ACT FIVE
FADE IN:
23 EXT. DEEP SPACE NINE – DEFIANT
The
Defiant pulls back from its port on the docking ring, slowly turns and surges away into open space.
24 INT. DEFIANT - MAIN BRIDGE
Vaughn sits in the centre chair, with PRYNN at helm, Bowers and Candlewood at their stations, and extras as needed.
PRYNN
We've cleared the station, sir.
VAUGHN
Set course for Bajor, Lieutenant.
When we’re clear of DS-Nine’s
immediate sensor range, raise
cloak and alter course to head
for Cajara. Full impulse.
PRYNN
Umm... aye, sir. May I ask -
VAUGHN
No. Candlewood, Bowers...
He beckons them both sharply over to his chair. They leave their stations and approach. He speaks sotto.
VAUGHN
Is Axno’s ship still receiving the
signal from the other Ascendant?
CANDLEWOOD
As far as I know, sir.
VAUGHN
You have the time it takes us to
reach Empok Nor to figure out a
way to block that signal. Bad
enough she find out about the
ship; I can’t have her knowing
she might have an ally as well.
CANDLEWOOD
Sir, I'm not s-
VAUGHN
Get to work, Lieutenant.
CANDLEWOOD
Aye sir.
Candlewood returns to his station; Vaughn turns to Bowers.
VAUGHN
I’ll be going over there with Kira
and Bashir. Don’t bother arguing,
I’m not in the mood. I want you
to keep the ship combat ready.
If there’s any sign of this going
wrong, I want you to destroy
that entire section of the station.
BOWERS
But sir -
VAUGHN
You have your orders. Be nice if
somebody could follow them today.
Vaughn gets up from his chair and leaves the bridge.
BOWERS
Aye, captain.
25 INT. DEFIANT - SICKBAY
Raiq lies on a bio-bed, unconscious. Kira watches over her, Bashir and Richter nearby. The door opens, Vaughn enters.
VAUGHN
Status, Doctor.
BASHIR
She’s unconscious right now.
VAUGHN
Can you make sure she'll stay
that way?
BASHIR
I’m more familiar with her blood
chemistry now. I suppose I’d be
comfortable inducing a coma.
She’d remain unaware of the
entire procedure.
VAUGHN
Very well. I want her ready for
transport asap. If we’re doing
this, let’s get it done.
Vaughn turns to leave the room. Kira follows him out.
26 INT. DEFIANT - CORRIDOR
Vaughn sees that Kira has followed him into the corridor.
VAUGHN
Did you want something?
KIRA
Just some answers. I get why you
didn’t tell Raiq about the ship.
But why couldn’t you tell me?
VAUGHN
Why would I? You're not Starfleet
anymore. You're not even Militia.
You resigned. To put it bluntly,
Nerys, you're no longer one of us.
Kira stops and stares open-mouthed at Vaughn.
KIRA
That might be the ugliest thing
you've ever said to me, Elias.
VAUGHN
From your perspective it must
certainly seem so. But look at it
from mine. When you were captain,
or Sisko, would either of you have
entrusted military secrets to a
low-ranking church acolyte?
KIRA
It's not the same. You know me.
VAUGHN
I like to think so. But your loyalties
are no longer to me or to the
organisation I represent.
KIRA
(stunned)
You don't trust me?
VAUGHN
Personally, I trust no-one more.
I can't think of anyone better to
keep Raiq from being a danger to
us. I watched you do exactly that
with Taran'atar for three years,
so I know you're capable. But
sensitive information? I have no
reason to trust you with that,
because you have no reason to
keep it in confidence. You'd feel
obligated to tell Raiq, and that's
a risk I can't take.
KIRA
She's a frightened, lonely woman,
Elias. If we want her to trust us,
we have to trust her.
VAUGHN
You have the luxury of trust.
I don't. I have to plan for the
possibility that it won't be like
Taran'atar all over again. That
this time, you'll fail.
(beat)
I'm sorry, Nerys. I hope I can
still call you a friend. But this
decision is out of your hands.
Vaughn turns and walks away again, leaving Kira alone.
27 EXT. EMPOK NOR
Approaching the empty station, cold and lifeless in space.
The
Defiant shimmies into view as its cloak drops.
28 INT. EMPOK NOR – RUNABOUT BAY
The dim and shadowy room where Axno's ship rests. The ship hides in the darkness, the gentle orange glow from inside the cockpit lightly ebbing and flowing.
Transporters deposit Vaughn, Bashir, Candlewood, Kira and Sevak into the room. With them is Raiq, unconscious on a portable bio-bed that is riding on an anti-grav sled. Sevak and Vaughn are armed. They look around the dark room.
VAUGHN
Candlewood, you're up.
With a nod, Candlewood hefts the replicator machine over to the base of the ship, REPLICATES the ladder, and begins to climb. At the top, he sends a signal from his tricorder to OPEN the canopy, and then climbs inside.
KIRA
What's he doing?
VAUGHN
Getting it ready. Are we even sure
this will work? It's not her ship.
It might reject her.
KIRA
Raiq told me that the ships are
used to adapting to new owners
whenever the old one dies.
VAUGHN
And if it does, won't it just put
her back to factory settings? And
we go through it all again in a
few months' time?
BASHIR
I'm hoping that with some of my
own tweaks to her biochemistry,
we'll get a happy medium.
VAUGHN
And she definitely won't know or
remember what happened?
BASHIR
If she didn't know what caused it
in the first place, she won't know
what fixed it either.
CANDLEWOOD (o.s.)
Ready!
They look to see Candlewood poking his head out of the ship's canopy, waving for their attention.
CANDLEWOOD
You can come on up. One at a time
though. And don't touch anything.
Sevak goes up the ladder first, pausing at the top to help Bashir guide the anti-grav up. Once there, Sevak clambers into the ship, Bashir follows him, and they work together to lift Raiq's unconscious form off the anti-grav.
29 INT. ASCENDANT SHIP (CONTINUOUS)
CANDLEWOOD
On there.
Candlewood points to the pilot's seat - they heft the body onto it. Vaughn helps Kira clamber over the threshold. They settle into the ship – with six people, it's a tight space.
VAUGHN
Now what?
CANDLEWOOD
Well... I don't actually know. It
reacted to Prynn instantly.
KIRA
So we just wait?
Apparently so. Bashir and Candlewood both have tricorders out, taking readings. Sevak waits with hand on phaser.
The silver metal of the chair softens, Raiq's unconscious form sinking into it like a cushion. The shape SHIFTS, fluidly flattening and lengthening until it's more of a bed than a seat, Raiq's form carried with it the whole way.
The silver metal begins to BLEED around her, sluggishly at first, getting smoother and faster as it builds energy. It flows around her, covering her arms, creeping across her body. The others watch, equally fascinated and horrified.
The ship is stuttering to life all around them. Lights THROB from the silver surfaces. Electricity SKITTERS across bulkheads and panels. This is exactly what the ship needed.
The flowing metal has almost covered Raiq's body, leaving only her face clear. The ship seems to pause, figuring something out. The others wait for it all to go wrong.
Which it does.
The silver metal SNAPS tight around Raiq, like cling film. Electricity SPARKS all across her body, arcs jumping from arm to chest, from leg to head. Raiq JERKS inside the fluid cocoon, spasming violently in her unconsciousness.
VAUGHN
Back!
Vaughn and Candlewood back away to the ship's rear. Sevak pulls his phaser. Bashir and Kira refuse to leave her side.
VAUGHN
Doctor!
CANDLEWOOD
What's happening?
BASHIR
I don't know what's happening!
The sparks grow, jumping between Raiq and the ship itself. Raiq's shudders grow more violent. The ship begins to HUM, power building, panels brightening, bulkheads fortifying.
30 INT. EMPOK NOR – RUNABOUT BAY
As the sparks of electricity shine from inside the canopy, the damaged and warped external surfaces of the ship punch themselves back into smooth and seamless place. The liquid surface ripples. The front point sharpens and glows.
31 INT. DEFIANT - MAIN BRIDGE
Prynn reads her panels. Bowers hovers anxiously behind her.
PRYNN
I'm reading huge energy spikes
from the runabout bay. Ascendant
power signatures.
BOWERS
Ready photon torpedoes.
PRYNN
But Sam –
BOWERS
I know, Prynn. But we have our orders.
PRYNN'S PANELS
A GRAPHIC displays rising energy levels, creeping into the red zone...
32 INT. ASCENDANT SHIP
The energy keeps growing and growing, great ARCs of power jumping across the ship.
VAUGHN
That's it - everybody out!
BASHIR
Captain –
VAUGHN
NOW!
They all rush to the exit, dodging power spikes as they go. They clamber over the edge to the ladder, leaving Raiq in the grip of the vessel. Even now, Bashir is the last to go.
VAUGHN
If we survive this, Doctor...
you and I are going to have
one hell of a conversation.
Then they're all gone, leaving Raiq alone, still tortured in the grip of the flowing silver metal.
Slowly CLOSE IN on Raiq's shuddering but still unconscious face, the only part not smothered in liquid. Tiny sparks of electricity skitter across the skin. Her eyes SNAP open, literal flames licking out of them. Around her, we hear the vessel continue to ramp up, sounds growing louder, lights growing brighter, reaching ECU on Raiq's face...
WHITE OUT
We hold on WHITE OUT for a few moments, as the sights and sounds drift away into distant echoes, until finally...
FADE IN
33 RAIQ'S POV
Sights and sounds slowly begin to penetrate the fog. Far away voices, happy and relaxed. Twittering birds. Then white stone walls, basic furniture, a Bajoran prayer symbol etched directly into the stone. All peace and tranquillity.
34 INT. JANIR MONASTERY – RAIQ'S CHAMBERS
Slowly struggling her way back to consciousness, Raiq finds herself on her thin, basic cot in one of the small personal chambers at Janir monastery. The room around her is clean, tidy, undamaged.
Clearing the cobwebs from her head, she looks around. Kira is sat by the bedside, gazing out of the open window at the warm and gentle countryside. Raiq croaks out...
RAIQ
Kira...?
KIRA
You're awake! That's wonderful.
RAIQ
Where are we?
KIRA
Back at Janir. On Bajor. You're
safe here.
RAIQ
What happened to me?
KIRA
You were very ill. But just like
I told you, Doctor Bashir is a
genius. He fixed you. You'll
be good as new.
Kira gives her a warm, confident and reassuring smile.
RAIQ
What was wrong with me?
KIRA
Oh, I don't know. I'm no doctor.
(beat)
How do you feel?
Raiq takes a moment to process the question.
RAIQ
Strange. Something is different...
not quite as it was before. I
cannot say clearer than that.
KIRA
After what you've been through,
I’m not surprised. I'm just glad
you're better now.
RAIQ
I think... I heard them.
KIRA
The True?
RAIQ
No. My brothers and sisters.
Kira covers the 'oh crap' moment. She stutters to recover. Thankfully Raiq is too groggy to notice.
RAIQ (cont)
In my fever, I heard their voices
calling to me. I felt... at home.
KIRA
I'm sorry. You must miss them
a great deal.
RAIQ
They are with the True. It seems
I, still, am not. But I am now once
again sure they await me.
(smile)
I felt their power, even if it was
not my time to join them.
KIRA
(awkward, evasive)
I'm happy for you, Raiq. I'll let
you rest now.
As Raiq drifts off again, Kira stands. She quietly moves to the heavy wooden door of the chamber, opens it, and exits.
35 INT. JANIR MONASTERY – CORRIDOR
Gently closing the door behind her, Kira hovers in the corridor. The confident smile drops away. She's worried.
Taking a deep breath, she moves off into the monastery.
FADE OUT:
END OF SHOW
