ACT THREE
FADE IN:
18 INT. TOMED - READY ROOM
The Romulan admiral’s private office. Frustrated VOKAR and placating KAMEMOR sit opposite each other across his desk.
VOKAR
With greatest respect, Ambassador,
you are naive. The Federation is
already developing a first strike
capability against us as we speak.
KAMEMOR
What first strike capability?
VOKAR
Isolytic weapons! You saw the
same sensor readings I did.
KAMEMOR
Those were open to interpretation.
Besides, when have you ever
known Starfleet to strike first?
VOKAR
I do not intend to hand them that
opportunity.
KAMEMOR
But don’t you see, Admiral? That’s
exactly what you’re doing. The
more you provoke them, the
more likely they are to react.
VOKAR
They are not to be trusted!
KAMEMOR
Are we?
VOKAR
(beat, then dark)
I beg your pardon, Ambassador?
KAMEMOR
What reason have we given them to
believe we are not the ones about
to strike first? One of us must
take the first step. Why not us?
Suddenly a voice, LINAVIL, sounds urgently on the comm...
LINAVIL (comm)
Admiral to the bridge.
Alarmed, Vokar and Kamemor both stand and head out to...
19 INT. TOMED - BRIDGE (CONTINUOUS)
...as seen previously on the Enterprise’s viewscreen. The XO, Subcommander LINAVIL, relinquishes the command chair.
VOKAR
Subcommander Linavil - report.
LINAVIL
Admiral. Sublieutenant Akeev has
detected unusual radiation read-
ings from the Starfleet vessel.
And they are hailing us.
Vokar, still distrustful, exchanges a look with Kamemor. He settles into his chair, determined to appear commanding.
VOKAR
On screen, Subcommander.
Linavil relays the order, and the screen changes...
...to show the Enterprise’s bridge in crisis, crew rushing about, RED ALERT lights flashing. Harriman stands, while Curzon can be seen sitting out of the way at the back...
VOKAR
Is there a problem, Captain?
HARRIMAN (screen)
Our impulse drive is overloading,
Vokar. Don’t suppose you know why?
Kamemor gulps - Harriman suspects Vokar of sabotage. Could he be right? Vokar looks to her, then back to Harriman...
VOKAR
I’m sure I don’t know what you
mean, Captain.
HARRIMAN (screen)
If this ship is destroyed, that’ll
be nearly eight hundred lives.
VOKAR
(grinds teeth)
Stand by, Captain.
A gesture to Linavil, the screen cuts. Turns to Kamemor...
KAMEMOR
The Starfleet flagship being
destroyed inside Romulan space,
even by accident? No-one would
believe we weren’t to blame.
Angry at the logic of that, Vokar turns back to Linavil...
VOKAR
Subcommander, is there anything
we can do to help the Enterprise?
LINAVIL
I... don’t know, Admiral. I’m not
familiar...
KAMEMOR
(sotto, pleading)
Admiral, please. They can’t have
much time....
VOKAR
(grudging)
Subcommander... lower shields,
then reactivate viewscreen.
Confused but under orders, Linavil relays the command. The viewscreen changes back to the view of Enterprise’s bridge.
VOKAR
Captain Harriman, I have lowered
the Tomed’s shields. We are ready
to beam your crew aboard... if you
are unable to repair your engines.
HARRIMAN (screen)
Oh, so that’s your game? Destroy
my ship and take my crew home
as prisoners of war?
Vokar looks to Kamemor - she was right, Harriman has no reason to trust them. How to rescue this?
VOKAR
Not at all, Captain. I believe
there is a Starfleet border base
in the Algeron system? The Tomed
will take you there in safety.
On screen, Harriman seems to fight his worst instincts...
HARRIMAN (screen)
Very well, Admiral. If we can’t
fix the engines... I’ll take you
up on that offer. And thank you.
Another gesture, and the signal drops. Turns to Kamemor...
KAMEMOR
And I thank you too, Admiral.
20 EXT. SPACE - ENTERPRISE-B AND TOMED
The Enterprise-B and the Tomed still holding position, but now we focus on the Romulan ship. Time passing...
21 INT. TOMED - BRIDGE
Vokar waits in his chair, nervous that this may be a trap of some kind, but hiding it under command resolve.
VOKAR
Any news from the Enterprise?
LINAVIL
Negative, Admiral. Their engine
temperature continues to rise.
(off panels)
Wait - their core temperature is
now returning to normal.
VOKAR
(shifts forward, wary)
Are they charging weapons?
Raising shields?
LINAVIL
Negative, Admiral. But they are
hailing us again.
VOKAR
On screen.
The viewscreen shows Harriman and Dax again, both looking relieved. The bridge behind them is no longer at red alert.
HARRIMAN (screen)
The crisis is over, Admiral. Seems
there was a manufacturing fault in
the port deuterium injector. We’ve
replaced the defective part.
VOKAR
I see. And you are satisfied there
will be no additional... mishaps?
HARRIMAN (screen)
For now. But I suggest we withdraw
to Algeron for a full inspection.
VOKAR
I couldn’t agree more, Captain.
Ambassador Kamemor?
KAMEMOR
I also agree. I think we can call
this encounter, however brief, a
success. Until our next meeting,
then, Ambassador Dax.
CURZON (screen)
Until then. And let it be on Risa.
The signal drops. Vokar turns to Linavil...
VOKAR
Track Enterprise to the border,
just to ensure there are no more
“accidents”. Once they are out of
our space, set course for home.
LINAVIL
It will be done, Admiral.
Vokar now turns to Kamemor, still not entirely convinced...
VOKAR
A successful encounter, Ambassador?
KAMEMOR
Starfleet does not think we tried
to sabotage their flagship, we
demonstrated we can be trusted in
times of crisis, and no lives were
lost. That is very much a success.
And they settle in to watch, just in case...
22 EXT. SPACE - ENTERPRISE-B AND TOMED
Enterprise-B turns away from Tomed and jumps to WARP...
23 INT. ENTERPRISE-B - BRIDGE
Harriman takes his command chair, looks at Curzon beside him, who glares back unhappily. They speak sotto...
HARRIMAN
Transport was successful?
CURZON
I performed it myself.
HARRIMAN
And the radiation from the engines
completely masked the signal?
Curzon simply nods, too unhappy to respond verbally.
HARRIMAN
Maintain course, Commander Sulu.
Sulu follows her orders. Harriman sits back and waits...
24 INT. TOMED - CORRIDOR
A corridor in the unpopulated depths of the Romulan ship, where two low-level Romulan technicians work at panels. Their work complete, they stand and turn...
...revealing VAUGHN and T’PRYNN, both dressed as Romulans. It suits T’Prynn perfectly, but the young and inexperienced Vaughn looks uncomfortable in the alien uniform, pointed ears, bowl haircut and green skin. T’Prynn observes this...
T’PRYNN
Nervousness is only to be expected,
Lieutenant. Accept that, and it will
lose its power over you. You have
a mission - focus on that.
VAUGHN
Understood. I have a mission.
T’PRYNN
Then proceed, Lieutenant.
They turn opposite ways down the corridor, and head off on their missions. Staying with Vaughn as he strides away...
VAUGHN
You have a mission, Vaughn. You
have a mission.
But the nerves are not entirely under control...
25 EXT. SPACE - TOMED
Some time later, Tomed turns, ready to jump to warp...
...and instead grinds to a crippling halt, dead in space.
26 INT. TOMED - BRIDGE
Vokar is furious as Linavil reports...
LINAVIL
The engineer cannot stop it. She
may be able to delay it, but the
singularity will lose containment.
VOKAR
Delay it for how long?
LINAVIL
Minutes, perhaps hours. But they
may not have time to determine
if they even can delay it at all.
Vokar tries not to show, but he is vibrating with rage...
VOKAR
(to self)
Damn you, Harriman.
(louder)
Subcommander... sound evacuation.
We are abandoning the Tomed.
Linavil works the controls, and RED ALERT begins to sound through the ship. Vokar turns to Kamemor...
VOKAR
Ambassador, I suggest you find an
available escape pod, and use it.
KAMEMOR
Thank you, Admiral. I will.
Kamemor turns and leaves the bridge. We go with her...
27 INT. TOMED - CORRIDOR (CONTINUOUS)
...into the corridors of the Romulan ship, which are busy with Romulan officers, evacuating with urgency but dignity.
Kamemor pushes her way through them, alarmed and confused at the way this mission has gone so horribly wrong...
28 EXT. SPACE - TOMED
Dozens of shuttles and escape pods launch from the Tomed...
29 INT. TOMED - SHUTTLE BAY
A door opens and Kamemor enters. But she stops in horror...
...at the sight of half a dozen dead Romulan bodies strewn across the deck between the door and the shuttle itself. Then a figure steps out of the shuttle’s open door...
It is VAUGHN, disguised as a Romulan, disruptor in hand. He too stops in horror at being caught green-handed, glances nervously at the bodies on the deck. He killed them all.
On Kamemor as she stares at him, at the familiar eyes...
FLASHBACK - ENTERPRISE CREW LOUNGE
Kamemor glances up casually at Vaughn the waiter...
BACK TO SCENE
...and realises what has been going on.
KAMEMOR
So... Vokar was right about you
after all.
Hating every second of it, but with no other choice...
...Vaughn raises his disruptor and points it at Kamemor.
BLACK OUT
END OF ACT THREE