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ACT ONE
FADE IN:
4 ON KIRA
Looking somewhat confused.
KIRA
A road trip?
WIDEN to reveal...
5 INT. DS9 – KIRA’S OFFICE
KIRA sits behind her desk. Nog stands hopefully in front.
NOG
Yes, sir. I’ll make sure the
subspace relay is good and solid
first, but once that’s done...
I thought it might be good
for morale.
KIRA
Nog... are you sure this is a
good time to be wandering around
the Gamma Quadrant? It’s pretty
dangerous out there right now.
NOG
(grin)
Why do you think I’m taking the
Rio Grande? The only runabout
that’s always brought everyone
home safe.
KIRA
(dubious)
Well, okay, I guess. But you’re
in command, alright? It’s up to
you to take good care of every-
one. And the ship.
NOG
I promise. Trust me, nothing’s
going to go wrong.
6 INT. DS9 – PRYNN’S QUARTERS
On PRYNN, wearing a fluffy pink robe and drying her hair with a towel, post-shower...
PRYNN
(excited)
A road trip?
NOG
Yep. Chance to stretch your legs,
grab some fun and excitement.
Never know what you’ll find.
PRYNN
Sounds like a great idea. Just
let me pack my party clothes
and I’ll meet you there.
NOG
Great!
7 INT. DS9 – OPS CENTRE
On Shar, sat at the science console, while Nog leans over it to talk to him. Shar reacts as if to foreign words...
SHAR
A road trip?
NOG
(hangs head)
Don’t tell me I have to convince
you as well, now. Yes, a road
trip. We just get in the runabout
and see where it takes us.
SHAR
And this was Rena’s idea?
NOG
Yes, and it’s a good one. Fun,
Shar! You enjoyed the Defiant’s
trip through the Gamma Quadrant,
didn’t you? Just think of the
new discoveries waiting for you.
Shar allows a small smile. He knows Nog is just telling him what he wants to hear, but it does sound good.
SHAR
Very well, Nog. A road trip.
NOG
Excellent! We’ll be like the
DS-Nine Junior Heroes! Fifteen-
thirty-hours at the Rio Grande,
alright? Prynn’s meeting us there.
Shar’s smile drops.
SHAR
You invited Prynn?
NOG
Yeah. We’ll need a professional
pilot. Why, is it a problem?
Shar’s face reflects his uncertainty on that question...
8 INT. RUNABOUT – COCKPIT
Prynn is sat in the pilot’s seat. Behind her, Nog, Jake and Rena enter, all carrying small travelling bags. A few steps behind, Shar enters.
Prynn turns to greet them all, but her smile freezes a little as she and Shar make eye contact. He nods to her, uncomfortable. Nog is oblivious.
NOG
Right, everyone throw your bags
in the back. There’s a private
bed area for the happy couple,
and the rest of us... we’ll
figure something out.
Jake and Rena bustle into the back, followed by Nog. Shar hesitantly approaches Prynn, not sure how to act.
SHAR
Prynn... you may take the second
bunk if you wish.
PRYNN
No, that’s fine. Somebody’s got
to drive.
(beat; genuinely)
But thank you.
Shar nods and turns away towards the back.
9 EXT. DEEP SPACE NINE
The runabout pad rises up, locking into place. The ship powers up and lifts off. It turns towards the wormhole, swoops around and dives into the opening.
10 INT. RUNABOUT – COCKPIT
Prynn piloting, Nog beside her, Shar at a rear console. Jake and Rena stand behind the front seats, gazing out the window at the currents and swirls of the wormhole interior. Jake reaches out to hold Rena’s hand, and she turns to him, happy tears in her eyes.
11 EXT. SPACE
The runabout holds position next to an unpowered subspace relay, as seen in 3x15 “Destiny” and 8x23 “Rising Son.”
12 INT. RUNABOUT – COCKPIT
Shar and Nog work diligently at various panels, with displays showing schematics of the subspace relay and various other technical stuff. Rena still gazes out of the window at the stars, enchanted.
RENA
The stars, they’re all different.
Jake brings her back a drink from the replicator. She takes it with a smile, and he drapes an arm around her shoulder, joining her in looking out of the window. Prynn is sat with her arms folded, bored.
PRYNN
I’m bored. When do we get the
fun and excitement I was so
faithfully promised?
RENA
I would think you got plenty
of excitement, Prynn. Aren’t
you the Defiant’s pilot?
PRYNN
Which would be great if the
Defiant ever went anywhere.
(beat)
Okay, that’s not fair. It’s
actually a pretty sweet gig. I
mean, the Defiant’s a legend.
Everything it did during the
war... how could I not want
to be a part of that?
Nog stops what he’s doing and turns to look at her.
NOG
You do realise it’s not the
same ship, right?
PRYNN
Yeah, I know. But there are
other reasons to be there.
NOG
(continuing)
Although I never did understand
how it ended up with the same
registry number.
PRYNN
Ah, well, I asked my dad about
that. He says it’s actually a
deliberate ploy to strike fear
into the hearts of our enemies.
NOG
(dubious)
Really? How so?
PRYNN
The first Defiant was destroyed
at Chin’toka, right? How much
propaganda play do you think
the Dominion got out of that?
Nog allows that it was probably a lot.
PRYNN (cont)
So what does Starfleet do? It
fields an identical ship with
the same name, same number,
even the same crew. And it
carries right on.
NOG
Which makes the Defiant look
more indestructible than ever.
PRYNN
Not only do Starfleet’s officers
come back from the dead, now so
do its ships. At the same time,
it makes the Dominion look
desperate and pathetic for
having claimed to destroy it
in the first place. Pretty
cool, if you think about it.
Under all this, Shar has been studiously working, keeping out of the conversation. Now he calls out:
SHAR
Nog? Your assistance, please?
Nog goes back to paying attention to the job.
RENA
But somebody will still know
the truth.
PRYNN
(shrug)
Doesn’t matter what the truth
actually is. Only matters what
enough people think the truth is.
That’s another lesson I learned
from my dad, for good or ill.
(beat)
Anyway, my point - before I
got distracted – was that there
are other reasons I like being
at DS-Nine than just the Defiant.
Her eyes flick over to Shar, whose back is turned again, working. She covers quickly.
PRYNN (cont)
Reconnecting with my dad has
been great, once I gave my
shoulder a thorough chipectomy.
Jake chuckles at the term – no-one else understands it.
PRYNN (cont)
But yeah, I still like to get
out there and burn plasma every
now and then.
(pointedly)
Like somebody promised me.
NOG
(sing-song)
The more you complain, the longer
it’ll take me...
PRYNN
I know, I know. Just busting
your chops, Captain.
NOG
Well, as it happens...
Nog looks to Shar, who nods back to him. Nog taps one last control, and his various panels light up with readings.
13 EXT. SPACE (CONTINUOUS)
Next to the runabout, the subspace relay comes to life, powering up, running lights shining and manoeuvring itself into position.
14 INT. RUNABOUT – COCKPIT (CONTINUOUS)
Shar and Nog are closely watching their panels, while the other three politely stay out of their way.
NOG
Power readings are steady...
SHAR
Beginning test signal.
One of Shar’s panels changes to show a wave form, with the associated sound. They all wait a little nervously for the return signal...and it comes in with an affirmative beep.
NOG
Yes!
Nog and Shar high-five each other with satisfaction. Jake is surprised and amused to see the gesture. Nog and Shar begin to put away their tools.
JAKE
Congratulations, you two. I
remember when my dad set up
the first relay to the Gamma
Quadrant – it almost blew up
the Defiant.
NOG
Thankfully we’ve ironed out a
few details since then. We’ve
done this three times now.
SHAR
It is becoming something of a tradition.
PRYNN
Well, good for you. Can we go now?
RENA
We still have to decide where
we’re going. You’ve all been
out here a lot more than me.
Any ideas?
JAKE
How about Ee? It’s an entire
planet dedicated to shopping.
NOG
Nah, too far away.
(thinks a moment)
Oh, I’ve got it! Prynn, check
the navigational charts – the
Wadi homeworld has to be near
here somewhere.
RENA
Wadi? Who are they?
JAKE
One of the first people to
visit the station after we
discovered the wormhole.
Sorry - the Temple.
Rena pats his arm lovingly – don’t worry about it.
NOG
They’re crazy about games and
gambling. They must know how
to show tourists a good time.
Prynn spins back to her console and starts hitting buttons.
PRYNN
Sounds like a plan. Wadi home
world, here we come!
15 EXT. SPACE
The runabout moves away from the subspace relay and, at a suitable distance, ramps up and jumps to warp.
16 EXT. SPACE – WADI HOMEWORLD
A blue-green, lightly cloudy world as seen from the night side, the tell-tale lights of well-lit cities and networks of connections between them. Numerous ships and shuttles move in orbit – some freighters, some pleasure cruisers. The Rio Grande hoves into view, joining the procession.
17 EXT. WADI HOMEWORLD SURFACE – EARLY EVENING
The runabout’s hatch hisses open, and Nog, Jake, Rena, Prynn and Shar step out. Nog and Jake come first, in nice smart outfits, chattering excitedly together.
JAKE
You’ve got a limit, okay? Don’t
go crazy with the gambling.
NOG
Stop heckling me. I’m not the
one who married you.
Followed by Rena and Prynn, wearing slinky party dresses and talking girl talk.
PRYNN
Ooh, cute purse!
RENA
Isn’t it? My friend Halar works
in a dress shop – she made it
for me for my ih’tanu ceremony.
And last is Shar, wearing something that resembles the traditional chan party outfit from 9x09 “Paradigm,” but not quite so formal. He looks rather uncomfortable in it, as if ashamed to be wearing something so garish.
As the hatch closes behind them and they walk off, we PULL BACK and see that the runabout is parked on the ground in a giant parking lot filled with various other small shuttles and personal vehicles.
NOG
Everyone remember where we parked!
They walk on through the parking lot. We TILT UP to see what this is the parking lot of: a massive entertainment complex, like a fun fair, Vegas casino and multiplex cinema all combined.
Strobes and lasers flash, transport tubes rush vacationers back and forth, big neon signs advertise things in various languages, and the sound of happy partiers reaches us.
DISSOLVE INTO:
18 EXT. WADI HOMEWORLD SURFACE – LATE NIGHT
The same shot, but now much later at night. The scene is just that little bit quieter, with fewer shuttles parked in the parking lot and the transport tubes fewer between.
TILT DOWN. The gang walks back through the parked shuttles towards us. They’re all just slightly tipsy but very happy.
JAKE
Nog, you were amazing! You
cleaned that place out!
NOG
I’ve got enough pegs here to
make us all rich!
He jangles the money-filled pockets in the thighs of his trousers for emphasis. Following are Prynn and Rena.
RENA
Oh, I’m looking forward to
getting these heels off.
PRYNN
I gotta apologise – I really
did not see this coming...
She turns to look behind her – and there is Shar, well and truly trashed. He’s draped with streamers and leis, wearing huge oversized sunglasses, and holding an enormous tropical drink with fruit and sparklers and more streamers. His antennae have got balls of tinsel stuck onto each end, so that they look like flesh-and-blood beeny-boppers. He’s dancing and singing along to non-existent music, his drink sloshing unnoticed all over the place. But he’s having a whale of a time.
SHAR
(in between
dance moves)
Why are we leaving? The party’s
only just started!
Nog pauses to wait for him. He’s happy that Shar’s having fun, but feels responsible for taking care of him.
NOG
Come on, Shar. Let’s get you
back to the runabout and get
you a nice cup of coffee.
The group walks a few more steps together, and then they stop, all looking the same direction, and all shocked. Except for Shar, who is still in his own world.
JAKE
Ummm...
We PULL BACK, and now we see what they’re staring at. An empty space in the parking lot.
PRYNN
Where’s the runabout?
As they all stare at the empty space...
BLACK OUT:
END OF ACT ONE
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