stamets,
why aren't we jumping away?

(thudding)

- (gasping) - Down
with you! Move!

(indistinct shouting)

(groaning)

Paul?

(gasps) Michael?

- If you can hear me, I'm in the nebula.
- Book?

Whatever just
happened down there,

you can't let it happen again.

It nearly caused another Burn.

Su'Kal?

He caused the Burn.

How?

CULBER: Bodies adapt.

All this dilithium and
subspace radiation...

His cells acclimatized to
it in utero as they divided.

BURNHAM: But
he was only a child.

CULBER: Then something must
have happened to trigger him.

BOOK: I'll have to
pull you all out now.

I'm in a stable pocket,
but it won't be stable for long.

Meet me at the rendezvous point.

Osyraa's here.

Osyraa.

Michael,
I must ask the impossible.

I need you to stay.

- Captain...
- If we leave Su'Kal alone,

it is only a matter of time
before the Burn happens again.

- With your xenoanthropological skills...
- Right.

But it has to be you.

I am the captain.

He responded to
you when you sang.

You have a connection with him.

Osyraa is here.
My responsibility is

- to Discovery and her crew.
- You'll be distracted.

I will not allow my emotions
to factor into my decisions.

Saru.

You already have.

Whatever Tilly needs,
I will be there for her.

Okay. Come on.

I'm staying.

- Hugh. - Dr. Culber.

I know what it's
like to be all alone

in a world that doesn't make sense,
Captain.

No one should experience that.

Not you and not Su'Kal.

You tell Paul I love him.

BOOK: I'm here.

Where are you?

I'll come back for both of you.

If more than a day goes by,
there's no point.

Come on, Michael. Where are you?

COMPUTER: Radiation
levels elevated.

Shields at 60%.

Adira?

- -I'm beaming down.
- -There's no way

- I'm letting you off my ship.
- They'll need this medication

to survive until
Discovery comes back.

Reno gave me her
badge to transport.

I'm not asking for permission.

Hey!

(sighs) Damn it, Adira.

Shields at 40%.

Come on, Michael.

Where the hell are you guys?

Gotcha.

- Book.
- Radiation levels critical.

- Stay back.
- You're dangerously radioactive.

- Big deal. - (groans softly)

- Shields at 30%.
- This should help.

But you're gonna need
some love from Dr. Pollard.

Let's worry about that
when I get back on the ship.

Where are the others?

We have to go back for them.

I'll explain on the way.

Shields at 20%.

Adira was here.
They beamed down.

- I couldn't get a lock on them.
- What?!

On the bright side,
they took my radiation pills.

- Should buy them all some time.
- I hope so.

Shields at critical levels.

Let's go.

TILLY: Stamets,
what's happening down there?

Stamets?!

I won't help you.

You can't use it without me.

What you want is irrelevant.

No! Please, no!

(whirring)

DETMER: I can't
get us out of this.

Commander Stamets, respond.

Charming.

Take their badges.

Get up.

You're gonna
have to kill me first.

And get blood
all over the chair?

(laughs) Please.

Ah.

Hmm.

You two, make the smart choice.

Take your hands off the console.

This isn't over.

Oh? Ah.

I think it is.

Coordinates for Federation
headquarters are already set.

(laughing): I mean,
how convenient.

Now, tell me, what is it you say
when you do your jumpy thing?

Huh?

Anybody?

Fine.

Get us out of here.

BURNHAM: No. No.

Oh, no, no.

We're too late.