"Departure I"
ACT SEVEN
CUT TO INT. NELSON BRIG-SPACE
The Nelson’s brig looks more like the brig from Star Trek: Final Frontier then a 24th century prison cell. Instead of force fields, they use glowing force bars and a wall mounted toilet. WEI is sitting on the toilet like it’s a lounge chair, his hands behind his head and his legs comfortably stretched out. He’s still a little drunk and has started humming a soft little tune.
FROST, PROVIX, and SARA are on the other side of the bars.
SARA
Is he working with Koloth?
PROVIX
All he’d say is that he’s not going back to Klingon space.
FROST
Dock master at Feron Prime gave us access to his ship, it’s loaded with barrels of Romulan Ale.
SARA
Contraband. (to Wei) So I take it you’re a smuggler?
WEI
Those barrels are for my personal use.
SARA
Wrong, they’re Federation property now.
WEI kicks the wall like a spoiled child.
WEI (angry)
Those are mine! You give them back!
SARA
I want your name, I want your planet of origin, and I want everything you know about Koloth.
WEI makes a zipping motion over his mouth, and then goes back to humming his little tune.
SARA
So you won’t talk? Very well, I’m afraid that means you’ll be staying here until we get to a starbase where you will be charged and-
WEI
My ship!
SARA
Is being impounded. Have a nice day. (to Provix) Watch him.
PROVIX (with gusto)
Yes, sir!
SARA
Mr. Frost can I see you in the hallway please?
FROST follows her into the hallway. They start walking towards Engineering, SARA’S trying to be pleasant about this. FROST is barely even listening.
SARA
I read your file; I didn’t realize you served on the Nelson when it was still in service. Under Captain Baines.
FROST
Yeah, as an Ensign. Rand and some of the people on the Engineering crew did too.
SARA
After the war they offered you a captaincy, instead you took a demotion.
FROST (annoyed)
Is there a point to this?
They stop walking. Now it’s a fight.
SARA
Alright, I wanted to be polite but if this is the way you want it, fine. Since you arrived on this ship not one part of your behavior has denoted a desire to do your job and remain on board. Why?
FROST
I’m acting like I don’t want to be here because I DON’T want to be here. I offered Starfleet Command every possible alternative to let me out of my commission and they insisted I come with you out to the middle of no where and hold your hand. (she’s going to interrupt him, he stops her) Yes, that’s right, hold your hand. You’ve got a lot of big ideas and some shiny letters of recommendation but you’ve got less field experience then the snot nose punk manning the helm.
SARA
I am your commanding officer-
FROST
You’re a showboat! Or is there a more valid reason you went in to capture Koloth yourself and left three decorated UFP Marines out in the cold. Hmm, let me take a guess…Ah yes, the credit.
SARA
That’s a lot of high handed talk coming from a man who’s been too busy planning his retirement to do his job. Tell me, Mr. Frost what is the difference between Georgian and Victorian and why is it more important then preserving the safety of the men and women you serve with.
FROST
If you want me gone, I’ll be the first one to hand you the paperwork. But don’t act like you’re unique, lady. I’ve seen your type before. You spend years behind a desk and then decide you don’t want to end up forty five with three pins on your collar. I’ve been there; your type just gets people killed.
CU on SARA, that one actually hurt but she recovers quickly.
SARA
You can argue command experience all day long, (emphasizes) Lieutenant, but only one of us caused a major industrial accident today and nearly destroyed two ships. It wasn’t me, I was too busy showboating.
FROST tries to come up with a retort. He searches and fails. She wins. FROST starts walking away.
FROST
I notice you still haven’t moved into the Captain’s quarters.
SARA
And I notice you’re officially confined to yours.
CUT TO INT. WOLFE’S QUARTERS-SPACE
The door beeps and WOLFE calls out from the other room.
WOLFE (off screen)
Come on in!
NERI enters into one of the homiest, coziest personal quarters she’s ever seen.
Two Kar’takins, Jem’Hadar battlestaffs, hang on the wall next to small shelf with a D’k tahg (Klingon knife) and some family photos. The D’k tahg has Wolfe’s name written in Klingon on the blade. All of the photos on the shelf have Wolfe standing next to some Klingons. NERI examines the photos with mild interest.
WOLFE emerges from the other room, shirtless, with a frying pan in one hand. His wounded shoulder has a big white field dressing on it. WOLFE smiles politely.
WOLFE
Um, hi. I didn’t hear you come-
NERI (angry)
That’s a serious laceration on your shoulder, why didn’t I see you in sickbay?
WOLFE
Um…
NERI
Please don’t tell me you’re one of those macho assholes who spends his life pretending to be invincible!
WOLFE turns the hotplate back on and starts stir-frying some chicken. He doesn’t look at her.
WOLFE
I took care of it. It’s okay.
NERI
What?
WOLFE
I stitched it up, used a field ban-
NERI
YOU USED STITCHES?! Are you insane? (grabs at the bandage) Let me see
WOLFE (pulls away)
Really, I’m fine.
NERI
It’s going to scar! (pulls out a dermal regenerator) Let me see it!
WOLFE finally looks up at her and smiles politely. But it’s forced, like he’s covering something.
WOLFE
Would you like some chicken?
NERI
I beg your pardon?
WOLFE
You Starfleet people are spoiled by those replicators, you don’t know what you’re missing when it comes to a home cooked meal.
NERI
Is that some sort of Marine thing? They teach you how to cook while they teach you how to murder people?
WOLFE keeps smiling; her insults aren’t even phasing him.
WOLFE (points at pictures)
Actually, my Mom taught me.
On the shelf, there’s a picture of a pretty red headed woman holding a five year old boy, while a Klingon wraps his arm around them both. It’s kind of cute. The Klingon is not wearing that soldier’s uniform most Klingon characters wear. His clothing is simple but expensive looking.
NERI
I assume that the woman is your mother, who’s the Klingon?
WOLFE
Murgh, my step-father. (starts dosing the chicken with cooking sherry) he married my mom after Dad died and sort of raised me like I was his. Nice guy really.
NERI (mutters)
Raised by Klingons, why am I not surprised?
The politeness starts to fade a little, WOLFE gets annoyed.
WOLFE
I beg your pardon?
NERI
Well…you’re a Marine. I saw you break a man’s arm.
Tight on WOLFE, he suddenly seems very distant. Far away again.
WOLFE
Murgh is a chef from the Klingon Merchant Caste. (wistfully) He owns a restaurant on Qo’nos. His recipe for Baked Bregit Lung is practically a Klingon state secret. When all the big Klingon clan leaders get back from Targ hunts they beg him to prepare their feasts. (looks at Neri) And I’ve never seen my step father pick up anything deadlier then the knife he used to bone fish.
CU on NERI
NERI
I was out of line, I apologize.
WOLFE (goes back to cooking)
Murgh was actually kind of disappointed I went back to the Federation and joined the Marines, all of his real sons ran away to become warriors. He wanted me to help him run the restaurant with my mother and step sister.
NERI
Why didn’t you?
WOLFE’S eyes get distant again, he seems worried some how, a little freaked out. He’s trying to concentrate on the food but he can’t
WOLFE
I don’t even remember anymore.
NERI’S attitude changes. She’s still a doctor; this guy is still in pain. She takes a deep breath and leans against the kitchen counter. He doesn’t look at her, just keeps cooking.
NERI
Is there a reason you didn’t come to Sickbay?
WOLFE (quiet)
Yeah, yeah there is.
NERI
You going to tell me?
WOLFE
You going to tell me why that woman tried to strangle you down on the planet?
NERI
(rolls her eyes) Fine. But I still need to get a look at your arm.
WOLFE looks at her and smiles, it’s not fake polite, it’s real.
WOLFE
First aid kit is in the bathroom.
CUT TO INT. SICKBAY-SPACE
SOPRIN is treating JIMENEZ while another Nurse is looking over DECKER, WALSH is sitting there clutching his arm and trying not to bleed on himself.
WALSH (sarcastic)
Excuse me, Nurse, I believe I’m bleeding.
SOPRIN
Your injuries are superficial, Ensign Decker has sustained a serious compound fracture and Sergeant Jimenez will be required for another away mission.
WALSH
Forget this, somebody find me a real doctor.
SOPRIN
I am more then qualified to treat your highly superficial injuries. Do you desire further explanation or simply the correct definition of the word ‘Superficial’?
WALSH
With you around, I’m very clear what the word superficial means. Now get somebody to treat this. Or do you derive pleasure from bleeding me dry?
SOPRIN
I derive no pleasure from you, Crewman, at all.
DECKER notices the exchange and smiles.
DECKER
That sounds kind of personal.
NURSE
They’re divorced. They got married when they served on the Dauntless together. I’d make them stop but watching them fight is about the only entertainment I get down here.
DECKER
Just goes to show you, Starfleet romances don’t last.
NURSE
So I take it you’re not a one woman man?
DECKER
One woman? No. (flashes flirty smile) Let’s just say I like to keep my options open.
When the NURSE turns her back, DECKER flashes JIMENEZ the exact same flirty smile.
DECKER
Way open.
He winks at JIMENEZ. JIMENEZ blushes a little.
SARA enters walks over to SOPRIN and JIMENEZ
SARA
How are they?
SOPRIN
They will make a full recovery; I will release them as soon as the doctor returns.
SARA
Good. (to Jimenez) Up for another run, Sergeant?
JIMENEZ
Can I bring my helmet?
SARA
I think that would be prudent. Get Callahan, tell her take three marines and meet me in the transporter room.
SARA walks out and SOPRIN begins using a dermal regenerator on WALSH’S burned hand. He yelps as the seemingly passionless Vulcan stings him with the regenerator.
Continue on to ACT EIGHT...