TEASER

FADE IN: 

1 EXT. SPACE

Starting at Deep Space Nine, as if a standard establishing shot of the Cardassian-built station... but then we move on past the station and through space, until we see the world of Bajor in the distance. 

Between the station and the planet, we come upon the USS Da Vinci, the small snub-nosed Sabre-class vessel assigned to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers (as seen through SCE). 

We continue to move past and around the Da Vinci, until we find another ship also holding position – the USS Defiant. 

2 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE

The bridge is quiet, only the burbling sound of the ship’s systems going about their business. Commander RO LAREN, sat in the captain’s chair, looks at the display in the small private screen by her side...

INSERT - THE SCREEN

The screen shows the MAP we have seen for weeks now, with its field of red spreading across the Federation. The bloody stain has now reached the icon marked EARTH, and is reaching perilously close to the icon marked BAJOR. 

BACK TO SCENE

Ro turns back to her bridge. She does not want the rest of her crew to see this map, even though they must already know it all anyway. It’s a matter of keeping morale up.

Helm officer PRYNN TENMEI breaks the silence...

TENMEI
I almost wish the Borg would just
get here and get it over with. 

BASHIR
The waiting’s the worst thing. 

RO
Ensign Aleco...

The Bajoran male Starfleet officer, ALECO VEL, recently assigned to the tactical position, jerks to attention. He had been silently PRAYING under his breath. Ro is not annoyed at him for this – she smiles sympathetically. 

RO
Everything prepared at tactical? 

ALECO
(gulp)
Aye, Commander. Shields at full,
ablative armour at full, nanobot
cloud ready. Phasers ready,
torpedoes ready – photon,
quantum and transphasic. 

TENMEI
And they’ve adapted to them all. 

RO
Doesn’t matter. We do whatever
we can to protect Bajor, for as long
as we can. Everyone clear on that? 

She looks around the bridge, daring anyone to challenge her. No-one does. She settles back into her chair – with a last glance at the map on her side panel. 

Then suddenly every screen goes BLANK. Every panel, every console, including the ones at Ro’s side. To be replaced by the OMEGA symbol – a white Ω on a black background. 

TENMEI
...the hell is this? 

The crew all try to work their panels, clear the image, but nothing works. Alarmed, Ro stands and strides to a console, works it over an EXTRA’s shoulder... but nothing happens.

TENMEI
I’ve got no helm control. 

ALECO
I can’t fire any weapons. 

BASHIR
And my sensors are dead. Is this
some kind of new attack from the
Borg? I read about a telepresence
device the Romulans used during
their war with Earth...

ALECO
None of the reports from Starfleet
mentioned anything like that...

RO
I don’t know what this is. And
I don’t like not knowing. 
(taps combadge)
Ro to DS-Nine. 
(no response)
Ro to Da Vinci. 
(no response)
Ro to anyone who can hear me! 

Still no response. Ro is starting to get really worried. 

GOMEZ (comm)
(static, garbled)
Ro! Can you hear me? 

RO
Gomez? Yes! I can hear you! But
how can I hear you? None of our
systems are working. 

GOMEZ (comm)
And you’ve got a big Omega
symbol on every screen, right? 

RO
How did you know? 

GOMEZ (comm)
Got the same here. Fortunately I
know how to get around it. Only
captains are supposed to know. 

RO
Well that’s not a lot of use to
me, is it? What the hell is it? 

GOMEZ (comm)
It’s called the Omega Directive
– and it’s really not good. 

RO
Damn it, we don’t need this right
now! Bajor is defenceless...

GOMEZ (comm)
Don’t worry, we’re getting control
of the Da Vinci back now. Let me
beam over in a minute and I’ll
get you back on your feet too.

RO
Are you in touch with DS-Nine? 

GOMEZ (comm)
Checking... looks like they’re not
affected. I guess the Cardassians
don’t have an equivalent. Patching
you through now...

Ro breathes with small relief. After a few more moments...

CENN (comm)
Commander Ro! Are you there? 

RO
Major! Everything okay over there? 

3 INT. DS9 - MAIN OPS CENTRE (INTERCUT)

Ops is a hive of activity, Major CENN trying to remain the calm in the storm from the main Ops table. Unsuccessfully.

CENN
Apart from the Borg only being
hours from Bajor and seconds from
Earth, yeah great. Captain Gomez
said you were having problems?

RO (comm)
Yeah... but you’re sure this isn’t
some new attack from someone
- not the Borg, not anyone else
trying to take advantage? 

Cenn looks over to EVIK, who mans the tactical console. The older Bajoran man shakes his head silently at Ro’s query. 

CENN
There’s no-one else but you, the
Da Vinci, and Lenaris’s fleet.

CANDLEWOOD
Wait, I’m getting something...

CANDLEWOOD reacts to something at his science station... 

4 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (INTERCUT)

Hearing this, Ro thinks Candlewood has detected the very attack she was worried about.

RO
Who is it, John? 

CANDLEWOOD (o.s.)
It’s not a who. I don’t know what
it is. I’ve never seen readings
like this before... 

Just then, a TRANSPORTER beam deposits GOMEZ onto the bridge of the Defiant. Aleco instantly grabs a phaser and spins to point it at the intruder, before seeing who it is. 

RO
Ensign! 

ALECO
(lowers phaser)
Sorry, Captain.

GOMEZ
Not to worry, Ensign. I don’t blame
you for being on edge. 
(back to Ro)
Sorry for beaming in, Commander.
Thought time was of the essence. 

RO
If you get my ship working, I’ll
let you beam wherever you want. 

Grinning, Gomez moves to a console and starts entering commands. After a moment, the Omega symbols all vanish. 

TENMEI
I’ve got helm control back.

ALECO
And tactical. 

RO
Thanks, Sonya. And remind me to
have a word with someone about
this captains-only crap. Now what
the hell is going on? 

GOMEZ
I think I know what your science
officer’s detecting. 

5 INT. DS9 - MAIN OPS CENTRE (INTERCUT)

Cenn, Candlewood and the crew can hear this over the comm. 

GOMEZ (comm)
That protocol is built into every
Starfleet ship. It only activates
when sensors detect a very rare
particle. They call it Omega...
because it’s basically the end of
everything. It’s that powerful. 

CANDLEWOOD
And suddenly it pops up now? Right
when we’ve got a Borg invasion on
our hands? Award for great timing. 

RO (comm)
John... where is this thing? 

CANDLEWOOD
(off panels, 
w/ confusion)
The Azure Nebula. 

EVIK
That’s the opposite end of
Federation space. And you’re
reading it this far away? 

CANDLEWOOD
It’s that powerful. 

CENN
(off his own panels)
I don’t believe it... 

6 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (INTERCUT)

Ro again fears the worst... 

RO
What? ...Major, what? 

CENN (comm)
The Borg... 

7 INT. DS9 - MAIN OPS CENTRE (INTERCUT)

Cenn is gazing with amazement at the reports flooding into the main Ops table... 

CENN
They’ve turned around. 

RO (comm)
They’ve what?

CENN
(firmer)
They’ve turned around, sir. The
Borg fleet reached the edge of the
Bajor sector... then immediately
turned around and went back
the way they came. 

RO (comm)
Are you sure? 

CENN
Yes, Commander. All the reports
from Starfleet, from our perimeter
sensors, from Lenaris’s ships -
they all agree. The Borg have
halted their approach to Bajor...
and are heading back to the Azure
Nebula at maximum speed. 
(looks to Evik)
The Prophets have saved us. 

Spontaneous CHEERS go up around Ops... 

8 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (INTERCUT)

Hearing the cheers over the comm inspires the crew here to CHEER and WHOOP and hug each other and sigh with relief as well - all except for Ro.

ALECO
(prayer)
Blessed be the Prophets. Thank you
for saving us! Thank you, thank you,
thank you... oh, praise the Prophets!
Praise the Prophets! 

Ro watches her crew celebrate, in mild confusion. It’s not that she is unhappy about there being no Borg attack. It’s just... why is everyone thanking the Prophets?

FADE OUT

END OF TEASER