Eternity's Face

This is Special Agent Regal, Special Agent Bradley Hall. In 2018, the FBI took down a ring of spies working for China's Ministry of State Security, one of the most mysterious intelligence agencies in the world. The Sixth Bureau podcast is a story of the inner workings of the MSS and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets. Listen to The Sixth Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to Star Trek Con. Episode 9, Eternity's Face. There is no beginning. There is no end. There is only the Eternal ever striving to evolve into its most perfect form. Ivan, it's been five years. I thought you were dead. It has been too long, little flower. Hold up! What happened? Fasan? We fought. He lost. No! Paolo, wake up! Why the hell would you be fighting with Paolo? Stop talking. You look like shit, Ivan. How are you still alive? Lesser man would have died long ago. After the last of the beasts suffocated and froze. But not I. For me was test. Crucible. Fire that burned away all that was impure. Leaving only beauty. Purpose. Destiny. No, no, no, Mama. Shh. I want only one. To live requires only two things, water and protein. Both exist here, if you know where to look. You're ingesting low levels of eel toxin every time you eat one of those. It's not vodka, but comes close. Sounds like you got it all figured out. Why come back? To take what is mine. What is ours? Yes, Hassan. Ours. To leave this cursed world. That ship will carry us to freedom. You're going to take the ship? Do you even know how to fly it? I did not come here to argue. Why did you come here? Because you hate Khan as much as I do. To purge your pain and rage, you must embrace it. I can teach you. I like my pain, and I don't hate Khan anymore. He is as he has ever been. He promised us an empire, eternal glory, a life worth living. Far from this world, we will begin again. You think we're gonna fight our way past a couple hundred Augments and Elborians, get Khan off that ship, and fly to freedom? Khan is on the ship? Yeah, Khan and his daughter are leaving together. Oh, he does not plan to return. No, I don't think he does. He has betrayed us all. Our people must know of this. They are desperate. Starving. A tinderbox left too close to an open flame. They will all join our cause. I let all of that go the day my son died. It doesn't matter what happens anymore, Ivan. To any of us. You still mask your rage, but it is bigger now. Closer to the surface, yes. begging you to release it. Join us. As long as you promise me a spot on that ship, I'm in. We go now. Got loaded up. I hope that wherever you are now, Paolo, there are stars. Goodbye, chair. Goodbye, funny-shaped rock. Goodbye, pillow. Wait, may I take my pillow? I don't think so. There's no room in your bag. But look. Mommy's recorder. You see? I've put a strap around it so you can carry it at your side. And there's already a tape in it. Because at that time, the only ships explorers could use traveled on the Earth's vast oceans. Hundreds of men, mostly men sadly, would crowd into these ships and set sail, even when they had no real idea where they were going. It's different now, but the urge to explore, the deep human need to see what's out there, how far we can go, is constant. Eternal. Come, my little love. Your daddy is waiting. There are two structural integrity indicators flashing orange. Kimora? A moment, please. I believe the internal pressure monitor is misbehaving. Better? Well done. My lord, there is something I would ask you. Speak. Delmanda, Paolo, and I spent several months reviewing the systems the Elborians charted before they arrived. Most were devoid of life, but the few systems where life was detected were all Federation. Not this again. We will not attempt to make contact with Starfleet. But time is of the essence. Why do you think Kirk abandoned us here? I know, my lord. You believe he intended for us to die here. But the Lady Marla always said that... Whether or not Kirk believed we would die here is no longer the issue. He could easily have imprisoned us in a Federation facility. But he didn't. because he knew that no such place could ever hold us for long. He feared us. Were I him, I would have left standing orders to kill any augment who managed to escape this world on sight. This ship has few defenses and no weapons. If Starfleet wants us dead, as I am certain they do, we will be presenting ourselves like lambs to the slaughter. I hadn't thought of that. It must please you to know that you have already bested him. Because of your superior intellect and leadership, your people will survive and begin again on a new world. It's a pity that he and I shall never meet again. There are nights when the only thing that keeps me warm are thoughts of what I should like to say to him. To do to him. Vengeance is a waste of time. The commission of an evil act carries its own penalty. From where did you learn to think this way? Delmonda and I have spoken often of my father. Never again speak Delmonda's name to me. Never again allow his limited worldview to infect your own. Yes, Khan. I apologize. Open the hatch for my daughter. Daddy, I'm going into space. Yes, you are, my darling girl. Here is your seat. When the time comes, restraints will activate that will hold you here until we have cleared the debris field. Hi, Joachim. Hi, Kimora. My lady. Kahn. Kahn, you should see this. What is it, my doll? I thought our people left hours ago, but when Kali and I arrived, they were just sitting here. What about the Elborians? I haven't seen them. I will handle this. Remain with Kali and seal the hatch behind me. Do not open it unless I give the Kahn. My brothers and sisters, why are you here? We launch very soon. You must reach the surface before we do. Kali must stay. What? Lord Kahn. Erika, dear girl. You have no plan to return for us, Lord Kahn. You intend to take Kali and my Joachim and never come back. If Kali stays, you will return for her. I will return for all of you. Who has poisoned your mind with these lies? Give us, Carly. There is but one liar here. Ivan? My old friend. I'm so pleased you're not dead. And Ursula? What can I say? I couldn't beat him, so... If it's any comfort, Paolo didn't go down without a fight. I did not give you leave to speak. Hear me. Hear me. Do you remember what we once were? Gods among men. Ours was the superior strength. Ours was the superior intellect. And our leader, the once great Khan, has stood by while all that we were wasted away. All in service of a pitiful dream. His dream. He promised us victory. But he led us to ruin. All that remains of our sweat and toil stands in that dried seabed A ship meant to carry but Khan chosen few to free them while the rest of us wither and die like the slaves he has made of us Is this who we are? Will we end our lives on our knees? Or will we finally rise up against the man, the weak, mongrel, loving coward who has betrayed us all? Ivan! Ivan! Ivan! Ivan! Ivan! Ivan! Ivan! What's happening? Where did daddy go? I must go to Khan. That would not be wise. They want Kali. Would you hand her to them? If either of you goes near the hatch, I will kill you with my bare hands. I'm scared. Don't be. Here, just listen to your mother. Once believed that Earth's civilization first arose in the Fertile Crescent and spread from there through nomadic influences. Ivan! Ivan! Ivan! It is over, Khan. Your reign has ended. So it seems. Shall I simply bow down and offer you my throat to slit? Or would you rather crush my skull under your boot as you did Sikander? Sven, take the others and get to the ship. Obviously, you're free to try. But I'm afraid it only opens from the inside. And as you can see, the hatch is closed. Rip it open if you have to! The launch window approaches. A very brief opening that will allow the ship to safely escape the planet's atmosphere. There is very little time left. If the window closes, the ship will be torn apart before it clears the orbital plane by massive gravitational forces. And then none of us will ever leave this planet. What are you waiting for? I gave you an order. That hatch is the only thing standing between us and freedom. Go! The Endogangetic Plane, the North China Plane, the Andean Coast, the Mesoamerica Gulf Coast, and the Corvathian Mountains. I must go to Khan. No! We need help. Please, we need help. Christ, Ivan, get on with it. Yes, Ivan, get on with it. You came back to kill me, did you not? Duh. But even you do not deserve to die in ignorance. I would end your suffering as you ended mine. My suffering will never end. You see, I believed in us. I believed that we were superior beings. I believed that we were eternity's most glorious, perfect form. But I was wrong. You and I are savages. Slaves to the needs of these frail bodies. Playthings of fate. This is our true nature. And it will not be overcome. But we were not meant to be the final evolution. That glory belongs to Kali. She must not be poisoned by our limitations. She must live where peace and curiosity and love reign supreme. The love sequence has begun. Please evacuate to a safe area. All I have done, all I do now, is for her. And in memory of her mother. You may kill me now, Ivan, because I have already won. She is my victory, incarnate. Get back! All of you! Get away from the ship! Get that hatch open! I need help! I need help! Please! Please! I need help! I need help! There's still time. I can save him. Don't be a fool, Hakim. It's going to be alright. Remember, we must be brave. I'm calling this in. Do you hear them? The Pandem. They have answered your call. Delmonda? Be not afraid, my child. The Pandem will protect the ship. Elborian filth! Elborian scum! Don't let them get near the ship and kill them! Kill them all! Delmonda? We are here, God. Keep her safe. No one will harm her now. Why did you stay? Why did you not save yourselves? How one dies matters not only how one lives. Ursula, what are the elves doing? Protecting the ship, of course. Protecting Kali. Run. There's shelter on the surface. You'll survive. Take any who will follow you. What about you? I'm not done just yet. Now go! This way! Come on! I will kill all of you! Get away! Get away from my ship, you lollic! Hello, Ivan. Stop hiding behind your people and face me like a man! That's for Paolo, you sick son of a bitch. Khan! Over here! Ursula! I knew you would never betray me. Is that Marla's phaser? Damn it. I don't know if Ivan's dead or just stunned. It hardly matters now. Mado goes with you. Do you understand? But... I know you're not coming back, and I don't care who else goes with you, but Mado gets a seat. It will be done. And Ursula, thank you. Go, before I change my mind. This way! Get out of here! Thank you, Delmonda. Let all that has passed between us be forgiven. I am at peace, Cotton. What's happening out there? The Pandem protects us. They will remain until we launch. But they'll all die. For the greater good. Go ahead. It is Khan. Daddy! Stay put, my love. We're going. It's all right now. Khan is here. Goodbye, my Kali. You will live forever in my heart. No. Mado, you will take your Akeem's seat. What? Do it! Your Akeem, my champion, hear me. You must lead our people now. You must gather all that you can and get them to safety. My life is yours, Khan. I will lead them to the surface. Go, my son. Where are we in the launch sequence? Eleven minutes left, Lord Khan. Your people have done themselves proud, Kimora. This day and every day since we first met. I agree. What's that noise? Mother. That's my recorder. Hernan Cortes. As with all such men, his legend bears little resemblance to the truth. History has cloaked his actions with a veil of glory. We remember what he did and forget how and why he did it. But I believe the how matters. While some condemn his brutality and conquest, history celebrates his brave and visionary leadership. The truth is that he was a coward who placed his own needs above those of his followers. How he justified himself, history will never know. I will always believe that our choices should define us. and that historians must do all they can to find and reveal truth, even when it is inconvenient. For in the end, history will be all that is left to us. Khan, what are you doing? Kali. My brave, beautiful goddess. Yes, Daddy? I owe you an apology. What did you do? I lied to you and to my people. I betrayed the one thing I never thought possible. The man your mother expected me to be. You deserve better than this. You deserve better than me. You deserve everything in this universe. I cannot be the one to give it to you. I cannot abandon the ones I have led. My life is not my own, you see. It is theirs. I don't understand. I know. But someday you will. Goodbye, my love. Daddy! Daddy, no! Don't go! Dad! Please, Daddy! Stay with me! No! Belmonda, go. You must take her. Are you certain? Yes. We will find help in return for all of you. No. Take her and leave this world forever. Do not come back for us. Take her far from this place. Tell no one who she is. Find a world at peace and give her what I cannot. Give her a life. Some of us are not meant to see paradise. Some of us will never know the face of eternity. Now go, quickly. Farewell, Kong. My encounter has returned. The vacuum and too soon found out. My people, hear me! Look it Kong Kong has returned Hear us both We must go There are but a few minutes left Gather all of your strength and follow us My lord No, you can't get away. Khan! Your king, take them and go, now. But my lord, do you hear me? Go! At least take this. My blade. I'd kill him quickly if I were you, my lord. Khan! Come now, Ivan. Let's finish this once and for all. I taught you better than that. Again! Are you really going to make it this easy? Why? Why? Why what? Why didn't you kill me? I didn't want to kill you. I wanted to hurt you. Oh good. I was worried that perhaps in your soft, weak heart you have forgiven me. Do you yield? It doesn't have to end like this. I have failed you. But change is possible. I am living proof. Even now. Even now I don't want to kill you. Take my hand and come with me. Together we will find a way. Do you yield? I will never yield to you. Look at me! I want mine to be the last face you see. I cannot forgive you, Ivan. Because I cannot blame you for being what you are. What they made both of us to be. Fly, little goddess. Fly. See the stars. Venture, this is SETI Alpha 5 base. Please respond. Venture, can you hear me? Please respond. Venture, come in. Madoe! Anyone! I already told you. It could have been any number of things that you saw, Erika. We had just reached the surface when the ship cleared the caves. We watched her climb. The wind was terrible. But still, she climbed. They passed into the clouds. And then, the clouds turned angry. Blue and red flashes. Lightning storms are not unusual, and the ship would have attracted electrical energy, but they had shields. Maybe they failed. There was a flash of light, and then a ball of fire fell from the clouds. Stop. I get it. Just stop. They're gone, aren't they? Is anyone fired? Ursula? Erica? Alive! You're here! I thought you were... How are you here? What happened? We knew it would. There's two dozen others. We need water. That's 31 survivors total, unless the Helborians... They stayed to protect the ship until the very end. They sacrificed themselves for us. What about... Where are they now? It's been long enough. They should be through the debris field. How many times have they made contact? Have they jumped to light speed yet? Who was on the ship? Delmonda, Kimora, Mado and Kali. Ursula, what is wrong? Erika saw it all. They made it as far as the clouds, and then... She saw them fall out of the sky. No, no, that's not possible. Perhaps their communication system has failed. Come in. Come in. This is Khan. Come in. Delmonda, do you read? Delmonda? This is Khan calling to anyone aboard the starship venture. Respond. Respond at once. Carly Please answer me Carly Carly No No No St tradition, but there was no evidence with any comments from many of us. Hello, Tuvok. Dr. Lear. I have completed my analysis of all the historical records you have been reviewing. I'm sure it will make a fascinating read, but I think I'll pass. I have many theories as to why you undertook this project, but one question remains. Just one? Did you find what you were looking for? I didn't, actually. The truth might still be in there somewhere, but I'm out of time. Then you have not yet completed your final review. I brought everything I need with me. Maybe I'll finish it here before... Dr. Lear, you cannot remain on SETI Alpha 5. And you can't force me to leave against my will. You are correct, but I submit to you the following. Although Lieutenant MacGyvers was meticulous in her arrangement of her logs, as all Starfleet officers are taught to be, Those who continued her work, particularly Khan, were terrible historians. You think that was his worst failing? Using the ship's computers, I was able to separate and timestamp each entry, even when they were out of order in the source recordings. There are sixteen pertinent entries from the one hundred days just before and following the launch of the venture. I am certain you are already acquainted with all but the last. May I? Go ahead. Where was I? Gates, wasn't it? Things fall apart. The center cannot hold. Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. What did you see, my friend? When did you first glimpse eternity's true form? Slouching toward Bethlehem to be born? No. Reborn. As I have been. For months after Carly died, I wandered aimlessly. What? Shh. Joachim always by my side, reminding me of all that still lay ahead of me. Of my people's love and loyalty. Of his hope that one day we might avenge ourselves upon all who had wronged us. Starting with the people of Earth and always... Always the man who exiled us. I waited for the grief to kill me, for the emptiness to consume me, for the pain to finally end. But it only grew until the day came when I could no longer refuse to look at it. I lay in a bed of fire, and through the flames I finally saw eternity's face. The universe we inhabit reflects eternity in its true form. I feared that to gaze upon it was to see Kali again, but she was not there. Eternity's true form is the fire itself. Nothing we create can endure. There is no point in even trying. Every good thing will eventually take its opposite form. Pure good only exists to reveal the fire that loves nothing more than to consume it. I rose from that fire a new man, ready to greet whatever rough beast approaches. If there is any justice in this universe, that beast will take the form of Captain James T. Kirk. He didn't know. He thought they'd all died, but I don't... He believed that the venture was destroyed before it reached orbit. He based his belief on two things. The eyewitness account of the destruction of the fuel pod by a young woman named Erica, and the ship's failure to make subsequent contact. After that, hope was not an option. He had lost so much everything he had come to love It would have driven the best of us to madness I don agree Really Have I missed any significant facts in forming my hypothesis It wasn't the losses. It was that he chose to risk love at all. He never had. Until he met MacGyver's. Had he remained as he was when they first arrived, had he not allowed himself to become vulnerable to the most human of weaknesses, had he stayed true to himself and his nature, I believe he would have fared much better. As best I can tell, he did remain absolutely true to his nature, with one exception. Delmanda. In that one moment, when he asked Delmanda to take his place so that he could continue to lead his people, he was a better man. And had that moment not been followed immediately by tragedy, it is interesting to wonder what he might have become We're not supposed to play these games. What ifs? What if he had never met and loved MacGyvers at all? Then you wouldn't be here. How long did it take you to figure that one out? That you are, in fact, Kali Noonien Singh, daughter of Khan and Marla MacGyvers? A fraction of a second once I knew that no wreckage from the venture remained on the planet. But how could you know that? I ran a Level 9 scan of the surface of SETI Alpha 5. No debris from the venture was detected. Even if it had exploded in the upper atmosphere, traces would have remained. There were none. There wouldn't have been. A fuel pod was damaged, hit by lightning during the ascent, but Delmanda ejected it to protect the rest of the ship. It would have been completely incinerated. The comm system was also damaged in the storm. It was repaired after we engaged the compression drive. We tried to make contact then, but never got a response. We assumed that few, if any, made it out of the caverns alive. Khan had long since destroyed the radio by that time. Why couldn't he have waited a few more minutes? If he'd only, I mean, so much pain and suffering to come were entirely unnecessary. He just never, ever learned. Not bad, Tuvok. May I ask, what happened to Delmonda, Madot, and Camorra? It took us six months to find and contact a civilian freighter. A cargo ship that took us to the nearest Federation world where we were able to request asylum. Delmonda and Camorra were already so weak when we left. I think the loss of the entire pandemic... No, I don't think. I know, because I felt it too. Was more than they could bear. I mean, they practically withered away before our eyes. They were dead before we reached Paxar. So it was Mado who raised you. She took my mother's tapes from me as soon as we docked. Said she'd destroyed them because if they were ever found, our true identity would be discovered. She never wanted me to look back. She let me choose my new name and then insisted that I forget everything about the first five years of my life. By the time I entered university, I'd almost succeeded. She died my sophomore year and left me the logs in her will. Despite the pain that must have caused you, I believe it was the wisest course of action. so the truth is alarmingly simple the man who raised me and the man history will remember as the mad tyrant khan noonin singh were the same person after all that's the part i could never reconcile even if i'd wanted to hate him for letting me go i understood as i got older what he tried to give me. But I always assumed that if he were to be found, to be rescued, he would have come for me. I would have been his only priority. He would never have wasted a moment avenging himself on Captain Kirk. And now you know that he believed you were long dead by then. So vengeance was all that was left to him. I take some comfort in knowing that he was capable of love and that your mother's life and yours enriched his. If only for too brief a time. Somehow, it makes him more real to me or at the very least, more approachable. I'm not sure that it should. We must return to the ship now. Captain Sulu considers our mission here complete. I can't go back. Why not? Because I am Kali Noonien Singh. Now that you know, so will your captain and the rest of the Federation. There's no life for me out there anymore. I don't know how long I'll last here, but I do want to thank you for what you did. To reveal your augment heritage would necessarily lead to diminution of your rights and status as a citizen. While I understand the Federation's position on future genetic augmentation, I do not believe it would be moral or ethical for anyone to hold you accountable for something that was done to your father, Something over which you have absolutely no control. Hm. And here I thought I was trying to turn you into a historian. Instead, I've created a full-blown activist. What a way to miss the forest but hit the tree. I will not reveal your secret. From this point forward, I will work within the bounds of my position to continue to advocate for fair and humane treatment of augment descendants. That's very kind of you, but I'm not holding my breath. As a Starfleet officer, I can do no less. Don't push it, Tuvok. You're never going to change my mind about Starfleet. Are you ready, then? That's it? Be brave. Trust you? Is there really an alternative? No. Two to beam up. Energize when ready. And all who heard should see them there, and all should cry. Beware, beware. His flashing eyes, his floating hair. Weave a circle round him thrice And close your eyes with holy dread For he on honeydew hath fed And drunk the milk of paradise Oh, my God. This is Special Agent Regal, Special Agent Bradley Hall. In 2018, the FBI took down a ring of spies working for China's Ministry of State Security, one of the most mysterious intelligence agencies in the world. The Sixth Bureau podcast is a story of the inner workings of the MSS and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets. Listen to The 6th Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Alex Kurtzman and Aaron Byers. Executive producer, Kirsten Byer. Executive producers for Roddenberry Entertainment. Eugene Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. Executive producers for Realm. Molly Barton, Carly Migliore, and Fred Greenhalgh. Co-executive producer, Robin Johnson. Co-producer, Greer Mathiat. This podcast is based upon Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry. Starring Naveen Andrews as Khan. Ren Schmidt as Lieutenant Marla MacGyvers, Sonia Cassidy as Dr. Rosalind Lear, Tim Russ as Ensign Tuvok, and George Takei as Captain Sulu. Also starring Oli Haskovi, Maury Sterling, Mercy Malick, Zari Washington, with additional voices by Phaedra Alcaci, Hayden Bishop, Paul Castro Jr., Chad Chennai, Ethan Dubin, Aaron Fors, Juan Francisco Villa, Juliet Golia, Aaron Hendry, Cynthia Hood, Tina Ivlev, Adriel Yovianaris-Riviera, Alina Khan, Jacqueline Jackson, Jeremy Maxwell, Christina Oates, Hamish Sturgeon, Regina Toffin, Maxwell Whittington Cooper. Casting by Meg Moorman CSA and Sunday Bowling Kennedy CSA. Looping group casting by Barbara Harris. Sound design and mixing by Daniel Brunel. Additional sound design by Jonathan Roberts. Original score by Marcus Thorne Bagala and Sam Bagala Production manager Devin Shepard Production coordinator Chad Chennai Additional writing by Mac Rogers Dialogue editing by Gordon Bramley Original song You'll Be With Me Written and performed by Lisa Carbe and Jean-Pierre Duran Recorded at Mark Grau Studios The Invisible Studios Real Voice LA Adrenaline Studios And City Vox, New York This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA agreement Copyright 2025 CBS Studios Inc. All rights reserved. This program is protected under the laws of the United States of America and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution. Star Trek and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. Thank you.