Trek It!

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Trek It! Page 32

by Robert T. Jeschonek


  She pauses, waiting for a response. She does not receive one.

  JAMISON

  Computer. Locate Lieutenant Tulon.

  COMPUTER VOICE

  Lieutenant Tulon is not aboard the ship.

  Jamison shares a worried look with Choka, then marches toward the conn, where Versailles is seated.

  JAMISON

  Bring us about, Mr. Versailles. Don't let that podcraft out of your sight.

  (calling to tactical officer at Tulon's post)

  Get a grappler beam on the podcraft and bring it in.

  TACTICAL OFFICER

  Too late, Captain. The podcraft's gone to grav speed.

  JAMISON

  Stay with him, John.

  VERSAILLES

  Aye, Captain.

  JAMISON

  Put me through to Tulon.Lim operates some controls.

  LIM

  No response to hails, Captain.

  Choka moves to stand beside Jamison.

  CHOKA

  (sotto)

  What's going on here? Why would he take a podcraft?

  JAMISON

  (sotto)

  Var zegg.

  (beat)

  I thought he'd be all right. I just spoke with him, and he seemed perfectly lucid.

  CHOKA

  You never know with var zegg.

  LIM

  Captain. I've made contact with the podcraft.

  JAMISON

  Put it on screen.

  *****

  4 ANGLE - VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL)

  The starfield visual gives way to an image of Tulon at the controls of the podcraft. He looks as calm as ever and speaks with his usual unflappable evenness.

  JAMISON

  Tulon, are you all right?

  TULON

  Yes, Captain.

  JAMISON

  Why did you take the podcraft?

  TULON

  I should think the answer would be obvious, Captain.

  (beat)

  I am going to Hephaestus.

  Tulon's image vanishes from the screen. His last words resonate through the stunned bridge crew.

  FADE OUT.END OF TEASER

  *****

  ACT ONE

  FADE IN:

  (NOTE: Episode credits fall over opening scenes.)

  5 INT. BRIDGE

  Jamison, Choka, Lim, Versailles, tactical officer, and supernumeraries.

  VERSAILLES

  Captain, the podcraft has increased its speed to grav six.

  JAMISON

  Bring us to grav six as well, Mr. Versailles.

  CHOKA

  Any idea where he's headed yet?

  LIM

  His present course intersects a nearby system with seven planets...one Temperate Class.

  CHOKA

  And that Temperate Class planet, to him, is Hephaestus.

  JAMISON

  If we're lucky. As delusional as he is, he might think the system's sun is Hephaestus.

  Suddenly, the ship is rocked by a powerful blast.

  TACTICAL OFFICER

  We're under attack!

  JAMISON

  Shields up. Red alert.

  Red alert is activated.

  LIM

  Our port nacelle is damaged! The grav field is buckling!

  JAMISON

  Drop us out of grav now.

  VERSAILLES

  Dropping to half impulse.

  JAMISON

  What hit us?

  Choka has joined the tactical officer at his post. Both of them are operating controls and checking readouts on the consoles.

  CHOKA

  We were fired on by a vessel of unknown origin. It's half our size.

  (beat)

  It's coming about...moving to ram us!

  JAMISON

  Evasive maneuvers, Mr. Versailles.

  Versailles' fingers flash over his console...and he frowns.

  VERSAILLES

  Captain, we have a problem. I took us out of the ship's path, but it's directly in front of usagain. It's still trying to ram us.

  Versailles manipulates controls. His frown doesn't fade.

  VERSAILLES

  More of the same, Captain. We moved...they moved. That ship is fast.

  JAMISON

  Whatever you have to do, keep us out of its way. Ready emanators. Target the ship's engines.

  CHOKA

  Locking emanators.

  VERSAILLES

  Captain! They've ducked around behind us!

  CHOKA

  They're firing!

  *****

  6 EXT. SPACE - SOJOURNER AND THE ALIEN SHIP (OPTICAL) as the alien vessel, positioned behind Sojourner, fires a beam of energy at the ship. The beam is deflected by Sojourner's shields.

  *****

  7 INT. BRIDGE

  The ship is rocked by the force of the blast.

  CHOKA

  Shields are at sixty percent.

  LIM

  Minor damage, Captain...but I'm reading a dangerous plasma buildup in the port nacelle.

  Jamison calls out over the communication system.

  JAMISON

  Bridge to Lieutenant Juarez.

  There is no response. Jamison tries again.

  JAMISON

  Brellora.Again, no response.

  JAMISON

  Engineering. Where is Lieutenant Juarez?

  MARTINSON'S VOICE

  I wish I knew, Captain! We've got problems down here!

  JAMISON

  Computer. Where is Lieutenant Juarez?

  COMPUTER VOICE

  Lieutenant Juarez is not aboard the ship.

  *****

  8 EXT. SPACE - THE PODCRAFT (OPTICAL) as the podcraft races off at grav speed.

  *****

  9 INT. PODCRAFTOn the floor of the podcraft, Brellora regains consciousness. She shakes her head to clear it...looks around...and quickly assesses the situation.

  *****

  10 INT. PODCRAFT - STARFIELD SEEN THROUGH WINDOWS (OPTICAL) Tulon is piloting the podcraft, operating controls on the consoles before him. Brellora gets to her feet and slowly creeps toward him.

  As she nears him, he springs from his seat and grabs her arms. For an instant, the two are locked in a battle of wills; then, with a sudden twist, Tulon spins her around and applies another neck pinch. Brellora again slumps to the floor.

  Unruffled, Tulon returns to his seat.

  TULON

  Computer. How long until we reach Hephaestus?

  COMPUTER VOICE

  Ninety-three years, six months...

  TULON

  How long until we reach the Temperate Class planet in the system directly ahead of us?

  COMPUTER VOICE

  At present speed, we will reach the planet in fourteen minutes.

  Tulon frowns briefly, as if he has regained his senses. Then, his face again shifts to an implacable calm. His fingers play over the control console.

  TULON

  Increasing speed to grav eight.

  *****

  11 INT. BRIDGEJamison, Choka, Lim, Versailles, tactical officer, and supernumeraries. Sojourner is still under red alert. Jamison is leaning over the conn, working closely with Versailles.

  VERSAILLES

  Here they come again, Captain. Whoever they are, they've got their hearts set on ramming us.

  JAMISON

  Ready maneuvering thrusters. When they get close, I want to drop right out of their path. As soon as they pass, we'll move out at full impulse.

  VERSAILLES

  Aye, Captain.

  JAMISON

  (watching readouts)

  Ready...ready...now.

  *****

  12 EXT. SPACE - SOJOURNER AND THE ALIEN SHIP (OPTICAL) as the alien charges and Sojourner drops away, leaving the alien to race past.

  *****

  13 INT. BRIDGE

  VERSAILLES

  They missed us.

  JAMISON

  Ahead fu
ll impulse.

  Versailles plays the console again. Jamison calls out over the communication system.

  JAMISON

  Engineering. How long until the grav engines are back on line?

  MARTINSON'S VOICE

  An hour, Captain...half hour at best. We've just managed to vent the plasma buildup from the port nacelle.

  JAMISON

  (to Choka)

  What about the shields?

  CHOKA

  Down to fifty-three percent.

  Versailles checks his readouts, then shakes his head disappointedly.

  VERSAILLES

  They're back! They're on another collision course!

  JAMISON

  All stop.

  VERSAILLES

  Here they come!

  JAMISON

  Ready grappler beam. Let's pull them in and then swing them away from us.

  CHOKA

  Grappler engaged.

  (he pauses, checks readouts)

  We can't hold on to them! They don't have shields...but the grappler beam won't adhere to their hull!

  VERSAILLES

  (alarmed)

  They're closing fast!

  JAMISON

  Back us away, full impulse.

  LIM

  Captain, I'm detecting an energy overload in the alien ship's engines.(beat)It's a self-destruct...and they'll take us with them if they get much closer!

  JAMISON

  They're not leaving us much choice, are they?

  CHOKA

  They're answering our hails, Captain.

  JAMISON

  On screen.

  *****

  14 ANGLE - VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL)

  The image of a male alien -- KLASHAR ZULE -- appears...humanoid, with distinctly alien features. He looks as if he is very old and haggard. His dark uniform is threadbare and tattered.

  KLASHAR ZULE

  And so it ends. At last, our war is over, Sojourner.

  JAMISON

  (surprised)

  What war? Who are you? How do you know of our ship?

  KLASHAR ZULE

  (hatefully)

  How could I not know, you ravagers? You destroyed my life...took from me everything that I held dear!

  VERSAILLES

  (sotto)

  Captain, he's closing. We can't outrun him.

  JAMISON

  You say we destroyed your life. Please, tell us how. Perhaps we can make amends.

  KLASHAR ZULE

  (laughing spitefully)

  Too late, Captain Jamison. It is time for an ending. We have battled two times already...but this will be the last! I will have the vengeance I deserve!The alien's image disappears from the screen, revealing his oncoming ship.

  LIM

  Captain, he's increasing his speed! The overload in his engines is spiking!

  JAMISON

  (grimly)

  Ready emanators. Target his engines.

  LIM

  We're out of time!

  JAMISON

  Fire.

  *****

  15 EXT. SPACE - SOJOURNER AND KLASHAR ZULE'S SHIP (OPTICAL) as Sojourner's emanators lance out at the onrushing ship's engines...and Klashar Zule's ship explodes.

  *****

  16 INT. BRIDGE

  Shock waves from the explosion rock Sojourner.

  CHOKA

  The alien ship has been destroyed, Captain.

  LIM

  Minor damage to decks eight through twelve...but we're still in one piece.

  As he manipulates the conn, guiding Sojourner through the explosion's shock waves, Versailles shakes his head in disbelief.

  VERSAILLES

  Now what was that all about?

  JAMISON

  I wish I knew.

  (beat)

  Let's find Tulon. Resume our earlier course, full impulse.

  *****

  17 INT. PODCRAFTAgain, Brellora wakes on the floor of the podcraft...but this time, the craft is in disarray. Equipment is strewn about; smoke drifts from various panels. Rising, Brellora sees that the podcraft's door is open, admitting sunlight. She realizes that the podcraft has crashed on a planet.At the main control panel, Brellora triggers a distress signal homing beacon. Retrieving an emanator and scanalyzer from storage, she walks to the door and peers out.

  *****

  18 EXT. PLANET'S SURFACE, A DENSE JUNGLE - DAY

  Warily, Brellora looks around. She steps out of the podcraft.

  BRELLORA

  (calling out)

  Tulon! Tulon!

  Pushing aside leaves, she enters the riot of foliage surrounding the podcraft, setting out in search of her shipmate. She uses the scanalyzer to track his communication signal; her emanator is at the ready.

  *****

  19 INT. CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM.

  Jamison is seated at her desk. Choka and Lim stand before her.

  JAMISON

  I'm at a loss, gentlemen. The alien who attacked us claimed that he'd battled us two times before. He knew the name of the ship. He knew my name...yet we've never met him or any of his race before. Could he have gotten the information from our computers?

  LIM

  No, Captain. During our encounter, the alien ship never scanned us once.

  CHOKA

  He might have learned about us from another race with whom we've had contact. We have been earning quite a reputation in this quadrant...and not much of it good.

  JAMISON

  I'm well aware of our "reputation."

  (beat)

  Does anyone have any...

  Jamison is interrupted when a blast shakes Sojourner. Leaping to her feet, she follows Choka and Lim to the bridge.

  *****

  20 INT. BRIDGEEveryone assumes their posts in a hurry and begins monitoring consoles and operating controls.

  Choka replaces the tactical officer at his post.

  VERSAILLES

  We're under attack again, Captain.

  JAMISON

  Red alert. Evasive maneuvers.

  Red alert is activated.

  CHOKA

  It's another ship of the same design as the one that attacked us earlier.

  JAMISON

  On screen.

  *****

  21 ANGLE - VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL)

  A ship is displayed on the screen. It looks the same as the first attacking vessel.

  JAMISON

  Hail them.

  CHOKA

  No response.

  LIM

  Captain...you're not going to believe this. According to sensors...that is the same ship that attacked us before.

  JAMISON

  The same design, you mean.

  LIM

  No! It's the exact same ship! Right down to the molecular level, it's identical to the first ship!

  JAMISON

  What?

  CHOKA

  They're answering our hails.

  JAMISON

  On screen.

  The image of the ship on the screen is replaced by a familiar face. It is the same being who had attacked Sojourner the first time...but now, he looks younger than he appeared to be in his prior contact. He seems to be at an age approximating middle age in humans. He looks less haggard than before; however, he is clearly just as angry, if not angrier.

  Everyone stares at the screen in amazement.

  LIM

  It's the same guy.

  VERSAILLES

  A little less long in the tooth, I'd say. In fact, he looks pretty good for a dead man.

  FADE OUT.

  END OF ACT ONE

  *****

  ACT TWO

  FADE IN:

  22 INT. BRIDGE - ANGLE - VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL)

  Jamison, Choka, Lim, Versailles, and supernumeraries. The pilot of the alien vessel glares at the bridge crew.

 

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