Write our own TNG episode
- Thread starter Jadzia
- Start date
"
-- It was a very thought provoking scene 
[They drop the captain at Picard's feet - he is a human male, late 50's with some bruises]
PICARD: Captain Ellis! What is going on?
ELLIS: You monster - don't do this, you'll destroy the planet!
PICARD: Stand up man - you are a star fleet officer! What are you doing here? How will I destroy the planet?
[Ellis gets to his feet, obviously with some pain]
ELLIS: How many more times do you want to hear it?
PICARD: Indulge me
ELLIS: Something pulled us out of warp near the Rubicun system. Before we could do anything, hundreds of Edo were aboard. They took control, brought us here - crashed the ship. I tried - we tried everything - couldn't self destruct - couldn't stop them - they hate us. Radiation killed most of the crew and the Edo. What more do you want?
[Ellis coughs and falls to his knees]
[They drop the captain at Picard's feet - he is a human male, late 50's with some bruises]
PICARD: Captain Ellis! What is going on?
ELLIS: You monster - don't do this, you'll destroy the planet!
PICARD: Stand up man - you are a star fleet officer! What are you doing here? How will I destroy the planet?
[Ellis gets to his feet, obviously with some pain]
ELLIS: How many more times do you want to hear it?
PICARD: Indulge me
ELLIS: Something pulled us out of warp near the Rubicun system. Before we could do anything, hundreds of Edo were aboard. They took control, brought us here - crashed the ship. I tried - we tried everything - couldn't self destruct - couldn't stop them - they hate us. Radiation killed most of the crew and the Edo. What more do you want?
[Ellis coughs and falls to his knees]
.More from the editor:
I'm seeing a wonderful opportunity here for Picard to find some good ethical reason to be who they want him to be, perhaps as he witnesses the natives' need and potential to escape their desperate poverty with the aid of this craft, so questions the first contact rules as the damage is already done.
Maybe he sees no alternative but to help these people get shipshape in the best way he can. It should be a slow process for him to accept this destiny, wrestling with his own moral duty and federation principles, with Q taunting him with the Federation rulebook every step of the way.
He might at some point want to auto-destruct the ship (as always) but philosophising, "I feel like I'd be burning the fishing boats of desperate starving people. And what would that make us, the Federation?"
A grievously savage race, Q?
Looking at the bigger picture, Q's intentions are always good, and all knowing, that Jean-Luc would fulfill his destiny, and all will turn out well.
It could set the scene for a story mentioned in another thread here - 20th century people trying to make their way around a 24th century vessel.
Just a thought.
If contributers do choose to take the story in this direction, do spread it out. This could be a 2 hour feature film, and we're only 5 minutes in. If you don't like this idea, that's ok.
-- Don't worry Jadzia - I'm sure there'll be more to this than meets the eye 
-- Do you want us to script ads for the ad-breaks?
-- Do you want us to script ads for the ad-breaks?
-- Don't worry Jadzia - I'm sure there'll be more to this than meets the eye
-- Do you want us to script ads for the ad-breaks?
whatever you want tiger
I'm off to get ready and settled before my daily dose of TNG now. Only 45 minutes today for my bubbly bath. I'm running late with browsing this damn forum
Jadzia x
Thanks.-- It was a very thought provoking scene
However, I have a question, TigerOfDarkness. Are the Edo in your scene the Edo we already know from "Justice"?
Also, why doesn't Captain Ellis wonder when Picard-as-Samo-the-Great-Leader calls him a Starfleet officer?
Hi NCC-1701, my answers to your questions are as follows:
- I envisaged the Edo are the Edo from Justice - they were eaten up with rage at Picard's actions and it transformed their society. Their "god" pulled Ellis' ship out of warp and helped the Edo in their attempt to take it over.
- Samo knows about Star Fleet because when the star ship ( needs a name ) crashed and Samo's men captured it and the remains of the crew, he found out some details. He obviously has access to some knowledge, as the Faithful(?) are repairing the ship - at least to some extent.
Incidently, Picard comes across rather aggresively in what I'd written there - maybe he's absorbing some influences from Samo?
Don't worry if your answers are different! Feel free to take the story any way you want.
After reading your scene (which I would love to see on TV - the reveal of the star ship was a great idea!) it occured to me that having accused Picard of violating the Prime Directive that maybe I should have something to back it up with....
It did occur to me that the captain could have been Picard himself and the Galaxy Class ship would be the Enterprise - was that what you had in mind?
- I envisaged the Edo are the Edo from Justice - they were eaten up with rage at Picard's actions and it transformed their society. Their "god" pulled Ellis' ship out of warp and helped the Edo in their attempt to take it over.
- Samo knows about Star Fleet because when the star ship ( needs a name ) crashed and Samo's men captured it and the remains of the crew, he found out some details. He obviously has access to some knowledge, as the Faithful(?) are repairing the ship - at least to some extent.
Incidently, Picard comes across rather aggresively in what I'd written there - maybe he's absorbing some influences from Samo?
Don't worry if your answers are different! Feel free to take the story any way you want.
After reading your scene (which I would love to see on TV - the reveal of the star ship was a great idea!) it occured to me that having accused Picard of violating the Prime Directive that maybe I should have something to back it up with....
It did occur to me that the captain could have been Picard himself and the Galaxy Class ship would be the Enterprise - was that what you had in mind?
Very interesting stuff, TigerOfDarkness! 
My idea was more or less the following: This world (and the story of this episode) are -- in best Star Trek tradition -- an analogy to today's political situation. "Samo" would basically be Osama Bin Laden; the leader of a fanatical religious group who now has a great starship to attack the faithless opposition (= USA). The question is basically: What would Picard do if he was Osama Bin Laden? Can he prevent the terrorist attack without violating the Prime Directive even more? In this idea Q would have made Riker the leader of the Faithless (= President Bush).
Anyway, I'm looking forward to how this story will evolve.
Ah, I see now. So they are actually on the Edo homeworld now. I just wondered because Picard's log entry in the first scene talks about a "pre-warp civilisation". I actually envisioned them more or less like 21st century humans.
Makes perfect sense.
Fantastic idea!
That idea is even more fantastic! And no, that wasn't what I had in mind.
My idea was more or less the following: This world (and the story of this episode) are -- in best Star Trek tradition -- an analogy to today's political situation. "Samo" would basically be Osama Bin Laden; the leader of a fanatical religious group who now has a great starship to attack the faithless opposition (= USA). The question is basically: What would Picard do if he was Osama Bin Laden? Can he prevent the terrorist attack without violating the Prime Directive even more? In this idea Q would have made Riker the leader of the Faithless (= President Bush).
Anyway, I'm looking forward to how this story will evolve.
Hi, actually, I wasn't thinking this was the Edo homeworld. As you indicate, Picard's log entry doesn't identify it as such ( and I think he would have ). Guess this bit is a bit of a stretch, but the star ship must have travelled a bit whilst there was fighting on board, so we are on a different planet. The Edo were just a link in the chain of events that has got us here.
I did spot the "Failthless" reference and the analogy with Earth as it is now. I think there is great potential there - Samo has been given a tremendous gift - a nearly working star ship but all he wants is a weapon?
I think the story you outline in your post will be interesting. I really don't want to dictate how the story should go. I realise that this is an unusual way to write a script but I rather like this collaborative bouncing of ideas and scenes of of each other that we have been doing up to now.
Your turn......
I did spot the "Failthless" reference and the analogy with Earth as it is now. I think there is great potential there - Samo has been given a tremendous gift - a nearly working star ship but all he wants is a weapon?
I think the story you outline in your post will be interesting. I really don't want to dictate how the story should go. I realise that this is an unusual way to write a script but I rather like this collaborative bouncing of ideas and scenes of of each other that we have been doing up to now.
Your turn......
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