Shakedown Summary . Eight years prior to Starfleet ' s first contact with the inhabitants of Talos IV , a quartet of Starfleet cadet s – three men ( Griggs , Colin , and McCormick ) and an unnamed woman – arrive via shuttlecraft aboard an as - yet - uncommissioned Federation starship , designation NX - 0002 , to join the skeleton crew that will operate the ship during its shakedown cruise . The female cadet in this group is the woman who will eventually rise to the position of first officer under Captain Christopher Pike during the latter ' s command of the . While the newly - arrived cadets receive their required physical s in sickbay , the medical staff mentions that three other cadets – Ramirez , Osterman , and Brenner – have thus far failed to report for examination . After a speech by the ship ' s temporary commanding officer , the aging Admiral Charles Rasmussen , the NX - 0002 departs from Earth orbit . The female cadet , assigned to engineering , notices irregularities in the ship ' s warp drive , and the lieutenant in charge sends her and Cadet McCormick to investigate the problem as the ship enters the Sol system ' s Oort cloud . The two encounter Cadet Ramirez in the starboard nacelle , who immediately draws a phaser and vaporizes McCormick . After knocking Ramirez out by throwing her tricorder at him , the female cadet discovers a timed explosive device attached to the nacelle ' s structure . She manages to escape with the unconscious Ramirez in tow before the device detonates . As the remaining engineering crew reacts to the damage , they are slain by a phaser - wielding Cadet Osterman , who proceeds to shut down the ship ' s primary systems . Nearby , a Klingon warship emerges from hiding in the Oort cloud debris , and its crew takes the NX - 0002 in tow . Back on Earth , a Human body is unearthed by gardeners in San Francisco , apparently fused within the dirt . An autopsy reveals that death was caused by directly beaming the victim into the ground ; DNA scan processing identifies the corpse as Starfleet Cadet Ramirez . As emergency power activates on board the NX - 0002 , the female cadet brings Ramirez to sickbay , where a medical exam reveals that " Ramirez " is actually a Klingon agent . Admiral Rasmussen also arrives in sickbay , having survived the slaughter of the bridge crew ( presumably by " Brenner " ) at the cost of his right arm , severed by phaser fire . After Rasmussen informs the others of their capture by the Klingon ship , the female cadet conceives a risky plan involving the four shuttlecraft currently on board : program three shuttles to fly a random pattern to confuse the enemy ' s sensors , while a fourth is aimed at a weak point in the Klingon craft ' s structure . When Rasmussen realizes that the cadet will have to pilot the fourth shuttle herself to ensure an accurate strike , he forces her out of the shuttle bay and uses a phaser to disable the door controls . Aware of his reputation as an " old dunsel " , Rasmussen intends to prove his worth one last time , rather than allow a young cadet to sacrifice her life . As Rasmussen begins his flight , the female cadet makes her way back to engineering , bringing Griggs along when she encounters him in a corridor . After stunning " Osterman " , the two restore sufficient power to send a distress call , doing so just as Rasmussen successfully cripples the Klingon ship . Before the Klingons can effect repairs , another " Constitution " - class starship , the NCC - 1700 , arrives and destroys the enemy warship . After an official inquiry aboard the yet - uncommissioned ship , the captain of the NCC - 1700 recommends commendation s to the surviving crew of the NX - 0002 , and further indicates special commendations for Admiral Rasmussen ( posthumously ) and the female cadet . However , the cadet declines the special commendation , preferring that full credit for the incident goes to Rasmussen , and accepts the standard commendation with her fellow cadets . As she and Griggs leave the inquiry , they encounter a repair crew replacing a bulkhead panel ; the female cadet pauses to sign her name on the interior of the panel , stating her intention to return to the ship at some point in her career , and to do her best to prevent the need of sacrifices such as Rasmussen ' s .