Stardate 57538.9: The Cerritos and the Merced, commanded by a Tellarite named Captain Durango, prepare to tow a massive derelict ship whose crew is long dead, but whose fascinating technology – including a substance that turns inorganic material into living organic material, possibly used by the extinct crew for terraforming. But Ensign Mariner’s constant yawning during the senior officers’ briefing punches all of Captain Freeman’s buttons: she’s ready for Mariner to transfer to another ship. She decides to make Mariner want to transfer by promoting her to lieutenant, with the added responsibilities and workload (and interaction with the senior officers and all of their quirks) that entails. When the alien technology erupts from the derelict, starting to turn both of the ships towing it into havens for unknown life forms, Mariner rises to the occasion. So how can she convince her mother to reduce her back to ensign now?
written by Ann Acacia Kim
directed by Barry J. Kelly
music by Chris Westlake
Cast: Tawny Newsome (Ensign Beckett Mariner), Jack Quaid (Ensign Brad Boimler), Noel Wells (Ensign D’Vana Tendi), Eugene Cordero (Ensign Rutherford), Dawnn Lewis (Captain Freeman), Jerry O’Connell (Commander Ransom), Fred Tatasciore (Lt. Shaxs / Admiral Vassery), Gillian Vigman (Dr. T’Ana), Haley Joel Osment (O’Connor), Eric Bauza (Cerritos Conn Officer), Al Rodrigo (Captain Durango), Paul Scheer (Lt. Commander Billups), Vanessa Marshall (Merced Science Officer), Jessica McKenna (Ensign Barnes / Cerritos Computer)
Notes: The alien derelict is very reminiscent of the one found in Beyond The Farthest Star, the first episode of the early ’70s animated Star Trek series. Durango is the first Tellarite Starfleet captain seen in any of the Star Trek series. Vanessa Marshall is a voice well known to fans of animated Star Wars, having been the voice of Hera Syndulla throughout the run of Star Wars: Rebels.
LogBook entry by Earl Green