ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
53 INT. WORMHOLE
ANGLE on the Defiant from inside the mouth of the Tzenkethi artificial wormhole. The Starfleet ship strains to hold its position in the blue-gold-white streams of the wormhole, as in FOREGROUND, angry red fingers reach out to ensnare it...
54 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE
SISKO in his command chair... looks up to the ceiling...
55 BLACK SPACE
Like a photo-negative of the usual Prophet experience, an empty black instead of a warm white. SISKO yells, angry...
SISKO
I’m right here! Why won’t you talk
to me?
(no response)
You’re the ones in danger now! I’m
trying to help you! Or do you hate
me that much?
ALECO (o.s.)
Captain!
Sisko turns his head, MATCH CUT to:
56 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE
SISKO reacts to Aleco’s anxious summons from tactical...
ALECO
The far end of the wormhole has
opened... the Vetruvis is here.
SISKO
(solemn)
Mister Candlewood - is your plan
to separate the wormholes ready?
Candlewood turns from sciences, sick at having to say...
CANDLEWOOD
No, sir. It’s not.
Sisko turns back to the viewscreen, which shows the length of the wormhole... and the Vetruvis coming towards them.
SISKO
Then I guess we make a stand. For
the Federation... for the Khitomer
Accords... for the Prophets.
(beat)
Battle stations.
CUT TO:
57 INT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - COMMISSARY
O’Brien being harangued by confused, angry mothers...
KASIDY
What do you mean, Kira left?
O’BRIEN
Exactly what I said -
KEIKO
You must have misunderstood -
O’BRIEN
I didn’t misunderstand, Keiko -
KASIDY
But Kira wouldn’t do that, she
would never abandon us -
O’BRIEN
Look, I can’t explain it, but she
took the runabout, which was our
only way off this mountain -
RAIQ
Silence!
They all turn to look at RAIQ, eyes blazing with passion. Stood with Jake and Rena, Rebecca watches her nervously...
RAIQ
This woman speaks truth. Kira
would not abandon this temple,
this world... or us. She is the
Hand of the Prophets... and she
has provided for your safety.
KASIDY
How? She took everything with her.
RAIQ
She left me.
Off Raiq’s determination to do as Kira wanted...
58 INT. VETRUVIS - BRIDGE
MORAD sneers in hatred at what he sees on the Vetruvis’s viewscreen - Defiant blocking their artificial wormhole.
MORAD
Starfleet. So they know about our
plans. What are they waiting for?
KOZIK
All stop.
MORAD
(incensed)
What?! What are you waiting for?
KOZIK
(calm but firm)
Would you have us attempt to
rush past that ship, Mister Morad?
So that it can use its shields to
force us into the wormhole wall?
Do you know what would happen?
MORAD
(meek, grudging)
No.
KOZIK
Neither do any of us. And I do not
intend to come this far and lose
out of simple impatience.
MORAD
Well, we can’t just wait for them
to get bored. If one Federation
ship is here, more will be coming.
The Breen officer TROP SAR turns to BUZZ a suggestion...
TROP SAR
A tractor beam. We swoop in on
an attack vector, but then surprise
them by capturing the ship.
KOZIK
(pondering that)
That is one of their Defiant-class
ships. It has powerful engines.
TROP SAR
As does the Vetruvis. And we have
greater mass. We would only need
a few moments to push them aside.
Kozik looks around his bridge. His loyal crew performing their tasks. Their Breen guest professional, unreadable. Their Cardassian guest barely restraining his impatience.
KOZIK
Proceed.
59 INT. WORMHOLE
Vetruvis SURGES towards Defiant, unleashing a green TRACTOR BEAM... and GRABS the smaller Starfleet ship.
60 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (INTERCUT)
The ship SHUDDERS, engines straining more than ever...
ALECO
Tractor beam!
TENMEI
They’re trying to pull us out of
the wormhole’s mouth...
SISKO
Hold position! Modulate shields!
NOG and TENMEI urgently work their respective consoles...
61 INT. WORMHOLE (INTERCUT)
As the two ships struggle against each other...
...the fabric of the wormhole is disrupted around them. The angry red whirlpool JERKing and LOOPing like a whip loosely tethered. The serene blue and gold WARPing and BENDing out of shape. What was once smooth is now CRINKLED and TORN...
62 INT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - COMMISSARY (INTERCUT)
Everyone THROWN off their feet as the biggest TREMOR so far hits the monastery, walls crumbling, children crying...
63 INT. WYNTARA MAS CONTROL CENTRE (INTERCUT)
Ro feels the SHUDDERS of the world around her, protected as she is in this kelbonite bunker. But she stares at the main screen, its readings of planetary disasters ever growing...
64 EXT. EAV’OQ CITY (INTERCUT)
Even Odds landed on the surface less than gracefully - now angry CRACKS in the earth threaten to swallow it whole...
65 INT. VIR-AKZELEN LABORATORY (INTERCUT)
ALARMS shrieking, the HUM of machines growing, the SHAKES increasing... NELZIK looks up in confusion and horror at the transparent ceiling of her asteroid laboratory...
...and sees the opening of their red wormhole wavering, destabilising. Another large TREMOR hits, Nelzik FALLS...
...and lands in the arms of HEKT, the lecherous Cardassian. He gives her an oily smile like he’s done her a favour, taking the chance for a quick feel while he’s at it...
HEKT
At last you’ve fallen for me like
I’ve fallen for you...
Nelzik struggles out of his arms, disgusted. As before, he misreads her obvious irritation as flirting...
HEKT
I know what you need, Nelzik. Stop
fighting it. You need a real man,
not these limp, jelly-filled -
Nelzik places her hand softly against his face, a caress, catching him off guard... but then he smiles. Finally.
NELZIK
I know exactly what I need, Hekt.
The TINGLE of electric charge in her fingers thrills him... until she slowly moves her hand from his cheek to his neck. Wraps her slender, flexible fingers around his throat. BUZZ becomes a SIZZLE. His eyes flare, realising. SIZZLE becomes a BURN. He can’t escape. Arms flailing. Smoke rising. Flesh blackening. Throat gurgling. Finally drops him to the deck.
Nelzik wipes her hand on her tunic, turns back to her work.
NELZIK
Velzen - clean up that mess.
A junior Tzenkethi scientist scuttles to do as he is told.
66 EXT. VANADWAN MONASTERY
The ancient mountaintop monastery is crumbling from the EARTHQUAKES, buffeted by WIND, lashed by RAIN...
67 INT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - COMMISSARY
RAIQ stares at the others, nerves masked as anger...
RAIQ
Gather close.
(nobody moves)
Do as I say!
Everyone shuffles together into the middle of the room. Raiq takes a deep breath, raises her hand...
...and CASTS A FORCEFIELD. The energy bubble surrounds her, Vexh and Aniq... Kasidy and the Siskos... but no further. Annoyed at her failure, Raiq drops the hand, turns to Vexh.
RAIQ
Vexh, you will assist me.
Vexh hefts baby Aniq onto his hip, grasps Raiq’s hand...
...and the FORCEFIELD stretches further this time - to the O’Brien and Matthias families. But Raiq grits her teeth at the strain, can’t hold it... and drops the hand again.
RAIQ
I have never extended the shield
so far.
VEXH
Nor will we be able to sustain it
for very long at such magnitude.
RAIQ
Let the young gather together.
We shall all encircle them.
The children are pushed into the middle while the adults surround them. Raiq gently takes the baby Aniq from Vexh, crouches down... and holds her child out to Rebecca.
Rebecca looks to Kasidy, unsure what to do... Kasidy has no idea... her mommy hasn’t said no, so Rebecca takes hold of the Ascendant baby. Raiq gently guides Rebecca on how to hold the baby safely. Kasidy watches them, astonished.
That done, Raiq stands again, takes Vexh’s hand...
RAIQ
Join your hands, all of you.
They do, creating a circle - Vexh to Ransel, to Sibias, to Keiko, to O’Brien, to Rena, to Jake, to Kasidy... but Kasidy hesitates to complete the circle with Raiq’s hand.
RAIQ
Do you wish to die here? Do you wish
your child to die? Take my hand!
Kasidy looks to Rebecca, hoping her daughter won’t hate her for holding the hand of the woman who threatened her... she reluctantly takes the silver hand. Now they are all joined.
The FORCEFIELD grows out of Raiq’s chest plate, expanding to surround everyone here, all protected inside the energy bubble while the world continues to CRUMBLE around them.
68 INT. VANADWAN MONASTERY - HOSPICE ROOM
OPAKA sits by Vaughn’s bedside, mopping his brow, refusing to abandon him. Even though it seems like everyone else has forgotten about them, still in this hospital room. The rain LASHES the window, the THUNDER rolls, the room SHAKES...
69 INT. JEM’HADAR SHIP - BRIDGE
A complete wreck, with BURNING displays, FLICKERING lights, HISSING smoke and several Jem’Hadar CORPSES. Here as well the gravitational distortions ROCK the ship. Taran’atar PUNCHES one of the crippled displays in frustration...
TARAN’ATAR
I cannot contact the Even Odds.
The Romulan attack must have
destroyed the comm system.
WEYOUN
(at another display)
Perhaps, First. It could also be
the gravitational distortions. The
privateers could already be dead.
(realises)
Meera...
ODO
Make comms your first priority. As
soon as they’re repaired, contact
the Dominion and request help.
Then wait here for my return.
WEYOUN
(alarmed)
Your return? Where are you going?
ODO
I have to warn the Federation.
WEYOUN
Of course, Founder. But is it safe
for you to travel on your own?
Odo can’t help but smile - Weyoun seems to genuinely care about his safety, not just offering the rote Vorta fawning.
ODO
I’ll be fine, Weyoun. Thank you.
Odo turns to Taran’atar - who seems unhappy with this plan.
TARAN’ATAR
You will abandon the Dominion.
WEYOUN
(scandalised)
First!
ODO
That’s okay, Weyoun. Why would you
think I’d abandon you, Taran’atar?
TARAN’ATAR
Because that is what the Founder
predicted you would do. She said
you would attempt to keep both
Kira and the Great Link in your
life, and when you inevitably
failed, you would choose Kira.
Odo takes a moment - that’s quite the accusation.
ODO
I don’t deny it would be nice to see
Nerys again. But it’s also a chance
to ask about the refugees - exactly
what you wanted me to do.
He can see the Jem’Hadar soldier is not entirely convinced.
ODO
Taran’atar... you’ve lived up to
every dream I ever had for you.
(including Weyoun)
You both have. I’m so proud of
you, and I will not abandon you.
The Dominion is my home, and
I will return to it. I promise.
WEYOUN
Good luck, Odo.
Odo looks between the Vorta and the Jem’Hadar - quite an emotional moment. This is goodbye. Then he EXITS.
70 INT. JEM’HADAR SHIP - INTERIOR HULL
Odo clambers over WRECKAGE to reach the very outer hull of the ship, where a JAGGED GASH has been torn into the wall.
Odo concentrates... then MORPHS into a stream of CHANGELING matter that squeezes through the tear in the hull...
71 EXT. JEM’HADAR SHIP - EXTERIOR HULL (INTERCUT)
...and out into space. Once there, he MORPHS again, turning into an ARBAZAN VULTURE as seen in 3x02 and 5x12.
The giant bird FLAPS its broad wings, impossibly propelling itself through open space and away from the wrecked ship...
72 INT. ROBINSON - BRIDGE
ROGEIRO, in command, reacts to UTELN’s tactical alert...
ROGEIRO
Are you sure it’s the Styx?
UTELN
Transponder matches. One Bajoran
life sign. They’re hailing.
At Rogeiro’s nod, Uteln works the comm - and Vedek KIRA’s face appears on the viewscreen, urgent and pleading.
KIRA (screen)
Commander Rogeiro. I need to talk
to you, right now. It’s urgent.
ROGEIRO
What about?
KIRA (screen)
Not on an open channel. Give me
an approach vector so I can dock?
No idea what this is about, Rogeiro nods to Uteln anyway.
ROGEIRO
We’re transmitting it to you now,
Vedek. I’ll meet you -
UTELN
Commander! The runabout is making
evasive manoeuvres - it’s heading
straight for the wormhole!
Rogeiro stands in shock as the screen shows just that - the runabout swooping away, diving towards the tachyon buoys...
73 EXT. SPACE - GAMMA QUADRANT
The Gamma entrance of the wormhole opens up... and ODO the Arbazan vulture dives in. It swallows him up whole.
74 EXT. SPACE - ALPHA QUADRANT
The Alpha entrance of the wormhole opens up... and KIRA drives the runabout in. It swallows her up whole.
BLACK OUT
END OF ACT FOUR