TEASER

FADE IN:

1 EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - TUCKER BUILDING - DAY

A typical day in San Francisco - pleasant, warm enough, but a bit overcast.

The TUCKER MEMORIAL BUILDING is the headquarters of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, comparatively modest at only a dozen stories. In the plaza in front of the building, there is a huge replica of the Phoenix, Zefram Cochrane’s very first warp-drive ship as seen in TNG “First Contact”.

On the other side of this replica, there is a TRANSPORTER STATION - five in a row. Into one of these materialises...

2 QUARK

The Ferengi ambassador beams in, standing on the platform and gazing in awe at the sheer size of the Phoenix replica. He stands there long enough for the transporter module to BEEP at him pointedly - get out of the way, fool!

Quark hurriedly steps off the platform and walks towards the Tucker Building, letting someone else beam in...

3 INT. TUCKER BUILDING - DAY

Quark steps into the lobby of this impressive building, a shrine to the engineers of Starfleet. With a reception desk at the far end, the walls are decorated with holographic STATUES of famous engineers of days past.

CHARLES ‘TRIP’ TUCKER III of the Enterprise NX-01, for whom this building is named. MAHMUD AL-KHALED, the creator of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, seen in the SCE series. MATT JEFFRIES, inventor of the ubiquitous Jeffries Tube.

But it is in front of the hologram of MONTGOMERY SCOTT that Quark finds his nephew, Lt Cmdr NOG, gazing at the figure in quiet reverence. Quark spots him and strides forward...

QUARK
Nog! There you are!

Nog turns, caught off guard, tries to recover.

NOG
Uncle! You’re late, I was just -

QUARK
Of course I’m late, do you know
how many Starfleet transporter
stations there are in this city?
(re holo-statue)
Who’s this?

NOG
Uncle, this is one of the great
engineers of Starfleet history -

QUARK
Whatever - you were supposed to
meet me in front of the building.

NOG
I’m standing right here -

QUARK
(looks around
dismissively)
But then I’d think a visit from the
Ferengi Ambassador warranted
higher than a mere lieutenant
commander as my escort -

NOG
(angry)
I had to call in a lot of favours
to score this assignment, “Mister
Ambassador”. Stupid sentimental
me thought you might appreciate
a chance to catch up with family. I
guess I should have known better.

That finally brings Quark to his senses, and he softens...

QUARK
You’re right, Nog. It’s good to see
you. How have you been?

NOG
(looks back up
at Scotty)
I’ve been better.
(shakes it off)
How was your journey from Bajor?

QUARK
Interminable. Ambassador Derro
only booked me a budget cabin on
the transport ship. If he hadn’t
made such a pathetic plea for my
help, I would’ve refused to come.

NOG
Uncle, you have more experience of
dealing with hew-mons and Klingons
than anyone in the Alliance - more
than Derro himself even, and he’s
the actual Ferengi ambassador to
the Federation.

QUARK
Like I said - pathetic.

NOG
Yeah well, you’re an official in
the Ferengi government now, and
that comes with responsibilities
as well as benefits.

QUARK
Do you think I don’t know that?
I don’t put up with sub-standard
accommodations for just anything.
There weren’t even any dabo girls.

NOG
You need to take this seriously,
uncle! This could be the most
important negotiation in Ferengi
history. The culmination of Zek’s
work - and my father’s.

QUARK
(patiently)
I realise that, Nog. Signing the
Ferengi Alliance to the Khitomer
Accords, alongside the Klingons
and the Federation... it’s not
something to enter into lightly.
(deep breath)
It could change our whole way
of life. Again.

It seems like Quark really does feel the weight of this moment, and all the complaining is to cover his nerves.

NOG
When is your meeting with Derro?

QUARK
Not till later, nineteen-hundred
Las Vegas time.

NOG
Good, then we have time for the
tour. This is the Tucker Memorial
Building, the headquarters of the
Starfleet Corps of Engineers. The
complex houses dozens of offices
and holo-labs for designing and
testing new technologies...

Nog begins to lead Quark around the lobby of the building, pointing out the holo-statues and giving the full spiel.

But Quark is not really listening... he is worrying about the upcoming negotiations. Is he ready? Is he capable? Does he even want them to happen...?

FADE OUT

END OF TEASER