Shuttle to Kenfori (episode)

Real world article

(written from a production point of view)

Warning!

This page contains information regarding Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and thus may contain spoilers.

Summary

Teaser

Captain Christopher Pike leaves a turbolift and heads for the Captain's quarters, where he and Captain Marie Batel had been staying in. Knowing Batel is leaving soon for her new commission, Pike looks over the rearranging she had done to the room when he spots Batel's body passed out on the floor.

In sickbay, Doctor Joseph M'Benga reveals that the invasive Gorn tissue from Batel's recent Gorn infection has unfortunately returned despite having been believed to be in full remission and it is aggressive. However, Lieutenant Spock reveals that hope is not lost and shows Pike the chimera blossom, a rare specimen long sought after for its biological uniqueness. M'Benga admits that it's a long shot, but the flower is rumored to contain a chemical compound that is universal in its ability to move invasive molecules through cell membranes. It could stop the malignancy and buy them time. Nurse Christine Chapel, Batel and M'Benga explains the caveat: it's rare and the one place that the chimera is likely to be found is a planet called Kenfori. The Kenfori system is a no-fly zone, but it was once the location of a Federation research facility focused mainly on frontier farming, specifically crop longevity. The Klingons invaded the planet at the start of the Klingon War and the Federation's claim fell into dispute. After the war ended, both sides agreed to give the planet up. The USS Enterprise can't go anywhere near it without violating multiple treaties.

Batel doesn't want people to take these kinds of risks for her, but Pike is willing to take the risk if the chimera can help her. This means that Starfleet will never authorize the mission and it must be completely off-the books. As such, Spock proposes a minimal away team consisting of just M'Benga and himself, but Pike adjusts the plan for it to be M'Benga and himself which Batel had already predicted. While Pike appreciates Spock stepping up, the responsibility falls on him if they are caught. M'Benga teases that Pike insults him as M'Benga never gets caught.

On the bridge, Commander Una Chin-Riley, serving as acting captain in Pike's absence, has Lieutenant Scannell bring up cartography on the buffer zone around the Kenfori system. La'An Noonien-Singh notes that the treaty line appears to be on the edge of a giant dust belt while Erica Ortegas is excited to be flying into disputed Klingon territory again, causing Una to correct her that it's around disputed Klingon territory as Enterprise will not be crossing that line. La'An reports that personal comms will be down once the shuttle clears the dust belt, and they can maintain Pike and M'Benga's cover by freezing all other communications as well. Nyota Uhura sets up an encrypted ship-to-ship channel for Pike to check in on the hour. Una reminds the crew of the consequences should the shuttle be discovered and has Ortegas take the ship to warp. The Enterprise emerges in the midst of an asteroid field near a planet where Ortegas takes the opportunity to show off her fancy flying which Uhura and La'An express appreciation for.

Pike and M'Benga launch in a shuttle with M'Benga teasing Pike about his flying skills. Pike teases his friend about M'Benga throwing up after they landed on Zeta Borealis and the two laugh as they recall the experience and the Vedalan cigars that they had smoked at a party the night before. Pike and M'Benga are quickly sobered by the shuttle detecting an object of indeterminate composition in their path, but the shuttle can't get a reading in the dust belt. M'Benga worriedly comments that during the war, this area would've been teeming with both Federation and Klingon mines. Although they should've all been swept per the treaty, M'Benga guesses that one could've been missed. The object turns out to be a Klingon warning beacon with a message that M'Benga recognizes from when he was stationed near a bombed Klingon mine with radiation danger during the war. "Loosely translated it means "go back or die." But why leave a warning beacon here?" However, Pike doesn't care as they need the chimera blossom from Kenfori to save Batel's life.

Act One

On the planet's surface, M'Benga's tricorder detects no life signs of any kind, just flora, no fauna. Pike is surprised that there's seemingly no animal life in such a rich biome, but the flora's all that matters anyways. The two discuss the possibility of fly-fishing in a lake that they had flown over and spot the research facility in the distance. Chapel's research suggests that the scientists would've kept samples of the flower inside, meaning that they at least don't have to scour the whole forest. Pike brings up Chapel's relationship with Roger Korby and the two joke about the doctor's failed love life. M'Benga's tricorder leads them to a Klingon skeleton, but the Klingon's ribcage has been split open, there is no phaser burn, and the rate of decay suggests that he died after the evacuation. While this suggests that some kind of an animal killed the Klingon, there are no life signs. Pike and M'Benga draw their phasers just in case as they move on.

The two men break through the door into the research facility which has auxiliary power still barely on. Pike finds a vine of chimera blossoms and M'Benga dons a scarf for protection, instructing Pike to do the same as well as to look for a flower in full bloom and not to let it touch his bare skin. At improper dosage, the medication can be toxic as certain organic poisons have medicinal value, having been used by doctors for centuries to treat heart disease and malaria. M'Benga collects a chimera, but dodges Pike's questions about how long the treatment will give Batel aside from telling him that this is Batel's only chance. Just yesterday they were out of options before Spock found one more. This will give Batel a fighting chance and Pike dons his protective gear to collect a chimera of his own. As he does, Pike finds part of a severed leg poking out of the moss.

On the Enterprise, La'An picks up a minor EM flux moving towards Kenfori. Spock detects it moving in an irregular pattern, suggesting that it's a naturally occurring phenomenon common in a dust belt. Una orders the scan moved to Section 9, but Ortegas wants to run a secondary scan of Section 8 that filters out EM rays on a hunch. Agreeing, Una has Scannell runs the scan which detects the warp signature of a Klingon battle cruiser. Ortegas explains that during the war, the Klingons used to mask their ships behind bursts of EM radiation. La'An praises Ortegas' instincts, but Una states that this doesn't change anything: the Enterprise will continue to monitor from the Federation's side of the buffer zone until they have reason not to. Ortegas objects, pointing out the unlikely coincidence of the timing and she worries that the Klingons may have spotted Pike's shuttle. Una acknowledges that it's possible, but as Klingons aren't really known for abiding by treaties, this could simply just be scavengers, and Una is reluctant to assume causation where they aren't any. Uhura detects no comms chatter across all channels and Una decides to just sit tight for the time, much to Ortegas' obvious frustration.

The battle cruiser flies past the warning beacon and deploys a Klingon raider to the surface.

M'Benga determines that the wounds on the severed leg are consistent with the Klingon corpse outside. Something on this planet was devouring both humans and Klingons. As they prepare to leave, Pike hears a growl in the distance, but the lack of life signs causes M'Benga to dismiss it as malfunctioning lab equipment. The Klingon raider flies overhead and destroys the Starfleet shuttle, stranding Pike and M'Benga on Kenfori.

Act Two

Three Klingons enter the research facility and begin a search for Pike and M'Benga. The female leader berates one of her men for wasting energy from his weapon firing at nothing and studies a schematic of the facility on a tricorder. The leader notes that it's said that no one who goes to the top of the facility ever comes back down and asks her men if they're ready for a one-way trip to glory.

Elsewhere, Pike tells M'Benga that it's a Klingon hunting party who are chasing them like Skral rabbits. M'Benga knows that the Klingons will want to make an example of them if they're caught. The two men reach a dead end and hide behind some crates as the Klingons approach. Pike and M'Benga exchange fire with the Klingons, their phasers set to stun, before the Klingons suddenly stop firing. When the two men emerge to investigate, they are ambushed and captured by the Klingons. Suddenly, zombie-like Humans and Klingons leap out and attack and devour Herak. The leader vaporizes a few with her Klingon disruptor and orders her remaining soldier to fall back. Pike and M'Benga take the chance to flee themselves.

In sickbay, Nurse Gamble treats Batel who is in a great deal of pain as her body has acclimated to the pain inhibitors. Spock and Chapel enter, and Spock suggests an ancient Vulcan meditation technique to manage pain. Spock can guide her through it using a form of Vulcan mind meld and the desperate Batel agrees. The meld works at first, but both experience a vision of a roaring Gorn and scream. Chapel attempts to snap Spock out of it and when Spock opens his eyes, he sees Batel and Gamble through the heat vision of a Gorn. Seeing Gamble snarling at him in this vision, Spock punches the nurse across the room before Chapel resorts to literally slapping Spock out of it. As Chapel tends to Gamble, Spock explains to Batel that when they joined minds, he absorbed her pain. However, they both saw something that Spock describes as feeling like both a part of Batel and not a part of her. However, Spock doesn't know whether it was Gorn or not. Batel collects herself as Uhura calls Spock for a meeting of all of the senior officers in the captain's ready room.

Una informs the gathered officers that they may have a situation as the away team failed to check in at the prescheduled time. Pike and M'Benga's transponders are still active, but they aren't responding to any hails from the Enterprise which means Pike and M'Benga are either having comms trouble or something else happened. Lieutenant Montgomery Scott arrives in place of Commander Pelia, claiming that Pelia got delayed and sent him in her place. Although Una knows that Pelia simply hates these meetings and is sending Scott to avoid having to attend one, she accepts Scott in the Chief Engineer's place.

Needing to get within emergency beaming range of Kenfori without attracting any Klingon attention, Spock suggests a slow approach of going in at low impulse power which will keep them below the noise limit of debris motion, ensuring that the Klingon sensors won't be able to tell the Enterprise apart from the dust particles. La'An points out that they would have to move at a fraction of impulse and shut down all nonessential systems, but it might be worth it if they're invisible. Spock's calculations have the Enterprise arriving at Kenfori in four hours which Una can live with.

However, Ortegas tells Una that four hours won't work for her and openly questions why they're tiptoeing around the Klingons when they should prioritize getting Pike and M'Benga out who have clearly been detected. Una points out that doing so would violate a border treaty while Uhura tells everyone that even if it were possible, interference from the dust belt makes beaming impossible. Ortegas has considered both problems and suggests warping into the planet's thermosphere, beaming the away team out, and warping back out. Una calls warping into a low planetary orbit reckless which Ortegas admits she hasn't actually done before but is sure that she could. Spock points out that such a dangerous move is rarely attempted while Scott can see the Enterprise maybe being able to warp into the upper atmosphere, but if the ship scrapes the bottom of the thermosphere, the hull would be shredded. Spock states that the residual warp field would also prohibit transport, but Scott tells him that in theory one could lock in on a signal through the residual warp field by calibrating the phase inducers to the warp distortion, "only like really fast." Uhura confirms that there is total comm silence and not even a whisper suggesting that the Klingons are aware of Pike and M'Benga's presence, so Una decides that Spock's plan makes the most sense and orders a visibly unhappy Ortegas to carry it out.

Once the others are gone, La'An expresses concern about Ortegas who can be rude sometimes, but never insubordinate. La'An worries that Ortegas may have returned to duty too soon after her ordeal in Gorn captivity, but Una tells her that Ortegas passed her psych eval and after all that the pilot has been through, it's understandable that she's a little rough around the edges.

Pike and M'Benga reach the main lab and Pike asks about the creatures which were definitly alive or at least not dead, but don't show up on tricorders. M'Benga guesses that whatever the creatures are, they no longer register as life signs. Pike decides the lab is a good place as any to hole up. If Una is following protocol, the Enterprise is already on its way and they need to find comms, clone the ship's encrypted channel and then coordinate a rendezvous. M'Benga discovers that the comms array is on the roof, meaning that they'd need to engage with what Pike dubs zombies for serious lack of a better word.

Accessing the lab's data, M'Benga discovers that the Federation scientists had used an agent from the chimera blossom to modify the crops being grown with genes from a perennial moss. The moss could live and grow anywhere, lying dormant but never dying. This created a hybrid supercrop that could feed a lot of Federation colonists. However, things went to hell when the Klingons invaded the planet. The Klingons attacked without any regard for safety protocols and everyone in the facility was exposed to the chimera agent which inserted moss genome into their bodies. The moss consumes every plant around it to proliferate which is what everyone now infected with it is doing: devouring anything that breathes. Pike points out that that sounds like zombies and worries that they have also been exposed to the same agent, but M'Benga reassures him that the agent would've broken down a long time ago.

Grasping the implications for Batel, Pike questions why she would need biome engineering and hybridization before finally realizing M'Benga and Spock's plan: they intend to use the chimera blossom to turn Batel into a Human-Gorn hybrid. M'Benga confirms it, insisting that making the Gorn DNA a permanent part of Batel is her only chance of survival. M'Benga reveals that Batel not only knows, but she chose this, and a shocked Pike understands that she didn't want him to know, hence why the away team was originally supposed to be M'Benga and Spock. Pike has trouble accepting this is the only option, but M'Benga reveals that without this, Batel will die within only a few days, maybe less.

Zombies break into the lab through the window and on M'Benga's suggestion, Pike overloads the charging coil on his phaser and throws it into the swarm. The explosion of the phaser kills a few of the zombies, but more swarm in. Turning to flee, Pike and M'Benga find the creatures breaking through the inner door as well. The two barricade themselves in a cabinet as the two surviving Klingons enter and dispatch all of the zombies before demanding that the two men come with them. A few more zombies break in and one bites the remaining Klingon soldier, prompting the leader to vaporize them both. Refusing to identify herself, the Klingon leader forces Pike and M'Benga to precede her out of the room at disruptor point.

The trio reach the roof where the Klingon raider lands, only for the pilot to emerge as a zombie and awaken a swarm of the creatures on the roof while more come through the roof access door which M'Benga manages to hold shut briefly. Pike notices that there are force field emitters on the roof and, as M'Benga and the Klingon join him, activates a force field on the roof, keeping the creatures out, but trapping the three in a small area.

Pike suggests luring the zombies away from the raider and then lowering the field, but they will need weapons. The Klingon responds by slicing Pike's leg with a d'k tahg and admits that when M'Benga's shuttle crossed the treaty line, she thought that her viridium tracker was broken. The Klingon advises M'Benga to never eat the olives if he accepts a drink from a R'ongovian and challenges him to recognize an old enemy in her, but M'Benga has killed too many Klingons to recognize her house. The Klingon identifies herself as Bytha, the daughter of Dak'Rah and the champion of the House of Ra'Ul. Pike realizes that this is about Ambassador Rah while Bytha announces that she is here to make M'Benga pay for the Klingon he assassinated.

Act Three

The Enterprise enters the buffer zone around Kenfori and Una orders the ship to be kept at one-seventh impulse as anything above that will give away their position. Una has Engineering power down all non-essential systems, and the ship slowly approaches the Klingon battle cruiser. An asteroid hits the ship which Ortegas apologizes for, explaining that it's hard to maneuver at this speed. After a tense moment, the Enterprise cruises past the Klingon ship undetected. Uhura isn't picking up any chatter on comms while the Klingon shields are still down and the Klingons still can't see them.

Spock detects frozen volatiles forming and recommends reducing speed to one-eighth impulse which means the ship will now arrive at the planet in six hours rather than four. Deciding to trust that Pike and M'Benga can hold on a little while longer, Una gives the order to reduce speed. Ortegas reluctantly complies before doing something on the console with a shifty look on her face. Instantly, the Klingon battle cruiser spots the Enterprise.

M'Benga patches up Pike's leg as the zombies continue to try to get through the force field. M'Benga tries to get Bytha to at least spare Pike, but she reveals that her grievance, a Klingon blood feud, is actually with her father, the traitor to the Klingon Empire. Dak'Rah is considered a war criminal for his actions during the Battle of J'Gal and a lapdog of the Federation for his defection. As punishment for Dak'Rah's actions, the House of Ra'Ul has been subject to discommendation and shunned to the point that Bytha had to grovel just to charter a ship to Kenfori. The only way to restore her family's honor was for Bytha to assassinate her father, but M'Benga killed him first. Now, her family's name remains soiled unless Bytha kills Dak'Rah's assassin in ritual combat to restore her honor. Pike tells Bytha that M'Benga had only been acting in self-defense, but Bytha takes him hostage and demands the truth from M'Benga.

La'An reports that the Klingon scanners are all over the ship while Uhura has been having no luck trying to reach the Klingons on the comms. Una orders Uhura to keep trying and to tell the Klingons that the Enterprise is here on a rescue mission and they aren't attempting to land. While the Klingons haven't raised their shields yet, La'An recommends raising theirs while they still have a chance, but Una is worried that it will send the wrong message. Ortegas demands to know why they care what the Klingons think, believing that they are past the point of diplomacy. Ortegas' outburst and insubordination shocks the bridge crew while Una reprimands Ortegas for expressing her concerns in the middle of executing orders. The Klingon battle cruiser raises shields and moves in on the Enterprise and with no other choice, Una orders a smug Ortegas to execute her plan.

"I assassinated Rah. I could have stopped it. But a mass murderer gave me the opportunity to kill him. And I did. Willingly. I would do it again. So yes. His blood is on my hands. Was that dishonorable? I don't know. But there was justice. I lied to protect the monster that still lives inside me. Should the day come when he is needed again," finally confesses M'Benga. Releasing Pike, Bytha tosses M'Benga a d'k tahg and orders him to take it and face her.

Act Four

Pike tries to dissuade his friend, but M'Benga instructs Pike to use the med kit in his bag on himself, find a way off of Kenfori and get the flower to Batel. Spock and Chapel have M'Benga's lab notes and can perform the treatment without him. Bound by a belt containing Dak'Rah's blood, the two duel each other. During the fight, M'Benga accidentally stabs and damages the force field generator, but once again proving his reputation as the Ghost and the Butcher of J'Gal, ultimately emerges victorious. However, M'Benga chooses not to kill Bytha, telling her that he doesn't need the monster inside of him today. Bytha frantically warns M'Benga that he damns her to a fate worse than death by sparing her life. Part of the force field comes down and the zombies enter to attack.

The Enterprise travels through warp and Spock reports that outer gas compression is at eighty percent, causing La'An to surmise that the ship is basically flying into a brick wall. The Enterprise exits warp in the upper atmosphere of Kenfori and Scott comms that they need to cut engine power now: if the crew doesn't compensate for planetary gravity, the ship will come apart. Una orders Scott to work on getting them the transporter signal, causing Scott to groan to himself that Pelia had warned him not to volunteer and because he didn't listen, Scott now has to actually do what he promised. It's shields glowing with the heat of atmospheric entry, the Enterprise descends towards the Federation research facility.

On the roof, Pike, M'Benga and Bytha kill the zombies that got in as the force field temporarily comes back online. Pike proposes that they work together to escape to Bytha, but she instead draws a bladed whip and fires her disruptor into the air, drawing the zombies to her. M'Benga realizes that Bytha is sacrificing herself for them and in so doing, choosing an honorable death. The force field falls completely and Pike and M'Benga quickly head for the Klingon raider as Bytha defiantly holds off the zombies.

On the Enterprise, artificial gravity is failing and inertial dampeners are at twenty percent while the hull creaks from the strain that it's under. The bridge crew are lifted out of their seats by the loss of gravity while Scott -- also operating in zero g -- complains that it's hard to maintain pattern integrity in orbital collapse. Scott instructs the bridge to fire the impulse thrusters in an alternating pattern, first auxilary and then the main, to try to stabilize the ship. Scott is going to energize, and he hopes that he doesn't scramble Pike and M'Benga up.

Before Pike and M'Benga can reach the raider, they are beamed out by the Enterprise. Left alone, Bytha is devoured by the zombies. Scott reports success as Uhura picks up something jamming their comms. The Klingon battle cruiser moves in on an attack course and the Enterprise quickly warps away before it can be hit by a plasma torpedo. Uhura praises Ortegas' flying but tells her never to do that again while Una looks at the pilot in suspicion.

In the science lab, Spock, wearing a hazmat suit, extracts the chemical compounds from the chimera blossom.

M'Benga asks if Pike is going to turn him in, not sure what he will do depending on if Pike is acting as M'Benga's friend or his captain. Pike understand why his friend kept the secrets that he did, although Pike wishes he knew some of them earlier, and he tells M'Benga that as there officially was no mission to Kenfori, there is no report for him to file. If there was, Pike would simply state that he had a knife to his throat and M'Benga told a story to save his life. Pike reassures the doctor that he's not a monster, but rather just a man and Pike's friend.

In the ready room, Una confronts Ortegas who she has discovered had pushed the engines to one-sixth impulse power during the confrontation with the Klingons when she had received strict orders to keep the ship at one-eighth. Ortegas claims that she was on edge and her finger might've slipped a little, but Una isn't buying it as Ortegas is too good of a pilot for such a mistake to be anything other than deliberate. Una knows that Ortegas deliberately forced her hand by going just fast enough that the Klingons would detect the Enterprise, forcing Una to go with Ortegas' plan. Ortegas doesn't deny it, defending herself by reminding Una that the Klingons don't take prisoners and a lot can happen in six hours, clearly still haunted by her captivity with the Gorn. Ortegas promises not to let it cloud her judgement again and Una reveals that the pilot had unnecessarily endangered the entire ship and everyone on it because Pike and M'Benga had been about to make their own escape in a shuttle, meaning that the rescue wasn't needed. As a punishment for her insubordination, Una pulls Ortegas from the duty roster for two weeks during which time she will have to undergo chain of command training. As Ortegas leaves, Una softens and warns her that this can't ever be allowed to happen again, implying that this is Ortegas' only chance. Properly chastised, Ortegas promises that it won't and apologizes for her rogue actions.

In the bar, Batel pours a drink as Pike joins her, angry that everyone on the ship knew about the hybridization plan but him. Batel admits that she knows the risks, and she doesn't care. She doesn't have the space to worry about how her dying hurts her boyfriend's feelings. While it would've been nice to have Pike be able to comfort her, they both know that Pike would've insisted on finding another way and there simply isn't one. Batel breaks down, admitting that she's scared, and Pike holds her, admitting that he is too.

Log entries

"Captain's personal log, stardate 2449.1. Enterprise has embarked upon a routine scanning mission, giving Marie and me some time to enjoy our last few days together before her new commission. I was just getting used to her decorating choices, but a captain belongs on her own ship."
"Captain's personal log, supplemental. We have returned from our away mission with a single chimera blossom. Once Spock synthesizes its chemical compounds, Marie's new therapy can begin. I wonder what effects this radical treatment will have on her."

Memorable quotes

"It's been a long time since I flew into disputed Klingon territory."
"Around disputed Klingon territory. Enterprise will not cross that line."

-- Ortegas is excited about the mission while Una is more realistic and cautious

"Now comes the fun part."
"Show off."
"I'll accept any and all accolades and applause and tips. Admit it. You all missed my fancy flying."
"We did, actually."

-- Ortegas shows off, impressing Uhura and La'An

"So, what do you think of this whole Korby-Christine thing?"
"Ah, Chris, do I have to remind you I have three ex-wives?"
"Well, four, technically."
"That was an annulment. But the next one..."
"Physician heal thyself?"
"I like to consider myself a work in progress."

-- Pike and M'Benga joke about the doctor's love life

"How long will this give her?"
"You know the condition and treatment of any crewmember is confidential unless they jeapordize the rest of the crew."
"Not as your captain. As your friend. As Marie's... I need to know. I -- Is there a chance that she can really be saved?"
"This is her only chance. Just yesterday, we were out of options, but Spock found one more. One to hope for. A fighting chance, Chris."

-- Pike and M'Benga discuss Batel's chances

"It's possible they don't know about us."
(the Klingons destroy the shuttle)
"They know about us."

-- M'Benga and Pike witness the arrival of the Klingons

"What happened?"
"When we joined minds, I absorbed your pain. But I also..."
"I saw something."
"Yes, as did I. It felt both a part of you and not."
"Was it Gorn? Is that even possible?"
"I am afraid I do not have the answer to either question, Captain."

-- Batel and Spock have a very disturbing experience

"Lieutenant. Does Commander Pelia plan to grace us with her presence?"
"She, uh, got delayed and sent me."
"Nice try. I know she hates these meetings. Sit."

-- Una allows Scott to join the senior officers' meeting

"Four hours? Yeah, that won't work for me."
"Explain yourself, Lieutenant."
"Why are we tiptoeing around these Klingons? It's obvious they know about the captain Doctor M'Benga. Our priority should be getting them out fast."
"And how do you propose we do that without violating a border treaty?"
"Hypothetically, even if there were a way, the interference from the dust belt makes transporting impossible."

-- Ortegas, Una and Uhura discuss Ortegas' more reckless suggestion

"Are we gonna discuss Lieutenant Ortegas?"
"She was just doing her job. I needed alternatives."
"Your call, but, I mean, that wasn't like her. She can be rude at times, but not insubordinate. Could it be she's back on rotation too soon?"
"She passed her psych eval. And after all she went through, I'm not surprised if she's a little rough around the edges. You get that, La'An."

-- La'An expresses concerns about Ortegas' state of mind to Una

"The crops that Chapel mentioned."
"They used an agent from the chimera blossom to modify them with genes from a perennial moss. A moss that could live and grow anywhere. It lays dormant but never dies."
"A hybrid supercrop. Wow. That would feed a lot of Federation colonists."
"Only things went to hell when the Klingons invaded. They attacked. With no regard for safety protocols. And everyone in the facility was exposed. It inserted moss genome into their bodies. This moss consumes every plant around it... to proliferate. And now that is what they're doing. Devouring anything that breathes."
"That sounds like the "Z" word. Wait, we're breathing that same air."
"The agent would've broken down long ago."
"Now I see why you were so careful about that chimera blossom."

-- Pike and M'Benga discover the horrifying truth about the zombies

"Joseph... why would Marie need biome engineering? Hybridization?"
"Spock and I know how to use it safely."
"All right. Answer the question. You're gonna hybridize her with what?"
"Chris, I cannot..."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The Gorn? That's your miracle treatment? You're g -- gonna turn Marie into a -- a what? A Human-Gorn hybrid?"
"It is not that rudimentary."
"Then explain it to me."
"I already told you, it is her only chance of survival."
"Let me understand. Instead of ridding her body of the Gorn DNA, you're gonna make it permanent? You're gonna change her? Tell me! Joseph... Just... what are you gonna do to her?"
"It was her decision, Chris. She chose this."

-- Pike learns the truth about the treatment from M'Benga

"She didn't want you to tell me. That's why you and Spock wanted to go... So I would never know. Oh my..."
"This is the only way to save her. And that is what we all want."
"This is your idea of saving -- Wh -- What we all want? No. Look again. Try harder. I... There's gotta be another way."
"She has a few days. Maybe less."
"A few days? She didn't want me to know, and she didn't want to tell me. Why?"

-- Pike and M'Benga argue about what to do

"At least you're not trying to eat us."

-- Pike finds a silver lining to being captured by Klingons

"Who are you?"
"First, we talk about you. I have to say, when your shuttle crossed the treaty line, I couldn't believe it. I thought my viridium tracker was broken."
"You were tracking him?"
"When a R'ongovian offers you a drink, never eat the olives."
"Now you found me. Why?"
"Do you not see a reflection? The gaze of an old enemy?"
"I have killed too many Klingons to know which house you're from."
"I am Bytha. Daughter of Dak'Rah, champion of House Ra'Ul."
"Ambassador Rah's daughter."
"Joseph M'Benga... I am here to make you answer for the Klingon you assassinated."

-- M'Benga, Bytha and Pike as M'Benga's past catches up to him

"Your grievance is with me. Spare my friend."
"You are wrong. My grievance has always been with my father, traitor to the Empire."
"You're not here to avenge him?"
"He was a war criminal and a lapdog to the Federation. I welcomed his death."
"A Klingon blood feud."
"Dak'Rah brought shame to our family name. For his sins, our House has been subject to discommendation. We are shunned, our bloodline spat upon. I had to grovel just to charter a ship here. There was one way to restore our name. Assassinate my father. Only you got to him first."
"Okay. We need to stay calm."
"She thinks killing me will somehow restore her honor."
"Our name remains soiled unless I kill my father's assassin."

-- M'Benga, Bytha and Pike discuss Bytha's goal

"I assassinated Rah."
"Joseph..."
"I could have stopped it. But a mass murderer gave me the opportunity to kill him. And I did. Willingly. I would do it again. So yes. His blood is on my hands. Was that dishonorable? I don't know. But there was justice. I lied to protect the monster that still lives inside me. Should the day come when he is needed again."

-- M'Benga finally reveals the truth about Dak'Rah's death to Pike and Bytha

"Pelia warned you not to volunteer. And now you actually have to do what you promised."

-- Scott grumbling to himself as he is asked to do the impossible

"Choke on me. You filthy targs!"

-- Bytha's last words

"She's drawing their attention. Why?"
"By sacrificing herself, she chooses an honorable death."
"But no one will ever know."
"She will know. I will know. May sto-vo-kor welcome you."

-- Pike and M'Benga witness Bytha's sacrifice

"Are you going to turn me in?"
"Are you worried I will?"
"That depends on who I'm talking to right now. My friend... or my captain?"
"Look, I understand why you didn't tell me certain things, huh? I just wish I had known some of them sooner. Officially, there was no mission to Kenfori. So, nothing happened there. I don't have any report to file."
"But if you did, hypothetically, what would it say?"
"That I had a knife to my throat, and you told a story to save my life. That's what happened, wouldn't you agree?"
"I would."
"You're not a monster, Joseph. Just a man. And my friend."

-- M'Benga and Pike discuss M'Benga's confession

"At precisely 0240 hours, you pushed the engines to one-sixth impulse power, when I gave you strict orders to keep us at one-eighth."
"I was trying to dodge tiny asteroids. We were all on edge. My finger might've slipped a little."
"A reasonable error by the standards I hold most helm officers to. But you're not most helm officers. You don't make mistakes like that. Unless they're intentional. You forced my hand. You flew just fast enough for us to be spotted by the Klingons, so I'd have no choice but to switch over to your plan. Look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong."
"You were gonna leave Pike and M'Benga stranded for six hours. We all know the Klingons don't take prisoners."
"Disagree with me all you want. It's not your call to make."
"Do you know what could happen in six hours?"
"I'm sorry about what happened to you, Erica. But I can't have it affect your judgement."
"It was a mistake. I can get a handle on it."
"You better. Pike and M'Benga were about to escape in a shuttle. So, your maneuver endangered everyone on the ship unnecessarily."
"I never meant to do that."
"I know. But there are consequences for insubordination. I'm pulling you from the duty roster. Two weeks. In that time, you'll have to report to the warrant officer for chain of command training."

-- Una reprimands Ortegas for going rogue

"This can't ever happen again. You do realize that, right?"
"I do. And I'm sorry."

-- Una makes it clear that Ortegas faces dire consequences should she act out again

"I wanna know why everyone else on the ship seems to know but me. Do you have any idea what could happen? When that plant fuses you with the species that nearly killed you already?"
"I know all the risks and... I don't care."
"Fine, you lied to me."
"I never lied to you."
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"Because of you. Because of this, because I don't have the space to worry about how my dying hurts your feelings. Chris?"
"You had days and... you made what I can only imagine is the hardest decision of your life. But I wasn't a part of it."
"Yeah, because it wasn't about you."
"I just wish I'd have had the opportunity to be able to say all the right things, to tell you I'd be there no matter what. No matter what choice you make."
"And that would've been nicer. But you know what, we both know you and we both know that you would have demanded we find another way."
"And there is no other way."

-- Pike and Batel fight over him being kept out of the loop

"I'm scared, Chris."
"Hey, come here, come here, come here. I know, I know. I'm scared, too."

-- Batel and Pike comfort each other

Background information

Title

This episode's title was revealed via press release on 5 June 2025. [1]
The episode's title is a nod to the 2016 South Korean zombie film Train to Busan. Additionally, the name of the planet Kenfori is a nod to actor Ken Foree who starred in the 1978 zombie movie Dawn of the Dead.