ACT THREE
FADE IN:
20 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE
A RUNABOUT flies away from the station, where we can still see the Defiant and the Xhosa docked...
...and heads out towards the Denorios Belt.
21 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT
TENMEI at the helm, with CANDLEWOOD behind her preparing his upgrades at a rear computer console.
TENMEI
Approaching the primary tachyon
buoy now...
CENN (comm)
Acknowledged, Lieutenant. You
have permission to proceed.
Tenmei nods to herself and pushes the ship on...
22 INT. DS9 - OPS (INTERCUT)
CENN in command, moving between SLAINE at the Ops table, TH’SHANT at engineering, ALECO at tactical and extras elsewhere, including Candlewood’s science station.
TENMEI (comm)
Thanks, Major. We’ll let you know
how it goes. Nile out.
TH’SHANT
Major...?
Cenn trots up the stairs to talk to the young Andorian...
CENN
Yes, Ensign?
TH’SHANT
What exactly are they doing?
CENN
Who, Tenmei and Candlewood?
Just regular maintenance. Why?
TH’SHANT
Only that if I’m meant to be their
liaison here instead of Lieutenant
Chao, it would be good to know
what I’m liaising about. Sir.
CENN
(indulgent smile)
Well, I just told you. So you’re
all good.
TH’SHANT
But Chao designed the buoys,
why isn’t she handling this?
CENN
(firmer)
Ensign, you know everything you
need to know to do your job. I
advise you to focus on that.
Cenn turns and walks to the next station, his face a mask of concern - he knows exactly what’s going on.
th’Shant watches him go, feeling mistrusted and left out - is it because he’s Andorian?
23 EXT. SPACE - RUNABOUT
The runabout now holds position next to a TACHYON BUOY, as seen in 13x13 “Dog Eat Dog”. The buoy is BEAMED away...
24 INT. RUNABOUT - REAR CABIN
...and TRANSPORTS into the runabout’s rear cabin, which has been reconfigured into a mini workshop. The buoy fills the space, a sphere with BEAM EMITTERS around the circumference on one axis and MANOEUVRING THRUSTERS on the other axis.
Candlewood grabs a TOOL and begins unlocking a panel on the buoy’s surface. Tenmei stands and watches...
TENMEI
Is there some reason we can’t do
this remotely from the station?
CANDLEWOOD
A lot harder to hack a hard-wired
connection than a comm signal.
TENMEI
And how long will this take?
CANDLEWOOD
Relax - we’ve got plenty of time.
The Romulans aren’t even due back
for another couple of months.
As Candlewood digs into the guts of the buoy...
25 INT. ELETRIX - BRIDGE
Romulan commander T’JUL in her centre seat, the bridge dark around her to indicate the ship is under cloak...
T’JUL
Centurion, time to the wormhole?
Centurion DIVELN speaks up from the helm station...
DIVELN
Eight point two hours, Commander.
T’Jul nods, not bothering to acknowledge. She looks to her side, where her BREEN exchange officer KAZREN stands...
T’JUL
I imagine you’re eager to get
home, Trop Kazren...?
The Breen’s grating BUZZ is translated into English...
KAZREN
It is better that we continue our
current speed. We must maintain
formation with the Ren Fejin...
They look together to the VIEWSCREEN, which shows the rear end of the Breen freighter as they warp home together...
KAZREN
(continuing)
...in order to use them as cover.
T’JUL
Of course.
(beat, sympathetic)
Your fellow Breen... they are well
rested and prepared?
KAZREN
Those who survived will complete
their mission. Proconsul Tomalak’s
supervision of the repairs to the
ship was... adequate.
T’JUL
A simple enough task... that
offered the perfect opportunity
to exile him from our presence.
Kazren cocks his helmeted head in a way that suggests he completely agrees with that. T’Jul chuckles...
KAZREN
The signal was sent?
T’JUL
The last signal Deep Space Nine
will receive for a while. Don’t
worry, the contingency plans will
be in place by the time we arrive.
Kazren straightens with satisfaction at that...
26 INT. DS9 - OPS
...to SLAINE at the Ops table, working hard with a smile of similar satisfaction. She looks to see CENN approaching, the next step on his formal tour of the Ops stations...
CENN
Anything to report, dalin Slaine?
SLAINE
All normal, Major. The Canterbury
is continuing its patrol of the
sector, the Xhosa and the Defiant
are still docked, and the Nile is
holding station at the wormhole.
CENN
Excellent.
(more personal)
And how are you settling in? It’s
coming on six months since you
joined us, isn’t it?
SLAINE
It’s... ah... it’s good. Prynn has
been tutoring me on Starfleet
shuttles, I’ve joined the regular
social events in the bar, I’ve even
introduced them to my sauna
programme... although I think
it was a little much for Ensign
K’Uhllo. I’m not sure Damiani are
supposed to turn that colour.
CENN
(chuckle)
I’m glad you’re making friends. It
took a while for me to feel like this
place was my home. Hopefully it
won’t take you as long.
SLAINE
It was a difficult start, I admit. But
I think you’re right... Deep Space
Nine could become my home.
Cenn is about to turn away, but Slaine calls him back...
SLAINE
Actually, Major, I might have one
thing to report. I didn’t think
much of it at first, but...
Now Cenn is intrigued...
27 INT. DS9 - CAPTAIN’S OFFICE
RO and CENN tight in conference, tense whispers...
RO
How long has this been going on?
CENN
Slaine isn’t sure. We were getting
the regular comm packets from the
Robinson just fine... up until the
last one. But since they’re only
every week, the lines could have
been down for days... or weeks.
RO
And you think it’s the Romulans?
CENN
I didn’t say that. This is no time
to jump to conclusions.
Ro considers that...
28 INT. DS9 - OPS
Ro strides out of the office with Cenn on her heels - she steps up to th’Shant at engineering.
RO
Hail the Nile.
TH’SHANT
Aye, Captain.
th’Shant works his console...
29 INT. RUNABOUT - REAR CABIN (INTERCUT)
As Tenmei watches Candlewood disconnect a forest of cables and reseal the cover on the buoy...
TENMEI
Tenmei here - go ahead, Captain.
RO (comm)
What’s your progress, Lieutenant?
TENMEI
We’re just finishing up now, sir.
RO (comm)
Good. Before you come back, I
want you to check the comm relay
at the other end of the wormhole.
Candlewood perks up - interesting...
30 INT. DS9 - OPS (INTERCUT)
th’Shant is also concerned at this development. He looks up to Ro - she looks back at him, both tense...
RO
Run a full diagnostic of all our
comm transceivers, Ensign.
TH’SHANT
Aye, sir...
Trying to control his nerves, th’Shant works his console...
31 EXT. SPACE
The runabout holding position...
The TACHYON BUOY transports back into space nearby, coming to life with running lights and manoeuvring thrusters...
The runabout pulls away, swooping around...
Having been deactivated for the upgrade, the rest of the buoys all come to life in quick sequence, reorienting...
...and FIRING their tachyon beams. Every buoy connects to every other, creating a visible WEB OF BEAMS filling in the full circle of buoys. Blue energetic particles sparkle in the gaps between the beams...
...just in time for the RUNABOUT to swoop back around and DIVE right into the web, crossing through the beams...
The WORMHOLE bursts into life in its customary beautiful blue-and-white display... and the runabout dives in...
32 EXT. SPACE
...the Gamma end of the wormhole bursts open, the runabout flies out again, and the wormhole closes up.
The runabout cruises up to the COMM RELAY (as seen in many previous eps) and holds position...
33 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT
Tenmei driving, Candlewood peering out of the window...
CANDLEWOOD
Well, it’s definitely still here, at least.
TENMEI
But is it working?
Candlewood moves to the rear consoles again...
CANDLEWOOD
Soon find out. Creating uplink and
starting diagnostics now...
Tenmei waits nervously while he works...
34 INT. DS9 - OPS
While Ro paces impatiently, th’Shant reports from his own console...
TH’SHANT
Diagnostics are complete, Captain.
All the station’s comm systems are
in perfect working order.
Ro accepts that unhappily, which worries th’Shant...
SLAINE
Captain - comm from the Nile.
Ro nods, Slaine works her panels...
TENMEI (comm)
Nile to DS-Nine control.
RO
Prynn - I take the fact that I can
hear your voice to mean the
comm relay’s fine as well?
35 INT. RUNABOUT - COCKPIT (INTERCUT)
Tenmei and Candlewood both inspecting the readouts...
TENMEI
That’s correct, sir.
CANDLEWOOD
I’ve run every diagnostic I know
how. I’ve even run diagnostics of
the diagnostic systems. If there’s
something out here blocking comm
signals, then it’s not the relay.
RO (comm)
(audibly frustrated)
So if the problem’s not there and
it’s not here, then where is it?
Tenmei pulls Candlewood aside, speaks low...
TENMEI
John... was this you? Could it be
something to do with the changes
you made to the tachyon buoys?
Off Candlewood’s indignation...
36 INT. DS9 - OPS (INTERCUT)
...to th’Shant’s alarm. What the hell were they doing out there, and why did nobody tell him? Do they not trust him?
Ro sees the look on th’Shant’s face, and grits her teeth in annoyance at Tenmei letting out the secret over open comms.
RO
No, Lieutenant Tenmei, standard
maintenance on the tachyon buoys
would have no effect on comms.
TENMEI (comm)
(audibly chastised)
Aye, Captain.
RO
Head back now. DS-Nine out.
CENN
You realise, of course... that the
reason we’ve received nothing from
Robinson could be... that Robinson
isn’t there to send us anything?
Ro shares a tense look with Cenn - yes, she realises.
RWOGO (comm)
Rwogo to Captain Ro.
RO
(sigh; what now?)
Go ahead, Inspector.
RWOGO (comm)
Could we see you in the power core
please, Captain? Immediately.
Off Ro’s alarm at that...
37 INT. DS9 - POWER CORE
A panel is open, revealing the workings inside...
...and what is recognisably a BOMB wired into the systems.
RO crouches down to the open panel at deck level, gazing at it in mute shock. An actual bomb. It’s real. Inspector Rwogo and chief engineer Chao are there with her, the throbbing of the power core continuing behind them.
RWOGO
We found three of them.
RO
How long have they been there?
CHAO
That’s the thing - I was working
at this exact station only last
week. I had that panel open.
RWOGO
That’s also a non-critical system
they’re wired into. If they were
intended to destroy the station,
they won’t do a very good job.
RO
We can’t take the risk.
Ro stands, making the only decision she can...
RO
(taps combadge)
Ro to Cenn.
CENN (comm)
Go ahead, Captain.
RO
Contact the Canterbury. In fact,
send out a general distress call,
and press all ships in the sector
into assistance. I’m ordering a
full-scale evacuation of the
station, Major - right now.
Off Ro’s horror...
BLACK OUT
END OF ACT THREE