star trek first contact ship

First Contact In The Star Trek Universe Explained

After the end of World War III, humanity will be left scattered and destitute. Colonel Phillip Green will lead a freelance army of eco-terrorists, controlled by drugs, to the slaughter of 37 million people. Nuclear bombs will be dropped, and much of the planet's surface will be seared by radiation. All the governments will have fallen, and torturous kangaroo courts will take the place of truth and justice. People will move into small enclaves throughout the world, modestly enjoying their limited resources and waiting for a proper economic system to restart. 

In the middle of this terror, Earth will also experience its greatest day. On April 5, 2063, an engineer named Zefram Cochran will invent a craft that can, thanks to an energy field capable of warping the fabric of space, fly faster than the speed of light. On the maiden voyage of Cochran's ship, the Phoenix, a passing starship piloted by space aliens will change course to investigate. A cadre of Vulcans will land in Bozeman, Montana  and introduce themselves to humans . Humans, realizing they are not alone in the galaxy, will begin a new age of togetherness and peace, understanding they are but new citizens in a much larger community. Over the years, warp technology will be used as the basis of a new age of exploration, allowing humanity to build enormous crafts capable of reaching other planets.

Over the course of the next century, Vulcans will prepare humanity for the next leg in the evolution of their civilization: Traversing the stars. We see the fruits of this, and examples of additional First Contact with alien species, in the new series "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

First Contact as an institution

These details are all laid out explicitly in Jonathan Frakes' 1996 film " Star Trek: First Contact ." And, as with all lore introduced in "Star Trek," it became an oft-referred-to part of the franchise's lexicon. More importantly, however, first contact is — in the grand arc of "Star Trek" — the origin of Gene Roddenberry's benevolent vision of a peaceful future. 

In the future of "Star Trek," humanity doesn't steadily and instinctually improve as a natural and expected outcropping of its history to date. "Star Trek" is not a story of how Earth nations decided to spontaneously get along, or how humans elected to rid themselves of prejudice merely out of the goodness of their hearts. "Star Trek" argues that humanity is capable of acting that way, yes, but that, when left to our own devices as a species, we lilt toward destruction and entropy. Gene Roddenberry looked out at the world as it was in the 1960s and saw a lot of problems. War, racism, sexual repression. These things were common. And they would not be undone by a starship, a transporter, or a stalwart military captain. 

You'll notice that the optimistic future of "Star Trek" requires a clean slate. Much needs to be destroyed and removed before growth can begin. We needed to prove to ourselves, as a species, that we are capable of self-annihilation before we can build. The future can begin only after we allowed World War III to nearly wipe us out. Only at a moment of weakness, a moment of humility, a moment of shame, will our technical innovation be achieved ... for its own sake. In "First Contact," Cochran admits that he only wanted to achieve space flight as a means of making money. It wasn't until he was in space, looking back at a distant Earth after only flying for a few moments, that he realized the scope of his invention. 

Paired with that innovation during a desperate time was First Contact. It's 2063, and humanity is essentially at its worst, and that was when another species reached out to shake our hands. To see that we were capable of a lot. First Contact was not just a plot point, but the beginning of Roddenberry's optimistic future. Seeing the greatness in ourselves through the eyes of other members in our astral community. First Contact is the "Star Trek" origin story.

First Contact throughout Trek

Because First Contact was so significant for humanity, it was depicted as a very careful process in future "Star Trek" episodes. Thanks to the franchise's well-known Prime Directive — the law that forbids Starfleet from interfering in the natural course of a society's development — the Federation is persnickety about how they introduce themselves to new worlds. Most importantly: The species in question has to be capable of faster-than-light travel. Often — as depicted in a 1991 " Star Trek: The Next Generation " episode called "First Contact" — Starfleet will send representatives in disguise down to a world that is on the cusp of developing warp flight to ensure that they are united. Are they eager to take to the stars, or are they only incidentally developing space flight while the rest of the planet preps for more war? 

If the Federation finds the species in question is "ready" — there are no scientific measurements for said readiness, mind you; It appears to be based solely on diplomatic intuition — they will reveal themselves to the planet. Presumably, this will usher in a new era of peace and togetherness for that planet the same way it did for Earth. The Federation will them begin trade and, in some cases, many, many years of training to assure the species in question won't do anything reckless in the stars. 

That last bit was the premise of " Star Trek: Enterprise ." First Contact was in 2063, but the first Starfleet vessel didn't take off for another century. Those 100 years were needed for humanity to rebuild after the war, unify the governments, and gather resources to build the ships.

First Contact between two species that have both already achieved warp flight seems to be little more than a careful, polite, and formal introduction, and can be handled over a viewscreen. There is little concern with sociological evolution or culture taint in these cases. 

Second Contact

Given the number of species seen on "Star Trek," First Contact seems to be common. It's mentioned frequently that Starfleet vessels have First Contact protocols, and, on " Star Trek: Lower Decks ," senior officers talk about how much they love doing it. For them, it's a mere perk of the job. 

One of the central gags of "Lower Decks," though, is that the central starship, the U.S.S. Cerritos, is often assigned the least desirable jobs in Starfleet. "Lower Decks" points out that "Star Trek" — however utopian it may be on paper — is still full of petty bureaucracy, heavy lifting, and mindless repetitive tasks. As such, "Lower Decks" has introduced the notion of Second Contact. While first introducing yourselves to a new species is thrilling, someone will have to follow up on the promise to begin a cultural exchange. The Cerritos is called in to negotiate trade, open lines of diplomacy, start tracking the new world's culture and the language, and share just enough tech to help them without giving them so much that their society would be tainted. 

The captains get the fun of making a big speech about togetherness, but then someone else has to fly in and start quantity surveying. 

Like most things on "Lower Decks," Second Contact is meant to point out that not everything is "Star Trek" is as easy as an inspirational speech. There's also an overwhelming amount of logistics that goes into it. Second Contact is proof that First Contact carries with it a lot of practical concerns. 

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Star Trek: First Contact

• The Borg travel back in time intent on preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. Captain Picard and his crew pursue them to ensure that Zefram Cochrane makes his maiden flight reaching warp speed.
• In the twenty-fourth century, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E has been ordered to patrol the Romulan Neutral Zone by the Federation to avoid interference with their battle against the insidious Borg. Witnessing the loss of the battle, Captain Jean-Luc Picard ignores orders and takes command of the fleet engaging the Borg. But the Borg plan to travel back into the twenty-first century through a vortex with the intention to stop Earth's first contact with an alien race (the Vulcans). Following the Borg sphere, Picard and his crew realize that they have taken over the Enterprise in order to carry out their mission. Their only chance to do away with the Borg and their seductive Queen is to make sure that Zefram Cochrane makes his famous faster-than-light travel to the stars. — Blazer346
• The Borg have invaded Earth's galaxy, resulting in a battle with Star Fleet. The newly-commissioned USS Enterprise-E, commanded by Captain Jean-Luc Pickard, is ordered away from the action as Star Fleet command fear that Pickard's previous assimilation by the Borg will affect his judgement. Once it is clear that Star Fleet are losing the battle, Pickard disobeys orders and sets course for Earth, arriving in the nick of time. The Enterprise manages to save the Earth from destruction but it is soon apparent that the Borg do not intend to destroy Earth but change the course of its history. — grantss
• It is the twenty-fourth century, and the Borg (cybernetic lifeforms) have spread across the galaxy with one sole purpose: to assimilate and conquer all races. Under the command of their seductive and sadistic Queen, the Borg are headed to Earth with a devious plan involving time travel to alter history. After an epic battle against the Borg, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E crew follow the Borg sphere back into the twenty-first century, and must battle the Borg Queen before she assimilates mankind. Meanwhile, Picard and his crew must make sure that Zefram Cochrane makes his famous warp flight, and makes Earth's first contact with an alien species (the Vulcans). — Robert Lynch <[email protected]>
• Captain Jean-Luc Picard awakens from a nightmare in which he relived his assimilation by the cybernetic Borg six years earlier (previously shown in the two-part television episode "The Best of Both Worlds"). Starfleet informs him of a new Borg attack against Earth but orders the USS Enterprise-E to patrol the Romulan Neutral Zone so as to not introduce an "unstable element" to the fight. Learning that the fleet is losing the battle, the Enterprise crew disobeys orders and heads for Earth, where a single, damaged Borg Cube opposes a group of Starfleet vessels. The Enterprise arrives in time to save the crew of the USS Defiant which is being commanded by Lieutenant Commander Worf. After Picard hears Borg communications in his mind, he orders the fleet to concentrate its firepower on a seemingly non-vital section of the Borg ship. The Cube is destroyed after launching a smaller sphere ship towards the planet. The Enterprise pursues the sphere into a temporal vortex. Picard orders the Enterprise to follow it, and as they are enveloped in the vortex, the crew briefly glimpses an Earth populated entirely by Borg. Picard realizes that the Borg have used time travel to change the past. The Enterprise arrives in the past, on April 4, 2063, the day before humanity's first encounter with alien life after Zefram Cochrane's historic warp drive flight. The Borg sphere fires on the planet; realizing that the Borg are trying to prevent first contact, the Enterprise crew destroy the sphere and send an away team to the Montana site where Cochrane is building his ship, the Phoenix, to look for survivors. Picard sends Cochrane's assistant Lily Sloane to the Enterprise for medical attention, then returns to the ship and leaves Commander William Riker on Earth to make sure the Phoenix's flight proceeds as planned. The Enterprise crew sees Cochrane as a legend, but the real man is reluctant to assume his historical role. Borg survivors invade the Enterprise and begin to assimilate its crew and modify the ship. Picard and a team attempt to reach engineering to disable the Borg with its corrosive coolant, but the android Data is captured, and finds the queen of the Borg collective, who gains his trust by giving part of him human skin. A frightened Sloane seizes the captain, but he gains her trust, and they escape the Borg-infested area of the ship by creating a diversion in the Holodeck. Picard, Worf, and the ship's navigator, Lieutenant Hawk, stop the Borg from calling reinforcements with the deflector dish, but Hawk is assimilated. As the Borg continue to assimilate, Worf suggests destroying the ship, but Picard angrily calls him a coward and vows to continue the fight. Sloane confronts the captain and makes him realize he is acting irrationally due to his desire for revenge. Apologizing to Worf, Picard activates the ship's self-destruct. While the crew heads to escape pods, the captain stays behind to rescue Data. As Cochrane, Riker, and engineer Geordi La Forge prepare to activate the warp drive on the Phoenix, Picard confronts the Borg Queen and discovers she has grafted human skin onto Data, giving him an array of new sensations. She has presented this modification as a gift to the android, hoping to obtain his encryption codes to the Enterprise computer. Although Picard offers himself in Data's place, the android refuses to leave. He deactivates the self-destruct sequence and fires torpedoes at the Phoenix, but they miss, and the Queen realizes Data betrayed her. Data ruptures a coolant tank, and the corrosive gas dissolves the Borg's biological components. Cochrane completes his warp flight, and the next day, April 5, 2063, the crew watches as Vulcans, attracted by the Phoenix warp test, land and greet Cochrane. Having repaired history, the Enterprise crew returns to the 24th century.

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Screen Rant

First contact has a great star trek starship retcon.

Star Trek: First Contact shows Zephram Cochrane's first warp flight, and his ship, the Phoenix, is a retcon that explains every starship design since.

Zephram Cochrane's (James Cromwell) starship, the Phoenix, is a great Star Trek starship retcon. The Phoenix was introduced in Star Trek: First Contact as the experimental starship Cochrane built after the end of World War III. On April 5, 2063, Dr. Cochrane achieved Mankind's first successful warp flight, which caught the attention of nearby Vulcans. This led to First Contact between humans and Vulcans, the pivotal event that launched Mankind toward its optimistic future of founding Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets.

Star Trek: First Contact 's design for the Phoenix is ingenious because it literally explains the style of nearly every Starfleet ship that follows. The Phoenix launched as a cylindrical missile since Zephram Cochrane retrofitted a nuclear weapon and turned it into his starship. But after breaking free of Earth's orbit, the Phoenix's side panels opened, releasing twin nacelles before Dr. Cochrane's starship engaged into warp one. The Phoenix's twin nacelles extending was a fist-pumping moment for Star Trek fans in the audience, but it's also a brilliant retcon because it means Starfleet continued the basic twin nacelle design for most of its starships, especially its flagship, the USS Enterprise .

Related: Strange New Worlds Explains Why Humans Resent Vulcans For First Contact

First Contact Smartly Explained Star Trek's Ships Design

Along with Star Wars' Millennium Falcon, Star Trek's Starship Enterprise is the most famous spaceship in pop culture. The Enterprise's saucer section and twin nacelles, meant to resemble a bird in flight in silhouette, are iconic and instantly recognizable. But the Star Trek movies and TV series never gave an explanation as to the reason for the Enterprise's twin nacelles before Star Trek: First Contact. Thanks to the hit Star Trek: The Next Generation film, there is now an in-universe, canonical basis for Star Trek's starship design.

It's also extremely fitting that Star Trek's twin nacelles were canonically invented by Dr. Zephram Cochrane , thanks to Star Trek: First Contact 's clever retcon. After all, Dr. Cochrane is the father of warp drive, although First Contact showed the visionary as a flawed human who wallowed in alcohol and was terrified of the responsibility of being the wellspring of the future the crew of the USS Enterprise-E claimed he was. Star Trek: Enterprise later established that Cochrane influenced the construction of the NX-01 Enterprise, the first human starship with a Warp 5 engine capable of deep space exploration - and it also boasts twin nacelles.

First Contact Gave Star Trek An Origin Story

The Phoenix's iconic twin nacelles are just one part of the origin story Star Trek: First Contact gave Star Trek. While the film's intense A story was Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) fighting the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) aboard the Enterprise-E, First Contact's whimsical B story of Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and his crew ensuring Dr. Cochrane's warp flight launches on schedule is actually more important to Star Trek history. Had Riker failed, First Contact with the Vulcans never would have happened and the next thousand years of Star Trek's future would cease to be.

The Phoenix's twin nacelles launching it into warp lives on, not just in Star Trek: First Contact but also in Star Trek: Enterprise , which enshrined that moment in its opening credits set to Russell Watson's "Faith of the Heart" for all four seasons. While some Starfleet ships lack twin nacelles or have even more nacelles, they never quite look as right as the Enterprise's basic design does. Star Trek: First Contact not only gave Star Trek an origin story, but the Phoenix's retcon also smartly gave the famous look of Star Trek 's starships an origin of its own.

Next: Star Trek Confirms Picard Made The Best First Contact

From the Bonaventure to the Phoenix

Ever-changing ideas of the first warp ship - by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider

The history of the first warp vessel, whether it was built by Zefram Cochrane himself or not, was subject to a number of revisions throughout the history of the Star Trek production. Ships with different names and different designs were labeled as the "first warp-powered vessel" or something along these lines. They are listed and investigated in the following.

In the first pilot episode, after the survivors from the SS Columbia have been found on Talos IV, Tyler tells them that "the time barrier's been broken" . We could understand this as a reference to the invention of warp drive. It would have taken place no more than 18 years before the episode, the time when the Columbia crashed on the planet (although it raises the question how the Columbia could have got there without FTL propulsion). Considering that there is solid evidence from later episodes that warp drive already existed for many decades prior to TOS, we could still argue that the "broken time barrier" refers to a breakthrough in warp propulsion not unlike the first warp flight. A breakthrough so significant that some people in the 23rd century casually call it the "invention of warp drive".

TOS: Metamorphosis

This TOS episode does not show or mention a first warp ship, but it introduces us to the inventor of warp propulsion, Zefram Cochrane. Nothing is mentioned that would imply that Cochrane himself built the first warp ship, however. We may only surmise that the first warp flight took place not too long after Cochrane's revolutionary discovery irrespective of his possible direct involvement in the building of the prototype. Since Cochrane is said to have disappeared at the age of 87 some 150 years prior to "Metamorphosis", the latest date for the launch of the first warp vessel is around 2117, because realistically he could have made his final journey into outer space only on a warp-powered ship. Since the Valiant quite obviously went to warp as soon as around 2065 according to TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", the first warp prototype must have been launched a few years earlier, when Cochrane was still a young man.

Side note It is an already classic inconsistency that, according to Kirk, Cochrane used to be a denizen of the Alpha Centauri in the TOS episode, whereas "First Contact" leaves no doubt that he had never left Earth until he went of the first warp flight. Read more at Biography Inconsistencies .

TAS: The Time Trap

Regarding the age of the Bonaventure, Spock speculates that "the crew's descendants may still be living" , thereby implying that at least roughly a century has passed since her disappearance. This rules out the Bonaventure as the ship that broke the "time barrier" that was referred to in "The Cage". However, the Bonaventure could be old enough to be Cochrane's warp ship prototype, although most other evidence speaks against it.

TAS: The Counter-Clock Incident

Or does she just mean she was the "first (=chief) medical officer" on no particularly important warp ship, which would pose no problem at all? This doesn't seem so, as she puts too much emphasis on "first", and Kirk agrees with her that she used to be a pioneer in space.

Spaceflight Chronology

This book from 1980 is non-canon and was never really intended to be canon, also because it consists of just too much speculation. Aside from Rick Sternbach's co-authorship (he made the illustrations) there is one reason, however, to take the Spaceflight Chronology into account. It is the first time that the name "Bonaventure" (as a homage to TAS: "The Time Trap"), or any ship name at all, is linked to Zefram Cochrane (as a homage to TOS: "Metamorphosis"). The design depicted in the book will never show up in any canon installment of Star Trek though.

We learn in the Spaceflight Chronology that the Bonaventure was "the first ship with warp drive" and was launched in 2061. Actually, according to the book, an Earth sublight ship named UNSS Icarus made first contact with Alpha Centauri in 2048 where Zefram Cochrane, a native of the planet, discovered the principle of warp drive in 2051 (at the age of 21!). The Bonaventure is listed as a ship of the Cochrane class, which is odd, because in the tradition of Earth and Starfleet we would expect the class to be named after its lead ship, not after the inventor of its propulsion technology. There is no mention of Cochrane being involved in the development of the class aside from being its name giver.

Rick Sternbach: "I wish I had more information or memories about this particular ship, but there's not much to tell. The design was part of an evolution of early warp ships, with the lineage ultimately taking the reader up to the TOS Enterprise and the refit. The beginnings of the familiar ship elements are there, just not terribly obvious. The forward section evolved from an aerodynamic body and would later become the saucer, the body behind it would evolve into the secondary hull, and the side pods would become the warp nacelles. The big package at the aft end housed big waste heat radiators and was probably where the impulse nozzles would be located. Of course, the Phoenix seen in 'First Contact' went straight to the TOS-type nacelles, so that short-circuited any slower developmental hardware steps."

Star Trek Chronology (1st & 2nd edition)

The first edition of the Star Trek Chronology from 1993 depicts two black-and-white photos of a miniature and a color painting of Zefram Cochrane's unnamed first warp vessel. The painting can be found on the front cover. The first photo is a three-quarter front view, which adorns the introduction to the 21st century chapter with the heading "Breaking the warp barrier" . The second photo shows a side/rear view of the vessel in the entry to the year 2061, when the first warp flight was intended to have taken place. It is labeled "Zefram Cochrane's first warp-powered spacecraft" .

We can make out a registry on the painting and even a bit clearer on the front view photo. It appears to be "C1-21", which does not make sense compared to other Star Trek registries, but may simply stand for "Cochrane 1 - 21st century".

The launch date of 2061 and all depictions of this vessel were removed in the second edition of the Star Trek Chronology , issued in 1996. This adjustment was necessary because "Star Trek: First Contact" was just being produced and established different canon facts. The following notes were added to the entry of 2063: "Cochrane's ship, the Phoenix, was designed by illustrator John Eaves under the direction of production designer Herman Zimmerman. Eaves's design was based on a conjectural design for Cochrane's ship developed by modelmaker Greg Jein for the first edition of this Chronology. (Eaves made several significant changes to the design of the Phoenix, in part because the storyline for Star Trek first contact reveals that Cochrane's ship was launched from an uprated U.S. Air Force Titan missile, a fact known to Jein at the time the first Chronology was compiled.)"

DS9 episodes

The warp ship design from the Star Trek Chronology showed up in early DS9 episodes in two different forms: as the already mentioned model built by Greg Jein and as a side view depiction on a wall chart along with the then five known starships named Enterprise. More precisely we can see the early warp vessel in the following installments:

1. In DS9: "The Nagus" we can make out the wall display with the early warp ship in Keiko's classroom. There are also models of the Miranda, Nebula and Galaxy but not Jein's miniature. The classroom was previously seen in DS9: "A Man Alone" but not yet with the wall chart. 2. We can briefly see the wall chart as well as the miniature in DS9: "In the Hands of the Prophets". 3. The miniature more prominently appears in DS9: "Cardassians", but without the wall chart, although the classroom is full of other LCARS displays.

We get a good look at Greg Jein's miniature in the DVD special features to DS9's season 2, when it can be seen as a desktop decoration in Mike Okuda's office. We can clearly make out the comparably small warp engines, which are mounted on straight horizontal pylons. In contrast, the nacelles of the vessel in the Star Trek Chronology (the painting as well as the model photo) are slightly tilted down. It looks like the nacelle assembly was modified some time prior to DS9, or a second model was built as set dressing.

Mike Okuda: "Greg Jein designed the version of Cochrane's ship that was featured in the Star Trek Chronology . He did the models as a favor to us, so we pretty much gave him free reign to make what he thought was appropriate. I told him that we thought the ship would be experimental and very powerful, so he came up with that big curved radiation shield. The only change we made was to add the two rudimentary warp nacelles. We wanted it to look like something from the Matt Jefferies universe, but we wanted it to look much more primitive, and far more dangerous. Greg later made a second copy of the model, which we provided to DS9 set decorator Laura Richarz for use as set dressing. The nacelles may have been slightly different in that version, which could account for the difference in the 'dihedral.' I think the flat version was the second model. Doug Drexler loved that model and later did a quick drawing of it for use in a number of background DS9 graphics, including the one you mentioned. I'm pretty sure that those graphics were the only time that we called it 'Bonaventure,' although we did suggest that name for use in First Contact. 'Phoenix' did end up being more appropriate, given the film's story."

It also seems that in DS9: "Cardassians" the nacelles are missing, but actually they are just barely discernable because we see the ship almost straight from the side, and the nacelles are the same color as the engineering hull. If we look very closely we are able to recognize the red nacelles caps also on the episode screen cap. Hence the nacelles are still present as of the DS9 episode.

Let us have a closer look at the wall display. The big surprise is that, according to the display, this vessel is named Bonaventure. So unlike in the first edition of the Star Trek Chronology , where the design first appeared, the ship does have a name. The sub-title is "Discovery of the Space Warp" , which links the Bonaventure to Zefram Cochrane.

The wall display was made by Doug Drexler based on Greg Jein's already existing model, and prior to "First Contact". Comparing the drawing and the available screen caps of the miniature, also those from Voyager (see below), we can spot some inaccuracies in the drawing, however. Especially the rear engineering hull and the transition from this section to the aft engines is different from the model. The nacelles are located well below the centerline of the hull on the drawing, whereas they are most likely exactly on the centerline on Jein's miniature in Okuda's office. So the display is obviously based on the other version. Finally, the drawing is more colorful than the model was at any time that we know of. Our reconstructed side view schematic is based on the side view on the wall chart, but is corrected in a way to reflect the structure of the original miniature.

Doug Drexler: "Wow! I forgot about that one. That's a pretty early one for DS-9. Good times! Like so many of the graphics on the show, this one benefited by creation of the Star Trek Encyclopedia by Mike and Denise. It was a resource to them, because I'd developed so many peripheral diagrams. If a backlit came out of the blue for an episode, I could put something fun together in no time flat. Sometimes you only had a few hours to get a last minute request addressed. The Bonaventure model that Greg Jein built for Mike as made specifically for the Star Trek Chronology . See that? I automatically called it 'The Bonaventure.' The idea is that it was built by Cochrane using off the shelf garage technology. At the time that seemed far fetched... from another era... like the Wright Brothers. Could never happen again. But then Burt Rutan [who built the experimental airplane Voyager to fly around the world] came along. I'm a believer! The Phoenix grew out of this design. Early in the planning of 'First Contact,' Mike and I had done a number of illustrations showing how it would get into orbit. By the way, 'Bonaventure' was absolutely a nod to the animated show."

Star Trek: First Contact

The feature film makes it clear that Cochrane is human. Also, his ship is now named Phoenix and its design is a different one than anything shown so far, although it has many features in common with the Bonaventure that appeared on DS9. The date of the launch is now nailed down to 2063.

There is no way of denying or re-interpreting that Zefram Cochrane is a human being from Earth, that he constructed the first human-built warp vessel called Phoenix and launched it in 2063, as depicted in "Star Trek: First Contact". Everything that we have heard or read of other "first warp vessels" must be accordingly amended at latest in the wake of this feature film.

If TAS is canon , then the TAS Bonaventure must be ruled out as the first ship with warp drive, much less as a design by Zefram Cochrane. It has to be some other historically important vessel with a new form of warp drive and not much older than from the late 22nd century. The vessel may have been named in honor of the other canon Bonaventure, the vessel from the classroom in DS9. The design from the Spaceflight Chronology is non-canon and has been ultimately invalidated just like idea that Cochrane is indigenous to Alpha Centauri. Regarding the Star Trek Chronology , there is no notable information about a first warp ship that hasn't already been revised with regard to "Star Trek: First Contact". Ironically, the ship design that was removed from the first edition is canon nonetheless thanks to its appearance in three DS9 episodes.

The miniature and wall display from DS9 may be incorporated into the history of warp flight. Yet, we need to re-interpret the line "Discovery of the Space Warp" , knowing that Cochrane developed warp drive on Earth and made the first flight (at least the first manned one) on the Phoenix and not on a ship named Bonaventure. This leaves the option that the DS9 Bonaventure is either an unmanned testbed, or rather a vessel that was launched soon after the Phoenix and hence still contributed to the "Discovery of the Space Warp" . It is well possible that the Bonaventure was the first warp ship built for real journeys through space, as opposed to the Phoenix that served as a test vehicle for just one flight. However, even without the Bonaventure the amassment of too early and/or too advanced warp vessels poses a problem.

Finally, we may speculate that the model in VOY represents an actual early Malon vessel just like the Bonaventure is supposedly an old Earth design.

TAS Starfleet & Federation Ship Classes - including the entry about the Bonaventure

Biography Inconsistencies - gaps in biographies and other anomalies

21st Century Earth History - thoughts about early interplanetary travel, the Eugenics Wars and the Third World War

Other History Inconsistencies - about the TOS movie timeline, the UESPA, first contact with the Borg, Klingons in the Federation, etc.

Thanks a lot to Adrian of Myprops.co.uk , who is the proud owner of the Bonaventure wall chart and who authorized us to use his photographs. Thanks also to John Mesiavech, John Ritter and Zarm R'keeg for additional suggestions to resolve the Bonaventure problem. Special thanks to Doug Drexler, Mike Okuda and Rick Sternbach for their annotations!

https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/articles/bonaventure.htm

Last modified: 25 Oct 2021

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NATO Explains Why The Theme For ‘Star Trek: First Contact’ Was Played At Sweden’s Induction Ceremony

| March 30, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 26 comments so far

Earlier this month Sweden officially joined NATO, becoming the 32nd member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. There was an official ceremony welcoming Sweden at NATO HQ in Brussels, raising their flag to join the other nations in the defense alliance. The Swedish delegation was led by Crown Princess Victoria and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, welcomed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. A military band was on hand for the ceremony and there was a surprising bit of music from the final frontier that got things started. TrekMovie has the exclusive to explain what happened.

Sounds Swedish

The flag ceremony was held on March 11 in Belgium. As the assorted officials gathered and the flagbearers prepared to raise the Swedish flag, the band started off the event playing the main theme from Jerry Goldsmith’s score for the 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact . You can see and hear the moment below from the live stream replay via Sky News.  [music starts after first 15 seconds]

This bit of Trek showing up at such an auspicious occasion eventually got noticed by some fans. Certainly NATO’s mission of an alliance of partners working together to “guarantee the freedom and security of its members” fits with the ideals of the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet, but it still is curious. TrekMovie reached out to NATO to find out more about  First Contact showing up for Sweden’s big moment, and they replied.

A NATO official tells TrekMovie:

“Ahead of ceremonial military events, the band will often play a range of popular music, with the band given discretion with respect to which music to play. Jerry Goldsmith was a masterful film composer, as exemplified by his work on Star Trek’s “First Contact”. At the ceremony itself, the national anthem of Sweden and the NATO anthem were played.”

The same official noted that next week NATO is celebrating its 75th anniversary. There will be a ceremony complete with military bands and they are expected to again be playing a range of popular songs as guests arrive. It’s not known if Star Trek will be part of their repertoire.

Definitely Swedish

While it’s clear the musical director for the military band was a fan of Jerry Goldsmith, it could be they are also enough of a Trek fan to see a connection to the alliance and the themes of First Contact , which showed humanity’s first encounter with an alien race. Meeting the Vulcans in the aftermath of a world war began a new era of galactic cooperation that is held up as an idealized future for humanity.

Zefram Cochrane greets the Vulcan visitor to Earth in Star Trek: First Contact (Paramount Pictures)

They may also be a big enough fan to remember the specific connection between First Contact and Sweden. In the film, the USS Enterprise-E travels back in time from the 24th century to 2063. When Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) tries to explain the Borg to 21st century local Lily Sloane (Alfre Woodard) you get a bit of a recurring Sweden gag…

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Alternatively, First Contact took place in the aftermath of a nuclear war…

Er, yeah, wasn’t there also a passing mention of the “Eastern Coalition” or some such? I think it’s when they’re under attack from the Borg sphere.

Yes. The Eastern Coalition was heavily involved in WWIII

Okay, thanks.

This was wonderful. as Frakes tweeted.

FC was best Trek movie in many a die hard fan and casual fan/general movie audiences eyes (it was deemed so by many critics and fans when it came out and for a good few years until Wrath came back to the fore and won out in the end) and FC made Trek ‘cool’ for a while, so cool I could buy a STFC caramel filled chocolate bar in my local newsagent (Trek wasnt ‘cool’ again until ST09/ID, and before FC? maybe you could say TWOK or TVH or some of TNG were a ‘cool’ times for Trek, maybe )

The Swedish government has great taste in music.

My favourite score in Star Trek (along with the score to the relaunch of the Enterprise-D in Picard).

Are you talking about “Make it So” on the S3 Picard soundtrack? I listen to it every morning. It’s my favorite too.

That’s the one!!! An incredible piece of music!

Mine too. I LOVE it! 🖖😍👍📯🎶🤝🇸🇪

Same here dear! 😊

This is great! I had forgotten the Borg sounds Swedish gag in FC. I bet that was the fun inspiration for the selection. LOL!

That takes me back. I remember seeing First Contact in the theater in ’96 and the Borg/Swedish gag getting a big laugh. That was a fun night.

Seeing it for the first time, on the big screen back in 1996 — with a really fun, “borgified” laser show with quotes, images and music (!) from the movie directly above the audience, right before the feature — was a great night for us, too! 💨🌫💥🌫💨

What a great 🎶 choice for this event! 🖖😍

A Borg laser show? Awesome!

It was so well done, it must’ve been an officially licensed event that the German CinemaxX chain of theaters ran for their screenings. Wondering now, if it was basically the official trailer (or an extended version of it) as a laser show… maybe somebody else around here can confirm that part of it? 🤷‍♂️

Amazing. Historic. So proud. What an honor for the franchise, for the fans.

It actually sounds like a national anthem.

Goldsmith is my favorite composer in the history of the world bar none but I find the FC theme to fall under the heading of coming across as just ‘graduation day’ music, which is something that happens with some lesser John Williams stuff too. I’m not just picking on the biggies … Dennis McCarthy’s GEN score has the same effect on me, a little more distracting than engaging.

There’s a history with JG’s stuff being trotted out inappropriately (like Trump using AIR FORCE ONE music during a campaign instead of the more appropriate Vader/Imperial March or Nazi Germany’s Horst-Wessel-Lied), but I think the FC stuff might actually be more appropriate for NATO than for the movie.

Interesting, kmart. So, how would you rank your Trek score preferences? For me, it depends on my own mood. Of course, JG is a giant. I also like parts of Horner’s music and the eeriness and mysteriousness of Russo’s Picard s1 theme.

TMP and TFF and TWOK are my fave scores (and films.)

“ like Trump using AIR FORCE ONE music during a campaign instead of the more appropriate Vader/Imperial March or Nazi Germany’s Horst-Wessel-Lied ” How very one-sided of you. You should have left politics out of this. Some would see it as the opposite.

Some ALWAYS see it as the opposite. That’s what makes for horse-racing. Nice to see you out in the open on this.

One word: Priceless.

Fantastic! A great choice. Such a great score to a great film.

Too bad this didn’t happen on actual First Contact Day. But close enough! This is a great theme and a great nod to Star Trek.

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‘Star Trek’: Rachel Garrett, the First Female USS Enterprise Captain, Will Be Part of the ‘Section 31’ Movie

Christian blauvelt.

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“ Star Trek ” fans got a couple fascinating details in a March 27 report by Variety on the future of the franchise on Paramount+. The biggest for sure is that the character of Rachel Garrett, the first female captain of the USS Enterprise, will be appearing in the “Section 31” direct-to-Paramount+ movie that’s going to star Michelle Yeoh .

The actress Kacey Rohl will be playing Garrett, who was the captain of the Enterprise-C in the first half of the 24th century and was the subject of one of the most beloved “Next Generation” episodes ever: “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (she was played by Tricia O’Neal in the original episode).

This is the episode where, once they’ve agreed to face their doom, Picard says, “Let’s make sure history never forgets the name Enterprise.” If Kirk didn’t believe in a “no win” situation, she faced one head-on, making Garrett an especially valiant captain.

In the “Star Trek” timeline, she’s the first female Enterprise captain. In order, the timeline goes: Jonathan Archer of the pre-Federation Enterprise NX-01, James T. Kirk of the Enterprise NCC-1701 and Enterprise-A, Alan Ruck’s John Harriman of the Enterprise-B (this writer chooses to believe that since the lore does say Harrison came from “a prominent family,” that he is in fact a descendant of Connor Roy, thus winning the ultimate succession: the Enterprise captain’s chair), and then Garrett.

One other interesting detail emerged in that report: That the “Starfleet Academy” show, which IndieWire told you a year ago must logically have a 32nd Century setting as a follow-up series to “Discovery,” is in fact confirmed to be set then, but, surprisingly, is being targeted to a “tween and teen” audience.

Jonathan Frakes, who’s directed episodes of every “Trek” series since “Next Gen” in addition to playing Riker on that series and beyond, is quoted in the Variety piece as saying that he thinks the franchise’s audience is older. Franchise mastermind Alex Kurtzman seems to hope that a show like “Starfleet Academy” may reach a new audience altogether.

Reps for Paramount+ did not respond to IndieWire’s request for comment about confirmation of these details.

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Published Apr 5, 2024

A Guide to Star Trek: Discovery's First Contacts

In celebration of First Contact Day and the premiere of Discovery's fifth season, we're revisiting the series' first contacts.

StarTrek.com

April 5 marks First Contact Day — the pivotal moment in Star Trek: First Contact when the first interaction between humans and Vulcans were initiated in 2063.

Meanwhile, the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery finds Captain Burnham and the crew of the  U.S.S. Discovery  uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries.

To celebrate both First Contact Day and the Season 5 premiere of Star Trek: Discovery , we've decided what better way to mark both occasions than by revisiting all the first contacts made across the series as we await what species and planets this epic adventure will bring them in contact with!

Vulcans-Klingons First Contact

"The Vulcan Hello"

In Star Trek: Discovery 's premiere episode, "The Vulcan Hello," First Officer Michael Burnham's insubordination towards Captain Phillipa Georgiou stemmed from the Vulcans' history with the Klingons.

After a run-in with the Klingon Rejac, an unconscious Burnham recalls a childhood memory at the Vulcan Learning Center where the Vulcan children are intaking lessons within a bubble pod. While being quizzed on Klingons, the young Burnham emotionally stumbles when presented with images of a recent Klingon terror raid at the Human-Vulcan science outpost at Doctari Alpha.

Later, on the Bridge of the Shenzhou , Burnham pushes back on the Admiral and Captain Georgiou to not stand down in the face of contact with the Klingons. When Burnham sends out a transmission to Sarek, he questions if she's letting her emotional considerations impede her logic. It was the Klingons who had killed her human parents as a child. She pleads to know how the Vulcans kept the Klingons at bay following the terror raid some time ago.

Back on the Bridge, Burnham makes one last appeal to Georgiou to fire upon the Klingons, recalling an incident 240 years ago, near H'Atoria, when a Vulcan ship crossed into Klingon space. " The Klingons attacked immediately and destroyed the vessel. Vulcans don't make the same mistake twice. From then on, until formal relations were established, whenever the Vulcans crossed paths with Klingons, the Vulcans fired first. They said hello in a language the Klingons understood. Violence brought respect. Respect brought peace. Captain, we have to give the Klingons a Vulcan hello. " A plea that Georgiou shut down as Starfleet doesn't fire first.

Unfortunately for the Shenzhou , the Klingons, led by T'Kuvma , were intent in instigating a confrontation with the Federation in order to unify the 24 Great Houses, leading to the Battle at the Binary Stars.

Tardigrades

"The Butcher's Knife Cares Not..."

Following the outbreak of war with the Klingons, the U.S.S. Discovery and U.S.S. Glenn , led by the research of LT. Paul Stamets and Lt. Straal, respectively, were tasked with the development of the spore drive, a faster-than-light drive technology.

Investigating an anomaly that killed everyone aboard the Glenn , Stamets and Burnham discovered their sister ship had been using a tardigrade lifeform, which bared resemblance to Earth's micro-animal, due to its symbiotic relationship with the spores of the Prototaxites stellaviatori . Discovery brought the creature, nicknamed "Ripper" aboard their ship, to study not only its ability to chart and navigate the galaxy via the "intergalactic freeway system," but its ability to tear through metal and withstand phaser fire and Klingon weaponry. With Ripper's abilities, Stamets was able to achieve the first completely safe mycelial jump of any starship. However, these jumps caused Ripper a great deal of pain and suffering. With that discovery, Stamets injected himself with the tardigrade's DNA to take its place in navigating the mycelial network.

With the Federation's ban on genetic engineering, the spore drive was taken offline following the Klingon war, until they could utilize the spore drive without forcing its navigator to be genetically-altered or injected with tardigrade DNA.

"Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"

In "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum," we come across the Pahvans, a species that seemingly lives in balance and harmony with their home planet, Pahvo.

Pahvo, also sentient, manifests itself as Pahvans in order to communicate telepathically with other species like Kelpiens, who can understand them. The Pahvans' entire existence is an effort to bring harmony to discord, and sharing themselves to others via their crystal transmitter. However, their interpretation of harmony and discord doesn't necessarily match other species with which they come in contact.

"Saints of Imperfection"

The Discovery would soon come in contact with the jahSepp, in Season 2, as the xeno-entity lives within the mycelial network.

In order to let Stamets and Discovery know about their destruction of their home every time they engaged the spore drive, the spore entity attempted to communicate with Sylvia Tilly by manifesting as someone from her memory — her childhood friend May Ahearn.

Kaminar, Kelpiens, and the Ba'ul

"The Sound of Thunder"

Kaminar, a planet with two moons, is home to both the Kelpiens and the Ba'ul, establishing a binary existence of predators and prey.

The Ba'ul are predatory species that hunted Kelpiens. As a warp capable species, they forced the pre-warp Kelpiens to submit to cullings, which the latter species view as "the Great Balance."

The U.S.S. Archimedes made first contact with the Ba'ul after receiving a transmission from Kaminar. However, their High Council proved hostile, leading the Federation to avoid them ever since due to General Order One (aka the Prime Directive). However, a then lieutenant serving aboard the Archimedes , Georgiou brought Saru aboard the starship as a refugee.

"The Brightest Star"

Kelpiens viewed the Great Balance as the process of going through vahar'ai and being culled by the Ba'ul. Their entire existence anticipation anticipated this death, and was their central organizing truth. Its this binary structure that led to Kelpiens to evolve their "threat ganglia," which is a biological warning system that signaled when there was a nearby threat.

When Kelpiens go through the maturation process of vahar'ai , their threat ganglia become painfully swollen. When Saru survived his vahar'ai (becoming less of afraid and developing quills), the first Kelpin to survive the evolution in over 2,000 years, the Discovery would learn the Great Balance was an invention by the actually frail Ba'ul to keep Kelpiens in line, as they once faced extinction at the hands of evolved Kelpiens.

The 32nd Century

"That Hope Is You, Part 1"

Following the events of " Such Sweet Sorrow " and " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 ," the third season of Star Trek: Discovery opens with Michael Burnham finding herself thrown into the 32nd Century, with the U.S.S. Discovery arriving some time after, where much of the galaxy is unlike the one she left behind.

The Federation is fractured, and the Burn had devastated warp travel. Here, Burnham learned that temporal wars — battles that took place over the course of all of space-time — led to all time-travel being banned, and any technology that enabled it destroyed.

"The Sanctuary"

One of the first people Burnham meets in the 32nd Century is Cleveland "Book" Booker when she crash landed in Hima.

Book is a Kwejian, a humanoid race, that inhabited the homeworld by the same name until it was destroyed by the Dark Matter Anomaly (DMA), a massive phenomenon of extreme destructive force that destroyed everything in its unpredictable path. Some members of the Kwejian were empathic and could communicate telepathically with animals, like Book.

Federation-Species Ten-C First Contact

"Coming Home"

The U.S.S. Discovery was assigned a mission to find and initiate first contact with Species Ten-C in order to stop the rampaging Dark Matter Anomaly that threatened the galaxy.

When the Discovery visited the planet that used to be the Ten-C's home, they discovered giants, with translucent skin, who floated in the atmosphere. These giant creatures whose bond of unity lead to no concept of individualism.

Upon first contact with Discovery , the Ten-C agreed to turn off the DMA and repair the damage they had down to subspace.

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Christine Dinh (she/her) is the managing editor for StarTrek.com. She’s traded the Multiverse for helming this Federation Starship.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1 through 4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe. In Canada, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel. Star Trek: Discovery is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

• Star Trek 101

Will There Be a Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 Release Date & Is It Coming Out?

By Apoorv Rastogi

Wondering when Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 will be coming out? Here are all the details available regarding the possible release date of the series’ sixth season. It is a prequel to the original series, taking place a decade before the 1966 show’s events. The series focuses on the escapades of Captain Michael Burnham, who is reassigned to Discovery after inadvertently starting a war. Now in command of the ship, Burnham vows to explore new worlds and find a peaceful solution to the war.

Here’s all we know about Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 and whether or not it’s coming out.

Is there a Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 release date?

There is no Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 release date as season 5 was the final addition to the series.

The fifth installment of the series recently released its first two episodes, with the remaining chapters set to come out every week. However, fans have already started to raise questions about a possible sixth edition. Such Star Trek enthusiasts will have to look elsewhere, as the showrunners have confirmed that the series will end with the fifth season. Consequently, there is no official release date for a sixth installment in the series.

Sonequa Martin-Green plays the lead in this series, portraying the role of Captain Burnham. She is joined by the likes of Doug Jones, Mary Wiseman, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Emily Coutts, and Oyin Oladejo, among others, who complete the additional cast roster.

Why Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 isn’t happening

Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 isn’t coming out because

The official synopsis for the series reads:

“Follow the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself.”

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First First Contact (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.2 Production
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Continuity
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Special guest star
• 4.3 Guest cast
• 4.4 Background characters
• 4.5.1 Meta references
• 4.6 External links

Summary [ ]

Captain Sonya Gomez

Captain Carol Freeman is being briefed about the Laap system by Admiral Alonzo Freeman and Captain Gomez informs Freeman that the Cerritos will initially be positioned outside the system, as Gomez doesn't want to intimidate the Lapeerians with the sight of multiple ships. After first contact is made, the Cerritos can install subspace transponders and then will be free to join the Archimedes ' crew planetside for the celebration. At the end of the briefing, Admiral Freeman hands his wife a glass of champagne and proposes a congratulation toast in her name.

In the space station corridor, Ensign Beckett Mariner is carrying a box of contraband when she bumps into Ensign Jennifer Sh'reyan , causing the contents to spill out. Mariner begrudgingly asks her not to tell Commander Jack Ransom about it, and Sh'reyan just walks away, not caring about the incident. When Mariner finishes picking up her mess, Freeman and Gomez walk out from a nearby room and Mariner quickly ducks behind a corner. Mariner overhears Gomez telling the dismayed Freeman that as she will not be able to transfer her senior staff to her new ship as Starfleet Command likes to have consistency with California -class crews, so she may need to make some "tearful goodbyes."

Act One [ ]

In the repair bay , Ensigns Brad Boimler , D'Vana Tendi , and Sam Rutherford are working, when Rutherford's cybernetic implant obstructs his vision with an alert. Rutherford asks Boimler if he can cover his upcoming shift in Cetacean Ops while he gets his implant fixed, but Boimler is unable to do so as he is too busy preparing decorations for Captain Freeman Day . Mariner walks into the repair bay and tells them that she overheard that Freeman is getting a promotion. While others express excitement for the captain, Mariner is more hesitant. Boimler wonders if Ransom could move up Captain Freeman Day to better line up for Freeman's promotion, but Mariner says that Freeman hasn't told Ransom yet, and he'd likely be "super pissed" about it. This gives Mariner an idea to annoy her mother by telling Ransom about the captain's pending transfer, and she excitedly runs off to go find him to Boimler's dismay. Tendi then gets called by Dr. T'Ana to report to her office, and she can't help but wonder if T'Ana is mad at her. Rutherford assures her that she's overthinking it, and this reassures Tendi.

In the mess hall , Ransom is socializing with Andy Billups and Shaxs when Mariner sits at their booth. While Ransom tries to dismiss her, Mariner tells them that she has something that they will want to hear.

The Archimedes departs

The Cerritos and Archimedes disembark from the space station for the Laap system, and the Archimedes goes to warp first after exchanging some pleasantries. Freeman asks Ransom to take them out, but Ransom begrudgingly acknowledges her order. She asks Shaxs about the repairs to the phasers , and he angrily replies that if he had an update, he would tell her. Billups then emotionally says that "her ship" is ready for warp. Freeman wonders why everyone's mood seems to have soured. As the Cerritos goes to warp, she angrily tells her senior staff to report to her ready room .

Tendi is about to enter Dr. T'Ana's office when she sees Dr. T'Ana talking with Nurse Westlake about her. When Tendi overhears T'Ana commenting that she is not cut out to be in Starfleet Medical and deleting her profile from the medical roster, she runs off in panic. T'Ana senses Tendi is nearby by her scent.

In Freeman's ready room, Freeman angrily demands to know what's going on, and Mariner admits that she overheard that she will be getting a promotion and a new ship, and the senior staff voice their grievances. Freeman tries to say that she would take them with her if she could, but before she can say anything else, Mariner decides to toss some more fuel on the figurative fire and asks who the new captain will be. Ransom is confident that he will assume the role, before Freeman reluctantly says that the admiralty will be bringing on someone new, which causes further anger amidst the senior staff. Freeman shoots a glare at her daughter.

In the lower decks crew bunks, Tendi rushes up to Rutherford, and tells him that she's afraid she's going to be transferred off the ship, as she saw T'Ana delete her from the system. Rutherford looks up the medical roster, and confirms that her name is no longer there, and Tendi begins to cry, as she will miss the Cerritos greatly. Rutherford then gets an idea for them to visit all her favorite places on the ship one final time so that she can have a proper goodbye. Tendi is cheered up by the idea, and leads the way, as Rutherford's implant is still impeding on his vision.

In the Laap system, the Archimedes drops out of warp, and Gomez tells her helm to take them in nice and slow, hoping the Lapeerians will get a chance to notice their arrival and scan them. When an ensign trips on a step after leaving the operations console , Gomez immediately gets up to help her, but the ensign nervously declines and insists she's okay, clearly embarrassed it happened in front of the captain. Giving her a reassuring smile, Gomez assures her not to worry about it as she herself has done " way worse in front of much more intimidating captains ", putting the young officer at ease.

Tendi and Rutherford make their way around the Cerritos , narrowly avoiding T'Ana at the warp core , who is actively looking for Tendi. They find themselves in the exact spot in the Jefferies tubes where they watched the Trivoli pulsar together, and Tendi once more gets emotional, saying that while they are advised not to get too attached to your ship, it is incredibly hard not to. Rutherford then admits that he loves the Cerritos as well, and they embrace one another. Rutherford then says that he has an idea of an off-limits area they should go to next.

Back in Freeman's ready room, the senior staff are still angry about the situation, and Freeman tells them that their complaints are noted, and orders them back to their stations. Freeman then takes Mariner aside, and furiously tells her that she was going to tell them all at the right time. Mariner replies that as they're her friends, they should know, but Freeman says she can't allow her personal feelings about them to impede on this kind of decision. As they continue to argue, a red alert interrupts them, and they rush on to the bridge . Asking for a report, Boimler tells Freeman that the Lapeerian sun has just emitted an unexpected solar flare , which is heading straight for an unstable planetoid .

The flare envelops the planetoid, and destroys it, sending out a wave of magnetized ionic plasma and debris. The wave hits the Archimedes , overloading its systems, causing the ship to fall into a blackout and go adrift.

Act Two [ ]

The Archimedes ' crew recovers from the plasma wave impact but finds the ship disabled, with the warp core offline and backup power cells down: the first officer compares it to being hit with an EMP . However, they can see from the stars passing by through the transparent bridge dome that the momentum from the impact has kept the ship moving. Gomez realizes that the Archimedes has fallen into the gravity well of the Lapeerian homeworld, and the ship will crash into the planet if they cannot restore power. With their current problems outlined, she encourages the crew to start working on solutions.

The Cerritos ' bridge crew monitors the situation and estimates that the Archimedes is twenty hours away from crashing into the Lapeerian homeworld and causing catastrophic damage. Freeman wants to use the tractor beam on the Archimedes , but Billups informs her that the Cerritos can't get close enough due to the radiolytic isotopes within the planetoid debris which has been caught in orbit between the two ships. If any piece of the debris as small as a pomegranate was to hit the shields , Cerritos ' systems would be similarly disabled. Freeman asks about using the deflector to keep the debris away, but Boimler notes that projecting any energy field would draw in the ionic plasma. Kayshon proposes warping past the debris, but other officers berate the suggestion. Freeman asks if there is anything they can do to help, even breaking rules to do so, but Mariner is at a loss and replies that she does not know. Freeman then leaves the bridge in frustration.

Mariner follows Freeman to the captain's yacht , where Tendi and Rutherford have been secretly eating ice cream cones before running to hide. Freeman intends to take the yacht through the debris to get to the Archimedes , but Mariner counters that not only does the yacht have the same shield technology as the ship, as Freeman hasn't piloted anything in years, she is better suited to fly the yacht. As they argue, Tendi wonders if the yacht is off-limit because Mariner and Freeman often come here to fight, while Rutherford notes the ionic plasma within the debris. Mariner declares that she isn't going to let Freeman get herself killed, comparing herself to James T. Kirk . Freeman says that Mariner is not as confident as she once was and that she gets in too many fights; she instead needs to drop her defenses and make some allies. Inspired, Rutherford enters the yacht's cockpit and suggests that dropping defenses is how they can save the Archimedes . Freeman indicates that even if they lower their shields, the hull has magnetic shielding that they cannot discharge, and Rutherford proposes removing the hull. Confused, Mariner points out that the hull is needed to retain the ship's atmosphere, but Freeman realizes that he's referring to the removal of the outer hull, which is technically an extra layer of protection, while keeping the inner hull intact. Rutherford notes that the inner hull will still protect them from the vacuum of space, and since they will not be going to warp, the protection of the outer hull will not be needed. Freeman notes that the entire crew will have to help nonstop to strip the hull and then fly through dangerous debris with no protection, all in eleven hours. Grabbing Mariner and Tendi by the hand she leads them off the yacht, quickly saying that they have to hurry.

Freeman runs the plan by Billups in Engineering, who confirms that while the ship would take a beating, the plan could work. Freeman then calls all officers, regardless of their duties, to help strip the Cerritos of its outer hull. The crew begins a massive space walk and works tirelessly to strip the ship by releasing each plating maglock and cutting them with hand phasers when necessary, when Rutherford's implant once again impedes his vision. Billups takes a tricorder reading and informs him that his implant's storage has maxed out, and Rutherford explains that since he lost his memories of Tendi last year, he creates three backups of new memories with her in case he were to lose them again. Billups notes that it will only get worse if Rutherford doesn't free up space. Rutherford fears not having a backup if he forgets again, but Billups advises that if new memories with Tendi cannot be made, will it really matter either way?

Inside, Shaxs leads crewmembers in moving anything volatile deeper into the ship to keep them from inadvertently exploding. On the bridge, as no power would make the viewscreen useless anyway, its entire panel section is detached from the ship and exposes the bridge to space, as Ransom explains to Kayshon that he will have to pilot the ship by sight.

Back on the Archimedes , Gomez falls back onto her engineering background and is working tirelessly to try and get a shuttlecraft operational, hoping to use them to redirect the ship or at least evacuate some of her crew, but is unsuccessful. Her first officer is worried that she needs some rest, but Gomez refuses while the ship remains in its blackout: in seven hours, she grimly notes, she'll get to rest one way or another.

Freeman and Mariner enter the ship from their work on the hull, and while they seal off a hatch, Freeman tries to make light of the situation, in that at the very least when she's gone, Mariner won't have someone consistently angering her anymore. Mariner gets upset that Freeman is always trying to change her, and that she is glad that Freeman will be getting transferred off the ship as she never wants to work with her again. Freeman looks on sadly as Mariner stalks away.

On the underside of the saucer section, Billups saves a crewmember from floating off into space when the maglock for the last panel malfunctions and causes her boots to momentarily demagnetize. Discovering the maglock's access controls are fused, he alerts Freeman of one last panel that cannot be released outside, and that it needs to be released manually from inside the ship. Warned by Ransom that they're out of time, Freeman calls for red alert and orders the Cerritos towards the debris field, hoping the panel can be released during the transit. Ransom activates the manual steering column and takes the Cerritos forwards.

Cetacean Ops

"So, you guys doing anything for Captain Freeman Day?" " No. That's for calves. "

While Steve Stevens hurries the last of the crew on the hull back inside through the shuttlebay , Rutherford and Tendi are running through the Cerritos corridors. Rutherford's implant once more impedes his vision, and realizing he cannot keep ignoring the problem, he reluctantly purges his backup memories. However, as he does this, he inadvertently comes upon a memory he doesn't recognize, in which he sees two people in shadow giving him his implant. After he ponders it for a moment, he calls over Boimler and Mariner from down the corridor and they enter Cetacean Ops, where Rutherford calls two beluga whale lieutenant junior grades named Kimolu and Matt . Rutherford explains that while he and Tendi override the safety protocols, one of the other two needs to swim deep inside Cetacean Ops' hydrotube and release the mag clamps, as the control node for the manual access clamps is located there. As the belugas cannot release the panel themselves, Mariner volunteers, but complains that while she would save the day, her mother would get the credit for it. Boimler angrily tells Mariner to stop, and that she's just upset that her mother is leaving. Mariner admits this and tells them of their recent fight. While they try to tell her to go and reconcile with her mother, Mariner tells them that they don't understand her family, which causes Tendi to shout that they're her family, and that she will regret not reconciling with her mother if it's potentially their last moment together. Mariner relents and rushes to the bridge while thanking and apologizing to her friends.

Rutherford then shows Boimler on Cetacean Ops' diagram that the mag clamps are deep inside the filter nodule that he'll need to squeeze into, at the end of a tunnel at the bottom of Cetacean Ops' hydrotube, which is as long as the hydrotube is tall. Boimler starts to become nervous, but somewhat annoyed, Rutherford reminds him that he was the one that wanted to 'dive into the unknown', and now is his chance. While still nervous, he gets himself ready and dives into the water, towed to the bottom of the hydrotube by Kimolu and Matt. He asks the lieutenants if they're planning anything for Captain Freeman Day, but Kimolu replies that they're not, as it's for calves . Swimming through the tunnel and having to squeeze through a narrow section, he reaches the end and exposes the manual mag clamps controls, but when he tries to turn it, it won't budge.

As Ransom continues to navigate the Cerritos towards the debris field while looking for the best entry point, Mariner enters the bridge and hugs Freeman, apologizing. Freeman says that she was also being a bit of a "jerk" as well, and orders Mariner to help navigate where the viewscreen was. She takes a position on the opposite side of Sh'reyan, and Freeman orders to get ready to cut the power. Billups warns her that the panel is still on the hull, but Mariner says that Boimler is taking care of it.

Down in Cetacean Ops, Boimler is struggling with the clamps, but finally manages to disengage it and release the panel. However, he also doesn't notice the shoulder of his EV suit tearing when he does so. As the panel is freed, Freeman has the power cut, and the Cerritos enters the debris field. Boimler is happy he was successful, but it turns to alarm when he realizes that his suit has been compromised, and his helmet is quickly flooding with water. Taking one last available deep breath, he removes the helmet and leaving it behind, swims as fast as he can to get out of the tunnel. He reaches the narrow section and starts squeezing through, but his exertions have used up all his oxygen ; as he desperately reaches out for the hydrotube beyond the tunnel, he loses consciousness.

Act Three [ ]

Tendi and Rutherford are getting worried that Boimler hasn't come up yet, when Kimolu and Matt, having been able to get into the tunnel to rescue him, rush Boimler's unconscious body to the surface and toss him out of the water, reporting that he isn't breathing. Tendi realizes that Boimler is in cardiac arrest , and with no time to get to Sickbay, begins CPR . Tendi successfully resuscitates Boimler and he coughs up the water he swallowed. She has him speak to her: the first thing he asks is if he missed Captain Freeman Day, which she happily takes as a sign that he'll be okay. Kimolu excitedly invites them to go skinny dipping . A dazed Boimler mentions that he saw a koala , but Tendi suggests he keep that to himself.

With a heads-up display on his faceplate being his only available computer assistance, and Sh'reyan and Mariner reporting debris positions beyond the limited field of view from the first officer's chair, Ransom continues to pilot the Cerritos through the debris field on inertia and the ship's maneuvering RCS thrusters , but a massive piece of debris gets in their way. Unable to avoid it in time, he warns them to brace for impact: the debris collides with the Cerritos , dislodging Mariner from the floor and thrusting her out into space through the opening. Before Mariner drifts too far away, Sh'reyan makes her way onto the hull, and grabs her by the wrist. However, their joy is short-lived as more and larger debris comes upon Cerritos ' path.

The Cerritos rescues the Archimedes , just in time

The Archimedes is just minutes away from entering the planet's atmosphere. While Gomez tries to give her bridge crew the best chance of survival by ordering them to the back of the ship, they choose to stay with her. As Archimedes hits the atmosphere, its starboard warp nacelle is torn away due to atmospheric stress. The Lapeerians on the surface watch curiously, not knowing about the pending disaster. Before she can plummet further, the Archimedes and her stray nacelle are tractored into stable orbit by the battered Cerritos , having successfully navigated the debris field. Ransom reports that no lives were lost as Freeman sighs in relief.

Later, Freeman, Mariner, Ransom, Shaxs, and Stevens beam down to the planet to initiate the first contact , having been offered by Gomez that the Cerritos ' crew finish the mission instead. As they ready themselves to meet the Lapeerian leaders, Mariner commends her mother. Freeman approaches the Lapeerians, and begins the first contact greeting. The Lapperian leader interrupts the greeting with a friendly hug and invites them all for a drink.

In sickbay , Tendi is helping to treat the injured from both ships, and Dr. T'Ana calls her over. Tendi reluctantly approaches her, and sadly says that she knows she doesn't belong in sickbay. T'Ana agrees and says that the way Tendi masters anything she puts her mind to is unsettling. She surprises Tendi by saying that she's being limited by working in sickbay, and thus is moving her from medical to senior science officer training. Much to her growing delight, Tendi realizes that means she'll get to work on the bridge like Jadzia Dax did (or Spock as T'Ana interjects, not knowing who Dax is). T'Ana adds that it will mean a lot more experiments and going on away missions , and asks if she can handle that; Tendi hugs her tightly in appreciation while tearfully thanking her. Deciding that she's fine with the hug, T'Ana happily returns it and purrs .

The Cerritos and the Archimedes are joined in orbit by other Starfleet vessels, including a Parliament -class , an Oberth -class , a Nova -class docked with the Cerritos , and another California -class . As the crew celebrates their first first contact, Shaxs tells an intoxicated Freeman, having had a lot to drink with the Lapperians, that the repairs on the Archimedes are going well and Gomez is recovering nicely. Mariner also thanks Sh'reyan for saving her life, and Sh'reyan apologizes for how she's treated her throughout the year. As the two reconcile, they commend Brad for his actions in Cetacean Ops. Freeman then offers a toast to the Cerritos . As the crew cheers, an officer contacts Freeman that a team from Starfleet Command is requesting to come aboard. Freeman has them escorted to the senior conference room . The bridge crew and Mariner all express how happy they are for Freeman and wish her well on her new ship. However, Freeman surprises them and says she is turning down her transfer, saying that working so hard for her transfer blinded her to the fact that she's already happy where she is.

"You're under arrest for the destruction of Pakled Planet."

Ransom, Shaxs, and Mariner go with her to the conference room to tell the officers of her intention to remain on the Cerritos and are greeted by Commander Mandel and three other officers, all in operations gold . As Freeman begins to turn down her transfer, Mandel says that she doesn't have a choice. Freeman is then put in handcuffs , and arrested for the destruction of Pakled Planet to the shock of the others: the officers are with Starfleet Security . The bewildered Freeman asking what the charges are, Mandel informs them that they have proof that she collaborated with Klingon extremists to plant a Varuvian bomb in Big Strong City . On Freeman asking when it happened, she's told it had detonated at 0900 hours that day while the Cerritos was on her mission, with Mandel certain that it was conveniently " just as planned ". There will have to be a tribunal . While the others voice their objections, Freeman orders them to stand down and let the security officers do their jobs, confident that the Cerritos ' crew have the truth on their side. She also doesn't want the crew to know about her arrest until they learn more, but as they leave, the entire crew has already lined up, ready to cheer for her. Their joy quickly turns to shock as she is escorted out of the conference room in cuffs. They make way in silence for the officers and watch as Freeman is taken from the ship.

From the viewports , the Cerritos ' crew watches as the Nova -class starship to which Freeman was taken undocks from their ship, powers its engines, and goes to warp…

TO BE CONTINUED…

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Maybe everyone feels like they should know more about what's going on on the ship like need-to-know stuff that they don't know, you know? "

" You're lucky I'm so spiritually centered, or I'd snap! "

" Uh, I'm okay. Please don't, it's fine. " " Don't worry about it. I've done way worse in front of much more intimidating captains . "

" Attention all hands, report to your commanding officers. The Archimedes needs our help, so we have to remove our hull one panel at a time. I'm calling on every officer, no matter what your usual duties are. We have to work together. It'll be close, people; our lives will be on the line. But we are Starfleet, and we never back down from a challenge. Now, get to work. Cerritos strong! Oh, and the ballroom dancing competition will have to be postponed. "

" Last year, I lost all my memories of Tendi, so whenever I make a new one, I save three copies just in case it happens again. " " Well, it's only going to get worse until you free up some space. " " But what if I forget her again? " " Son, if you can't keep making new memories, does it matter? "

" You guys don't know anything about my family! " " WE ARE YOUR FAMILY! We will always be there for you and right now, we're heading right into a pile of crazy dangerous space debris! "

" So, you guys doing anything for Captain Freeman Day? " " No. That's for calves. "

" He's not breathing! " " His blowhole's broken! "

" Nothing like saving your friend, then going skinny dipping! "

" You shouldn't be treating phaser burns. I'm moving you into senior science officer training. " " Wait, like to work on the bridge? Like Jadzia Dax ? " " Who the *bleep* is that? I don't know who that is. No, like Spock . "

" You're under arrest for the destruction of Pakled Planet . "

Background information [ ]

• The title was announced in a ViacomCBS press release on 12 October 2021 . [1] as "First First Contact" but is listed on Paramount+ as just "First Contact" [2]
• This episode marks the third time that the phrase " first contact " is used in the title of a Star Trek installment, the first two being TNG : " First Contact " and Star Trek: First Contact .
• The title refers to first contact missions, prestigious assignments in which Starfleet engages an alien culture for the first time. Despite her mission profile usually focusing on second contacts , the USS Cerritos is assigned to support the USS Archimedes during first contact with the Lapeerians . After the Archimedes is disabled, Captain Gomez allows Captain Freeman to finish the assignment, marking the first such accomplishment for the captain and her crew.

Production [ ]

• This is the first Star Trek episode to feature the intertitle " To Be Continued... " since the Star Trek: Enterprise fourth season episode " Demons ".

Cast and characters [ ]

• Lycia Naff reprises her role of Sonya Gomez , now captain of the USS Archimedes . Gomez was introduced as an ensign in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " Q Who " and last seen in " Samaritan Snare ", the episode which introduced the Pakleds . In-universe, about 16 years have passed since these events while more than 32 years have passed since the first release of "Samaritan Snare". This likely marks the longest real-world timespan between two appearances of a character who is still portrayed by the same actor. Previously, Kor and Arne Darvin – portrayed by John Colicos and Charlie Brill , respectively – appeared on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine over 28 years after their last appearances on Star Trek: The Original Series .
• As solutions to save the Archimedes are discussed, Kayshon suggests warping around the debris field. Most characters hectically dismiss the idea and Shaxs can be heard yelling " Dr. Erin says we can't do that! " This is a reference to Dr. Erin Macdonald , the science consultant of Star Trek: Lower Decks . [3]

Continuity [ ]

The new Obena -class

• The Obena -class is introduced for the first time with the USS Archimedes . The ship combines design elements of the refit Excelsior -class , notably in its engineering hull and neck, with the style of the Sovereign -class , especially in the design of its nacelles, pylons, yellow deflector dish and elongated saucer. According to series creator Mike McMahan , the class is named for Lower Decks art designer Nollan Obena . McMahan also noted that the Obena -class is larger than the Excelsior -class and stated that this class is still in service. [4]
• When Mariner mentions that she doesn't want a new captain to be transferred to the USS Cerritos because the crew could potentially receive " some weirdo with a riding crop , " this is likely a reference to Captain Lawrence H. Styles and his swagger stick in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .
• Once again, it is noted that California -class starships are not considered prestigious assignments. As Captain Freeman expects a promotion to another ship, she duly notes that she will not be allowed to take her senior officers with her, as Starfleet tends to keep crews of California -class starships together. Although Freeman tries to spin this positively in front of her senior staff, the officers, notably Billups , seem to be aware of and upset about the class's negative perception.
• When Captain Gomez helps a nervous ensign who trips, she explains how she's done way worse in front of much more intimidating captains. This is a reference to a memorable scene in TNG : " Q Who ", in which Gomez accidentally spills a cup of hot chocolate on Captain Picard 's uniform .
• Throughout the episode, Brad Boimler is making preparations for Captain Freeman Day , including a banner similar to the one seen for Captain Picard Day in TNG : " The Pegasus ". Several characters point out that the festivities are actually an arts and crafts day intended for children (or calves). Due to the accomplishments during this episode, Boimler later crudely changes the banner to read "Happy First Contact ".
• Tendi is excited at the prospect of going to the off-limits rubber ducky room , referencing the barely visible rubber ducks included as easter eggs by Michael Okuda in the master systems displays of the USS Enterprise -D and USS Cerritos .
• A captain's yacht is shown only for the second time in this episode, after its first appearance in Star Trek: Insurrection . Similar vessels have often been included in master systems displays and background information about various ship classes.
• As the implant of Sam Rutherford once again malfunctions, he quickly views several back-up memories of moments he has spent with D'Vana Tendi , most of which are taken from previous episodes. Notably, one previously unseen memory sees Rutherford and Tendi celebrating New Year's Eve in 2381 , while another sees the pair painting a nude Jack Ransom in an apparent art class.
• Rutherford also views and dismisses a memory in which he seemingly receives his implant for the first time. The unidentified shadowy figures indicate that Rutherford actually does not need the implant and imply that it may have nefarious uses, unbeknownst to him.
• Cetacean Ops is shown for the first time, after several mentions and references in previous episodes, starting with " Second Contact ". Its function is revealed to be associated with the ship's navigation . A similar facility was mentioned to exist aboard the USS Enterprise -D in TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise " and TNG : " The Perfect Mate ". It has also been included as a piece of background lore in publications such as Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual and Star Trek: The Next Generation USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Blueprints .
• Matt and Kimolu , two beluga whales , are the first shown Starfleet officers from an Earth -based species other than Humans .
• Matt only learns about Mariner being Captain Freeman's daughter in this episode, a revelation that caused quite a stir with most of the Cerritos ' crew in " No Small Parts ".
• As Boimler regains consciousness from nearly drowning, he claims to have seen a vision of a koala . In " Moist Vessel ", Lieutenant O'Connor saw such a creature spanning the universe during his ascension .
• As Commander Ransom takes manual control of the Cerritos , he flies the ship with the help of the manual steering column , similar to the one used by William T. Riker in Star Trek: Insurrection . The ship is also seen firing reaction control thrusters while in the debris field, similar to the Enterprise -D navigating an asteroid field in TNG : " Booby Trap ".
• As the Cerritos comes to the rescue of the Archimedes at the last second, an ensign excitedly points at the ship and exclaims " It's the Cerritos ! ". This is reminiscent of the Season 1 finale, " No Small Parts ", in which an excited Boimler points to the view screen and exclaims " It's the Titan ! ", as the USS Titan unexpectedly swoops in and saves the Cerritos from a vicious Pakled assault.
• An Oberth -class vessel is seen at the end of the episode, tractoring the torn-off nacelle of the Archimedes . This marks the class's first on-screen appearance since it was seen in the background of the Battle of Sector 001 in Star Trek: First Contact . This also confirms the Oberth -class as one of the longest known serving Starfleet ship classes of the late 24th century, with its first appearance in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock set in 2285 , about 96 years before this episode. Not counting holographic depictions, only the Magee -class has seen a longer service, ranging for over 129 years from at least 2256 to 2385 .
• A Nova -class vessel was also seen at the end of the episode, first positioned near the Cerritos and then ferrying away Captain Freeman. The Nova -class was last seen on ENT : " Azati Prime ", during the Battle of Procyon V . However, the ship seen in this episode features differences from previous Nova -class vessels, notably a yellow deflector dish more reminiscent of the Archimedes .
• Tendi is finally dismissed from sickbay duty, something she feared throughout the season. However, her dismissal is actually a promotion , as Dr. T'Ana recommends her for senior science officer training, because she excels at every scientific task assigned to her.
• Tendi joyfully compares herself to Jadzia Dax at the prospect of becoming a senior science officer. T'Ana dismisses the notion, expressing that she has no idea who that is and compares her to the more famous Spock instead. This is a likely reference to the enduring cultural prominence of Star Trek: The Original Series and its characters over the various Star Trek spin-off series.
• After a long-standing feud throughout previous episodes, Beckett Mariner and Jennifer Sh'reyan become more friendly towards each other during the course of this episode and express their mutual respect. They also hint at a mutual attraction, which according to Mike McMahan will lead to the exploration of a romantic relationship: " So the themes in the second season about Mariner opening herself up and trusting people and not being afraid about abandonment and not pushing people away all the time, that actually fit into us seeing her in a relationship for the first time. Nothing felt more appropriate for Mariner than taking the person that she ostensibly dislikes the most on the Cerritos and finding out that, of course she's attracted to her because anything Mariner likes, she pushes away. " [5]
• As the Cerritos ' crew intends to congratulate Captain Freeman for her promotion and wishes to bid her farewell, several officers line up in a corridor, similar to the farewell ceremonies seen in TNG : " Redemption " and VOY : " Homestead ".
• The ongoing conflict with the Pakled takes a surprising turn at the end of this episode, as it is revealed that Pakled Planet was recently destroyed by a varuvian bomb . Such weapons were sold to the Pakled by Captain Dorg in the previous episode " wej Duj ". Based on the evidence presented by Starfleet Security , Captain Freeman is accused of collusion and is considered a suspect in the destruction of the world and taken into custody.

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Beckett Mariner
• Archimedes cmd ens
• Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler
• Noël Wells as D'Vana Tendi
• Eugene Cordero as Sam Rutherford
• Dawnn Lewis as Carol Freeman
• Jerry O'Connell as Jack Ransom
• Fred Tatasciore as Shaxs
• Gillian Vigman as T'Ana

Special guest star [ ]

• Lycia Naff as "Capt. Sonya Gomez "

Guest cast [ ]

• Alonzo Freeman
• Archimedes first officer
• Lauren Lapkus as Jennifer Sh'reyan
• Jim Piddock as Mandel
• Ryan Ridley as Bajoran ops lt jg
• Paul Scheer as Andy Billups
• Carl Tart as Kayshon
• Cybernetic surgeon 1 (flashback)
• Cybernetic surgeon 2 (flashback)
• Lapeerian leader

Background characters [ ]

• Lapeerian bystanders
• Starfleet Security ensigns
• Rumdar (photo)
• Pakled leader (photo)
• Pakled rebels (photo)
• Human officers
• Tellarite officer
• Vulcan officer
• Jet Manhaver
• Sleepy Merp
• Steve Stevens
• Alien ops ens
• Alien waitress
• Andorian ops ens
• Antaran ops ens
• Bajoran ops lt
• Benzite cmd ens
• Haliian ops lt
• Human bar staff 2
• Human cmd ens 1
• Human cmd ens 7
• Human cmd lt jg 2
• Human cmd lt 2
• Human cmd lt 4
• Human cmd lt cmdr 3
• Human ops ens 1
• Human ops ens 2
• Human ops ens 9
• Human ops lt jg 1
• Human ops lt jg 2
• Human ops lt jg 3
• Human ops lt 1
• Human ops lt 3
• Human ops lt 4
• Human ops lt 6
• Human ops lt 8
• Human ops lt 10
• Human sci ens 3
• Human sci ens 6
• Human sci lt jg 1
• Human sci lt jg 3
• Human sci lt 1
• Human sci lt 3
• Human sci lt 7
• Human sci lt cmdr 1
• Napean ops lt
• Vulcan sci lt 1

References [ ]

2381 ; 24-hour clock ; access control ; admiral (aka admiralty ); Adonis ; Akira -class ; alert ; alien ; " all hands "; ally ; Andorian ; Antaran ; Archimedes , USS ; arrest ; asteroid ; atmosphere ; authority ; away missions ; baby ; Bajoran ; Ballroom dance ; banner ; bar ; beating ; beluga whale ; Benzite ; betrayal ; Big Strong City ; blowhole ; bod ; Bolian ; booth ; " brace for impact "; breathing ; bridge ; bridge crew ; bull *bleep* ; bush ; butt ; Caitian ; " Cali -class "; California -class ( unnamed ); calves ; captain (aka " cap ", " cap'n "); Captain Freeman Day ; captain's log ; captain's yacht ; cardiac arrest ; cardiopulmonary resuscitation ; celebration ; Cerritos , USS ; Cetacean Ops ; challenge ; charges ; children ; choice ; clamps ; clapping ; class J gas giant ; class M ; collusion ; combadge ; command ; commander ; commanding officers ; conflict ; congratulations ; consistency ; contraband ; control node ; coupling ; court martial ; crew ; crying ; culture ; cybernetic implant ; daughter ; Dax, Jadzia ; day ; debris ; decision ; decorations ; defenses ; deflector ; dinner ; Diplomath ; diving ; doctor ; Douglas Station ; " Dr. T "; drawing ; dream ; drinking ; drowning ; ego ; EMP ; energy field ; engines ; ensign ; environmental suit ; Erin ; experiments ; extremists ; fajitas ; family ; Federation starships at Starbase ; feelings ; fight ; file ; filter nodule ; first contact ; flare ; fleet ; flippers ; foot ; formality ; " free spirit "; friend ; *bleep* ; gig ; gravity well ; guy ; Haliian ; hallway ; handcuffs ; hangovers ; hate ; hell ; helm ; hero ; hiding ; home ; hostility ; hours ; hug ; hull ; hull plate ; hull plating ; hydroscoot ; hydrotube ; ice cream cone ; idea ; illusion ; information ; inner hull ; invasion ; Jefferies tube ; jerk ; job ; kid ; Kirk, James T. ; Klingon ; koala ; Kzinti ; Laap system ; Lapeeria ; Lapeerian ; Lapeerian sun ; lieutenant ; lieutenant commander ; lieutenant junior grade ; locals ; love ; mag clamp ; magnetic shield ; magnetized ionic plasma ; Maintenance hatch 788 ; manual access clamps ; master systems display ; Medical ; medical roster ; memory ; Merp's species ; Migleemo's species ; minutes ; mission ; mister ; mom ; momentum ; mood-altering plant ; Moxy's species ; " Mr. Humble Confidence "; nacelle ; Napean ; NCC ; New Year's Eve ; Nova -class ( unnamed ); nudity ; number one ; Obena -class ; Oberth -class ( unnamed ); office ; " okey-dokey "; " on the fly "; " open book, an "; orbit ; order ; Orion ; outer hull ; Pakled ; Pakled Clumpship ( unnamed ); Pakled Planet ; Parliament -class ( unnamed ); party ; pee ; people ; phaser ; planet ; planetoid ; pomegranate ; Pon Darra's species ; praise ; promotion ; proof ; protection ; purr ; radiolytic isotopes ; ready room ; record ; red alert ; rendezvous ; repairs ; rescue ; riding crop ; rubber ducky room ; safety protocols ; satisfaction ; senior conference room ; senior science officer training ; senior staff ; Sequoia ; shielding ; shields ; shoulders ; sickbay ; sir ; skinny dipping ; son ; space ; space walk ; Spacedock -type ; Spock ; spying ; " stand down "; stardate ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet insignia ; Starfleet Security ; Starfleet uniform (2370s-early 2380s) ; Starfleet uniform (early 2380s) ; stations ; storage ; stripping ; stuff ; subspace transponders ; suggestion ; sweaty ; swimming ; system ; t-shirt ; Tamarian ; Tanowski ; Teagarden ; Teague ; Tegtmeir ; Tehrani ; Te' Mpest ; Tellarite ; Tellman ; Tennyson ; Ter Haar ; Ter' Esi ; Teshime ; thing (aka " thingy "); toddlers ; tractor beam ; transfer ; tribunal ; tricorder ; Trill ; Trivoli pulsar ; truth ; type 2 phaser ; Type 6A captain's yacht ( unnamed ); Type 6A shuttlecraft ; United Federation of Planets ; vacuum ; vanity holiday ; Varuvian bomb ; viewscreen ; vision ; voice authorization ; volatiles ; Vulcan ; waitress ; warp ; warp core ; water ; week ; " weirdo "; woman ; work ; working ; year

Meta references [ ]

bleep ; cliffhanger ; intertitle ; subtitle

External links [ ]

• " First First Contact " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " First First Contact " at the Internet Movie Database
• " "First First Contact" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• 3 USS Antares (32nd century)

Jump Ship Plays Like a Mix of Sea of Thieves, Left 4 Dead, and FTL

Ten developers, including founders of hazelight and mojang, are cooking up something unique..

Every once in a while, my job affords me the wonderful opportunity to go into a game demo completely blind and come out completely enlightened. All I knew about Jump Ship before I met with three of its ten-person Swedish development team – including Daniel Kaplan, who was employee #1 at Mojang, and Filip Coulianos, a cofounder at Hazelight – was that it was codenamed Hyperspace and that it would be “a four-player co-op adventure where you and three of your friends get to live the ultimate space fantasy.” It started as a tech demo but everyone loved it so now it’s being made into a full game. I was fortunate enough to play a 30-minute session with Kaplan, Coulianos, and another member of Keepsake Games, and I was blown away.

The headline you clicked on to get into this article is not hyperbole: by Keepsake’s own definition – and one that I’d co-sign after playing the game for myself – Jump Ship is a clear mix of Sea of Thieves , Left 4 Dead , and FTL: Faster Than Light . The Sea of Thieves piece comes from the fact that you and your three teammates all work together to fly, upgrade, customize, and maintain a single spaceship. One of you flies it, while the others can wander around inside of it or even on the outside of it if you pass through an airlock and then use your magnetized boots to stomp around the hull, manning, fixing, or upgrading the ship’s cannons. That in and of itself is fun.

Jump Ship - First Screenshots

And even if Jump Ship was just “Sea of Thieves in Space,” where you and your crew cooperated in ship-to-ship battles, it’d still probably be pretty cool. But you’ll also land your ship, use your Jet Drive to awesomely fly through the air like Superman away from or towards your ship, go into instanced combat areas, and battle AI enemies – Jump Ship is a purely PvE game, marking one major difference from Sea of Thieves – in encounters that can get pretty tough, thus necessitating cooperation with your pals. Add in that an AI “director,” to use Valve’s term, dynamically populates these encounters, and you can see where the Left 4 Dead ingredient in Jump Ship’s recipe comes from. I had a fantastic time blasting bots with the Keepsake developers.

Finally, FTL. On board your ship, you’ll manage power conduits and other ship functions in an FTL-esque minigame (which, sadly, I don’t have footage of). All of it combines into a moment-to-moment that’s never dull and constantly evolving. Just when you get bored of manning the ship (assuming you’re not the pilot, which is super fun by the way), it’s time to land and go into full first-person shooter mode. And when you’ve got your loot reward and are escaping and being blasted at as your ship departs, you’re scrambling to make necessary repairs to your ship, like a Star Trek crew.

You can choose any number of mission types from your ship map, from smaller, loot-lite payoffs that won’t take too long to longer, multi-part episodes that have bigger rewards. Keepsake promises a meta game that will enable various forms of permanent character and ship progression, but naturally I didn’t have a chance to see those in my short hands-on session. Still, I’ve seen enough to be thoroughly convinced. Jump Ship is going to take us through crazy space battles, dogfights in the skies of planets, intense on-foot missions on the ground, and more – all while working together with three friends in ways that feel fun and useful without being frustrating.

Kaplan and Coulianos told me it’s going to ship simultaneously on PC and Xbox whenever it’s finally ready, and I can’t wait.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked , as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered . He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan .

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