ACT ONE

FADE IN:

3 EXT. BAJOR – EIVOS’S HOUSE

A different house, but this one is a burned out husk. Walls scorched and fallen, holes in the roof, smoking piles of incinerated rubbish. Bajoran deputies move around the area.

A few steps away, a TRANSPORTER deposits Sisko, Kasidy and Jasmine. Sisko and Kasidy look over the sight with dismay.

SISKO
You didn’t have to come, Kas.

KASIDY
You came.

SISKO
But I’ve seen things like this
before. You shouldn’t have to.

KASIDY
Calan and Audj are my friends
too, Ben. ...Were my friends.

Sensitive to the situation, Jasmine leads them closer to the house. But before they enter, she stops them again.

JASMINE
Captains... you should prepare
yourselves. We haven’t been able
to clean up much of the mess yet.
In fact, the bodies are still inside.
I asked you here so that you could
provide a definitive identification,
but if you’d rather not...

SISKO
We’ll be fine. Please, carry on,
Sergeant.

Jasmine opens the scorched and warped door, holds it for them, and they step inside.

4 INT. EIVOS’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM

Inside, the house is a disaster zone. A Bajoran DEPUTY is busy cataloguing and scanning and inspecting. He gapes in awe at the sight of the Emissary. But at a subtle glare from Jasmine, he remembers himself and gets back to work.

Stepping carefully, Jasmine leads Sisko and Kasidy through the house.

SISKO
Was it deliberate?

JASMINE
We don’t know for sure yet. But
from all the available evidence
so far... No.

KASIDY
An accident? How can something
like that happen in this day and
age? Aren’t there safeties attached
to... well, everything?

Sisko offers her a gentle hand on the shoulder in comfort.

JASMINE
Many Bajorans prefer to live
without all that technology. I
think it reminds them too much
of the Cardassians. They’d
rather keep things simple.

KASIDY
I understand that. But I didn’t
realise Calan was one of them.

SISKO
Did we really know him enough
to say that? He came to us
whenever we asked... but we
never bothered to come to him.

KASIDY
He would never have asked.

They step through another doorway…

5 INT. EIVOS’S HOUSE - BEDROOM

Inside this room, a Bajoran Militia DOCTOR has his back to them at first. He turns to greet them, revealing two BODIES placed on a singed bed and draped in grey sheets. Everyone is quiet, respectful.

JASMINE
Doctor?

DOCTOR
Ah – Sergeant Tey. And Emissary.
It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.
I only wish it were under better
circumstances.

SISKO
Likewise, Doctor. May I...?

Sisko reverently approaches the dead bodies of his friends. He gently lifts the sheet from one. We don’t need to see what’s underneath, but we assume it’s not pleasant. Sisko moves to the second body, does the same. He steps away.

SISKO
Yes, it’s definitely them. Was
there anybody else?

JASMINE
A neighbour saw the flames and
alerted the local authorities.
Then she tried to help, and got
a bad case of smoke inhalation.
But other fatalities... no.

KASIDY
And you’re certain there was no
foul play? Doctor?

DOCTOR
I’d rather withhold any final
pronouncements until my autopsy
is complete. But for the moment
I agree with the Sergeant. This
was nothing but a tragic mistake.

Sisko is obviously wounded – the Doctor tries to comfort.

DOCTOR
I understand he was your friend,
Emissary. If it helps, I’m quite
certain he’s with the Prophets.

KASIDY
(quiet mutter)
He served them all his life.
I should hope so.

JASMINE
I imagine his colleagues at the
B’Hala site will want to arrange
a memorial of some kind.

SISKO
I’d like to attend that.

Jasmine nods, and leads them back out of the room.

6 EXT. BAJOR - SISKO’S HOUSE

Back to the cold and blustery day in Kendra province.

7 INT. SISKO’S HOUSE

Sisko and Kasidy re-enter the house, wrapped up from the cold, both downcast and muted.

JAKE and RENA have been babysitting Rebecca. They both stand. From the expressions on Sisko and Kasidy’s faces, it’s clear that the worst has been confirmed.

Jake steps to his father and hugs him tight. Rena likewise to Kasidy. Then they swap. The hugs break. Rena gestures that she’ll put the kettle on. Jake smiles his thanks.

As Sisko and Kasidy move deeper into the house and slump onto the sofa, Rebecca picks up the mood. She comes from where she had been drawing in a book and sits between them.

She doesn’t know why, but she knows her mummy and daddy are sad. So she reaches out to hug Kasidy too. Kasidy holds her tight, strokes her hair. Takes comfort from her daughter.

Sisko watches, and smiles sadly.

8 INT. BAJORAN SHRINE

A rustic temple in the Bajoran countryside. Stone walls, the usual Bajoran signifiers. This is a small place, local and intimate, and its trappings are suitably modest.

There is one large duranja lamp burning at the front of the shrine, and two simple wooden coffins on either side of it. Over each coffin’s head stretches a temporary grave arch.

A low-level PRYLAR, probably still the most senior cleric in the area, stands by the lamp, reciting the traditional prayers. A middling crowd chants quietly. Nothing grand, just friends and neighbours. Eivos wasn’t a big deal.

A creak of wood as the door at the far end of the temple opens, and Sisko tentatively steps through. He immediately knows he’s interrupting, and feels ashamed.

The nearest row of worshippers notice the newcomer and gape in astonishment – the Emissary! At our tiny little church! Whispers begin to spread through the small crowd, confusion and excitement. Even the prylar is distracted.

Sisko curses himself. He shouldn’t have been the centre of attention here. He slips sideways into a spare place and tries his best to blend into the crowd. The prylar calls attention back to himself, and begins his prayers again.

9 INT. SISKO’S HOUSE

This is a different day from earlier; Jake and Rena have gone. Kasidy now moves around the kitchen, doing ordinary domestic work. Simple things to keep herself occupied.

She dries pots and puts them away in the cupboard. She wipes down the surface of the replicator. She folds towels and hangs them over a rack. She’s alone in the house.

Eventually, Kasidy stops at the window and looks out to the back of the house. The enormous tree in their back yard is stripped bare of leaves, stark and jagged.

Rebecca runs around out there, wrapped up warm in a big coat and hat and mittens, quite happy entertaining herself.

Kasidy stands at the window, watching her baby girl play.

10 INT. BAJORAN SHRINE

The funeral continues. The prylar chants. The crowd have now got used to the fact that the Emissary is among them - mostly. Aside from a few nervous glances his way, the ceremony is continuing as normal.

At the back of the room, trying not to be noticed, Sisko joins in as best he can. He doesn’t know all the words. He feels bad about that. He should know them.

The prylar gently casts two handfuls of sand, one for each of the deceased, into the flames of the duranja lamp. The sand burns away quickly in colourful bursts of flame.

11 INT. SISKO’S HOUSE

Evening now. Kasidy and Rebecca sit at the dinner table, both eating. Rebecca’s plate is an adorable miniature version of the same thing Kasidy is having, and the little girl is tucking in heartily.

Kasidy is more hesitant, distracted. She looks towards the window at the front of the house. It’s getting dark. Ben should have been home by now. She knows he’s unlikely to be in any danger, but she doesn’t like him not being here.

12 INT. BAJORAN SHRINE

The funeral is over, and the congregants are slowly filing out of the temple. But almost every one of them wants to say a polite hello to Sisko on the way out.

He greets them all demurely, offers murmurs of condolence and encouragement that they are thrilled to receive. They won’t stop coming, and they all mean well, but he really doesn’t want the attention.

At last they have all gone, and Sisko is relieved. He turns towards the front of the shrine, where the prylar gathers his things, tidying away. Sisko approaches quietly.

The prylar greets him warmly. Sisko apologises for the disruption; the prylar will have none of it. He’s grateful that the Emissary should bless their little community.

Left alone at last, Sisko stands and gazes into the flames.

13 INT. SISKO’S HOUSE

Full night now. The lights inside are dimmed. Kasidy sits in the rocking chair by the fire, reading a book. Rebecca has long since gone to bed. The front door opens.

Tired and cold, Sisko slouches into the house. Kasidy looks up, and sees the exhausted look on Sisko’s face.

KASIDY
It’s late. I was starting to get
worried.

SISKO
I know, I’m sorry. I got caught
up talking to people. They all
wanted to talk to the Emissary.

She gets up and gives him a peck on the cheek in welcome. He holds her firmly in response. Kasidy pulls away.

KASIDY
I’ll make you a hot drink. Get the
blood running again.

SISKO
Wait...
(Kasidy hesitates)
I think I’ve decided something.
I wanted to tell you.

KASIDY
What’s that?

Sisko heads over to slump onto the couch; Kasidy follows and sits with him.

SISKO
It was... quiet. Too quiet.

KASIDY
The funeral?

SISKO
(nods)
I know it’s only a small temple,
but he deserved more than that.

KASIDY
He was a humble man, Ben. He
didn’t put on all the airs and
graces so many of them do.
It wasn’t his style. I thought
that was why we liked him.

SISKO
But he was doing good work. At
B’Hala, and with us. We needed
him. And now he’s gone...

KASIDY
Are you saying we can’t do this
without him?

SISKO
No, that’s not what I’m saying at
all. I’m saying I want to carry on
his work.

KASIDY
What do you mean?

SISKO
I want to go and work at B’Hala.

Off Kasidy’s reaction to that…

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT ONE