ACT FOUR
WHITE
Resume. It shifts, grey exploding into it, until it takes over and reveals...
EXT. SPACE - CONTINUOUS
The Enterprise bursts out of the white void and streaks across the star-filled sky.
INT. ENTERPRISE BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
McCoy climbs to his feet as the crew rejoice in being alive.
NUMBER ONE
Approaching Shoal.
PIKE
Standard orbit, Number One.
EXT. SPACE - CONTINUOUS
The Enterprise takes orbit around a brightly colored planet.
INT. ENTERPRISE BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
On VIEWSCREEN - a pristine, vibrant planet from space.
BOYCE
I've never seen anything so beautiful.
NUMBER ONE
Technology level is equivalent to late 21st century Earth.
SPOCK
However, there is no standard technology being used to support the society. Methods of power generation and distribution vary widely.
PIKE
Earth didn't have a unified government until the 22nd century.
Each country is probably using the method they think is best.
SPOCK
Inefficient - and illogical. I do not understand.
MCCOY
Exactly how much time have you spent with humans?
NUMBER ONE
Captain, I'm reading high levels of all natural elements in their primitive state.
PiKE
(marveling)
A planet that actually figured out how to survive without devastating the planet they live on.
(beat)
Mr. Spock, scan for human crash survivors. Find me Captain Kirk.
SPOCK
Readings on planet natives are nearly indistinquishable from Humans, Captain.
NUMBER ONE
Finding any survivors is unlikely: and a particular survivor - impossible.
The crew can't believe even she could be this callous.
SPOCK
Indeed. Unless...
He straightens from the scanner and turns.
SPOCK (CONT'D)
Unless George Kirk's Starfleet communicator is still working.
He gets shocked looks from the bridge crew.
BOYCE
Spock, are you serious?
SPOCK
Always, Doctor. The SOS we picked up is coming from a moving Starfleet issue communicator. It is likely that the Captain is still wearing it.
MCCOY
Is it usually this easy?
NUMBER ONE
Captain, several craft are approaching.
Pike shoots McCoy a look like it's his fault.
EXT. SPACE - CONTINUOUS
An assortment of small ships dart up from the planet and start buzzing around the Enterprise like a swarm of insects. No two alike - they appear to be pieced together from junk.
INT. ENTERPRISE BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
PIKE
Any danger to the ship?
NUMBER ONE
Only embarrassment.
FINNEY
If I didn't know better, I'd say they were surprised to see us alive.
MiITCHELL
A ship this size never made it here in one piece.
GARRISON
The communications channels are being flooded...traffic all over the place.
PIKE
Is anyone hailing us?
GARRISON
Not yet, sir.
(beat)
Captain, I...I can't tell for certain, but from their tone I'd say they're not happy about our presence.
BOYCE
Our presence or our survival?
PIKE
Get me the person in charge on that planet.
GARRISON
Aye, sir.
MCCOY
What are they planning to do?
PIKE
I'm not waiting to find out. Spock: take Kirk and McCoy. Get George Kirk back here now.
SPOCK
Yes, sir.
EXT. SPACE
The Enterprise orbits Shoal.
EXT. SHOAL LANDSCAPE
Carrying tricorders and dressed in field jackets (even McCoy because his wife didn't pack him a civilian jacket) Kirk, Spock and McCoy MATERIALIZE in a remote location
It's a new experience McCoy would rather not repeat. As Spock checks his tricorder...
MCCOY
(to Kirk)
Do you feel right?
Kirk is beginning to think McCoy himself is not quite right.
SPOCK
Gentlemen...
They begin moving in the direction he indicates.
INT. ENTERPRISE BRIDGE
Pike, Number One, Garrison, Tyler, Mitchell at stations.
On VIEWSCREEN - the swarm of trailing ships.
Pike's frustration is climbing.
PIKE
Get me someone else!
GARRISON
I'll try.
BOYCE
Chris, it'll be the same. There just doesn't seem to be anyone in charge down there.
PIKE
Cancel that, Garrison. Open all channels: I have something to say.
GARRISON
Aye, Sir. Channels open.
PIKE
This is Captain Pike of the starship Enterprise, representing the United Earth Space Probe Agency. We are not in distress. Repeat: we are not in distress. Please disperse and go about your business.
On VIEWSCREEN: the ships trailing the Enterprise.
NUMBER ONE
No change: still in pursuit.
TYLER
You might as well be talking to gnats.
Pike fumes a minute. He hits the intercom.
PIKE
Pitcairn: how much plasma coolant do we have?
EXT. SPACE - LATER
A massive cloud of plasma coolant vents from the Enterprise: onto the fleet of ships following it. They quickly scatter.
INT. ENTERPRISE BRIDGE
Pike basks as order is reestablished to his universe.
EXT. SHOAL VILLAGE
A gathering of buildings of cement and rock construction. They are pieced together from incongruous bits and parts that don't mesh. Trash and piles of junk litter the place.
The people moving about look the same - their clothing and belongings clearly the result of years of scavenging.
The Enterprise group moving through them doesn't earn a second glance of interest from anyone.
INT. GEORGE KIRK'S APARTMENT
A room with cement walls: this could be any 21st century bachelor's apartment if not for the alien looking furniture. With piles of supplies, papers, books, technology, and radio equipment - it looks to be a a cross between a bomb shelter and the residence of a member of the WW II French resistance.
George, in uniform, is working with his back to the camera when Kirk, Spock and McCoy ENTER.
SPOCK
Captain Kirk?
George spins to confront the intruders: but at the sight of them he stops...shocked. This is impossible.
GEORGE
Starfleet?
(approaching)
Starfleet?
SPOCK
Captain George Kirk?
GEORGE
Who are you? How'd you get here?
Kirk can't restrain himself any longer. He moves out in front
KIRK
Dad.
A beat.
GEORGE
Jim?
Five years without hope. George approaches a sight he had banished from memory for the sake of sanity.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
Jim?!
KIRK
Thought you might need a ride home.
Together they burst into smiles and grab each other in a hug.
GEORGE
Jimmy!
At arms length, he marvels at his now-grown son.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
Took you long enough!
KIRK
Well...you know...had to get through the Academy and all that.
GEORGE
A Lieutenant - already!
KIRK
Midshipman: one year to go.
George stares at the group.
GEORGE
I don't believe it..
KIRK
Believe it.
(he turns)
Lieutenant Spock of the Enterprise. Doctor McCoy of...Earth.
George pumps their hands, but then his smile fades.
GEORGE
This isn't good. It isn't good at all. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.
KIRK
What better circumstances are there than this?
GEORGE
You don't understand. There's no way off this blasted rock. I've tried. Believe me, I've tried. You're trapped here now, just like me.
Kirk's been waiting five years to say this.
KIRK
No. You're going home, Dad.
SPOCK
The Enterprise is a full constitution class starship. Our resources are...nearly limitless.
GEORGE
But the Drake Passage...
KIRK
(grinning)
Wait til you see this ship.
The Enterprise may as well be his already.
George still can't believe it. McCoy prompts him.
MCCOY
After five years you must have people to say good-bye to; things to pack.
GEORGE
ah...well...
George suddenly realizes that he actually IS going home.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
Pack! Yes, I have to pack...
Seized by the reality of going home, George frantically tears through his belongings, searching. Kirk is on his heels, instinctively trying to offer his help.
KIRK
Dad! Dad? Dad, let me...
GEORGE
No, no, no...
George keeps searching. Kirk keeps following.
SPOCK
(helpfully)
Environmental services can pack your belongings for you.
GEORGE
(from behind a couch)
No...
Suddenly, George pops up from behind the couch and nearly knocks Kirk on his ass. He holds his field jacket.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
Got it!
Pulling on his jacket energetically, he pats it.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
All packed!
INT. ENTERPRISE ENGINEERING
Pike is standing with Pitcairn and Scotty. Scotty holds a twisted, scorched mass of metal and resin.
PITCAIRN
Without the power converter cells we don't have either deflectors or tractor beam. There's no way we'll make it back through the Passage.
PIKE
Without deflectors we can't even travel in normal space. Are they at all useful?
SCOTT
Aye: for Christmas ornaments. They're completely fused, Captain.
PIKE
I'm looking at the two best engineers in the galaxy.
PITCAIRN
They've got to be replaced and we haven't any more on the ship. It's that simple.
PIKE
And we can't call for help through the passage. If we can't find a replacement part on Shoal - we'll be trapped in orbit - forever.
INT. GEORGE KIRK'S APARTMENT
Spock closes his communicator: he and Kirk are grim.
McCoy isn't about to accept any of this.
MCCOY
I'm taking Joanna to the ballet next month!
George is unimpressed with the gravity of the situation.
GEORGE
You just need standard power converter cells, right?
Not waiting for the answer, he starts searching.
MCCOY
You have them?
GEORGE
No, no. But this isn't a Neanderthal village. We can get the parts.
George is gathering some items into a pack, handing others to the landing party.
KIRK
We're not fixing a toaster. We need cells that can handle the power of a ship's engines.
GEORGE
The utility transfer station will have what we need.
SPOCK
Any parts we obtain will undoubtedly be more primitive than the ship requires.
GEORGE
We'll make it work.
He shoves a "wrench" into McCoy's hands.
MCCOY
What's this for?
GEORGE
Did you think we were going to the corner store for the cells?
Yes. McCoy did.
INT. SHOAL UTILITY TRANSFER STATION
An unmanned control room that is a mass of contradictory control panels and equipment: everything from 23rd century to Atari joysticks...and maybe even a Lego or two. The floor is strewn with piles of junk and random spare parts.
A panel gets knocked in: dislodging junk on the floor.
George climbs through, followed by Spock, Kirk and McCoy.
George takes a quick visual inventory. The landing party, tricorders in hand, are dumbfounded.
SPOCK
An...unusual...configuration.
KIRK
I've never seen such an assortment of garbage.
MCCOY
(in disbelief)
Is this culture heavily into hallucigians?
George identifies the panel he wants and indicates to Kirk.
GEORGE
They use what's available. You have to admire their inventiveness.
George sets to work disassembling the panel and removing the cells with Kirk as father and son fall easily back into working as a team. This continues throughout the scene.
SPOCK
I am not entirely comfortable with obtaining what we need by theft.
GEORGE
This is how it's done here, Mr. Spock. You have to learn to adapt to the rules of the society you find yourself in.
Spock and McCoy are still using tricorders.
SPOCK
Despite all appearances, this is a working facility.
McCoy isn't pleased with what he's reading.
MCCOY
Barely. These seals are just holding on. You break one and this place will be flooded with toxins.
GEORGE
I know what I'm doing.
(at McCoy's continued misgivings)
Relax. The Shoalians have become experts at holding things together with spit and bailing wire.
Truly... for Kirk has discovered duct tape.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
What you see here is the result of generations of salvaging the wrecks in the Passage.
MCCOY
The balance of nature: one person's tragedy supports the life of another.
SPOCK
Losing one's life by risking it foolishly for profit is not tragedy: it's illogical.
George hands a primitive power converter cell to Kirk.
GEORGE
This isn't about profit. It's about life. These people don't produce anything. Technology, clothing, food, fuel - it's all from the wrecks.
KIRK
It doesn't make sense. This planet is rich in resources.
GEORGE
That's how they keep it that way. They even dump their trash out there. They think it's more "economically sound" to procure rather than to produce.
SPOCK
(marveling)
A society which has chosen consumerism exclusively.
MCCOY
Let me guess...it's illogical.
SPOCK
It's stupid.
MCCOY
This I've got to hear.
SPOCK
When you produce nothing you have nothing to bargain with to obtain what you need.
MCCOY
There's no bargaining here! They pull garbage off wrecks.
SPOCK
A choice meant to protect and preserve their own resources.
MCCOY
Spock, have you looked around? The workmanship is shoddy, the planet covered with junk. It's learning to manage your resources that gives them value.
With the second cell out, the Kirk's are closing the panel.
GEORGE
(to Kirk)
Do they do this all the time?
KIRK
God, I hope not.
END ACT FOUR