ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

26 INT. VEXH’S SHIP

Picking up where we left off. Raiq reacts to Vexh...

RAIQ
My brother... no. We must leave.

VEXH
Why? If all our brothers and
sisters are gone, and the very
purpose of our lives fulfilled...
what else is there to do here? If
death is coming as you say, then
let it come. I welcome it.

Raiq doesn’t know what to say. Kira steps up.

KIRA
Vexh, listen. You’re not alone.
Raiq is right here. The two of you
could start over, make a new life
for yourselves. The Ascension
doesn’t have to be the end.

VEXH
(sneer)
Who are you? You cannot speak to
me of the truth, of the purpose of
the Ascendants. For all I know you
shame the True with your very life.
Leave us.

KIRA
Look, we don’t have time for –

VEXH
I said leave!

Vexh stands and glares at Kira, his hands glowing with flames. Kira takes the hint and backs off. But she looks at Raiq, and Raiq gets her message – convince him. Then Kira clambers over the edge of the canopy and out of the ship.

27 EXT. DEEP SPACE NINE

Focusing on the Promenade...

28 INT. DS9 – QUARK’S BAR

Lt Cmdr Evik sits alone at a table on the upper level. He gazes down into his drink, troubled. Down below, the usual middling crowd of drinkers and gamblers goes on.

After a while, a shadow falls over the table.

CANDLEWOOD (o.s.)
Mind if I join you?

Evik looks up to see Candlewood with his own drink.

EVIK
Mister Candlewood. Certainly, if
you want.

Candlewood sits. It’s clear Evik has something on his mind, and Candlewood wants to broach it with him.

CANDLEWOOD
You’ve been sitting and staring at
the shrine all day. But you haven’t
gone in yourself. It’s the vote,
isn’t it? Are you afraid Bellis is
going to win?

EVIK
Why would that make me afraid?

CANDLEWOOD
Oh. I thought –

EVIK
If that’s what the public wants,
then that’s what they should have.
It’s not my place to tell them
they can’t have it.

CANDLEWOOD
But that would mean throwing
Solis and his followers out of
the Vedek Assembly altogether.

EVIK
Very likely.

CANDLEWOOD
And you don’t think that’s wrong?

EVIK
(quiet, insular)
So what if I do?

CANDLEWOOD
When you first got here, you told
everyone you’d work to keep all of
the different communities of this
station together. How does what
Bellis wants to do fit with that?

EVIK
If the majority agree with him,
I have to respect their choice.

CANDLEWOOD
But you do disagree yourself.

Evik’s non-answer is enough answer in itself.

CANDLEWOOD
Why are you afraid to say that?

EVIK
Young man, I’m sure you mean well,
but this is none of your business.

CANDLEWOOD
No, I guess not. I don’t get a vote.
But I do know my history.

EVIK
What does that mean?

CANDLEWOOD
On my world, there used to be a
lot of tension between the various
religions. Like, a lot. A lot a lot a
lot. I’m Jewish, and we were not
always the most popular group.

EVIK
On what grounds?

CANDLEWOOD
That we were different. We got
singled out and picked on for
being different. We weren’t the
only ones. It happened over and
over again with various groups.

EVIK
And you don’t want it to happen here.

CANDLEWOOD
Can you blame me? To me, faith is
a very personal thing. I live by it,
but I don’t go around trying to force
other people to live by it too. My
faith is not about other people.
It’s about me.

EVIK
Faith is very much a communal
thing on Bajor, Mister Candlewood.
We draw strength from all being
part of the same... ‘group’.

CANDLEWOOD
Humans draw strength from being
different. It took us a long time to
figure that out, believe me. But
ultimately it’s what kept us
together. Our differences.

EVIK
And you think that would be true
for Bajor as well.

CANDLEWOOD
Doesn’t matter what I think.
I don’t get a vote.

Candlewood’s point becomes clear. It’s what Evik thinks that matters. So... what does he think?

29 INT. DS9 – PROMENADE

Outside the shrine. The lines have gone, because pretty much everyone else has already voted by now. But Sevak and Aleco still stand guard, just in case.

Now Evik hovers on the threshold. He nods acknowledgement to the two junior officers. Then he nods to himself. He’s made his decision. He walks on into the shrine.

30 EXT. BLACK WORLD

The light from the approaching meridian is growing all the time, and the air feels electrified with its power. The burning daytime is almost here.

31 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT

Ro, Cenn and Pif all sit, while Kira paces back and forth anxiously. The light shines through the windows.

KIRA
This is stupid. Time’s almost up,
we need to be going. Why can’t
he see that?

RO
Raiq will convince him, Nerys.

KIRA
How long?

CENN
(checks panels)
Ten minutes.

KIRA
Alright that’s it. We’re –
(catches self)
Dammit. Sorry. Commander Ro,
what do you want to do?

They all turn to look at Ro. Under pressure, she considers her options. Then she takes a deep breath and stands.

RO
Time’s up. We force the issue.

32 EXT. BLACK WORLD

Outside the runabout, the four of them pause and gaze across the amphitheatre. The wall of fire is almost on top of them. They feel its heat on their skin and the charge in the air. There’s no time left to argue.

RO
Pif – you’re our early warning
system. Once it reaches the
opposite ridge line... you bark
like you’ve never barked before.

PIF
You can count on me, Commander.

Pif straightens his spines to attention, then the three Bajorans stride off down the hill towards Vexh’s ship.

33 INT. VEXH’S SHIP

Vexh and Raiq stand together, grasping each other’s hands.

RAIQ
Trust me, my brother. This need
not be the end. Enough of our
brothers and sisters have died
already.

VEXH
They are with the True.

RAIQ
Yes, and we are not. Do you not
believe that it would not be so if
the True did not wish it so? We
only have to have the courage
to find the reason. Trust in the
wisdom of the Unnameable Ones,
my brother. Live... by my side.

VEXH
But... we are so alone.

RAIQ
Then let that be what keeps us
together.

Vexh is on his way to being convinced. Then Ro clambers over the edge of the ship, followed by Kira and Cenn.

RO
Alright, listen. There’s no time
left to argue about this, so I’m
making the decision for you. We’re
gonna get this ship moving, and
we’re gonna do it now.

Raiq looks warily to Vexh, who takes a deep breath...

VEXH
I feel the power of the meridian
approaching. That will help to
bring the vessel out of slumber.

CENN
Right! Candlewood said the ship’s
skin absorbs energy. It’s exactly
what we need. I’ll see what else
I can get out of his research.

RO
Good work, Major. Alright, we’re
gonna be cutting this close. So
let’s get on with it, people!

Vexh takes his pilot’s seat with renewed purpose, starts trying to coax responses out of the panels. Raiq stands with him, conferring. Cenn pulls out his tricorder, directs it towards one of the ship’s interior walls, and begins working the controls. Kira takes Ro’s arm, and smiles.

KIRA
(sotto)
Thank you.

Ro smiles back. It’s gonna work.

34 EXT. BLACK WORLD

The wall of fire is almost here. The silver skin of Vexh’s ship shimmers with the heat and light. Pif hovers outside the runabout, spines on edge, watching it approach.

35 INT. VEXH’S SHIP

Vexh sits at his pilot’s station, frustrated. He wipes a hand across the main console, and the ship responds with weak and wavery throbs of varying colours.

VEXH
The vessel fights me.

KIRA
How can it? It’s your ship.

CENN
Maybe it still wants to die.

RAIQ
Be silent, Bajoran.

Cenn shrugs and carries on working his tricorder.

VEXH
I do not understand! I try to
bring the vessel out of its
slumber, but it will not! My
sister, help me!

Raiq begins sliding her hands over the malleable surfaces with Vexh. Colours swim and stutter across the panels, but the ship is not coming to life.

Then urgent BARKS sound from outside. Ro and Kira react...

36 EXT. BLACK WORLD

The wall of fire has reached the first ridge line, the far edge of the great black bowl. Pure energy and burning air scorch the already blackened, crystallised ground.

Standing outside the runabout, Pif BARKS for his life.

37 INT. VEXH’S SHIP

As the barking continues...

RO
That’s the signal. Vexh – can you
get this thing moving or not?

VEXH
I don’t understand... my vessel,
are you not with me?

RO
I guess that’s a no. Alright,
everybody out! We’re abandoning
ship. All of you, out! Now!

Cenn rushes to the exit and begins clambering out.

KIRA
Raiq, we have to go!

RAIQ
Vexh...

VEXH
I do not understand...

RO
Out!

Raiq grabs Vexh, drags him towards the exit, forces him out through it. Raiq follows, then Kira, then Ro.

38 EXT. BLACK WORLD

The meridian creeps down the hill towards Vexh’s ship...

Ro runs for her life up the opposite hill, towards the runabout. In front of her, Raiq drags Vexh with her. Kira and Cenn follow. Pif is waiting for them outside the ship.

RO
(taps combadge)
Ro to Nile. Activate program Ro
one-one-five!

The ship’s nacelles come alive and throb with power, ready to lift the ship...

39 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT

The main pilot’s consoles begin to run their own programs, getting the ship ready to take off...

40 EXT. BLACK WORLD

The wall of fire touches the wing tip of Vexh’s ship...

Vexh SCREAMS as he feels the ship’s pain, stumbling. Raiq reaches out to drag him along...

PIF
Come on!

The group reaches the ship. Pif turns and runs through the hatch, followed by Kira, Cenn, Raiq dragging the struggling Vexh, and finally Ro.

41 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT

Ro slaps the panel to close the hatch behind them.

RO
Computer – take off, now!

42 EXT. BLACK WORLD

The runabout lifts off...

The meridian swallows up Vexh’s ship, the wall of fire passing over. The ship shudders, warps, swells...

...and then BURSTS as it overloads with power, like all the other ships did at the Ascension.

The wall of fire continues on up the other side of the black stone amphitheatre, unheeding, towards the runabout.

As the runabout surges up into the air, escaping at the last moment...

43 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT

Vexh SCREAMS all over again, blood-curdling wails as his body reacts to the destruction of his ship. FLAMES burst from his hands and his eyes. His clothes singe with the power surging through him. He crumples to the deck.

RO
Kira – get him in medical stasis!
In the rear cabin...

44 EXT. SPACE

The Black World as seen from orbit, the burning line of fire creeping over the surface, separating night from day.

The runabout flies away to safety...

45 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT

Cenn and Kira help Raiq to carry Vexh through the hatch to the rear cabin. Ro focuses her attention on driving the ship, getting them the hell out of there.

Pif stands with rear paws on a side chair, front paws on the consoles... and looking out of the side window. He watches the planet catch fire. It’s not a sight he likes.

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT FOUR