Star Trek I: Specter of the Past



Star Trek: Specter of the Past, often abbreviated simply Star Trek: Specter, is a popular fan-produced CGI film, produced by Brandon Bridges with support from users at Scifi-Meshes.com and other Star Trek fan sites. Work on the film commenced in 2006, and it originally slated for release in Fall 2009, however script rewrites pushed that date back to Fall 2010. The principal action takes place aboard the USS Fitzgerald (NCC-85107-A), a refitted starship, and features special guest appearances by space station Deep Space 9, Enterprise-E, Counselor Deanna Troi and Lt. Cmdr. Data. Since portions of it began appearing on YouTube, the movie has gained a significant fan following, with eager viewers searching for it by name on both YouTube and Google. The film has been repeatedly cited for its qualitative writing and thought-provoking, character-driven story, as well as the depth of its characters and the generally high production values. The central theme of the movie is the importance of friendship, mixed in with ethical questions about personal responsibilities versus responsibilities to others. The first official casting call went out on Monday, July 5, 2010. The first round of audition callbacks was announced on Saturday, August 14, 2010. The complete cast was announced on Thursday, September 23, 2010. The first complete cut of the movie was announced on Wednesday, September 29, 2010, with editing to begin immediately and recording with voice actors to take place soon after. On Thursday, September 30, 2010, it was announced that all available content on YouTube would be removed in advance of the completion of the edited Director's Cut, which would be made available for viewing shortly thereafter. The full Director's Cut was posted on Saturday, October 2, 2010. The casting "Call to Arms" was posted the following day. On Wednesday, December 22, 2010, it was announced that no further voiceover work would be done on Specter; it was unclear if existing recordings from voice actors were still planned to be integrated with the existing film. Another announcement on Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 stated that the remastering process on Specter had been completed, but that existing voiceovers would not be integrated into the film, and that the release of "Star Trek Specter: The Ultimate Edition" would be the final version of the film and would continue to use the temporary voice tracks from the original version of the film. The first hourlong segment of Specter was uploaded to the Vimeo video-sharing website on Sunday, January 9, 2011, with additional segments posted over the course of the next several weeks. The final segment was uploaded on Saturday, January 29, 2011.

As late as six months after its final release, the Director's Edition alone continues to receive hits from around the world, and has been viewed over 3,000 times (with total hits from all scenes posted since the inception of production totalling well over 10,000).

2373
"In times of doubtful morality, it is usual to say: 'Is there any harm in doing this?' This question may sometimes best be answered by asking ourselves another: 'Is there any harm in letting it alone?'"

- Charles Caleb Colton

In space, the starship, USS Daystrom pursues a  runabout, firing phasers at the smaller vessel. Despite repeated adjustments by the starship's tactical officer, none of the shots manages to strike the runabout, which does not return fire and appears to be executing only minimal evasive maneuvers.

On the bridge, the captain expresses frustration at his tactical officer's inability to score even a glancing hit on the fleeing runabout. Moments later, the runabout pilot hails the ship, revealing himself to be Dr. Braiyon Elias Garr, a leading Federation scientist. Garr attempts to warn the ship off, proudly proclaiming that his runabout is the very equal of the Daystrom, and warning the captain that consequences will ensue if he maintains pursuit.

The captain then asks his science officer, Commander Gaius Reyf, if he can figure out how Garr is deflecting their weapons so perfectly. Visibly in shock following Garr's transmission, Reyf at first does not respond, staring at the main viewscreen. Just as the captain is about to relieve Reyf of duty, the helm officer reports the runabout's new heading: the Utopia Planitia shipyards. Panicked, the captain orders an emergency transmission to the yard superintendent, fearing the worst and knowing the warning will come too late.

But instead of opening fire on the spacedocks or the half-finished starships within, the runabout simply weaves through them--at one point strafing the new USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) at extreme close range--before slingshotting around Mars. Realizing the doctor's plan hadn't been to cause damage at all but simply to outmaneuver and outdistance his vessel, the captain orders auxiliary power routed to the engines, and the Daystrom races around the spacedocks.

Just as the Daystrom is closing on the runabout again, the smaller ship alters course and dives into an asteroid field. Too large to maneuver safely inside the asteroid field, the Daystrom is forced to break off pursuit. Reyf monitors the runabout's progress with the long-range sensors, which shortly indicate that the runabout has suffered an impact from a piece of rocky debris and, leaking warp plasma, is spiraling towards the surface of one of the asteroids. The crew watch helplessly on the main viewscreen as, in the far distance, the runabout strikes the surface of the asteroid and explodes.

Five Years Later...

2378
In deep space, the Mellis II Deep Space Research Station drifts alone. Inside, its chief administrator, Dr. Edward Chellik, is about to retire for the night, when suddenly the lights in his office go dark. Attempts to contact station security prove useless as he discovers the communication system has also been disabled. Before he can ponder further action, the sound of footsteps echoes from the other side of his closed door. In sudden fear, Chellik slowly gets to his feet. The doors to his office slide open, and from the shadows appears none other than Dr. Braiyon Garr himself. Chellik is at first doubtful that it could be Garr, but the doctor steps close to his desk and physically slaps the elder man in the face. Suddenly fearing for his life, Chellik stands all but frozen in terror as Garr informs him that he needs to "borrow a few things."

''Captain's personal log, stardate 52437.2. At the Academy, we're taught that the most difficult mission a captain will face is the first. Having just returned from my first mission, I can safely say, they were right. Our expedition was a success; and to celebrate our homecoming, we've stopped at station Deep Space Nine for some shore leave, and some much-needed downtime.''

With the starship USS F. Scott Fitzgerald freshly returned from its maiden voyage, Captain Gaius Reyf and the ship's doctor, Elizabeth Falwell, discuss a literary holonovel they have just completed. Reyf expresses wonder at the role of the monster, with Falwell insisting the character was a classic evildoer in the purest sense. Reyf concedes that Falwell’s argument holds merit, and before departing the ship for Bajor, she chides him on losing yet another literary debate with her.

Later, Reyf has his feet up and is deeply immersed in an old novel, when an urgent subspace message arrives from the Mellis II space station. A visibly shaken Edward Chellik tells Reyf of a yearlong string of mysterious break-ins that had taken place across the quadrant: fourteen supposedly secure facilities, all burglarized with no trace of the culprit. Visibly bracing himself, Chellik shows Reyf the visual log of Garr's visit, and a shocked Reyf watches evidence that the man he thought dead for five years is not only still alive, but has apparently turned renegade. Chellik warns Reyf that with the equipment Garr has stolen, the rogue scientist could wreak untold havoc on the space-time continuum, and that despite the personal sensitivities of the mission, Reyf must find him and stop him, no matter the cost. Reyf agrees, and the Fitzgerald leaves to begin the hunt.

While en route to the Beta Reticuli system, Reyf briefs his senior staff, explaining Garr was once a top Federation scientist, who for reasons unknown stole a shuttlecraft from a Starfleet installation on Earth, downloaded classified starship blueprints from Earth Station McKinley, and then apparently died while trying to escape through the asteroid belt of Sector 001. In reality, as Starfleet would later learn, Garr had faked his death before disappearing into seclusion. The only clues they have to his activities during that time are that Garr had downloaded information on a regular basis from the Starfleet Intelligence mainframe, as well as some odd tetryon readings coming from a distant and deserted system. More questions than answers remain as the starship reaches its destination.

Achieving standard orbit, Reyf orders the planet scanned for the energy signature provided by Chellik. It takes only a few moments for the sensors to locate the source: an underground structure buried deep beneath the planet's surface. Although the sensors show no life signs in the area, for safety reasons Reyf's away team consists of only himself, his chief engineer, Lt. Cmdr. Merv Ronston, and his chief of security, Lt. Kendra Erickson. They transport to the planet, materializing inside a subterranean cave system surrounding the structure. They begin to explore the caverns, finally finding a metal doorway set into the rock face, leading into the hidden lab. Using only his tricorder, Ronston is able to override the locking mechanism and the door opens, leading the away team into a dark and seemingly powerless facility.

Aboard the Fitzgerald, sensors continue to monitor the away team's progress. Although the transporter lock remains solid, Cmdr. Prentice remains troubled by the presence of a strange energy displacement near the away team's position, a displacement the sensors can neither identify nor precisely lock on to. He contacts Reyf to advise the captain of the situation. Moments later, Ensign Hargrove, replacing Erickson at tactical, notices something odd: tactical sensors keep picking something up behind one of the planet's nearby moons, while navigational sensors insist there's nothing there. Unable to take the Fitzgerald to investigate for fear of losing contact with the away team, Prentice takes Chief of Operations Maxwell Garrett in a shuttlecraft to investigate.

In the shuttle, Garrett confesses his feelings of uncertainty about Captain Reyf's judgment, and Prentice consoles him by admitting he shares those feelings but is also confident in Reyf's abilities. Garrett is still uncertain, but before the discussion can progress further, the shuttle enters sensor range of the mysterious object. Prentice orders a full sensor sweep, and the object is revealed to be a near-perfect duplicate of the starship USS Voyager. Sensor scans reveal that the ship possesses some strange modifications, ranging from a vastly upgraded weapons array to some exotic-looking hull armor, as well as a warp drive whose power source is much greater than would normally be found on a Federation starship. Unnerved both by its similarities to and differences from the real thing, Prentice orders a complete analysis in an attempt to determine where the mysterious ship came from.

Meanwhile, in the hidden lab, Reyf receives a sudden summons to Lt. Erickson's position. He arrives, and finds her in a side lab, standing over what looks to be a partially completed female android, one arm lacking any artificial skin over the exposed machine elements. Ronston arrives moments later, and fascinated by the sight, immediately begins an analysis. Reyf, meanwhile, steps over for a closer look, murmuring that he thinks he recognized the android from somewhere.

As soon as Erickson's light hits the android's face, her eyes suddenly open. Reyf recoils at first, but then watches in wonder as she sits up, bending her fingers and examining the bare metal of her unfinished arm. But despite Reyf's attempts to communicate, the only response he gets from her is silence, though she does reach out to take his hand. Ronston, enthralled by a neural network far beyond anything currently known to Federation science, requests permission to transport her to the ship for further study. Erickson protests until Reyf asks her to see to the security arrangements.

Just then, Erickson spots a silhouetted figure outside the room and sounds the alarm, but the warning comes too late to prevent the figure from beaming out. Reyf calls for beam-up as well, and moments later the Fitzgerald breaks orbit as sensors detect a ship emerging from behind the moon. All attempts to communicate with the mysterious vessel fail, but Erickson is able to read its transponder: ISS Voyager, NCC-74656. Reyf immediately recognizes it for what it is: Dr. Garr's vessel, constructed from the plans the doctor had stolen five years prior, and realizes that this may be his one and only chance to stop the mad doctor from doing whatever it is he's doing. He calls for the duplicate ship's surrender, but his hails go unanswered, until he threatens to take "drastic action." The Voyager duplicate responds, a single taunting phrase: "Drastic action; now why didn't I think of that?"

Seconds later, the Fitzgerald receives a set of coordinates, which Parks identifies as the same coordinates Prentice went to investigate. Ronston scans the location, and discovers that the shuttlecraft is damaged and adrift, powerless and leaking air, atmosphere barely maintained by emergency forcefields. Garr then gives Reyf a choice: pursue the ISS Voyager and hope he can stop it from escaping, or rescue his two officers. He then reminds Reyf that his time is limited and, further, that the longer he waits the longer it'll take to return to the planet. Knowing he has no choice, Reyf orders the ship to come hard about. He then asks Garr what's happened to him; Garr simply responds, "Time, Gaius; I'll be seeing you," and cuts the connection.

Act Two
A short time later, the ship's Mark-III Emergency Medical Holographic program delivers the medical reports on the two officers from the shuttle; Cmdr. Prentice suffered only minor injuries and is fit for duty, but Garrett failed to brace for impact before the shuttle was rammed, and suffered severe neural trauma and spinal damage as well. Though he will make a full recovery, he will be unable to perform his duties for some time.

Privately, Prentice admits to Reyf that with no medical staff, and now no chief of operations, carrying forward with the mission would not be wise, further commenting that they may be facing a challenge that is beyond what their experience has prepared them for. Reluctantly, Reyf agrees, and at Prentice's urging, agrees to ask for help.

A short time later, the USS arrives on site, and Counselor Deanna Troi and Lt. Cmdr. Data transport aboard the Fitzgerald. Reyf welcomes them on board and wastes no time in giving them their assignments: Data, to assume Garrett's position as chief of operations; and Troi, to help Reyf determine what prompted Garr's transformation from the man he once knew into the supervillain he's become. After he leaves them, the two Enterprise officers comment on how different Reyf seems to be from Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

The Enterprise departs, and in Main Engineering, Merv Ronston begins his investigation of the female android discovered beneath the surface of Beta Reticuli IV. Initial scans reveal an elaborate internal structure, but attempts to access her memory fail due to the strange design of her neural net. Further complicating things is that for some reason, she can't seem to speak. Lt. Erickson notes that her parts and power cell are all approximately the same age, before pointing out that one of her arms lacks artificial skin, concluding that perhaps both problems share a common cause--that Garr stopped building her for some reason before she was finished. Intrigued, Ronston proposes that the answer might lie in making a more detailed analysis of her neural net, to look for any missing parts, and that the sensitive biometric equipment in sickbay would be ideal for the job.

As he and Erickson depart to take the android to sickbay, Reyf summons Ensign Hargrove to his ready room. She tells him about how she was able to detect Garr's ship hidden behind the Reticulean moon earlier, and he commends her for vigilance and persistence, before asking her to continue serving on the bridge for the duration of the mission. Clearly surprised, she accepts, before returning to her station. Reyf hangs back for a moment, clearly feeling some unexpected emotions, before returning to the bridge.

Ensign Kal informs him that there's been no word from the survey team dispatched by Starfleet, and that they are now 28 hours overdue. Reyf decides against contacting Starfleet for the time being, and is about to depart when the EMH reports in from sickbay.

Activating Monitor Input 47, the Emergency Medical Holographic Channel, Reyf listens as the holographic doctor describes the results of further analysis of the DNA sample Garr left at Mellis II. While the genetic pattern is an exact match for Braiyon Garr, the Mellis II sample shows some unusual damage that resembles a case of severe radiation poisoning. A visibly concerned Reyf asks if anything can be done, to which the doctor replies that without more information about the cause of the condition, formulating a remedy will be impossible. Thanking her for the report, Reyf deactivates the EMH before leaving the bridge.

Later, Reyf visits Counselor Troi about the earlier visit from Ensign Hargrove. At first, they talk about his uncertainty about placing his crew of young officers in harm's way, before the conversation turns to Reyf's certainty based on the first encounter that Garr is completely insane. He reveals with some difficulty that when he saw Garr on the viewscreen, the other's eyes seemed alive with rage and hatred, but that those emotions seem out of place for him. As he turns to leave, Troi points out that if what he saw doesn't make sense, he should be prepared for the possibility that it might in fact be something else entirely. At Reyf's question, she explains that since Garr's disappearance, Reyf moved on with his life and achieved everything he'd wanted: friends, a command of his own, a fulfilling life, something Garr had long since sacrificed, and therefore he would likely feel envy for his old friend. Faced with a possibility he hadn't considered, Reyf leaves.

A short time later, Reyf is in his ready room, lost in thought, when Cmdr. Prentice visits to deliver an update on the shuttle: due to damage suffered in the collision, the detailed scans of Garr's ship were lost. He then recommends their next step should be to investigate the laboratory complex on the planet. Reyf agrees, and Prentice turns to leave, but stops when he notices his captain's troubled emotional state.

At his insistence, Reyf finally admits the truth: prior to his disappearance, he and Garr were close friends for many years, owing to the fact of Garr's intervention in Reyf's life following the death of his father at the Battle of Wolf 359.

He credits Garr for insisting they both join Starfleet, and for every accomplishment he's made since then. He reiterates that he's committed to putting a stop to Garr's intentions, whatever they are, but that deep down he also wants to help his old friend. In sudden understanding of his captain's actions until now, Prentice leaves to begin his investigation of the planet below.

Shortly after Prentice leaves, Reyf visits Cmdr. Data's quarters to request an update on his investigation. Data reports that of the 87 billion potential configurations for the 14 components in Garr's possession, he's gone through about 500,000 and has yet to discover a working configuration. He cites a lack of understanding concerning its ultimate function as the primary stumbling block, and Reyf encourages him to continue. They then begin to discuss the sheer impossibility of some of the things they've seen: Garr's construction of a complete starship and underground base, in secret, with no help and in only five years; his designs for an android much more advanced than even Data himself; and the contradiction of his perfect secrecy for five years, along with his almost showboating air now. Data postulates that perhaps his seemingly impossible technological achievements may be explained by his access to the Starfleet Intelligence database, and Reyf is about to ask for more when Prentice contacts him from the surface, to report that he's found something.

In the lab down on the planet, Prentice and Ensign Kal report their findings. A thorough examination of the complex's main computer uncovered some backup files that Garr missed when he wiped the core, and from those bits they were able to reconstruct some of his research data. One of the last experiments that Garr conducted before abandoning the facility created an intense surge of tetryon energy, causing a gravitational disturbance in the bowels of the facility. Ensign Kal concludes that this indicates the presence of a quantum singularity, but that because tetryon energy was used as the catalyst, the mysterious phenomenon would've been extremely unstable--worthless for any practical use. Reyf becomes frustrated with the fact that every answer they find leads to more questions, but is interrupted by a call from the Fitzgerald--reporting an incoming distress signal from the starship USS Fairgrieve.

Act Three
The Fitzgerald approaches the hulk of the Fairgrieve, in close proximity to the Beta Reticulean star. Security scans of the system show no other ships nearby, only a severely destabilized area of space-time, whose distortions seem centered on the Fairgrieve itself. Reyf orders the ship scanned for life signs, of which there are none. Data reports the hull of the Fairgrieve shows signs being exposed to a tetryon energy field of extreme intensity, and that its hull shows signs of molecular misalignment that he can't yet explain. Angered by the loss of the 47 crewmembers aboard the Fairgrieve, Reyf orders Data to investigate further, before all but storming off the bridge.

Later, the EMH briefs the senior staff on her findings from the bodies of the Fairgrieve crew: powerful bursts of tetryon radiation were what ultimately killed them, and the result looks strikingly similar to the damaged DNA that she analyzed from Dr. Garr earlier. Reyf, who had been silent up until then, thanks her and then cuts the transmission from sickbay. He then discloses that he believes he's beginning to sense a pattern to Garr's actions, and Erickson correctly guesses that he's hinting at a scientific methodology. Data then reports his findings, that at least part of Garr's objective is to break through the subspace barrier to extract some kind of energy, suggesting that he may have already attempted to do so in the Beta Reticuli system, resulting in the unstable phenomenon that the Fairgrieve encountered. Ronston takes over and likens it to a dam being punctured, then having the hole filled; the leak is there, and the surrounding structure begins to weaken, which is what's causing the space-time disruptions and extreme levels of radiation in the region. At Reyf's suggestion that the safest course might to be simply take the Fairgrieve in tow and leave the area, Ronston tells that doing so would be extremely unwise, as the only thing keeping the dam from breaking is the Fairgrieve itself.

A comm call interrupts the meeting, and the crew adjourns to the bridge to speak with Admiral Thornton. She tells them of an attack on the Deep Space 12 space station, in which the ISS Voyager appeared out of nowhere and attacked with some sort of heavy Borg weaponry, gave the station's occupants two minutes to evacuate, and threatened to kill anything left behind. Reyf realizes he did this so that they wouldn't have time to destroy or remove anything from the station. Then, when the last ship was out of transporter range, the ISS Voyager docked with the station, remained there for four and a half minutes, then backed to a safe distance before obliterating the station. They both come to the same conclusion, that he stole something but destroyed the station to keep anyone from finding out what. Thornton then remarks that, like the other parts of Garr's scheme, this one makes no sense, as the station was a simple mineral refinery and that nothing there should be extraordinary enough to draw Garr's interest. She sends Reyf the station's inventory to see if they can figure out what he might've wanted. When she ends the transmission, Reyf orders the sensor records downloaded from the Fairgrieve before leaving the bridge.

Cmdr. Prentice watches him go, then turns to Lt. Erickson and asks to speak with her in private. In Reyf's ready room, they argue for a moment before Prentice admits he wants her advice. She's surprised to hear the admission from him, and even more so when he admits he wants advice on the captain. Prentice shares with her what Reyf revealed to him about his past association with Garr, describing Reyf's ongoing emotional reaction as more than he can handle. Erickson sharply reminds him that as first officer he should worry less about Reyf's feelings and more about the safety of the crew, reminding him that if Reyf can't deal with his emotions on his own, then he'll need help. Prentice acknowledges her advice, and she thanks him for approaching her and returns to the bridge. Prentice then contacts Counselor Troi.

A few minutes later, Prentice returns to the bridge, where Data reports that he's established a computer link with the Fairgrieve, and that most of the records they need seem to be intact. As he begins the download, strange emissions start to emanate from the Fairgrieve. Erickson reports the hulk seems to be losing mass, and Data deduces that somehow the interlink signal has destabilized the fragile subspace membrane around the Fairgrieve, and that the starship is being pulled into subspace as a result. Ensign Kal then notices that the process is beginning to destabilize the warp core of the Fairgrieve, and that long before it disappears into subspace, the core will breach. Prentice looks at Erickson for an analysis, and she tells him only that when the ship explodes, "the dam breaks." In sudden terror, Prentice orders the Fitzgerald to put some distance between itself and the Fairgrieve. Moments later, the ship is struck by an energy wave, and loses main power, disabling main propulsion in the process. Data is barely able to restore power in time for the Fitzgerald to escape. In its wake, the Fairgrieve explodes, tearing open the subspace rupture, which promptly pulls in the entire Beta Reticuli system before detonating into a massive, solar system-sized subspace tear.

From light-years away, Dr. Braiyon Garr watches from the Astrometrics lab of the ISS Voyager as the system disappears. His expression is unreadable as he steps out of the room.

Back on the Fitzgerald, Captain Reyf gets a check-up in sickbay after taking a fall in a turbolift during the power loss. Though the EMH certifies him fit for duty following a mild concussion and fractured ankle, she expresses concern over the fact that he hasn't slept in almost a day. Over her objections, Reyf leaves to meet Cmdr. Prentice and Cmdr. Data in engineering.

In a corridor, Reyf walks towards a turbolift but stops when several times he hears whispers--but each time the corridor is empty. He reaches the turbolift and steps inside, ordering it to take him to deck thirty-six. Suddenly, he looks over to see Braiyon Garr standing next to him. He immediately reaches for his combadge to call security, but Garr stops him by informing him that he isn't actually there--he's actually the product of Reyf's "overworked, sleep-deprived imagination." Reyf turns away from him, refusing to talk to a hallucination, but Garr refuses to let it go at that, reasoning that if Reyf's subconscious mind summoned him, there must be a reason. He presses Reyf, insisting that the other's guilt is beginning to get the better of him after the destruction of the Beta Reticuli star system. Reyf refuses to admit to it, prompting Garr to speculate that he knows exactly where Reyf's guilt is coming from, hinting at a decision Reyf made years before as the source. Reyf steadfastly defends his decision, but Garr asks him to consider how different his life would've been if he'd chosen the other path. Reyf quietly asks him if choosing the other path could've averted the entire chain of events he's now witnessing, but Garr only smiles, and tells him that the possibility of the answer to that question being "yes" frightens him, because if it is, then Reyf did have a chance to prevent everything, but missed it, and that makes Reyf feel responsible. Reyf then reminds Garr that because of the choice he did make, he's now in a position to do something about the situation, but Garr insists that Reyf has doubts he can't silence. He then wonders if the root might be even deeper, if the nascence of Reyf's problem lies in his knowledge that he did make the wrong choice, but he doesn't understand how the choice could be wrong? Just then, the turbolift arrives at deck 36, and Reyf all but runs into the corridor. Garr shouts after him that he must learn to control his doubts, for if he doesn't they will be his undoing.

Later, in Engineering, Reyf listens to a report from Data identifying the reason for Garr's attack on the Alcawell Mineral Refinery: he was seeking a device called a neutrino dampener, provided to the station to defend it against periodic ion storm activity in the vicinity. Cmdr. Prentice speculates that the device would be exactly what Garr would need to stabilize an unstable quantum singularity, which Data confirms. He then goes on to speculate that the kind of energy Garr seems to be trying to retrieve wouldn't have any palpable effects on the space-time continuum as he knows it; Ronston then offers his own speculation about what that could mean. Reyf rejects the theory as too difficult even for Garr to pull off, providing one of his own: that Garr is trying to create a subspace "sterile zone" around the ISS Voyager, where the first energy form will be combined with an as-yet unknown catalyst, to produce some kind of reaction. Prentice becomes frustrated as he realizes that this means, with two variables and an unknown endgame, they're no closer to determining Garr's intentions and therefore no closer to stopping him. Reyf disagrees, suggesting that now all that's missing is to determine Garr's motive. Ronston questions that conclusion and Reyf's optimism, as they seem to have exhausted all of their leads. Prentice tells him to keep working on the female android, but Ronston reminds him that he's tried everything he knows and can't figure her out; Data offers to help, which Ronston accepts. Before they leave, Reyf suggests another possibility they've been overlooking: to examine the scene of the crime itself. As his officers look on, Reyf orders the Fitzgerald to set a course for home.

A short time later, the Fitzgerald achieves orbit of Earth, and Reyf transports down to the surface. He arrives in an empty office escorted by Admiral Thornton, who tells him that the office belonged to Braiyon Garr before his disappearance five years earlier, and that everything has been perfectly preserved since then. Seeing Reyf's reaction to being in these surroundings, she leaves him alone to look around. Reyf does so, tearfully examining the office's furnishings and personal effects--including a gold replica of a refit Constitution-class starship identical to the one in his own ready room--before picking up a photo from the desk, of a young woman with the same face as the female android currently aboard his ship. Before he can contemplate that fact for very long, he's interrupted by a visitor: an old professor of his from Starfleet Academy, Professor Voss. Voss chides Reyf for not having given advance notice of his arrival, and the two reminisce for a moment before Reyf tells him the purpose of his visit. Voss tells him that the finest forensic scientists in Starfleet--himself included--went over the room the night Garr disappeared, but they couldn't find any clues about what set him off. Reyf is about to agree when he notices something odd on the far wall--a photo of himself and Garr, taken the day of their admission to Starfleet Academy, appears different then he recalls--in the photo he knows, he and Garr are wearing pre-2350s cadet uniforms, while in this photo they're wearing later cadet uniforms from 2364. When Reyf moves to take down the picture for a closer look, an object falls down from behind it. Reyf looks down to discover that it's an isolinear optical chip. Voss insists that the sweep he and his team conducted was perfect, and that the chip had not been there five years prior, and that further no one has visited the site since it was last surveyed five years ago, as it was sealed immediately thereafter. Reyf has the chip transported up to the Fitzgerald for analysis, and is about to depart himself when Voss stops him, to remind him that Garr wasn't the only mentor Reyf had had during his Academy years. Reyf listens as Voss reminds him about all the times he helped Reyf as a cadet, and Reyf realizes he's right, wondering how he could've forgotten. Voss simply tells him that time can alter a person's perceptions of the past, and reminds him that he'll still support his former student however he can. Reyf thanks him, and then departs for the Fitzgerald.

A short time later, in his ready room, Reyf hears the results of the analysis on the mysterious isolinear chip from Ronston: though the chip itself seems genuine enough, he can't access its contents because the file is encrypted. He tells Reyf that it seems to be a hologram, but that it has level-10 encryption, indicating captain's eyes only, and includes the letters "GSR"--Reyf's own initials. Eager to see its contents for himself, Reyf sets off for the holodeck to run the program. Ronston stops him, insisting on isolating the holodeck computer just to be on the safe side. Reyf agrees, and Ronston exits.

A short time later, Reyf visits the holodeck and runs the program contained on the mysterious optical chip. He is confused by the holographic setting he sees, until Counselor Troi enters, having been urged to speak with Captain Reyf by Cmdr. Prentice earlier. Together, the two of them examine the program. Reyf recounts the hours that Garr had put into creating the simulation, before realizing that Garr had commented at one point that the program reminded him of finer days gone by. In a flash, he realizes that he knows what Garr is attempting to do, and hurries out of the holodeck.

On the bridge, Reyf speaks with Data briefly, before the ship breaks orbit and takes off at maximum warp out of Sector 001.

Act Four
In Stellar Cartography, Reyf tells his crew that Garr's intention all along has been an experimental form of time travel. He explains that the reason it's taken them so long to figure it out is that he isn't doing it by any previously known method, in favor of an experimental procedure involving anti-time. Ronston explains that the two energy forms Garr has accumulated will be used to set off an anti-time reaction, which will be set off inside a contained area of space-time around the ISS Voyager, which will direct the force of the reaction back towards the ship, propelling it backwards through time. The only missing element is verteron particle energy, necessary to keep the reaction stable, and that the only source not controlled by the Federation which would provide a sufficient quantity is a small black hole in a remote sector of space. The only hope left to stop Garr is to intercept him before he can obtain the verteron particles. Reyf assigns Ronston and Erickson to find a way to disrupt Garr's plans should it become necessary, and dismisses the senior officers except for Data. Once alone, Reyf presses Data about the potential dangers of Garr's anti-time experiment, before admitting he still feels guilty over the destruction of the Fairgrieve and its 47 crewmembers. Data recounts his first bout with emotions, which Reyf likens to the human experience since at the time Data could no more turn off his emotions than any human. In midsentence, the captain realizes that just as Data was facing powerful emotions for which he wasn't prepared, and that they had impaired his performance until he'd faced them, he himself has been letting his emotions get the better of him, and that they'd already caused problems once and would continue to do so if left unchecked. Reyf realizes that the lesson he's been trying to teach others the entire time--that confronting the unknown is how humans grow--is a lesson he himself needed to learn, before telling Data that one final piece of the puzzle has to be explained.

On the bridge, Reyf enlists Data and Erickson to help run a facial-recognition search on the face of the android. The computer finds a match in Garr's personal files, a single photo apparently taken in his office early in his tenure at Starfleet Intelligence. Reyf has Data download the information to a padd before going down to the science lab where the female android is still being stored. The first attempt to question her fails, as she still seems unable to speak. A consult with Dr. Falwell via subspace suggests that simply reconnecting the android's speech center wouldn't be enough, as the same part of the brain also stores long-term memory; she recommends trying to help the android recover her memories in the same way as a human patient. Reyf agrees, deciding to show the android the information they'd discovered on the bridge. This successfully triggers a memory cascade, which reveals that her brain had been storing a replica of Garr's memory engrams. The android tells Reyf that Garr is in pain and overcome with grief, and that he can't be stopped because he'd rather die than continue to suffer. Reyf realizes the depth of what he's facing, moments before Cmdr. Prentice signals from the bridge: the ship has arrived at its destination.

Reyf and Data return to the bridge, where sensors have located the ISS Voyager hovering near the black hole. Lt. Erickson activates modified shields designed to protect against the Borg, and Reyf orders Parks to engage a full-impulse intercept course. When the Fitzgerald finally comes within visual range of the ISS Voyager, Garr's ship has just completed the process of extracting verteron particles from the black hole. Despite the clear tactical superiority of Garr's ship, Reyf boldly calls for Garr to surrender, which he refuses to do. At Reyf's request, Garr agrees to confer aboard his own ship about the situation, and Reyf prepares to have himself beamed aboard the ISS Voyager--alone, and unarmed.

Prentice objects, questioning the wisdom of Reyf's decision. In reply, Reyf reveals a piece of his backstory with Garr that he'd been keeping from his crew: even after they had been admitted to Starfleet Academy, Reyf had still been distraught over the loss of his father, but Garr took a very personal hand in keeping Reyf focused on his goals, and as a result the two graduated at the top of their class--only for Reyf to choose a different path for his life than Garr had chosen himself. Prentice correctly guesses that Reyf fears Garr is still holding a grudge for what he believed was a betrayal, but Reyf insists that he now understands exactly what Garr is doing, and that had led him to conclude that some part of the friend he once knew is still alive within Garr, and that if he can reach that remnant, he'll be able to convince Garr to stand down. Despite concerns about Reyf transporting to Garr's ship alone and unarmed, Prentice ultimately relents, and Reyf beams to the ISS Voyager.

Materializing safely on the ISS Voyager, Garr greets Reyf. The two have a quick conversation, each openly declaring his intentions, before Garr tells Reyf they have much to discuss. In the corridors, Reyf remarks at how normally the ISS Voyager appears, compared with his expectations ("sharp edges" and "harsh lighting"), prompting Garr to call for red alert, apparently as an intimidation tactic. Although it succeeds in frightening Reyf, the captain notices an inhuman red glow in Garr's eyes, before the other returns the ship to condition green. Sensing his objective achieved, Garr turns and walks farther down the corridor, Reyf following closely.

As the crew aboard the Fitzgerald waits anxiously for word from their captain, on the ISS Voyager Dr. Garr explains the origins of the situation to Reyf. He reveals that being betrayed and abandoned by a onetime love was the catalyst for his entire downfall, blaming the pain it caused for becoming obsessive about his work, to the point that Starfleet Intelligence felt he was becoming too dangerous for his own good. He also explains that the female android was originally supposed to replace her human counterpart in the past, but that he abandoned that idea when he realized that his creation would never be any more real than a character on a holodeck. Reyf starts to ask what his plan became instead, but Garr instead turns his attention to Reyf himself. He reminds Reyf about the offer he made eleven years prior, to join him at Starfleet Intelligence--an offer Reyf refused. He then invites Reyf to join him, telling a stunned Reyf that if he does, in return he'll take Reyf to the Battle of Wolf 359, and save his father. Reyf refuses, citing the Temporal Prime Directive, before Garr angrily tells him that rules are less important than preventing "the mistakes that we regret for the rest of our lives." He repeats his offer, but Reyf again refuses, saying that even if he saves his father, he'll be letting the other 11,000 officers die all over again, a price he isn't willing to pay, even to save his father. He then reminds Garr of his own words from years prior, telling him that he himself had once said that it wasn't suffering that defined humanity, it was how they adapted, crediting those words with inspiring his decision to join Starfleet, and thus with changing his life. An angry Garr repeats his offer a final time, but at Reyf's refusal, a clearly surprised Garr declares Reyf's decision made, and heads for the bridge. Moments later, a suddenly determined-looking Reyf follows.

On the bridge, Reyf confronts Garr with what he now knows is the truth: that he isn't merely trying to reclaim his former life, he's still mourning for lost love, and his grief has turned into an obsession. Garr admits the truth and tells Reyf the whole story, but refuses to abandon his plans, until Reyf likens him to the Frankenstein monster and tells him he's throwing his life away--for the second time--over something that was never real to begin with. Garr gets angry, and advances on Reyf threateningly as he tells him what his life has been like for the last five years. Believing Garr's obsession has truly consumed him and that his old friend may be beyond saving, he prepares to leave--until he hears Garr softly whispering something. Garr explains that the line is from the book Frankenstein, which Reyf admits he's never actually read, only having seen the holoprogram. Garr reminds him that the Frankenstein monster had felt betrayed and abandoned by the creator that had left it disfigured, and that ultimately, its inability to cope with those feelings led it to self-destruction at the Arctic Circle. Reyf asks him if that reminds him of anyone, before telling him that the second chance Garr wants can be his, in the here and now. Garr points out that no matter what, his life in the here and now is over, that Starfleet won't be as forgiving as Reyf--but Reyf insists that he'll do everything he can to protect his old friend. Surprised, Garr asks why--and Reyf simply says, "Because there was a time when you'd have done the same for me." After only a moment, Garr deactivates his time machine.

Act Five
Once back on board the Fitzgerald, Garr--now in a standard uniform instead of his own modified version--speaks to Admiral Thornton, expressing remorse over the damage his actions have caused but insisting that he was only doing what he had to do. Thornton orders the Fitzgerald to report to Earth and cuts the connection, and Garr leaves the bridge. Reyf watches him go, then orders preparations begun to take the duplicate Voyager in tow. When Prentice advises him that it will take time, Reyf sharply tells him to simply get it done, before he steps into his ready room. Erickson follows, and admonishes Reyf over his outburst. A clearly surprised Reyf asks for an explanation, and Erickson reminds him of what he told her at the start of the mission, about his belief that everyone faces a life-defining challenge at some point, and tells him she believes this mission has been his. She also tells him she doesn't want this to define him as a man with regrets, particularly given what self-pity did to Garr. Touched, Reyf thanks her, and as she turns to leave, she asks if he thinks Garr was right. Reyf wonders what anyone would do faced with enough pain, and reminds her that no pain is worse than that of a broken heart. Considering his words, Erickson returns to the bridge.

Decks below, Garr is in secure guest quarters, staring out the window at the ISS Voyager, when the Kristie android visits him. They have a quick conversation, and after the two embrace, Garr asks her how thorough the examination conducted by the Fitzgerald crew was.

Meanwhile, Reyf walks into sickbay, activating the EMH for the followup exam scheduled 47 hours earlier. The EMH chides him at first, but then takes a serious interest when he tells her he's been hallucinating: first the image of Braiyon Garr in the turbolift, and then the repeated instances of the red glow in his eyes. The EMH scans him but can find none of the usual traces of sensory dysfunction. Reyf says that when the impossible is eliminated, whatever remains must be truth, no matter how improbable, and asks to see the transporter logs from when he and Garr beamed aboard. The EMH accesses them, and the analysis from the molecular imaging scanners shows him the answer: Garr has occular implants clearly inspired by Borg technology, which would explain the red glow. Reyf realizes that if the glow was real, then what he thought had been a hallucination of his old friend was actually real, but before he can act on the realization, Prentice calls from the bridge: "Voyager just took off!"

Reyf reaches the bridge as the Fitzgerald takes off in hot pursuit. Parks advises that they're at high warp and continuing to accelerate, just as Data detects a subspace containment field beginning to form around Garr's ship. Reyf at once realizes what's happening--Garr is about to attempt his time jump. Reyf hails him, but Garr refuses to stand down, saying that after the congersation with Admiral Thornton, his life in the here and now is irrevocably finished, and that by going back in time as planned he can ensure a better future for himself. Reyf pleads with him to change his mind, but Garr refuses. Reyf warns him that he'll do everything he can to stop him, but Garr simply wishes him luck, and cuts the connection.

As the ship goes to red alert, Prentice reminds Reyf that even quantum torpedoes may not do much against Garr's Borg shields, but Reyf tells him that even Achilles had a vulnerability, they just have to find Garr's. He then orders a spread of torpedoes fired, which doesn't seem to cause any damage to the ISS Voyager. Just then, the ship begins to accelerate past the maximum speed of the Fitzgerald, and Ronston takes dangerous steps to keep pace with Garr. Data announces that Garr's containment field is less than two minutes away from being able to contain an anti-time reaction, and a plan is hurriedly formulated to try and take out the field generator. The Fitzgerald hits the ISS Voyager with another spread of torpedoes that successfully destabilizes his shields, before attempting to destroy the field generator with a focused tachyon beam. It seems to work for a few moments, before Garr is able to restore his shields and the generator powers up again. Data predicts they have less than a minute before the containment field is at full strength, which is when Erickson suggests the countermeasure she and Ronston devised earlier--an experimental magneton warhead, which upon detonation will release enough subspace energy to disable the containment field generator, Borg shields or not. Data questions the approach, calling it an extremely dangerous maneuver, but Reyf orders the helm to back them off and the warhead readied. He calls one last time for Garr to stand down, but Garr simply diverts auxiliary power to his aft shields. Realizing he has no other choice and with only seconds remaining, he gives a single order: "Fire!"

The Fitzgerald fires the warhead, which impacts the ISS Voyager. An explosion ensues, followed by a bright flash of light, which leaves the Fitzgerald is adrift in space. On the bridge, the fallen crew assesses the damage, discovering the Fitzgerald to be without main power, shields down and sensors off-line. After verifying no injuries among the bridge officers, Reyf questions what happened to Garr. Data reports that sensor records confirm the containment field did achieve stability, at the exact moment of detonation, but that the blast wave that hit them resembles the shock wave of a warp core breach, theorizing that if the ISS Voyager had been torn apart by an unstable temporal reaction, the debris would've been thrown back in time, leaving nothing in the present to recover. A stricken Reyf realizes that for the second time he's lost his oldest friend, this time by his own hand.

A short time later, the Fitzgerald remains without main power, and Reyf is thinking alone in his dark quarters, when Data arrives. The android asks what lesson about humanity is to be found in the events he's witnessed, which he describes as "most unusual." Reyf tells him that the lesson he's learned is the importance of each decision a person makes, and the importance of not only making the decision you can live with, but also the importance of learning to live with the decisions you make. Data seems to ponder that and is about to leave, when Reyf tells him that if he's endeavoring to become human, he should consider in his calculations that for as far as they've come, humanity is no more immune to its own feelings than it was a millennium before. Data asks if that means he's accepted the decision he made, despite the fact that it resulted in Garr's death. With a strange look on his face, Reyf tells him that on reflection, he isn't sure Garr really is dead--that once before, his ship had been completely destroyed, and that if he survived it once, Reyf wouldn't be surprised to learn that he'd survived the destruction of the ISS Voyager as well.

''Captain's log, stardate 52811.6--Counselor Troi and Mr. Data are safely back where they belong. With family. They have served this ship and her crew with distinction. My appreciation is duly noted in this log entry. The past eight days have been a genuine learning experience. I come away with the realization that while life may not come with instructions, you can find helpful hints...if you know where to look. This experience has helped bring our crew closer together. It's my fond hope that we continue to serve together for a long time to come. What happened to Dr. Garr remains a mystery which may never be solved; it would appear that I am the only one to hold out any belief that he may have survived. Only time will tell.''

A short time later, Reyf is speaking with Dr. Chellik via subspace. Chellik tells him that Starfleet will be sending two science vessels to the site of the Beta Reticuli system, to study and hopefully find a way to collapse the subspace tear there. Chellik congratulates Reyf on a job well done, then closes the channel. Prentice arrives to report that all repairs are complete, and at Reyf's question about Kristie, tells him that they haven't made any progress figuring out who she was, remarking that who she really was may forever remain a mystery. They're about to leave, when Prentice notices that the picture on the wall seems different. Reyf remarks that it was knocked askew by the shock wave and that he'll fix it later. On the bridge, Reyf orders the ship's course set, and he's about to order the helm to engage when he seems to notice something behind him. He turns, but only sees a closing turbolift door. Prentice asks if everything's alright, and Reyf simply tells him everything is exactly as it should be, before giving the command to engage.

A flashback reveals that in 2368, the day Reyf and Garr graduated from Starfleet Academy, after Reyf insisted on accepting the posting to the Antilles, Garr was about to leave when he was visited briefly by his future self, who had dropped a print of the photo just taken by Professor Voss. The younger Garr sees his future self, who simply nods to him. Garr's past self looks to where Reyf is preparing to board the shuttle for the Antilles, then looks back to see that his future self has vanished. After a moment's consideration, the younger Garr goes to join Reyf aboard the shuttle.

In 2378, an older Braiyon Garr, now wearing a standard blue Starfleet uniform, smiles to himself in a turbolift and simply says, "Full circle," before stepping out and into a corridor. The doors close behind him.

Memorable Quotes
''"I'm a doctor, not a drama critic." ''


 * - Dr. Elizabeth Falwell

''"How'd you do that?"  "Magic." ''


 * - Reyf and Ronston, after Ronston is able to open the door to Garr's hidden lab using nothing more than his tricorder

''"Lieutenant?"  "This place still gives me the creeps, even with the lights on. I feel like we're being watched."  "Kendra, under other circumstances I might call you paranoid. But this time I feel it too." ''


 * - Prentice and Erickson, while investigating Garr's hidden lab

''"I should never have had that damned holocommunicator installed."  "What makes you say that?"  "Because you're only half as intimidating on the viewscreen." ''


 * - Reyf and Admiral Thornton

''"This is a sickbay, not a flop house!" ''


 * - Mark III Emergency Medical Hologram

''"We shall have to make do with the EMH until this is over."  "I can hear you, you know!" ''


 * - Reyf and the Mark-III EMH

''"If you're looking for my medical opinion, I would suggest being somewhere other than a turbolift the next time we lose main power."  "Your advice, as always, is a study in efficiency."  "Is that sarcasm I hear?"  "Perish the thought." ''


 * - Reyf and the Mark-III EMH

"If there's one thing you can count on from Starfleet captains, it's that they show the best of judgement--until'' their own medical status is involved. Then they become as stubborn as Zakdorn." ''


 * - EMH

''"Mr. Parks: set a course, for home!" ''


 * - Reyf

''"Didn't I teach you to never disturb a crime scene? As I recall, you missed that question on your final exam." ''


 * - Professor Voss

''"I might've expected at least a letter if you were going to be in the area, Mr. Reyf." ''


 * - Professor Voss

''"Liquid-crystal displays...Tungsten lights...light-emitting diodes...some of this was ancient even by period standards." ''


 * - Reyf, as he surveys the holoprogram contained on the isolinear chip left in Dr. Garr's office

''"Why is it every time someone goes off the deep end in this century, it always winds up involving time travel?"  "That is...not an accurate historical summation. For instance--"  "Thank you, Mr. Data." ''


 * - Merv Ronston, Lt. Cmdr. Data, and Gaius Reyf

''"The clever fiendishness of this sinister plot just seems like too much for what he's doing!" ''


 * - Merv Ronston

''"He's not even troubling himself to deflect our scans."  "Why would he? He's outmatched and outfoxed everything he's come up against." ''


 * - Reyf and Prentice

''"Some part of him is still the person I once knew. If I can reach that remnant, we may yet prevail."  "And if you can't?"  "Then I'll do what any good protagonist would do: I'll improvise." ''


 * - Gaius Reyf and Commander Bradley Prentice

''"What possible incentive could anyone offer me to allow that to happen?"  "The knowledge that you won't face it alone. I'll defend you, do whatever it takes to make sure everything works out."  "After everything that's happened, why would you be willing to put your career on the line to help me?"  "Because there was a time, when you would've done the same for me." ''


 * - Braiyon Garr and Gaius Reyf

''"We have penetrated his shields, direct hit to the field generator. Estimate failure in 30 seconds."  "Wait a minute...he's rerouting power from auxiliary circuits." (slaps console) "His shields are back up!"  "That's not fair!" ''


 * - Data, Erickson, and Ronston during pursuit of the ISS Voyager

''"You realize even quantum torpedoes might not do much against those Borg shields of his?"  "Even Achilles had a vulnerability, Number One. We just have to find Garr's." ''


 * - Cmdr. Prentice and Captain Reyf

Cast
Although it was announced on 14 August 2010 that a complete ensemble voice cast had been assembled, the producer has indicated that recording for additional voices will not be done until a full cut of the movie has been accomplished and is certain no additional rewrites will be necessary. Until that time, it has been stated that all voices will continue to use his temporary tracks.

It was later announced that Brandon Bridges did not have the time or the energy to coordinate ADR sessions for Specter and was releasing it only with the temporary voice tracks.

USS F. Scott Fitzgerald NCC-85107-A

 * Captain Gaius Reyf - The primary protagonist. Commanding officer, and classmate to Dr. Braiyon Garr at Starfleet Academy. After graduating, Reyf served aboard a number of Starfleet vessels before assuming captaincy, and with it, command of the Fitzgerald. His first assignment was a six-month survey mission in the Gamma Quadrant. Reyf is classy and cultured, with a passion for literature and music.
 * Cmdr. Brad Prentice - First officer. Prentice is a skilled and able first officer, but at times can be impatient and quick to judge.
 * Dr. Elizabeth Falwell - Chief medical officer of the USS Fitzgerald. She shares Reyf's interest in classic literature.
 * Lt. Cmdr. Merv Ronston - Chief engineer. Ronston is extremely skilled at technical problem solving, and strives to uphold the reputation of Starfleet engineers as "miracle workers."
 * Lt. Kendra Erickson - Chief of security and tactical officer. Tough but fair, Erickson is extremely no-nonsense and takes her position extremely seriously. Privately, she keeps to herself and rarely socializes with the rest of the crew.
 * Lt. Maxwell Garrett - Chief of Operations.
 * Lt. Howard Parks - Navigator.
 * Ensign Jennifer Hargrove - Replacement tactical officer, who joined the ship at Deep Space Nine following its return from the Gamma Quadrant.
 * Ensign Lesley Kal - Junior science officer. Kal assisted with the survey of Garr's lab.
 * Ensign Renee Mitchell - Assistant engineer, with a specialty in plasma reactions.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E

 * Lt. Cmdr. Data
 * Counselor Deanna Troi

Starfleet Command

 * Rear Admiral Margaret Thornton - Chief of Operations for Starfleet Intelligence.
 * Ensign Courtney Willey - Aide to Admiral Thornton.
 * Dr. Edward Chellik - Chief administrator of the Mellis II Deep Space Research Facility.

Other

 * Dr. Braiyon Garr - The primary antagonist. Garr was once a leading Starfleet research scientist, who following his graduation from Starfleet Academy went on to head the Research & Development division of Starfleet Intelligence. Garr was last seen alive on January 7, 2370, when after stealing the classified design plans to six of Starfleet's most advanced starships, his shuttle was damaged and destroyed while attempting to navigate the asteroid field of Sector 001.
 * Prof. Parck Voss - Starfleet Academy professor, and former instructor to Gaius Reyf. It's implied that Reyf studied forensic science with Prof. Voss back at the Academy, and that Voss became something of a mentor to Reyf from then on.

Background Information

 * Specter of the Past first began production in August 2006. The original storyline was for a 42-minute production more fitting for a television episode; it was later expanded to full movie length to accommodate a more elaborate plot and deeper characters. The only plot elements that remain from the original draft are the ISS Voyager and the time travel element, as well as Reyf, his crew, and the USS F. Scott Fitzgerald.


 * The starship Fitzgerald was originally named for a schoolmate of the executive producer, Ryan Fitzgerald. The name was later changed to F. Scott Fitzgerald to reflect the strong literary undertones present in the movie.


 * The storyline continued to evolve all through the production process. Fans at the site Scifi-Meshes.com were largely responsible for many of the improvements that were made from the original script.
 * A scene deleted from early in the movie would have featured an agent of Section 31 visiting Reyf in the middle of the night, to inform him that Dr. Garr was in fact an operative of that organization. That scene was dropped over fears that the Section 31 plotline would overshadow Reyf's personal stake, however the rest of the story had already been written with this visitation in mind. This is why Reyf seems to have such a deep-seated fear of Dr. Garr from the outset, long before the first encounter with the ISS Voyager. This would have explained how Garr was able to pull off his string of seemingly impossible feats.

Dedication
All cuts of the movie since the very beginning have included a "For Kristie" dedication card at the very beginning. Fans note that a character of the same name appears in the film as the villain's former love interest, and many assume that the name is a reference to the person on whom the character is based. The movie's end credits also include a special dedication to "Kristie Lynn Townsend."

Trivia

 * On Thursday, March 25, 2010, the producers of Star Trek: Armageddon Clock formally declared Star Trek: Specter their competition. After viewing segments of the film available at the time on Vimeo, members of their production team discussed Specter on their discussion board. Among the comments:


 * "He has a beautiful grasp of lighting and camera work, and has some truly incredible sets. He has a very good feel for editing in music from outside sources. He needs more voice actors, should use higher-resolution figures, and he should use splines on much of the movement, as it comes off as too robotic. I'd also work on my walking animation, if I were him."
 * "The walk in the animation needs work, and that is killing the attempt as it distracting for the viewer. It's something I hope that will not be seen in our film."
 * "That other film is interesting. It's strange to see such detailed and realistic sets with such non-realistic people. I suppose it's got a 'Thunderbirds' super-marionation sort of effect going on because of that. But the renders of the sets on that blog Jedman posted the link for are simply fantastic."
 * The main room of Dr. Garr's laboratory is played by a redress of the Genomex set, originally from the TV series "Mutant X." Its appearance in this movie largely reflects modifications made to it to serve as part of the protagonists' base of operations in the show's second season.
 * The uniform variant worn by Braiyon Garr in most of the 2378 scenes is exactly 50% darker than the uniforms worn by the rest of the cast. In addition, the collar of the uniform is the same color as the Voyager-era undertunics. The rank insignia on his collar with this uniform is that of a provisional Starfleet Commander.
 * Originally, the bottom strip of the gray portion of Garr's uniform was supposed to glow blue-purple at all times aboard the ISS Voyager, as Data's did in engineering in First Contact. That was dropped when the effect was deemed too difficult to achieve for too little payoff.
 * During the first scene in sickbay, the medical instrument the EMH is using is actually a Jedi lightsaber.
 * The medical tricorder in use by the EMH in the same scene is a "hero" prop designed and built by George Haze. Due to the complexity of the prop, this single scene marks its only appearance in the movie. All other tricorders were provided by DTEMachine.
 * The Beta Reticuli moon is said to have a core composed of exoboron, and later, Garr attacks a refinery station said to be processing berellium crystal. Both of these are nods to the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon show. In the episode "Attack of the 50 Foot Irma," exoboron was said to be a key component of an enlarging ray designed by Krang; in the episode "Bye Bye, Fly," berellium crystal was said to be "the core of a transdimensional warp drive that could fly the Technodrome anywhere--even to Dimension X!" The ambient sound of the Technodrome, as well as its Dimensional Portal room, both appear in the film as elements of Dr. Garr's underground laboratory complex.
 * During the scene on the holodeck, a modified version of the set from The Price is Right set appears as a holoprogram left by Garr. Reyf describes the evolution of the program as he witnessed it at Starfleet Academy; this is a recounting of the real-life development of the set during the modeler's college years, including the statement that "it cost him more than one academic credit." Interestingly, although the set is highly detailed in in fact very closely matches that which was actually used by the show during its 34th season, the set is actually not identical to any that has actually been used on the show. The basic set--door design, turntable colors, contestants' row displays, audience signs--comes from the daytime show's 34th season set. The black marble floor was only used during a 1994 syndicated show starring Doug Davidson, and later on a series of Million Dollar $pectaculars hosted by Drew Carey. The stars projected onto the walls and turntable were used on a series of Million Dollar $pectaculars hosted by Bob Barker during the final years of his tenure. The video monitors between the doors and the giant LCD video wall in the back of the studio were never seen on any version of the show, but were used in a project previously made by the producer of Specter.
 * In Reyf's ready room in the final scene, the glowing green "artifact" by the door is actually a glowing piece of the Aggro Crag, from the classic childrens' program "Nickelodeon GUTS."

Bloopers

 * Due to a costuming error, during the prologue sequence, "Commander" Reyf is seen wearing captain's pips on his collar. A similar gaffe would later result in Reyf's uniform only having three pips instead of four during several scenes set in 2378, and "Lieutenant Commander" Ronston wearing the rank pips of a full Commander.
 * Another costuming glitch resulted in some characters appearing entirely without rank pips. Besides the senior staff of the Fitzgerald, only Admiral Thornton, Dr. Chellik, and Dr. Garr are shown with rank insignia.
 * Pay careful attention to the warp stars outside the windows in the first crew briefing. In several shots, the stars appear to be moving perpendicular to the Fitzgerald, when in fact they should be moving away from it as the ship travels at warp (due to the location of the observation lounge on the aft side of the bridge module). This is because several shots were changed in the scene, but several of the original "warp stars" effects shots were not changed out at the same time.
 * Even though the transponder signal of Garr's ship identifies it as the ISS Voyager, the hull markings identify it as USS Voyager.
 * A graphical glitch resulted in the ponytail of the Kristie android shifting back and forth between incomplete (wire mesh) and a full hair piece.
 * The exterior shot immediately before the scene in Ten Forward shows that the forward rim of the Fitzgerald saucer section (where Ten Forward is located) is facing Beta Reticuli IV, and that the planet should be visible through the windows. Yet, during the scene, there are only stars through the windows.
 * Commander Prentice is not present on the bridge during Admiral Thornton's conversation with Captain Reyf and Dr. Garr--his chair can clearly be seen empty during the conversation. Yet, after Dr.Garr leaves the bridge, he is suddenly in his chair when responding to Captain Reyf's order to take the ISS Voyager in tow. He disappears again as Captain Reyf leaves the bridge and walks into his ready room.

Development

 * This section to be completed following completion of the movie.

Production

 * This section to be completed following completion of the movie.

Release
The first draft of Star Trek: Specter was released one scene at a time on YouTube, often with scenes still being worked on (a common occurrence was to have scenes which still lacked background plates or whose backgrounds were only partially rendered). Many such scenes were in complete, uncut form, and would see changes before the final release. These scenes were first advertised by the producer exclusively on Scifi-Meshes.com, before fan interest grew and word spread to other sites.

The Director's Edition was highly anticipated by fans, and the first segment was posted on 2 October 2010. The Director's Edition represented the first complete cut of the movie from start to finish, and featured significant differences from the original cut. First, the original structure for the first act began with the prologue sequence, was followed by the title sequence (much like a typical TV episode), and then by the first scene in 2378. The Director's Edition reversed the order of the title sequence and prologue, effectively making the prologue Scene 1. The new title sequence was also expanded, replacing the brief sequence set to the theme from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier with a full cast list against a simple moving starfield, set to a medley of the title themes from Star Trek Nemesis and Star Trek: Voyager. (The Voyager theme would be reprised during the movie many times as Garr's theme, as the main part begins at the same moment as Garr's character credit appears on screen).

The Ultimate Edition was touted by the creator as being "the version to watch for those looking for the hundred small things changed or made better." The first hourlong segment was posted on 18 November 2010 using the Vimeo service, and featured a number of improvements both significant and subtle. One of the primary fixes in this version, according to the creator, is that the sets will no longer appear to change from one scene to the next, as all background plates have been re-rendered using the most up-to-date versions of each set. The most evident of these is the bridge set, where for the first time the tactical station railing has a distinctive cherry wood pattern never before seen. Likewise, all external shots of the USS Fitzgerald have been re-rendered, replacing the old version with a new and improved ship model created by Prologic9. Finally, for the first time, all cast members will be seen wearing rank insignia (a customing error in the original draft resulted in several main characters appearing without rank insignia; this error has now been fixed). Other and numerous changes exist, which the creator has said "some you'll notice, and some you won't."

Reception
Specter was initially greeted with mixed reviews, but over time has been very well received by audiences. The film was nominated for the 2010 Scifi-Meshes Meshies awards, in the category of "Best Finished Animation," finishing second behind Avian's classic Lost in Space animation, "Launch of the Jupiter 2."

Six months after its release, the film continues to attract audiences worldwide, and a number of active discussion threads continue to promote and debate the film (see External Links below).

Audiences have described Specter as a story about one man's search for his lost humanity, with intriguing questions surrounding the nature of friendship and the importance of humankind's duty to one another, all set against the backdrop of a solid sci-fi plot and a believable villain. Critics have pointed out that Specter doesn't answer all the questions it raises, most of which dealt with the origin of the villain's flagship, the ISS Voyager, and what became of him at the very end of the film.

Scene 38 Controversy
On June 27, 2010, Scene 38, "The Holodeck," was posted for viewing on YouTube. The scene follows Captain Reyf to the ship's holodeck, where he views the contents of an isolinear chip left for him to find by the elusive Dr. Braiyon Garr. Fans have had mixed reactions to this scene more so than any other installment of the movie, due to the producer's choice of setting for the holoprogram. The producer has defended the choice, elaborating that "groundwork for this scene has been getting laid the entire time, with every allusion to the 20th century we've had while Garr has been onscreen."

Fans have also criticized the scene for blatantly breaking with the story's otherwise dark and dramatic tone, with some stating that they simply are not able to take this chapter seriously for this reason. According to production notes, the change of mood and breaking of genre is a deliberate move, as it represents Dr. Garr's feelings, and as noted in dialogue, is meant to act as a remembrance of finer days gone by. Further, the use of something from off-genre is meant to reflect Dr. Garr's insanity, which has been very carefully and clearly established at several points in the story.

In response to fan criticism, the producer has noted that early drafts for this scene had it instead take place on a recreation of the Enterprise bridge from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but that this and several other more genre-appropriate settings lacked the proper flavor for Garr's twisted and eccentric character, and were thus discarded. Additionally, the notion of the bridge of an old ship representing a character's longing for better days gone by had already been used in "Relics" (TNG), and that made it impractical to use the exact same technique again.

Ending
The film's ending has been the subject of much discussion on fan boards. While it has been hailed as a film conclusion very much in line with classic Star Trek, ending on a high note with the restoration of hope and good feelings, some fans have questioned the scientific accuracy as it relates to the plot.

As presented, as soon as the ISS Voyager disappears into the explosion, the bridge set is visibly different, though camera angles and low lighting help conceal that fact. In the final moments of the epilogue, both Reyf's ready room and the main bridge are revealed to be colored differently than they had been throughout the rest of the movie, and the ship is shown to use an entirely different turbolift design (which along with the colors on the bridge are identifiable as being from Star Trek: First Contact). The implication is that the explosion threw the ISS Voyager back in time and that Garr survived, which is confirmed when he is seen interacting with his younger self, and that the timeline has been altered as a result.

Fans have questioned whether this is an accurate portrayal of causality, and whether Garr's going back in time should've altered events so drastically that the events in the movie would never have occurred. The producer had been adamant from the beginning that the movie would not be "another damned reset button episode." The official explanation is that although Garr did go back, he was able to mitigate the changes so that the timeline continued uninterrupted, cosmetic alterations notwithstanding. As for the cosmetic changes themselves, the creator has simply said that means at some point Garr was involved in helping to design the Fitzgerald.

Instances of the number 47

 * In the single most subtle instance of the number 47 in any Star Trek production to date, Reyf's speech during the launch sequence (from the moment he begins to speak to the end of his order of "Departure stations") is exactly 47 seconds in length.
 * The birthdate of Dr. Garr is said to be the year 2347.


 * During launch, the Fitzgerald is said to be experiencing a point 47 percent power falloff in its starboard EPS taps.


 * While chasing the ISS Voyager through the Beta Reticuli system, the heading is stated to be 121 mark 47.


 * The EMH reports that Garr's most recent medical examination took place on stardate 47142.6. Interestingly, this stardate also includes the number 42, an allusion to the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" books and movies; in that continuity, the number 42 is said to be the answer to life, the universe, and everything.


 * The crew compliment of the USS Fairgrieve is said to be 47.


 * When Data scans the memory banks of the Fairgrieve, he detects a 4.7 percent degradation of the ship's memory circuits.


 * When Reyf conducts the facial recognition search, the graphics on the monitor give a function ID of mode 47.


 * The creator has stated that it was no accident that a game-changing event near the end of the film takes place in scene number 47.

Ships

 * This section to be completed following completion of the movie.

Music
Specter is notable for its use of score from earlier Star Trek offerings, alongside music and songs from outside the franchise. Jerry Goldsmith's music features prominently in many scenes, largely in the form of music recycled from The Motion Picture, First Contact, and Nemesis, in addition to music from the various TV series by Dennis McCarthy and Brian Tyler, alongside 20th century pop songs. For a complete listing, see below:

Deleted Scenes

 * Scene 3 - "The Post Mortem": Following the prologue sequence, we originally were to spend a few more minutes with the crew of the Daystrom, in a short scene that would show Reyf grieving over the loss of his onetime friend. When the storyline was changed with an eye towards preserving the mystery of exactly how the two men know one another, that scene was removed in favor of the "cold open" that actually starts the movie.


 * Scene 6A - "For the Young": After Reyf and Falwell have their discussion outside the holodeck, First Officer Bradley Prentice was to visit Reyf's quarters, and they were to have a brief discussion about Reyf's loss of the literary debate we saw, and his refusal to visit Deep Space Nine in favor of preparing for the next one by reading a new novel. The same conversation would have established that Dr. Falwell was off the shp for a week to attend a medical conference on Bajor. When this scene was deleted, this information was moved to the scene in sickbay that immediately follows the communication with Admiral Thornton; Falwell's character reappears near the end of the film via subspace communication, and is seen on the bridge during the final scene.


 * Scene 11B - "Prentice's Emotions": After Reyf and the away team transport down to the planet and begin their investigation, we return to the Fitzgerald for a brief scene that establishes the worsening storm activity above the transport site. Between Prentice's line about having a "bad feeling about this" and the return to the perspective of the away team, an entire scene was deleted that showed a conversation with an admiral from Starfleet Intelligence, who we would later learn to be Admiral Thornton. The scene was written in response to fan criticism that a first officer would never allow a captain to transport into a dangerous environment such as the surface of Beta Reticuli IV, where transporter functions would be touchy at best. The admiral was to have been looking for Captain Reyf, and was to have reacted with annoyance over the captain being off the ship. In the same conversation, the admiral would have provided a copy of some Starfleet Intelligence files relevant to the current mission of the Fitzgerald. This scene was cut because it felt too "procedural," presenting information but not necessarily adding anything to the story. It can be seen on Youtube as part of an audition video sent by ChristyDaae.


 * Scene 23A - "Prentice's Investigation:" The scene in Dr. Garr's lab was originally much longer. After the lab powers up and Prentice admits his feelings of unease to Erickson, an ensign walks up to them to make a report that her team had found the facility's main computer several levels below but was having problems accessing it due to some exotic encryption schemes. That portion was cut for time. In its final form, the scene ends with Prentice's line "Hopefully there's something useful here. If not, we're right back at square one."


 * Scene 47A - "Reconciliation:" Originally, between the scene in Garr's quarters and the next scene in sickbay, there was to have been a brief scene on the bridge, featuring a brief discussion between Prentice, Troi, and Erickson regarding heroes and villains. Troi was to have likened Garr to one of the dark villains from the mystery stories she'd read as a child, while Erickson felt that Garr was "simply insane." Prentice would have ended the conversation with a remark that he could never get into those stories due to their unbelievability, as he felt that some remarkable coincidence in the final chapters always gave the villain "one last shot at their evil plan." Just then, Data detected a strange nadion radiation surge, not lasting long enough to triangulate. He and Prentice both attributed the phenomenon to their unprecedented proximity to the black hole, both acknowledging that strange radiation spikes were a definite possibility, Prentice telling him to be ready to engage containment protocols should it become necessary. The scene was to have been deliberate foreshadowing of coming events, but was cut when Reyf and Prentice's dialogue just prior to Reyf's transport to the ISS Voyager was rewritten to omit direct allusions to "storybook villains."


 * Scene 48B - "Investigation:" Following the revelation that Reyf wasn't imagining Garr's red eyes, he was to have summoned Ronston to conduct a scan of the turbolift in which he saw Garr prior. They would have discovered a photonic signature, indicating it to be a hologram, which was when we would learn that the Fitzgerald has holoemitters on every deck. Ronston would have further deduced that somehow Garr had managed to infiltrate the ship's computer, which explains the unlikely presence of the holographic memory chip planted in Garr's office. Reyf would have filled in the missing piece, stating that the infiltration had to have happened when Garr transmitted the coordinates of Prentice and Garrett's disabled shuttlecraft early on. The call from the bridge was to have ended the scene at that point.


 * A deleted plot arc would have shown Garr to have been an operative of Section 31. A scene was written for early in the movie wherein a Section 31 operative was to have visited Reyf's quarters, and given him most of the information that ultimately wound up coming from Chellik. While it would have made for an interesting film, that arc was dropped because it would have revealed too much information too early on, and would have overshadowed Reyf's personal stake in the mission, as well as being too similar to Section 31 episodes in DS9. Nevertheless, the influence of this plot arc can still be seen via Reyf's fear from the very beginning of what Garr might do, even before the true stakes are known.


 * An entire sequence of scenes aboard the ISS Voyager was deleted for time. The original version of Reyf's visit to Garr's ship was much, much longer, and delved much deeper into Garr's psyche and motivations, with their travels through the ship symbolically representing various aspects of the doctor's personality. When the script was rewritten to shift the focus away from Garr in favor of scenes with Reyf aboard the Fitzgerald, many of the scenes aboard Voyager became redundant. Remnants of those scenes still appear as cutaways set to music throughout the film.


 * A planned C-story following Dr. Garr aboard the ISS Voyager while Reyf and company conducted their investigation was dropped before production. The storyline as written would have begun with Dr. Garr at an asteroid-based facility--implied to be his secret shipbuilding complex--asleep in bed and experiencing a nightmare in which Reyf and Vensen taunt him over having broken, much as Gul Dukat suffered visions of Weyoun in Waltz. Following this scene, the action would have intercut between the Fitzgerald and Voyager, showing Dr. Garr going about his preparations while growing increasingly erratic and even experiencing waking hallucinations. In its final form, Garr's nightmare is the only scene left intact from that sequence; the remainder were scrapped because producers felt that they not only removed some of the mystique from Garr's character, but made him seem less dangerous and simply delusional, and therefore less threatening.

Sets & Props

 * This section to be completed following completion of the movie.

Costumes

 * This section to be completed following completion of the movie.

Involvement By Star Trek Alumni
On Tuesday, 3 August 2010, Doug Drexler (visual effects designer of Star Trek TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT, Star Trek Generations, Star Trek First Contact, Star Trek Insurrection, and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica from 2004) agreed to view the film and offer feedback. On Tuesday, 10 August 2010, he screened the film, and declared it a "very impressive" body of work, and that he liked it "very much," commenting that pacing might be a concern given that Star Trek tends to have a "rapid style.

Sequel
Main Article: Star Trek: Retribution

As the completion of the film was announced, rumors began to fly over the possibility of a sequel. Fans seized upon Reyf's line "I don't think we've seen the last of Dr. Braiyon Garr" and several other possible hints (including the unresolved plot element of the Beta Reticuli spatial tear) as early indicators of a possible sequel.

On Wednesday, October 13, 2010, the creator confirmed that a script for a sequel to Star Trek: Specter--tentatively titled Star Trek: Retribution--is being developed. The creator has said that runtime would not exceed 120 minutes.

On Tuesday, October 19, 2010, the creator released a few details concerning the planned story:


 * The story would be set ten years after the events of Star Trek: Specter, in the year 2388.
 * The Romulan Civil War would still be ongoing following the events of Star Trek Nemesis, and would play a central role in the story
 * Gaius Reyf would hold the rank of Admiral; Bradley Prentice would have assumed the rank of captain and with it, command of the Fitzgerald, with Kendra Erickson as first officer and Dr. Elizabeth Falwell remaining as chief medical officer. They would be the only main cast members from Specter other than Dr. Garr to reappear; Garrett, and Parks would not appear, nor would Merv Ronston, though he would be mentioned. The principal action would once again be set aboard the "alternate" USS F. Scott Fitzgerald.
 * Admiral Kathryn Janeway would make a cameo appearance at the beginning of the film, as would Admiral Thornton. Janeway would be the only canon character to appear in the film, although the Enterprise-E and the Prometheus would make cameo appearances. (Janeway's cameo was later dropped.)
 * The story would open with the discovery of a duplicate of the USS F. Scott Fitzgerald in the center of an ice comet, displaced in time by five hundred and four years (this element has been confirmed as dropped.)
 * Dr. Braiyon Garr's true nature, hinted at several times in Specter, would be revealed. Garr himself would still be as cunning and ruthless as he was depicted in Specter, only now he would be completely insane and, in the words of the creator, "Totally evil"
 * The ISS Voyager will appear
 * The spatial tear last seen in the Beta Reticuli system would play a role

On Sunday, 21 November 2010, it was confirmed that a full story treatment for Retribution had been completed. Few details of the new movie's plot were readily available.

Just after midnight on Sunday, 28 November 2010, it was announced that the process of remastering Specter would be temporarily halted so that Bridges could produce a short preview of Retribution. The planned release will include excerpts from portions of the script which have already been completed, and will likely either not include special effects or will re-use footage from Specter. It is not known what scenes will be included, though Bridges has stated that at least one Romulan D'Deridex-class warbird will be shown, as will Dr. Braiyon Garr.

Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition

 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 1
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 2
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 3
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 4
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 5
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 6
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 7
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 8
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 9
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 10
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 11
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 12
 * YouTube: Star Trek Specter: The Director's Edition Segment 13

Star Trek Specter: The Ultimate Edition

 * Vimeo: Star Trek Specter: The Ultimate Edition (Part 1)
 * Vimeo: Star Trek Specter: The Ultimate Edition (Part 2)
 * Vimeo: Star Trek Specter: The Ultimate Edition (Part 3)
 * Vimeo: Star Trek Specter: The Ultimate Edition (Part 4)