STAR TREK: DISCOVERY
SEASON 2, EPISODE 9
SEASON 2, EPISODE 9
Project Daedalus
Series: Star Trek: Discovery - (2017 - 2024)Season: 2
Episode #: 9
Original Airdate: March 14th, 2019
Writer(s): Michelle Paradise
Director(s): Jonathan Frakes
Guest Stars
Jayne Brook as Vice Admiral Katrina Cornwell
Ethan Peck as Spock
Rachael Ancheril as Nhan
Hannah Cheesman as Lt. Cmdr. Airiam
Emily Coutts as Lt. Keyla Detmer
Patrick Kwok-Choon as Lt. Gen Rhys
Oyin Oladejo as Lt. Joann Owosekun
Ronnie Rowe Jr. as Lt. R.A. Bryce
Julianne Grossman as Discovery Computer
Arista Arhin as Young Burnham
Alisen Down as a Starfleet Psychiatrist
Tyler Hynes as Stephen
Tara Nicodemo as Admiral Patar
Stardate: Unknown
Synopsis
Arriving by shuttle, Admiral Cornwell comes aboard Discovery to interrogate Spock about the murders he has been accused of committing. During the interrogation which included having him submit to a lie detector test, Spock maintains his innocence; and the test suggests that he believes he’s telling the truth. Unfortunately, Cornwell has irrefutable video footage that clearly shows Spock committing the murders. But there’s more that the Admiral is concerned about, which lends to her arrival on Discovery. Cornwell has been locked out of several key Starfleet systems, and she believes it’s because of Admiral Patar, a logic extremist who has started rallying more extremists like herself since the Red Angel appeared. When Admiral Cornwell joins Pike on the Bridge, Tilly informs them that she has found the coordinates to where Tyler’s transmissions were being sent. Cornwell knows this location well – it’s the headquarters of Section 31.
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[ Screencap Index ]
Meanwhile, Spock attempts to decipher what the Red Angel wants with him. Is it something personal? He resists every suggestion or query that Burnham puts forth and even refuses to acknowledge that she is his sister. Despite her revelations on Talos IV, Spock remains unwilling to forgive her. With no answers available to them, Burnham suggests they turn to logic. And the best way to exercise logic is through a game of chess. Unfortunately, the game does not go as planned. Burnham tries to engage with her brother, but he has another agenda. Spock believes Burnham is obsessed with carrying burdens that she was no control over – from the death of her parents, saving her family from the logic extremists on Vulcan, the impending war with the Klingon race, or Spock’s current situation – Burnham always gets involved. Spock’s anger bubbles beneath the surface, resulting in surge of emotion that leads him to smash the chess set before existing Burnham’s quarters.
In Commander Airiam’s quarters, she reveals she was human once, excited to be married and looking forward to her new adventure with her husband. That was the last day the couple was together. Due to some untold disaster, Airiam became part android and part human. A result of this conditions requires her to purge her databanks on a weekly basis. The ‘memories’ she keeps are those she shares with the rest of the crew. Chats in the mess hall, sparring with a colleague, Burnham smiling at her. These most human of her experiences, of her moments about Discovery among the crew are the ones Airiam archives, while deleting everything else.
Discovery reaches the Section 31 headquarters, but the place is a fortress surrounded by shield-seeking mines. Cornwell, quite aware of the defenses of Section 31’s headquarters, offers up a navigational path for Discovery that will lead them through the mine field. Unfortunately Cornwell’s direction does not stop the mines from attacking Discovery; slicing up its hull and threatening to destroy the starship and all aboard her. With Discovery flying blind, Burnham suggests they try a new tactic – chaotic evasive maneuvers from random members of the crew. She surmises that the mines are being controlled by artificial intelligence and, thus, are anticipating Discovery’s maneuvers. By performing more chaotic maneuvers, Discovery might just make it through. The suggestion works - Discovery makes it through and is finally hailed by Admiral Patar. Incensed, Admiral Cornwell demands to know why Patar ordered an attack on a Starfleet vessel. She informs the Admiral and Pike that her order to attack Discovery came directly from Starfleet Command.
Patar indicates that the Discovery crew have been charged with treason, and now that Cornwell has been seen with fugitives, she is so charged as well. Cornwell and Pike, however, will not be cowed. They are going to infiltrate the headquarters and, to the mild surprise of the crew, Airiam recommends that she join the mission.
Down in Engineering, Stamets is attempting to repair Discovery’s spore drive in the event the ship needs to make a quick getaway, while Spock continues to investigate the Red Angel. The two end up helping each other as Stamets asks Spock to identify what it is that is unique enough about him that has attracted the Red Angel’s attention. Spock, in turn, suggests that the spore drive may not be working because Stamets has lost faith in himself. Stamets then asks Spock to reconsider his feelings towards Burnham, reminding him that she risked everything to rescue her brother because of her love for him. Spock responds in kind, indicating that perhaps Culber wants distance from Stamets not because he no longer has feelings from him, but because Culber’s feelings about himself have changed.
Burnham, Nhan, and Airiam beam down to the Section 31 headquarters, which is devoid of atmosphere and gravity. Frozen blood hovers around them, but there’s no clarification on who was fighting whom. While Nhan tries to turn on life-support, Burnham and Airiam stumble upon frozen bodies. They determine that the victims died at least two weeks ago, and one of them appears to be Admiral Patar herself. Who, then, was Pike and Cornwell talking to?
Saru has the answer – Patar was a hologram. Saru also indicates that this explains the footage of Spock killing the doctors – that, too, was also a holographic projection. The central computer system at Section 31 – Control – is behind all this. The only reason it’s allowed an away team onboard is because Control needs the data in Airiam’s databanks. When Pike informs the away team of this, Airiam attacks them, yanking out Nhan’s breathing apparatus and engaging in fisticuffs with Burnham.
Burnham is finally able to restrain Airiam as Tilly uncovers what it is Airiam has uploaded to Control – all the data that the Sphere uploaded onto the ship weeks earlier. With that amount of knowledge, Control could become sentient and invincible. This is what the Red Angel warned Spock about; this is how the end of the universe will begin if Discovery doesn’t stop Airiam.
Tilly opens a channel to Airiam in a bid to get through to her. She sends memories of their friendship to Airiam and it works. Airiam is back to herself, but her cybernetics are still being controlled. She turns to Burnham, pleading to be ejected through the airlock. Burnham refuses to concede to orders, but it’s the universe’s safety for Airiam’s life. Just before Airiam is ejected into space, she tells Burnham to find ‘Project Daedalus’. As Airiam floats in the endlessness of space, her final memory is that of her life as a human, talking about how she and her husband ‘are coming home’.
TrailerEpisode Posters
Posters courtesy of Laz Marquez and J.J. Lendl
| If Memory Serves (S2:E8) | ~ | Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode List | ~ | The Red Angel (S2:E10) |
