ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

INT. HOLOGRAPHIC ARESTAK DESERT - NIGHT

Trip opens his eyes. In the darkness he can hear Jahk'pr muttering to himself nearby. Trip turns his head and can make out Jahk'pr's dark form.

TRIP
Cursing my name?

JAHK'PR
No. I have never lost a fight.

TRIP
(sits up)
Surprise. You lost one.

JAHK'PR
I did not cause your head injury, did I?

TRIP
(touches wound and winces)
Naw. Something came loose from
the ceiling and hit my head. I
take it whoever was attacking us went away.

JAHK'PR
The ship did not feel as if it
were under attack when I came to.
That does not mean we have not
been boarded.

TRIP
You're optimism is amazing, Jahk'pr.

JAHK'PR
Are you okay otherwise?

TRIP
I will be. We stubborn, arrogant,
conceited and stinky humans mend.

JAHK'PR
What I said was uncalled for. I
apologize for saying it.

TRIP
(shrugs)
I'd be pissed if someone was
brought in to do my job too.
Course, I was kinda hoping we
could work the problem out together.

JAHK'PR
(clears throat)
I... You won so I suppose I
should... tell you...

TRIP
Tell me what?

JAHK'PR
It's about the warp drive sensors.

TRIP
(deep concern)
What did you do to the warp drive
sensors, Jahk'pr?

JAHK'PR
I rerouted them to another
terminal in engineering. When we
were running tests I was watching them.

TRIP
Were they going into critical
during the test run?

JAHK'PR
They began climbing at warp four.

TRIP
(stands)
JAHK'PR!
(calmer)
Did you change them back before
we came in here?

JAHK'PR
No.

TRIP
NO?

JAHK'PR
No. I did not.

TRIP
Jahk'pr... if they don't know we
could all be killed!

JAHK'PR
I left one safety measure in
place. The warp drive will shut
down before it breaches.

TRIP
By then it could be irreparable, Jahk'pr!

JAHK'PR
I am sorry. I wanted you to look bad.

TRIP
(stressed, worried)
By killing your crew? Your
father? Is that what you wanted,
to kill everyone?

JAHK'PR
No! I told you--

Trip kneels down in front of Jahk'pr.

TRIP
Jahk'pr, having the engine shut
down before it breaches isn't a
safety protocol that's effective.
There are a hundred things that
could cause that fail-safe not to
go into effect and blow this ship
to smithereens. You never should
have done that to get even with
me. You should have just...
(sits down and smiles)
You shoulda just challenged me to
a fistfight. We'd'a duked it out
like we just did and called it
good. Could'a done it without
anyone even knowing.

JAHK'PR
You fight amazingly well,
Commander Tucker.

TRIP
(wags head)
Had lots of practice. I have a
wicked temper.

JAHK'PR
(smiles)
Yes, you do. There were a couple
times I thought for certain you
were going to strike me.

TRIP
Captain Archer sorta made me curb
it. Sometimes gets the best of me
still, though. Guess you saw that today.

JAHK'PR
Mine gets the best of me too. I
yell and become verbally abusive.

TRIP
I've seen that.

JAHK'PR
My father wanted me here. He
wanted me to follow in the family profession.

TRIP
What did you want to do?

JAHK'PR
I beg your pardon?

TRIP
It sounds to me like chief
engineer in your race's star
fleet wasn't your career of choice.

JAHK'PR
I wanted to become a marine
biologist. We have a team on the
planet Fugh'ep and they have some
amazing research projects in
progress right now.

TRIP
Why don't you tell your father
that's what you want to do?

JAHK'PR
He would not listen to me.

TRIP
Then I'll tell him.

JAHK'PR
(looks surprised)
Why would you tell him?
Especially after what I have done.

TRIP
I may have a really bad temper,
Jahk'pr, but I can forgive anyone
of almost anything. Besides, I
have a friend on Enterprise that
this whole father son lack of
communication reminds me of.

JAHK'PR
His father is not Captain Archer, is he?

TRIP
(laughs)
No. His father is back on Earth.
Don't really know if his father
was a captain, I do know my
friend never served under him,
but if you get him started, he'll
vent for hours about how his
father wanted him to join the
Royal Navy. So, to avoid what his
father wanted, he joined Starfleet
instead. The two don't talk now.

JAHK'PR
What is the Royal Navy?

TRIP
An ocean fleet back home.

JAHK'PR
(smiles)
Perhaps your friend and I should
trade fathers then.

TRIP
(laughs)
Ya see, Jahk'pr? When your nice
to people, they'll talk to you
and not try to kick your butt.

JAHK'PR
(laughs)
This is true, however, the fight
helped to clear my anger toward you.

TRIP
Strange how a good old fistfight
does that when you're mad at someone.

JAHK'PR
I will probably be reprimanded
for it, however.

TRIP
How's that?

JAHK'PR
Striking another officer is prohibited.

TRIP
Can't reprimand you if they never
know it happened.

JAHK'PR
You do not intend on telling?

TRIP
Nope. Only way your dad's gonna
find out is if you tell him yourself.

JAHK'PR
How do we explain these injuries?

Trip reclines back in the sand on his arms, softly sighing.

TRIP
Safeties are off, remember? Something attacked us.

JAHK'PR
(laughs)
Do you lie well as well as you stink?

TRIP
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. OW!

Trip sits up, yanking his hand up. Even in the dark he can see he's bleeding.

JAHK'PR
What happened?

TRIP
Something bit me.

The two stop talking. They can hear something crawling on the sand. Trip gets to his feet, holding his injured hand. Jahk'pr crouches, listening.

He suddenly snaps his hand out and catches something. In the silence Trip can here soft squeaking and sees something wiggling in Jahk'pr's hand when he stands up.

TRIP
What is it?

Trip hears something crunch and the squeaking stops.

JAHK'PR
P'var. They are scavengers. We
should go further up the sand
dune. They don't fare well in the sand.

The two walk to the top of the dune where a breeze is blowing. They sit back down again.

JAHK'PR
That is curious.

TRIP
What is?

JAHK'PR
The P'var. They are not desert
rodents. Strange that the
computer would generate them.

TRIP
They weren't common on Arestak?

JAHK'PR
No. They are from Ede'thif, but
they appear to be fond of living
in space. They have a problem
with them on the Ede'thif space
dock and most ships have to go
through an eradication cycle
before leaving port.

TRIP
That is strange.

The two fall silent. Trip smiles, something Jahk'pr notices.

JAHK'PR
What amuses you?

TRIP
Oh, I was just thinking about
stories I've read and heard of
these ships my ancestors used on
the oceans back home. They had
problems with rats and mice on
them, so they'd take cats on
board to help keep the rodents
down. But they never completely
ridded the boats of 'em because
our rats and mice...
(an idea begins to form)
are resilient. They were
practically the only things alive
at atom bomb test sights...
(pauses)
THAT'S IT!

JAHK'PR
What is it?

TRIP
You said most ships have to go
through that eradication process
when they dock at the Ede'thif
port. Has this ship ever had to do that?

JAHK'PR
Yes. Seven months ago when we
took on supplies.

TRIP
And how sure are you that they
were all killed?

JAHK'PR
The computer indicated they had been.

TRIP
Are there any places on this ship
that the sensors wouldn't have detected them?

JAHK'PR
(nods)
Inside the incinerator and the
emergency life spheres.

Trip looks up suddenly.

TRIP
You feel that?

Jahk'pr turns his head and smiles.

JAHK'PR
The temperature's going down.
They must be accessing the
computer outside. We should be
out of here soon.

TRIP
I think that P'var you killed is real.

JAHK'PR
It couldn't be. I just told--

TRIP
Not if they were in life spheres
when it happened. The spheres are
sealed until an hour after launch
from what I read. Some sort of
safety protocol you guys have.
You had taken the warp drive off
line two months ago, before this
problem, correct?

JAHK'PR
Yes. A coil went out.

TRIP
It was off line for a week and
during that time there was some
other maintenance done on it.
Jahk'pr, what if those P'var got
into the engine and started
nesting in the vents?

JAHK'PR
We would have noticed the engine
wasn't venting properly.

Trip jumps to his feet and uses his hands to illustrate while he talks.

TRIP
Not if the nests were incinerated
as soon at the drive was
initiated to go to warp. Here's
the scenario as I see it. The
drive is off line, these rodents
get into the engine, take up
residence in the cooling manifold
and other heat buffer areas, and
in the vents, because they're
closed at the time. You bring the
engine online and initiate it so
it has to vent plasma. Not all
the P'var or nests get sucked
into space. Super heated plasma
flows up the tubes and out the
vents. The nests and dead and
live P'var go up in flames. That
starts a chain reaction down
through the safety protocols, one
or more causing the engine to go
off line. You run all your
diagnostics, check things out,
that takes a few days, the P'var
are back making happy homes in
the vents, the cycle repeats itself.

Jahk'pr sits silent. He nods.

JAHK'PR
This does make sense. And unlike
your engine, our warp drive and
impulse drive are separate. This
could be the answer, Commander.

The door opens and both squint, looking at it. Aws'tp steps in.

AWS'TP
Computer, end program.

Trip and Jahk'pr end up sitting on the floor. In front of them they see P'var scattering into unseen exits, leaving the dead one in the middle of the floor. Jahk'pr looks at Trip.

JAHK'PR
I fear you may be correct
Commander. We had better look into it.

The two get up and leave. Trip winks at Aws'tp as they pass her. She smiles, looking around the room, then turns and follows the two.

CUT TO:

INT. ENTERPRISE HALL

Trip and Jahk'pr are following Archer and Pah'pr down the hall. The Arestak are wearing lightweight, portable respirators. The group stops at the docking hatch. Pah'pr turns to Archer.

PAH'PR
I am grateful the Xyrillians
suggested we seek your assistance
on this matter. I cannot begin to
express our gratitude for your aid.

ARCHER
I'm just glad it was fixed.

PAH'PR
(turns to Trip)
And the matter we discussed,
Commander, I will take into
consideration. Thank you for
bringing it to my attention.

TRIP
You're welcome. Have a safe trip,
Captain Pah'pr.

Pah'pr boards his ship. Trip looks at Jahk'pr who is smiling.

JAHK'PR
What matter did you two discuss, Commander?

TRIP
It was private, but act surprised
if you get reassigned to Fugh'ep
in a day or so.

JAHK'PR
You may stink and have a terrible
temper, Commander,
(takes Trip's hand and shakes it)
but you are a very honorable man. Thank you.

TRIP
You're welcome. Keep my engine
running good until then.

Jahk'pr laughs as he walks aboard his ship. Archer taps the control by the hatch and the door closes and seals. He turns to Trip.

ARCHER
A ferocious, carnivorous, lizard
attacked you two?

TRIP
Looked like one.

Archer shakes his head.

ARCHER
I don't buy it Trip. You two got
into a fight, didn't you?

TRIP
Jahk'pr and I came to a mutual understanding.

ARCHER
Which was?

TRIP
I don't stink.

Archer turns and walks away, laughing. Trip follows with a smile on his face.

TRIP
Captain, can I work in shorts and
sandals on duty from now on? That
was pretty comfortable.

ARCHER
No.

TRIP
Shorts and tennis shoes?

ARCHER
No.

The two turn the corner.

TRIP (O.S.)
Short sleeves and pants? I
promise not to wear those wild colored--

ARCHER (O.S.)
NO!

TRIP (O.S.)
How about--

ARCHER (O.S.)
Archer to the bridge.

HOSHI'S COM VOICE
Go ahead, Captain.

ARCHER (O.S.)
Call the Arestak back. I'm going
to throw Trip off Enterprise.

Trip laughs.

END OF ACT FOUR

WGA # 930266
Written by A. Rhea King