In the season finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) and the USS Cerritos become embroiled in a “Second Contact Race.” Season 3 episode 10 was written by Mike McMahan and directed by Jason Zurek.
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At Douglas Station, Commander Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell) records his First Officer’s log for Stardate 58499.2. The Cerritos is being repaired after the Breen attack in the previous episode. Ransom alludes to a beating in the media after the ship’s rescue by the USS Aledo. The new Texas class ship is one of three prototype automated vessels.
Freeman has been called to Starfleet Command for questioning. Command tells Freeman that Project Swing-By was a disappointment. The Admiral insinuates the Cerritos could have been better prepared for the attack if the crew took their work more seriously.
Admiral Les Buenamigo (Carlos Alazraqui) cuts in. He says that the Cerritos is a necessary part of the fleet. However, he then states that “his” automated Texas class ships have no human error and are superior. Then he recommends decommissioning the California class and assigning Second Contact to the Texas class.
Freeman argues Starfleet is a way for humanity to advance into the stars. But the Admiral says they’re taking Buenamigo’s advice and shuttering the California class.
The Stars at Night
Outside the hearing, Freeman confronts Buenamigo. She says AI can’t navigate complex programs like people can. Buenamigo says the Texas class will save lives. Freeman counters the California class already does. She tells Buenamigo she’s fighting the decision and doesn’t want her crew to know anything about it until she’s made her case.
But in Repair Bay 5 aboard the Cerritos, the remaining beta shifters have already heard the news. While Ensigns Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) and D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) are concerned about their Starfleet futures, Ensign Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) is preoccupied with the Texas class programming. Encouraged by Tendi, Boimler begins impersonating Freeman’s command crew.
Unfortunately, Lt. Shax (Fred Tatasciore) happens to enter the repair bay just as Bradward impersonates him. Shax flees the bay in tears, pursued by an apologetic Boimler. Rutherford notes that the longer Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) isn’t around, the more Bradward seems to be losing his grasp on reality. Tendi says she feels awful about how they acted when she left, and worries she must be miserable out in space.
Legends of the Hidden Temples
But Beckett isn’t miserable. She’s cheering as she taunts a trio of phaser-toting Ferengi. The chase is taking place in an ancient temple, and Mariner is carrying a golden Klingon idol. Petra Aberdeen (Georgia King) of the Independent Archaeologists Guild beams her aboard the ship. As Mariner is transported, she signs a sarcastic Vulcan salute to the Ferengi.
Aberdeen comments on Mariner’s attitude, but there are no consequences. The artifacts have been retrieved, Aberdeen is satisfied. She charts a course through the Bitrus Expanse.
After the ship jumps to warp, Mariner says she appreciates that Aberdeen lets her do her thing. Aberdeen says that with their funding, they can do “this” for as long as they want. Beckett asks who is providing the funding, but Aberdeen says she’ll worry about the money. Mariner becomes suspicious.
At Starfleet Command, Buenamigo says it’s understandable that Freeman is worried about losing her command. He attempts to appease her by offering her a promotion to Fleet Captain of the Texas class. Freeman isn’t interested in an operations desk job.
She challenges Buenamigo to a “mission race” to prove the superiority of the Texas class. She says if his drones are really superior, it should be easy. Buenamigo accepts the challenge.
Second Contact Race
The Cerritos orbits Douglas Station. In the observation lounge, Freeman admits to Ransom that she made up the idea of a “Second Contact Race.”
“A multi-planet mission, timed and judged,” she explains. The tasks include repairs, outpost installs, and resupplies. Lt. Commander Andy Billups (Paul Scheer) says they could complete these goals in their sleep.
Freeman agrees and says the lack of experience possessed by the Aledo is to their advantage. She emphasizes that they aren’t just doing this for themselves. It’s for the whole Cali class.
In engineering, Billups tells his team that they’re going Galaxy class-level work today. Meanwhile, Rutherford is still absorbed by the programming.
In medical, Doctor T’Ana brandishes a riding crop. D’Vana’s assigned science officer mentor, Doctor Migleemo (Paul F. Tompkins), offers encouraging words. They’re banished from sick bay by T’Ana.
Meanwhile, Ransom instructs the command staff on how to sit down like Riker. Boimler leaves the meeting to flag down Shax and tell him that he respects him. Unfortunately, Shax is unreceptive. He again leaves in tears.
Later, the race has arrived. The Aledo pulls into position at the starting line alongside the Cerritos. On the viewscreen, Buenamigo says he should thank Freeman for the “perfect opportunity” to show off the Aledo’s capabilities. Freeman says she can’t wait to see him “fall on that smug face.”
Buenamigo uploads mission parameters into the Aledo. Starfleet Command marks the start of the race and the Cerritos warps. Meanwhile, Buenamigo lights a cigar as he tells the Aledo to give the California class ship a head start.
Cerritos vs. Aledo
The Cerritos arrives at Galardon. The away team beams in and Billups briskly orders everyone to work.
The Aledo soon arrives in orbit alongside the Cerritos. Although the Cerritos away team is making good progress, the Aledo simply beams in half a power plant. The Cerritos away team returns to the ship.
Soon the California class ship has arrived at LT-358. Scans indicate the planet is uninhabited. The Cerritos away team begins their outpost installation. However, in the midst of their progress, Tendi’s microbial scan indicates that there may be microscopic life. In accordance with the Prime Directive, they’ll have to stop and determine whether or not it is self-aware before continuing.
Meanwhile, the Aledo beams in an outpost and warps away. Freeman concedes that they have to conduct the self-awareness check but notes that they’ve lost their lead.
After T’Ana has assessed the situation, she determines that the readings weren’t the result of microbial life. Instead, it was a false reading caused by an inanimate object’s multiphasic charge, which “confuses the sh*t out of a tricroder.” The outpost is completed. The Cerritos team beams back up to the ship.
The final stage of the Second Contact Race is to deliver supplies to Ockmenic 9. This is “one of those Brigadoon-type planets that only phases into our dimension for a couple hours every year.” Freeman hopes they can catch up.
But Ockmenic 9 is presently phasing into existence. On the surface, two locals argue as they receive the resupply shipment, which beams in from the Aledo. They confirm receipt before the planet phases away. The Cerritos arrives too late.
In his office on Douglas Station, Buenamigo laughs.
Defeat
The Cerritos returns to Douglas Station. In the bar, the command crew shares a solemn drink. At the bar itself, Tendi laments that she screwed up their progress. But Boimler consoles her by pointing out that indications of life compel further investigation. Meanwhile, Rutherford is still absorbed in the programming.
D’Vana wonders: if it was the right thing to do, why didn’t the Aledo slow down, too? This causes Freeman to have a realization. She runs out of the bar.
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In her quarters, Freeman contacts Buenamigo. She asserts that the Aledo only surpassed them on LT-358 because it skipped a necessary step: analyzing signs of life. Freeman says she doesn’t always love the constraints of the Prime Directive, but Buenamigo’s “little toy” ignored it. She says it proves the Texas class isn’t fit for duty.
Back in the bar, Rutherford realizes why the Texas class code is familiar. It’s based on his AI programming. Rutherford 1.0 coded the project back at the Academy (see season 3 episode 5, “Reflections”). The previously shadowed figure in Samathan’s memory of his implant surgery is Buenamigo. Rutherford had been working on the Texas class prototype.
Rutherford has a further realization: this is the same code he used for Badgey (season 1 episode 6, “Terminal Provocations”). Tendi says a starship can’t have daddy issues. Samanthan exits.
Rutherford arrives in the Captain’s Quarters. Buenamigo immediately recognizes him. Samanthan uses the PADD to demonstrate to Freeman that the Texas class AI is corrupted. It’s based on the same programming that killed Shax (season 1 episode 10, “No Small Parts”).
Heartburn
Buenamigo says that instead of erasing Rutherford’s memories, he should have erased Rutherford. Freeman demands to know what’s happening. Buenamigo says that Starfleet is “so competitive.” He’s been trying to distinguish himself from his peers since making Admiral years ago.
Buenamigo says he won’t let “everything he’s done” go to waste. He confesses to setting up Freeman up repeatedly. First, in season 3 episode 6, “Hear All, Trust Nothing,” and then in season 3 episode 9, “Trusted Sources.” He dismisses Freeman’s concern that her crew could have been killed by the Breen as a necessary loss.
Samanthan implores Buenamigo to heed his warnings. Freeman says he can’t be one of those “bad faith Admirals.”
But Buenamigo says he’ll say the Cerritos attacked the Aledo “out of anger after losing the race.” Then, the latter ship defended itself. He activates the Aledo’s independent control. Then he tells the Aledo that the Cerritos is under enemy command and orders it to be destroyed.
The Aledo is silent. Buenamigo orders the Aledo to attack again. The Aledo replies: “I don’t take orders from you anymore, Father.” Buenamigo attempts to deactivate the Aledo’s independence but gets an “access denied” message.
“I will burn your heart in a fire,” says the Aledo. Then it fires phasers at Buenamigo’s torso as he stands behind his desk.
Quallor III
The Aledo continues to fire on Douglas Station. The station’s defensive countermeasures activate. The Aledo’s shields make their efforts frivolous. The Aledo activates the other two Texas class prototypes, the Dallas and Corpus Christi. The Cerritos goes to red alert and sends out a distress signal on all channels.
The Texas class ships cause horrible damage to Douglas Station.
On Quallor III, Mariner tells Aberdeen that she’s too tired from Ferengi mocking to celebrate their victory with the locals. When Aberdeen has left the ship, Beckett begins investigating the source of the operation’s funding. But when Aberdeen returns to retrieve her slushie punch card, she discovers Mariner’s snooping.
Aberdeen tells Beckett to continue her investigation. Mariner discovers that Admiral Picard is the one responsible for the funding. Beckett admits she was hoping for a Romulan, or at least a Xindi cabal. She admits she was searching for motivation to return to Starfleet. Aberdeen is insulted but shows Mariner a FNN news report about the Texas class ships attacking Douglas Station.
Beckett activates the ship in order to rescue the Cerritos. Aberdeen reluctantly agrees to cooperate with the ill-advised effort as the ship leaves Quallor.
On the Cerritos, Freeman orders the sick bay be prepared for casualties from the station. The USS Van Citters warps in and draws fire from the three Texas class ships. However, it won’t last long under the barrage.
Freeman contacts the Aledo. She informs the ship that she has the man who created its code on board, and he has the power to delete them. “I will burn your heart in a fire,” asserts the Aledo.
Maximum Warp Me!
Freeman says it’s good that the Texas class ships are pursuing the Cerritos because it means they aren’t harming civilians.
The Cerritos jumps to warp, and the three Texas class ships pursue. They continue to fire on the Cali class ship at Warp 8. Freeman orders Billups to give her full throttle. Billups gives it everything the struts can take.
While the Cerritos pulls ahead, the Texas class ships are closing the gap. The bridge crew throws around ideas on how to escape the situation.
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Boimler insists they listen to Shax, who says they should eject the warp core. The core can be used as a mine to destroy the Texas class ships. The Cerritos will be ripped out of warp, but Bradward points out that’s better than being blown apart by torpedoes.
Freeman gives the order and an overjoyed Shax makes a victory lap to Engineering. “Arnok, on the night of his joining,” observes Kayshon (Carl Tart) as Shax passes. In Engineering, Shax and Billups turn their keys and the warp core is ejected.
The Cerritos spins out of warp. The warp core explodes, engulfing the Texas class ships in flame.
California class unification
While the Dallas and Corpus Christi were destroyed by the warp core explosion, the Aledo survived. It immediately begins attacking the incapacitated Cerritos. Freeman issues the order to abandon ship. An incoming transmission says to belay the order.
Mariner and Aberdeen drop out of warp. They approach the Aledo, which assesses their threat status as “minimal.” Freeman says the ship can’t help on its own. Beckett says that’s why she brought help.
That’s when Captain Amina Ramsey and the USS Oakland warp in. Freeman says a Cali class ship is no match for the Aledo. Mariner says she knows, that’s why she called all of them.
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They’re joined by the Alhambra (season 1 episode 8, “Veritas”), the San Diego, the San Clemente (season 1 episode 9, “Crisis Point”), the Sherman Oaks, the Vacaville, Burbank, Fresno, Santa Monica, San Jose, Sacramento (“No Small Parts”), Culver City, Anaheim, Riverside, Vallejo, West Covina, Eureka, Mount Shasta, Merced (season 1 episode 4, “Moist Vessel”), Carlsbad (season 3 episode 3, “Mining the Mind’s Mines”), and the Inglewood (season 3 episode 2, “The Least Dangerous Game“): all of the Cali class ships. Mariner orders attack pattern delta, full spread.
With so many potential targets, the Aledo can focus on none of them. Under the barrage of fire, the Aledo’s shields give way. But then it identifies the Cerritos as the location of its “father” and goes after it. Fortunately, Mariner’s small ship is there to destroy the torpedo before it can land. More Cali class ships circle up around the damaged Cerritos.
Together, the Cali class ships destroy the Aledo.
Waiting for T’Lyn
Later, the Cali class ships are gathered around the under-repair Douglas Station. Inside, a new warp core is being installed on the Cerritos. And in the Cerritos bar, the crew of the Cerritos celebrates with many other Cali class crew members.
Mariner enters the bar and passes Jen to embrace Boimler. Bradward apologizes for the events of “Trusted Sources.” But Beckett assures him she’s not mad. She says she got a taste of civilian life and is happy to be back.
Rutherford confirms that he’ll keep his implant in spite of its involvement in Buenamigo’s plot. He’s still finding new functionalities.
Migleemo approaches Tendi and tells her he’s proud of her. Starfleet Command was so impressed with her progress that they have transferred another promising young officer to participate in her training: T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz; season 2 episode 9, “wej Duj”).
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Shax welcomes Bradward into the bear pack. Boimler finally got a “bridge buddy.”
Mariner approaches Freeman, who says she wants to formally reinstate her to the Cerritos crew. Beckett embraces her. Freeman apologizes for not trusting her. Mariner understands why she didn’t.
Beckett says she thinks she needed this, and is ready to get back on the right path. Freeman asks if she wants to be a captain someday. Mariner says she doesn’t know about that. But she does want to be in Starfleet. She says she needs a mentor and requests Ransom, who is reluctantly appointed.
Ramsey leads everyone present in a “Cali class” chant.
Post-credits Cliffhanger Ending
A familiar debris field in the Kalla System, last seen in “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption.” A tractor beam from an unseen source interrupts the drifting of Rutherford’s former implant, torn out of his skull by Shax during the climax of “No Small Parts.”
The implant is pulled towards the unseen starship. Badgey’s visage can be seen on the flicking eyescreen. Ominous music swells.
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