- Isaac: I believe what we have encountered is a planet locked in a multi-phasic orbit.
- [in the conference room with all the senior staff]
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Okay, let's pretend I don't know what that is.
- Lt. Gordon Malloy: Do you know what that is?
- Capt. Ed Mercer: I do not.
- Lt. Gordon Malloy: So, we could just say that.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Thanks, buddy.
- [sarcastically]
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: This isn't gonna work.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: You mean us.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: None of this should have happened. You defied an admiral's orders to protect me, and it sent our science officer into a 700-year exile. You and I, together... it jeopardizes your command. It jeopardizes the smooth operation of this ship, and it jeopardizes our friendship. It can't happen.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: When I'm really honest with myself, I know that you're right. But that doesn't change the way I feel.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: I know. But for now, those are feelings we need to forget.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: Oh, my god. I forgot what a terrible cook you are.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: It's awful, isn't it?
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: [laughing] Yeah.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: It's terrible. See, you know, I was afraid of that, and I didn't want to use snythesized food tonight, so I made a backup.
- [retrieving two plates]
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Peanut butter and jelly is impossible to screw up.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: What are we, twelve?
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Yes, we're twelve. And afterward, I'm gonna pull your hair and call you fat, and that's how you'll know I like you.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: [after Ed speaks to Admiral Ozawa] Why didn't you tell her?
- Capt. Ed Mercer: You helped out a kid, that's all. And cultural contamination of a society that undeveloped is a serious charge. I just don't want to have to come visit you in prison.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: Really? You wouldn't want to visit a women's prison?
- Capt. Ed Mercer: You're right. I'll call her back.
- Lt. Cmdr. John LaMarr: Captain, there's a large central structure just to the north of here.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Let's go.
- [cut to them entering the building, where they find a large statue of Kelly]
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Oh, yeah, we're in a lot of trouble.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Kel, I'm sorry, but you can't blame yourself for any of this.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: I watched three people murdered in my name. Five others already dead. And a mother telling her child that if he misbehaved, "Kelly will get him." You're damn right I blame myself. And I'm forbidden to even try and fix it. I mean, how many more people are gonna die down there in the name of Kelly? Thousands? Millions?
- Capt. Ed Mercer: If there's anything at all I can do...
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: No. Just... I want to be alone.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: Hey. You awake, too?
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Yeah. Can't sleep. They were wrong about the Opsadda. It does come out.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: What?
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Nothing.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: My god, what happened to your hand?
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Oh, this. I was playing a Mochlan game with Bortus. What's insane is apparently I won.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: You should go down to sickbay and get that fixed.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: The explanation for how this happened is not something I want on file.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: So, um... what do Mochlans do for fun off-duty? Do you guys play, like, board games or anything like that?
- Lt. Cmdr. Bortus: There is a popular Mochlan game called Latchkum that we play from time to time.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Oh, well, break it out. Show me.
- Lt. Cmdr. Bortus: I do not believe you would enjoy it. It is not for humans.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Come on. You know what? There's so much I don't know about your culture. I-I want to... I want to learn.
- Klyden: [a few moments later] I will pass the Latchkum to you, then you pass it to whomever you wish as quckly as possible.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: All right.
- [they take turns passing it back and forth]
- Capt. Ed Mercer: So, what, does this just go on until somebody...
- [a sharp spike protrudes from the Latchkum and impales his hand]
- Capt. Ed Mercer: AHHH!
- Lt. Cmdr. Bortus, Klyden: Latchkum!
- Admiral Ozawa: [over transmission] You're not to return to the surface before then. That's an order.
- Cmdr. Kelly Grayson: But, Admiral, maybe we could convince them...
- Admiral Ozawa: That's an order.
- Capt. Ed Mercer: [after a brief pause, pulling faces, mocking voice] That's an order.
- Admiral Ozawa: What?
- Capt. Ed Mercer: Oh my God, I'm sorry! I thought you hung up. I'm so- Oh, God. I'm so sorry, please. Admiral, have mercy, please, thank you. Okay. Bye.
- [ends transmission]