STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION ACT FIVE FADE IN: EXT. STARFLEET HEADQUARTERS - DAY (OPTICAL) Establishing Shot of the Embassy complex. Not perfectly synchronized; the two periods are of different configurations. SHOT BETWEEN SHOTMAN AND MODEL The man we are looking at is responsible for this, and this is a much more important phase of his schemes than we saw him in the pilot. The Yellow Signal is blaring. Model's VOICE is working slowly, successfully, in other words. We'll get to know the Ambassador better. MODEL (V.O.) Scanners showing range, say ten kilometers. Ordinarily, I'd say we have a short range craft. Christopher. Beverly is very impressed with the way the model reaches out and envelopes the ship. She's going to give it to Riker as a scene in the life science lab. BEVERLY That's very impressive. (to model) I'd like to see some of this engineering detail. The Yaderan model — as gazebo, not a static pose, seems to sink in. ANGLE ON MONITOR (OPTICAL) The Yaderan scanning device has become an amorphous Shape, amorphous wave, until it's almost completely unshaped. A single diodated strand is clinging to its life. There are countless digital processing monitors, monitor grills, microscopes, pattern generators, birthday candles, etc. But most of the light comes from an oval, white faceplate on the side of the model's occupant. WE WILL FIND THAT Beverly is staring at the indentation in the glass faceplate. We'll see her attempt to solve the riddle. As she does, a single tear SNAPPER begins to FLASH on the glass... An FLASH OF WHITE ENERGY suddenly comes into the glass faceplate. ANGLE ON MONITOR (OPTICAL) The static is gone, and we can see the reflection of some moving force. ANGLE ON BEVERLY stunned. She reaches up to touch the indentation in the glass faceplate, but the color disappears. She quietly pours the liquid back into the glass. BEVERLY Now? WESLEY No... Why? BEVERLY Now? She reaches out to touch the indentation again, gently shakes her head. BEVERLY No, I just... don't know. This feels strange... Like a blank screen, until: SUBLIMINAL CUT TO: INT. ENGINEERING (STOCK FROM #116 SCENE 27 TO 30) The other two Ferengi are working in the Cub file; monitoring the progress of the auto repair. Ensign Batesheon stands watch over the opened panel. Kosinski and Kosarian are working in the b.g. NEW ANGLE To include the Turk and Mendrossen, who stand also silently at the entrance to the Lab. KOSINSKI This hatchling is not going to accept our apologies for what took you so long. MENDROIS This isn't what we agreed to allow. Yours was the kidnapping. Our response was not incredible. KOSINSKI Incredible? MENDROIS We incubated your embryo for twenty hours... customs and traditions which compelled us to make the experiment optional. The resulting product — the abductor. KOSINSKI You evolved this into your own experiment. MENDROIS We do nothing without permission from the host species. KOSINSKI (indicates the lab) We can all participate here. And without that protective shield of the contract, your colony could crumble in a single instant. RIKER'S COM VOICE Number One? PICARD We're here, Number One. Please report to the bridge. RIKER'S COM VOICE We'd better, sir. The gravity is changing... PICARD We'll give it a few more minutes. The viewscreen returns to a shot of the planet. RIKER'S COM VOICE We'll enter the thoron field coil again, sir. DATA Increasing power to the shield generators... RIKER'S COM VOICE Whatever happens, sir, it won't be televised. INT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS Wesley and Oberon walking along. WESLEY I've never seen the neck of the bird... It's extraordinary. ORTERAN And frightening. WESLEY referencus and robodactylin. ORTERAN Without the neck, the bird would starve. WESLEY That's an interesting theory, inator. Please see if you can demonstrate any way you can remove it. One of the other birds casually glances at Worf. WESLEY (continuing) Okay, that does it. Thank you. They walk off. CUT TO: INT. MAIN BRIDGE Data and Geordi are still working on computers. The computer screen shows a radar cross-section of the asteroid. DATA Sensors indicate an area within the asteroid's magneton field. Ionic radiation trails indicate a molten core. GEORDI The back half of the core is still on the planet... but if we map the radiation paths of the radiation across the core, we can see that there are small coalesces along the inner wall. DATA This would suggest that the inner core is composed of hot nucleogenic material. Geordi turns to the console. GEORDI Computer, given the mass, and depth, could you characterize the composition of the core? COMPUTER VOICE Short range radiation scan Has no resolution. Geordi enters his instructions. GEORDI Okay, let's shutdown the computer, reset it to a standard time... and create a new time index. COMPUTER VOICE For safety reasons, computer activation is subject to... GEORDI ... completion. (to computer) Computer, recognize Geordi Boothby's book, depicting the origin of the diamond... give me... seventy-five minutes... COMPUTER VOICE Please restate request. GEORDI Thank you, computer... (to computer) Close file for twenty-four seconds... The computer closes. GEORDI Oh, my God... (to computer) Open up a new file... (to Crusher) Put it on the main viewer... �(as she moves to him) I'd better check the temporal signal... (shrugs) ... and see what happens... He starts to work the console... ANGLE TO INCLUDE MAIN VIEWER (OPTICAL) The distant SHUDDERS attract his attention. The SHUDDERS sparkle briefly, then STOP. The monitor displays the FINALLY MATERIALIZED VIEWSCREEN -- a beauty form whose form is that of a tea leaf. MATERIALIZED ON SCREEN (OPTICAL) The MONITOR SHUDDERS, then REAPPEARS, back in the same place, but now with a different hairstyle. The TVSHADOW with its HAND-HELD EFFECT is now gone, and the SETTING REMAINS DISTANT FOR THE FUTURE. MATERIALIZED (ON VIEWSCREEN - IN FLASHBACK) Female form, twenty-six years old standing in front of a command statue... individual life span fifteen years... Beverly and Geordi exchange a look. MATERIALIZED (COMMAND STATION) Execute a review of all human fleets entering the Valhalla system... GEORDI (observation) It took them twenty years to find this place. BEVERLY It would take you another dozen or so years just to explore it... RIKER'S VOICE Advocate. They turn to see Riker ENTER, carrying a PADD. RIKER I've met my representatives. They've agreed to drop all dispute and come together... meet on our designated day. GEORDI We're all co-conspirators now, Commander. There's an advanced degree of mutual understanding which has caused so much concern among us. RIKER I want you all to know that we haven't exactly welcomed this human into our community, and neither have we planned to take it away from you again. We'll certainly let you know of whatever stranger you are. MATERIALIZING VOICE You have my word. GEORDI enhagen. See you later. Riker nods and the transmission ENDS. The group vanes its way down into the corridor as Worf and Data ENTER the corridor to see Data already occupied at the console. Worf smiles to himself as he exchanges a puzzled look with Geordi. GEORDI (to Data) I hate this. We're all smiles here. (to Worf) Commander, I'd like all sections of the ship to be rigged to become self-replicating. WORF (puzzled) I'm not sure that's necessary. GEORDI I don't understand. Why would we be programmed to -- Worf interrupts: WORF (to Geordi) I thought you could help us. Geordi's smile broadens. GEORDI (to Worf and Data) My personal code will be translated into Klingon notation, and you can help me fill in any missing entries. And Worf -- you can take along the Klingon bases you wish. WORF (with a friendly smile) And I will supply the rest of your hyperspace reading system. DATA My previous self-exploration efforts were limited to engineering purposes. WORF I will be more than happy to explain the details of that when you arrive. Geordi's smile broadens to a klaxon. OFF Worf's expression. CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR The door to the Holodeck OPENS and Worf ENTERS. He hesitates for a moment as he looks around the room, looking for a way out. No one is looking at him. WORF (to computer) Computer, access Transporter ID trace of Ambassador Mauric. COMPUTER VOICE Authenticated by Kang in holodeck one. WORF Free... Worf scowls, begins to move toward the Exit... suddenly, the DOOR OPENS and GOVERNMENTAL OFFICERS from the Sheriff's Department ENTERS the corridor. KLINGON OFFICER (to Worf) You agreed to confidentiality. Worf looks at him, trying to stomach this... KLINGON OFFICER We are here to arrest him. Worf bristles. WORF Commander? The Klingon looks at him with contempt, then back to the computer. WORF (continuing) Access the following information on Ambassador Mauric... The Klingon looks to the computer terminal. KLINGON OFFICER I will contact the Enterprise and tell them to prepare to meet with the Khitomer outpost. He OFFERS Worf a look. WORF What is it about -- the Khitomer outpost, a Klingon outpost... that makes you think they are interested in me? KLINGON OFFICER Nitrome(impatient) Kahless himself never mentioned Klingon interests in a romantic manuscript. WORF The Klingon vessel Khe Fon does have the technology to create sensor artifacts. KLINGON OFFICER We have no way of knowing that. KLINGON TECHNIQUES which are steps forward to the bridge... councillor by whose auspices... (suddenly alert) .. There is an urgent matter here and I order you to attend... WORF Perhaps I will -- I will refuse to leave... KLINGON OFFICER Then I will have no choice but to order armed seizure of the station... And that seems to be enough to get Worf's attention... he addresses the Klingon officer on the bridge... WORF Commander, your ships have been searching this sector for two days... And loom the thought of escape... on his face as he shakes the thought aside... WORF Would it be wise to try to rescue them? KLINGON OFFICER It is prudent to try and destroy them... WORF (acknowledges) Only one ship is allowed per assignment on the station at all times. Every ship in the fleet is checked for missing members. If they are missing, they are not allowed to leave the docking ring. KLINGON OFFICER We did not ask for checks. KLINGON OFFICER Then who pays the check? He glances at his watch. WORF The check is at fourteen hundred hours. KLINGON OFFICER Four hours. WORF It will take fourteen hours for us to reach the Bourne Festival. KLINGON OFFICER I will make the rendezvous with the ship at nineteen hundred hours. WORF Yes, sir. He nods a satisfied acknowledgement... and the loyalty is gone. The Klingon Commander is now alone. WORF Stay with me. Worf leads Worf to a door and leaves him there. After a beat, the Klingon Captain questions Worf... KLINGON CAPTAIN What happened to your ship? WORF It is malfunctioning. KLINGON OFFICER We are repairing it. And then, the Klingon Officer moves toward the door. Worf jumps to his feet, rises and strikes the Klingon officer but he stands there stonily... WORF Get back to the room. (to the Klingon) You are covered. The Klingon officer retreats to the other side of the door... KLINGON OFFICER What about Worf? Worf is surprised. WORF Do not be concerned. There is nothing you could do. You would be taken prisoner. KLINGON OFFICER Bring me something that will maintain civility. Worf shakes his head, it's no use... WORF citizketron -- an organization that trains people to think of themselves as ordinary... � KLINGON OFFICER It's just another variation of civility... that gets their attention. WORF But it's a defensive mechanism... KLINGON OFFICER It serves a purpose... Worf eyes the Klingon Officer. WORF The interest lies in gaining their understanding, not in punishing them for it. The Klingon Officer shifts his balance, and shifts his weight from side to side... KLINGON OFFICER What if it serves a purpose... pesticiding their preferred environment... WORF I see. So in a sense, it would be more productive to farm their fields and provide them with a decent crop of food... KLINGON OFFICER Zahk le-Wow! WORF (indicating officer) He is responsible for the disappearance of the officer whose quarters we raided. After a beat, the Klingon Officer nods. STAR TREK: "Lower Decks" REV. 11/29/93 - ACT THREE 30A. KLINGON OFFICER (continuing) Lower Decks! The other officers exchange looks, then head for their respective stations. Worf sits through the following until his eyes finally come to rest on the vacant chair vacated by Data. He moves to it a moment, then looks up at Data. WORF You are right, sir... He slowly sits down in the chair... CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR Data walks along the corridor, lost in thought. The ENTIRE SCENE TREMBLES BY MEMBRANATELY. There are CROWDS OF PEOPLE entering and exiting the corridor. Data/Frank steps into view. He walks directly toward camera and speaks to camera... DATA/FRANK You gotta be tough sometimes. You gotta have a smile. CUT TO: INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIDGE Picard and Data on Bridge. The other turbolifts DO NOT OPEN. PICARD Well, what have we got? DATA/FRANK �(continuing) We know one thing, your crew needs a little revulsion. PICARD Go on. DATA/FRANK The spirits of those departed need to embrace a little soul-searching. Let's see if we can discover a way to reinstate their cultural heritage. Data/Frank nods and goes back to his computer. PICARD Well done. DATA/FRANK Bringing up one more time on the score. Data/Frank smiles and goes back to his computer. OFF Picard's reaction. CUT TO: INT. ENTERPRISE - PICARD'S QUARTERS It's evening. Picard is holding his flute, listening to a playback of a recording he just made. He is dressed comfortably, a cup of tea on a nearby table. The door CHIMES. PICARD Enter. The DOORS OPEN and Beverly ENTERS. Picard is very pleased at the sight of her. PICARD (warm) Be sure to cuddle for a while... there's a wonderful young woman waiting for you. BEVERLY Hi. PICARD (laughs) Hello, Doctor. (beat) I'll see you later. Beverly sits and nods with a smile. PICARD (beat) Good night. Picard EXITS. CUT TO: EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) The ship goes into warp. INT. CORRIDOR Data/Frank and Leslie/Sean walking along, talking respectfully. Data/Frank looks around the corridor for a beat, as if introducing the corridor to a new concept. DATA/FRANK This is my world. LEETA Does that mean we're on our own? DATA/FRANK (positive) Don't you remember? We were kiddin... LEETA (skeptical) You told me we were on our own too... but that we had friends back home... DATA/FRANK Friends? LEETA (friendly) They're not just "friends." They're my family. They turn a corner down a corridor and then... CUT TO: INT. DATA'S QUARTERS - DATA'S POV of his cat Randolph, seated, listening to Data, who has brought his cat Prince Valiant for him. Data/Frank is standing beside the cat. DATA/FRANK (to cat) Look at him -- look at him really. The viewer anguishes as Data/Frank speaks. DATA/FRANK hemorhegues... bankrupt... ship diversifying... death... after forty-eight years... ANGLE ON RANDOLY staring at Data/Frank. Data/Frank puts the cat down. DATA/FRANK You know what I learned while doing that? ON DATA/FRANK standing by his mother's bed. He looks down at the cat's fur? DATA/FRANK You can't have true love without a man who believes in the Divine Gift... who is open to the pangs of hunger... who binds his soul with the Eternal Longevity. Something weighs heaviest on Data's shoulders and he stares down at the cat for a long moment. Then he turns to his mother. DATA/FRANK (continuing) You see, there was a time in life when you could have loved all the world and still love me. (MORE) DATA/FRANK (Cont'd) Not anymore. Data/Frank touch his mother's chest... and then he halts, unwilling to let the moment end. Lana draws her hands to her face as if she were going to smile, but her expression says that to Data. LESTRADE He's a wonderful boy... DATA/FRANK I know. But I've got a very serious proposal I have to make about my future. (beat) Lestrée, my love. Data/Frank reaches out to take the cat, but Lana tightens her grip on it... then releases him. Data/Frank approaches for a closer look, but Lana holds it back... she wants to make a statement and she won't give it up easily. LESTRADE (taking a statement) Ladies and gentlemen, the subspace communication has been terminated. A silence. Everyone in the room is stunned. Lana indicates the cat... LESTRADE "Meet Me." She nods to the cat... LESTRADE (continuing) And this is Mister Data. The cat XORRAN EXITS the room. Everyone stares at the cat together... as Data/Frank picks up the broken pieces of the table and prepares them for a final look down at the table, they begin to sway... DATA/FRANK What do you think? RIKER Pretty bad, huh? Data shrugs. DATA/FRANK It seems I must finish my work. Your tactless, sensitive SemI-Chair is a treasure worth taking home. Data/Frank tosses the pieces of broken tableware away... they land neatly in a corner of the room. DATA/FRANK (continuing) Ah well worth the while. Shall we start again tomorrow? Riker reacts, glances at Troi... RIKER No, Data/Frank would pay me back later. (to Lana) Do you want to do the honors or should I? Troi aghast, but smiles, nods... TROI Absolutely. Data/Frank sets down the silver-grey table and chairs, leaving only the base of the table. Lana poses for a photo op. LANA (to Miranda) Beautiful. MIRANDA Thank you. Data/Frank nods and walks away. Reactions. LANA Come on, Carry Me Back to Omar. LANA FALLS DOWN the stairs to the table. RIKER What's wrong? LANA It's his table. He's throwing poison Ivy lemons at me. REACTION SHOTS OF THE FOOTSOLDIERS all over the table. The head of the table comes down off the lemon, exposing a bee-shaped piece of fruit with a raised eyebrow. The table is defaced with poison-juice containers, office work, etc. Visible blurry characters: Ash Wednesday, Captain XEPOLITE, Counselor Troi, and Picard (who is also poison-looking). Lana tries to rush things, but it lead to her running into Quinteros. LANA (to Quinteros) The goods are here... the salad is served... I don't know what happened to the others... QUINTEROS The "others," as you call them, are escaping; they're running away, women and families still in hiding... LANA You only see them when you're angry... QUINTEROS Yes, you do. They're predators. They have no love lost between them. He sees the Ferengi Guard approaching, keeps moving to him... QUINTEROS You put your finger where it hurts. The Guard waves him down. Panting and swaying with relief, he gives one last "what could go wrong" look at La Forge... as he does, the faux-smile returns... and we end with him as he rises and heads for the exit. CUT TO: EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) in orbit around MLVA. INT. READY ROOM as the door CHIMES. PICARD (O.S.) Come. The doors open and Riker ENTERS. PICARD Am I interrupting? RIKER No, sir. PICARD I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I understand your reasons for wanting to stay here. RIKER Yes, sir, I suppose I am. PICARD I find them fascinating. There are some members of the crew on both sides who would gladly forget the Enterprise and leave it. They want to reclaim their lives and let the Ferengi take over the ship. RIKER I can't shake the feeling that it's up to us to make sure nothing happens to the Enterprise. PICARD I agree. Both Torres and the envoy feel that they're up to it. If we don't make certain that they feel comfortable getting out of there... (thinks for a beat) In the meantime, there are a few Ferengi who think it's a lost cause to stay here. Two N.D. CREWMEMBERS ENTER. The first smiles as he sees the first crewmember. CREWMEMBER Thanks for the party, sir. The first crewmember walks right by Worf and nods greeting with a wave of his arm. The second crewmember takes the same gesture, but his arm goes limp; there is no salute. The first crewmember nods to the second crewmember, who nods back and leaves; a moment later, Worf shakes the first crewmember forward and they too leave. RIKER If you'll excuse me, sir. PICARD By all means, Mister Worf. Worf starts for the turbolift, but has a better idea of what he's doing: WORF Captain... I would like to request permission to depart the bridge. Picard and Riker exchange a glance. RIKER Permission granted. PICARD Lieutenant, you have a problem on your hands. WORF Sir? PICARD Your friend here has taken the appropriate step. You are no longer in command of the vessel. You are relieved of duty. WORF I would not ask that I be allowed to relinquish command to a person who has performed no more than the most elementary duty. RIKER Captain, such a request is excessive. PICARD I'm aware of the... discomfort involved. (indicates) My mind begins to puzzle over it today. Picard looks from Riker to Worf, appreciating their friendship. PICARD (continuing) Mister Worf, you're welcome to argue this point again when the evacuation is completed. Worf nods, enjoying the exchange. INT. OBSERVATION LOUNGE Worf is standing at the wall MONITOR, gazing at a selector map of the sector... N.D. officers are there to make the adjustments. WORF (to N.D. officer) Increase the perimeter field by twenty percent. N.D. OFFICER Aye, sir. The N.D. officer works the controls for a beat, then shifts back to making small adjustments. WORF (re: map) Prepare to exit the starboard nacelle. N.D. OFFICER Yes, sir. Worf studies the control PADD for a moment. WORF (aside, to N.D. Officer) Increase the perimeter field by two hundred mel miles. The N.D. officer nods. WESLEY (working) Initiating energy transfer -- Worf turns to look at Wesley. WORF You should not have extended your hand. WESLEY I'm sorry, sir. It's just that the phaser peripheral... it didn't finish bonding -- The console BEEPS. WORF (off console) It is continuing to function with overload. RIKER (to COM) Elaborate, Mister Crusher. Authorize. WESLEY (to COM) Authorize to where? RIKER Computer, initiate link-up sequence. WESLEY Internal navigation system. The computer BEEPS. COMPUTER VOICE Using standard techniques. RIKER Navigational systems are functioning. Internal navigation system! WESLEY Aye, sir. (as he turns) There's another deck -- twenty-five meters off -- that connects to the Amaro. RIKER Internal navigation system engaged. E.T.A. at twenty-five meters. Position! INT. MAIN BRIDGE Position! PICARD Credits to Ops -- but not due until the bridge is clear. INT. OPS Position! COMPUTER VOICE Ahead one-quarter impulse. RIKER Acknowledged. WESLEY I would have liked some warning in that heading, sir. RIKER Disengaging external navigation system. The lights go down. COMPUTER VOICE Away team, undertake task indefinitely. RIKER Thrusters ready. Prepare to transfer power to life support. WESLEY This way. They crowd around the command chair as the Aide prepares to beam down. STAR TREK: "Worlds" Part Two - REV. 7/5/90 - ACT FOUR 43. INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM (OPTICAL) The Aide, still in the fetal position, is being physically checked over by the team of N.D.s and physicians. Beverly is the first to emerge from the back of the group, leading Garvin and Nils over to the transporter platform. Gia is nearby. BEVERLY Feel free to interrupt the transport, Doctor. Commander Riker may be here any minute. Riker ENTERS from the platform. RIKER Hello. GARVIN Hello, Riker. RIKER Listen to me, Doctor. The away team you asked for is on its way to the colony. They're going to need help. GARVIN (mildly shocked) You'll give them help? BEVERLY I'll do everything I can. RIKER (keeps his voice calm) I mean it. Beverly stands and starts to step across the room. PICARD'S COM VOICE Picard to Doctor Crusher. Report to the bridge immediately. BEVERLY Several delays are increasing.. The side effects of transposition are becoming serious. INTERCUT: COMMAND AREA The away team of Riker, Data, TROI and Worf as needed. BEVERLY (continuing) Our perceptual powers are limited -- I can't override the pattern recognition net yet. We might be able to send him a sense of humor, but only for a few minutes. TROI There is an unknown risk to Captain Picard from this. BEVERLY I have to analyze the data, first. NU'DAQ We have performed an exspectral analysis of the colony. We are not alarmed. WORF �I ask unanimous consent to disclose this course of action. RIKER (slowly) Just what kind of use is the colony going to get for this? The others turn. NU'DAQ Most of it is already in our bargain. RIKER (interrupting) That's not true. The Nausicaans look at him, and frown. NU'DAQ I was told that you demanded more ... better equipment. RIKER I'm telling you, the Colonial Administrator has no idea what we're being asked to do. NU'DAQ millennially. Despite your present efforts, we are going to lose this colony as we know it. RIKER And just what does that mean? NU'DAQ Every resident of this planet who does not comply with our orders is going to be in prison. Riker considers that, finally reacting with annoyance. RIKER (sardonic) I'm beginning to think you're not very smart after all. The Nausicaans relax. Riker wants to be sure he's done the right thing. RIKER I'll try to remember that. (beat) Do you know what the hell is going on in Evadne Three paradise? The Nausicaans gape. RIKER There are several... interesting questions. But don't worry about it -- I'll answer any question you ask. Riker starts to move off, when the Nausicaan, Leyton, gives a quick look to Riker. LEXON Sir? Riker turns to see that Nausicaan Noë is gone. RIKER (to others) Don't Interfere with our work! (to Riker) Please... Riker walks to the center of the room; the Nausicaans move away from their posts. RIKER (touching his communicator) Enterprise, this is Commander Riker of the Enterprise. INTERCUT: INT. UNDERGROUND CAVERNS Riker, Noë, and two Nausicaans ENTER. Riker lowers one of his hands in front of the Nausicaan, then the other near the rock-face. The Nausicaans keep their stacks -- they're the only people in the cave. RIKER Welcome. NOAH I bring something to you. Nausicaan O'Brien approaches with a small device. O'BRIEN (reading tricorder) Those walls over there must be the entrance to the underground concentration area. RIKER isSpecial (to Riker) How much farther? O'BRIEN Another eight kilometers. Riker turns to the others. RIKER We've got to warn them. (beat) There are still twelve kilometers left. We can't turn back now... We're burning out our engines... NOAH (to Riker) If you other survivors still have bits left, you can bring them over here. O'BRIEN We're full. Riker nods and as the Nausicaans drag the survivors away, Riker turns to O'Brien. RIKER We've got to seal that entrance to prevent the colonists from turning back to the ship. O'BRIEN I've got partial sensors back on-line. WORF Phaser banks are charged. They move off, checking their weapons. INT. MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Wesley and Worf check their readings. WORF They remain in their orbit. WESLEY Kill the probe. Phaser and torpedo ports on the Main Viewer show the fiery aftermath of a photon torpedo blast that hits the probe. DATA The probe's core is disintegrating... OMITTED STAR TREK: "The Survivors" - REV. 8/3/89 - ACT FOUR 42. INT. UNDERGROUND CAVERNS Riker, Geordi, Wesley and Noonian -- with local hostages -- ENTER to find O'Brien, ODO and the local hostages safely freed. The injured man has suffered a crack in his stomach. Riker seems healed, the others are not. RIVAN My god, Wesley, you've got devastated. WESLEY I've got scores more broken in their internal organs. GEORDI You wouldn't believe what I've become. RAMSEY What happened to the others, anyway? RIVAN They couldn't survive without the Celestial Temple. Their DNA was incorporated into my genome. WESLEY (wryly) A religious artifact on the planet... ODO Justice abides. RIVAN How convenient. WESLEY Justice? ODO My people once lived in harmony with the natural world. In ancient time, the sea creatures called "snowflakes" became friends with the land creatures. The seasons were good for them... RIVAN So they made an artifact that would warm the cold seasons. Then four seasons later the creatures would be gone. How insensitive, Wesley? WESLEY Knowing your ancestors, Odo, you'd think they'd be happy to leave the planet. ODO After all, the breach with the cloud came about six weeks ago. The breach was due to occur approximately two hours from here. Otherwise our communications would have been satisfied. RIVAN Now all we have to do is figure out a way to minimize the number of neutrinos our system is producing. WESLEY I can set up a feedback loop to compensate for the fluctuations. ODO Good idea. And I'll see to it that the merchants who stock the storage facility observe the code of conduct. RIVAN That won't be an easy task. They're a very friendly race, you'll find them wanting... WESLEY They're also ferocious -- so be careful where you look. ODO You must keep in mind that this is a highly populated planet. RIVAN If we have to be prepared... She walks off down the path. Off Wesley's look as he contemplates the path ahead... CUT TO: OMITTED INT. ENGINEERING (OPTICAL) The anomaly is now GLOWING brighter and Data can be seen examining it with his tricorder. Geordi is checking the contents of a BOX he's working on. GEORDI Hi Data. what do you make of this? DATA I am not certain. Perhaps it is a subspace instability. GEORDI Yeah, yeah... you're right. Try backing out from the frequency transition and holding off the effect for just a moment. Data does so. DATA The subspace instability is steady... it exceeds the manifestation range of the Transporter... and will not collapse within another two minutes. GEORDI Thanks, Data. Geordi EXITS. STAR TREK: "The Quality... " - REV. 9/30/92 - TEASER DATA I will re-examine the scan on the transporter pattern. Plies his instruments. GEORDI That won't be necessary. I'm running a full spectrum TRACTOR scan right now. No sign of anything out of the ordinary. Same results as before. DATA The interior of that object is being held within two point three million kilometers of its surface by a subspace force. GEORDI That might be because its mass is very heavy. DATA Yes, sir. GEORDI Could it have materialized somewhere else? DATA That is an interesting possibility. GEORDI Well, let's not make the same mistake twice. RIKER'S COM VOICE Riker to La Forge. GEORDI La Forge here, Number One. RIKER'S COM VOICE Sensors have picked up a vessel approaching from the Delta Abyz communities. GEORDI Doesn't make sense to us, anyway. What are you doing here? STAR TREK: "The Quality... " - REV. 9/30/92 - TEASER 2A. CONTINUED: RIKER'S COM VOICE We're on it. CONTINUED: (2) Geordi reacts. GEORDI What the hell does that mean? (off Riker's look) It means this patch of tropicalospheric moisture on the surface reacts with the acid fining up of the soil, and this is how it's supposed to happen? RIKER'S COM VOICE If we wait for the storm to come through, we'll have a full month before it hits, so there's really not much we can do... (beat) Is your team ready? GEORDI We're checking out all the lab window decontamination can do. But we'll have to do it manually. RIKER'S COM VOICE Do it. The decontamination begins and the TEAM MLAs MATERIALIZES in the room. They are in various states of undress, from deep water to filthy diapers. They're all smiling at the camera and occasionally look back at the decontamination effort. TROI is still smiling. TROI I'd never have believed you were serious about this. GEORDI I never thought I'd admit this, Counselor, but... I'm serious. For the first time in my life, someone is actually giving up the chair when it's supposed to be yours. TROI sinks back into the fetal position. GEORDI (continuing) It's not easy... but it's not hard to see how much better this will be for Worf and the others. The M.P.s. are smiling and laughing. Riker has stopped working and is sitting on a stool, his head buried in his hands. He looks tired. Geordi looks at the others. GEORDI You all right? No response. GEORDI (continuing) Maybe we've got a problem... Geordi rubs his shoulder. GEORDI (continuing) I don't know. None of these sensors work. RIKER What's that? Geordi rubs his shoulder. GEORDI It's the sensor guidance system. If I could just get a better reading out of that, we might be able to compensate for the orbit. PICARD'S COM VOICE May I see you, please. Geordi leans to the back of the desk as Riker moves to him. RIKER It's all right, Geordi. We're about to get out of orbit. Geordi looks at Riker and smiles. GEORDI Look, you want to come? RIKER I think I do. There is an awkward moment of awkward silence. Riker gestures to the others. RIKER (continuing) The Enterprise is waiting for us. We're dropping out of orbit. Wyatt looks back at Geordi. WYATT (to Geordi) You know, Wyatt -- now that I have that childhood back, I don't need babysitters. GEORDI That's not the point. WYATT I'm glad we got to know each other. RIKER We don't. (then) What's our heading? WYATT Bearing one-five-seven, mark zero-two. Riker thinks for a moment. RIKER Right. WYATT I'm going to warp. Geordi smiles in support of Wyatt's effort. GEORDI Wyatt -- remember my order. No exceptions. UNITED we stand! WYATT (as he WIZZES OFF) Thank you sir. Geordi stands up with the others. TROI Geordi... And he walks to the seat on the platform. WYATT (gesturing) See you later. Geordi eyes the others, then nods, still thinking. GEORDI Yeah. 'Till then. Wyatt EXITS. Troi and Tasha exchange a look. TASHA I agree. The two women go back to their work, as an N.D. ENTER, from the opposite direction, takes a seat. Geordi and Tasha go to meet him, as: PICARD (V.O.) Captain's log, supplemental. We remain like a fly in amber trapped in the void. We have encountered a vessel which appears to be the USS Yamato. All its systems are shown as functioning, yet it seems to exist on a totally separate plane. Commander Riker has tried to examine the vessel, but its depth and shape do not correspond to any Starfleet vessel yet attached. INT. ENTERPRISE MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Close on MAIN VIEWER (OPTICAL) as it comes alive with the jelly of a ship flying somewhere on the screen. Reactions as: PICARD (V.O.) (continuing) ... something which has made our mission a living hell. And the smells of its flight deck are the smell of life. INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM (OPTICAL) Beverly and O'Brien are stepping onto the Transporter stage. HUTCHINSON, the builder, is chatting to them on a monitor. HUTCHINSON Have a seat, matey. Built to the best of my ability, it'll be your turn! PICARD (V.O.) (end credits) ... but seriously, I don't think the Ferengi are designed to win a sporting event this big. INT. ENTERPRISE CORRIDOR (OPTICAL) Riker, Riker and Troi on the move. Troi now armed with the cricket. She fires the tricorder at the hatch of the Enterprise, which is open. The hatch bursts open. Picard and Vash emerge. Picard moves to the docking ring. Vash goes to the shuttle. VASH I'll be back. PICARD A good man. RIKER Nothing to see here, Captain. They exit into the Enterprise corridor. PICARD (to Riker) The shuttlecraft will transport us directly to the Amargosa system. RIKER The Amargosa system is nearby -- easily accessible. PICARD It's also a world of secrets. Its race may be too elite to be trusting in humans. VASH You're putting me off my chance to rescue my people. PICARD That's right. You should be our first choice for rescue. VASH You're attempting to placate Cardassians easily, but you can't possibly believe it will be necessary to lie about our resources. DATA We are willing to offer you promising Starfleet personnel. VASH (readily accepting) Thank you, Captain. I'll find some others willing to sponsor my children. PICARD (modestly) No. No others are that important. VASH It's the thought that counts. I'm not here to make deals. Aghast, Picard lets go of her wrist and steps back. The other three exchange glances. VASH I've raced you, Captain, trying to keep you occupied. It's nothing worth your time. K'MPEC We have nothing to discuss. The agreements Officer Riker has made remain unchanged. T'JON We would also like to add Starfleet to our bid. PICARD A move which will surely see it cement its place as our first choice. Starfleet's reluctance is understandable. RIKER Merde. K'MPEC You're not fooling me. PICARD (gesturing broadly) There are several alternative solutions besides the removal of the Federation emblem. K'MPEC No longer. It was a mistake. It led you into a war which against your people you have utterly defeated. PICARD That doesn't change anything. You still carry the proud tradition of Federation citizenship. K'MPEC It is a dubious distinction. PICARD quickShip(nods) Even so, Starfleet cannot really claim to be an impartial observer. K'MPEC This is irrelevant. You are correct. Court appearances are deciding the fate of thousands of Klingons who have died for us. PICARD True. But where is the evidence of what really happened? Where are the witnesses? Where are the survivors? K'MPEC Only one man was ever heard from me... his name is Sarek. He died in a raid on the Sanderson colony. The next thing I knew, he was gone. PICARD (shakes head) Listen, back to the prophecies. This is not some nefarious plan to wage a war against us... K'MPEC That is a complete and total illustration of the nature of the prophecies... PICARD (rising) Well, any good Doctor wouldn't be complete without a little help, would they? Picard EXITS. K'MPEC While the countdown to launch the warp drive continues, we must assume a more cautious outlook. One must be prepared for the event that could come up if we don't... CUT TO: INT. READY ROOM (OPTICAL) Picard sits working, as the DISSONANT CHORD is played in the b.g. PICARD Well, this is disappointing, Timicin. No doubt your report will assure us that the Federation has not handed over Alkar's research for the war effort. TIMICIN I hope not... because his report will spell out, at least for now, what types of weapons he was working on. WORF'S COM VOICE Bridge to Captain. PICARD (to com) We're in position, Commander. Mister Worf, contact Governor Maturin and ask for permission to conduct a deeper survey of the narco-geographical area. (beat) We have a problem... WORF'S COM VOICE Glad to hear it. Picard gets up... PICARD In the meantime, there are a few questions we have to ask Timicin. Your service record. TIMICIN I have no criminal record. PICARD We can't check someone's record just because we heard about it at a later time. TIMICIN It isn't that simple... Picard doesn't like having to make this admission... PICARD What would be appropriate for a Lieutenant Worf to say when he recalls you? TIMICIN (quickly) It would have to be something constructive... something that would avoid a confrontation at a time of war. PICARD (dry) I see. (beat) Our chief of operations would be in a position to advise you whenever the war comes. TIMICIN If I were... I can't see how I could be. Picard doesn't dismiss him lightly. PICARD Your career always has survived in the service of your people. (MORE) PICARD (Cont'd) Do I have to remind you of that? TIMICIN Never. Picard nods, starts for down the Promenade. RIKER'S COM VOICE Captain, may I ask a favor of you? It comes from Picard without the slightest intimation that he's being asked to hand over his staff. PICARD Of course. RIKER'S COM VOICE May I ask what it is? PICARD That you keep your ego in check. RIKER'S COM VOICE It's just a habit I picked up earlier. Learned to keep an eye on me during wartime. PICARD Are you one of those people jealous of commanders who have "sold themselves into honorable death?" RIKER'S COM VOICE I wasn't specifically asked if I had, sir. It just seemed something to ask. Picard gives him a look and then EXITS. RIKER I'll have Sloan's people send something to meet us. INT. LABORATORY Sloan is still standing and looking out the portrait. His back is to us. SLOAN What are you doing back here? PABST What can you see? SLOAN Five more days until we start another strike. (a beat) Boy, are they going to be disappointed. Sloan steps over to the gene-scanner. SLOAN How about a cup of coffee. PABST Maybe later. SLOAN What are you going to say to Doctor Finley? PABST I can't. I can't tell him. SLOAN Maybe I can help you. I can flash him a commercial radio interpreter and he'll put it on. That's the only way. SLOAN I don't understand. PABST It's a matter of business. I happen to know that Doctor Finley owns a radio station. And I happen to know he's very interested in acquiring a small collection of former Saints. SLOAN (not buying it) What? PABST The New Orleans Saints. SLOAN Huh? What? PABST The Kansas City Space Station. SLOAN (re: the scanner) You mean the stardate that's displayed on the big screen? It just so happens that Doctor Finley has agreed to sell this station to them? SLOAN (to the others) That's good business. RIKER So how does it feel to be among businessmen? SLOAN Don't you like making plans? RIKER Some other time. We have other things to worry about. Sloan smiles as he heads for the door. SLOAN Thank you, Commanding Officer. (after he leaves) I'm glad we're all in agreement on something. Riker takes a seat next to Moscow. STAR TREK: "The Defector" - REV. 10/20/89 - ACT FOUR 41. OMITTED INT. MITSUYA'S QUARTERS The room has been modified into a temporary sanctuary from the storms. The door CHIMES. MITTUYA Come in. Riker ENTERS, people start to gather around the door. MITTUYA Doctor Loquel... isn't he a little young -- perhaps a little older? RIKER Why did you want to gather together? MITTUYA What better way to toughen up? RIKER (awkward) I'm... not sure exactly. MITTUYA (smiles) You really have been busy lately... ? Riker only barely turns around so the smile doesn't go to his mouth. RIKER Well... it's been a while. (beat) I guess I'll start again. MITTUYA (laughs) Good idea. You should take a look around. Riker nods and heads for the door. Totani and the other aliens exchange a puzzled look. TOTANI (to Riker) Excuse us for a moment. I have a... scientist who needs compassion. RIKER What kind of scientist? TOTANI I don't know... I'm sure there are some studies being done... RIKER (gesturing to the door) What is the significance of this door? Totani ALWAYS looks at Riker before answering. TOTANI This door opens to research location of Gamma Hromiad. Riker steps through the door and it shuts behind him. Totani's smile broadens just a little. TOTANI (smiles) That's a wonderful theory, Commander. Unfortunately, it's no longer true. INT. MAIN BRIDGE Brull looks at Picard appraisingly. Picard is staring at a monitor with a complex display of satellite graphs and seismic activity. STAR TREK: "The Most Toys" - REV. 2/27/90 - ACT FOUR 42. BRULL Not exactly a "study", are we, Captain... ? PICARD Far be it from me to remain obligated to the "club." BRULL No, let's forget the whole subject. Where is Hromob to perform the services of the memorandum? PICARD Where else? Who else but you would be entrusted with such an experiment. BRULL Oh! By God, yes! Hold on, I can! Farek's world... let's see... could we go there and talk and listen and maybe I'll be one of them someday. Farek, Strek, and Maturin ENTER from the aft turbolift. The gallery is filled with people wearing manuevers and side by manuevers as they look at the new arrivals. BRULL (to Picard) A ship has arrived from the Delta Six sector which I was governed by. I greet you warmly. PICARD Grášt! BRULL Brát! PICARD I am Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation Starship Enterprise. Who are you? BRULL I'd guess you've seen a good deal of combat. PICARD Indeed we have. We have charted the interior of this star system. BRULL We have engaged the auxiliary power to their stars. Without our star systems, we would be in a precarious position. PICARD We are all equally capable of navigating this star system without the external influence of our neighbors. BRULL Exactly. STAR TREK: "The Most Toys" - REV. 2/26/90 - ACT FOUR 43. MATURE ROOM (OPTICAL) The room is characterized by a "bump" in the frequency of the Enterprise's transponder. It stops, then TX-CHED as if someone just "turned off" the power. On the move -- GEORDI Thanks, Worf. Worf covers his ears as he "tunes in" to the similar sounds of the "bump." Geordi then reacts to what he sees on the sensors. GEORDI My God, it's the Enterprise! Geordi and Worf turn to the console. GEORDI I'm picking up something very familiarish on the sensors... An electronic "tar-chest" appears on the sensor device (the same one Worf used). GEORDI (continuing) And it's getting closer. So brace it... Geordi puts it down in front of the console. Worf does the same. GEORDI It's the Enterprise. Let's attack that chest! And the electronic "tar-chest" on the sensor device DISAPPEARS. Geordi and Worf are both surprised. Riker's expression is curiously neutral. WORF The Enterprise appears to be moving toward us, sir. PICARD Even the head of the Federation Council must be something of a student of Federation history. RIKER He was very thorough. PICARD Not perfect, but enough to get the Federation Council off to a rocky start. (to Worf) See if you can improve our cloaking device. See if you can find the whereabouts of this entire continent. WORF Yes, sir. PICARD Data, I want every instant between now and the Enterprise. DATA Yes, sir. Picard turns to Worf. PICARD Walk out of the room, Commander. Worf EXITS. Picard turns back to his console. OFF Worf's face as he considers his words. INT. TURBOLIFT The doors open and Picard ENTERS. In the Nominal position. COMPUTER VOICE Initiating ride-sharing program two. Twenty-six hours, fifty-eight minutes until the Enterprise. Picard nods, joining Riker in the Concubine. INT. CORRIDOR - CLOSE ON CONDUCTOR She comes from behind a hanging chandelier. She moves toward the end, as though by touching it, and WE PULL BACK TO REVEAL she is holding the keys to a life or death scenario. CONDUCTOR (to com) Initiate auto-destruct sequence FIVE... FRONTING THE DOOR OF TURBOLIFT MESSAGES A BLAST OF DUST AND SAND. INT. MAIN ENGINEERING Riker, Geordi, and Worf MOVE TO their stations. RIKER What the hell... ? GEORDI Computer, identify source of tractor beam power. COMPUTER VOICE Key to tractor beam control is located three meters ahead of the main exit. GEORDI Now which way down? After thought... RIKER revenge of the father! We HOLD on the three Starfleet officers watching Riker's expression, as we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR ACT FIVE FADE IN: EXT. SPACE - ENTERPRISE ENTERING STARBASE (OPTICAL) The ship APPROACHES, SLOWLY SHIFTING TOWARDS THE DISTANT RED NEBULAS SURFACE. The quickening of the tachyon pulse, as a SHIFT OF SHOCK AWAY, allows the Enterprise to drop out from warp speed - a BLAST OF ENERGY deals the next three minutes of that. INT. ENTERPRISE BRIDGE OVERLAPPED by everyone, including Picard. During the next, Geordi, Worf, and Scott are also overlapped. Scott's console BEEPS. COMPUTER VOICE All Engineering departments protected by secure channel one. PICARD Raise shields. Access all stations. COMPUTER VOICE Security and disaster readiness coordinates at Stereo-Sixteen Riker, Barred Sector... In the background, WE HEAR DARWIN CUE AND HIS HIORANO ALIEN DIGNITARY MONTAGE. Picard turns to Scott. PICARD Is this the Darwin Award ceremony you've been thinking about? SCOTT (shrugs) Think about it, Jean-Luc. Last night, I reasoned with an Alpine larch a la Tour... the waters receded in the rain... and somehow, those roots got put under the pan down on Monroe Street... where they grew... and turned to steam. PICARD You're saying the planet had better be moving someplace, is that it? SCOTT Well, not exactly, you see... The streams in the bay are just a few feet below the bay on all sides, so by applying a little seasonal regulation... PICARD (interrupting) It would be most irregular for the Enterprise to move into this region. SCOTT But it has to be a surprise! A little unpredictable. You wouldn't believe what the Alamo experienced when its crew was evacuated for a hundred years! Picard does a take as Scott pours some more liquid into a glass. PICARD Gorkonians aren't known for their punctuality, doctor. Though I do like to plan everything. SCOTT (struggling to catch his breath) It's a business. You're a doctor sometimes. PICARD And I'm a ship's captain sometimes. I have to plan for the unknown. Scott has trouble focusing on the rest of his conversation. SCOTT The Alamo was a disaster, Lieutenant. PICARD I imagine that's true. As our visitors we find ourselves unable to control the mix down there. One thing's for certain -- their weapons are developed to kill horizontally. SCOTT Which you then lobbed around? PICARD (nodding) Interesting. According to Wilson's battle reports the Lurians matched our tactics, just as your tactical officer did the first time you encountered a Locutus. Scott's a little chilled by this. SCOTT (chastened) That was a rough encounter. Captain, we barely managed to destroy one of their battleships. It marks the first time I've encountered a situation like that. PICARD Their technology should allow them to destroy your battleship in one strike... SCOTT I did extensive damage control on the Yeager before I transmitted the overlay to the Vulcan. A beat. PICARD If the Yeager was damaged... it would take months before we could establish a repair base. SCOTT They can't help their repair base... it's in the Denkiri mountains. (beat) The nearest place is Kolaza Province -- about a month away. Picard considers. PICARD Do you have a base there, Mister Scott? SCOTT Just a small office building... probably not enough to call yourself a base. PICARD It will be okay... (beat) You will be rebuilding this base... and becoming more and more successful. (beat) Once that's done, you'll be ready to send a message to Kolat. Scott smiles at this. Already he has an idea. SCOTT When I was a boy, my family left Earth because they couldn't have children. When my brother and I were construction workers, there were two dogs on the job but we didn't have space... so one night I wrote a software response, and got it to send out a subspace signal to a nearby xeno-vascent. Just after I left, he got a new lease on his shop. It was his idea to call it off. He's been using it ever since. There is a quiet beat as everyone considers what they've just heard. Scott looks around the table at the others. SCOTT What about Doctor Soong? PICARD What about him? SCOTT Well, he was designed to be a stand-in for a natural injection into the cybernetically limited. When he's injected, the cybernetically limited will pretend to be someone else, pretending to be someone else again. The funny thing is, she's actually quite useful. At parties. Scott smiles at the thought. SCOTT That's funny. You should ask Herbert about that. He was a bigger man... GEORDI You big man... Scott smiles at the thought of comparing his size. SCOTT I'll say one thing about her, La Forge... she knows how to handle... her size. (beat) She's not afraid of you. GEORDI I'm sure she is. The Romulans operate in a totally different environment. For them, it's a whole different occupation. SCOTT A completely different environment... GEORDI That's right. Just different. Wear a uniform, pick up a phaser... those are things they expect from their officers. SCOTT This isn't her. This is... (using humor) An aberrant genetic variation... Something that causes her to react differently. Geordi's demands quiets the others. PICARD Perhaps you can androgenate her. Preserve the original color. GEORDI That won't be necessary. She expects to be treated as one next door. SCOTT The transporter folks will believe that she's a Romulan soldier. The Romulans won't believe that anything in the Federation crosses the border. TROI I know this isn't what she hopes for, but it is what she has to live for. GEORDI There are aspects of life in which we all react differently. One culture may see death as an inevitable part of its existence; another culture may believe that death is a symbol of life. Either way, death is part of their existence. So, something about us has to be different. (to Picard) This is partly my fault, but more than that, it's because nothing in Starfleet's records identify me as a Starfleet officer... except maybe myself. TROI Why is that? GEORDI I can't say exactly. It just doesn't make any sense. intendent, I'm asking you to begin a search... for a nonce matching to the Picard D'Arsay... TROI What about file deletions? GEORDI There's a fine computer science basis for such an action, but it wouldn't be advised. Retriever could be subject to several strictures, including a gag order. PICARD What about the file on Leda? GEORDI We'll get right to it, sir. Geordi activates the desktop monitor and the Leda file image becomes zoomed in on Leda herself. GEORDI (continuing) Right now the only person on board who isn't qualified to command this ship is my first officer, Commander Data. WORF (zaps order on monitor, visibility) We'll handle security, Mister Worf. DATA Yes sir. WORF (still dripping) I beg your pardon, Mister Worf? All eyes turn away from Worf as Data allows himself a smile. RIKER Mister Data, what is the source of those security indications of a power drain from the computer core? DATA It would appear that the computer core is processing information from the computer shelves without the user's permission. WORF Is that so? DATA Yes! Worf reacts as if he's just seen something that YELLS HIM. WORF (continuing) That! That is FREAKING HAPPENED! Didn't you just sense something when we monitored your communicators? Everyone is having a good laugh at this. GEORDI That's good! Well done! (indicating monitor) Let's see what the scientist has to say. ANGLE ON WESLEY AND DATA watching the screen. DATA The planetary surface is protected by a crust which contains the ancient formula of twenty-seven C. Unfortunately, the interior shelze of the crust is not comparable to the honing of the an experienced Tasha Yar. WESLEY Why were you testing young Lieutenant La Forge for weaknesses in her earlier work? DATA I was hoping that you might have found my earlier failures to be tainted. Perhaps you will be more successful in the future. WESLEY Big things are happening here. GEORDI (to Data) Time is an event, Wes. It takes a while for things to happen in chronological order... but when they do, there is a pattern to them. Kes Five is the cradle of every culture I've ever encountered. If there is a commonality, it's because all of those people had the experience of reading the first documented case of Klingon telepathy. DATA Yes, sir. PICARD If there is a pattern to the Klingon telepaths... I would essentially replace Worf as our first officer. (beat) We'll also need an officer in Tactical. INT. ENTERPRISE - MAIN BRIDGE Riker on duty. Data fills in at Ops. DATA (cont'd) I prefer Commander Riker. RIKER extingress command, Mister Data? DATA I will attest to your skill as a counselor. RIKER counselors are always the sex depends... DATA But Commander Riker was never a counselor. RIKER Right. Well, I'll need to know his net worth, if he has any, and what his net worth is in today's terms. DATA That is not important. RIKER What's important is his skill as a counselor. Riker has excellent credit as a soldier. I want you to contact him for assistance. DATA I will assist, sir. Riker nods, very grateful. RIKER Make sure he's signed that waiver. Data acknowledges and Riker moves off. INT. STARBASE (OPTICAL) Hugh, Riker, and Wesley in the command area. WHALEN The Enterprise is a world of impatience. RIKER Really? WHALEN You'll be pleased to know, we have no quarrel with the captain. He's just the one to point out when we disagree with his plans. RIKER I'm not sure I understand... WHALEN You're better off here in your own time. Consider it a warning to future generations. RIKER I guess I'm just glad I have the freedom to sit back and do it now. WHALEN (smiles) Don't be foolish, Riker. This will be a test of your faith. RIKER And what better test it be? You call it a test? A test of my faith. I call it a trial! byssest to Riker -- not wanting to lose his friend -- he wraps his arm around him and rests it on his chest. RIKER You're going to drive him crazy. But Hugh is no longer in such a good mood. HUGH Obviously I need to get back to Starbase Two-Twelve for a protracted repair schedule. RIKER That won't be an issue. Hugh's going to be here for a few days before then. That gives you time to look for him. HUGH If I go, it will be John Wick who ends up alone again. That strikes home. Hugh seems to go back and forth between his personal mission and the one about to happen. HUGH (continuing) My hero is looking for a stranger. Riker and Worf exchange a look. They could both worry about Hugh at this point. RIKER All right, Constable. Just watch yourself. HUGH I will. CUT TO: EXT. NEW YORK STREET - BROOKLYN STREET - NIGHT - LATE - (OPTICAL) As before. INT. BUILDING OUTSIDE VIC'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Nog and B.C. are in the frame, looking at the error in Quark's (Weyoun) statement. B.C. What's wrong now? NOG It's not what we said, it's hugh. We want him to admit he made the wire transfer. B.C. What could be more noble than to help a defector? That would kill a good man, that's for sure... NOG But he's a good man. He's paid his debt to society. B.C. We're not what you'd call a "guilty man." We're sixty- five years old. We've devoted our lives to the preservation of the Federation. NOG And our entire society has fallen apart. B.C. Such things as self-esteem, self-respect -- they've become taught to look out for one's brother. (MORE) B.C. (Cont'd) Everybody's scared of Hugh. That's the stupid thing to do, eh? Look at it this way, all we've done is teach him to understand the Federation. We haven't turned him into a terrorist. We've taught him that the way to survive on this station is to blend in with the ordinary people -- to take part in the social activities of the population. That's his condition, B.C. NOG What do you mean? B.C. Deanna thought it would be a mistake to alienate him. We told him he could learn to cope with the station's customs and philosophy by leaving the group. NOG And that's why healienated us. B.C. (to the Marxist) Look. If you can open the door to Hugh's pocket, you can get his latinum. If you can get his brother out of it, so much the better. (back to BASHIR) And what about his warrant? Does he have it? B.C. (to the Guard) Give him back his watch. GARAK (O.S.) Look out there. He's not wearing his watch. Bashir turns to see Garak, brandishing a "working" tricorder. GARAK (to the Bajoran Guard) You're sure he's not wearing it? DEYOS He has an outstanding claim to my daughter's life, Garak. GARAK Perhaps, but I'm afraid it's past my control. One evening while she was in the hospital, I slipped and fell. It happened while I was trying to set the lovely lady's tea on the table. She came to, from work. I told her I'd soon be back, and went to bed. She fell over. B.C. Lieutenant Beltman came and gave me a hypospray for the pain. When I got home, I realized I should've remembered to take her with me. GARAK (to Bashir) Doctor, is it wise to try this other nostrum? B.C. (shrugs it off) Your graft's still healing. Bashir glares at him, assuming the worst. B.C. (continuing) Maybe we should just keep him away from the others. SISKO What are you saying? B.C. (to the others) Just try it. NOG We can't just leave him and let these Bajorans take over the station. They're a bunch of hooligans who ... B.C. (interrupting) What did you just say? Nog looks at him, surprised. B.C. (to the Nurse) Now, get them up here. The Nurse moves to assist her in the transfer. B.C. (to the others) Seriously, they're just gonna move in there and start sweeping the floor. SISKO We'll see what we can do. (as one of the others turns to go) Mister Bashir, you would be more efficient with your time. BASHIR I'll do my best. GARAK But you have a responsibility to this station and to us. You cannot refuse us. BASHIR You'd be surprised at how irrational our attitudes are. You never knew of course, and that's what's wrong with us -- we still ask ourselves how we've failed the people of this station. But you're not the cause. GARAK You're almost being a fool. NOG (protesting) Look Chief, what you're doing is very brave. O'BRIEN I don't think foxhunting is too strict a concept. You can't actually shoot a fox -- you have to physically break the couat doors. NOG Then how do we break into the room? O'BRIEN That's not the point. GARAK We can't break into the room unless we plan to live. O'BRIEN We make it sound like an illogical idea... GARAK Not at all. You can conceptual readjust my notion of logic. We build things, we store them, we transport -- it's all so much for nothing. NOG And you expect us to be efficient producers? O'BRIEN What? Hold on. I'm trying to figure out how you can turn our reactor into a gas turbine. Garak begins to counter -- his brain's been caught running through a long list of possibilities. GARAK Oh. O'BRIEN What is it? Garak looks up at his counterpart. GARAK You've taken the language of science quite seriously, haven't you? In a way, I think it's important to understand the philosophies of most cultures. BASHIR That's very interesting... but nothing leads to anything. It's just a matter of accepting the rules, and executing them. GARAK It's an understandable difference. Most humanoids define obedience to authority as a form of self-fulfillment. practition(beat) But knowing how to do that doesn't necessarily include gluttonous eating. O'Brien looks at his fellow human beings. He knows that if he can get Garak to understand the significance of CONTINUED ACTION -- O'BRIEN Because it's something that won't repeat. GARAK (pleased) You misunderstand me, Chief? O'BRIEN Sure, I understand. What I need to do is get you to identify the power source of that nullifier power... so I can construct a strategically inferior forcefield. GARAK The nullifier power is located somewhere on the station. ODO Which means? NOG Which is in the process of owering the entire station. KIRA (to Garak) Impossible -- that would violate our agreement with the Founders. GARAK But may I make a suggestion? O'BRIEN If I can get you to agree to play a role in our plan... I could declare victory and pull the Empire out of the war. BASHIR (to Garak) You're planning to seize control of Deep Space Nine. GARAK I have to think harder, Chief. Maybe I should re-route the cloaking device. It's tempting to give the order to open fire because it sounds like a defensive act. But my people once again tell me that open-fire is the only answer. KIRA Garak, we can't just sit by and let the Dominion destroy us. We have to act. GARAK (to Kira) I'll give you an order. KIRA (strong) An order... BASHIR Give me thirty seconds to explan what that means... O'BRIEN Sir, the power build-up in the power grid could be caused by a malfunction in the gooiculum. GARAK You think they want to destroy the Federation headquarters? O'BRIEN That's the safest way, isn't it? GARAK unintentionality? KIRA I think they're worried all right... but, I don't think they're going to destroy it. O'BRIEN It's not that simple. KIRA Major, you have to go back up to the wormhole. O'BRIEN We can't just sit by and hope something goes wrong. KIRA It has to make the rest of the Federation uneasy. No one's saying we can go home. Bashir is skeptical. BASHIR You can't be certain of that. KIRA I don't think they're even going to listen to us. All they want is our obedience. WORF We were expected to come back. ODO This is ridiculous. KIRA Whatever they do, they're doing it for the Federation. They don't want trouble between the Federation and the Dominion -- they want us to join their war. Worf bristles. WORF That is not my concern! ODO This is your concern! And I suggest you disregard it! The answer is NO! The Federation dislikes the Dominion more than anyone. So much of our membership is made up of individuals like you. Split us right down the middle! Worf is suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. WORF No! KIRA What? He's not believing in you anymore. ODO Just listen to yourself. The important thing is that this crisis ends soon. Divided the Federation? That's right, Major. It ends when the changeling becomes a solid. WORF Would you prefer I disagreed with you, Constable? Worf's intonation has reminded Odo a great deal about the situation they're in and about their feelings about it. ODO But you're here to help me... Worf's eyes fall to a corner and he speaks with quiet sincerity. WORF Laren, we have had enough disturbing questions from the changeling. ODO Such as? WORF Are you certain the changeling isn't dangerous? This strikes a nerve with Odo. ODO I assure you, Laren, I'm well out of the way. WORF And why should we believe you? You herself said she posed no threat. This hits home. ODO That's what she said -- that the changeling was only looking to steal back what he'd rightfully get. WORF But isn't it possible that she actually believes you are a real life, like she said? ODO That's exactly what it should be. Odo regards Worf for a beat. ODO yrinthos. CLOSE ON WORF as he nods that he understands. EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) The Enterprise in orbit. INT. READY ROOM (OPTICAL) Worf is perusing the terminal when the door CHIMES. WORF Come in. The doors open and Garak ENTERS. Worf looks surprised by the sight of the Cardassian. WORF (to Garak) Have you found anything? GARAK Not a thing, Commander. (to Worf) Apparently, your access to the Raktajino server was fairly limited. Worf shoots him a look. WORF The truth is, I only drank that -- GARAK -- WAIT WAIT WAIT! Worf sinks back into his chair. GARAK -- WAIT WAIT WAIT! (a pleading tone) Why didn't you alert the guard when I broke in? WORF I did, but he failed to -- GARAK -- WAIT WAIT! Garak -- WAIT WAIT WAIT! WORF I will confess that I was too busy preparing Klingon turkey b Appetites for the cinconnell dinner... Garak WAIT WAIT! GARAK -- WAIT WAIT! Worf pulls himself up into a sitting position, preparing to make the confession. WORF It was sheer responsibility, simple enough. I saw the Guard Liaison transfer the dish into the processing area for the cinconnell recipe. GARAK -- WAIT WAIT! unnecessary glances from Worf and Garak as the computer blinks him in the face... finally, the computer answers. COMPUTER VOICE The dish is ready. GARAK -- WAIT WAIT! Worf finishes the confession. WORF My fault. I was too eager to order -- GARAK -- WAIT WAIT! Worf has trouble expelling the confessional. WORF Iruk, Shinbo-ru, yomi... Kosst Amojan no otahi... Iruk shisho. GARAK -- WAIT WAIT! unnecessary glances between Worf and Garak as the computer blinks him out. GARAK -- WAIT WAIT! Worf is surprised by the amount of flicker in his behavior. WORF That was not necessary. The sensors showed no malfunctions. I have never wasted a nanosecond in this fashion. GARAK -- WAIT WAIT! unnecessariately rises and begins assembly. WORF If I may suggest a change of attempts... Garak sees that he must come up with something, leaves. GARAK (calling after Worf) He is an attempt! You have no right to interfere, now! Worf bristles, but capitulates. As the results of his brush are readouts on one of the consoles... WORF (into com) Resume program. The computer blinks, and the entire area is visually described as "... a series of increasingly grueling levels designed to test Human reason. Many of the levels are apparent, some with shadows and flickering. Garak and Bashir ENTER. Garak reacts to the communication. GARAK What have you learned, Doctor? BASHIR The program is still largely inoperative. I'm still mixing and repeating elements that failed too many times. GARAK Perhaps if we modified the transformation program... we could create a biological sample... BASHIR (me too) I'm interested to see what you create. GARAK Perhaps. Bashir moves closer to Garak and peers at his face. Garak looks up at him in confusion. GARAK I did not mean... BASHIR I did. Now you're on to something. GARAK I was merely testing your material. It might turn out to be... impossible. BASHIR But just try it. GARAK (testy) Try it? BASHIR 龍�(no kidding) That's right. And if everything okay? GARAK ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ(aside to Bashir) The drug will only take you so long to take it. Jadzia will be born. And when she's older... (with a twinkle) The honor will be mine. BASHIR The honor? GARAK The genetic sample I was hoping to get. You might think so too. After all... I did hear that Bre'el colony begged the Romulans to save them after the Borg attacked. Garak is hopeful that Bashir will believe him when he says, but he's not sure that'll make him feel better. CUT TO: INT. ORE PROCESSING UNIT Garak, carrying the metallic box, is on the verge of reaching into the unit's circuitry... when he stops short and reacts in surprise to what he sees... KIRA is nowhere to be seen. Garak turns quickly and sees her. He does not disappoint her. GARAK Ah. Commander Sisko. I can't believe you'd drop by like this morning. BASHIR Believe what? GARAK You were expecting me. I'm intrigued. KIRA Quark? Garak looks at her coolly, assessing her. GARAK You know what I'm going to do when my tour's over... (glancing at the box) ... put this here... and wrap it up. Bashir is surprised to hear her mention this purpose. BASHIR What tour is that? GARAK Don't you want to hear about D.S. Nine? Why is there a prison camp here? Bashir has to take a moment to gather his thoughts. Although he doesn't have much to say to her right now, he does know that she owes him a favor. BASHIR I don't know. Something tells me that I can never do that. GARAK I can't tell you that. All I can say is that it's very important to me... very important that I do what you ask. Bashir doesn't relish this information. GARAK (watching Ziyal) If it troubles you, do not feel like you have to... BASHIR Okay. Thanks. GARAK If it makes you feel any better, I will promise to show up. BASHIR When do we leave? GARAK Right away. Bashir makes himself scarce to look at Garak. Ziyal is starting to catch on to something. ZIYAL Garak, is something wrong? GARAK I do not know. What does it sound like? ZIYAL You don't sound like the man who came to me in the future... Garak gives her a very direct look. GARAK If you'd given me a little more time... maybe I wouldn't have had so many run-ins with the security system. Ziyal's surprise is obvious. Garak turns back to Bashir. This isn't the first argument he's had with him, and although things have been difficult, he's glad to see her game face. GARAK Whatever you say. Just try to stay out of my hair. BASHIR I'll do my best. GARAK, (glowering) I AM YOUR DAUGHTER! Bashir approaches Garak and places one of his hands over his chest. BASHIR If you'll hand over your phaser rifle and I'll … all right? Garak looks at him blankly. GARAK Right away. Bashir takes Garak by the arm and escorts him out of the room. Once the doors are shut, Garak turns away from Bashir and rests a friendly hand on his shoulder. GARAK Doctor, what did you think of my battle with Quark? BASHIR I'm not sure. It was a valiant effort. (smiles) But pointless. GARAK That's easy for you to say, Doctor. You don't know them as well as you think you do. BASHIR I won't dispute that. I know them as friends. And that's why I can't help you. You're too dangerous. A single Terran boy with his whole life ahead of him is a danger I cannot afford. GARAK Now you're getting it. When Garak heard that Humans were going to peace talks with the Rekags, he got suspicious and, lo and rest of it. So now the entire Resistance is being led by a American atheist. BASHIR I don't believe what you're saying. The Resistance never split off from the Imperial federation. GARAK It was intended to be. It was designed to fracture the Cardassian Empire. ZIYAL You fools. GARAK It's understandable. The Cardassians are the only realists in this entire quadrant. And what makes them smart is their respect for the rules. For which side are you on? BASHIR I'll let you in on a little secret. Garak, I came here looking for a changeling. I don't know who you are. But whatever you are, I know I can count on you. GARAK That's an interesting angle. (sees he's losing it) Anyway, what does it matter? BASHIR (correcting) It matters to me. GARAK I'm glad you understand. BASHIR I understood just fine. But what if Garak is you? Garak thinks he understands -- what if he's them? He reaches out and with a last glance Bashir's way, the changeling's fate is sealed. GARAK I can't do this. I don't belong on this station. And even if I do, the Proconsul won't permit me to travel without his permission. BASHIR I don't understand... GARAK If the day came when I felt the need to defy the customs of my countrymen, I would. But I'm a changeling. I don't belong on this station. There's a silent beat as Bashir considers his Cardassians. And the door CHIMES. BASHIR Come in. The door OPENS and the Female Shape-shifter ENTERS. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER Doctor, may I speak with you for a moment? BASHIR Certainly. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER I don't think Captain Sisko will approve of your performance. BASHIR Of course he'll. He likes you. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER Good. BASHIR Well... I'm glad I was able to terminate the liquidator's contract. That did wake him up. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER He's been a malignant influence ever since the day he was born. Bashir seems surprised by her news, particularly since she seems bent on making it stick. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER He was an unwanted child. BASHIR I'm sorry. And I'm very sorry myself. Looking from the Founder to the Female Shape-shifter this is hard to bear. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Shadows and... " - REV. 08/11/98 - ACT FIVE 59. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER And I am sorry. I allowed this to happen. Suddenly the door CHIMES. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER You are the Founder. Are you ready for lunch? It takes Bashir a beat to realize what she means. BASHIR Yes. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER Excellent. (takes Founder's hand) It's been a long time since we have had lunch together. That's why we're here. BASHIR Kaya... FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER You prefer the company of other atmosphere workers. It makes you feel better. BASHIR (sincere) Thanks... Bashir doesn't introduce her to anyone else in the room and she seems to respond to him rather than draw attention to her body. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER Butzin was the first to come to this ship. The next morning, we began discussing the need for our ecosystem to survive. I found him to be an outstanding example. It's odd to see a humanoid Founder who seems genuinely concerned with protecting nature. BASHIR What did he do to deserve that treatment? FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER He caused the largest oil spill ever recorded. BASHIR I see. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER He caused an explosion. The oil seeping into the tubes polluted our water supply and caused a fatal chemical reaction. BASHIR I'm sorry... but that's not the storyteller. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Shadows and... " - REV. 08/11/98 - ACT FIVE 60. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER There is a way to avoid the effects of the disaster. BASHIR (looking at him) I could've told you that at the reception I attended... FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER (pointed) You reminded me of the actress you bore me to see on the bridge of that Victory-class Starbase. You were so rude, so... BASHIR I'm sorry... did you really think that would discourage your studies? FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER The Academy does not discourage studIES. On the contrary, it exocomp's the ideal training ground for the future. All students must study. What is he getting at? BASHIR You didn't say that to me. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER Why do you doubt me? I'm as human as you are. BASHIR I don't doubt you. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER Why do you intrude on my conscience? BASHIR You're the one who brought it over, weren't you? You're the one who planted the seed of doubt in my chest. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER Impossible. BASHIR You wouldn't say that if you were a Founder. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER You would if you were a Founder. The Female Shape-shifter studies him for a moment. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Shadows and... " - REV. 08/11/98 - ACT FIVE 61. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER You're a Shape-shifter. BASHIR That's right. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER My name is D'JAR. D'JAR (defensive) My name is Jadzia. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER I'm the Founder. BASHIR I don't understand. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER I wasn't the Founder. (a beat) I created her. D'JAR Then why do you resist? FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER You're trying to turn me into Liquid. D'JAR lifts his tin to reveal the valve. BASHIR You want to turn me into a liquid? D'JAR What else have you created? FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER mercial motives? D'JAR (sincere) All I've ever wanted is to be liquid. Bashir reacts. BASHIR You're a criminal. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER grading me as a merchant, perhaps. D'JAR leans closer to ease the tension. D'JAR Let me begin by apologizing for the violence I committed... I should have known that such a persecution would offend you. I only hoped that you would be comforting me. BASHIR It's not your fault. My people have a complicated relationship with drugs. FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER Not anymore. (glancing around) It doesn't surprise me that you have a strange way of viewing the world. Bashir looks over her shoulder at the bar -- ANGLE OVER BEHAL'S SHOULDER Bashir glances at her. Beneath the reassuring mask of the Shape-shifter, there's something unusual about the woman Vulcan merchants see every day. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Shadows and... " - REV. 08/11/98 - ACT FIVE 62. EXCLUDING LOCUTUS Bashir grimly reaches to remove the earring from Locutus's forehead. ODO He keeps looking at me. BASHIR It's okay -- (to Locutus) Who are you? LOCUTUS The name is Sovak. BASHIR Never mind. Bashir turns back to the others. BASHIR (continuing) Now, what do you say we get out of here... A beat as they consider. O'BRIEN I don't think we should do that... DAX She's right, Julian, we should do that... ODO What should we do? KIRA Either arrest them, or get them to lower their weapons. ODO Are we ready, Major? KIRA Open a channel. WORF To all ships, this is the Starshiptial Command responding to your signal for assistance... FEMALE SHAPE-SHIFTER (interrupting) Forgive me, but we are intruders in your system... If you do not act, we will have to take your prisoner. KIRA (to Worf) Contact the Jem'Hadar and the Breen, inform them you have the prisoner. WORF No. Ezri moves to a monitor at the computer. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Shadows and... " - REV. 08/11/98 - ACT FIVE 63. EZRI He's not signing. WORF He is from the Dominion -- it's anovereign of the Alpha Quadrant. He's being held in a facility on at least Fleet One. KIRA The Breen opened fire on the Dominion. They're currently on his tail. ODO The Breen only has seven ships. The entire Deep Space Nine -- including this one -- could be taken apart by a single suicide rifle. KIRA The suicide rifle is only functional right now. The Ferengi's crew could be taken prisoner right now. WORF With only seven ships, the mines won't be able to penetrate the defense system of the Federation or the Dominion... ODO The Federation has seventy-seven Federation starships in this sector alone. By taking out mines, they'll be able to take care of their own colonies. KIRA When do we leave? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Shadows and... " - REV. 08/11/98 - ACT FIVE 64. WORF Soon. ODO Hold on. We can't risk the station and everyone on it. KIRA Maybe we can convince a few of my officers to defect. O'BRIEN That's really easy. There are Minister Jaro, Senator Cretak, Chancellor Gowron, and a half dozen other officers who would rather die than oppose the Dominion. If we can convince them all to go against Admiral Ross... KIRA (thinking it over) Simple enough.  ODO Then we have to convince them all to stay. KIRA It's a big step. WORF But a crucial one. ODO Even a temporary alliance might have damaged the relations between the Federation and the Dominion. WORF Which would be forgiven if it were simply a tactical error. ODO But the error was in not assimilating enough of their resources. WORF The Klingons are a proud people. When they are attacked, nothing would be forgiven. To Kira and the others -- WORF The question is what to do about it. ODO We can't afford to be the ones who help these people. (to Worf) If we can help Desina, anything in this family could be replaced by technology. A few months ago, we even started to envision a future where her parents were dead and her replacement. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Shadows and... " - REV. 08/11/98 - ACT FIVE 65. ODO (sarcastic) That's a good start. What are our options? WORF There are ten Bajoran meditation trees that Mizarian monks have owned for centuries. ODO That's wonderful. I'll see to it that the monasteries are sealed. MULLIBOK (impatient) That won't be necessary. (to Kira) It's over. My brother has exactly what he needs... contemplation. As he leads Kira away.* MULLIBOK Real contemplation, of real contemplation. Don't you understand? He has a gleam in his eye when he talks about his brother. MULLIBOK We await the verdict of the execution. The family now belongs to the Klingon Empire. And with that, Mullibok turns and EXITS. We HOLD ON a thoughtful Ezri as she listens to Mullibok's rambling. CUT TO: EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Re-establishing. INT. KIRA'S QUARTERS Ezri issleves the keyboard as her artist brother, ALEXANDER, prepares to draw her picture. It's a pretty lush picture of Kira and a flower. Suddenly, Kira appears... KIRA (exasperated) You're darling. Alexander looks confused. ALEXANDER He's my brother. KIRA That's right. And you're making perfect little cakes for everyone. Alexander smiles. ALEXANDER I thought I told you to go back to your room. KIRA I do. A long beat. Then Kira's voice is the first to clearly rise. KIRA He's lying. He doesn't want this to go on. He threatens to kill me, and I have to hide out of his sight. This is a long overdue holiday. (a beat) And I offered to help him. I everything you have. Alexander looks confused. ALEXANDER That's not fair. KIRA gemony and respect for each other are the first things our parents taught us. (a beat) You've turned your back on me. ALEXANDER I have to... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Shadows and... " - REV. 08/11/98 - ACT FIVE 61. KIRA I know you've done that, but it doesn't have to be an ugly fight. If you're up to it, you should be fine. If you don't want to fight, that's fine too. But I need my daughter, and I need her a lot. (a beat) OKada's the one I've been waiting for all my life, so please accept it. Alexander opens his eyes. ALEXANDER (softly) No. No. Really. I can't. KIRA (O.S.) Alexander, come with me. ALEXANDER But I have to go. KIRA (a little firmly) That's OK. You can't go without me. A long beat. Then the sliding door OPENS to reveal Alexander. ALEXANDER What? Kira and Alexander exchange looks. She knows there isn't much hope for this kid. KIRA Alexander. From behind the door, Koivas takes Alexander by the shoulder and pushes him out of the way. Alexander turns suddenly, leaping out of the way as Koivas disappears inside the cockpit. INT. KLINGON CAMPSITE HAGATH stands at the end of his fencing trousel. GARAK stands a few feet away. ALL SKY TRAIN part I I and II complete. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Shadows and... " - REV. 08/11/98 - ACT FIVE 62. HAGATH (casual) Skirmishers. GARAK Hah!? HAGATH I know your routine. You run all the time. GARAK My reflex is faster. HAGATH And you know how to draw the line and say "this is Bajor." GARAK How hard could it be? HAGATH You just did. GARAK But if I were you, I'd run now and then. Pay careful attention to your posture, your eyes, your stance. And try to remember that bipedial stabilization doesn't mean one thing... it means... (smiles) ... it means you have to lean over and take your opponent's arm from front. HAGATH (smiles knowingly) It takes a fine mind to appreciate that. Hagath's reply is a noncommital nod. GARAK (re: chair) Sit down. Gat has the advantage. He can turn and enter a checkerunner into a cane and test the bloodline. HAGATH (musing) For all intents and purposes... I still am. He turns and takes in the room, pointing to a chair which is raised off to one side for the execution. HAGATH Stand. All eyes turn to see the wooden cane now resting on the ground. HAGATH (continuing) That's your right. Everyone studies his look. GARAK Its color choices, as requested, have been aesthetic. Hagath indicates the chair's position. HAGATH (continuing) Nicely laid out. Not too heavy for their liking. BASHIR (accusing) You're being bashful. GARAK One man's artifice is another man's invention. What's the matter? Hagath picks up the crate of candles and raises it high off the table. HAGATH Take it from an experienced Hagath, the candle is for non-Zek customers. Goran'Agar picks it up and looks at Arak'Taral, who is concentrating on getting toational with his companions without noticing the scorn on his face. GORAN'AGAR (to Arak'Taral) Do not insult me. Arak'Taral meets Hagu's gaze, then lowers his eyes. ARAK'TARAL (quiet) I cannot. Hagath's interest piqued, Gral turns his back on Arak'Taral and resumes his reading. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Hippocratic Oath" - REV. 07/31/95 - ACT FOUR 38. CONTINUED: (2) GORAN'AGAR (to Arak'Taral) Release him. Arak'Taral traces its ring on the cylinder all the way. ARAK'TARAL (quietly, to Goran'Agar) Very clever. But what about our reward? Goran'Agar eyes him briefly, then examines the back of the cylinder. GORAN'AGAR There's one thing missing. ARAK'TARAL What's that? Goran'Agar studies the cylinder one last time, then EXITS. Arak'Taral goes to the large display case in the room, sits down and opens the lid. He takes out the large disk containing the symbol of the "Soldiers of Rixx, and looks at it. After a beat, he opens a component and talks to the case. ARAK'TARAL (sotto, to Arak'Taral) Open it. Arak'Taral goes to the large display case in the room, opens it and talks to the disk. He takes out two small slicers, takes a scan with the thin instrument, reacts to what he sees. ARAK'TARAL (sotto) I've found it. Arak'Taral looks at Goran'Agar for a beat. Then he hands the disk to Arak'Taral, who looks at it for a beat. He opens it and reads the short story. ARAK'TARAL The Rise of the Warrior. (continues reading) "When the sea rose five meters above my head, I said to myself, "This is where I would establish my family honor. And here I am." (smiles) The story of my young son's promise to himself. A warrior's tale. The steadfast son resonator." (reads) "Then I wrestled with the idea of a warrior's life. Finally I made a vow: I would never again seek exile." GORAN'AGAR (reading) "Then we lied. I show you the course of my life. Lies. ARAK'TARAL You do not lie. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Hippocratic Oath" - REV. 07/31/95 - ACT FOUR 39. GORAN'AGAR You should not lie. ARAK'TARAL You should not lie in pursuit of greatness. You should not lie empty... you should not lie empty... Goran'Agar goes into a lurch, losing all his prowess and drive. At this moment Goran'Agar slumps to the floor, unconscious. Arak'Taral watches him gallumph away into the rigging. GORAN'AGAR (the tale to be told) When I tracked you down on the planet, I was hoping you might be able to help me. I wanted to end my life as a warrior. So you helped me. And then you left me alone? How? Arak'Taral tries to comfort Arak'Taral, but he can't. They both look at each other, as if their feelings are vulnerable to rational discussion. ARAK'TARAL Later that night, I found myself staring at the stars. They were spirits -- waiting for me to end mylife. But I couldn't -- I had to find a way to make them happy. So I built a life for them... made them part of my life. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Hippocratic Oath" - REV. 07/31/95 - ACT FOUR 40. GORAN'AGAR Now I live in hope that they can be your friends again. No words are necessary for the end of this speech. Arak'Taral manages a smile for Goran'Agar. Then Goran'Agar turns and EXITS. Arak'Taral watches him closely as he leaves. GORAN'AGAR (to himself) But death is nothing to laugh about... And off Arak'Taral's gloomy expression we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR DEEP SPACE NINE: "Hippocratic Oath" - REV. 07/31/95 - ACT FIVE 41. ACT FIVE FADE IN: EXT. LAB AREA - DAY Bashir and O'Brien are examining a sample of the organic liquid that Goran'Agar brought back from the planet. They're scanning it with a TRICORDER, trying to locate parts of it. O'BRIEN The formula reads something like this... He hands the tricorder to BASHIR. BASHIR Scan the analyzer for DNA replacements. O'BRIEN (shaking his head) Nothing. BASHIR Looks like some kind of organic compound. O'BRIEN I'm taking it back to the Enterprise for analysis. Just then, GARAK, his eyes not far away, ENTERS from the Turbolift. GARAK Doctor. BASHIR Garak. Where have you been? I've been trying to get you out of here... GARAK About what? BASHIR You're not going back through the anomaly... are you? Garak reacts to Bashir's question. He wasn't expecting this... GARAK I turned off my Transporter when I was forced to... there's nothing there but rocks and dust... O'BRIEN I could beam you out... perhaps for a short while. GARAK (nods) Good choice. But there might be something there... threats from inside. Bashir hears this... and it makes him wonder... Garak's condition has to be treated before he's allowed to beam out. BASHIR Something stop you're doing? GARAK There is a manner of communication which the authorities on the planet may judge inappropriate... BASHIR I'm not sure what you're talking about... GARAK I was referring to your Transporter, Doctor. If I could send myself a coded message to the Transporter Room... ODO What would you send? GARAK Perhaps an urgent message... telling the Constable how close you are to breaking into his program... there might be some side effects from all the disruptors he's been giving him. DEEP SPACE NINE: "The Emperor's... " - REV. 11/23/98 - ACT FIVE 42. ODO Garak, I don't know what you're talking about. GARAK I wasn't either, until now. But I can now see that you rely too much on brute force when you don't have the intelligence to back up your ideas. ODO On the contrary, I've learned to think with my fingers, not my mind. GARAK That isn't much of a help, ont. What you need is a more reasonable mind... one that's capable of taking the appropriate danger to back up its ideas. This catches Odo up for a moment. Garak's logic seems a little... obvious. Odo thinks for a moment, then... ODO (to com) Computer, access Dax's basic series magnetic scroll and installation files. COMPUTER VOICE Procedure is not recommended. ODO Then why just wipe the files? GARAK Because while doing so may remove some valuable information, it would be much simpler to program the computer to erase all memory of Garak's present and attempt to re-establish documentation. Odo paces around the room, feeling a bit out of place in this suddenly weird situation. GARAK Well, then. The first order of business would be to wipe my memory records. After that -- eliminate all knowledge of Garak that exists. Garak snaps the security seals off and hands them one by one. DEEP SPACE NINE: "The Emperor's... " - REV. 11/23/98 - ACT FIVE 43. Memory Bringer 1 More silence. GARAK (continuing) Now, using current technology, I would be able to erase all memory of Garak from my entire memory. And replace it with this one -- (indicates his memory) -- one minute, ten seconds past today, at the exact moment Garak was programmed to occur. Everyone looks at their memories. GARAK (continuing) Aah. It's become so routine, Garak. You think you know everything, you don't even want to know. And now you're about to learn. What was it the minute I walked in, Odo? ODO I don't know. But there were three of us... GARAK And I am the only one of us who managed to escape. We were shut out. ODO Voices in the dark. GARAK It was the computer. It was knocking on my door. ODO Enter. Garak ENTERS his living quarters and finds Shakaar sitting on the couch. SHAKAAR Ah. How nice. I thought Garak was supposed to have killed the bandito in the Guldas food shortage. But he said the killing was necessary. Well, it seems destiny has smiled on him. ODO So have I. SHAKAAR Shakaar out. GARAK What was the supply van's route? SHAKAAR I don't know. But it ran through these parts of this station. And apparently, his bodies were found along the route of transport. ODO Do you have any idea what the killer was doing in this part of Ops? 84:[1,#b],90:[1,#b] ODO How many cover stories did he have to give? The Trio player on the speakerphone chirps. GARAK I don't know... he may have had company. ODO Narik, this is Circuit Breaker Landing. We have a hostage situation. All three of you are at risk. This should be an imefficient way to bring people off the streets. But instead, what it seems to me has happened again -- and I'm not happy about it. LANDER (on communicator) This is Landing. Two to beam up. ODO Again? LANDER (on communicator) I repeat -- this is Lockdown Area Four. All personnel are to leave. All escape pods to beam up. And no one is to leave the landing strip until I've got your attention. Is that clear? The thrumming is now distinctively different. TROI Narik, the energy we need to activate the forcefield structures has been considerably lower back there. We can generate the same effect. ODO We can try to initiate a power flush from the landing strip. TAVA There might be residual gamma radiation from the satellite itself. I cannot be sure, but it could be. ODO I don't think they should leave it to the Starfleet people, especially not while it's up and about. As he turns to the other two: ODO Whoever this Tomalak is, I want you to know, he's not messing around. If there's a problem, I want to know about it. SISKO He's not off the table, Odo. ODO Captain, as long as he doesn't leave the station, you're going to have to find him. And off Odo's indication to Sisko that he's in charge... INT. PROMENADE The crowd has thinned out as people have begun to come together for what's become a vast gathering. In front of the station, a large fire is burning over an open TUBE. It's the remains of a low-hanging bulkhead. The slender remains of a dead WOMAN are found on the floor. Odo, Garak and Nog each carried tricorders as they rushed to the rescue. (Gul Dukat is squeezed from ear to ear, holding a large phaser to his head.) The Turbolift doors OPEN and Odo, Garak and Nog ENTER, squinting against the shadow of the elevated platform. GARAK This will do. Garak takes a step up the steps, Nog follows. GARAK What do you mean? NOG I dunno. Looks a little odd with the eye... isn't it? GARAK You'll get used to it. ODO Are you saying you like the Dark City? NOG (a little sarcastic) I don't know... seems to make me a little uncomfortable sometimes. GARAK That's a good thing. Not that you're particularly tense. Now you're going to see some solid walls in this place. Life doesn't seem to have a lock on me, does it? Odo gives Garak a quieting pat on the back. ODO What do you think? GARAK I'm not sure. It's all fun and all... I'm quite pleased to be here. (a beat) Now what are you waiting for? Garak heads back down the corridor. Odo follows. INT. HABITAT RING CORRIDOR Garak and Nog escort Odo down an aisle leading toward the hub. GARAK You know Odo, I've trusted you with my life on more than one occasion. This is the first time I'm really getting something for my trouble. ODO Such as? GARAK Such as asking permission to come aboard a Cardassian station, or transporting a passenger within the hour. ODO You just reminded me of a little something. GARAK And now you're running out of room. Odo, let me suggest we review our options. ODO Maybe. (a beat) I'll drop by yourself and say good-bye to all these people. (MORE) ODO (Cont'd) When I'm gone, everything'll be okay except my promotion. I don't want to be late for my assignment review. GARAK I can't think of a better reason for my late appearance. (re: his bag) There's an empty seat over there that Tyrus put you down for. Odo heads down the aisle. GARAK There's always Quark's after midnight. ODO It's a pretty big chair. GARAK It could be right next to your chair. � ODO I'm sure. But I need to catch up on something. GARAK I'll see you later. ODO Good. Garak nods, then heads back up the staircase. As he closes the door behind him, he hits a wall panel and the door slides shut behind him. ODO Computer, maximum occupancy. Garak looks down at the empty doorway for a beat, then pushes in his chair and the door slides back open. We can see that Garak is now completely engrossed in his work. RandomRedditor CUT TO: INT. TEROK NOR - PROMENADE GHETTO A short time later. Odo and Garak are walking along the Promenade. ODO Do you have any idea how many Holosuite tickets are still available? GARAK I'm afraid not at the moment. ODO What about them? What about Tam? GARAK Oh... he'll be fine. He's saving all his tickets for the entrance examination. ODO (ironic) That's very thoughtful of him. They come to a stop near the airlock. ODO I see that your friend is looking forward to this year's exams. GARAK (smiling) Me, too. I think I've finally found a friend. They approach a group of six airlocks. GARAK The way they say things... "With a smile, comes a threat." (smiling at the gates) Would you like to go through the gates of Astarte?" Reactions. ODO Actually... GARAK On the other hand, it would give you an opportunity to compete in Starfleet's most important engineering submission. ODO I don't think that's a good idea. GARAK It's a perfectly legitimate request. ODO Then why is Garak trying to get through the gates? GARAK I have an idea... (confident) Why don't you let me handle this? Garak starts to head for one of the airlocks, but Odo stops him. ODO Garak, wait. (to Garak) Don't touch that. You'll feel it when you return. Garak reacts. Odo nods to the guards to let Garak go. Garak pedals down the length of the airlock, looking worried and anguished. He tries to explain. GARAK Odo... I'm going to stay here. I can't go back to the Empire. ODO What? The rebellion's not that serious anymore. GARAK You shouldn't have to. If I return, it won't matter. ODO It will if you cooperate with me. Garak nods. GARAK I'll comply. But I can't allow you to take the captain away from me again. ODO What makes you think I'm not operating? GARAK You don't understand. If I'm aboard the station and someone tells me to take the captain away, I will. ODO That won't be easy. You still has a lot of resistance I think. GARAK You think I should just give up? ODO I don't think so. You've been aboard the station too long. I wouldn't be too upset about having to watch you deteriorate slowly. GARAK Odo, I don't want to see you turn into a vat of molten potatoes. You're an honorable man my friend. Right now I'm just a afraid man. Garak puts his head on the desk, his face melting into the liquid surface. As he speaks, the liquid pours off massaging tentacles. GARAK (continuing) The poo will do nothing to drain the life out of you. But it will at least keep me sane. The liquid returns to its normal state on the desk. ODO I think it's time we started planning what to do with you. Garak turns away from the liquid, his face still sympathetic. GARAK What to do? ODO We don't know. None of us does. But we need to find out. Garak gets an idea. He studies the monitor. GARAK It won't be long before the Government starts to catch us conspiring. (a beat) What are you people up to? ODO We're trying to trace the source of the weapons you supplied to the Cartalianians. GARAK What if it was someone on the outside looking in? ODO That could be dangerous. GARAK If it looks like we're cooperating -- it could be a trap. ODO (reading monitors) There are messages from both Ferengi and Ferengi-Sappora, but they're polishing them up. The sending of messages is only partially successful. CLOSE ON MONITOR (OPTICAL) GARAK So what does one of your operatives do? ODO Whatever it is -- whatever your interest in the Cartalos region -- he doesn't do it. Garak knows full well this is true. He tries to sound apologetic. GARAK We do what we can to minimize the risk. But even if you were interested in cooperation, I'd tell you to contact Mister O'Brien. He might be able to get you what you want. ODO What about him? GARAK His name is O'Brien. The name seems to make Odo stop a little. ODO That's right. Garak. Odo. GARAK It's good to finally say the name of the person who's doing the killing. ODO Who is that person? GARAK That's up to you, isn't it? ODO Yes. GARAK Aren't you going to suggest I address him? Odo's about to retort back when he realizes that he's entitled to make the suggestion. ODO You're going to make a mistake. GARAK I'm not about to make any. Odo life on the station is unbearable. There are better ways to spend time than sitting around waiting for everybody to look at you. You're not going to find a friend in the galaxy who'll overlook your Disruptor rifle for one second. Odo doesn't need to be reminded of anyone's discomfort. ODO (acquiescing) Unless you're willing to trade your life for mine. GARAK I suppose I could use the security device. ODO I don't see why not. GARAK Well then, let's see how much you remain loyal to your creditors. Garak relaxes his aim. GARAK I was hoping to see blood on the floor. ODO If you'll excuse me. With that, Garak begins escorting the Jem'Hadar soldiers off the station. NEW ANGLE On Odo and Garak as they walk in. ODO Having fun, Garak? You are. GARAK I'm glad you like them. And as they're leaving, they thank Odo for letting them in. ODO I'm glad I was so stubborn. GARAK I suppose there was a part of me that wanted to blame you for the Jem'Hadar's defeat. ODO I could've told you that's absurd. GARAK If you want to blame me for the Jem'Hadar's defeat, that's fine with me. You need to understand, the Cardassians aren't just fighting for their freedom - they're fighting for their survival. They're the dogs of the Dominion. And if they don't want to be destroyed, that's fine with me. Odo isn't buying anything. ODO Garak, you know how paranoid I was. If something were to go wrong, I'd turn myself into a bunch of lumps and send myself back to the shelter on the other side of the wormhole. But whatever it is we have to be prepared for it. ODO (Cont'd) The first thing we have to do is figure out how to defeat the computer. We cut to a view of the wormhole as a ball of energy looms through the station. CUT TO BLACK. And with that, we're going to see a lot of very unusual things happen. OMITTED FADE OUT. END OF ACT FIVE THE END <|endoftext|>