Okay, so apparently that last one didn't get a lot of love. Sorry to hear that, as I had a lot of fun writing it. Ah well, on to the next one... First the recap as usual: Previous threads Episodes 1 to 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10 Episode 11 Episode 12 Episode 13 Direct links to the PDFs of episodes 1 to 12: 10x01 - "Emancipation" 10x02 - "Brave New World" 10x03 - "Steppin' Out" 10x04 - "Easy Come, Easy Go" 10x05 - "Deep Down" 10x06 - "The Dream Box" 10x07 - "Instinct" 10x08 - "Property Values" 10x09 - "Blank Slate" 10x10 - "In Two Minds" 10x11 - "Harmony" (part 1 of 2) 10x12 - "Heresy" (part 2 of 2) 10x13 - "The Case of the Flamping Flurble" All episodes are also available at the Ad Astra fan-fic archives, link here. Episode 14 carries on directly from the end of ep 13, although I wouldn't call them a two-parter necessarily. It also incorporates a scene from the DS9-R novel Rising Son by SD Perry, something I found necessary to do because it was a scene I'd cut out of my much abbreviated adaptation of Rising Son for my own season 8 screenplays, but which turned out to be necessary for the story of this ep. If that makes any sense. Okay then - on to episode 10x14 - "Against the Odds." Enjoy! .
. TEASER FADE IN: 1 EXT. WADI STREETS – EARLY EVENING We pick up exactly where we left it last time. JAKE, NOG and RENA have run into crew from the Even Odds – captain DEZ, first officer FACITY, and a human-looking teenage girl of about 14, named MEERA (who we haven’t seen before). All are very surprised to see each other. But before they can explain, they are all surrounded by Wadi police, armed and ready to use it. Inspector MUNAD is in charge, pointing his weapon right at Dez. MUNAD Zin Dezovrim, Facity Sleedow... You’re under arrest. Dez and Facity grit their teeth – caught. JAKE Wait – Inspector, this must be a mistake. Dez isn’t – MUNAD Do you know each other? JAKE Yes. DEZ No. They stare at each other. Jake is offended – why would Dez deny knowing him? Dez’s eyes are pleading with Jake to stay out of it. MUNAD Do you want to try that again? No-one knows what to say. Nog and Rena are on edge, not sure what’s going on. Dez and Facity are tense, ready to move at a moment’s notice. MUNAD I find this very interesting. You kids say you’re from the Federation, a supposedly good and just society. You fight so hard to get your ship back. You act so innocent and righteous. And then it turns out you’re such close friends with the most notorious criminal gang in the sector that you’ll try to defend them to me. FACITY “Notorious”? I like the sound of that. Dez shoots her a look. But Jake has figured this out now. JAKE It was you? You’re the ones who were going to buy our ship from Lebikow? FACITY Your ship? MUNAD Don’t bother acting surprised, Mz Sleedow. You provided your old friend and colleague Mister Lebikow with the codes to break into the ship, after all. DEZ Jake, you have to believe me, I had no idea you had anything to do with this. What are you even doing here? NOG (breaking in) We were on a road trip. FACITY A road trip? RENA What does it matter what we’re doing here? We’re not the ones being arrested. MUNAD That’s still to be determined, young lady. Under all of this, the young girl Meera is gazing at Nog, curiously, as if trying to place his face. Meanwhile, all the Wadi police keep their eyes peeled, their weapons drawn. It’s a very tense situation. DEZ Leave them out of it. They’re innocent. MUNAD A heart, Dez? Maybe you’re not as tough as the stories would paint you. DEZ You don’t know anything about me, Munad. MUNAD Well, now I’ll have plenty of time to learn. Boys...? Dez and Jake both tense. Dez looks to the girl at his side. DEZ Meera... The girl smiles smugly, and MORPHS. Her entire shape shifts into a ball of golden goo, shooting out arms of protoplasm lightning fast. She whips the guns from the police’s hands and knocks them all in the heads. In seconds, they’re all unconscious on the ground. Then she reforms into the girl. Jake, Nog and Rena all gasp in surprise. NOG A changeling... Dez looks at Jake, a bit embarrassed and guilty about all this. But Jake is only glaring at him accusingly. Dez speaks into a wrist-comm... DEZ Dez to Even Odds. Get us out of here, now. FACITY Good to see you again, Jake. Take care of yourself. And then the transporter signal takes them. They’re gone. Jake slaps his own combadge. JAKE Sisko to Rio Grande. Prynn, beam us up, and get ready to leave. PRYNN (comm) What’s going on? JAKE Look for a freighter breaking orbit – we’re following them. Jake is pissed. Nog and Rena are mostly just confused. And then the transporter takes them too. Ending on the unconscious bodies of Munad and his men... FADE OUT: END OF TEASER .
. ACT ONE FADE IN: 2 EXT. SPACE – WADI HOMEWORLD In orbit of the Wadi homeworld, with all its freighters and tourist ships waiting in queues. One ship zooms out of the melee at right angles – the patch work freighter Even Odds, last seen 10x01 “Emancipation.” As it breaks through the lines and bolts out of the area, we see another ship chasing after it – the Rio Grande. 3 INT. EVEN ODDS - BRIDGE 3 The turbolift doors open and Dez strides onto the bridge, Facity close behind. PREES, the Karemma chief engineer, is running the bridge, with the Dosi security chief BRAD and the Cardassian medic GLESSIN covering other stations. They’re all tense, confused as to the change of plans. PREES What’s going on? FACITY The usual. The job’s dead. Just get us out of here. BRAD (off panels) Dez... there’s another ship following us. DEZ (small, tight) Ignore it. GLESSIN (off panels; amazed) Is that... Starfleet? BRAD They’re hailing. DEZ I said ignore it! FACITY (sotto) Dez... come on. This is Jake. BRAD (gasp) Jake? Dez grits his teeth. He doesn’t want to deal with this. But under pressure from everyone else, he eventually caves. He nods to Brad, who works her panels. The main viewscreen changes to show the cockpit of the Rio Grande. PRYNN is piloting, with Jake hovering over her shoulder, grim and determined. Nog and Rena stay back. JAKE (screen) Don’t run away from me, Dez. DEZ Leave me alone, Jake. JAKE (screen) Dez, I swear if you don’t pull over now, I will open fire. On screen, the others look at him askance. What is going on here? On the Even Odds bridge, the crew is looking at Dez likewise confused. After more grinding of teeth... DEZ Fine. Rendezvous at the tenth planet in the system. And then he stabs a panel at his side, cutting the signal. He nods reluctantly at Prees, who speaks out loud... PREES Srral, you heard the man. At the otherwise unoccupied helm console, a silver liquid flows out of an open panel and across the surface, seeming to manipulate the controls. We feel the ship change course. 4 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT SHAR emerges from the rear cabin, holding onto the wall against the runabout’s movements. He spots Nog and Rena... SHAR What has happened? NOG All those stories Jake told us about his adventures with a pirate ship in the Gamma Quadrant – apparently they were true. (unsure) And now we’re chasing them. Shar looks forward to Prynn, wanting to speak to her... but she’s busy piloting the ship. 5 EXT. SPACE A small and rocky dwarf planet on the far edges of the Wadi system. The Even Odds sits in orbit, its large rear shuttle hatch open to space, revealing the hangar deck inside. The Rio Grande is carefully manoeuvring to slip inside. 6 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT The view from inside the ship as we move into the Even Odds cargo bay. Prynn is at the helm, Shar by her side. SHAR Prynn... I’m not sure what the protocol is after nearly being sick on a person. PRYNN No no, that’s fine. What girl doesn’t dream of making a man vomit just by kissing him? Shar looks at her, confused – was that a joke? PRYNN That was a joke, Shar. Seriously, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. In fact, up to that point I’d say things were going pretty well. She glances at him with a mischievous grin. He smiles back, relieved. Then she returns her attention to her helm, and gently settles the ship to the deck. Jake, Nog and Rena emerge from the rear cabin, having taken the chance to freshen up. NOG Alright then, let’s meet these legendary soldiers of fortune. Jake is not looking especially friendly; Rena has noticed. Prynn locks out the ship, gets up and joins them. Nog presses the control to open the hatch... 7 INT. EVEN ODDS – HANGAR The runabout’s passenger hatch opens... and Jake, Nog, Shar, Prynn and Rena step out, a little nervously. Dez is there waiting for them, still a bit tense. But with him are PIF the green dog-like Aarruri alien, Brad the Dosi female, and two Ferengi males, FEG and TRIV. (Meanwhile in the background, Even Odds’ cargo hatch closes.) The moment Jake appears, Pif launches upon him, a big ball of furry excitement and joy. Pif’s tail wags furiously, as he hugs him with his front paws. Jake laughs in surprise. PIF Jake! NOG (flinch back) Eeeee! Another flurble thing! JAKE Don’t worry, Nog. This one’s perfectly safe. This is Pif. And he’s the fastest Aarruri in the Gamma Quadrant! Pif steps back, a little saddened. He indicates his front paw, which Jake now notices is slightly thinner and weaker. PIF Not anymore. My leg got broken about half a cycle ago. Glessin did his best, but it never really healed right. So I’m out of the running, as they say. JAKE Oh Pif, I’m so sorry. I know how much it meant to you. Jake recovers, and tenses a bit for the introductions. JAKE Everyone, this is Dez, the captain of the Even Odds. DEZ A pleasure to meet you all. Jake told me quite a bit about you. Some of you, anyway. Brad, the hulking Dosi, grabs Jake in an enormous bear hug. Everyone gives the situation the side-eye... JAKE (trouble breathing) Hi... Brad... BRAD Oh Jake, it’s so good to see you, I’ve been so worried... Brad lets go, and Jake recovers with a deep breath. JAKE This is Bradahk’la - Brad for short – the ship’s jewel expert and part-time security chief. And that’s Feg and Triv, the accountants, not surprisingly. Guys, these are my friends. Everyone crowds round, eager to meet Jake’s friends... except for Dez, who is still a bit standoffish. JAKE Prynn, pilot extraordinaire. Shar, chief science officer. This is my best friend Nog, son of Rom... Feg and Triv instantly launch towards Nog, cower before him, simpering obsequiously and chattering over each other. FEG You’re the Grand Nagus’s son? TRIV Oh, welcome, sir, welcome welcome welcome... FEG If there’s anything we can do for you, anything at all... TRIV I’m a big fan of your father, big big fan... DEZ Alright, guys, that’s enough. Give the man some air. FEG (backing away) Of course, of course, whatever you need... Jake is amused at his friend’s expense. Then with a love-struck smile he reaches for Rena... JAKE And last, but not least, this is Azeni Korena... my wife. BRAD Your... wife? Cheers and congratulations all around. Pif trots up to Rena, gives her a playful sniff, and nods wryly. PIF She’ll do. The others chuckle. Brad smiles – a tense smile that hides her true feelings. BRAD Well, I hope you’re very happy together. Congratulations. Prynn sees the look on Brad’s face, and knows what it means – Brad is sweet on Jake. Prynn glances over to Shar, and then quickly looks away again, concealing her own feelings. PIF Can you stay? There’s so many things to catch you up on... Jake looks at Dez, his gaze challenging him. There’s still tension between them, despite the friendly cover. DEZ Fine. Just don’t get in the way. We have a schedule to keep to. PIF Yes! Come on, there’s someone I want you to meet. And Pif is off, his tail wagging. Jake follows with a grin, and the others trail behind, a little bemused. But as Jake passes Dez in the doorway, there’s still a bit of a glare. 8 INT. EVEN ODDS – CORRIDOR Pif trots happily along the corridor. Jake follows, and Rena catches up to him, whispers sotto to him. RENA What’s going on with you? (no response) You told me these guys were your friends. So why are you treating Dez that way? Prynn said you actually threatened to fire on him? Jake doesn’t want to answer. He glances behind him, where all the others are following. Dez hangs to the back. The walls are as patchwork as everywhere else on this ship, with different designs and materials. Nog observes... NOG Why does everything look so mismatched? PIF That’s the Even Odds for you. It’s a really old ship, maybe hundreds of years old. And it’s been rebuilt and patched over constantly with whatever the owners could find at the time. There’s an open panel of circuits in one wall. As the group passes it, there’s a flash of activity inside the panel. A streak of silver liquid shoots past across the circuits. A second streak of golden liquid chases it. There’s even the oddly disembodied sound of girlish giggling somewhere. PRYNN What was that? PIF Oh, that’s just Srral and Meera. They like to chase each other through the ship. It’s the first time Srral’s had anyone to play with since he left home. JAKE Yeah, about that – how in the hell do you have a changeling on board? DEZ She’s part of my crew. NOG I thought all the changelings had vanished into the galaxy. PIF Dez has a thing for taking in strays. Like Jake! And that Jem’Hadar, whatever his name was... Tarana-something. NOG What?! PRYNN Taran’atar was on this ship? When was this? PIF About half a cycle ago. Saved us from some other Jem’Hadar. He was actually kind of a good guy. For a Jem’Hadar anyway. I wonder what happened to him? PRYNN He’s back on the station. NOG (scoff) He’s an “ambassador” now. PIF Here we are! They stop at a door. Pif stretches up to tap the control. 9 INT. EVEN ODDS – QUARTERS Inside is Pif’s room, with cushions and toys and things to climb on. And another Aarruri alien, a female, a slightly different shade of green. Her spines shoot up to see Pif, and she trots over to him with a grin. Her name is SETT, and she greets Pif with an intimate nuzzling of snouts. PIF Sett, this is Jake Sisko, the human I told you about. These are his friends, and his wife, Korena. Jake, this is Settka Ganni... my wife. JAKE Pif, that’s wonderful! I’m very pleased to meet you, Sett. SETT You too, Jake. Pif talks about you all the time. PIF You wanna meet the rest of the family? NOG (cringe) There’s more? Our gang files closer into the room. Pif leads them over to a padded basket in the corner. Prynn and Rena peek in... and it’s filled with half a dozen tiny, wriggling green baby Aarruri. Prynn and Rena explode from the cuteness. RENA Oh, Prophets, they’re adorable! PRYNN Look at the tiny little noses! Can I take one home with me? JAKE Pif, I can’t believe you’re a father! PIF Well, after I hurt my leg, I realised it was time to stop gallivanting around, and settle down and raise a family. I am almost eight, you know! (beat) But it’s good to see you, Jake. And it’s perfect timing that you’re here. It’s an exciting time to be on the Even Odds. JAKE How so? SETT Because of the Wa. PRYNN What’s the Wa? PIF When I said the ship’s really old? Well, nobody really knows exactly how old it is. But the Wa is the only original part of the ship left. SETT It’s what helps all the new patches and repairs take hold. JAKE It also reacts to changes in the local space-time. Pif - has something changed in the Wa? PIF Kinda-sorta. You remember how I told you to never ever touch anything in there? ‘Cause we didn’t know what would happen? JAKE Yeah... PIF ...Somebody touched something. On Jake’s intrigued reaction... FADE OUT: END OF ACT ONE .
. ACT TWO FADE IN: 10 INT. EVEN ODDS – TURBOLIFT The five Alphies, plus Prees and Pif are in the turbolift. It’s a bit uncomfortable with so many crammed in tightly, but Pif is chattering away oblivious. PIF So he said that since the Jem’Hadar worked out so well, why not give a changeling a chance. Facity had plenty to say about that, believe me. Glessin wasn’t best thrilled either. But it’s Dez’s ship, after all. And she seems nice enough. A-ha! Here we are. The lift stops and the door opens... 11 THE WA ...onto a wide open white space, seemingly dimensionless. The turbolift door appears to open out of nowhere, into nowhere. Fascinated, our gang takes tentative steps into the fuzzy whiteness. Jake, of course, has seen it before. PRYNN What the... I... what? JAKE I know, right? Prynn has noticed the irregular coloured smudges that seem to hang in mid-air at points. She reaches to touch one... PRYNN What are these? PREES Those are what you’re not supposed to touch. Prynn yanks her hand away. SHAR But you said someone did touch them. PREES Yes, me. Completely by accident. I... tripped and fell into one. PRYNN So what happened? PIF Try it and find out. Prynn exchanges worried looks with Jake, Shar... do you trust them? Jake nods to go ahead. She reaches slowly out towards one of the splotches, a warm purplish colour. Her fingers swim into the colour, and there’s a big WASH of energy, taking us into... 12 INT. WA ENVIRONMENT ROOM The gang suddenly find themselves in another room, dark and small. The Alphies gasp a bit with surprise, looking around. Floating in the air in front of them is a small fist-sized black ball, doing nothing, just hanging there. PIF Oh good, I like this one. PRYNN What is it? PIF No idea. Step closer. Tentatively, she does. In response the ball expands, starts humming, vibrating. It swells more, begins to spin. Picking up pace, it spins faster and faster, humming louder and louder. Then it suddenly stops, and bursts into a ball of spikes, a tiny black symbolic sun. Prynn yelps and steps back, and the ball returns to its dormant state. Meanwhile, Shar is looking around, his antennae reaching and sensing. SHAR This is fascinating. It seems to function like a holodeck, but I can’t detect any transmitters or the usual energy signatures. Perhaps some kind of telepathic imprint? I wonder if we all even perceive the same thing. PIF Every colour takes you to a different place. Not always the same place. Some don’t take you anywhere – they make other things happen. RENA Like what? PIF (spooky) Press orange... and you hear voices. PRYNN (uncomfortable) How do you get out? PREES You’re the one who got us in. So you focus on the central object in the room – the ball in this case – and just back away from it. Prynn concentrates on the ball... and takes three steps back. There’s a big WASH of energy... 13 THE WA And we’re back in the white space of the Wa. Pif grins with pride at showing off his new toy. SHAR I would like to investigate more, if that’s acceptable. PREES Fine with me. But I don’t know what you’ll find. I spend all my free time down here and I haven’t figured it out yet. SHAR Thank you. I’ll just get some equipment from the runabout, and begin immediately. Pif leads them back to the still-open turbolift door, hanging in the air. Jake: enjoying showing his friends around. Rena: looking around, curious and intrigued. Shar: ready to start analysing and investigating. Prynn: oddly weirded out and uncomfortable. Nog: sniffs his armpits. NOG I’m gonna freshen up. I smell like my uncle’s store room. They pile into the turbolift, and the door closes. 14 INT. EVEN ODDS – QUARTERS One of the Even Odds’ small and functional guest quarters. Nog emerges from the off-screen bathroom area into the main room, shirt off, patting his big bald head with a towel. He jumps a bit as, in a lower corner of the room, Srral and Meera (in liquid form) chase each other out of one air vent and into another, the girlish giggling following them. Then the golden liquid creeps back out of the vent into the room again, as if curious about Nog. Slowly, the blob of liquid MORPHS and reforms into the humanoid form of Meera – the usual unformed changeling features and dress, but as a teenage girl. She peers at Nog, intrigued with him. MEERA I know you. Starfleet Ferengi. NOG I thought I recognized you down on the planet. We rescued you from the crashed ship, right? FLASHBACK – 8x22 “GREATER GOOD” The teenaged Founder sits among the long-dead bodies of her Jem’Hadar crew in the canted, crashed Dominion ship. Nog and Bowers stand nearby, wary. MEERA I was taught to believe that solids can never be trusted. But I trusted my own kind to come for me, and here I have been for two years. BACK TO SCENE Meera talks to Nog... MEERA I was grateful to you for that. NOG But how did you end up here? Working on a pirate ship and taking orders from a “solid” isn’t very Founderish of you. MEERA I haven’t felt very Founderish for some time. I had barely had time to reconnect with my people in the Link before they began chattering about the Progenitor, some almighty being they said would save them from extinction. The older changelings, they took it as given. As you can see, I am still newly formed. I didn’t understand. When they left, I went with them, just out of companionship. But they wanted isolation. I wanted experience. NOG (small smile) So you found some new friends. MEERA (bitter) The other changelings are hypo- crites. They talk about wanting to learn, and then they hide away, refusing to risk anything for that knowledge. I will never go back to them. NOG (gently) Not all the Founders left, you know. Odo stayed behind. MEERA (curious) Odo...? NOG He’s been trying to hold the Dominion together all by him- self. From what I’ve heard, he could use some help. Meera almost considers it for a moment... MEERA No. This is my home now. I have seen and done more in these few months than half my people have in aeons. Let the Dominion fall. I don’t care anymore. With that, she MORPHS into a liquid and slips back inside the vent, leaving Nog alone. 15 INT. EVEN ODDS - BRIDGE Dez is in the command chair, with Facity and Glessin (plus a couple of others unnamed) running other stations. The lift door opens and Jake steps in. FACITY Jake! Facity gets up and gives him a welcoming hug. Glessin too, although it’s a polite and reserved handshake for him. GLESSIN Mister Sisko. Welcome back. JAKE Thanks Facity, Glessin. He glances towards Dez, who has not even looked at him. Facity shrugs in apology – she has no idea what’s going on between the two of them. She gestures for Jake to go over. Jake approaches. Dez glances up, and straight back to his work, teeth gritted. Doesn’t want to talk to him. JAKE Hey Dez... why did you run? DEZ Did you miss the part where we nearly got arrested? I realise this may be outside your realm of expertise, but in those circumstances it’s generally accepted practise to run. JAKE I meant, run from me. Is it just because you were about to steal my ship? DEZ (defensive) That was a misunderstanding. Look, there was no harm done. He gets up and heads to the work stations at the back of the bridge, turning away from Jake. DEZ (cont) If you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for the next job. We’re due at Drang tomorrow. JAKE Drang? Didn’t we do that already? DEZ You think we only go anywhere once? We go where the work is. And Dez buries his head in the work again, ignoring Jake. Facity can only silently apologise again. Clearly Jake isn’t going to get anywhere with him. Jake turns to leave. 16 THE WA Shar stands in the Wa, surrounded by pieces of Starfleet technology, all beeping and chirruping. He holds out a tricorder, taking readings, and compares the readings to the larger machines. He’s quite content just working away. In the middle of the flat white space, a hole opens up and reveals the turbolift, carrying Rena. She exits into the Wa and heads slowly towards Shar. He looks up, surprised. SHAR Mrs Sisko. Do you need anything? RENA Rena, Shar – it’s Rena. Prynn’s playing with the puppies again. Nog went to wash up. Jake went to talk to the captain... he’s certainly not talking to me. So I just thought I’d come and see what you’re up to. SHAR I am analysing the readings my equipment is taking of this environment. Prees gave me access to all her records – it makes for absorbing work. Shar walks towards a coloured splotch of a fiery orange colour, points his tricorder at it. RENA Isn’t that the one Pif said made you hear voices? SHAR It is. I thought perhaps to run it through our linguistic database. The work we did on the Cathedral artefact might help us translate the voices where Prees could not. Tentatively, Shar reaches out and touches the splotch. His blue fingers swim into the amorphous orange colour... The white formlessness around them dims slightly, subtly changing to a gentle orangey-yellow colour. And they can also hear distant VOICES, numerous different people talking over each other. The effect is of being in a large room with lots of other people, all talking over each other. Rena is enchanted, listening to the voices. Shar is just concentrating on his readings. SHAR It will take a few minutes for the translation to take effect. RENA Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you. Shar... have I done something to offend you? SHAR Of course not. Why would you think that? RENA Well, for one thing, you won’t even use my name. And this, right now - these are the first words you’ve said to me since we left Deep Space Nine. Do you just not like me? Shar finally pulls himself away from his machines. He tries to figure out how to be honest with his feelings – it still doesn’t come naturally to him. SHAR Forgive me, Rena. I meant no offense. I am simply not sure of my place in this company. You and Jake are married. Nog is Jake’s best friend from childhood. Their relationship takes precedence over Nog’s and mine. And Prynn and I... He drifts off, not sure what more to say about that... RENA Shar, I’m more of an outsider here than you are. The rest of you all have so much in common already. I’m a baker’s daughter from a small fishing village. But you never get anywhere if you don’t try. As for Prynn... I can see it’s complicated. I think I heard you’re married...? SHAR (quibble) Andorian bonding rituals do not correlate directly to those of other races... RENA I’ve been where you are. I’ve felt attracted to one person while I’d made a promise to another. I took a chance, and it worked out. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say that you should always take the chance. There’s more to worry about than just your feelings. SHAR (sadly) I know. He’s grateful for Rena’s support, but it doesn’t really make things any better. Rena forcibly changes the subject. RENA So! Any theories on this place? SHAR Hundreds. None of them provable. Elements of organic technology help the ship’s many divergent systems to work together. There must be sub-spatial sensitivity, as it responded to the folding of space that concealed the Eav’oq. And there is the question of its indeterminate age. RENA It reminds me of how the vedeks describe the Celestial Temple. Warm white light, no dimensions, whispering voices... SHAR With respect, Rena, I do not believe the Even Odds turbolift system opens onto the Bajoran afterlife. She pouts, wryly amused at the joke. Then, amongst the many voices, one word comes through loud and clear in English. VOICE ...proof... Shar and Rena stop, listening closer... RENA Did you hear that? SHAR I did. It seems the translator has found enough repetition to begin its work. Shar works his tricorder... Rena listens closely as more words begin to emerge out of the mass of sounds... VOICES ...dare... do they?... must... fools... destroy... Shar and Rena look to each other, alarmed. More words... VOICES ...assignment... signs... Words are becoming clearer still, forming into phrases. With every one, Rena and Shar become more worried... VOICES ..signs are clear... there can be no question... what are they called?... does it matter?... ...they are called the Drang. They worship falsely... they must be destroyed... The clear words go silent for a moment, as if thinking or checking. The formless whispering voices swirling around them, the orangey light giving it all a fiery glow... VOICES ...we are in agreement... you must remember your vow, your promise to her... interrogate them, follow the signs... they are sinners, abhorrent... you are a soldier of the True, a Knight of the Ascendants... (beat) ...destroy the Drang. On Rena and Shar’s shocked, horrified reactions... FADE OUT: END OF ACT TWO .
. ACT THREE FADE IN: 17 INT. EVEN ODDS – MESS HALL The large room where the Even Odds crew meet to eat, plan and hang out. Beginning on Dez, looking sceptical... DEZ The Ascendants. WIDEN to see that all five Alphies are at the table, plus Dez, Facity and Prees. Shar is holding a padd. NOG Yes. They’re – JAKE He’s heard of them, Nog. FACITY They’re just a legend though, aren’t they? JAKE Tell that to the crew of the Gryphon. SHAR The voices clearly said that they were going to destroy a people called the Drang. Have you heard of them? DEZ (small, tight) They’re our next job. NOG You can’t go, Captain. You have to get as far away as possible. DEZ It’s too late for that. We’re already there. We entered orbit ten minutes ago. PRYNN And is anything happening? DEZ No. Everything’s fine. FACITY Dez... DEZ Shut up. JAKE Fac? Please... what is it? FACITY We haven’t been able to get in touch with our contacts. All the comm lines are scrambled. NOG They’re here. DEZ There could be any number of reasons. We don’t give up on a job just because of a bad comm line. JAKE (sarcastic) Of course. Money comes first. PRYNN Captain, please. We’re trying to help. We’ve seen first-hand what the Ascendants are capable of. DEZ There’s nobody else here but us and a few Drang ships. There are no Ascendants. SHAR Their ships are very small. They could be hiding. DEZ Why should I believe you? Because the voices in the Wa told you? SHAR Yes. I believe the voices are a comm system we inadvertently intercepted. During our first encounter with the Ascendants, all the Starfleet crews took extensive sensor readings. (re padd) Given my suspicions, I went back over Prees’s readings of the Wa, compared them to ours with a fresh eye. FACITY And what did you find? SHAR I concluded that the Even Odds – or more specifically the Wa – is in fact Ascendant technology. A moment for everyone to absorb. That’s a pretty big claim. DEZ That’s ridiculous. JAKE No, it’s not. It makes perfect sense. You’ve told me from the beginning you’ve no idea how old this ship is, or where it came from. And that the Wa always helped the ship to repair itself after any damage or upgrades. FACITY Yes, it did. But so what? JAKE Opaka told me about meeting that Ascendant woman, Raiq, when she crashed her ship. She said the woman was wearing some kind of armour, separate from her skin or her clothes. The armour was damaged, but it gradually healed itself. Like it was alive. The same with her ship – it landed after a fight in orbit, but by the time the woman left, it was repaired. PREES Sounds like the Wa to me. SHAR Those coloured patches are the interface to activate various functions – communications, entertainment. Ascendants generally live and work alone – they would need amusement. JAKE Prees – you said the Wa reacted to the Iconians’ gateways, and to the Eav’oq’s space-folding trick. Maybe it’s designed to be sensitive to things like that as a connection to the wormhole. NOG It might be what powers that space-jump thing they do too. DEZ This is all very fascinating, but I still don’t see why I should care. Rena has been quiet till now, but she finally speaks up. RENA Because this was all meant to happen. They all look at her, curious – even the other Alphies. JAKE Rena...? What do you mean? RENA It all adds up – everything. I didn’t realise it till now, but it does. Do you think it’s a coincidence that all of this is happening now? That Jake was rescued by you, of all people, two years ago? A ship based on Ascendant technology? And that you’d discover the lost kai of Bajor, who had been rescued by an Ascendant, and that together you’d reawaken the Eav’oq? DEZ (deliberately contrary) Yes. All a coincidence. RENA How about you making friends with Deep Space Nine’s resident Jem’Hadar? Or that the first time Jake is back in the Gamma Quadrant again, you just happen to try to steal our ship? At the same time somebody finally figures out how the Wa works? Or that you’d have a date with the Drang at the exact moment the Ascendants are here? Still a coincidence? DEZ Yes! FACITY (gently) Dez, come on... DEZ Facity, no! You can’t possibly think this is all some great plan of the Bajoran gods. RENA How can you not? Look, I’m no crazy religious fundamentalist. But I believe in the Prophets. I believe they have a plan for everyone. And this is too many coincidences to deny. We’re meant to be here. We’re meant to save the Drang from the Ascendants... somehow. DEZ There are no Ascendants! The comm system suddenly interrupts – SRRAL’s metallic, artificial voice. SRRAL (comm) Dez, this is bridge. DEZ Go ahead, Srral. SRRAL (comm) Sensors have detected a large explosion on the surface of the Drang homeworld. Quiet, worried looks around the room. JAKE It’s starting. 18 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE The door opens and everyone enters – Dez, Facity, Prees, and the five Alphies. Brad and Glessin have been running the bridge in their absence. Meera and Pif are there too. They all stop as they see the view on the main screen – the surface of the Drang planet, with the signs of a large explosion, big enough to have destroyed an entire city. Dez is starting to believe there’s a problem, despite himself. FACITY What happened? BRAD It’s the government centre. As much as the Drang can be said to have a government, anyway. No idea how or why. SHAR You should scan again for ships, using these parameters. Shar lifts his padd, pulls a chip out of it and holds it out to Facity. She nods, and plugs the chip into a console. FACITY Srral... do it. SRRAL (comm) Scanning, Facity. A pause of a few moments... SRRAL (comm) Contact is confirmed. A small ship matching those parameters is holding position over the planet’s northern magnetic pole. DEZ Alright, I believe you. Srral, get us out of here. JAKE (shocked) No! We have to do something to stop it. NOG Jake... DEZ I’m not putting us in the middle of this. Srral – SRRAL (comm) (interrupting) The vessel is scanning us. Uh-oh. They’ve been detected. Jake is almost smug. JAKE You’re already in the middle of it, Dez. Nog suddenly takes firm command. Dez basically lets him, because he still doesn’t really get what’s going on. NOG Jake – get out of here, now. JAKE (confused) What? NOG Prynn – take them. All four of you. Get back to the runabout and power it down, completely dead. And then hide inside. PRYNN Why? SHAR (realizes) He’s right. The Ascendants have as many sensor records of us as we do of them. If they detect Starfleet technology on board... PRYNN (gets it) Oh, hell. Alright, let’s go. JAKE What about Rena? They know Bajorans now. If they detect her... they’ll kill us all. BRAD (doubtful) They’d kill a whole ship over one person? NOG They’d kill a whole planet over one person. Okay, Shar... find some way to mask your life signs. All of you, not just Rena - Raiq saw you and Prynn on the Defiant bridge. We can’t take the chance she won’t have told the rest of them to look out for you. SHAR I’m not sure how to do that without the runabout’s power... MEERA (speaks up) I can do it. I can cover the ship and block the readings. JAKE Nog... what about you? NOG I wasn’t on the bridge. Maybe they won’t recognise me. So I’m going to talk to them... and try and get all of us out of this alive. Stop talking and go! We’ve got seconds until they’re on top of us. MEERA Come on – follow me. Meera leads Jake, Rena, Prynn and Shar back into the turbolift. As they go, Jake spares a worried look for his friend. And then the door closes and they’re gone. Nog stands on the Even Odds bridge – a tiny little Ferengi amongst these huge events. He strips off his uniform jacket and hides it under a console. He removes his rank pips, puts them with it. But he keeps his combadge hidden in his hand. He’s terrified... but determined. NOG Oh... this was a bad idea. 19 INT. EVEN ODDS – CORRIDOR Jake, Rena, Prynn, Shar and Meera run down the corridor at top speed. No time for screams or jokes – this is for real. 20 INT. EVEN ODDS – HANGAR They run into the hangar deck, where the Rio Grande sits. The runabout’s hatch opens at their approach... 21 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT The four Alphies run into the cockpit – Prynn immediately heads to the consoles, begins hitting buttons. PRYNN Computer, initiate full systems shutdown. Power, drive systems, sensors – kill it all. Now. COMPUTER Acknowledged. PRYNN Shar – help me! Shar runs to the rear consoles and starts working them too. Jake and Rena stay out of the way, nervous and hugging each other. One by one, all the systems go dark and silent. 22 INT. EVEN ODDS – HANGAR As the runabout dies, Meera leaps gracefully into the air, MORPHing as she goes. She becomes a wide, flat sheet of changeling protoplasm, covering every square inch of the ship. It creeps from the cockpit backwards, past the hatch just as it closes, until it swallows the runabout whole. 23 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT Silent now – all the machines are dead, and the lights are dark. The only light comes from the front window, filtered through Meera’s golden body. Jake and Rena hug each other. Prynn turns to Shar, stands, approaches him slowly, and reaches out to hug him too. He clings on to her with mixed relief and fear. 24 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE They’re waiting... waiting... DEZ (quiet) I hope to hell you know what you’re doing. NOG So do I. Back to waiting. It makes the tension worse. Eventually... SRRAL (comm) Incoming - Before the synthetic voice can finish, a ball of FLAME bursts into life at the front of the bridge. Everyone flinches back from the force of it. After a second, the fire burns out and reveals an Ascendant male. His name is BLAS. He stands calmly on the deck, peering imperiously at the crew, the image of the burning Drang homeworld behind him. He spots Nog, and seems to intuit that he’s the one in charge, at least for the moment. And Nog looks back at him, trying not to shudder or shake with fear. As the two of them stare each other down... BLACK OUT: END OF ACT THREE .
. ACT FOUR FADE IN: 25 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE Where we left it. Nog and Blas measure each other up, while the Even Odds crew – Dez, Facity, Brad, Pif – wait on tenterhooks. Pif’s hackles are raised, a low growl in his throat. Nog is extremely nervous, but he put himself in this position, and now he’s going to see it through. BLAS I am Blas, Archquester of the Ascendancy. NOG Hi. My name’s Nog. BLAS You are not Drang. NOG No... BLAS Fortunate for you. If you are not Drang, why are you here? NOG We’re... couriers. Salesmen. We were here to meet a client. BLAS Your client is dead. If not now, then soon. NOG Why? I mean, it’s not like I can do anything about it, but I was just wondering... why are you killing the Drang? BLAS They worship... falsely. They tell stories of gods who will reward them for prosperity. NOG Is that so bad? BLAS There are no gods but the True Gods. And only the Ascendants may worship the True. (beat) Tell me, Nog... do you worship? 26 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT Jake and Rena cling to each other. He strokes her hair, tries to calm her fearful shaking. Shar and Prynn sit in the front seats, holding hands. All they can do is wait. MEERA (o.s.) Starfleet. Can you hear me? PRYNN Meera? MEERA (o.s.) Yes. There is a communications signal coming from the bridge. Shall I open a hole for it? PRYNN Will you still be able to block our life signs? MEERA (o.s.) I believe so. PRYNN Then do it. Thank you. A moment, and then all four of their combadges come to life with processed voices – Nog and Blas. They listen, scared for their friend, for their lives. NOG (comm) My people believe in profit. In making money. We believe the more money you have, the better person you are. 27 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE Beginning on Nog’s hand, gripping tight to his combadge... BLAS Material wealth. Pitiful. And not so very different from the Drang. But you have no gods? NOG That’s right. Blas holds his silver hand out flat. A ball of FLAME bursts into life in his palm – he doesn’t flinch. The fire blows away and reveals an image standing in Blas’s palm. The image is of a DRANG – a reptiloid creature on its hind legs, as seen in 8x23 “Rising Son.” Think of the Spider-Man villain the Lizard. The image of the Drang cowers back from some unseen threat, hands up to protect itself. Blas gazes down at the moving image in his palm, serenely. BLAS The Drang Imperator. He had gods. I questioned him – as deluded as he was, he may have held clues to the location of the Fortress of the True. NOG And did he tell you anything? BLAS In fact, he did. He mentioned something of great interest to me, about a people called... Bajoran. 28 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT Rena jerks at Blas’s words. She’s shaking with fear. Jake holds her as tight as he can. BLAS (comm) He said they used to have a colony near here, although it was destroyed some years ago. 29 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE Continuing the conversation... BLAS You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you? Perhaps you did business with them? Nog lies with all the skill he can muster. NOG Never heard of them. We’re not from around here. So... what happened to the Imperator? BLAS He told me what we needed to know. And then... Blas pointedly closes his fist, crushing the image of the Drang, flames licking up between the fingers. Nog and everyone else get the message loud and clear. BLAS He was first. His city followed. Blas opens the hand again, and he’s now holding a ball of throbbing, pulsating energy. He looks back at Nog, a small smug smile on his face. BLAS A device precisely this size was all I needed to destroy the Drang’s main city. A much smaller device would do the same to this ship. NOG Now, hold on – there’s no need for that. If you got what you needed out of the boss, why kill anybody else? BLAS They shame the True. The Drang, the Eav’oq, the Bajorans... It is my sacred duty as a Knight of the Ascendants to cleanse the stars of heresy. So says the Fire. NOG The “fire”? Is that a person? BLAS The Fire was sent to us by the True. She is their emissary to the Ascendants. 30 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT Everyone reacts to the familiar word. Jake and Rena are especially curious... BLAS (comm) With our path illuminated by the Fire, we will find the Bajorans, and all heretics... and they will burn. Rena tenses again... 31 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE Blas lowers his hand. The conversation is over. BLAS I suggest you leave now, if you do not wish to share their fate. The Ascendant seems to burst into flames... and then he’s gone. Nog still daren’t breathe – it might all fall apart. FACITY (quiet) Srral, keep your sensors on that ship. After a second, Nog lifts his combadge and speaks into it. NOG Jake? Did you all hear that? 32 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT Jake speaks into the air... JAKE We heard it. NOG (comm) Get up here. Fast. Curious now, the four get ready to leave. The golden film of changeling matter retracts itself away from the windows. 33 EXT. SPACE – DRANG HOMEWORLD The planet as seen from space. The Even Odds sits in orbit, and we see the city-sized fire blazing on the surface... 34 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE The turbolift door opens and Jake, Rena, Prynn, Shar and Meera all re-enter the bridge. Nog sags with relief to have his friends back – that was pretty scary. PRYNN Alright - what do we do? DEZ We get out of here. JAKE Dez, don’t you dare. We have to do something. We have to help the Drang! DEZ Why, exactly? In what way is any of this my problem? JAKE You know, I just can’t believe you, Dez. I can’t believe I ever admired you or wanted to stay with you. Dez throws his arms up in exasperation and annoyance. DEZ Oh, here it is! You want to know why I ran away from you, Jake? Because of this. This smug, self- righteous attitude I knew you’d throw at me. You think you’re so morally superior to all of us. JAKE If you mean I won’t stand by and let an entire race be massacred, then hell yeah, call me superior all you want. You? You only care about finding your next job. DEZ That’s what we do! When are you going to get that through your skull? And when are you going to stop trying to make me the bad guy just because I like to get paid for the work I do? JAKE You can do business without being so cold and heartless. DEZ I don’t live in your fabled moneyless economy, Jake. I don’t have the luxury of doing good deeds just so I can feel good about myself. I have a crew to feed and clothe, and a ship to keep running. And you know what? I do feel good about it. (re Nog) I bet your friend Nog agrees with me. Jake turns to Nog, clearly assuming his friend’s support. But Nog hesitates. NOG Oh no. You’re not putting me in the middle of this. JAKE (astonished) Nog...! RENA Both of you shut up, right now. Every word you yell at each other is another Drang being killed. And we have been sent here to save them. So forget your petty little squabbles for a minute and think about what we’re going to do. DEZ Fine! Let’s have some practical suggestions, then. If you’re so determined to save the Drang, tell me how. Go on. Rena takes a breath, and tries to rise to the challenge. RENA Alright. It’s only one guy in one ship, right? It’ll take him a long time to kill a whole planet’s worth of people all on his own. That gives us time to just attack his ship and destroy it, and save as many people as possible. SHAR (tentative) Rena... I admire your desire to help, but even one Ascendant ship is a major threat. A single vessel just like that destroyed a runabout in seconds and almost killed Captain Kira. JAKE We have the runabout and the Even Odds. And you have all your sensor readings. We can find a way. We have to. DEZ This is a freighter ship. We barely have enough weapons to fend off the average asteroid, never mind apocalyptic aliens. RENA (pointed) You have Ascendant technology. They stop, considering that. They’d forgotten. NOG Maybe she’s right. Maybe there’s some way we can turn their own technology against them. Shar, go over those readings again, look for – SRRAL (comm) The vessel is breaking orbit. It is powering weapons. Oh crap. Is it coming for us? 35 EXT. SPACE – DRANG HOMEWORLD The northern pole of the planet. A tiny, silver Ascendant ship rises up from the surface, out of the orbital plane... CLOSE-UP on the Ascendant ship as a new device extrudes from its external hull – a kind of smooth, sleek missile launcher. And fires. The missile goes nowhere near the planet or the Even Odds – instead it shoots straight off towards the Drang sun. 36 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE Everyone watches the screen, confused by this turn. FACITY What is he doing? SRRAL (comm) The missile is aiming directly for the system’s sun. BRAD What? Why? NOG (realizing) Oh no... BRAD What? SRRAL (comm) Sensors detect fluctuations in the star’s gravitational and magnetic fields. SHAR Let me see. Shar goes to the panels at the rear of the bridge, begins working them... After a few moments, he turns back to his friends, a stricken look on his face. SHAR Readings are consistent with an isolytic subspace burst. Nog and Prynn know what that means. Nog closes his eyes, hangs his head. Prynn covers her mouth in horror... PRYNN Oh, God... RENA (confused) What does that mean? Nobody really wants to say. Rena wants answers. RENA Guys! Come on, tell me! Shar manages to explain in halting, horror-stricken tones. SHAR An isolytic weapon creates a subspace tear – a hole in the fabric of local space-time. If the weapon is detonated inside a star, it would destabilise the nuclear reactions, forcing the star to artificially nova. This means the star will eject a massive and catastrophic burst of radiation, which will scour the life from every world in the system. Every Drang, every life form, down to the smallest bacteria. All burning. (beat) And there is nothing we can do to stop it. Rena is dumbfounded. She looks at Jake, Prynn, Shar, Nog... nothing any of them can do. She looks to the screen... 37 EXT. SPACE – DRANG HOMEWORLD Its work done, the Ascendant ship JUMPS away in a flash. The next second, the star EXPLODES. It bursts in blindingly bright light, a massive wave of radiation expanding out in a spherical shell, growing slowly but steadily... 38 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE On everyone’s sad, beaten, defeated expressions, as they watch these events on the main viewscreen... FADE OUT: END OF ACT FOUR .
. ACT FIVE FADE IN: 39 EXT. SPACE – DRANG SYSTEM The nova continues to grow, a shell of cast-off matter preceded by the wave of energy and power. It’s moving at light speed, but at interstellar distances that still looks agonizingly slow. But it’s coming inexorably, nevertheless. 40 INT. EVEN ODDS – BRIDGE This sight is also relayed via the Even Odds’ screen. SRRAL (comm) Contact in four minutes at current rate and distance. DEZ (quiet but pointed) Do I have your permission to leave now, Jake? RENA (tearful) No! We can’t just give up! Nog, Shar, there has to be something... But they just sadly shake their heads. Jake reaches out to her, tries to comfort her. She won’t have it. SRRAL (comm) Communications have cleared up. The Ascendant must have been blocking the signals before. PRYNN Put it on speakers. FACITY Why? PRYNN Because these are the last words they’ll ever say. They deserve to have somebody hear them. Facity nods to Shar, who is still at the rear console. He works the panels, and the speakers come to life with the sounds of chaos. Voices talking over each other, shouting and screaming, clearly in panic. The Even Odds and Alphie crews stand and listen, solemnly. SRRAL (comm) Escape vessels are launching from the surface. PRYNN They can’t all escape in four minutes. But at least some is better than none. DEZ (new idea) Srral – move us to behind the planet, away from the sun. Then drop shields and begin transporting Drang on board. As many as you can get. SRRAL (comm) Who shall I choose? DEZ Random. Totally random. Facity, get on that helm and be ready. FACITY Hell yeah. Newly energised, the crew get to work moving the ship. Cradling the distraught Rena, Jake mouths silently to Dez. JAKE Thank you. PRYNN Two transporters are better than one. Shar, come on! And she strides quickly to the turbolift, Shar behind her. 41 EXT. SPACE – DRANG SYSTEM A pitiful few escape shuttles launch from the surface of the Drang planet, while in the background, the wave of nova energy approaches. The Even Odds meanwhile manoeuvres into the shadow. At the same time, its rear cargo hatch opens and the Rio Grande emerges, quickly moving to a different position in orbit. 42 INT. EVEN ODDS – TRANSPORTER ROOM Prees works the transporter console; Feg and Triv hover by the platform. The two Ferengi guide confused and terrified handfuls of Drang off the platform, just in time for the coils to power up again and save the next half-dozen. Among the panicked chattering and grunting of the Drang, Feg and Triv try their best to explain what’s going on, all MOS, and guide them out of the room into the corridor, where Pif is waiting to take them to other rooms. 43 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT More Drang appear in twos on the tiny runabout transporter stage. Shar receives them while Prynn works the helm. SHAR Please move to the rear cabin. I’ll explain everything soon, but first priority is to beam as many aboard as possible. (next pair) Please move to the rear cabin... PRYNN Shar...! Shar turns at Prynn’s worried tone, and sees the view out of the front window... ...the wave of energy is almost at the planet, silhouetting against the growing light, making the whole area eclipse. PRYNN We need to go, now! I can’t risk taking any more. Get them secure. 44 EXT. SPACE – DRANG SYSTEM And the wave HITS. The radiation scours the world, just as Shar said it would. Progressing from the sun-ward side to the opposite, the concussive force of it kicks up the very surface. Ground is pulverized, buildings are vaporized, oceans are boiled. At the last split second, the Even Odds and the Rio Grande jump to warp, escaping into space. The energy wave chases them, continuing on its way, until it HITS CAMERA, and we WHITE OUT Then FADE IN to: 45 EXT. SPACE Some time later, the two small ships sit in the orbit of another planet, green and habitable. The few Drang shuttles that managed to escape are also in orbit. 46 INT. EVEN ODDS – HANGAR The crew stand in the hangar, looking out at the surface of the world through the open cargo bay hatch (force field in place). From the Even Odds there’s Dez, Facity, Pif, Meera, and Feg and Triv. All five from the Rio Grande are here. FACITY That’s the last of them. All the refugee ships, everyone we were able to save... PRYNN The last of them. Literally. PIF I can’t stop thinking about everyone we left behind. All those people who lost their families, their children... if I ever lost my family... He doesn’t need to finish the sentence. Prynn looks at him, thinking about something... NOG You think they’ll be safe? The Ascendants won’t come for them? JAKE We’ll just have to hope, Nog. NOG But they’ve got nothing. No homes, no technology... how are they going to live? MEERA The Dominion will take care of them. PRYNN (amazed) I beg your pardon? MEERA You said the Dominion was in chaos. And these Ascendants – from what you said, from what I heard in the Link, from what I’ve seen today... it was them who sent the Dominion into that chaos. NOG Yes... yes it was. MEERA The other changelings abandoned the Dominion. I will not do the same. I will return to the Link, even if it only consists of Odo... and I will command the Jem’Hadar to help the Drang. DEZ Meera... are you sure? MEERA I am. Thank you for everything, Dez. I have cherished my time here. But now it is time to go. Meera begins to stride towards the open hatch... NOG Meera, wait. She turns back to him, curious... NOG (cont) Tell Odo... tell him that Kira wants the Dominion’s help with the Ascendants. That she asked for an alliance. But Taran’atar said no. Will you do that? MEERA Happily, Nog. Goodbye. Meera turns back to the hatch, leaps into the air, MORPHing as she goes. She becomes a missile of changeling matter, passes through the forcefield out into space, and is gone. The rest of them turn, as if to go. Jake calls after them. JAKE Dez, hold on. There’s something else I want to talk about. DEZ Oh for crying out loud, Jake. If you’re going to complain about me stealing your ship again – JAKE That’s not it. I accept that you did everything you could to save as many Drang as possible. I’m grateful. I’d even say I’m proud, although I know that’ll only piss you off. But there’s something else I want to ask you. Something else you could do to help. DEZ And again I ask – why is it my job to help? JAKE This won’t cost you anything. It could stop more things like what happened to the Drang. And if you have the ability to do that, do you honestly not feel any obligation to use it? In fact he does, but it hurts to have to admit it to Jake. DEZ What’s your idea? JAKE That you listen. That’s all. Just listen. Nog and Rena were right – there is a way to use the Ascendant technology in this ship to our advantage, and we can do it by listening. NOG (gets it now) To the Wa. JAKE Exactly. Shar, you could give them your translation program. Nog, you could give them a code to access the wormhole relay. And Dez... you could have one of your crew listen to whatever the Ascendants say through the Wa, and pass it on to us. And we can use it to stop them. (beat) So what do you say? Nog, Shar, Rena and Prynn look on hopefully, happy with Jake’s idea. Dez stands silently considering it, very aware that everyone’s waiting for a decision. 47 EXT. SPACE Focusing on the Rio Grande, sitting in orbit of the Drang’s nameless new colony world... 48 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT Prynn and Shar are moving around the cabin, getting ready to go. Shar is more relaxed and relieved, happy with the deal they’ve struck. Prynn still has something on her mind. SHAR I am glad we could convince Dez to help. The extinction of a species, for whatever reason, is an issue that’s rather close to my heart, you understand. Prynn nods absently. Shar comes up close to her, reaches out for her hand. She lets him take it, although awkwardly. SHAR I am also looking forward to returning to the station. And “picking up where we left off.” He leans in for a kiss... she pulls away from him. PRYNN Shar... don’t. SHAR What’s wrong? Did I upset you? PRYNN No. Well, yes, sort of. But no. (sags) Oh God... I can’t do this. SHAR I don’t understand. You said – PRYNN I know I did. And I meant it. But then I came here. I saw Brad... it’s plain as day she had a thing for Jake. But when she heard he got married... she backed off in a second. Didn’t say a word about it. Another woman’s husband is off limits, end of discussion. SHAR But Prynn, you know Andorians – PRYNN And Pif, and his wife and his babies. If anything ever came between them, stopped him from watching his children grow up... he as near as said it would kill him. How can I do that to another family? SHAR Prynn, what are you saying? PRYNN That I can’t do this. Us. I want to. I want to so much. You’re beautiful and sensitive, and I know I’m hurting you. And it probably doesn’t help to tell you I’m hurting myself too. But better that than get involved with a married man and break up a family. I let myself think I could do it for a minute, I wanted to think I could do it... but I can’t. I’m sorry, Shar... I can’t. She turns and walks away, crying, leaving Shar confused. 49 THE WA Shar stands inside the white nothingness of the Wa, guiding Prees through his translation program using a padd. Prees reaches out and touches the orange splotch in front of her. The Wa dims, and the formless, whispering VOICES return. After a moment, the turbolift opens in the middle of the space, again carrying Rena. She wanders out slowly, looking around. It no longer looks as enchanting to her as it did. She tentatively approaches Shar and Prees. SHAR Hello, Rena. Can I help you? RENA Prynn told me what happened. I wanted to see if you were okay. PREES (realizes) I’ll leave you two alone. Prees pulls away and heads to the turbolift. She enters, and the door closes behind her, leaving empty space. RENA How are you feeling? SHAR Confused. Continually pulled back and forth. I had thought Andorian relationships were among the most complex in the Federation. But I am learning that human relationships are just as perplexing. RENA Yep. That they are. But if you need somebody to talk to... (smirk) Somebody who has no romantic interest in you whatsoever... I’m willing. SHAR I appreciate that. Thank you. RENA (change subject) So Prees is going to listen in to the Ascendants for us? SHAR She is. She will submit weekly reports through the relay... Rena? He trails off, because Rena is looking very worried all of a sudden. She’s heard something, something in the voices. RENA Shar, have you been recording this? Can you run it back? SHAR Uhh... yes, if you wish. He works the padd. The sound of the voices rewinds by a few seconds, and plays over again. We can’t make any of it out any clearer, but Rena apparently can, and it worries her. RENA Jake said there’s a Cardassian on board, right? SHAR The ship’s medic, I believe. RENA Get him. Get him down here right now. And everyone else. CUT TO: 50 THE WA The five Alphies, plus Dez and Glessin, are now gathered around Shar’s padd in the orange-hued Wa. RENA Shar – play it back again. Shar taps buttons, and the voices replay. Glessin listens intently... and recognizes the words with fascination. DEZ What does it say? GLESSIN It says... “I am the Fire.” PRYNN “The Fire”... that’s what the Ascendant guy said was their version of the Emissary, right? Sent to them from their gods? JAKE Right. So... why is that a surprise? They would talk about that, wouldn’t they? RENA That’s not the problem. DEZ Then what is? RENA She didn’t just say, “I am the Fire.” She said it... (beat) ...in Cardassian. Dez looks to Glessin, who nods in agreement. Nog’s face slowly falls, dumbstruck, as the answer comes to him. NOG Blessed Exchequer... PRYNN What? What is it? NOG “I am the Fire.” A Cardassian female, the Emissary to the Ascendants. (w/ gravity) This road trip is over. We need to get home. Now. On Nog’s determination... FADE OUT: END OF SHOW .
Can I say, wow there. What a ending and I now can't wait for the next one. The build up is getting suspenseful here.
From an "In the Cards" to a "Tears of the Prophets". This two-parter really has an interesting structure. I liked it. Don't entirely understand Dez being so off-putting, but once again, all the other characterizations where pretty much spot on. The use of the Wa. It makes so much sense, I never even thought about it. I do wonder if that's what the original Re-Launch others had meant for it or not. I do wonder with Shar's relationship with Prynn being resolved, how long he will sticking around now. And again. I am pleased that although there is clearly going to be a conflict/war of some sort with the Ascendants that it is being handled much different than other conflicts. War with the Cardassians, the Klingons, the Dominion, the Borg, and (possibly) the Typhon Pact- Star Trek is more than just constant warfare. Doesn't mean though that I don't find these Ascendant guys terrifying, though. Hope the individual characters get well developed. DS9 always had the best re-curring villains. And I actually liked Illian Ghemor, so I look forward to her return. Keep up the good work.
Cool - thanks! Thankee-sai. *bows* As I said last ep, I liked to idea of seeing what the "teenagers" get up to when the grown-ups aren't around. And I like the idea that what starts off as wacky hijinks turns on a dime into something deadly serious. And that the gang go off with no greater plans than a night of fun at the casino, and come back with something vital to defeating the Big Bad of the season. I think Dez was kind of expecting the worst from Jake - they didn't part on the best of terms in Rising Son - and was reacting premptively to that. Which in turn made things worse than they needed to be, especially since Jake was really only reacting to Dez's reaction to him. I regret that I didn't have enough time to get into the other characters on the Even Odds as much as I'd have liked, but there simply wasn't room in a single episode, not when there was so much plot and exposition to squeeze in as well. For example, I'd wanted to get into Glessin and Rena's reactions to each other as a Cardassian and a Bajoran. Nothing too big, just an acknowledgement. And how Glessin felt about Meera's presence, given his previous reaction to Taran'atar. And Feg and Triv fawning over Nog some more, and being confused when Nog doesn't automatically side with profit over all else. And an explanation of why Nog was so scared of the flurble and so uncomfortable around Pif and his family - because Ferengi animals aren't furry, thus furry things are just unnatural to a Ferengi. And Prynn talking to Brad about the latter's crush on Jake, thus informing her decision regarding Shar later on. And so on. I think between this and the previous episode, there's definitely enough material to have filled a novel. I may have mentioned before - I have a tendency to waffle. I think it definitely might have been. I looked at all the clues dribbled out across Rising Son and other books and really, it does add up remarkably smoothly if you keep a close eye. I'm glad you think it makes sense - I was going for a reaction of "OMG I never thought of that, but you're right!" I think that reaction is something DS9 the show excelled at - like when Dukat joined the Dominion for example - and I wanted to follow it through. And I have more coming of that sort of thing too. I'm going for a kind of on-again-off-again thing with these two. They both want to, but there's just too many reasons for them not to. I've always had the feeling that the Ascendant conflict was not going to be yet another interstellar war, but confined to just the people directly involved - the Ascendants, the Bajorans and Eavoq. I don't think it really affects much beyond them, but those who it does affect, it does so profoundly. I hope you continue to think I am doing so. .
FYI, one of my stories has now passed the 1000 views point over at Ad Astra. For some reason, it's episode 3 "Steppin' Out" - the musical episode where Vic Fontaine steps out of the holosuite. I wonder why that one in particular seems to be so popular? Especially since episode 4 has barely more than half that number. .
Because you've probably transformed Vic into the Doctor with respect to being able to go beyond the confines of the holosuite. What happens when you combine Vic with the Doctor's holographic emitter? Fricking gold man! I think that is a very cool idea, Vic (this relic of the 20th century) exploring late 24th century life.