From: andres@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (Andy C) Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek,alt.startrek.creative Subject: The Once and Future Starship - Scene 4 Keywords: ASCII Text Date: 11 Aug 91 17:45:20 GMT Organization: AT&T Bell Labs STAR TREK: "The Once and Future Starship" 8/9/91 - SCENE 4 1. SCENE 4 FADE IN: EXT. SPACE - THE TWO ENTERPRISES (OPTICAL) The two Enterprises continue to orbit the planet as we begin the voice over. PICARD (V.O.) Captain's Log, Stardate 44636.7. I have convened an Inquiry Panel to hear the facts in the case of Star Fleet versus the crew of the Enterprise-C. INT. BRIEFING LOUNGE (OPTICAL) Picard, Data, Riker, Troi and Crusher sit behind a table at the head of a small briefing lounge. Castille and Yar sit behind another table facing them. Other members of the Enterprise-C crew sit behind Castille and Yar, including their daughter. It looks very much like a 24th Century courtroom. PICARD (V.O.) My senior staff has assembled to hear the formal reading of the charges and to judge the defense offered by the accused. Everyone is talking, Picard raises his hand and his voice. PICARD Computer, begin recording. Computer beeps can be heard as it becomes active. PICARD (cont.) This Panel of Inquiry will now come to order. Commander Riker will now read the formal charges. RIKER (uneasy) Acting Captain Castille and Acting First Officer Yar along with the remaining crew of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-C are formally charged with failing to report their ship's status to the proper authority. They are also charged with being absent without leave, appropriating Federation property, the aforementioned USS Enterprise, and with willful and premeditated mutiny. (a beat) How do you plead? Castille and Yar stand, there is utter silence. CASTILLE Guilty. The place goes wild, the crew all start to speak at once, shocked at what Castille has said. PICARD Order! There will be order, or I will have the . . . prisoners removed. Silence again reigns. Castille and Yar sit. PICARD That's better. Now, Mr. Castille, are you authorized to speak for these people? CASTILLE I am, Sir, and I repeat our plead of guilty. (a beat) We will, however, present a case for extenuating circumstances that we believe will take precedence over the charges being levied against us. RIKER What extenuating circumstances? YAR All in good time, Commander, we need to establish a few facts first. May we proceed? PICARD By all means, proceed. YAR Thank you, Sir. Yar stands and moves around her table to stand in front of the Inquiry Panel Members. She paces back and forth in front of them while she speaks. YAR (CONT) First, does this panel concede that we had a brief encounter with the future, that I was in fact part of an alternate future and traveled back in time to twenty-three years ago? CRUSHER DNA tests of your body are an exact match for our records on Tasha Yar. You show aging consistent with the exact amount of time you claim to have spent in this timeline, there seems no other logical explanation. PICARD Conceded. Somehow the Enterprise-C traveled to an alternate version of this universe and brought you back to twenty- three years ago. YAR Yes, an alternate timeline, but not unlike this one. You were all there, except Troi and Worf. The technology was the same, much of your history was the same, except the Battle at Norendra III and the war that broke out soon afterward. RIKER This is old ground, Tasha, what's your point? Yar Just this. I had specific knowledge of events that had not yet happened in the time I traveled to, and knowledge of the technology of the future. The others in the crew were also exposed to that technology. We have records that show I used the Picard Maneuver to help us win the Battle of Norendra III, for example. RIKER Yes, we understand that, but that doesn't excuse mutiny. I still haven't heard any extenuating circumstances, unusual maybe, but not extenuating. CASTILLE All in good time, Commander Riker. Castille stands as he delivers his line. Tasha returns to her seat and he takes up a position in front of the Inquiry Panel table. CASTILLE (CONT) Now, our second point. How would you describe the Federation of twenty-three years ago? PICARD In what respect, Mr. Castille? There are many ways to characterize that era of history. CASTILLE With respect to technology say? (a beat) Mr. Data, you have access to the records of the period in questions, how would you describe it in relation to say, today's technology. DATA Many advances have been made since that time. I would say that the Federation of that time had clearly inferior technology. CASTILLE Clearly inferior technology. (a beat) Wouldn't you also say that they were inferior in terms of social and political evolution? DATA I am not an expert in those areas, but, yes, I think that the Federation as a whole was still immature, compared to today's standards. CASTILLE But you're not an expert. What do you say Counselor Troi? TROI Many races of the Federation at that time were very mature in their thinking, but some, especially humans, were still somewhat immature, and perhaps still are in some respects. PICARD Enough of this cross examination, Castille, you are the ones being investigated here. Please make your point. CASTILLE Of course, Captain. My point is this, the Federation of twenty-three years ago was technologically and socially inferior to the Federation of this era. RIKER Agreed, but I still don't see how this all ties in to this case. CASTILLE Bare with us, Commander, we have just one more point to make and it should all become clear. Castille returns to his seat. CASTILLE Tasha. Tasha stands and leans on the table in front of her. YAR Our final point has to do with the precedence of regulations. There is an implied precedence in all our regulations, that's why we have numbered General Orders, for example. If we had to break General Order 12 to, say, uphold General Order 4, we would do it and Star Fleet would have to back us up on that. Is that true, Captain Picard? PICARD (thoughtful pause) I would agree to that, in theory. Tasha moves out in front of her table again to pace in front of the panel members. YAR In theory, then, what is the highest ranked General Order, The only one we all swear to uphold, even if it means our own lives, the lives of our shipmates and the loss of our ships? A light goes on over Riker's head as he realizes what they are trying to accomplish with their line of reasoning. RIKER The Prime Directive! YAR Exactly, Commander. The Prime Directive takes precedence over all General Orders, all regulations, even over our lives. (a beat) What does the Prime Directive tell us? There is to be no interference with cultures that are technologically and socially inferior to our own. No mention of any advanced technology or more evolved civilizations. CASTILLE So you see, Captain, Commander, we were simply upholding the Prime Directive, the highest regulation of all, by not revealing the secrets of this time to a technologically and socially inferior culture, the Federation of twenty-three years ago! RIKER Let me get this straight. Your invoking a Federation directive on the Federation itself? PICARD It's an interesting notion, but I don't ever recall it ever having happened before. DATA The Prime Directive has never before been invoked on the Federation itself, Captain. At least not our Prime Directive. Yet, I do believe it is a reasonable interpretation, Sir. Picard tugs at his uniform and gives Riker a look. They silently confer on the topic and Picard makes up his mind. Castille stands and joins Tasha in front of their table. PICARD I concur, Mr. Data. I do believe that these people made proper use of the Prime Directive as it applied to the Federation of that time. (a beat) Let the record show that this Inquiry Panel finds for the defendants and acknowledges their use of the Prime Directive as a defense. The crowd goes wild, Yar and Castille hug each other. Rachel can be seen in the background looking smug and unmoved by the decree. When they calm down a bit, Picard speaks again. PICARD A copy of this hearing with attachments will be forwarded to Star Fleet Command with a recommendation that all charges be dropped against the crew of the Enterprise- C. In the meantime, we will extend ship's privileges to that crew and their families, you are all now our guests until we hear back from Headquarters. Riker stands and moves over to Yar and Castille. He confronts Tasha. RIKER I hope you'll forgive the hard time I just gave you two. YAR Of course, Commander, I know it's the job of the First Officer to play Devil's Advocate. RIKER Thanks, and congratulations, that was some story you put together. Riker and Yar embrace, Castille smiles. The other members of the panel break up and move amongst the crew members offering their congratulations. Rachel makes her way through the crowd to Data. RACHEL So you're the android? DATA That is correct, and you must be Tasha's daughter, Rachel. The likeness to your mother at your age is uncanny. RACHEL Yes, well I'll take that as a compliment. You did quite a good job up there. You helped my parents get off. DATA I was merely answering their questions to the best of my abilities. RACHEL Of course. (a beat, then in hushed tone) Listen, Data, I have a few questions. Is there somewhere where we can speak . . . alone? Data motions toward the door of the room and they exit. INT. DATA'S QUARTERS Data and Rachel are now in Data's Quarters. The lights are bright, there is an unfinished painting in the background under a cover. Rachel examines the contents of the room. RACHEL Nice room, Data, but how come there's no bed? DATA I do not require sleep. RACHEL That's not the only thing you can use a bed for you know. DATA Ah, I see. Did you come here to seduce me, Rachel? Rachel closes in on Data and strokes his chest with an alluring smile on her face. RACHEL Perhaps, but would it be worth my while? Just how humanoid are you, Data? DATA I am fully functional, Rachel, but I do not think that seducing me would be to your advantage. RACHEL It's just as well, Data, that's not what I came here for anyway. I need to ask you some questions. You see, I plan to stay here and go back to the Federation. DATA You are of legal age, Rachel, and a de facto citizen of the Federation since you were born on a starship. If you wish, we can transport you to the nearest starbase. From there you can arrange for transport to any Federation world. RACHEL Earth! I want to go to Earth. My father was born there you know. DATA That is a very real possibility. Rachel turns away suddenly. She is upset RACHEL Oh, but it can't be that easy. My mother won't let me go! You don't know her, Data, she is an evil woman. DATA Perhaps I do not know your mother, but the Tasha Yar I knew died at the hands of pure evil. I cannot believe that your mother is malicious. She would never want to hurt her only daughter. RACHEL Maybe you're right, Data. (a beat) Would you speak to her for me? DATA I believe it is you who should speak with her, Rachel. RACHEL I can't, we haven't really spoken in years. DATA Might I suggest that you and your mother seek the aide of Counselor Troi. She is skilled in resolving conflict. RACHEL Do you think it would help? DATA I believe it might, Rachel. I shall suggest it to your mother as well. Rachel smiles and throws her arms around Data. Data hesitates then returns the hug. INT. ENTERPRISE MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Picard and Riker are seated at center stage, Worf is at his post. Data is at OPS and an extra is at the Helm station. Establishing shot, then close up on Worf as a message comes in. WORF Captain, I have a sub-space message coming in from Star Fleet Command. (a beat) It's in real-time, Sir. They are relaying via a sub-space repeater aboard the starship Potemkin. RIKER Must be important for them to move the Potemkin into place between them and us. PICARD Agreed. I'll take it in my ready room. Number One, with me. Riker and Picard exit to the Ready Room. INT. READY ROOM Riker and Picard enter, they take seats in front of Picard's terminal. He activates it and we see the same admiral as before, Admiral Colltear. COLLTEAR Captain Picard? PICARD Yes, Admiral Colltear. COLLTEAR We have received your transmission of the Inquiry Panel and reviewed your findings. Star Fleet has rejected the use of the Prime Directive as a defense in this case. Picard and Riker exchange a shocked glance. PICARD Surely, Admiral, Star Fleet must realize the applicability of the Prime Directive here. It is an unusual case, but I believe the defense has merit. COLLTEAR Yes, Captain, as I said, I have reviewed your recommendations. (a beat) Listen, Picard, I sent a starship two sectors across space at maximum warp so that I could tell you this face to face. Star Fleet's hands are tied on this one. Orders come straight from the Federation Council. They want to make an example of this case. They feel it will send a strong message through the ranks. After all, we can't have starship crews deciding to disappear with their ships everyday. (a beat) I'll do what I can for them, Picard, but at this point . . . Another figure appears behind the Admiral on screen, the Admiral turns to acknowledge the person, apparently he is the Admiral's aide. Picard and Riker listen with interest, then try to break in. PICARD Admiral, what is going on? What has happened? COLLTEAR I can't talk right now, Picard. I have just been informed of a priority message coming in regarding this case . . . from the Klingon High Command! (a beat) I'll contact you when I know more. Colltear, out. The screen goes blank, the camera closes on Picard's face. FADE OUT. END OF SCENE 4