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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
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