- Spock to Enterprise. Get us out now. - Locking volume.
Don't move. Stay right where you are.
Transport in five, four, three, two...
- Mother! - I知 losing her!
I知 losing her! I知 losing her!
No! I lost her. I lost her.
Acting Captain's Log, Stardate 2258.42.
We have had no word from Captain Pike.
I have therefore classified him
a hostage of the war criminal known as Nero.
Nero, who has destroyed my home planet
and most of its six billion inhabitants.
While the essence of our culture has been saved
in the elders who now reside upon this ship,
I estimate no more than 10,000 have survived.
I am now a member of an endangered species.
I知 sorry.
I知 so sorry.
What do you need? Tell me.
Tell me.
I need everyone to continue performing admirably.
Okay.
You must have a lot of questions for me.
I only have one for you.
I need the subspace frequencies of Starfleet's border protection grids,
specifically those surrounding Earth.
Christopher, answer my question.
No, you answer for the genocide you just committed
- against a peaceful planet. - No, I prevented genocide.
In my time, where I come from, this is a simple mining vessel.
I chose a life of honest labor
to provide for myself and the wife who was expecting my child.
I was off planet, doing my job while your Federation did nothing
and allowed my people to burn while their planet broke in half.
And Spock, he didn't help us. He betrayed us!
No, you're confused.
You've been misinformed. Romulus hasn't been destroyed.
It痴 out there right now.
You're blaming the Federation for something that hasn't happened.
It has happened! I watched it happen!
I saw it happen! Don't tell me it didn't happen!
And when I lost her, I promised myself retribution.
And for 25 years I planned my revenge against the Federation,
and forgot what it was like to live a normal life.
But I did not forget the pain.
It痴 a pain that every surviving Vulcan now shares.
My purpose, Christopher,
is to not simply avoid the destruction of the home that I love,
but to create a Romulus that exists free of the Federation.
You see, only then will she be truly saved.
That is why I will destroy all the remaining Federation planets,
starting with yours.
Then we have nothing left to discuss.
You will give me the frequencies to disable Earth's defenses.
Centaurian slugs.
They latch on to your brain stem
and release a toxin that will force you to answer.
Frequencies, please, sir.
Christopher Pike, Captain, U.S.S. Enterprise...
As you wish.
Have you confirmed that Nero is headed for Earth?
Their trajectory suggests no other destination, Captain.
- Thank you, Lieutenant. - Earth may be his next stop,
but we have to assume every Federation planet's a target.
Out of the chair.
Well, if the Federation is a target, why didn't they destroy us?
Why would they? Why waste a weapon? We obviously weren't a threat.
That is not it.
He said he wanted me to see something,
the destruction of my home planet.
How the hell did they do that, by the way?
I mean, where did the Romulans get that kind of weaponry?
The engineering comprehension necessary
to artificially create a black hole may suggest an answer.
Such technology could theoretically be manipulated
to create a tunnel through space-time.
Damn it, man, I知 a doctor, not a physicist.
Are you actually suggesting they're from the future?
If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable,
- must be the truth. - How poetic.
Then what would an angry future Romulan want with Captain Pike?
As Captain, he does know details of Starfleet's defenses.
What we need to do is catch up to that ship,
disable it, take it over and get Pike back.
We are technologically outmatched in every way.
A rescue attempt would be illogical.
Nero's ship would have to drop out of warp for us to overtake them.
Then what about assigning engineering crews
- to try and boost our warp yield? - Remaining crew are repairing
- radiation leaks on the lower decks... - Okay! All right!
...and damage to subspace communications, without which
- we cannot contact Starfleet. - There's got to be some way...
We must gather with the rest of Starfleet
to balance the terms of the next engagement.
There won't be a next engagement.
By the time we've gathered, it'll be too late.
But you say he's from the future, knows what's gonna happen?
Then the logical thing is to be unpredictable.
You're assuming that Nero knows how events are predicted to unfold.
The contrary, Nero's very presence has altered the flow of history,
beginning with the attack on the U.S.S. Kelvin,
culminating in the events of today,
thereby creating an entire new chain of incidents
that cannot be anticipated by either party.
An alternate reality.
Precisely.
Whatever our lives might have been, if the time continuum was disrupted,
our destinies have changed.
Mr. Sulu, plot a course for the Laurentian system, warp factor 3.
Spock, don't do that.
Running back to the rest of the fleet for a confab is a massive waste of time.
These are the orders issued by Captain Pike when he left the ship.
He also ordered us to go back and get him.
Spock, you are Captain now. You have to make...
I am aware of my responsibilities, Mr. Kirk.
Every second we waste, Nero's getting closer to his next target.
That is correct, and why I知 instructing you to accept the fact
- that I alone am in command. - I will not allow us to go backwards...
- Jim, he's the Captain! - ...away from the problem,
- instead of hunting Nero down! - Security, escort him out.
- Hey! - Enough, Jim!
Get him off this ship.
- Computer, where am I? - Location, Delta Vega.
Class-M planet. Unsafe.
There is a Starfleet outpost 14 kilometers to the northwest.
Remain in your pod
- until retrieved by Starfleet authorities. - You gotta be kidding me.
Stardate 2258.42.
Or 44. Whatever.
Acting Captain Spock has marooned me on Delta Vega,
in what I believe to be a violation of Security Protocol 49.09
governing the treatment of prisoners aboard a star...
James T. Kirk.
- Excuse me? - How did you find me?
How do you know my name?
I have been and always shall be your friend.
- Look, I don't know you. - I am Spock.
Bullshit.
It is remarkably pleasing to see you again, old friend.
Especially after the events of today.
Sir, I appreciate what you did for me today,
but if you were Spock, you'd know we're not friends. At all.
You hate me. You marooned me here for mutiny.
- Mutiny? - Yes.
You are not the captain?
No, no, you're the captain. Pike was taken hostage.
By Nero.
What do you know about him?
He is a particularly troubled Romulan.
- Please, allow me. It will be easier. - What are you doing?
Our minds, one and together.
One hundred twenty-nine years from now,
a star will explode and threaten to destroy the galaxy.
That is where I知 from, Jim, the future.
A star went supernova, consuming everything in its path.
I promised the Romulans that I would save their planet.
We outfitted our fastest ship.
Using red matter, I would create a black hole
which would absorb the exploding star.
I was en route, when the unthinkable happened.
The supernova destroyed Romulus.
I had little time.
I had to extract the red matter and shoot it into the supernova.
As I began my return trip, I was intercepted.
He called himself Nero, last of the Romulan Empire.
In my attempt to escape, both of us were pulled into the black hole.
Nero went through first. He was the first to arrive.
Nero and his crew spent the next 25 years awaiting my arrival.
But what was years for Nero
was only seconds for me.
I went through the black hole.
Nero was waiting for me.
He held me responsible for the loss of his world.
He captured my vessel and spared my life,
for one reason.
So that I would know his pain.
He beamed me here so that I could observe his vengeance.
As he was helpless to save his planet,
I would be helpless to save mine.
Billions of lives lost because of me, Jim.
Because I failed.
Forgive me. Emotional transference is an effect of the mind-meld.
- So you do feel. - Yes.
Going back in time, you changed all our lives.
Jim, we must go.
There is a Starfleet outpost not far from here.
Wait. Where you came from,
did I know my father?
Yes.
You often spoke of him as being your inspiration for joining Starfleet.
He proudly lived to see you become Captain of the Enterprise.
Captain?
A ship we must return you to as soon as possible.
- Warp 3, sir. - Course 1-5-1, mark 3.
- Laurentian system, sir. - Thank you, gentlemen.
- You wanted to see me? - Yes, Doctor.
I am aware that James Kirk is a friend of yours.
I recognize that supporting me as you did must have been difficult.
Is that a thank-you?
I am simply acknowledging your difficulties.
Permission to speak freely, sir.
- I welcome it. - Do you? Okay, then.
Are you out of your Vulcan mind?
Are you making a logical choice, sending Kirk away?
Probably. But the right one?
You know, back home we got a saying,
"If you're gonna ride in the Kentucky Derby,
"you don't leave your prize stallion in the stable."
A curious metaphor, Doctor,
as a stallion must first be broken before it can reach its potential.
My God, man, you could at least act like it was a hard decision!
I intend to assist in the effort
to reestablish communication with Starfleet.
However, if crew morale is better served by my roaming the halls weeping,
I will gladly defer to your medical expertise.
Excuse me.
Green-blooded hobgoblin.
Hello!
What?
You realize how unacceptable this is?
- Fascinating. - What?
Okay, I知 sure you're just doing your job,
but could you not have come a wee bit sooner?
Six months I致e been here,
living off Starfleet protein nibs and the promise of a good meal!
And I know exactly what's going on here, okay?
Punishment, isn't it? Ongoing.
For something that was clearly an accident.
- You are Montgomery Scott. - You know him?
Aye, that's me. You're in the right place.
Unless there's another hardworking, equally starved Starfleet officer around.
- Me. - Get aff! Shut up!
You don't eat anything! You can eat, like, a bean,
and you're done. I知 talking about food. Real food.
But you're here now, so thank you. Where is it?
You are, in fact, the Mr. Scott
who postulated the theory of transwarp beaming.
That's what I知 talking about. How do you think I wound up here?
I had a little debate with my instructor
on the issue of relativistic physics and how it pertains to subspace travel.
He seemed to think that the range of transporting something like a grapefruit
was limited to about 100 miles.
I told him that I could not only beam a grapefruit from one planet
to the adjacent planet in the same system,
which is easy, by the way,
I could do it with a life-form.
So, I tested it on Admiral Archer's prize beagle.
- I know that dog. What happened to it? - I値l tell you when it reappears.
I don't know. I do feel guilty about that.
What if I told you that your transwarp theory was correct,
that it is indeed possible to beam onto a ship that is traveling at warp speed?
I think if that equation had been discovered, I壇 have heard about it.
The reason you haven't heard of it, Mr. Scott,
is because you haven't discovered it yet.
- Are you from the future? - Yeah, he is. I知 not.
Well, that's brilliant. Do they still have sandwiches there?
Well, she's a wee bit dodgy.
Shield emitters are totally banjaxed, as well as a few other things.
On youse go.
So the Enterprise has had its maiden voyage, has it?
She is one well-endowed lady.
I壇 like to get my hands on her ample nacelles,
if you'll pardon the engineering parlance.
Except, the thing is, even if I believed you, right,
where you're from, what I致e done, which I don't, by the way,
you're still talking about beaming aboard the Enterprise
while she's traveling faster than light without a proper receiving pad.
Get off there! It痴 not a climbing frame.
The notion of transwarp beaming is like trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet
whilst wearing a blindfold, riding a horse.
What's that?
Your equation for achieving transwarp beaming.
Get out of it.
Imagine that!
It never occurred to me to think of space as the thing that was moving.
You're coming with us, right?
- No, Jim. That is not my destiny. - Your...
He... The other Spock is not gonna believe me.
Only you can explain what the hell's happened.
Under no circumstances can he be made aware of my existence.
You must promise me this.
You're telling me I can't tell you that I知 following your own orders?
- Why not? What happens? - Jim, this is one rule you cannot break.
To stop Nero, you alone must take command of your ship.
- How? Over your dead body? - Preferably not.
However, there is Starfleet Regulation 619.
Six-one-nine states that any command officer
who's emotionally compromised by the mission at hand
must resign said command.
So, you're saying that I have to emotionally compromise you guys.
Jim, I just lost my planet.
I can tell you, I am emotionally compromised.
What you must do is get me to show it.
Aye, then, laddie. Live or die. Let's get this over with.
No, go. You cannae come with me. Go on.
You know, coming back in time, changing history,
that's cheating.
A trick I learned from an old friend.
Live long and prosper.
Mr. Scott!
Mr. Scott, can you hear me?
Hold on a second!
Oh, no.
Don't worry, I...
No. No!
Turbine release valve activated.
You all right? You all right?
My head's buzzing and I知 soaked, but otherwise I知 fine.
Captain Spock! Detecting unauthorized access to Water Turbine Control Board.
Bring up the video.
Security, seal the Engineering Deck.
We have intruders in Turbine Section 3.
Set phasers to stun.
- Halt! - No, no!
Come with me, cupcake!
- Who are you? - I知 with him.
- He's with me. - We are traveling at warp speed.
How did you manage to beam aboard this ship?
Well, you're the genius, you figure it out.
As acting captain of this vessel, I order you to answer the question.
Well, I知 not telling, Acting Captain.
What, did...
That doesn't frustrate you, does it? My lack of cooperation?
- That doesn't make you angry. - Are you a member of Starfleet?
I... Yes. Can I get a towel, please?
Under penalty of court martial, I order you to explain to me
how you were able to beam aboard this ship while moving at warp.
- Well... - Don't answer him.
You will answer me.
- I壇 rather not take sides. - What is it with you, Spock?
Your planet was just destroyed, your mother murdered,
- and you're not even upset. - If you are presuming
that these experiences in any way impede my ability to command this ship,
- you are mistaken. - And yet, you are the one
who said fear was necessary for command.
I mean, did you see his ship? Did you see what he did?
- Yes, of course I did. - So are you afraid or aren't you?
I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion.
- Then why don't you stop me? - Step away from me, Mr. Kirk.
What is it like not to feel anger? Or heartbreak?
Or the need to stop at nothing
to avenge the death of the woman who gave birth to you?
- Back away from me. - You feel nothing!
It must not even compute for you.
You never loved her!
Spock!
Doctor, I am no longer fit for duty.
I hereby relinquish my command,
based on the fact that I have been emotionally compromised.
Please note the time and date in the ship's log.
I like this ship! You know, it's exciting!
Well, congratulations, Jim.
Now we've got no captain, and no goddamn first officer to replace him.
Yeah, we do.
- What? - Pike made him first officer.
- You gotta be kidding me. - Thanks for the support.
I sure hope you know what you're doing, Captain.
So do I.
Attention, crew of the Enterprise. This is James Kirk.
Mr. Spock has resigned commission and advanced me to acting captain.
I know you were all expecting to regroup with the fleet,
but I知 ordering a pursuit course of the enemy ship to Earth.
I want all departments at battle stations and ready in 10 minutes.
Either we're going down or they are.
Kirk out.
Speak your mind, Spock.
That would be unwise.
What is necessary is never unwise.
I am as conflicted as I once was as a child.
You will always be a child of two worlds.
I am grateful for this.
And for you.
I feel anger for the one who took Mother's life.
An anger I cannot control.
I believe that she would say,
"Do not try to."
You asked me once why I married your mother.
I married her because I loved her.
Whatever the case, we need to get aboard Nero's ship undetected.
We can't just go in there guns blazing, Jim, not with their technology.
I知 telling you, the math doesn't support what you're suggesting.
- Captain Kirk. Captain Kirk! - Yes, Mr. Chekov. What is it?
Based on the Narada's course from Vulcan,
I have projected that Nero will travel past Saturn.
Like you said, we need to stay invisible to Nero or he'll destroy us.
If Mr. Scott can get us to warp factor 4,
and if we drop out of warp behind one of Saturn's moons, say, Titan,
the magnetic distortion from the planet's rings
will make us invisible to Nero's sensors.
From there, as long as the drill is not actuated,
- we can beam aboard the enemy ship. - Aye, that might work.
Wait a minute, kid. How old are you?
- Seventeen, sir. - Oh, good, he's 17.
Doctor.
Mr. Chekov is correct. I can confirm his telemetry.
If Mr. Sulu is able to maneuver us into position,
I can beam aboard Nero's ship, steal back the black hole device
and, if possible, bring back Captain Pike.
I won't allow you to do that, Mr. Spock.
Romulans and Vulcans share a common ancestry.
Our cultural similarities will make it easier for me
to access the ship's computer to locate the device.
Also, my mother was human,
which makes Earth the only home I have left.
Then I知 coming with you.
I would cite Regulation, but I know you will simply ignore it.
See? We are getting to know each other.
Prepare the drill.
All stop in three, two, one.
Give me one-quarter impulse burst for five seconds.
I値l do the rest with thrusters. On my mark.
- Aye. - Fire.
Transporter Room. We are in position above Titan.
Really? Fine job, Mr. Sulu. Well done.
- How are we, Scotty? - Unbelievably, sir, the ship is in position.
Whatever happens, Mr. Sulu,
if you think you have the tactical advantage,
you fire on that ship, even if we're still onboard. That's an order.
Yes, sir.
Otherwise we'll contact the Enterprise
when we're ready to be beamed back.
Good luck.
- I will be back. - You better be.
- I値l be monitoring your frequency. - Thank you, Nyota.
- So her first name's Nyota? - I have no comment on the matter.
Okey-dokey, then, if there's any common sense
in the design of the enemy ship,
I should be putting you somewhere in the Cargo Bay.
- Shouldn't be a soul in sight. - Energize.
Captain, we have Starfleet officers aboard the ship.
- One of them is Vulcan. - No.
Ayel!
I値l cover you.
- Are you certain? - Yeah, I got you.
Do you know where it is? The black hole device.
And Captain Pike.
Move!
They have activated the drill.
Communication and transport are inoperative.
Sulu, please tell me you have them.
Otherwise we won't be able to beam them back.
Kirk and Spock are on their own now.
I foresee a complication.
The design of their ship is far more advanced than I had anticipated.
Voice print and face recognition analysis enabled.
Welcome back, Ambassador Spock.
Wow, that's weird.
Computer, what is your manufacturing origin?
Stardate 2387. Commissioned by the Vulcan Science Academy.
It appears that you have been keeping important information from me.
You're gonna be able to fly this thing, right?
Something tells me I already have.
- Good luck. - Jim.
The statistical likelihood that our plan will succeed is less than 4.3%.
- It'll work. - In the event that I do not return,
- please tell Lieutenant Uhura... - Spock!
It値l work.
Fascinating.
Start-up sequence initiated.
Nero, order your men to disable the drill or I will...
I know your face from Earth's history.
James T. Kirk was considered to be a great man.
He went on to captain the U.S.S. Enterprise.
But that was another life.
A life I will deprive you of, just like I did your father.
Captain Nero. The Vulcan ship has been taken.
The drill has been destroyed.
Spock!
- Open a channel. - Yes, sir!
Spock. I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance.
I hereby confiscate this illegally obtained ship
and order you to surrender your vessel.
- No terms. No deals. - That ship, take it out.
Sir, if you ignite the red matter,
- you'll destroy... - I want Spock dead now!
- He went to warp, sir. - Go after him!
Yes, sir!
Your species is even weaker than I expected.
- I can't... - You can't what?
You can't even speak.
- What? - I got your gun.
What's he doing?
Ambassador Spock, you are on a collision course.
Fire everything!
Incoming missiles. If the ship is hit, the red matter will be ignited.
Understood.
Captain, I致e picked up another ship!
- What are you doing here? - Just following orders.
Enterprise, now!
Nice timing, Scotty!
I致e never beamed three people from two targets onto one pad before!
- Jim! - Bones!
I got him.
That was pretty good!
Captain, the enemy ship is losing power! Their shields are down, sir.
- Hail them now. - Aye.
This is Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Your ship is compromised.
Too close to the singularity to survive without assistance,
which we are willing to provide.
- Captain, what are you doing? - Showing them compassion
may be the only way to earn peace with Romulus.
It痴 logic, Spock. I thought you'd like that.
No, not really. Not this time.
I would rather suffer the end of Romulus a thousand times.
I would rather die in agony than accept assistance from you.
You got it.
- Arm phasers. Fire everything we've got. - Yes, sir.
- Sulu, let's go home. - Yes, sir!
- Why aren't we at warp? - We are, sir.
Kirk to Engineering. Get us out of here, Scotty.
You bet your ass, Captain!
Captain, we're caught in the gravity well! It痴 got us!
- Go to maximum warp! Push it! - I知 giving her all she's got, Captain!
All she's got isn't good enough!
- What else you got? - Okay, if we eject the core and detonate,
the blast could be enough to push us away.
I cannae promise anything, though!
Do it, do it, do it!
- Clear the area! Go! - Yes, sir!
Father!
I am not our father.
There are so few Vulcans left. We cannot afford to ignore each other.
Then why did you send Kirk aboard
when you alone could have explained the truth?
Because you needed each other. I could not deprive you
of the revelation of all that you could accomplish together,
of a friendship that will define you both in ways you cannot yet realize.
How did you persuade him to keep your secret?
He inferred that universe-ending paradoxes would ensue
- should he break his promise. - You lied.
I... I implied.
- A gamble. - An act of faith.
One I hope that you'll repeat in the future in Starfleet.
In the face of extinction, it is only logical
I resign my Starfleet commission and help rebuild our race.
And yet, you can be in two places at once.
I urge you to remain in Starfleet.
I have already located a suitable planet on which to establish a Vulcan colony.
Spock, in this case, do yourself a favor.
Put aside logic. Do what feels right.
Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving,
I shall simply say
good luck.
This assembly calls Captain James Tiberius Kirk.
Your inspirational valor and supreme dedication to your comrades
is in keeping with the highest traditions of service,
and reflect utmost credit to yourself, your crew and the Federation.
It is my honor to award you with this commendation.
By Starfleet Order 28455,
you are hereby directed to report to Admiral Pike, U.S.S. Enterprise,
for duty as his relief.
I relieve you, sir.
I am relieved.
- Thank you, sir. - Congratulations, Captain.
Your father would be proud.
Thrusters on full.
Maneuvering thrusters and impulse engines at your command, sir.
Weapons systems and shields on standby.
Dock Control reports ready, Captain.
Bones! Buckle up.
Scotty, how we doing?
Dilithium chamber's at maximum, Captain.
Get down!
Mr. Sulu, prepare to engage thrusters.
Permission to come aboard, Captain.
Permission granted.
As you have yet to select a first officer,
respectfully I would like to submit my candidacy.
Should you desire, I can provide character references.
It would be my honor, Commander.
Maneuvering thrusters, Mr. Sulu.
Thrusters on standby.
- Take us out. - Aye-aye, Captain.
Space, the final frontier.
These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.
Her ongoing mission, to explore strange new worlds,
to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations,
to boldly go where no one has gone before.