by Lord Thanatos
Scenes:
SCENE
1: Lime
A humanoid alien walks out of what appears to be something like a grocery
store with 2 big bags full of presumably groceries… Everything around him
indicates that it is a highly developed society, beyond 21st century
Earth. The sky above is grey and wisps of fog float through the street… He
doesn’t seem bothered by the dreary weather, because this is pretty much the
clearest weather they’ve ever known on the planet… While humming a cheerful
tune he moves into a nearby alley. The mood changes when he comes to a vacant
parking spot…
Alien: “What the?... Where’s my car?”
He looks up and down the street several times…
Alien: “I’m sure I parked it
here…”
Then he sees what appears to be a police officer at the far end of the
block…
Alien: “Officer! Officer!”
The policeman doesn’t see him and keeps on walking… The robbed alien,
still holding his bags of groceries, now runs towards the officer while
continuing to yell for his attention…
Alien: “Officer! My car has been stolen!”
Once the man finally catches up with the alerted policeman he explains
again what just happened…
Police officer: “What’s the matter?
Something regarding your car?”
Alien: “Yes, my car… It’s been stolen
sir…”
Police officer: “I see…”
Alien: “Please, come with me… I’ll show
you where it was stolen from…”
Police officer: “What good will that do?”
Alien: “You can look for evidence or
something… Come with me, please… I’ll show you…”
Police officer: “Alright, alright, if you
must…”
The 2 men walk towards the parking spot. The police officer gets an
electronic device from his pocket and starts making notes on it…
Police officer: “What kind of car was it?”
Alien: “It’s a Markon 70, but it’s a
one-off custom…”
Police officer: “Color?”
Alien: “Lime green”
Police officer: “Lime green? Too bad I
can’t fine you for lack of taste…”
Alien: “Lack of taste?”
Something catches the policeman’s eye…
Police officer: “Ehm, you did say lime
green, right?”
Alien: “Yes?”
Police officer: “Like that car over there?”
The man looks over to the parking spot which was previously vacant…
Alien: “My car!”
The law man sarcastically replies…
Police officer: “Of course it is… How many
other people would own a lime green vehicle?”
The policeman puts on an even more serious face and returns the device to
his pocket…
Alien: “It wasn’t here before…”
Again something catches the eye of the police officer… He takes a
bottle from one of the grocery bags of the happy car owner.
Police officer: “I’d stay away from
drinking too much Yamu if I were you…”
He puts the bottle back in the bag…
Police officer: “…you might remember where
you parked your lime green car from time to time… Good day…”
The policeman walks off…
SCENE 2: It's the only way to live
Elpek is working on a familiar looking vehicle in the shuttle bay...
After tinkering with it for a bit he closes a panel which could possibly be
described as a bonnet... Longworth, behind the controls in the car, gets orders
from his superior.
Elpek: “Alright, it should be ok now,
ensign… Take her for another test drive around the bay… We’ll see how it
goes…”
Longworth: “Yes sir…”
Rodney slowly accelerates and starts his test run in the spacious shuttle
bay... Captain LT joins Elpek in observing Ensign Longworth…
LT: “Isn’t that Longworth? From the
nightshift?”
Elpek: “Yes sir. I’ve asked him to help out
on this project since he has a fondness for land-based vehicles…”
LT: “I see... Very good… And how’s the
project going?”
Elpek: “If the car doesn’t stall again,
we’re ready to go…”
LT: “Seems to run just fine… Flashy color
though…”
Elpek: “There’s no accounting for taste,
sir… Ensign Longworth and I figured out the controls of this vehicle… It’s
very simple to operate. Even for humans…”
LT responds to Elpek’s last semi-serious remark…
LT: “Hm…”
And then continues…
LT: “Did you beam back the original?”
Elpek: “Yes sir, I don’t think anyone
noticed…”
LT: “Good, good…”
SCENE 3: Beep
Mark
Philips is working at the console in his quarters. A few moment later his wife
Kerrttu comes out of the bedroom.
Hakonen: “Good morning…”
Mark
just briefly looks up from his console…
Philips: “Morning…”
Hakonen: “Are you working in our quarters today?”
Philips: “Hmm? Ehm, yes… Since 0500 or something… No distractions
here…”
Hakonen: “That early?”
Philips: “And what are you doing up this early? It’s just
0830.”
Hakonen: “The high-pitched sounds of the computer console woke me. Why
does it make sounds with every push of a button anyway?”
Philips: “Sorry about that…”
Hakonen: “What are you working on?”
Philips: “On the report regarding the murder case…”
Hakonen: “You’ve been working on that all day yesterday… Aren’t
you overdoing it a little?”
Philips: “Reinard wants it by 1400 hours and besides, I just want to
get it over with…”
Hakonen: “Are you sure you’re not taking it too personal?”
Philips: “What do you mean ‘too
personal’? Suder claimed to have had an affair with you and he broke into
our quarters… He had his paws all over this very console… Of course I’m
taking it personal…”
SCENE 4: Companion
Amini: “Of course I’m taking it personal…”
Amini
speaks with Eisinga in astrometrics.
Eisinga: “I understand… It’s no fun being accused of murder… But
you’ve been cleared of all charges, like everyone else onboard… Well, except
one.”
Amini: “I know, but still… I was formally dubbed a suspect, I was
questioned, I was thrown in the brig… Have you any idea what it is like
being thrown in the brig?!”
Eisinga: “Well, there was this one night, after a few too many
drinks…”
Amini: “Really? You were…?”
Eisinga: “A few years before I even went to the academy... I was
released in the morning with a huge hangover…”
Amini: “How did you deal with it? I mean, assuming you didn’t like
being robbed of your freedom…”
Eisinga: “Well, back in those days, I was pretty much an anarchist… I
rebelled against everything… So, of course I wasn’t too happy about being
arrested… But, most of that story I’ve heard from others… I don’t
remember much myself…”
Amini
still seems amazed but does manage to smile…
Amini: “An arrested, drunken anarchist makes it to second in command on
a starship, hahaha…”
Eisinga: “I’m glad you made my point for me, haha… It’s no big
deal… I still don’t like having spent one night in a holding cell some 15
years ago, but it’s never been a big issue…”
Amini: “I see…”
Eisinga: “I’m sure you’ll get over it soon…”
Amini: “Perhaps… But it still bothers me…”
Eisinga
looks like he’s thinking…
Eisinga: “Hmmm…”
Amini’s
expression looks slightly more furious than she actually is…
Amini: “You’re not going to say anything involving the word
‘counselor’, are you? Because that would make me even angrier…”
Eisinga: “I wouldn’t dream of it, haha…”
Amini: “I’m sorry, commander, that came out a bit wrong…”
Eisinga: “I can see you’re really stressed out about this…”
Amini: “Maybe, a bit…”
Eisinga: “Maybe a bit much… And believe me; I can understand how you
feel… I was an arrested, drunken anarchist, remember?”
Amini
laughs…
Eisinga: “So I see 2 choices here… You either take some time off to
cool down a little…”
Amini: “Or?...”
Eisinga: “Or you should consider talking to Commander Reinard…”
Amini: “Commander Reinard? With all due respect, he’s the last person
I want to see…”
Eisinga: “Exactly…”
Amini: “Exactly?...”
Eisinga: “Exactly…”
After
a short silence…
Amini: “Well, I don’t know sir…”
Eisinga: “My guess is that if you confront the issue it will be
resolved sooner than if you let it linger in your mind for a long time…”
Amini: “Hm, you may be right… But I’m not really anxious to see
him…”
Eldert
tries to lighten the mood by joking a little…
Eisinga: “Because he’s ‘the embodiment of evil’, I know…”
Amini
smiles…
Amini: “Yeah…”
Eisinga: “Listen, why don’t you join me? I’m heading for Mr.
Reinard now anyway to give him his orders.... We can straighten this out right
away… If you want, that is…”
Her
smile still remains when she answers…
Amini: “I’d like that…”
The
commander gestures
SCENE 5: Target practice
Meanwhile
on the bridge the captain is being briefed on current events…
Holcraft: “The clouds are so thick, the scans reveal very little of
what’s on the surface… The transporter signal had to be adjusted to be able
to beam the vehicle through…”
Stilson: “I’m not sure you can call it clouds… Effectively it’s
one huge cloud covering the entire planet…”
LT: “Keep on scanning, gentlemen…”
Holcraft: “Yes sir.”
Serrag
enters the bridge and approaches the captain…
Serrag: “A report on the Greate Canon, sir…”
LT: “Don’t tell me it’s still not done, Serrag…”
Serrag: “I won’t sir, it’s done. It took a little longer than
expected.”
LT: “No kidding… I expected this news a few days ago…”
Serrag: “May I remind you of the murder investigation, sir?”
LT: “No, you may not. I haven’t forgotten and it’s hardly an
excuse. The fact remains that it should have been finished already…”
Serrag: “I was just trying to find a lame excuse sir…”
LT: "You succeeded… Holcraft, is there any shuttle in the area
carrying the admiral?”
Holcraft
seems confused, but he scans anyway…
Holcraft: “No other vessels within scanner range sir… But why would
the admiral be here?”
LT: “We’ll have to test the canon some other time then…”
Serrag
appreciates the joke, but is also slightly confused.
Serrag: “No testing then, sir?”
LT: “We’ll be investigating this planet for at least a day or 2… As
soon as the away teams are on the surface, you may direct the bridge to take the
ship to a test location to blow up some space rocks… Test the canon as you see
fit, commander…”
Serrag: “Yes sir.”
SCENE 6: Power struggle
Lieutenants
Shelley and Margon beam down with Ensign Marks to a remote location, away from
civilization.
Margon: “Alright, Marks, secure the area. Make sure no one is close…
The scanners and the transporters really had to boost power to get through so,
doctor, I suggest you start scanning to determine the amount of…”
Shelley
interrupts the Klingon.
Shelley: “Wait a minute, Margon… Who’s in charge of this team?”
Margon: “I don’t know, I assumed that…”
Shelley
interrupts again…
Shelley: “Don’t assume anything just yet… We’re both
lieutenants.”
Margon: “Hmmm, I didn’t realize that a…”
Shelley
is making a bad habit out of cutting Margon’s sentences short…
Shelley: “…that a doctor has a rank too? Of course you knew… And
besides, I’m the chief officer of my department so…”
Margon
repays the interruptions with one of his own…
Margon: “…so you assumed you would be in charge? Being the
head of your department does not mean you outrank me, doctor…”
Shelley: “Well, maybe you…”
Marks’
time to interrupt…
Marks: “Children, please… For all I care you can both lead
this team, which actually sounds like a good idea… Or you can put me
in charge…”
The
2 lieutenants are almost shocked to hear Marks intervene… Margon and Shelley
look at each other…
SCENE 7: Soft hand
Amini
and Eisinga arrive at Reinard’s office… When they have permission to enter
and go in they see that Philips is talking to the chief of security.
Reinard: “Looks very good, Philips… I’ll read this
straight-away…”
Philips: “It’s a bit lengthy sir, but thorough…”
Reinard: “Thoroughness in a murder case is crucial… Alright,
dismissed ensign.”
Philips
leaves.
Eisinga: “Reading that report will have to wait, chief…”
Reinard: “What can I do for you, commander?”
Eisinga: “Well, 2 things really… The first issue concerns Ms Amini
here…”
Reinard: “And what can I do for you then, ensign?”
Amini: “Well, sir… Ehm… It’s…”
Eldert
takes over…
Eisinga: “She’s ehm… kind of not happy about having been treated
like a criminal during the murder investigation…”
Reinard: “I see… Well, you do have to understand that over a 100
people were official suspects in the beginning…”
Amini: “Well, like I said during the interview sir, I saw only one
other officer in the brig…”
Reinard: “Yes, I know… You also must understand that you were very
closely involved in that whole mess… If our roles were reversed you would also
not have been able to say for sure that I was innocent…”
Amini: “Well, the fact that I found the body does not mean I also
killed him…”
Reinard: “No, it doesn’t… There was no proof you killed him. But
there was also no proof you didn’t… You see my dilemma? I had to make
you my prime suspect and confine you. I would have been a poor chief of security
if I hadn’t…”
Amini: “I understand…”
Reinard: “Though you were my prime suspect, I never really thought you
were really able to kill a dear friend of yours… I know everybody onboard and
I knew you 2 were close… But the fact you were close cannot be any
proof of your innocence. For all I knew he might have been accidentally
poisoned by you and you just denied having anything to do with it out of sheer
panic…”
Amini: “Well, that didn’t happen…”
Reinard: “I know… We already have our killer… And that means
you are no longer a suspect and neither are any other crew members on this
ship…”
Eisinga: “But you do understand Ms Amini’s feelings about this whole
situation, right?”
Reinard: “Oh, of course, commander… I mean, being locked up in a
holding cell for any amount of time can be very stressful or even
traumatic… I can tell you out of experience, I’m ashamed to say…”
Eisinga: “You were arrested?”
Reinard: “Actually, twice…”
Eisinga: “Then you and I should swap stories sometime…”
The
commanders laugh and even Amini shows a smile…
Eisinga: “Anyway, commander… Don’t forget that it was extra
stressful for Ms Amini, as she was not just being a suspect in a murder case,
she was a suspect in the murder of a very dear friend…”
Reinard: “I understand… I really do… But rest assured Amini; to me
you’re completely innocent… And, again, I’m very sorry for your loss…
Unfortunately, I also know what it is like to lose a dear friend…”
Amini: “Thank you sir… But what I’ve been meaning to ask you…”
The
question is cut short by a message over the com system.
Serrag: “Serrag to Commander Eisinga. Can you report to engineering
please?”
Eisinga: “I’m on my way. Eisinga out. Before I forget Reinard, the
captain is down on the planet and I have a few meetings today… The captain
requested you to be in charge on the bridge today.”
Reinard: “Me? But I have my duties here…”
Eisinga: “And you’re also the second officer of this ship with as
much as 0 hours logged on the bridge… Captain’s orders.”
Reinard: “Aye sir. I’ll report to the bridge as soon as this talk is
over…”
Eisinga: “Perfect. And Amini, if you’d like to discuss this matter
some more, I’d be glad to…”
Amini
smiles…
Amini: “I would…”
Eisinga: “My ready room at say… 1600 hours?”
Amini: “Yes sir, thank you sir…”
Eisinga
leaves.
SCENE 8: Ego practice
Elpek
and Serrag are on the bridge standing behind K’Ehlen at the tactical
station… Holcraft is in the captain’s chair, but the engineers are running
this little show…
Serrag: “Helm, full impulse…”
Pattison: “Full impulse.”
Serrag: “Fire at the targets at will once we’re in range…”
A
few moments later the ship moves into range of some moving asteroids of various
sizes…
K’Ehlen: “Firing…”
The
canon, mounted on a turret on the underside of the Greate Pier, swivels around
rapidly to destroy each of the 6 targets…
Elpek: “All stop, Ensign Pattison…”
Pattison: “Coming to a full stop, sir.”
Elpek: “Thank you everyone; this was the final test. All shots were
perfectly executed from both a stationary and a moving ship at both stationary
and moving targets in rapid succession…”
Serrag: “Of course…”
Elpek: “All because of the powerful weapon I built…”
Serrag: “And because of the aiming system I programmed…”
Elpek: “And the massively extended range I managed to squeeze out of
it…”
Serrag: “And the continuous recharge system we made…”
Elpek: “We’re good…”
Serrag: “We are good…”
Holcraft: “Helm… Once the air is cleared of the horrible stench of
ego, set a course back to the planet and engage at warp 5.”
Pattison: “That might be a while sir…”
SCENE 9: Great grand story
The
second team on the surface of the planet consists of Ensign Longworth, Ensign
Stuckman and Captain LT himself… The three men are driving on a road in a
quiet part of a quiet town… Longworth is driving and the two others are
sitting to his right, the captain in the middle.
LT: “Park the car, ensign. That park seems like a good spot to ask some
questions…”
Longworth: “Yes sir.”
Rodney
pulls over. The three men exit the vehicle and walk into the adjacent park.
There are lots of people scattered throughout the park.
Stuckman: “How about that elderly man over there?”
He
points in the direction of a man sitting alone on a bench.
LT: “Alright… But I think we should each approach people separately.
Three strange men asking you questions might be too intimidating… Spread out,
but don’t go too far… And stay in your roles…”
Stuckman
approaches the bench…
Stuckman: “Good morning sir… Lovely day, isn’t it?”
Man #1: “Good morning young man… It sure is…”
Stuckman: “I’d have preferred a clear sky though…”
The
man looks slightly puzzled…
Man #1: “Looks pretty clear to me…”
Stuckman: “Mind if I take a seat next to you?”
Man #1: “Rest your bones, son…”
Stuckman: “Thank you…”
Man #1: “Haven’t seen you here before… New in town?”
Stuckman: “Well, in fact, yes I am…”
Man #1: “I’ve been coming to this park for over 80 years now… I
remember every face… Where are you from? You look like you’re from up north
perhaps…”
Stuckman: “Oh, from way up there… Do you mind if I ask you a
few questions?”
Man #1: “Wooow, this is not one of those marketing schemes is it?”
Stuckman: “Oh, no no no sir, I assure you… See, I’m a writer and
I’m writing about this area here… Can you tell me a bit about what goes on
around here?”
Man #1: “Oh, gladly… I’m proud to have been born and raised in this
town… I even raised 6 children here with my 2 wives and all 6 of them have
children of their own… And one of them is pregnant as we speak… I’m
looking forward to the day I can hold my first great grandchild in my arms,
hahaha… I’ve always been a farmer until I retired 4 years ago…”
Stuckman
realizes it’s going to be a while before he will get any useful information
and sighs… The man doesn’t notice; he just keeps on going…
Man #1: “And at first I thought I was going to lose my mind… You
know, not working on the farm anymore and having all that free time on my
hands… But it worked out just fine… Thanks to my head wife, she has been
terribly supportive and she sure keeps me busy, hahaha… You know, as soon as
you retire you really start to appreciate…”
Believe
me; it goes on for a while like this… But let’s go to the next scene…
SCENE 10: Dark Hobbit joke
A
short distance away Longworth found a young lady who’s willing to answer a few
questions…
Lady: “What’s this town is like? Oh, you’re an outlander…”
Longworth: “An outlander? Indeed, I’m not from around here, if
that’s what you mean… I’m from up north…”
Lady: “Well, welcome then, hahaha…”
Longworth: “Thank you…”
Lady: “Nice car by the way… I saw you parking it…”
Longworth: “Thank you, it’s brand new… Say, have you seen any other
outlanders around here lately? A little darker and shorter than me? Like this
high?”
He
holds his hand about 3 feet above the ground to indicate the approximate height
of an Inj… The lady starts to laugh…
Lady: “Are all of you northerners this funny?”
SCENE 11: More than one
The
captain also found a lady to ask some questions to.
Woman: “Well, let’s see… The most important thing that happened
here lately is that the church on the corner here burned down just last week.
With the help of the local community the site was cleared of rubble within 2
days after the fire was put out… Construction crews arrived the very next
day…”
LT: “So religion is a very important thing in these parts?”
Woman: “Oh, absolutely… Cornan is a big part of our lives; to many it
is life…”
LT: “Cornan?”
Woman: “Yes, Cornan… You really are an outlander, aren’t
you?”
The
woman looks up in the sky and nods towards the sun…
Woman: “That’s Cornan…”
LT: ”Oh, I see… The sun…”
Woman: “Indeed… I’m curious to know what your people believe
in then…”
LT: “Well, I’m not much for religion myself…”
Woman: “Oh I see… Well, to each his own, right?”
LT: “I met a couple of priests a while ago who could learn a little
from your respect for other people’s views on religion, hahaha…”
Woman: “I just don’t see any reason to make a fuss…”
LT: “I agree… Before I leave you alone again, can I ask if you’ve
seen anything out of the ordinary here lately?”
Woman: “Out of the ordinary? No, I don’t think so… This is just a
small town, if anything was out of the ordinary I would’ve known about it just
5 minutes after it happened, hahaha…”
LT: “Alright, thank you very much for your time madam…”
Woman: “Good luck with your project…”
LT: “Thank you, have a nice day…”
The
captain walks over to Stuckman who is asking a man some questions…
Stuckman: “Ah, here’s one of my colleagues now…”
The
man unexpectedly walks over to the captain and shakes his hand…
Man #2: “Nice to meet you sir… We don’t get many outlanders
here…”
LT: “Pleased to meet you… It seems we have a mutual curiosity about
each other then… I’ve just had the most interesting conversation about
religion…”
Man #2: “Then you must know by now that religion is really the
cornerstone of this town… We are grateful to Cornan for bringing life…”
Stuckman: “Cornan?”
LT: “The sun, Stuckman… The sun…”
LT
points at the sun…
Man #2: “Stuckman; what an unusual name… But yes indeed, Stuckman, we
worship the sun; Cornan… He brings us warmth, light and life… He’s truly
unique… Nothing exists which is as powerful as Cornan…”
Stuckman: “Well, actually there…”
Eric
is cut off before he can do any real damage…
LT: “Stuckman!... ”
Man #2: “Oh, that’s ok sir… I understand you want to protect my
feelings and beliefs… But I think you’ll find that most people around here
are very tolerant of other people’s beliefs… Live and let live…”
LT: “I’m glad you feel that way… We of course also respect your
beliefs… Stuckman here beliefs something different, but we outlanders also
have many cultures which worship the sun…”
Man #2: “Outlanders? Aren’t you from a place close to here then?”
LT: “Well, not very close…”
Longworth
joins the club.
LT: “Anyway, we’ve taken up too much of your time already. It’s
time for us to process all we’ve learned today…”
Man #2: “Well, good luck then…”
The
men thank and greet the man and head for the car and get in…
LT: “Am I correct in assuming you were about to reveal the existence of
billions of other suns to that man, Stuckman?”
Stuckman: “Eh, yes sir…”
LT: “I also assume I needn’t explain that it wasn’t too smart a
thing to do?”
Stuckman: “No sir…”
LT: “Especially since they regard their sun as a god…”
Stuckman: “Sorry sir…”
On
the other side of the road, an identical car parks…
LT: “Well, no harm done… Longworth, get this thing in motion…
Let’s find another spot before they realize there are more ‘gods’ out
there than people on this planet…”
Longworth
starts driving… On the other side of the road the man gets out of his car and
immediately spots the carbon copy of his own car pull out… He’s
understandably angry and starts quoting the car salesman who sold him the car…
Alien: “I’ll be damned… ‘No
sir, there’s no other like it in the world…’ I’m so going to
write a letter…”
SCENE 12: Goldilocks I
Shelley: “The planet has a high albedo because of the thick clouds… I
think that over 80% of the solar energy is reflected back into space where the
Earth only reflects about 30%...”
Marks: “80%? How come it’s still about 15 degrees here on the
surface?”
Margon: “Because of the proximity to the sun, no doubt…”
Shelley: “I agree… This planet is well short of what we would
consider to be the ‘Goldilocks zone’…”
Marks: “Anyway, it’s too dank and clammy…”
Margon: “I like the humidity… But it’s too cold…”
Shelley: “Are we re-enacting Goldilocks now, guys?”
SCENE 13: Goldilocks II
In
Eisinga’s ready room…
Eisinga: “Please, sit down… How did it go with Reinard?”
Amini
sits down and answers…
Amini: “Pretty good, sir… After you left, Commander Reinard and I
spoke about it some more and I’m happy to say it’s not that much of an issue
anymore…”
Eisinga: “Well, I’m glad to hear…”
Amini: “Thank you sir…”
Eisinga: “Please, don’t say sir… I’ve heard enough of that in
meetings today…”
Amini
smiles…
Amini: “Ok…”
Eisinga: “I know it’s a stupid question to ask so shortly after this
murder case, but… how are you doing?”
The
smile disappears from Amini’s face…
Amini: “I’m doing ok… As good as can be expected under the
circumstances…”
Eisinga: “That’s good… But are you sure you want to be back on duty
already?”
Amini: “Yes, I am… I have plenty of time to grieve, think and be
angry during my off-hours… By working in astrometrics I can give myself some
peace of mind. At least for part of the day…”
Eisinga: “Can’t blame you…”
Amini: “I always have a pretty positive outlook on things and even
though it seems a little difficult right now… But I’m sure I’ll manage
just fine…”
Eisinga: “Good, I like that… Good thing you have a lot to do in
astrometrics lately, with this mission we have… I’m pretty sure there will
be loads more regions of space for you to explore and map…”
The
smile returns…
Amini: “Oh yes, I’m still very excited about that… This very planet
we’re at right now is very interesting…”
Eisinga: “Bit too cloudy for my taste…”
Amini: “Yeah, for me too…”
After
a short pause, she continues…
Amini: “I want to thank you for your help… I appreciate your concern
for me…”
The
commander clumsily replies.
Eisinga: “Of course, I can’t have you eh… not feeling well… Not
on my watch, hehe… ”
Amini: “I probably wouldn’t have spoken with Reinard if you hadn’t
convinced me…”
Eisinga: “Good… And if you ever need to talk…”
Amini: “I know where to find you…”
Eisinga
turns the computer console towards him and changes the environmental settings.
He pushes a few buttons and lowers the temperature by a few degrees and puffs
out some air…
Eisinga: “Or you can always go to the counselor…”
Amini: “No way, hahaha…”
SCENE 14: Chained to command
Reinard
is in command on the bridge.
Reinard: “Holcraft, perform a multiphasic scan on the planet… See
what it gives us…”
Holcraft: “I don’t think that will give us any more information than
we already have sir…”
Reinard: “A multiphasic scan can cut through radiation a lot better
than a standard scan. As the planet below is quite close to its sun and
it reflects back most radiation it gets from the sun, we might get some data
than with a normal scan…”
Holcraft: “I still don’t think it’ll do much good…”
Reinard: “Maybe not, we’ll see…”
Stilson: “I tend to agree sir… I don’t think we’ll pick up much
from the surface with a multiphasic scan…”
Holcraft: “Also the surface will…”
Reinard
heard enough.
Reinard: “Just scan the planet…”
Holcraft: “Yes sir…”
Reinard: “Stilson, get me some coffee, will you?”
Stilson
is surprised by the request…
Stilson: “Sir?...”
Reinard: “Is there something wrong with the universal translator around
here?”
Stilson: “No sir…”
Some
of the crew look at each other in amazement… Stilson gets up and walks over to
the replicator.
Reinard: “Maresca, could you come over here please?”
Maresca
stands up and walks up to the captain’s chair... He hands her a PADD.
Reinard: “Bring this PADD to Lieutenant Elpek, please…”
Maresca: “Why not send the information via the computer sir?”
Reinard: “Because otherwise you’d still be in that chair
stagnating… Everyone needs exercise… Go.”
Maresca
is obviously not pleased…
Maresca: “Yeah, I’m on my way…”
SCENE 15: Bonafide revisitation
Still
driving around…
Stuckman: “I can’t believe they worship the sun…”
Longworth: “To each his own, Stuckman…”
LT: “Well, I’m not much for religion, but I can have a lot more
respect for people who worship their sun than some invisible deity. A sun
clearly exists and also is proven to do good for people… Even though its
effects are lessened by the thick clouds, it still works…”
Longworth: “There are even a few plants and trees on this world that
photosynthesize though it’s considerably darker here than on Earth during the
day…”
Stuckman: “Oh I understand why they appreciate their sun… But worship
it?... I appreciate the sun as well when I’m baking on a Californian beach,
but I don’t close my eyes, drop to my knees and humbly thank it…”
Longworth: “The funny part is… you don’t have to… You can
believe, do or don’t whatever you want… Just let these people do the
same…”
Stuckman: “I just said I didn’t understand. That’s
all…”
LT: “Well, I can understand that, hahaha…”
SCENE 16: Cell mates
Bynes
is enjoying a drink in the lounge. The strong, yet pleasant smell of Yasmine
Cole’s latest culinary creation fills the room while she’s stirring around
in a huge pot… Contents unknown. Amini enters the lounge and spots Bynes...
She approaches Manco.
Amini: “Bynes, isn’t it?”
Bynes: “Yes, that’s right, Manco Bynes.”
Amini: “Hi, I’m India Amini, astrometrics…”
Bynes: “We’ve been on this ship for 9 months and still you can meet
people you’ve never spoken to on a ship this size…”
Amini: “Well, everybody has been kept busy I guess…”
Bynes: “Please, sit down…”
Amini: “Thank you… I saw you in the brig during the murder
investigation…”
Bynes: “Yes, that’s right… I was one of the prime suspects
apparently… So were you I take it?”
Amini: “Yes, unfortunately…”
Bynes: “Oh well, it’s all over now, hahaha…”
Amini: “Almost sounds like you didn’t mind…”
Bynes: “Well, like you said, it was very unfortunate…”
Bart
walks up to the table…
Endersby: “Can I get you anything, ensign?”
Amini: “Ehm, a Bolian tonic water please…”
Endersby: “Coming right up…”
Amini: “If you don’t mind my asking, how did you deal with it?...
Assuming you didn’t really enjoy being locked up for something you didn’t
do…”
Bynes: “Well, I had nothing to hide… I just answered all the
chief’s questions… Nothing else you can do really, so no need to make
a fuss… I mean, I was a friend of Charles…”
Amini: “You were a friend of Charles? So was I… Even more amazing we
didn’t talk before…”
Bynes: “Indeed… Being suspected of killing a friend is hard, so I can
understand your frustration… But Reinard had a reason to suspect me, as
Charles and I had a minor disagreement not long before he was killed…”
Amini: “Well, I’m not really that frustrated anymore… Commander
Eisinga helped me ‘face my fear’, hahaha… He suggested that I’d face
Reinard, as he was the one who gave the order to arrest me and he also conducted
the interviews… We had a good talk and I’m now able to put that part of the
tragedy behind me…”
Bynes: “As for the other part… It’ll take some time to adjust;
Charles was such a likable guy… I’m glad I left Bart as paranoid as he was
before… Bart’s suspicious nature helped solve the murder.”
Amini: “’left Bart as paranoid
as he was before’?”
Bynes: “Yes, I’d initially planned to ‘fix’ his personality, as
he was showing some paranoid traits, but I later decided against it…”
Bart
returns with the drink, unaware of the topic of discussion… He places the
drink in front of Ensign Amini.
Bynes: “So, here’s to you Bart…”
Both
Bynes and Amini raise their drinks with a smile.
Endersby: “To me? Why?...”
Bynes: “For being paranoid of course…”
The
2 officers take a sip from their drinks...
Endersby: “Ah… Well… Enjoy your drinks…”
Bart
walks off again and mumbles to himself…
Endersby: “Well, that’s suspicious…”
SCENE 17: Full of it
The
discussion in the car is heating up…
Stuckman: “Well, worshipping the sun is weird, but worshipping an
invisible and probably non-existent entity is just plain… well…”
Longworth: “…stupid?”
Stuckman: “Don’t put words in my mouth…”
LT: “Gentlemen… This is neither the time nor the place for a heated
discussion about religion…”
Longworth: “He just insulted all religions in the universe!”
LT: “Grow a thicker skin, Longworth… An expressed opinion in a
perfectly honest discussion should never be seen as insulting…”
Longworth: “With all due respect sir, I think you’re just choosing
his side because you agree with him…”
LT: “I do agree with him, but I’m not choosing sides. And the
only reason why you protest is because I’m just too damn honest for your
liking… There’s a difference…”
A
short silence fills the car…
LT: “Man, I thought I had my fill of religious discussion after that
Vejo business… Now I’m really certain I had my fill…”
Another
pause…
Shelley: “Shelley to Captain LT.”
LT: “You have reached the captain hotline. Press 1 if you wish to
discuss religion and be disconnected. Press 2 to be patched through to an
available captain.”
Shelley: “Ehm… 2?”
LT: “Captain LT here, what can I do for you?”
Shelley: “We’ve made progress with our scans sir…”
LT: “What do you have so far?”
Shelley: “Well, you’ve probably seen more evidence of it than we
have, but even with a lot of electrical activity in the clouds, there’s no
real reason for this race to still be confined to just this planet…”
LT: “They would indeed have been warp capable if they had pursued it,
but it seems they have no interest in space…”
Shelley: “Maybe because they don’t know it’s there… Even our
tricorders can’t scan anything out there but yet more clouds…”
Margon: “Maybe it goes against their beliefs to venture into or beyond
the clouds…”
Stuckman: “We’ve talked to dozens of locals who can confirm that,
lieutenant…”
LT: “We haven’t even seen any evidence of any form of air
vehicle…”
Shelley: “We have gathered loads of interesting data on…”
The
captain cuts her sentence short…
LT: “I’m glad to hear, but let’s exchange all that data once
we’re back onboard the Greate Pier… Beam up as soon as you’re through with
your scans…”
Shelley: “We’ll be beaming up shortly…”
SCENE 18: Data bore
Reinard: “Stilson, have you finished sifting through the scan data?”
Stilson: “No sir, not yet… There’s a lot here…”
Reinard: “Alright, then you better get back at it…”
Stilson: “But of course sir…”
Stilson
sighs and continues to browse through his documents... Margon enters the bridge
and approaches the man in charge…
Margon: “Science team reporting back from the surface sir…”
Reinard: “Welcome back, lieutenant… Was the mission successful?”
Margon: “Of course… We’ve gathered a lot of data…”
Reinard: “Good… Have your mission report ready within the hour. After
that, assume your regular station…”
Margon: “In 1 hour sir?”
Reinard: “Yes, lieutenant… Is that a problem?”
Margon: “Yes, it is… sir. There’s a huge amount of data we need to
study and…”
Yet
another interruption cheers up the day.
Reinard: “Then I suggest you get started right away, lieutenant…”
Margon: “As you wish sir. But captain LT wouldn’t ask us to present a
report in just 1 hour…”
Reinard: “I don’t remember giving you permission to speak freely…
59 minutes, lieutenant…”
Margon
doesn’t reply and leaves the bridge…
SCENE 19: Religion regurgitation
Longworth: “What do you mean by that?!”
Stuckman: “What I mean is that the whole concept is just flawed!”
LT,
sitting between the 2 squabbling ensigns, buries his face in his hands and
sighs…
Longworth: “Well you can’t deny there are people who actually find
peace, solace or even satisfaction in their belief in a god… Like me…”
Stuckman: “That’s all it is, isn’t it? Just to feel comfortable and
get a false sense of security… For aeons we’ve had thousands of religions on
Earth to chose from… or be forced into, whatever… But since we developed
warp drive 20% of the religious population on Earth suddenly has alien
beliefs…”
Longworth: “And?”
Stuckman: “And that just confirms what I just said… People just want
to feel comfortable and secure and chose a deity that best suits their needs…
And they switch deity when they find one that’s more appealing to them… You
should always do whatever you want, but it kind of devalues the whole concept of
belief, doesn’t it? It’s all nonsense anyway… Most religions are all the
same when you break them down…”
Longworth: “Oh really?”
LT: “Well, he is right… ‘Don’t smash anyone’s skull
in’, ‘Be friendly to everyone around you’, ‘Keep your paws off of the
other guy’s wife’, ‘Worship me or I’ll come for you’… Most religions
know some form of those rules… And except for that last one, if we all stuck
to those rules, we’d be better off… I prefer to stick to those very same
rules, but without all the fuss of religion around it...”
The
captain continues after a short pause…
LT: “Though I’ve been tempted to participate in this discussion again
just now, I think it’s best if we leave the subject alone and concentrate on
the mission… Religion is just not worth all this discussion…”
Longworth: “What’s that supposed to mean?!... Sir.”
LT: “That it’s not worth the discussion for me because I’m not in
any way interested in the subject and it shouldn’t be worth the discussion for
you either… You should practice your beliefs, not talk about it.
It should be a personal experience… Something between you and your deity of
choice…”
Longworth: “Well, true… It is a personal thing… I don’t
know why I’m fighting over it with my esteemed colleague over there…”
LT: “Now now guys, let’s not create any hostile relations here…
Again, it’s not worth it. We all have our opinions and we all have a view on
religion. Nobody ever said we had to agree on anything, so let’s agree to
disagree... End of discussion.”
LT
takes a deep breath and roles his eyes…
SCENE 20: Iron fist
Shelley,
Margon and Marks have assembled around the desk in Shelley’s office.
Margon: “I just came from Commander Reinard. Apparently he’s in
charge at the moment… He wants a report in, well, by now only about 50
minutes…”
Shelley: “50 minutes? That’s impossible… There must be some kind of
mistake…”
Margon: “It’s definitely a mistake on his part, but he’s very
adamant to have his report by then…”
Marks: “We’ve gathered several megaquads of data we need to sift
through… We can’t do that in 50 minutes…”
Shelley: “Well, we have to come up with something…”
Margon: “Why don’t you 2 start on a preliminary report while I go and
talk with Commander Eisinga…”
Shelley
starts pulling the Klingon’s big leg…
Shelley: “Why you? Why don’t you start with the report and I
go see Eisinga?”
Margon: “Don’t start this again, doctor… It damages the reputation
of intelligence a doctor usually boasts… Besides, Klingons boast a reputation
of getting things done.”
Shelley: “I was just joking, Klingon… Get out of my office and
don’t come back until you succeeded gloriously or have died in battle…”
Margon
laughs…
Margon: “You’re a funny species, hahaha…”
Moments
later the Klingon enters the commander’s ready room.
Eisinga: “What can I do for you, lieutenant?”
Margon: “I know you’re busy sir… But we have a slight issue with
Commander Reinard…”
Eisinga: “Reinard? What’s the problem?”
Margon: “We gathered data on the planet today and he expected a full
report within the hour. That was some 15 minutes ago, so just 45 minutes
remaining to sift through megaquads of data… We’d struggle to get a detailed
report done in 1 day, let alone in 1 hour…”
Eisinga: “I see… Have you mentioned this to the commander himself?”
Margon: “Yes sir… But he was unyielding on the matter… Like I said
sir, I know you’re busy, but this is clearly an issue we cannot resolve
ourselves…”
Eisinga: “Hmmm… Well, looks like I’ll have to talk to him about
it…”
Margon: “We’d appreciate any assistance sir…”
Eisinga: “I’ll let you know…”
Margon: “Thank you sir…”
Margon
leaves the same way he came in; using the backdoor…
Eisinga: “Eisinga to Reinard, please report to my ready room…”
Just
a few seconds later the door chime of the frontdoor is heard and the commander
gives permission to enter.
Eisinga: “Come in…”
The
chief of security walks up to the desk the other commander is sitting behind…
Eisinga: “Sit down, please…”
Reinard
complies.
Eisinga: “I’ve had the distinct pleasure of having received the third
ehm… ‘comment’ on your reign over the ship just a minute ago…”
Reinard: “’Comment’?...
You probably mean complaint?”
Eisinga: “I wouldn’t use that word… But it seems you wanted the
impossible… A full report on many hours worth of scans by 3 away team members
in just 1 hour?... Seems a little steep a task…”
Eisinga
shows a little smile, so it’s clear to Reinard it’s not a very serious
problem…
Reinard: “Well, I grant you it’s perhaps a bit hard to get it done in
1 hour…”
Eisinga: “I’d say it’s impossible…”
A
short pause before the first officer continues…
Eisinga: “Getting reports on time can be very crucial… But in this
case I think you can see it’s not very critical at all… The away team was
merely gathering geological data and performed scans of the thick cloud
cover…”
Reinard: “Yes sir.”
Eisinga: “No need to rush a report like that… And besides, the
accuracy of a report goes down if you rush it… You probably wanted Philips’
report on the murder case to be thorough as well…”
Reinard: “True…”
Eisinga: “What is also true is that you need to let them know you’re
in charge… And I’m very sure everyone on this ship is now aware that
you are in charge. But there’s a difference between letting them know you’re
in charge and letting them know you’re a… well, a not-so-nice person…”
Reinard: “With all due respect sir, it’s not the task of a commanding
officer to be nice…”
Eisinga: “Also true, but you should always avoid being not-so-nice
unless it’s necessary. It will earn you a lot more respect. And more respect
means they’re willing to do a lot more for you the next time… You’re not
likely to do the very best you can for someone you don’t like…”
Reinard
nods…
Eisinga: “I know I hardly have any right to tell you how to do
things… We have the same rank and the only reason you take orders from me is
because I’m the first officer… You have something like 12, 13 years of
experience on me… People working on this ship should have a sense of
duty and respect for the chain of command, but they’re not a Jem’Hadar
army… You handled the issue with Amini very delicately today, for which I’m
grateful… Perhaps you should use more of that delicate touch with the rest of
the crew too… Ruling with an iron fist may work from time to time, but a soft
hand can get things down as well…”
Reinard: “I fully understand sir… My apologies… I was just trying
to let this ship operate as efficiently as I could…”
Eisinga: “Well, you still have some time left on the bridge; I’ll
leave you to it…”
Reinard: “If you don’t mind sir, I’ll pay the away team a visit
first…”
Eisinga: “By all means…”
Reinard: “Thank you sir…”
Reinard
heads for the door again. Eisinga picks up a PADD and starts tapping some
buttons… He doesn’t look up when he addresses his colleague one more time.
Eisinga: “Oh, and Reinard?”
Reinard
turns around…
Reinard: “Yes sir?”
Eisinga: “Get your own coffee next time…”
Reinard
smiles and leaves after his reply.
Reinard: “Yes sir…”
SCENE 21: Dude, where’s their car?
LT: “I think we’re driving out of town like this, Longworth…”
Longworth: “You might be right, hardly any houses since that last
turn…”
LT: “See if you can…”
The
captain’s sentence is cut off… Some animal races across the road and in a
reflex Longworth hits the brakes and turns the wheel. The car skids out of
control, barely misses an oncoming car and crashes sideways into the side of a
stone wall... A few seconds later when the dust settles and everybody regains
their orientation the captain is the first to speak.
LT: “Everybody ok?”
Longworth: “I think so sir…”
Stuckman: “Yeah, fine…”
The
question is soon repeated by the driver of the car they just missed…
Police officer: “All of you ok?”
LT: “Yes, we’re all fine… No injuries…”
Police officer: “Good... Then get out of the car, now! Police…”
It
appears to be the same policeman who helped the man whose car was missing… He
takes out a weapon for his own protection.
Stuckman: “Police? What is…”
Yet
another interruption.
Police officer: “No talking! You guys were lucky you missed that
crossing senles… The senles is an endangered species…”
Longworth: “So were we just now…”
Longworth
and the captain crawl out of the wreck…
Police officer: “Sit on the curb across the road, gentlemen…”
LT
sits down on the curb next to Longworth while the police officer helps Stuckman
climb out of the deformed wreck. LT taps his badge.
LT: “LT to Greate Pier. Beam the car up now…”
Police officer: “I said no talking!”
Stuckman
joins the others on the curb.
Police officer: “Now then, gentlemen… Please explain how you got
possession of this vehicle…”
The
men look at each other, not knowing what to answer… LT is about to answer when
the police man starts a new sentence.
Police officer: “I know for a fact that this one-off car belongs to a
hysterical young man I met this morning… I bet he won’t be pleased with the
state of his car…”
LT: “Ehm… What car sir?”
Police officer: “Come on gentlemen… That car over…”
During
his sentence he turns around to point at the car… But it’s no longer
there…
Police officer: “What the…?”
LT: “We would like to continue our hike now, sir… If that’s ok with
you…”
The
police officer doesn’t answer as he’s too busy looking baffled.
SCENE 22: Cloudy forecast
The
Shelley, Margon and Marks team is still working hard on the report when a voice
is heard from the main sickbay area…
Reinard: “Doctor?”
Shelley: “Yes, who is it? Nurse Halstead can help you with any medical
problem; she’s in the next office…”
Reinard: “It’s Reinard…”
Shelley: “Ah… Well, eh… come in then…”
Reinard
enters the office…
Shelley: “What can I do for you?”
Reinard: “Well, you could accept my apology… I ehm… I guess I was
kind of expecting too much…”
Margon: “’Kind of’?”
Reinard: “Ok, way too much then… I just wanted to run this
ship as efficiently and smoothly as I could… That clouded my judgment on how
to treat the crew a bit…”
Shelley: “Well… Apology accepted… Granted that we can take some
more time to finish this report…”
Reinard: “Of course… Take as much time as you need… Get it done
properly…”
Shelley: “Thank you sir.”
Reinard: “And ehm… I don’t want you guys to think I have some kind
of superiority complex; I just did what I thought was needed to run the ship in
the captain’s absence… And I thought wrong.”
Marks: “Oh, that’s not good…”
The
looks of all others present reveal they don’t understand what he means…
Marks: “Well, admitting to your subordinates you were wrong makes you
look weak and is a sign you’re a bad leader…”
All
present laugh…
SCENE 23: Star wreck
Elpek,
LT, Longworth and Stuckman are gazing at the wreckage of the car in the shuttle
bay…
Elpek: “I was wrong about the controls being simple enough for
humans…”
LT: “And I was wrong to let you replicate one of their vehicles
in the first place… I asked for a typical car… We were arrested after
crashing this one-off car… A car that the authorities believed to have
been stolen… Anyway, next to the car thing, we found no evidence of Inj
activity… At least the day wasn’t a complete loss; we gathered interesting
scientific data of this interesting planet… It’s more clouded than
Serrag
joins the pack.
Serrag: “Weapon tested and working perfectly, sir…”
LT: “Good, good…”
The
captain and the Vulcan conspire against the orange guy…
Serrag: “Seeing as the admiral’s shuttle isn’t anywhere near and
Elpek has lost your favor, can I schedule a further test of the canon on Elpek?
Just to see what it does to a lifeform…”
LT: “As much as it pains me, no you can’t. There’s too big a chance
one of this limbs will clog up the intake manifolds… Besides, he actually did
most of the work on the canon, would be just a little too ironic… And I’d
have to be the one to explain it to his family…”
Serrag: “They might see it as a favor; before he moved out, I bet they
had all of their hands full with him…”
Elpek: “Do the limb and appendage jokes never get old with you
bipeds?”
Serrag: “Don’t count on it… Although… I would like to see you count to 10 on your fingers…"