ACT ONE

FADE IN:

10 EXT. DEEP SPACE NINE

Standard shot of the station at rest.

11 INT. DS9 - QUARK’S BAR

NOG, PRYNN and CANDLEWOOD sit at a table together, a semi-heated discussion already underway, their finished lunches and mugs of coffee long since forgotten.

CANDLEWOOD
I’m just saying, maybe “Uprising”
wasn’t the best title.

NOG
Why not?

CANDLEWOOD
Well, because for one thing there
was no uprising.

NOG
Of course there was! DaiMon Mo
disobeyed his orders to do the
right thing.

PRYNN
But those orders were clearly
wrong in the first place. It was
setting up a straw man argument
to make it easier to knock down.

CANDLEWOOD
And one ship doesn’t really count
as an uprising, Nog. And it wasn’t
even all the people on the ship. It
barely counts as a mild disagreement.

NOG
Yeah, well... “Mild Disagreement”
doesn’t sell action figures!

The Bajoran security chief Lt Cmdr EVIK wanders up, his own mug in his hand, curious about the conversation.

EVIK
What are you three having such an
animated discussion about?

PRYNN
We’re talking about the latest
Marauder Mo holosuite program.

NOG
In which brave and heroic Daimon
Mo and his crew defy the immoral
orders of their superiors and save a
group of aliens they were supposed
to just let die for the sake of their
own profit.

CANDLEWOOD
(reassuring)
Don’t worry, they still manage to
make a profit at the end anyway.

EVIK
Ah, I confess I’m not all that
familiar with the series. All I know
is that it’s supposed to only be
worth playing the even-numbered
ones. The odd-numbered ones are
supposed to be dreadful.

NOG
This was an odd-numbered one!

EVIK
(hands up)
Don't shoot the messenger. I'm
just relaying what I heard.

Suddenly QUARK is there, collecting empty glasses and butting in.

QUARK
Why, what have you heard?

EVIK
Apparently, the new Marauder Mo
holo-program is creating some
controversy among the fans.

QUARK
(wistful)
Ah, Marauder Mo. His ongoing
mission to boldly go where no
Ferengi had gone before, to seek
out new profits and new people to
exploit... it was inspirational!
You know, it was because of Mo
that I decided that one day, when
I grew up, I was going to go out
into space and be just like him.

PRYNN
That’s why you signed up to the
Ferengi Merchant Navy?

NOG
And ended up as the ship’s cook.

QUARK
Hey, maybe it wasn’t as glamorous
or as action-packed as Mo, but I
followed my dreams.
(sigh)
Still, it’s not as good as it used
to be. All these new characters...
it’s tough to make a connection.
Anybody want anything else?

EVIK
I’m fine, thank you, Ambassador.

QUARK
So what do you think about this
Vedek Assembly business, huh? Can
you believe that half of them just
walked out like that?

NOG
It wasn’t half, uncle. It was barely
over a third.

QUARK
It was enough. Don’t get me wrong,
another kai election will put my
betting pools through the roof. But
I can’t help thinking it’s just... petty.

EVIK
Perhaps. But Vedek Bellis and his
supporters insist that the Bajoran
spiritual community can never be
harmonious with an Ohalavar in
the Apex Chair.

CANDLEWOOD
Do you agree with him?

EVIK
I... ah... haven’t quite decided
yet. But he’s clearly not alone in
feeling that way. And I think it
would be unwise to just dismiss
him out of hand.

PRYNN
I guess we have to wait for the
result of the vote.

EVIK
Which it’s my job to administrate.

CANDLEWOOD
It doesn’t usually work like that
though, right?

EVIK
Certainly not. Bellis insisted on a
public vote amongst the entire
population this time, rather than
just among the Assembly. Something
about “activist vedeks” and letting
the people have their say.

PRYNN
I can’t stand the man myself.
He’s nothing but a bully.

EVIK
I’m sure there must be a way to
work it out. I’ve never known two
sides who couldn’t mend their
differences by simple discussion.

QUARK
I hope so. I’ve had my share of
action-packed, thank you. I don’t
need to see Bajorans beating each
other with clubs too. I do have
one question though...

EVIK
Go on.

QUARK
If Vaughn has transferred, and Ro
and Cenn are away in the Gamma
Quadrant doing whatever they’re
doing, and the four of you are
here talking about Marauder Mo...
who’s running the station?

Nog, Prynn and Candlewood look at each other...

NOG
We should...

PRYNN
...probably go...

CANDLEWOOD
...yeah.

They get up from the table and head for the door. Evik watches them go with a wistful smile.

EVIK
Ah, to be young and worry-free
again, concerned only with the
latest holosuite programs.

QUARK
You really think it’s going to
be okay?

EVIK
I have to, Quark. The alternative
is... unpleasant to contemplate.

Evik and Quark go their separate ways, both pensive...

12 EXT. SPACE – THE BLACK WORLD

The dark and rocky planet as seen from space.

13 INT. VEXH’S SHIP

Vexh is horizontal, floating in mid-air, still shuddering and convulsing. A FORCEFIELD is wrapped around him, and it guides him gently, cushioning him and carrying him.

Raiq is casting the field, concentrating hard, to manoeuvre Vexh towards the single pilot’s chair. Kira, Ro and Cenn are with them.

KIRA
Quick, get him onto the chair.

RAIQ
(sneer)
I know what to do, woman.

RO
(to Kira)
How do you know what to do?

KIRA
Because I was there... when we
did this for Raiq.

Raiq is distracted with a moment of gratitude to Kira, momentarily forgetting her control of the forcefield.

Just in time – Vexh drops the couple of inches into the chair. Instinctively, the chair begins to flow and reshape itself, straightening into a bed, carrying Vexh with it.

Once in position, the silver liquid metal slowly bleeds out from the chair, flowing over Vexh’s body. He gradually calms, relaxing into unconsciousness. The others watch, half fascinated, half revolted.

KIRA
Should we get out of here?

RAIQ
Why?

KIRA
It got kinda violent at this point
when it was you in that chair.

RAIQ
(exasperated)
You misunderstand everything. That
was Axno’s vessel. Placing me into it
required the vessel to adapt itself to
me before it could heal me. Vexh’s
own vessel will heal him without
any difficulty.

KIRA
Okay, good.

Jeez, she was only asking.

Leaving Vexh there to rest and recuperate, Ro and Kira begin to explore the ship. Raiq watches them warily.

RO
It doesn’t look as badly beat up
as Axno’s did.

RAIQ
If the call went out more than a
cycle ago, and Vexh has been here
for half of that time, then it is
strange that the vessel has taken
this long to heal. The wound must
have been great.

KIRA
Well, it’s not like you guys are
short on time.

RAIQ
We are a patient people. We waited
millennia for the Ascension.

RO
Could that be why the ship hasn’t
healed? The Ascension destroyed
the Even Odds, and that was barely
one of yours anymore. Maybe it
affected Vexh’s ship as well.

RAIQ
It is a possibility. That was well
reasoned, Ro.

Ro looks to Kira, smug, like “She likes me. Ner ner ner.” Cenn is uncomfortable with the lovefest.

CENN
I’ll be outside if you need me.

Ro nods her permission. Cenn turns and clambers out of the hatch, and down the ladder.

14 EXT. BLACK WORLD

Cenn reaches the ground again, and looks around.

CENN
Pif? Where are you?

He looks up the angle of the amphitheatre in front of him, towards the runabout. Nothing. Left, right. Nothing.

Getting worried now, he walks around the Ascendant ship, searching for the dog-like alien. On the other side of the ship, he looks up the hill again. And Pif is there, slowly climbing the hill. Cenn frowns, and chases after him.

CENN
Hey, Pif! Wait!

Pif glances back towards him, but doesn’t stop climbing. He sniffs the air again. Cenn finally catches up...

CENN
What’s going on?

PIF
Can you smell that?

Cenn shakes his head, no idea what Pif is talking about. After a moment they reach the opposite ridge line and stand at the edge, gazing out across the land.

And there, in the distance but quite clear, is what appears to be a WALL OF FIRE. It fills the entire horizon, miles away but growing very slowly closer.

Cenn and Pif see this, dismayed...

BLACK OUT:

END OF ACT ONE