ACT ONE
FADE IN
9 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR
Captain WILL RIKER barrels out of a turbolift and into the corridor, nearly pushing Benzite engineer MELDOK (seen TTN 1x15 “Gods of Night”) over in his haste.
RIKER
Get out of the way!
Riker RUNS down the corridor, no care for anything in his way. This is a desperate, urgent panic of a situation.
10 EXT. SPACE – AZURE NEBULA
Enterprise, Aventine, Titan and Voyager hold position...
...but they are all overshadowed by the massive glittering city-ship that is the Caeliar’s capital, AXION. The giant gleaming construction utterly dwarfs the Starfleet ships.
11 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR
Riker turns a corner, still running, forcing the diminutive Sti’ach counsellor HUILAN to stumble back out of his way. The tiny blue teddy-bear-like creature bares his fangs and HISSES in anger, his long floppy ears flattened back.
RIKER
Make way! Captain coming through!
And still Riker runs on, other crew of various humanoid and non-humanoid species hurrying to get out of his path...
12 EXT. SPACE
BORG CUBES, SPHERES and PROBES rush through space at high warp, left to right, all heading towards the Azure Nebula.
13 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR
CHWOLKK, the rock-like Horta engineering officer, is too slow and lumbering to get out of the way. So Riker just VAULTS right over the poor ensign and keeps on running. Chwolkk rumbles with annoyance at the indignity.
RIKER
Sorry, Ensign! In a rush, here!
And on he runs...
14 EXT. SPACE – AZURE NEBULA
The Starfleet shuttlecraft Mance flies up from the surface of Axion, THROUGH the forcefield surrounding the city-ship, and out into open space.
15 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR
Syrath astrophysicist CETHENTE barely has time to skitter out of the way on its four lower legs, upper tentacles waving wildly and sensor dome flashing in alarm, before Riker runs right past it, through the door and into...
16 INT. TITAN - SHUTTLE BAY
...where he screeches to a stop. He looks eagerly to the clamshell bay doors, which are OPEN and showing space...
...and the shuttlecraft sweeps into view, heading for the shuttle bay of Titan. Riker shouts excitedly...
RIKER
There she is!
He shares a childlike grin of delight with the officer on duty, Bolian pilot WAEN. He doesn’t care how unprofessional he’s being - his wife is home.
17 INT. SHUTTLECRAFT
KERU (Trill male) pilots, TUVOK (Vulcan male) beside him. DENNISAR (Orion male), SORTOLLO (human male), REE (Pahkwa-thanh male), TORVIG (Choblik male), VALE (human female) and TROI (Betazoid female) squeeze into the aft compartment.
All eight are gazing out of the window with blissful relief at the sight of their home ship growing closer.
VALE
I don’t know how Will did it, but
I’m glad he didn’t make a liar out
of me. I knew he wouldn’t give up.
TROI
So did I.
VALE
Are you sure you’re okay?
TROI
Yes, Chris. Better than okay.
VALE
I’m glad. You had us all pretty
worried there - especially Will.
TROI
I know. It’s been hard on all of
us. And I made it worse on him.
But it’ll be alright now. I can feel
him, and I know he’s waiting for
me to come home.
VALE
Deanna... there’s something
I should probably get off my
chest. It was nothing really -
TROI
(like it’s nothing)
You mean when you almost
kissed Will a few days ago?
VALE
...How did you know?
TROI
(grin)
I haven’t felt Will panic like
that since he met my mother.
VALE
So you’re not angry with me?
TROI
Of course not. You were still
missing Jaza, and I’d been pushing
Will away for months. It’s a
textbook case of transference,
with a touch of displacement.
VALE
I’m so glad to hear you say that.
I was worried there for a while.
TROI
It’s all in the past. But if you ever
make a pass at my husband
again, I will have to kill you.
That’s about 90 percent a joke. Maybe 70. With an askance look, Vale decides it’s probably best not to push it.
VALE
Understood.
18 INT. TITAN - SHUTTLE BAY
The Mance FIZZES past the forcefield over the bay doors. Riker is practically vibrating with excited impatience.
19 INT. TITAN - CORRIDOR
Riker walks towards a door, about to barge on through. But he pauses, smiles to himself, and taps the door CHIME.
HERNANDEZ (comm)
Come in.
The door opens...
20 INT. TITAN - GUEST QUARTERS (CONTINUOUS)
...and Riker enters Hernandez’s guest quarters on Titan. The Columbia captain is tucking into a table full of food.
RIKER
It’s good to see that someone
likes the food on this ship.
HERNANDEZ
The Caeliar won’t make me any
of this stuff, so I figured I better
enjoy it while I can.
(lifts glass)
Not quite right with synthehol,
but it’s still the best margarita
I’ve had in eight-hundred years.
(sips)
I take it you being here means
it’s time for me to go.
RIKER
Before you do, I want to thank
you. I don’t know what you told
the Caeliar, or what you promised
them. But thank you for helping
to free my people.
HERNANDEZ
It’s the least I could do. I wish
someone could have done it for
my crew. But what’s done is done.
She stands, obviously preparing herself to leave.
RIKER
Will you be coming back?
HERNANDEZ
I don’t know. Convincing them to
come out of hiding was only the
first step. Now that they’re here,
they might not like what I have
to say. The Caeliar prefer to stay
out of other people’s business. But
now that I’ve shown them their
own link to this mess, they might
choose to take responsibility. Or...
they might hear me out and still
choose to stay neutral.
RIKER
In which case, we’re pretty much
all dead.
HERNANDEZ
Pretty much, yeah.
In the middle of the guest quarters, an OVAL SHAPE appears - like a vertical puddle of water hanging in mid-air.
HERNANDEZ
Time for me to go. But first...
I ought to thank you too. Three
days ago, you didn’t know me,
and you had no reason to trust
me. But you did - and I got to
be free again, even if only for a
moment. Thank you for taking
the chance.
RIKER
You’re welcome, Captain.
She turns and steps THROUGH the portal, which closes up behind her, leaving Riker alone in the room.
HACHESA (comm)
Bridge to Captain.
RIKER
Go ahead.
HACHESA (comm)
The Mance has just departing
from Axion. All away team
personnel is safe and account.
Not bothering to wince at the Kobliad’s habitually mangled grammar, Riker just grins and turns to RUN out of the door.
21 INT. TITAN - SHUTTLE BAY
The Mance settles to the deck, and after a moment, its hatch HISSES open. Ree is the first out - it just leaves more room - but then Vale and Troi emerge as well.
The rest of the away team emerge in turn, but Riker only has eyes for Troi. He rushes to her and hugs her tightly.
RIKER
Imzadi... you’re home.
22 INT. TITAN - SICKBAY
Troi lies propped up on a bio-bed, Riker holding one hand tightly, while Ree waves a claw towards the bio-readouts.
REE
It’s truly remarkable, Captain.
All Deanna’s readings are optimal,
across the board. There is no sign
of damage to the uterine wall,
and no abnormalities in the fetus.
TROI
She’s okay, Will. Our daughter is
going to be okay.
REE
What’s more, all the unreleased
ova are now fully repaired, which
means you may safely have as
many children as you wish.
RIKER
And the Caeliar did all this? How?
REE
I have absolutely no idea. If I
seem impressed by Inyx’s results,
I’m positively stunned by the fact
that he left no discernible trace of
how he did it. I can keep running
tests if you want -
RIKER
No - we’ve had enough tests.
REE
I quite agree. My prescription for
you both is simply this - go spend
some time alone, and assuming the
universe doesn’t come to a fiery
end in the next few hours, come
back for a routine check-up in a
month. Emphasis on routine.
Troi hops spritely off the bed, and takes Riker by the arm.
TROI
Thanks for everything, Doctor
- including for biting me.
RIKER
Wait, what? He bit you?
Troi drags a baffled Riker out before he can ask any more. Ree just RATTLES his pleasure at how everything turned out.
23 INT. TITAN - TUVOK’S QUARTERS
Light from the corridor streams into the dark room. T’PEL wears dark robes, greeting her husband. Both are holding it tight and controlled, of course. T’Pel holds out her two fingers, and Tuvok touches his own two fingers to them.
TUVOK
It is good to see you, my wife.
T’PEL
Extended absence continues to
be a hallmark of our marriage.
TUVOK
I would prefer it not be so. You
are aware of events on Deneva?
T’PEL
I am. I grieve with thee, husband.
Tuvok cannot answer - his emotions are too powerful.
24 INT. TITAN - RIKER & TROI’S QUARTERS
Riker and Troi hold each other tightly, just revelling in each other’s presence and safety.
TROI
You don’t have to say it.
RIKER
Yes I do. I’m sorry I left you. I
didn’t want to. Please forgive me.
TROI
I forgive you. It was a terrible
choice. I’m sorry you had to
make it. And thank you.
RIKER
For...?
TROI
For supporting me when I argued
with Doctor Ree. I know you
disagreed with me, for all the
right reasons. But you took my
side anyway. You trusted me.
RIKER
I believed in you. And as always,
my faith has been richly rewarded.
TROI
We’re so close, Will. So close to
living the life we’ve always wanted,
and now we’re hours away from
the biggest confrontation with
the Borg there’s ever been. We
fought so hard for this second
chance. What are we going to do?
RIKER
What Starfleet always does,
Deanna. The impossible.
Off Riker’s tempered confidence...
BLACK OUT
END OF ACT ONE