ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
EXT. UNDER WATER – JUST OFF DESERTED ISLAND
Shuttlepod 01 is already far beneath the surface. We watch from below as it sinks toward us, bubbles escaping from the damage it suffered in the crash.
Changing angles, we watch from above as the shuttlepod continues to sink. Suddenly, the hatches on either side of the ‘pod blow off and are pushed away by water rushing into the ‘pod’s interior. After a BEAT, the first of the crash survivors begin to swim out of the stricken shuttlepod.
Corporal MacKenzie makes her way out with the others, but in all the confusion, she ends up swimming down and away instead of up and away.
Tucker and T’Pol are the last ones out. The engineer has no problem making his way to the surface, but T’Pol, still wearing her portable oxygen tank, is having a hard time.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – OCEAN – JUST OFF DESERTED ISLAND
Most of the crash survivors are already bobbing on the surface of the churning sea, with the last few, including Tucker, breaking the surface and gasping for new air.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – DESERTED ISLAND – BEACH
The crash survivors swim up to shore and awkwardly make their way onto the beach. After a BEAT, everyone seems to be on shore. Tucker takes a look around, doing a silent head check. He notices that a certain pair of pointy ears is missing.
Looking out to sea, we can see two heads bobbing on the surface, their arms thrashing about as they struggle to keep their heads above the surface as they make their way toward shore. Tucker doesn’t hesitate. Running back out to the water, the engineer dives right into an incoming wave.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – OCEAN – JUST OFF DESERTED ISLAND
Tucker makes his way to the first person, only to have her sink beneath the waves. Taking a deep breath, Tucker dives straight down.
EXT. UNDER WATER – JUST OFF DESERTED ISLAND
Tucker is mildly surprised to see T’Pol struggling to make her way to the surface. Somewhat unnervingly, though her situation is dire, she is maintaining her normally stoic expression, though her eyes are somewhat wider than normal.
Tucker reaches the drowning Vulcan and takes hold of her securely. He kicks his feet hard, propelling them toward the surface. From the contortions in his face, we can tell that he’s got his work cut out for him.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – OCEAN – JUST OFF DESERTED ISLAND
Tucker and T’Pol break the surface. T’Pol coughs up some water as Tucker guides them toward shore.
TUCKER
(between breaths)
It might be … easier … if you dump … that air tank!
T’POL
I need it!
Tucker rolls his eyes as best he can.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – DESERTED ISLAND – BEACH
Tucker and T’Pol wash up on shore, both of them sputtering for air. T’Pol takes the opportunity to get some air from her portable tank. Tucker recovers as quickly as he can, getting ready to go back out.
TUCKER
(panting)
God! You’re a lot heavier than you look!
T’Pol gives him a slightly sour look, but the engineer is already back out in the water before she can even hope to reply.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – OCEAN – JUST OFF DESERTED ISLAND
With the second swimmer nowhere in sight, Tucker takes a big gulp of air and dives beneath the surface.
EXT. UNDER WATER – JUST OFF DESERTED ISLAND
Tucker looks about, the lightning flashes both aiding and hindering him in his search.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – OCEAN – JUST OFF DESERTED ISLAND
Tucker surfaces again for another gulp of air. He looks concerned. He dives again, and after another LONG BEAT, her surfaces, looking even more concerned. Taking another big gulp of air, he dives for a third time.
EXT. UNDER WATER – JUST OFF DESERTED ISLAND
We watch Tucker as he desperately looks for the second swimmer. We change angles as his eyes narrow. From Tucker’s POV, we can faintly make out the shape of Corporal McKenzie, floating neutrally about three meters down. She’s very limp. Changing angles again, we watch as Tucker quickly swims to her and grabs her.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – DESERTED ISLAND – BEACH
Tucker washes up on shore with the limp form of McKenzie. Tucker flips her over as several crash survivors rush to the water’s edge to help him pull her further up the beach. We focus on the young woman’s face, and it’s very clear that she’s dead – pale complexion, blue lips framing a partially opened mouth, and vacant, open eyes with dilated pupils.
Tucker begins to perform CPR on the unfortunate SF, while the others watch on with concern, apprehension, or futility. Tucker is driven to the point of anger. He pumps so hard on McKenzie’s chest that some of the water manages to make its way out. He turns the dead woman to let the water drain out, then flops her on her back and starts CPR again.
T’Pol, now recovered, makes her way to McKenzie and squats down across from Tucker. She pulls out her hand-held scanner and runs it over her. After a BEAT, T’Pol looks from her scanner, to McKenzie’s face, to Tucker.
T’POL
There is nothing more you can do, Commander.
Tucker glares at her fiercely.
TUCKER
I’m not givin’ up that easy!
(beat, to other survivors)
Didn’t anyone grab a first aid kit!?
MASARO
I did, but there’s nothing in here that can help her, sir.
(beat, reluctantly)
The sub-commander is right.
Tucker looks angry at that response, but it isn’t long before he lets himself look at the dead woman’s face. His head drops, and his whole body seems to just go limp.
INT. ENTERPRISE – SICKBAY
Mayweather lies unconscious on the main biobed. Lucas is nearby at one of the room’s computer monitors, looking intently at sensor readouts of the helmsman. Phlox is across the room, working with several vials of medication.
Changing angles, we see Ensign Cutler enter the room and make her way to Mayweather’s side. Lucas barely looks at her, but we soon as Phlox sees her, he turns to give her his attention.
PHLOX
Ah… Ensign Cutler. Is there something I can do for you?
CUTLER
(nervously)
No … Well yes.
(beat, off Phlox’s disarming look)
I just stopped by to see how Travis is doing.
PHLOX
He’s out of immediate danger, but the venom of the offending invertebrate was particularly potent, and quite unique I might add.
(beat, looking at Mayweather)
Unfortunately, none of the medications I have on board appears to be particularly effective in ridding his body entirely of the venom.
CUTLER
What about some of your … “helpers”?
Phlox smiles at that.
PHLOX
Actually, I was just considering introducing a few Regulan bloodworms into his bloodstream to see if they could give his blood vessels and lymph nodes a good cleaning.
Cutler looks a little uncomfortable at that.
PHLOX
Not to worry, Ensign, they’re quite harmless, and they, hm, make their way out eventually.
Lucas looks at his Denobulan counterpart with concern.
LUCAS
I’m afraid it’s much more complicated than that, Doctor.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – DESERTED ISLAND – FOREST
The group of nine crash survivors makes its way through the fern-covered forest floor. The trees sway in the powerful, howling wind. We focus on the front of the group, and see that Tucker is carrying the body of McKenzie, and that T’Pol is just behind him. Daniels and Masaro are a few paces back, and five crewmen take up the rear of the group.
Depending heavily on her portable air tank now, T’Pol stays close to Tucker, taking the oxygen mask away from her face only to speak.
T’POL
You should not burden yourself, Commander!
(beat, taking a breath)
We must find shelter quickly if we hope to survive the storm!
TUCKER
I’m not leaving her behind!
Tucker stops and gives T’Pol an especially venomous glare.
TUCKER (CONT’D)
It’s bad enough I wasted time to rescue you instead of her! I’m not going to let the storm take her body too!
Tucker resumes walking, but T’Pol almost seems riveted to the ground, taken completely off guard by Tucker’s declaration. Daniels passes by the wheezing Vulcan, and when their eyes meet, there is clearly disdain in the human’s expression.
INT. ENTERPRISE – SICKBAY
We focus on Archer as he looks at the main computer display mounted over the imagining chamber.
ARCHER
(concerned)
What is it, and how did he get it?
We change to a wider angle, and see that Phlox and Lucas stand to either side of the monitor, which displays a microscopic life-form, floating around in Mayweather’s bloodstream.
PHLOX
We don’t know, Captain, other than that it appears to be a microscopic life form, and that it appears to be focusing its attention on the Ensign’s brain and central nervous system.
Lucas presses a button along the side of the monitor, and it changes to a display of Mayweather’s brain and central nervous system, with several colored indicators indicating the infection.
LUCAS
It’s also interfering with any anti-venom treatments we’ve been giving him. For the time being, it’s also the only thing keeping him alive.
PHLOX
Unfortunately we can’t tell how he was infected; was it part of the venom, or was it from some other vector we haven’t considered?
(beat)
We’ve scanned the other members of the landing party that accompanied Ensign Mayweather, and they do not appear to be infected, but I’m not willing to rule out some other environmental factor yet.
ARCHER
Why not? If the others weren’t infected, this could just be a result of whatever it was that bit him.
PHLOX
Because of its interference with the venom itself. The ensign should be dead now because I haven’t been able to effectively treat him. Instead he’s being kept in an almost suspended state.
LUCAS
Almost, as in his brain is still being made into mince-meat, not only by the venom, but by these microorganisms, just very slowly.
(beat, looking at Mayweather on the nearby biobed)
He’s damn lucky that he’s unconscious.
Everyone is silent for a BEAT as they watch Mayweather breathing shallowly, looking as if he’s in pain even though he’s unconscious.
PHLOX
I would like to go over the decontamination scans taken of all the returning members of the landing party though, Captain.
Archer looks momentarily concerned, like he thinks Phlox is saying that there might be something wrong with him, but Lucas suddenly takes on a very angry demeanor.
LUCAS
Are you suggesting I missed something!?
PHLOX
Not at all, I simply want to explore all possible avenues-
LUCAS
If there was something wrong, I would have seen it!
PHLOX
(growing impatient)
The infection was only found because we were specifically focusing on the central nervous system!
ARCHER
(snapping)
That’s enough!
Both Lucas and Phlox immediately stop and give Archer their attention.
ARCHER
(quiet but harsh)
You have a man dying here, and we have a shuttlepod full of people who might be dead or dying right now. Whatever differences you have, put them aside.
(beat, with one last glare)
If there’s anything else, I’ll be on the bridge.
Archer quickly turns and exits the room.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – DESERTED ISLAND – FOREST
Further back, Masaro watches T’Pol walk. We change to his POV, focusing completely on T’Pol, when suddenly, there’s a movement off to the right. We quickly turn to see what it was.
Changing angles, we see Masaro stop, and squint his eyes as he looks into the swaying trees. We change angles again, focusing on a denser part of the forest. Seemingly out of no where, three Vulcan figures are briefly visible as they move parallel to the crash survivors. His eyes wide, Masaro runs as best he can in Tucker’s direction.
Carefully avoiding T’Pol, Masaro catches up to Tucker.
MASARO
(anxious, trying to be quiet)
Commander, there’s someone following us.
Tucker stops.
TUCKER
What? Who?
MASARO
(looking anxiously at T’Pol)
Vulcans. Three of them, in the trees over there.
Masaro nods toward the trees where he saw the Vulcans, and Tucker looks, oblivious to anyone, or anything else. The trees creek eerily as they sway in the wind, but otherwise, nothing can be seen now.
TUCKER
Did anyone else see them?
(beat, to the others)
Did anyone see anything in the trees!?
The rest of the group stops and looks about, confused. After a BEAT, T’Pol joins the two men.
T’POL
What is it!?
TUCKER
He says he saw some other Vulcans!
(beat, sarcastically)
Friends of yours!?
T’POL
The High Command does not even know this planet exists!
By now, the rest of the group has caught up.
MASARO
(growing bolder)
How do we know that!? You could have been lying!
T’Pol openly glares at Masaro. Tucker looks conflicted.
TUCKER
You said yourself that no one else saw anything!
MASARO
I know what I saw Commander!
T’POL
Then you are obviously delusional!
(beat, forcefully at Tucker)
We need to find shelter on higher ground!
Trip looks conflicted, but he continues forward, before anyone can say anything further.
INT. ENTERPRISE – BRIDGE
Archer sits in his command chair, facing Lieutenant Garla at the Science station.
ARCHER
Anything?
Garla watches her monitors for a BEAT, then turns to meet Archer’s concerned gaze.
GARLA
(disappointed)
No sir.
ARCHER
(with a sigh)
Return it to the surface and activate its beacon.
(beat)
Then … launch another probe. They have to be somewhere in that area.
EXT. SPACE – ABOVE PLANET
Just as we saw at the beginning of the episode, a crane drops down out of the open lower cargo bay door, and releases a probe. The probe flies toward the planet.
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – OCEAN
The probe streaks out of the sky and enters the churning surface of the water, sending a huge spray of water skyward.
INT. ENTERPRISE – BRIDGE
Archer again watches Garla. Information begins to display on the various monitors of the Science station.
GARLA
(off monitors)
Receiving telemetry now….
Suddenly, the comm. activates.
PHLOX (COMM. VOICE)
(urgently)
Captain, I believe I’ve found the source of Ensign Mayweather’s infection.
Archer exchanges a surprised look with Garla as we
CUT TO:
EXT. PLANET SURFACE – DESERTED ISLAND – FOREST
T’Pol sits down on a rock to rest as the group of crash survivors nears a hill. She shivers, obviously having a hard time dealing with the conditions.
Masaro stops and watches T’Pol as she rocks gently. He starts to look away when he suddenly sees a Vulcan kneeling next to her. He squints against the rain and strains to listen, but he can’t get a clear look at the other Vulcan, or hear any of the conversation that appears to be going on. Not waiting any longer, he rushes toward T’Pol.
Daniels sees Masaro rushing off and slaps Tucker on the back to get his attention.
DANIELS
Commander!
Tucker turns, sees Masaro, sees T’Pol, puts McKenzie down as gently as he can manage, and pulls her holstered sidearm before he and Daniels run after Masaro.
Changing to Masaro’s POV, we can see the mystery Vulcan look up at him before quickly getting up and disappearing into the brush. T’Pol hears his approach and looks up at him.
T’Pol quickly stands and takes up a martial arts stance, ready for anything. Masaro stops short of her.
MASARO
So who was your friend!?
T’POL
To whom do you refer!?
MASARO
I saw you talking to another Vulcan!
By now, Tucker and Daniels have caught up with Masaro.
TUCKER
What’s going on here!?
MASARO
She was talking to one of them, sir! She’s conspiring with them!
T’POL
(forcefully)
There are no other Vulcans here!
An especially strong wind gust blows through the trees, making them creak loudly. SNAP! One of the tree trunks splinters, and the tree groans as it starts to fall.
TUCKER
Lookout!
Tucker, Daniels, and T’Pol all successfully jump out of the way. Masaro is not so fortunate; though he manages to escape being completely crushed by the trunk of the tree, he catches one of the limbs and it takes him down to the ground.
Tucker looks toward the stump of the tree, and is surprised to see a Vulcan slipping into the brush just behind it. He levels McKenzie’s plasma pistol and fires off several shots.
DANIELS
What is it!?
TUCKER
I saw one of ‘em! A damn Vulcan! He broke the tree!
Both turn to see T’Pol hunching over Masaro, looking for a way to dislodge him. Tucker obviously sees it differently.
TUCKER
Get away from him!
The crazed engineer fires a shot at T’Pol, hitting her air tank. T’Pol quickly spins around and starts to go for her own sidearm, but Tucker has the plasma pistol leveled at her chest.
TUCKER
You hold it right there or I’m gonna split you in two!
T’Pol freezes and looks at Tucker with what can only be surprise as we…
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT FOUR
Continue to Act Five
