ACT THREE
FADE IN
10 EST. PARIS – THE PALAIS - NIGHT
The Champs Elysées and the Paris cityscape glitters in the darkness. The great building of the Palais rests elegantly along the Seine. This time we focus on the large curved picture window on the 15th floor.
CLOSE IN on the window until we PASS THROUGH it and into...
11 INT. FEDERATION PRESIDENT’S OFFICE - NIGHT
The large room as in
“The Undiscovered Country” (not the smaller room seen in DS9 4x11 “Homefront”). President NAN BACCO (a human woman in her 90s but still vital and iron-willed) sits at the large desk, centred in the curve, as a meeting of her most senior advisors goes on before her.
ESPERANZA PIÑIERO, Bacco’s chief of staff and long-time friend, a human woman of Spanish descent, in her 50s.
PIÑIERO
The travel office confirmed that
the Delta and Carreon ambassadors
will be here day after tomorrow.
ASHANTÉ PHIRI, one of Piñiero’s deputies, a human woman of African descent in her 40s.
PHIRI
I’m still not sure what it’ll
accomplish. They’ve been yelling
at each other over subspace for
months - now they’ll just yell
at each other here instead.
Z4 BLUE, a
Nasat and Piñiero’s other deputy, squats in a chair specially built to fit his rounded insectile body.
Z4 BLUE
There’s a big difference between
arguing on some moon in the Delta
system, and arguing in the Palais.
PIÑIERO
What do you think?
Piñiero addressed this to Bacco. Bacco takes a moment to look around her advisors, which also include Admiral Ross.
BACCO
I think I said a month ago that we
should bring the Delta and Carreon
ambassadors here and lock them in
a room until they starve to death.
You told me to give them a chance
to hash it out first. I gave them
that chance. Delta’s water supply
is getting worse, the Carreon are
no closer to letting us use their
water reclamation systems, and
we’re all a month older. I think
we’ve all learned something from
this. I’m right, you’re wrong.
(polite laughter)
I think the next four years will
go a lot smoother if everyone gets
that through their heads now.
PIÑIERO
Absolutely, Madam President.
BACCO
What’s next? Anything Starfleet-
related I ought to know about?
ROSS
The USS Io reports first contact
with a world called Trinniek,
Starbase Ten reports indications
of Borg remains along the Romulan
border, and the Hood found some
ancient machinery on Gorak Nine.
PIÑIERO
What kind of machinery?
ROSS
The report wasn’t specific.
PIÑIERO
Well, find out. It’s been my
experience that ancient machinery
tends to activate and turn every-
one on your ship into newts.
BACCO
I’m less concerned about a ship of
newts than I am about the Borg.
ROSS
The report was of remains, Madam
President. No more than Starfleet
ships have uncovered all over the
galaxy. I don’t believe they pose
an imminent threat.
BACCO
Yeah, well, keep an eye on it
anyhow, just for my peace of mind.
The Borg have attacked this solar
system twice already. I don’t want
the third time to be the charm.
ROSS
Yes, ma’am.
BACCO
Okay, I think we’re done. Everyone
try and get some damn sleep.
Phiri, Z4 Blue and Ross all stand, offer the standard “Thank you, Madam President” mutterings, and then leave.
Bacco stands from her desk and looks out of the window at the Paris night view. Piñiero moves to stand with her.
BACCO
You know, until the seventeenth
century, it was just fields. Then
Marie de Medici made a tree-lined
path. Named it after the Elysian
Fields. Marie Antoinette used to
stroll down it all the time.
PIÑIERO
Before or after she ate all the
cake and got her head cut off?
BACCO
Hush. Anyway, the point is -
PIÑIERO
There’s a point? Trying something
new are we, ma’am?
BACCO
The point is, the Champs Elysées
has been Paris’s main thoroughfare
for seven hundred years. The Arc
de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Tour
de France... It’s on this very
spot that the Traité d’Unification
was signed two-hundred-and-fifty
years ago. And all because some
rich woman who lived in a monarchy
wanted a place to walk. From that...
came this.
PIÑIERO
It is my hope, ma’am, that we’ll
do a little better than the
Medicis. Or Marie Antoinette.
BACCO
Oh, I think we can learn a lot
from Marie Antoinette. For one
thing, I’m giving serious thought
to the idea of bringing beheadings
back. Think I can get the council
to sign off on that?
PIÑIERO
Probably not, ma’am.
BACCO
Shame. It’d make the meetings go
so much faster.
Piñiero chuckles.
12 EST. SISKO’S RESTAURANT - DAY
Establishing the familiar front of the famous restaurant.
13 INT. SISKO’S RESTAURANT - DAY
Day, but the restaurant is not yet open. Joseph works in the kitchen, preparing the day’s meals. In the background, two other young EXTRAS help out, doing various tasks.
Rena is beside Joseph at the counter. They are both busy chopping vegetables of various kinds. Joseph turns to Rena, checks on her progress, nods approvingly.
JOSEPH
Nice work. But maybe just a little
thicker slices. Give ‘em something
to get their teeth into.
RENA
(keeps chopping)
Like this?
JOSEPH
Perfect. We’ll make a N’Orleans
chef out of you yet.
RENA
This is fun! At the bakery, Marja
is always barking at me to stop
trying to be creative and
just get the bread baked.
JOSEPH
Cooking is creative, same as
painting. Don’t matter what it is,
you put your heart and soul into
something you believe in, people
are gonna respond to it. No better
feeling in the world than knowing
you’ve sent someone away happy.
RENA
(genuinely)
Thanks for this, Mister Sisko.
Joseph stops and gestures
faux-accusingly with his knife.
JOSEPH
Didn’t I say for you to call me
Grampa? Or at least Joe.
RENA
(shy smile)
Sorry. I guess I just feel weird
that you would even want me to.
You only just met me.
JOSEPH
Now you listen here. I have raised
three sons and one daughter. And
they have given me nine beautiful
grandchildren. And whenever any
one of them has brought someone
into this house, that someone has
been a part of the family from the
moment they crossed that doorstep.
Joseph goes back to work, conversation over. Rena smiles, touched by this declaration, but is still curious.
RENA
I hoped you’d accept me of course.
I just expected it to take time.
I know how close your family is.
JOSEPH
(shrug)
I raised my kids right. And they
did the same. Whoever they think
is important enough to introduce
to me must be worth it. And that’s
all I need to know.
Touched again at the compliment, Rena steps up to Joseph and gives him a quick peck on the cheek in thanks.
RENA
Thanks... Grampa.
They go back to chopping, but Rena has something else on her mind. She looks towards the stairs...
RENA
How long has he been up there? He
went upstairs the moment we got
back and I haven’t seen him since.
JOSEPH
Well, didn’t he tell you? You’re
his wife.
RENA
He said he had some research to
do. But it can’t be for his
interview, that’s all over and
done with.
She places down her knife, ponders on it.
RENA (cont)
I think it’s this Tezwa thing.
Prophets only know what the big
deal is, I’ve never even heard
of the place.
JOSEPH
It was in the news for a while.
Then it was all this Romulan
business. Always some damn thing.
I just concentrate on meat, fish,
vegetables and spices.
RENA
Is he often like this?
JOSEPH
Oh, his father’s the same way.
Always getting a bee in their
bonnet about one thing or another.
They come out of it eventually.
RENA
Do you mind if I...?
Joseph grunts his approval. Rena wipes her hands clean, leaves the kitchen and heads towards the stairs.
14 INT. SISKO’S RESTAURANT - BEDROOM
One of the rooms above the restaurant, where the family lives. Wood paneling, creaky floorboards, old-fashioned flock wallpaper. A double bed, and Jake’s travelling bags.
Jake sits at a DESK, with a computer terminal working in front of him, several reports partitioned on the screen. He selects one sub-screen, which becomes the main image - a VIDEO CLIP of former president
MIN ZIFE’s resignation.
In the clip, the Bolian male sits at his presidential desk in the same office Bacco now occupies.
ZIFE (screen)
While my chief of staff and I were
able to serve our nation well in
war, we were, it seems, less
suited for peace. As the war grows
more distant in our past, it has
become increasingly obvious that
Koll and I need to step down for
the good of the Federation.
There is a KNOCK at the door. Rena pokes her head in.
RENA
You okay in here? Haven’t heard
from you in ages.
JAKE
Yeah, I’m fine.
He sits back in his chair, pondering what he has read. She steps further into the room, seeing that he is troubled.
JAKE
Zife resigned immediately after
whatever happened on Tezwa.
The first resignation of a sitting
president ever, in the two-
hundred-year-plus history of the
Federation. And he took his chief
of staff and secretary of military
intelligence with him.
RENA
Okay. And...?
JAKE
And after an emergency election
to find a replacement, a woman
who wasn’t even a member of the
Federation Council is voted in.
RENA
If Bacco wasn’t a council member,
what was she?
JAKE
A planetary governor - of Cestus
Three, near Gorn space.
RENA
That’s where Kasidy’s from, isn’t
it? So what’s wrong with that?
JAKE
Nothing, I guess. Just seems weird
to me. She came out of nowhere.
And no-one’s heard a peep out of
Zife since he stepped down.
RENA
Jake, it’s only been three months.
And he was the president of the
Federation. It’s no surprise he’d
want to be out of the public eye
for a while.
JAKE
(not listening)
And then she steals Asarem’s press
liaison, assigns Asarem’s ex-
husband to a crucial sub-council
with oversight over Federation
security despite several valid
complaints, hires a Starfleet
admiral who was originally one of
her competitors in the election to
serve as her Starfleet liaison...
Rena comes close, takes Jake’s hands in hers, and turns him away from the computer screen to look at her.
RENA
Jake, I say this with all the love
in the world... you’re losing it.
You’re about to try and sell me on
a conspiracy between the governors
of two worlds on opposite sides of
the galaxy to steal a presidency.
I think you’re worried about your
interview and looking for some way
to distract yourself, but you’re
taking it too far. Which I’ve been
reliably informed is a family
trait. You need to come downstairs
with me now and get some fresh air
and good food. Okay?
Jake looks back at the screen, then back at Rena.
JAKE
Okay, you’re right. I’m sorry.
Rena takes him by the hand - he stands, kisses her, lets her lead him from the room. But before he passes through the door, he looks back over his shoulder at the computer. He has no intention of giving this up - he can’t.
Then he leaves, and the door closes behind them. A moment after they’re gone, a BEEP comes from the computer, and a TEXT MESSAGE comes up on the screen.
COMPUTER SCREEN
Hi Mister Sisko - I’m pretty busy,
but if it’s as urgent as you say,
then I can meet you in New Orleans
tomorrow. Regards - Ozla.
FADE OUT
END OF ACT THREE
