"Captain's log, stardate 6892.3." "Admiral McGuinness... has ordered us to respond to a distress call from Hyalinus, an inhabited asteroid with a limited warp-capable society." "Admiral, isn't the Yorktown near the Banneker Belt?" "She was scheduled to patrol near that system, but Command rerouted her to Aldebaran... along with the Republic..." "to investigate the loss of the Hood." " They find anything?" " Never got the chance." "Both ships suffered baffle plate ruptures shortly after they arrived." "Both ships?" "Fortunately, there were no fatalities." "They'll have to be rebuilt." "The crews'll need to be treated for radiation exposure." "Funny..." "We've got a student here at Starfleet Medical who insists we try a new bexarotene-G treatment she heard about from an old mentor of hers." "Well, not THAT old." "How is Ms. Chapel's doctorate coming along?" "She's one of our best and brightest.." "But be careful." "She just might take your job one day." "I might just let her have it." "Admiral, did the Hyalini specify the nature of their crisis?" "Something of global proportions." "Diplomacy is of utmost importance, but so is caution." "They've refused outside contact for centuries." "We know almost nothing about them." "So, you want us to speak softly and keep a big stick handy." "And Jim..." "Take good care of that ship and her outstanding crew, you hear?" "With everything I've got, admiral." "What the devil was he wearing?" "No idea." "But you'll never get me in one of those things." "Oh, it's not so bad." "Drab, boring color palette..." "I think it would complement Mr. Spock quite well, don't you think?" "What is it, Bones?" "She's in my spot." "I'm sorry!" "I..." "It's all right, counselor." "There's always plenty of room on the bridge for one more to keep Spock in line." "Whatever this is about, it's gotta be pretty serious for a hermit race to ask for outside help." " "Hermit race," doctor?" " That's right, Spock." "Hermit race." "Don't tell me there's a term that computer brain of yours doesn't know." "I am merely surprised at your use of an abstruse and antiquated colloquialism." "The more obvious and accurate word is clearly "xenophobic."" " Tomato, tomahto." " I fail to see how pronouncing..." "Call it off, gentlemen." "We've got work to do." "Coordinates locked, Scotty?" "Can you believe they only use text transmissions?" "I'm still waitin' for an open transporter window!" ""Transporter window"?" "Aye!" "In their orbital defense system." "Without a window, matter-energy beams to the surface are automatically scrambled." ""Scrambled"?" "As in "turned into a pile of mush"?" "Aye." "Their global defense grid is downright impractical." "It's a miracle they can see the stars at night with all the weapon-barges they've got flying' about!" "And can you imagine the maintenance, lads?" "Gee, I hope they're friendly." "They would be well-served to hope the same of you, doctor." "Ah!" "There's the green light!" "Energize." "Please." "Space." "The final frontier." "These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise." "Its continuing mission:" "to explore strange new worlds." "To seek out new life and new civilizations." "To boldly go where no man has gone before." "Original Sync and corrections by masaca Resync:" "CAUDILHO®" " Fascinating." " Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" "Or, more accurately, what we are NOT seeing." "Could our eyes have been affected during transport?" "Readings are normal, Jim." "But I'm not ruling out that damn thing putting us back together wrong." "Greetings!" "Welcome, my friends, to Hyalinus." "We are honored by your visit to our world." "I am Galisti... leader of the Inner Council." "And this is Thaius, our newly-appointed ambassador to the Federation." "You see!" "I told you they'd be Hyanoid bipeds." "I must admit," "I was expecting a tentacle or two." "And you must be the commander of that magnificent ship orbiting above." "James Kirk." "Captain of the United Starship Enterprise." "This is my chief surgeon, Dr. Leonard McCoy." "A pleasure to meet you both." "And my first officer, Commander Spock." "You're different from the others!" "Are you an Earth female?" "Madam, my appearance differs from the others because I am Vulcan." "If our human females looked like THAT, we'd go extinct!" "Oh!" "Please forgive my foolishness." "I apologize if I've caused any offense." "Madam, since I do not believe differences in gender render one inferior to the other, not only would it be illogical for me to find offense in your comment, but to do so itself would represent a grievous insult to YOU." "What an improbable contradiction!" "Kindness and gallantry revealed by pure, calculated reason." "Remarkable!" "And I... too caught up with the excitement of the moment to notice anything but your ears." "How often we look, but forget to see." "Oh, Galisti." "You might be wise to replace your ambassador to the Federation immediately." "Don't be so hard on yourself, my dear." "They ARE still here." "I hope I do not offend by asking, but... do all Hyalini politicians get along so well?" "Sadly, no." "But Galisti and I have the advantage of being very old friends." "Who one day realized that we had fallen in love." "What a fortunate man I am... to be able to call my "friend"... my "wife."" "Council leader, I must ask." "Has your world always looked... like this?" "Like what?" "Well..." "It is as it has always been." "Gentlemen." "As the first outsiders ever to be invited to our world, your presence should be a momentous occasion for my people." "But alas, it is a regrettable one." "Regrettable... because this is not when our isolation was meant to end... nor HOW it was to end." "Hundreds of years ago, the people of Hyalinus united in a single purpose... to one day become worthy to join the community of stars." "To us, that meant seeking out the best in each other and ourselves." "Laying down arms against each other... erasing our borders... and refusing to be defined by distinctions like" ""us" and "them."" "A sublime hope:" "The Hope... of the Hyalini." "But alas, fate has intervened." "And so today the hand of my people is not one that is held up proudly to the stars, but merely is a hand held OUT." "Please, come." "The Inner Council is waiting." "Please!" "Spock, can you explain our vision?" "In fact, I can." "An unusual form of radiation emitted by their sun unlike anything I've encountered." "It impairs the function of cone cells in humanoid eyes." "Cone cells allow us to see color." " Correct, doctor." " Makes sense, Jim." "Good work, Spock." "Continue scanning." "This isn´t right." "The Inner Council is the uppermost tier of the United Parliament, representing all regions on Hyalinus." "Its five members are chosen by..." "They just got here, and already you're torturing them with civics!" "Oh, dear..." "This woman is the meanest, toughest teacher there is." "I have the scars to prove it." "Sekara started out as my most obstinate student and soon became my finest." "She now interns for the Inner Council." "And she likes to credit her teaching as the root of all my achievements." "What a great privilege for your first guests to be greeted by such an intelligent and beautiful woman." "You had no right, Galisti!" "You had no right to bring them here!" "You've destroyed us all!" "Do you hear me?" "!" "You've destroyed your entire race!" "We will be destroyed only if we refuse to accept help!" "She may be right, Tomiat." "Shame, Thaius!" "A true believer would rather die than see the Hope corrupted!" "Will he live?" "Tomiat is unharmed, I assure you." "He is merely unconscious, and shall awaken shortly." "I apologize." "You should never have witnessed that." "Show them." "It's the first symptom." "The disease progresses rapidly." "Sekara will..." "I will not live beyond the year." "This is why you sent the distress call." "We are on a path to extinction." "From disease... and soon starvation." "Our crops have stopped growing." "May I?" "It's not contagious." "That much we know." "We don't know what it is... only what it is NOT." "It's not the result of any known poison." "It's not a virus and it's not a bacterium, spore, or parasitic organism." "I've been doing research on the disease as part of my medical training." "I'm..." "I was going to be a physician." "Bones?" "It's definitely related to the radiation that Spock detected, but I can't confirm a prognosis without running more tests." "And for that, we need to be in sickbay." "Sickbay?" "On your vessel?" "Is that a problem?" "We would prefer that she stay here." "Our medical facilities..." "If she returns to the ship with us," " she'll be shielded from the radiation." " I can quickly diagnose..." " Will she see color?" " But Doctor..." "Unknown, captain." " If she does..." " We would do nyything." "the results could be traumatic." "This is the best action avaliable to us." "Besides..." "If your medical facilities were sufficient, you'd already know what was killing your people." "Take good care of her." "She is precious to us." "You have my word." "With your permission," "I'd like Mr. Spock to remain behind" " and continue gathering information." " Of course." "I will keep the transporter window open until his departure." " They love you very much." " We are like family." "Dr. McCoy..." "Sekara." "When you arrive on board our ship, your eyes may work differently." "It may frighten you, but I promise you'll be safe." "Do you understand?" "Are you all right, Sekara?" "Do you see anything..." "strange?" "No." "Everything looks..." "Wha..." "What..." "What is that?" "!" "I'm Chief Engineer Scott, lass!" "Captain!" " It's all right!" "It's called "color."" " Just try to stay calm." "I..." "I don't..." "I..." "Is it alive?" "Look at me!" "Look at me." "Keep your eyes on me." "I know it's strange and frightening... but you're completely safe." "I promised, didn't I?" "So the cause of the illness and the monochromatic vision are one and the same?" "Took a millenium or so for the star's radiotoxins to reach levels high enough to induce acute radiation syndrome." "I've started Sekara's treatment..." "but it's too soon to tell." "How is she otherwise?" "She's a million questions a minute." ""Color" this and "color" that!" "I might have to sedate her just so I can get some peace and quiet." "Sekara is likely the first resident of Hyalinus to see color in over a millenium." "Even with their limited space travel, their shielding technology does not filter out the solar radiation responsible for suppressing color vision." "As for its effects on the population, the illness will reoccur unless further exposure to the solar radiation can be prevented." "The spectral signature of the Hyalinus sun can be altered using a modified stellar probe." "After that, we'll need to decontaminate the asteroid." "I recommend scanning their ecosystem..." "starting with the plants." "Determine how deeply the radiation's permeated their food chain." "Mr. Sulu..." "You and Mr. Spock head back down to the surface." "Take charge of the scans." "I understand you have a knack for botany." "Oh yes sir!" "I should introduce you to my carnivorous weeper, Gertrude." "She's a beaut!" "I'll also need to repair the cellular damage the radiotoxins have caused." "If Sekara's treatment works, I'll be able to synthesize enough medicine for the entire population." "Captain, there is a new development." "While on Hyalinus, I captured several images with my tricorder." "This is how the Hyalini appear to each other." "Unlike eyes, however, the tricorder does not rely on cone cells." "The native inhabitants of this world all share the same genotype for pigmentation." "However..." "Are you saying Sekara is not from Hyalinus?" "She is an alien." "Furthermore, a global bioscan indicates 27.2% of the population are as well." "Maybe it's a rare genetic anomaly, Spock?" "No, doctor." "This is but one of numerous disparities." "They share a common ancestor with the Hyalini, but these individuals are unquestionably a race not currently native to Hyalinus." "Kirk to bridge." "Uhura here." "Lieutenant, search the belt for any indication of another inhabited asteroid." "Anything our sensors may have missed." "We'll have to run a full sweep, including non-subspace carrier waves." " How long?" " Could be days." "Maybe more." "Palmer's an expert at countering solar interference." "I'll have her modify the sensors." "Create a targeted scan." "Thank you." "Get on it." "Captain, a word." "Counselor?" "I have found Dr. McKennah's insight to be... beneficial." "Sekara appears to trust the captain." "Do you believe it would be wise to confront her about her origins?" "Not yet." "We don't know who she is..." "or what she knows." "And she might not even know herself." "Well... a civilization like the Hyalini... bent on self-imposed moral isolation would never allow aliens to live on their world." "Unless they don't know there ARE aliens living on their world." "Captain's log, supplemental." "After two days of treatment," "Dr. McCoy reports that Sekara has responded exceptionally well." "But our search for her people's origin continues." "Hoping to find some clues to the mystery," "I've engaged Sekara in several conversations about her past learning only that she was born on Hyalinus, and orphaned at an early age." "Come." "I, um..." "I wanted you to know where to find me in case you desired to talk again." "Yes." "Dr. McCoy said he moved you to guest quarters." "Better than being trapped in sickbay." "Well... better for HIM, I'm certain." "I had many questions." "Would you like to come in?" "Oh, no." "I mean yes... but no if you're busy." "But as for wanting to... yes." "But of course no if you don't also, but... but if you do then yes I..." "I would very a lot." "Please come in." "You must think I'm ridiculous." "I like ridiculous." "I like it "very a lot."" "How have you been enjoying color?" "Oh, color!" "Color is incredible!" "At first, I couldn't make sense of it." "But now... it astounds me!" "There are so many of them!" "I'm learning their names." "That is called "green."" "And the door is "blue."" "And... and this is "yellow."" ""Red."" ""Red."" "Once we repair your sun, everyone on Hyalinus will see color." "The initial shock may cause a great deal of chaos." "We'll... work with your people to prepare them so they won't be afraid." "And I can help!" "I want to share my experiences with everyone." "But there's still so much I don't understand." "Like... what is it for?" "What is the purpose of color?" "Well... color provides variety." "Vibrance." "Beauty." "It... arouses the senses... stirs the emotions." "Like... poetry for the eyes." "Purple." "Hm?" "The color of your hair." "Captain Kirk to the bridge!" "Captain Kirk to the bridge." "I'll be back." "You're welcome to stay." "Purple." "She found them, sir." "Radio signals coming from an asteroid in the inner belt." "Do you know anything about it?" "Population?" "Not yet." "I'm working on it, sir." "Captain, proximity alert!" "Confirmed." "I'm reading two small shuttlepods approaching Hyalinus at half impulse." "On screen." "Trajectory suggests they're from the other asteroid." "Scans indicate wessels don't have any "big sticks," sir." " What was that, lieutenant?" " Uh... they are unarmed." "They barely look space-worthy!" "Captain, I read six humanoid life forms... in EACH." "Six in each?" "At half impulse?" "My God!" "How long have they been...?" "Captain, Hyalinus' automated platforms have activated." "They're charging weapons!" "Red alert." "Uhura, hail the Hyalini." "One of the weapons platforms is targeting the shuttlepods, captain." "Lieutenant?" "No response from the council, sir." "Charge phaser banks." "Lock onto that platform." "Platform firing!" "Phasers locked." "Fire." "Defense platform destroyed." "The shuttlepods are turning around." "They're retreating, sir." "Cancel red alert." "Uhura, get me Hyalinus." "They're hailing US, captain." "They demand an explanation for the destruction of their platform." "THEY demand...?" "!" "I'll meet with them in an hour." "In the meantime, get me information on that other asteroid." "Smith, you've got the conn." "Why did your people try to destroy two unarmed shuttles carrying twelve passengers?" "They are Abicians." "For decades, they've been trying to sneak onto Hyalinus to escape the consequences of their own savagery." "They lie and conceal their identities so that they can benefit from the peace and prosperity that we've worked to achieve." "One which they have NOT earned themselves." "Is it a crime to want to live peacefully, Sekara?" "Are they criminals?" "Or are they refugees?" "They are INVADERS." "Who attack in tiny, unarmed ships." "We are not heartless, captain." "They have given us reason to fear them." "I find that hard to believe." "How can you stand in judgment of me... of my people... for something that you know NOTHING about?" "!" "My parents were MURDERED by Abicians!" "I'm sorry." "It's all too easy to criticize the policies of another... until you lose someone those policies could have saved." "Please tell me, Sekara." "I want to understand." "I need to understand." "Their world is in turmoil." "Territories perpetually at war." "Technological innovation fueled solely by the desire to build better, more lethal weapons." "They have squandered their natural resources and polluted their world in the process." "And your parents?" "My parents were part of a diplomatic envoy sent to help." "To show the Abicians a better way to live." "Their ship returned to Hyalinus on auto-pilot and all eighteen people on board... were killed." "I was ten years old." "I can't imagine." "Those... people who killed your parents are... barbarians... but that doesn't mean they ALL are, does it?" "You assume that they think like us, captain." "They do not." "They do not respect our laws." "They do not value knowledge or honesty... and they do not question their conscience before turning to violence." "Have you ever met an Abician?" "No." "We've managed to keep them off our world, thankfully." "You're wrong." "There are many on Hyalinus." ""Many"?" "That's impossible." "Hundreds of thousands." "They look like the Hyalini... unless you see color." "Your hair, your skin..." "YOU are Abician." "Your parents were Abician." "She is no stranger." "You're still you!" "N... no!" "No!" "If you don't trust what you see, trust what I see!" "The woman in that mirror is brilliant!" "She's curious, honest, kind... beautiful inside and out." "Look." "Look at her." "She's you, Sekara!" "And you are the opposite... of what you believe..." "of what you've been told..." "Abicians are." "Captain." "Hyalinus has the most amazing plant life, sir." "Look!" "I've never seen a flower with anthers like this one before." " You can't actually SEE the anthers..." " Not now, Sulu." "There's been an incident." "They'll fill you in on the ship." "Both of you." " I apologize, sir." " It's all right." "What have you found?" "Well, according to Mr. Sulu's readings, the Hyalini food chain has been affected at almost every level." "But there is no permanent mutation." "Exactly." "Once we're through here, future generations should grow healthy and normal." "Good work." "Prepare adecontamination sweep." "Aye, sir." "And Sulu..." "You forgot something." "If we modify your star, you'll see your world in a whole new way." "And... based on what we've just witnessed" "I'm not sure you're ready for it." "Must we justify our actions to you?" "Are we obliged to meet some arbitrary moral standard set by Starfleet in order to receive your help?" "No." "But killing defenseless people seems to... contradict the moral standard you've set for yourselves." "Captain, we didn't kill them." "Perhaps we..." "we just... wanted to give them an incentive to turn back." "And what if they hadn't?" "Those twelve Abicians are but a fraction of the unrelenting hoard assaulting our world every day." ""Assaulting"?" "They're willing to DIE for the chance to live where they can be safe and free!" "Why not help them instead of shooting at them?" "Because granting entrance to some is an invitation for all." "They would overrun our world." "Captain, we have limited resources." "We're struggling to feed our own people." "I appreciate your dilemma, madam." "And I'm not suggesting that you open your borders to just anyone... especially those who pose a legitimate threat." "But your defense system is excessive." "You are not qualified to make that judgment, captain." "Abicians are vulgar, selfish, and violent." "They are a scourge... and we've gone to great lengths to keep them off our world." "What if they were already here?" "But they're NOT here." "But what if they were?" "How would you know?" "There was a time... decades ago... when we suspected the Abicians had come... because there was a dramatic rise in violent crime." "But, once we activated our defense grid, the crime rate receded." "That is a FACT, captain." "Not opinion." "Which only proves that SOME Abicians are criminals." "You can't condemn the many for the crimes of the few!" "I don't "condemn."" "The Abicians are free to live wherever they please... as long as it's on their own world." "But if they come here," "I will do what is necessary to keep my people safe." "Just as YOU would if it were your crew or your family." "Safety and compassion are not mutually exclusive." "Conscience requires balance." "That's fundamental to the philosophy of the Federation!" "Captain." "What is Starfleet's "General Order Number One"?" "The non-interference directive." "The ethical principle that prohibits members of Starfleet from interfering with the natural development of pre-warp civilizations." "And does it apply even if you know your interference would be beneficial?" " Yes." " Yes." "And have there been cases... in which upholding this "ethical principle"" "resulted in the death of an entire population... even though you could have saved them?" " Yes, but..." " So for you, this abstract idea is more important than a planet full of living, breathing people." "And you stand here before me, lecturing me about "compassion."" "About "balance."" "You condemn the many... for the crimes of NONE." "Who do you think you are?" "Captain's log, supplemental." "The stellar probe will be ready to launch shortly, and Mr. Spock and Sulu are preparing their decontamination sweep of Hyalinus." "The Inner Council is overjoyed to hear of our success." "Yet I find myself unable to share in that joy." "Captain, are you angry because you think the Hyalini are wrong?" "Or because they might be right about the threat the Abicians pose?" "The threat THEY pose?" "Doctor, when we launch that probe, the Hyalini will see in full, revealing color." "What'll happen to the Abicians once they can be identified?" "Do you really believe they're capable of harming Abicians who've lived among them for years?" "They don't have to be." "All they have to do is round them up and send them back... and wash their hands of what happens next." "THAT'S why I'm angry." "Sir, you've been in situations like this before." "But I wonder if this time it's not more... personal." "I don't think you're angry." "I think you're afraid." "Afraid for Sekara." "You care for her." "Perhaps more deeply than you want to admit." "With all their piety, they've no problem turning their backs on desperate people with nowhere else to go." "They take help, but they refuse to give it." "Begs the question of whether they deserve our aid at all." "So, is it justice for us to deny THEM aid?" "To turn OUR backs on desperate people with nowhere else to go?" "Nowhere else to go..." "Thank you, doctor." "Damn." "I'm good." "And here we have engineering." "This is where Mr. Scott lives." "I dunnah spend all my time here." "There's also the transporter room." "Sekara asked me to show her around." "Is this the device that will fix our star?" "Aye." "It's the only solar probe I've got, so we're leaving nothing to chance." "How'd ya like to see the warp engines?" "No..." "I can show her, commander." "You've got work to do." "I've always got time for a lovely lass, lieutenant." "Yes..." "the engines are this way!" "Young lady, that's a very dangerous tool." "I know." "Stay back!" "I'll fire!" "If something were to happen to that probe, it would take a great deal of time to get another." "Yes." "It will." "Your people cannae afford to wait!" "Sekara!" "Why destroy something that will save your world?" "Because of what will happen next!" "People will turn on each other, afraid of what they don't understand." "They won't see friends and neighbors." "They'll see the brutes and thieves they've heard about." "They'll see Abicians." "We need more time!" "Help us find another way to fix our sun." "One that won't change how we see..." " or who we are..." " There is no other way." "Destroying the probe will only delay the inevitable." "And could you really go back to a world without color?" "I feel so powerless!" "So terrified of the people I will return home to." "Their eyes will change, but their hearts may not." "You're not powerless." "You're the one person with the power to change the hearts of your leaders." "Galisti and Thaius love you very much." "Sekara... you're living proof... that the Abicians aren't a race of savages." "That they, too, have the same hopes and dreams of becoming more." "Friends, the Hyalini offer their heartfelt gratitude." "Today is the beginning of a bright new future for all of my people." " We..." " Some." "I beg your pardon?" "Today is the beginning of a bright new future for SOME... of your people." "For others, it may be the beginning of the end." "There are Abicians among you." "Many of them." "If we repair your sun, you'll see for yourself." "You would have us doubt our resolve." "Is the captain trying to hold our salvation hostage?" "Refusing to launch the stellar probe until you've had the final word?" "Is that your plan?" "No... but... it's a pretty good one." "I think I'll borrow it." "I wonder if you realize the peace... prosperity... the unity of your people is truly extraordinary." "You've accomplished in a few short centuries what took our people millenia." "Indeed, council leader." "Such is the fact with many worlds we encounter." "Your people were unified... transformed by the hope that, one day, they would be worthy enough to join the community of the stars." "The Hope of the Hyalini." "How will your people know when they've achieved worthiness?" "What does it mean to be "worthy"?" "Well, that's the problem." "There is no ONE answer." "An undefined finish line means you never have to finish!" "Your people will never have to leave the safety... the comfort..." "of what they know." "There's an old saying:" ""A ship in the harbor is safe." "But that's not what ships are for."" "The greatest fear of all is the fear of the unknown." "Will you let that fear define you?" "Hide behind weapons and barriers?" "Vilify strangers?" "The very people that your Hope calls upon you to strive to embrace?" "Do you serve the Hope?" "Or have you twisted it... to serve YOU?" "There comes a moment in the life of every world when its people must choose whom they wish to become." "This is your moment." "NOW will you launch the probe?" "We launched the probe twenty minutes ago." "If it was successful, the effects should become apparent any moment now." "Our world is about to change forever." "But my love for you... will never, ever, ever change." "Oh, my dearest." "Oh!" "Oh..." "it's magnificent!" "Long have I wanted to tell you." "But the thought of you forsaking me was too much to bear." "This has all been a lie!" "No!" "Oh, no." "It's not a lie." "I'm still me!" "My love for you is not a lie!" "I'm still the same person!" "I only..." "No!" "NO!" "This changes nothing!" "Even with new vision, do you still not see?" "Captain, commence the decontamination sweep of Hyalinus!" "About that..." "I'm afraid we won't have the time." "The Enterprise has been called away to urgent business on Daran Five." "You would let us all die?" "As it turns out, our scans indicate that the Abicians have the decontamination technology that you require." "And why would they help us?" "Because you have something they need." "We fixed your sun... and they have the ability to sweep the residual effects of the radiation from both worlds." "But their people need medicine just like yours do." "I took the liberty of synthesizing double the amount." "There's enough here to cure both worlds..." "Abicius and Hyalinus." "Has it ever occurred to you that their civilization could be suffering the same fate as yours?" "Given the Abicians' proximity to your sun, they experienced the radiation's ill effects generations before Hyalinus." "Illness, food shortage..." "It is no wonder their world has fallen into chaos and war." "They are what you would become." "Please!" "Don't make us beg help from THEM!" "There is no "them" any more, my dear." "Only "us."" "Transcript by Lisa Hansell" " Sync by Masaca Resync from the original by Caudilho®"