"Disaster"
ACT THREE
CUT TO INT. CONFERANCE ROOM-SPACE
SARA is standing in front of WOLFE, DECKER, MUKET, NERI, and FROST, hands on her hips.
SARA
We can take over four hundred, the Cherokee will be here in another hour and they can take another six. According to our new planetary scan that leaves 500 people down on that planet during the storm. We need options.
Sits in her chair.
WOLFE
You could put people in the shuttles, have them fly along side.
Calculates in her head.
SARA
Ten people per shuttle, plus whatever the Cherokee has, that’s going to (math in her head) We’re still 100 short.
FROST sighs. The officers have no idea what to do.
MUKET
Pattern buffer storage.
SARA
Excuse me?
MUKET
Pattern buffer storage, you load a group onto a transporter pad, scan them and leave their molecular pattern stored on the pattern buffer.
FROST
(shakes head) It’d never work; our pattern buffer could never hold that many people.
MUKET
Well, not now, but we could modify it. A pattern buffer is basically a big hard drive so all we need to do is extend the buffer memory, reformat the-
SARA holds up her hands.
SARA
We get it. How long?
MUKET
Forty eight hours, I can use what we have on the ship.
Tight on FROST. He looks impressed.
FROST
First day on board and the new guy wants to build a super transporter.
SARA
Do it.
FADE TO
MUKET pulls open the doors to the unused Transport Pad, Starfleet issue dust covers are over everything. Engineers walk into the room and start pulling covers, turning on the power. MUKET looks excited. ZIRAL and the Bajorans walk in behind him, they’re underwhelmed.
MUKET
Oh this is perfect! (hands a padd to ZIRAL) We can start lining the back wall with some of the spare electron bounce panels in storage and then we can attach the new hard drives right into the main pattern buffer. (Almost bouncing up and down) We’re really going to build it.
ZIRAL
And save the refugees.
MUKET
Huh? Oh, right, that too.
ZIRAL (annoyed)
“That too”?
As MUKET gets to work, ZIRAL checks the blueprints on the pad he handed her.
ZIRAL
Who did these calculations?
MUKET
Me.
ZIRAL (suspicious)
These are fairly complex for only thirty minutes of work…
MUKET
Oh, actually I did those my first year at the Academy. Pattern Buffer Storage is something that I’ve always wanted to try ever since Montgomery Scott told us about his transwarp beaming theory and theory that a pattern buffer can-
ZIRAL
Theory?
MUKET
Well, yeah. Theory. I’ve never tried this before.
MONTAGE
The evacuation begins, the Marines are gathering people up and taking them to shuttle pods.
MUKET is directing engineers as they go through the ship to gather the spare parts they need.
Children scream and refugees huddle, the crew tries to be gentle but time is a factor here. One guy pushes CALLAHAN as she tries to help him on to the shuttle.
The Bajoran Engineers, including ZIRAL, scowl as MUKET draws up plans for his transporter system.
Shuttles return to the Cherokee and the Nelson, the Storm is so much closer now. Lights go on in decks 12 and 13; every square inch of the ship has been filled with refugees.
FADE TO INT. NELSON BRIDGE-SPACE
FROST and DECKER are trying, very carefully, to keep CAPTAIN JERK at bay over the viewscreen.
CAPTAIN JERK
When the hell will she be ready? I’ve got refugees sitting in my god damned Jefferies tubes, Lieutenant!
FROST
I’m aware of that Captain, but the Commander is very busy with our own evacuation plans and she will with you shortly to discuss-
CAPTAIN JERK
Damn it, get her up here now!
The screen cuts short to a view of the Cherokee in space. DECKER exhales, FROST gives the viewscreen the finger.
FROST
Poofter. (To the Ready Room Door) It’s safe.
SARA emerges from the ready room, relieved that CAPTAIN JERK is gone.
SARA
A little dose of that man goes a long way.
FROST
Why are you avoiding him exactly?
SARA
Practicality. If he sees me, he can order me to tell him our plans for the last hundred refugees. The last thing I need is to explain to a close minded dickhead that we’re hinging a hundred lives on some untested machine built by some mad Cardassian.
FROST
Having second thoughts?
SARA
Honestly? Yes. Muket’s requisitioned every portable hard drive on the ship and he tore apart transporter pad two. It’s like watching Dr. Frankenstein build a monster.
FROST
Maybe you should look for a second option, a back up plan in case it doesn’t work.
SARA
Maybe. How’s the rest of the evacuation going?
FROST
Sixty Marines and forty crewmen trying to evacuate a thousand refugees…it’s not going well.
CUT TO INT. REFUGEE PLANET CAVE-DAY
WOLFE and PROVIX are wrestling with an old Half Klingon/Half Romulan man.
PROVIX
Sir, please, you have to come with us.
CRAZY HYBRID
P’tagh! I have done nothing wrong!
The man’s daughter, also a hybrid, tries to help them control her father.
HYBRID DAUGHTER
Father, we’re trying to help you!
CRAZY HYBRID
Rat me out to the Praetorian Guards, eh? My own flesh and blood!
WOLFE
Sir, we’re not with the Praetorian Guards! We’re not Romulans!
WOLFE’S comm beeps and he lets go of the old man long enough to tap it.
WOLFE
Go for Wolfe.
CUT TO EXT. REFUGEE PLANET-DAY
Tight on JIMENEZ. Dust is starting to fall like snow flakes.
JIMENEZ
The shuttles just departed. Commander wants to know the situation in the tunnels, sir.
CUT TO INT. REFUGEE PLANET CAVE- DAY
WOLFE, annoyed, as the old man kicks him in the shin.
WOLFE
The situation is that old people suck. What’s it look like up there?
CUT TO EXT. REFUGEE PLANET-DAY
JIMENEZ looks up into the sky.
JIMENEZ
It’s raining dirt.
Wide shot, sure enough the Dust Storm is the only thing in the sky. A giant brown cloud that’s starting to blot out the sun. The storm is almost here.
CUT TO INT. READY ROOM-SPACE
SARA is sitting at her desk, with ZIRAL standing at attention in front of her.
MUKET enters holding a data padd, when he notices ZIRAL in the room, he looks concerned.
SARA
Come in lieutenant.
MUKET
I was just bringing you the latest-
SARA
Later, there’s something I want you to take a look at.
MUKET
Okay.
MUKET stands beside ZIRAL who has an oddly smug look on her face, she’s proud of something.
SARA
We have a new scan of the planet’s surface and it may have found a solution to our space problem.
SARA hands MUKET a copy of the scan.
ZIRAL
It’s a ship, an old 23rd century Bachmann-Bruner Comet Freighter. We can tune it up, get it running, it can easily hold all of the remaining refugees.
MUKET takes a good hard look at the scan but shakes his head. He disagrees, there’s no rudeness in his response, and he isn’t being defensive. He’s genuinely respectful.
MUKET
I’m sorry but I disagree. I don’t think it’s feasible.
ZIRAL
What are you talking about? We could repair it in less then four hours!
MUKET (apologetic)
I’m sure that the engine is repairable but (holds up scan) see this bowing here in the secondary hull-
ZIRAL (angry)
BOWING? Are you kidding? (to SARA) Commander, I realize you agreed to this stupid transporter idea but you have to believe me that it’s not going to work.
MUKET (calmly)
I assure you that the physics for the device are completely-
ZIRAL
Theoretical! We have a real ship, a physical solution right here and he still wants to build some sort of insane mystery device.
SARA
Enough! (to MUKET) How much longer before your machine is ready?
MUKET
Just a little more time.
SARA
You’ve had a day and a half.
MUKET (flustered)
Well I’ve had some trouble with the…
SARA
Start working on that ship. Mr. Muket will continue working on the device as a fail safe but until then we’re going to need something a little more substantial than just a theory.
ZIRAL takes her scan and heads out the door with head held high, victory is sweet. MUKET, defeated, starts walking after her.
SARA
Mr. Muket?
He stops and turns.
SARA
Is there a problem I need to know about?
MUKET
Um, no sir.
SARA
Because you seemed to fold very quickly during that meeting.
MUKET
I’m just trying to be a team player.
SARA
I don’t need a team player; I need a chief engineer with some confidence. But you just let that woman, who isn’t even in Starfleet, walk all over you. Why? (thinks a moment) Is it because she’s Bajoran?
MUKET
No, sir.
SARA
Good. Because the last thing I need in a crisis situation is your Cardassian Racial Guilt getting in the way of your objectivity, is that clear?
MUKET (embarrassed)
Yes, sir.
SARA
The next time I see one of your subordinates go over your head and make you look like a fool, I wanna see you get mad. Are we clear Mr. Muket?
MUKET bites his lip. Hesitates, and then speaks…
MUKET
It’s just...that’s not really my command style, sir.
SARA
Based on what I just saw, Lieutenant, you don’t really have a command style.
MUKET looks like he just got socked in the gut.
CUT TO INT. REFUGEE CAVES- DAY
A group of scared refugees are yelling and screaming at the Marines, led by WOLFE.
RABBLE ROUSER 1
Why haven’t we been evacuated yet?
WOLFE
We’re working as fast as we can; we’re going to get everyone.
RABBLE ROUSER 1
You took the Half Breeds, why not us? Is that what it takes to get the Federation to do something? Klingon blood?
WOLFE is getting frustrated, he’s a marine, not a diplomat.
WOLFE
Please be patient!
RABBLE ROUSER 2
What aren’t you telling us?
WOLFE (raising his voice)
REMAIN CALM! (the crowd quiets a little) We are trying to get you off the planet as quickly as possible but we’re dealing with some space issues (suddenly wants to kick himself, why did he say that?)
A terrified MOTHER hugs her children.
MOTHER
Are you saying we can’t go on the ship?
WOLFE
No that’s not what I’m saying-
Another RABBLE ROUSER raises his voice over the din.
RABBLE ROUSER 3
Why did you take the others? Why are you leaving us to die?
Everyone’s talking at once. Someone starts pushing the Marine barricade. The crowd turns ugly and somebody throws a rock at one of the Marines, it dings off the grunt’s helmet and he turns at the crowd, weapon drawn.
WOLFE slaps the Marine’s arm down quickly.
WOLFE
Are you nuts?
SCARED MARINE
But, sir, they’re rioting.
WOLFE
They’re just scared, this isn’t a riot.
Seeing the rock go unchallenged, someone throws another rock. And another.
Now it’s a riot. The crowd surges forward, the barricade breaks.
WOLFE (grimly)
Okay, now it’s a riot.