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a STAR TREK story
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EPISODE 106 THE SECRETS WE KEEP Story by: Jon Van Pelt Written by: Jon Van Pelt Edited by: Martin Markov Produced by: Bachlane Productions
Episode 106 – The Secrets We Keep
Main Cast: John Kendrick ................................................................................ Aaron Jakubenko Moa Andersson.............................................................................. Ruby Rose Tolena .............................................................................................. Zoey Deutch Brikane............................................................................................. Adam Godley Guest Cast: Eleonore Hennessey .................................................................... Gina Torres Old Hennessey............................................................................... Donald Sutherland Alien Races:
Bolian
Cardassian
EXT. SPACE The BLUE STAR races towards us at warp speed. As she passes over us: INT. BLUE STAR - THE ENGINE ROOM TOLENA sits next to the warp core, feet up on a console and hands folded behind her head, just staring at the ceiling. As MOA comes down the staircase: MOA Looks like you’re light years away from here. Tolena looks up, startled by Moa’s entrance. TOLENA It’s impolite y’know, sneaking up on people when they’re busy daydreaming. As Moa approaches her: MOA Daydreams are for off-hours. You should be focused on work now. For all we know the Orions could still be after us. On the name "Orions", Tolena’s thoughts seem to be wandering off again. TOLENA Y’know, for a moment there, I thought we wouldn’t get out of that sauna alive. She puts her legs back down from the console. As she looks at Moa: TOLENA (CONT’D) When that Orion hit me, part of me just froze. I mean, it’s not that I haven’t dealt with men like him before. But if you hadn’t snapped me out of itMOA Try not to be too hard on yourself, okay? Sometimes we just need a (CONTINUED)
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MOA little kick in the ass to get us back up and fighting. TOLENA Maybe. (to herself) Guess life on this boat has softened me up. (beat) You’d expect that with all this new holographic technology, these slave traders would be long out of business by now. MOA Not when there are still people out there looking for the real thing. TOLENA Can you imagine spending the rest of your life on a mining asteroid, in some filthy brothel? MOA (abhorred) No. No, I can’t. But luckily for us, we managed to stay out of the claws of those green perverts. Which means we don’t have to think about such awful fates. (beat) But I couldn’t have pulled this off without you Tolena. We make a great team, you and I. TOLENA (smiling again) Yeah. (beat) We actually do, don’t we? As she turns round: MOA I’m heading for the galley. Want anything to drink? TOLENA No, I’m fine. Thanks.
(CONTINUED)
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MOA Okay, see you later then. As Moa heads back to the stair: INT. BLUE STAR - THE GALLEY In the galley we find BRIKANE standing behind his cooking pots. As JOHN enters, he starts to sniff the air: JOHN Smells good! What is it? Brikane looks up from his cooking pots: BRIKANE Lakarian casserole. John walks over to the cupboard. He takes out a mug and pours himself some coffee from the coffee maker. He takes a seat at the kitchen table and brings the hot steaming coffee mug to his lips. JOHN Hmmmm. (enjoying) The taste of real coffee. BRIKANE Old Hennessey never ate or drank anything that came out of a food replicator. JOHN Life on a cargo vessel can have its advantages I guess. BRIKANE It does. Sometimes. But eating food rations 300 days a year definitely isn’t one of them. As John takes another sip from his coffee: JOHN I suddenly realize you and I haven’t really had the opportunity to talk to each other since I came on board. Y’know, just two guys chatting. (CONTINUED)
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4. (jokingly) Psychologists say it helps the bonding process. BRIKANE (suddenly serious) What’s there to talk about? JOHN Well, for instance.
As he puts his coffee mug down on the table: JOHN (CONT’D) How does a Cardassian end up working on board a cargo ship, captained by a Human no less? BRIKANE (annoyed) I’m not the kind of person that likes to dwell on the past. JOHN I see. You’re more of a private guy. Keeping things close to the vest. I understand. BRIKANE Good. I hope that means you won’t bother me again with these stupid questions about my past. JOHN I’ll try to avoid them in the future. BRIKANE That would be wise. MOA (O.S.) What the hell are you doing here? John looks up at an angry Moa standing in the doorway. JOHN What does it look like to you? I’m having a cup of coffee while sharing some good old memories with our Cardassian friend over here. He smiles at Brikane, but Brikane pretends to have missed the ’good old memories’ part.
(CONTINUED)
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MOA Don’t play dumb ass with me. As she walks in, John straightens himself. That last comment of hers clearly didn’t sit well with him. JOHN Okay, listen up here. You may not like having me around here, but that doesn’t mean I have to tolerate you guys constantly bullying me like I’m some six year old. (beat) I’m still the "boss" on this boat. I demand a certain respect from the people I work with. (at Brikane) And don’t you dare to bring up another one of your Starfleet quotes. Brikane just turns around and starts stirring the casserole again. MOA Well if you’re the captain, then why is it you’re sitting here all comfy sipping your coffee instead of being where you’re supposed to be: in the pit, behind the helm! JOHN Because I was thirsty, wanted some coffee and switched the controls over from manual to autopilot. Ever think about that, huh? She looks at Brikane as if she’s saying: "told you he’s an idiot". MOA We don’t use autopilot on this ship because it has a deviation of 0.0005%. That’s why we fly manually when we’re at warp. 24/7. John’s eyes widen as it starts to dawn on him. JOHN A deviation of 0.0005% means we could smack into-
(CONTINUED)
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BRIKANE An asteroid. MOA Or a planet. Or a sun. Or even up your dad’s ass. As he jumps to his feet and runs to the door: JOHN(O.S.) You do realize it’s super easy to fix, right? On Moa, arms crossed: EXT. SPACE Rear view of the Blue Star at warp. INT. BLUE STAR - THE PIT John mans the helm, frantically recalculating the trajectory of the ship. Moa takes the seat next to him, sipping her cup of coffee. JOHN Why didn’t you tell about the autopilot malfunctioning? MOA As you’ve probably noticed by now, the Blue Star isn’t one of those shiny Starfleet vessels where everything runs like clockwork. As she puts down her cup in the cup holder and starts working the controls of her station. MOA (CONT’D) Besides, when you offered to take the morning shift I thought you’d be manning the helm the entire morning. Not just popping in for a couple of minutes, pushing a few buttons and head straight off for the galley. JOHN So. (beat) Is this your way of apologizing to me? (CONTINUED)
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She smiles, indicating that this is as far as she is willing to go in terms of apologizing. JOHN Well, I guess the blame falls on both of us. Moa’s attention is suddenly focused on one of the SCREENS on her console where we see the DIAGRAM of a planetary system. MOA Looks like we’re about to reach the Mumford system. JOHN Told you it was an easy fix. Moa just smiles. As John starts pushing buttons and levers: JOHN(CONT’D) Better drop out of warp before we end up on the other side of the system. As we feel the RUMBLING of the warp engines going down: EXT. SPACE - MUMFORD Shot on: the Blue Star as she passes us by and races towards the GREEN BLUE PLANET that houses the Mumford Colony. EXT. MUMFORD ATMOSPHERE A SMALL SPHERICAL POD -named The Bullet- races through the planet’s atmosphere. The hull of the pod starts to GLOW RED from the friction with the planet’s atmosphere. INT. THE BULLET The Bullet looks CRAMPED, almost claustrophobic. On the right side, in the pilot seat, is John. On the left, there’s Moa. Stuffed between them: a BODY BAG.
(CONTINUED)
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JOHN Damn. MOA What? JOHN Don’t you smell the stench that’s coming out of that bag? MOA I’m trying to focus on or descent. As you should too. We’re going down way too fast. You’ve got to level more. JOHN (to himself) Okay let’s focus here. As he pulls the control wheel up. JOHN Here we go. EXT. MUMFORD ATMOSPHERE The fierce red glow on the Bullet’s hull starts to soften as it heads for an ISLAND in a BLUE OCEAN. EXT. MUMFORD COLONY - MARKET PLACE The market place is filled with MARKET BOOTHS. The SUN is shining. TRADESMEN are almost shouting, trying to convince PASSERS-BY to take a look at their MERCHANDISE. Clothes, dairy products, meat ... You name it, this place has it all. Suddenly the sound of commerce is overtaken by the ROARING of an ENGINE. People look up, seeing a DARK SPHERE pulling up in front of the sun. It’s the Bullet! As tradesmen and market visitors are scattered throughout the market place by the approaching vessel:
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INT. THE BULLET John and Moa are witnessing the chaos that’s unwrapping beneath them in the market place. JOHN Of all the locations you’ve scouted, this was the best one you could find? MOA What can I say? (smiling) A lady loves a grand entrance. EXT. MUMFORD COLONY - MARKET PLACE The Bullet lands, crashing a few market booths underneath her landing gear. INT. THE BULLET John turns of the engine: JOHN A perfect landing. As Moa looks outside, assessing the damage they’ve caused. MOA Well. (beat) Almost. EXT. MUMFORD COLONY - MARKET PLACE SHOT ON: a PAIR OF LEGS as we see: The SPHERICAL WINDOW SHIELD of the Bullet rising up. John and Moa unbuckle and jump out. SWISH PAN: revealing the pair of legs belonging to a WOMAN with curly black hair, wearing a long brown leather jacket and carrying a PHASER RIFFLE. This is ELEONORE Hennessy. As Eleonore RAISES the phaser riffle, aiming at an unsuspecting John and Moa: ELEONORE Let’s keep those hands where I can see them. TOWN FOLK start to gather around Eleonore. (CONTINUED)
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John immediately raises his hands to surrender. Moa does not. As she walks up to Eleonore: MOA Don’t you recognize a friend when you see one Elly? Eleonore lowers her rifle, trying to get a better look at Moa. As she finally realizes who she is: ELEONORE Moa? That you? MOA The one and only. As they share a warm embrace: ELEONORE Next time find a quieter place to land that Bullet of yours will you? You scared the hell out of us simple folk. She looks over Moa’s shoulder, surprised to see John still standing there with his hands up in the air. ELEONORE What’s his story? Moa turns round to see John standing there, arms up and looking very uncomfortable with all these people staring at him -angry. MOA You can lower those hands now boss. These are all peace loving people. No one is going to shoot you. As she turns back to Eleonore. MOA Our new captain. Bill’s son. Eleonore walks over to John. As she reaches out her hand to him: ELEONORE You’re Bill Kendrick’s son? As they shake hands.
(CONTINUED)
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JOHN (sarcastically) Unfortunately yes. ELEONORE I see you’ve got Bill’s sense of humor. Well, I consider your old man to be part of our big family here on Mumford. And so the same goes for you too. JOHN So this means I can start to call you auntie Elly now? ELEONORE I wouldn’t go that far. She notices the body bag resting in the Bullet. ELEONORE (to Moa) That him? MOA Yes. Eleonore turns to a couple of sturdy looking MEN: ELEONORE Let’s bring him home. The men immediately drop their belongings and head over to the Bullet to take out the body bag. INT. HENNESSEY HOUSE - LIVING ROOM The room is dressed with only the very basics of necessities. This is a house on a colony world, far away from Federation luxury. Eleonore is washing the body of her deceased husband, Old Hennessey, on the dining table. John and Moa are standing in a corner, watching this very private moment. ELEONORE He would’ve probably be angry at you guys if he’d knew that you’d bring him back here, to Mumford.
(CONTINUED)
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JOHN (looking at Moa) Well if someone had told me that beforehand, it sure would’ve spared us a lot of trouble. Moa shoots him an angry look. ELEONORE The shipping lane was all he ever really knew. Born and raised among the stars. Life here in the dust would’ve been a living hell to him. MOA He was a good captain, Elly. At least he tried to be. ELEONORE Guess it mustn’t have been easy for you guys up there. Him being more drunk than sober. MOA Well, to be honest, we preferred him drunk. He’d be much easier to handle. That puts a little smile on Eleonore’s lips. JOHN (serious) Elly, I know this is probably not the right time to ask you this, but: have you any idea why the Orions would go after your husband? ELEONORE The Syndicate? MOA We’re not even sure if the Syndicate was involved. But Orions did attack us. Twice. JOHN And both times they were after your husband. Something starts to dawn on her:
(CONTINUED)
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ELEONORE (to herself) I told him it would get him into trouble. MOA What would Elly? Eleonore walks over to a cupboard and opens up one of the drawers. As she takes out a SMALL ROD: ELEONORE He got it from a Benzite freighter captain. One of his old friends. JOHN Can I have a look at it? She hands the rod over to John who holds it up in front of him to get a better look at it. JOHN It’s an optolythic data rod. MOA Meaning? JOHN It’s Cardassian. Very rare to find. You could even call it a collector’s item. Whatever information is stored on it, it must be very important. Maybe even highly classified. MOA If something’s very important it usually means it’s very valuable to someone. JOHN Which could explain why the Orions were so eager to get their hands on it. (at Eleonore) Did this friend tell him what’s on the rod? ELEONORE No. He just gave it to him for safekeeping. (CONTINUED)
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John holds the rod up again: JOHN Well, it looks like this little thing has brought danger to us all. MOA So what are we going to do with it? As the rod flickers in the light, JOHN(O.S.) I don’t know. On this we: FADE OUT TO BLACK
a STAR TREK story
TO BE CONTINUED…
TREKISODES © 2018
