ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
EXT. SPACE
Shuttlepod 01 slowly tumbles through space.
INT. SHUTTLEPOD 01
We focus on Ensign Cutler; she’s been strapped to the bench using the built-in restraints. Her breath turns to vapor as soon as it leaves her mouth, letting us know that she’s still alive. PANNING, we see Major Reed and Commander Tucker floating at the rear of the shuttlepod. Reed is still typing a letter on his PADD, while Tucker dozes next to him.
Reed finishes typing on his PADD and looks up. He’s mildly alarmed to see Tucker sleeping. He gives the sleeping engineer a rough nudging.
REED
Commander!
(beat, nudging Tucker again)
Wake up! You need to stay awake!
Tucker finally rouses from sleep, giving Reed a slightly disgruntled look. It’s obvious that both men are being affected by the lack of oxygen in the atmosphere, almost seeming drunk
REED
What? You wouldn’t want me to get bored now would you?
Tucker gives him a small smile.
TUCKER
(wryly)
Does this mean you’ve finished writing all those letters of yours?
REED
As a matter of fact, I have.
TUCKER
(trying to doze off again)
So what do you want me to do? Break into song and dance?
Reed gives Tucker another nudge, keeping the other man awake.
REED
I’ve told you all about my family life and my relationships, but you’ve hardly said a thing about yourself.
(beat, off Tucker’s incredulous expression)
Come on, Commander; give us a story.
Reed gives Tucker a silly grin that completely disarms the engineer. Tucker sighs heavily and thinks of something to say.
TUCKER
I guess I could tell you about Ruby.
(beat, off Reed’s expectant stare)
There was this bar and lounge place near the UESPA HQ in San Fran… and she was a waitress there.
(beat, remembering)
Anyway, when I was an ensign, I used to hang out there at the end of the day. I wasn’t real big into drinking, but Lord, the first time I laid eyes on her, I was in love.
REED
Blonde? Brunette?
TUCKER
A redhead actually.
REED
(with clear approval)
Ohhhhh….. Nice….
TUCKER
(nodding)
Yeah…
(beat)
So her and I used to flirt quite a bit, and as it turned out she had picked out all her kids’ names when she was like nine. The deal was, if any guy was able to tell her what those names were, she’d marry him.
REED
So I’m to presume that you couldn’t guess them?
TUCKER
Nope. I tried I don’t know how many times though, but you had to guess all of them and she wouldn’t tell you if you got any right.
REED
(put off)
Bit of a tease then…
TUCKER
Yeah. I didn’t mind though, it was pretty fun.
(beat)
I never really had any serious relationships, at least none that lasted.
REED
Oh?
TUCKER
Natalie was the closest I ever came to being serious with someone, but by then I was already pretty involved in the Warp Five program, so there was never time.
REED
(sympathetic)
I see.
(beat)
I guess we actually have more in common than I would have thought possible.
TUCKER
What’s that supposed to mean?
REED
Just that we both seem to have chosen profession over personal lives.
(beat)
Or something like that.
Both men silently reflect for a BEAT.
TUCKER
Doesn’t stop me from looking and wishing though…
Reed smiles at that.
REED
Have your eye on anyone?
TUCKER
There are a few lookers… but no, no one in particular.
Reed gives Tucker a knowing look.
REED
What about T'Pol?
Tucker looks dumbfounded.
TUCKER
What about her?
REED
She has a nice bum...
TUCKER
(under his breath)
That ain't all that's nice...
REED
What?
Tucker immediately takes an evasive posture.
TUCKER
Nothin'.
(beat)
I don't think she's that attractive...
REED
(shocked)
Are you bloody serious?
TUCKER
(firmly)
Yeah.
(beat)
Don't see the big deal.
REED
(studying the engineer with narrowed eyes)
Didn't you go through decon with her?
TUCKER
(a little uncomfortable)
Yeah. Like I said, not a big deal.
(beat)
She drives me crazy sometimes. I wanna blow her out the airlock.
(beat, at Reed's look)
Well, not really, but you know what I mean. Wonder if she works at being that annoying or if it’s just natural.
REED
(suddenly smirking)
Methinks the engineer doth protest too much.
TUCKER
(rolling his eyes)
Methinks the major is nuts.
REED
Oh, come off it now…
TUCKER
(defensively)
What!?
REED
I’ve seen you looking at her that way before…
TUCKER
I don’t know what you’re talking about…
REED
I’ve seen you look at her bum.
(beat, off Tucker’s continued evasiveness)
I don’t blame you or anything; it’s an awfully nice bum.
TUCKER
It’s just that I can hardly stand being around her. It’s like she looks for excuses to argue with me over “humanity’s shortcomings” and always uses me as an example of that.
(beat)
So, yeah. It really bothers me that I think she’s attractive and can’t seem to control my … reactions around her.
REED
(interrupting)
Your “reactions”?
(beat, teasing)
Did something go on in decon that you want to tell me about, Commander?
TUCKER
I’m not talkin’ about that with anyone.
(beat, annoyed)
Point is, well, it’s kind of like it proves her point about me.
REED
What are you on about?
(beat)
Just because you might not like her personality doesn’t mean you should be ashamed of liking how she looks physically. Two different levels of attraction.
Tucker relaxes slightly.
TUCKER
Yeah, I guess you’re right…
REED
Now I, on the other hand, am quite smitten with her.
TUCKER
(shocked)
What? Are you out of your mind? She’s a Vulcan!
REED
She’s strong willed, independent, assertive…
(beat)
I admire that, even if I don’t agree with her views on humanity or how she wants to do things.
TUCKER
(sarcastically)
Yeah, you’re practically made for each other…
REED
What’s that supposed to mean?
TUCKER
You’re both pretty aloof…. and you have this way of keeping things bottled up inside….
Reed harrumphs.
REED
Of course she's aloof. She's the only Vulcan on a ship that doesn't want her there. You and the captain haven't exactly hidden that.
Tucker is silent for a BEAT as he mulls over the major's comments; it's pretty obvious that he hasn't thought about it in that way before and is re-evaluating certain things. Reed notes the considering look on the commander's face and smirks slightly.
TUCKER
But how would you get around that whole Vulcan repression of emotions thing? It’s not like she could ever love you back.
Reed's smirk broadens into an actual smile at the engineer's serious tone and expression, but he hides it quickly.
REED
In a lot of ways, I’d like to find that out for myself.
TUCKER
So why don’t you ask her out then?
REED
Wouldn’t be proper…
TUCKER
Why? She’s not in your chain of command.
REED
She’s the first officer; of course she’s in my chain of command, as crazy as that arrangement may be.
TUCKER
Well suit yourself then. Personally, I don’t think you’re missing out on much.
REED
I’m perfectly comfortable keeping this to myself. In fact, I wouldn’t have even told you if, if…
TUCKER
You didn’t think we were both dead men?
Reed nods his head.
REED
That and the hypoxia, or the hypercarbia, whichever is killing us first.
TUCKER
I see the glass is still half-empty.
REED
More like frozen.
Reed and Tucker exchange looks briefly and start laughing like drunks.
EXT. SPACE
Enterprise cruises through space, still searching.
INT. ENTERPRISE – BRIDGE
Archer is again focused on the small computer console next to his chair, looking intently at sensor readouts. T’Pol is also focused on the sensor readouts displayed on the various monitors of the Science station. A familiar sounding indicator sounds from the Science console, prompting T’Pol to check it. She verifies the readings by looking into her holo-viewer for a BEAT, then turns to Archer.
T’POL
Captain, sensors have registered another contact, bearing three-four-six mark one-one-five, at a distance of nine thousand kilometers.
ARCHER
(skeptical)
The shuttlepod?
T’POL
The object appears to match the hull composition of the missing shuttlepod, and is close to the mass and volume estimated by myself and Ensign Mayweather, but is also without power.
Archer thinks for a BEAT.
ARCHER
(murmuring)
We’ll just have to take that chance.
(beat)
Helm, lay in an intercept course.
Mayweather adjusts the helm, but he seems to have given up hope himself this time.
MAYWEATHER
Moving to intercept, aye.
Archer leans forward in the command chair and stares at the viewscreen as we
FADE TRANSITION TO:
EXT. SPACE
Shuttlepod 01 slowly tumbles through space.
INT. SHUTTLEPOD 01
It’s obvious that the lack of oxygen is starting to really get to Reed and Tucker now.
REED
I quite enjoyed our talk. It was… interesting to learn so much about you.
TUCKER
Same here.
(beat)
I just wished the cap’n would hurry up and get here. I’m startin’ to worry.
Reed smiles wryly
REED
It doesn’t look very good… does it?
Reed and Tucker’s breaths are starting to come in gasps.
TUCKER
Guess this… is how it ends... after all…
Reed does his best to nod, and turns to look Tucker in the eye.
REED
It was a pleasure... serving with you… Commander…
TUCKER
(with effort)
Trip… Friends call... Trip…
Reed tries to smile, but just then, Tucker passes out, and the SF’s face turns forlorn.
REED
(also with effort)
Goodbye… Trip…
Reed takes one last look at Cutler.
Reed’s POV: the whole room seems to be shaking, and darkness around the edges creates a tunneling effect. The darkness makes the tunnel smaller and smaller, until … nothing.
We watch as Reed’s body slackens as he passes out with a sigh and we…
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT FOUR
Continue to Act Five
