Star Trek Generations Page #16

PICARD:

(in a daze)

Merry Christmas.

The children break out into applause. The woman kisses him on the cheek,

then steers him to a large, overstuffed chair. Picard sits down and the

children starts handing out presents with much laughter and chatting.

CHILDREN:

This one's for you. Where's mine? I hope this is the book I asked for.

Take this one to Papa.

As the activity swirls around him, Picard begins to feel an immense

sense of satisfaction and happiness. It's like a drug- an overwhelming

feeling of joy and contentment fills Picard. It's a wondrous experience.

He settles back in the chair and a smile spreads across his face. For

reasons he cannot name and does not even want to understand at the

moment, he is very, very happy.

GIRL:

(to Picard)

Isn't the tree beautiful, Papa?

Picard answers as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

PICARD:

Oh yes=8A yes, it's astonishingly beautiful. All of it.

All of the children now crowd around the chair with a single large gift

and hand it to Picard. One of the younger boys speaks up.

YOUNG BOY:

This is from all of us.

PICARD:

Thank you. I can't imagine what it is.

Picard tears open the box and pulls out a 19th-century sextant- an

old-fashioned nautical navigational instrument. It's a beautiful piece

with polished and gleaming brass.

YOUNG BOY:

(excited)

It's a sack-tent!

Picard eyes it with delight.

PICARD:

You mean a sextant. And it's a handsome one at that, from about 1820,

I'd say. Wherever did you find it?

GIRL:

It's a secret.

PICARD:

(smiles)

Oh, a secret. Well, that makes it a doubly special gift. Thank you.

Thank you all.

The children react with pleasure. They cluster around him, showering him

with hugs and kisses.

CHILDREN:

Merry Christmas, Papa. I love you. etc.

Picard is covered in a blanket of love and affection. The children pull

back and return to their own presents. There is a swirl of activity and

commotion as a warm and heartfelt Christmas morning is played out.

WOMAN:

(to Picard)

I'll go get dinner ready. They'll be starving in a minute.

Picard nods as the woman EXITS the room. He looks around the scene,

utterly happy, utterly content.

The children continue to chatter and laugh among themselves as Picard's

eye falls on the glorious Christmas tree. He can't help but smile as he

looks over the ornaments and decorations.

156PICARD'S POV156

of the sparkling lights and ornaments- a swirl of color and light.

157PICARD157

His eye is caught by something in particular on the tree. He leans

forward slightly and stares at it.

158PICARD'S POV (VFX-P)158

His eye has been caught by an ornament hanging near the top of the tree.

It is a large and beautiful glass ball with a tiny light in the center

in the shape of a star. As Picard watches, the star suddenly goes out,

and it radiates a shimmering light effect that expands outward into the

glass sphere.

It's a startling and beautiful ornament whose effect is reminiscent of

the star going out, as seen earlier in the film. But this is just

coincidence- this is the way the ornament was designed and it's simply

one of many ornaments on the tree.

159PICARD159

reacts. The image of the ornament has touched a nerve within him

somewhere. It has reminded him of something he'd nearly forgotten- a

discordant note in an otherwise wondrous and magical scene. He frowns,

the reverie momentarily disrupted. But he tries to push it aside, not

wanting the spell to be broken. He stands and turns away from the tree

and looks out a nearby window- it's snowing and the beautiful image of

snow soothes him for a moment. Then he reacts to something.

160PICARD'S POV (VFX-P)160

reflected on the pane of glass is the image of the ornament- it's still

blinking. Picard now realizes that this image is not going to go away-

he can't hide from it.

PICARD:

No, this isn't right. This can't be real.

GUINAN'S VOICE

It's as real as you want it to be.

Picard turns to see

161GUINAN (VFX-P)161

standing before him. She is wearing the same outfit seen in the

beginning of the film on the Enterprise-B. As they talk, the children

and the woman continue to move about their business as if Picard and

Guinan aren't there.

Picard is stunned.

PICARD:

Guinan, what's going on? Where am I?

GUINAN:

You're in the Nexus.

Picard looks around.

PICARD:

This is the Nexus?

GUINAN:

For you. This is where you wanted to be.

PICARD:

But I never had a wife, children, a home like this.

GUINAN:

Enjoy them, Jean-Luc.

Picard tries to make sense of it- he focuses on Guinan.

PICARD:

Guinan, what are you doing here? I thought you were on the Enterprise.

GUINAN:

I am on the Enterprise. I am also here. (off his puzzled look) Think of

me as an "echo" of the person you know. A part she left behind.

PICARD:

Left behind?

GUINAN:

When the Enterprise-B beamed us off the Lakul, we were partially in the

Nexus. The transporters locked on to us, but somehow everyone left a

part of themselves behind.

PICARD:

Soran?

GUINAN:

All of us.

PICARD:

Where is he now?

GUINAN:

Wherever he wanted to be.

Guinan smiles at him.

BOY'S VOICE

Papa, help me build my castle!

Picard glances over at the boy, who is building a play castle out of the

24th-century equivalent of Lego. For a moment, Picard is tempted to

drift back to the warm embrace of the fantasy.

PICARD:

(to boy)

In a few minutes.

Picard looks around at the children, the lure to stay here becoming more

powerful.

PICARD:

(continuing, awed, to Guinan)

These are my children...my children.

GUINAN:

(smiles)

Yeah. They're great, aren't they? You can go back and see them born, go

forward and see your grandchildren. Time has no meaning here.

WOMAN'S VOICE

Dinner's ready! Let's go!

There's a general rush toward the adjacent dining room. The youngest boy

looks at Picard, goes over to him and takes his hand.

BOY:

Papa, are you coming?

Picard looks down into the face of his child. His heart swells, the

temptation to stay here and live this out is profound. Almost in a

trance, he takes a few steps with the child toward the dining room. His

eye is caught again by the unusual ornament on the tree for a moment;

he's torn between the two images. And then, in one of the most difficult

moments of his life, he bends down to the child.

PICARD:

Go on, go on without me.

The boy looks at him quizzically for a moment, then obeys his father and

dashes off toward the dining room to join the others. Picard straightens

up and tries to steel his voice.

PICARD:

Guinan, can I leave the Nexus?

GUINAN:

Why would you want to leave?

PICARD:

(insistent)

Can I?

GUINAN:

Yes, where would you go?

PICARD:

I don't understand.

GUINAN:

I told you, time has no meaning here. If you leave, you can go anywhere,

any time.

Picard realizes the opportunity before him.

PICARD:

I know exactly where I want to go, and when. Back to that mountaintop on

Veridian III, before Soran put out the star. I have to stop him.

GUINAN:

What makes you think things will be any different this time?

PICARD:

You're right. I'll need help. (beat) Guinan, will you come back with me?

Together, we could-

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