ACT ONE

FADE IN:

7 EXT. DEEP SPACE NINE

The Cardassian-designed station, with the Defiant docked...

8 INT. DS9 - CAPTAIN’S OFFICE

The door from Ops opens, and Nurse ETANA pokes her head in.

ETANA
Hey, boss - you got a minute?

Captain RO smiles from behind her desk...

RO
Sure, Kol - come on in. What’s up?

Etana enters and takes the guest seat, a bit awkward.

ETANA
Kristen and I were just wondering
when Doctor Bashir is coming back?

RO
Getting busy in the Infirmary?

ETANA
I know it’s not like he hasn’t
taken leave before, but we usually
have some notice so we can plan
ahead, maybe get help from Bajor.
This time it was like he had to take
leave right this minute, couldn’t
even wait long enough to tell
us how long he’d be away.

Ro ponders her reply - she can’t tell Etana about Bashir’s secret mission, but she doesn’t like lying to her friend.

RO
Julian... had some stuff he had to
take care of. Can’t Doctor Aylam
handle it?

ETANA
She’s only one woman, boss. She
can’t work twenty-six hours a day.
And Kristen and I are nurses, not
doctors - what if someone needs
emergency surgery overnight?

RO
Look, Kol - I can’t tell you when
Julian will be back, because I just
don’t know. But... maybe there’s
something else I can do.

She gets up, heads to the door, but doesn’t open it. She looks through the glass, to where Lt CANDLEWOOD sits at his science station. Ro KNOCKS on the glass, Candlewood looks up, Ro beckons him. As he gets up, Ro returns to her seat. By the time Candlewood ENTERS, she is back behind her desk.

CANDLEWOOD
Hey, boss. What’s up?

RO
(faux glare)
That’s “what can I do for you,
Captain?”, Lieutenant. Sergeant
Etana only gets to call me boss
because we’re friends.

CANDLEWOOD
(faux insulted)
We’re not friends?

They are, so Ro lets it go - this time.

RO
What are you working on lately?

CANDLEWOOD
Nothing that can’t be put off.
Why, what do you need?

RO
You’re assigned to the Infirmary
until further notice.

CANDLEWOOD
...I’m sorry, what?

RO
They’re short-handed with Bashir
away. I know you’re not a doctor -

Candlewood scoffs - yeah, obviously. Ro continues...

RO
(continuing)
But you worked in sickbay before,
enough to offer support. I’ll ask
Counsellor Matthias to help too -
she does have medical experience.

CANDLEWOOD
All blue-shirts together, huh?

RO
Between you, it should be enough
to take some pressure off Doctor
Aylam. Delegate what needs to
be delegated, and report to the
Infirmary first thing tomorrow.

CANDLEWOOD
Understood...

With a look of “Alright, on your head be it,” Candlewood heads out. Etana turns back to Ro with her own look - Candlewood is a good guy, but he can be a bit... much.

ETANA
This’ll be fun. Thanks... boss.

With a wry look, Etana heads back out to Ops as well. Ro watches them go, then turns worried again. When will Bashir be back? Will he be back at all?

9 INT. SALAVAT COLONY - CHOT NAR’S APARTMENT

Bashir and Sarina have just revealed themselves to their saviour, Chot Nar. She steps back, wary and unsure...

CHOT NAR
I’ve never actually seen humans
before. Not in the flesh, anyway.

SARINA
(hands up)
Please don’t be afraid. Yes, we’re
humans. Cultural observers.

CHOT NAR
Civilians? From the Federation?

SARINA
That’s right. We’re just here to
learn about your people.

CHOT NAR
Then why did you attack the civil
control drones in the marketplace?

SARINA
We didn’t, they attacked us. We
were just defending ourselves.

BASHIR
And we did everything we could to
keep innocent civilians out of the
crossfire.

CHOT NAR
What happens now that I’ve seen
your faces?

SARINA
Well, that depends. Do you have
any food?

CHOT NAR
Some.

SARINA
Then perhaps we could sit down,
have a bite to eat, and you could
tell us things we don’t know about
the Breen. Which is most things.

A pause to consider, then Nar pulls her robe tighter about herself and comes into the living room. She takes one of the chairs, Bashir and Sarina sit together on the sofa.

CHOT NAR
What do you want to know?

BASHIR
For starters, I’d love to know
about your own species, including
what you call yourselves.

CHOT NAR
My people are the Silwaan. We were
one of the founding members of the
Confederacy.

SARINA
Silwaan? Not Dessev?

CHOT NAR
(bark of laughter)
Dessev? Gods no, nobody’s called
us that in centuries. Where ever
did you hear that?

SARINA
Just a name we heard in passing.

Bashir picks up his discarded helmet...

BASHIR
I’m guessing the snouts on these
things aren’t for your benefit.

CHOT NAR
(faint smile)
No, that feature is included to
accommodate the Fenrisal. I don’t
think your people have met them.

SARINA
One of the rumours I’d heard was
that the Breen had no blood, and
they need to wear refrigeration
suits or they’ll evaporate.

CHOT NAR
Ah - whoever told you that must
have encountered an Amoniri.

BASHIR
Are they the ones with the four-
lobed brains that foil telepaths?

CHOT NAR
No, those are Paclu. They are also
very strong. That’s why they and
the Amoniri dominate the military.

Bashir leans forwards, intrigued...

BASHIR
Do you mean it’s a caste system?

CHOT NAR
Not at all. Confederate Congress
sets standards of performance for
all roles within the government,
military and educational sectors.
Certain species are better able to
meet those demands, that’s all.

BASHIR
Remarkable. Then if it’s not too
impertinent to ask, why exactly do
your people wear these masks?

CHOT NAR
To prevent exactly the kind of
discrimination you hinted at.

SARINA
I don’t follow. How do the masks
do that?

CHOT NAR
Outside the family unit, only the
Intelligence Directorate know the
race of individual citizens. Since
we only evaluate one another by
our performance records, no-one
is advanced because of species, or
age, or attractiveness. Breen are
judged on their merits alone.

BASHIR
(smile)
An entire culture predicated
on blind tests. I’ll say this for
it - it certainly sounds fair.

SARINA
If no-one ever sees anyone else’s
faces, how do you know everything
you just told us about the others?

CHOT NAR
(sly)
Well, we’re not supposed to see.
But there is a small yet vibrant
dissident subculture that exists
in the hidden spaces of all Breen
cities. Agitators who yearn to
live without masks. To be free.

SARINA
Why are you telling us this?

CHOT NAR
Because I am one of them. I work
for the Intelligence Directorate -
and I use that position to help my
friends. But with your arrival, I
can offer them something better.

BASHIR
And what’s that?

CHOT NAR
Asylum in the Federation.

Off Bashir and Sarina’s amazed reactions...

10 EXT. PALAIS DE LA CONCORDE - DAY

The centre of Federation government in Paris...

11 INT. PALAIS – PRESIDENT’S OFFICE - DAY

Klingon ambassador K’MTOK rips apart a lIngta’ leg with his bare hands and stuffs some of the raw meat into his mouth.

Ferengi ambassador DERRO crunches hard into a crab’s shell and scoffs it down with relish, followed by a soft burp.

Cardassian ambassador GARAK sips demurely from a goblet, watching the other two with a politely blank expression. He turns and shares the look with...

Federation president BACCO, who tries to control her smirk.

DERRO
I love a female who cooks.

BACCO
I’m glad I could could make you
happy, Ambassador Derro. But
you realise I didn’t invite you
here just for the Kytherian crabs.

K’mtok waves his half-chewed lIngta’ leg in the air, and leers through meat-skewering teeth...

K’MTOK
A fresh lIngta’ leg is the food of
seduction. Do you want something
from me, Madam President?

GARAK
While I’m certain no sane woman
could resist your charms, K’mtok,
I do not believe President Bacco
is seeking access to your body.

BACCO
Very astute of you, Mister Garak.
In fact this is a matter of utmost
importance and secrecy.

DERRO
Yes, we’re here to talk about your
spies in Breen space, obviously.

Bacco’s face drops, blood draining. She looks to K’mtok, who grins at her knowingly through bloody teeth. She looks to Garak, who sips from his drink with an enigmatic smile.

BACCO
How did you...

DERRO
I’m a Ferengi - we hear things.

GARAK
Whereas secrets are a Cardassian’s
specialty, Madam President.

K’MTOK
And if we have this intelligence,
so does the Typhon Pact.

BACCO
Alright, time saved then. You know
what they’re up to, and you know
we have an operation underway
right now to stop them. But if the
Typhon Pact are working together
to screw with us, I say we should
work together to screw them back.

GARAK
What did you have in mind?

BACCO
You spoke of specialties - they’re
using theirs, so let’s use ours.
Ambassador Derro, I want those
ears of yours out there hearing
everything. Mister Garak, you also
have the plans for slipstream -

GARAK
And if for some reason the Breen
should find themselves without
their newly acquired plans, they
will not find us too talkative.

BACCO
Glad to hear it. And K’mtok -

K’MTOK
You wish us to fight? I thought you
didn’t want this to turn into a war
with the Typhon Pact.

DERRO
Besides, I thought the Klingons
were in as bad shape as Starfleet.
And the last fleet you sent into
Breen space never came back.

GARAK
And with the Kinshaya taking their
chance to harass your borders...
(off K’mtok’s
growl)
Please don’t be upset, Ambassador.
The Cardassian Union is facing
similar issues with the Tzenkethi.

BACCO
That’s alright, Ambassador K’mtok.
You’re right, I don’t want a war.
But there is something else your
people are very good at...

K’MTOK
And what’s that?

BACCO
Hating the Romulans.

Bacco has turned dark and intense, even vengeful. In response, K’mtok gives a toothy grin...

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT ONE