ACT ONE
FADE IN:
INT. HORIZON - CORRIDOR
We open with a shot of a long corridor that stretches the length of the Boomer ship. It is dark, with only the occasional flicker of emergency lighting providing actual illumination. It is also clear that the artificial gravity is out as loose objects and unconscious (or dead) bodies drift through the air.
We PUSH IN and begin moving down the corridor. Numerous Boomers can be seen, sprawled out or pinned by toppled slabs of metal that appear to have been blown free by explosions. Several Orions are also laid out, including one that is face down atop the only partially conscious MAJOR MALCOLM REED.
A steady WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP can be heard slowly approaching and Reed struggles to move the Orion laying atop him for a BEAT. As he does so, we can see that the dead Orion has a death grip on a very big knife (almost a short sword) that has been stabbed deeply into Reed's lower stomach. His hand trembling and clearly having problems staying conscious, Reed aims his pistol in the direction of the sound.
His POV: Several EV-suited figures with shoulder-mounted lamps approach slowly. As this is from Reed's perspective, the figures are hazy and hard to make out.
Back to scene: Reed narrows his eyes and draws a bead on the lead figure. He is clenching his teeth against pain and sweat is beading his forehead.
FEMALE VOICE (OS)
Major Reed!
Reed inhales and rapidly blinks his eyes in an attempt to clear them.
REED
(pained)
Lieutenant Alves?
The lead figure stops and pulls her helmet off: it is 1ST LIEUTENANT ALESSANDRA "OLIVE" ALVES.
ALVES
Yes sir!
(over her shoulder)
Medic!
Reed lowers his pistol, again gasping at the movement. The lieutenant quickly approaches along with another SF who is carrying a sealed case bearing a stylized caduceus on its cover. Behind them, the rest of the SF team begins checking on the fallen.
ALVES
Major, where's the captain?
The CORPORAL MITSCHER, a medic, kneels at Reed's side as the major gestures with his head.
REED
(tight)
Over there.
(beat, with a gasp Mitscher shifts the Orion)
With Ensign Sato and Lieutenant Cole.
CORPORAL MITSCHER
Brace yourself, Major. This is going to hurt.
Reed groans as the knife is pulled free and blood begins to flow from the wound: it tumbles haphazardly in tiny blobs through the null gravity. Already, the medic is applying pressure to the wound and Reed's eyes roll back as he slips into unconsciousness.
We shift away from Mitscher and focus on Lieutenant Alves as she approaches the unmoving form of CAPTAIN JONATHAN ARCHER. A large chunk of metal partially torn from the corridor wall pins him to the ground and we can see a large bruise forming on the side of his face but he is breathing. Alves glances around and we focus on her face as she frowns.
PICARD (COMM. VOICE)
Picard to Alves. Sitrep.
ALVES
This is Alves. I've found Captain Archer and Major Reed. Both are alive but need medical attention.
(beat, with a frown)
Sir, there's no sign of Lieutenant Cole or Ensign Sato.
There is a BEAT of silence as Alves looks around once more.
PICARD (COMM. VOICE)
Copy. Stand by...
We PUSH IN and focus once more on the unconscious face of Captain Archer and...
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. ENTERPRISE - SICKBAY
...PULL BACK, revealing that he is now on a biobed. He opens his eyes slowly, wincing slightly at the brightness of the lights. Almost instantly, a hand is there to steady him.
ARCHER
(with eyes closed)
Phlox?
We PULL BACK to reveal that it is DOCTOR JEREMY LUCAS. He is wearing the white medical smock and it is splattered with human blood. His expression is sour.
LUCAS
Hardly.
(beat as Archer opens his eyes)
You've suffered a head trauma, Captain, but should be fine in a couple of hours.
Archer sits up slowly, wincing as he does so. As if expecting this, Lucas applies a hypospray to the captain's neck. Almost instantly, Archer's expression of pain eases.
ARCHER
What happened?
BERNARD (OS)
I was hoping you could tell me that.
General Bernard enters the scene as Lucas once again studies Archer's readings.
ARCHER
I don't remember...
(beat, suddenly with wide eyes)
The Orions!
BERNARD
They're gone. We took out two of their ships but the other four got away.
(grim)
Along with some of your crewmembers.
Archer's expression transforms to one of horror as he gives the general a wide-eyed stare. A shrill tone suddenly sounds from the other side of sickbay.
PHLOX (OS)
Doctor Lucas!
Lucas bolts from the scene, causing Archer and Bernard to look in that direction.
Their POV: DOCTOR PHLOX and Lucas begin operating on an unidentified figure and, from their expressions, it doesn't look good.
Back to scene: Bernard frowns and glances at Archer who speaks, still observing the emergency surgery.
ARCHER
Who’s missing?
REED (OS)
Lieutenant Cole and Ensign Sato, sir.
Archer looks away and, for the first time, we see that Major Reed is on a nearby biobed himself. He is hooked up to an IV machine. Shirtless, he has large bandages wrapped around his stomach.
BERNARD
The Boomers are also reporting missing personnel. At last count, there were sixteen unaccounted for.
(beat, grim)
All female under the age of thirty.
Archer's expression darkens as he realizes what that means.
ARCHER
(tight)
Major.
(with a frown at Reed's injuries)
How are you doing?
Reed smiles - although it looks like a grimace.
REED
Give me a beer and a curry, sir, and I'll be fine.
Confusion flickers across Archer's face at the comment but he nods.
ARCHER
Good.
(beat)
What's our status?
REED
Sub-Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker took a team aboard one of the Orion ships, sir. To try and get starcharts or other intel.
Archer nods and looks back at the two doctors. The tone of the biobed had ceased beeping and Lucas shakes his head with disgust. Phlox sighs heavily and the two share a look oddly absent of their usual personal difficulty. As Phlox reaches for something to cover the face of the dead patient, we recognize JUAN, one of the two Boomers that met Archer at the airlock of Horizon in the previous episode.
We PUSH IN and focus on Captain Archer's grim expression.
ARCHER
General.
(off Bernard's look)
We need to plan our next move.
BERNARD
(nodding)
Agreed.
(beat, with a dark glance at the now shrouded body)
But I'm not exactly in a conciliatory mood right now...
We focus again on Archer's expression: it doesn't look like he is either.
CUT TO:
EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE
Enterprise hangs in the void, surrounded by the surviving Boomer transports. In the distance, we can see Lexington, weapon systems still deployed, as the UEM ship patrols the area.
PUSHING IN, we ZOOM toward one of the now shattered Orion frigates. As we draw closer, we can see that one of Enterprise's shuttlepods has docked with the crippled frigate. We continue to ZOOM until we
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. ORION FRIGATE - BRIDGE
Wearing the distinctive EV-suits, Sub-Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker are kneeling before what appears to have once been a helm station but has now been ripped open by their joint efforts. An Orion body can be seen at the far back of the bridge but we can't tell how it died.
Wielding what appears to be a high-tech soldering gun, Trip leans back, allowing T'Pol to touch a connector to the contact point. Her scanner beeps and she glances down at it.
TUCKER
Did it work?
T'POL
Partially.
(beat)
There is a power failure at the tertiary junction.
TUCKER
(muttering)
Dammit...
Climbing to his feet, Trip leans over the exposed innards of the helm console and begins working on repairing the mentioned junction.
TUCKER
How's that?
Looking over T'Pol's shoulder, we can see the readouts on her hand-held but, as the data is in Vulcan, we can't really understand what it says.
T'POL
Inadequate. Power readings are fluctuating.
Trip fiddles with some more of the exposed circuit board things and grunts.
TUCKER
I think I see the problem now. There's some damage to the primary connector. Hand me the 2 millimeter spanner.
As T'Pol glances to the small toolbox at their side, we PULL BACK to reveal that Lieutenant Picard has entered the bridge and he takes in the scene before him with no small amount of amusement on his face.
His POV: Tucker is leaning over the helm station, his groin mere centimeters from T'Pol's helmet. Trip's hand, awaiting the requested tool, is at the side of her helmet.
Back to scene: Picard smirks but then visibly attempts to conceal any amusement.
TUCKER
This damned thing is harder to get to than the battery on my sister's old car.
T'POL
(handing him the tool)
Car?
TUCKER
Ground vehicle. Four wheels, an engine.
T'POL
A personal transport.
TUCKER
Yeah.
(beat)
Don't you have cars on Vulcan?
Picard can't help himself any more and he snorts. This immediately attracts T'Pol's attention and she glances in his direction.
T'POL
Lieutenant.
PICARD
(trying to keep from smiling)
Ma'am.
(beat)
Anything I can do to help?
TUCKER
Doubt it.
(as he pulls himself back over the helm station)
No offense, Lieutenant, but you don't have the technical training for this.
(to T'Pol)
Try it now.
T'Pol examines her scanner.
T'POL
Power fluctuations are no longer present. I am beginning the download now.
Trip nods, then glances up to Picard.
TUCKER
Has Chief Gomez finished with the computer core?
PICARD
Yes sir. He said it was a lost cause but took it back to Enterprise anyway.
TUCKER
(sour)
Well, for once, I hope he's wrong.
Picard nods in agreement, no longer amused, and shoots an angry glare at the Orion body. T'Pol's scanner beeps and she begins to rise.
T'POL
Download is complete. We should return to Enterprise at once.
And off of her determined look, we
CUT TO:
INT. ENTERPRISE - BRIEFING ROOM
Standing before the main display, Captain Archer and General Bernard quietly discuss options. Displayed on the small screen is a rudimentary cross-section of an Orion frigate and, on the table behind them, is a familiar-looking object. It is the beacon that was attached to Horizon's hull.
We enter the scene with it already in progress.
BERNARD
-no real armor to speak of. Lexington's rail guns shredded it like paper.
Archer winces slightly at that.
ARCHER
(slightly cynical)
So I see.
The door slides open, forestalling any comment by the general and revealing PAUL MAYWEATHER. A half step behind him is SERGEANT MAJOR JACK HAYES and another enlisted SF; both are armed and appear to have been "escorting" Mayweather.
HAYES
Sir. Captain Mayweather as requested.
Archer gives him a nod before pinning the Boomer captain with a frown.
ARCHER
Captain.
(beat, off of Paul's slight nod)
We have a problem.
PAUL
(sarcastic)
Really? I hadn't noticed.
Behind Archer, Bernard frowns and crosses her arms. She fixes Paul Mayweather with a sinister-looking glare as Archer gestures to the beacon.
ARCHER
We pulled that off of your ship.
(beat, off of Paul's look of surprise)
It's an Orion beacon.
The Boomer is aghast and any trace of hostility drains from him in a heartbeat.
PAUL
What?
ARCHER
You said that you barely got away from the Orions the last time.
(grim)
It looks like you were allowed to escape.
Paul looks like someone has just kicked him in the groin and he collapses heavily into a chair, still staring at the beacon with wide and horrified eyes. Archer and Bernard exchange a glance.
ARCHER
(softer)
Captain, we need your help if we're going to retrieve our people.
The Boomer tears his eyes away from the beacon and looks up, looking like he's on the verge of throwing up.
PAUL
How can I help? Horizon isn't a warship.
BERNARD
No, but you have better starcharts of the area than we do. We want access to them.
PAUL
Done.
He swallows and looks at the beacon again.
PAUL
(soft)
I'm responsible for this...this is my fault...
Archer's expression changes to one of commiseration and he rests a hand on the Boomer's shoulder.
ARCHER
We're going to get them back, Captain.
BERNARD
(grim)
All of them.
Mayweather looks up at that and, off the resolute expressions on the faces of Captain Archer and General Bernard, we…
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
Continue to Act Two
