A lot can happen to the crew of a starship—even the most enigmatic events leave their mark. It was only a few months prior that Spock’s life was in grave danger while stranded on an unknown planet.

In the final moments before losing consciousness, he saw a figure rush to his aid—only the face of the stranger was visible through his blurred vision. When he awoke, he was whole and the Enterprise crew had already been summoned to rescue him. Since then, the face of that unknown savior had remained etched in his memory.

Months later, with Captain Kirk on shore leave, Spock served as acting captain when a distress signal was detected. Following the transmission, a small, aged, and rusted shuttle appeared on screen—its life support systems long since failed.

Lieutenant Uhura managed to project the interior of the shuttle onto the viewscreen: there, lying unconscious from oxygen deprivation, was the same stranger. Spock shot up from the captain’s chair, staring intently at the screen—his certainty unshakable. It was them.