Star Trek Generations Page #8

SORAN:

I'd be happy to.

Soran moves toward them, and then without warning, he punches La Forge

in the face, knocking the VISOR across the room. He whirls around and

points a phaser at Data, who suddenly looks fearful.

DATA:

Please don't hurt me.

CUT TO:

66 INT. PICARD'S QUARTERS66

Picard is standing at the replicator.

PICARD:

Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

The cup of tea appears in the replicator and at the same moment, the

door chimes.

PICARD:

Come.

Troi ENTERS. Picard would rather not be bothered right now, but he is

polite as always.

PICARD:

Counselor. What can I do for you?

TROI:

Actually, I'm here to see if there's anything I can do for you.

PICARD:

Well, I appreciate your concern, but I'd rather not discuss it right

now, thank you.

But Troi won't be brushed away so easily.

TROI:

I'm afraid I can't just leave it at that. The commanding officer of this

ship is clearly distraught about something. As ship's counselor, it's my

duty to-

PICARD:

As ship's counselor, it's your duty to know not only when you're needed

but also when you're not.

TROI:

You can't fool an empath, Captain. I know exactly when I'm needed.

Picard is really not in the mood for this. His tone hardens.

PICARD:

Well, with all due respect to your Betazoid senses, I prefer to be alone

right now.

TROI:

Very well. I suppose I could make out my weekly report to Starfleet

Command without your input. (beat) "Admiral Lusby, regarding the unusual

behavior of Jean-Luc Picard: I find him increasingly irritable, remote

and uncooperative. I recommend forced shore leave at a Starbase facility

in order to-"

PICARD:

All right, all right. You've made your point.

Troi takes a seat and patiently waits. Picard gets up, moves around the

room for a moment, and stops. He speaks in a flat, unemotional tone of

voice.

PICARD:

The message I received. (beat) My brother and his son- my nephew- burned

to death in a fire.

Troi reacts, genuinely surprised.

TROI:

Captain, Im sorry. (beat) I know there were a lot of unresolved

conflicts between you and your brother.

PICARD:

What I can't get out of my mind is the image of Rene- my nephew. I just

can't believe he's gone.

He trails off.

TROI:

It's only natural to feel a heightened sense of tragedy when a child

dies. (sensing more) But it goes deeper than that, doesn't it? I can

sense that Rene meant a great deal to you.

PICARD:

In a way, he was as close as I ever came to having a child of my own.

Troi eyes an open photo album on the table. She reaches over and flips

through the pages for a moment. There are many photos inside, from many

periods in time, including one of Picard's brother standing next to his

young son. This is the Picard family album.

TROI:

Your family history is very important to you, isn't it?

PICARD:

(nods)

Ever since I was a little boy, I remember hearing about the family line.

The Picards that fought at Trafalgar, the Picards that settled the first

Martian colony. When my brother married and had a son...

Picard hesitates- this is difficult for him.

TROI:

You felt it was no longer your responsibility to carry on the family

line.

PICARD:

(nods)

My brother had shouldered that burden, allowing me to pursue my own

selfish needs.

TROI:

There's nothing selfish about pursuing your own life, your own career.

Picard moves to the window, stares outside. A shadow crosses his face.

He's getting to the heart of the matter.

PICARD:

You know, Counselor, I'm not getting any younger. For some time now,

I've been aware that there are fewer days ahead than there are behind.

(beat) But I always took comfort in the fact that when I was gone, my

family would continue. But now...

Picard moves back to the photo album, open it to the last page, an then

flips through the remaining pages. They are blank.

PICARD:

I've had brushes with death...more than I care to contemplate. I always

accepted it as a calculated risk that goes along with wearing this

uniform. (beat) But now, the idea of death has a terrible sense of

finality to it.

He looks at her.

PICARD:

I'm the last Picard.

A quiet beat as Troi considers him.

TROI:

Captain, perhaps we-

Suddenly, a blinding burst of light from outside the windows washes into

the room. Troi and Picard rush to the window and shield their eyes

against the glare.

RIKER'S COM VOICE

Red Alert! All hands to duty stations!

CUT TO:

6767

thruOMITTED thru

6868

69 INT. BRIDGE (VFX-I)69

Picard and Troi ENTER from a turbolift. Riker and Worf at their

stations. The star is on the viewscreen, getting darker by the second.

More=flaming debris is being ejected into space.

PICARD:

Report.

RIKER:

A quantum implosion has occurred within the Amargosa star. All

nuclearfusion is breaking down.

PICARD:

How is that possible?

WORF:

Sensor records show a solar probe was launched from the observatory a

few moments ago.

RIKER:

The star's going to collapse in a matter of minutes.

Something beeps on Worf's console.

WORF:

Sir, the implosion has produced a level twelve shock wave.

TROI:

(shocked)

Level twelve? That'll destroy everything in this system.

TRANSPORTER COM VOICE

Transporter room to Bridge. I can't locate Commander La Forge or

Commander Data, sir.

RIKER:

(to Worf)

Did they return to the ship?

WORF:

(works)

No, sir. They are not aboard.

PICARD:

How long until the shock wave hits the observatory?

WORF:

Four minutes, forty seconds.

Picard looks at Riker, who then quickly heads for the turbolift.

RIKER:

Mr. Worf.

Riker and Worf EXIT.

70 EXT. SPACE- THE STAR (VFX-I)70

The star is almost entirely dark. Radiating out from the star is a huge

shock wave- a rapidly growing sphere of energy.

71 INT. OBSERVATORY PROBE ROOM (VFX-P)71

Soran is standing at a console watching a graphic depiction of the

star's collapse on a monitor when the door suddenly opens. Soran whirls

around and fires his phaser at Riker and Worf. They dive for cover just

outside theroom. (NOTE: The probe La Forge examined earlier is now

gone.)

RIKER:

(to Worf)

What the hell's he doing?

Worf dodges another phaser blast and sees La Forge lying unconscious on

the deck. Data is nowhere to be seen.

PICARD'S COM VOICE

Enterprise to Commander Riker, you have two minutes left.

RIKER:

(yells to Soran)

Soran, did you hear that? There's a level twelve shock wave coming.

We've got to get out of here!

Soran's only answer is another phaser blast.

71AOMITTED 71A

72 INT. BRIDGE72

As before. ENSIGN HAYES is at Tactical. An alarm suddenly beeps on the

Tactical console.

HAYES:

(urgent)

Sir. A Klingon Bird of Prey is decloaking off the port bow.

Shocked reactions.

PICARD:

What?

73 EXT. SPACE (VFX-I) 73

as an old-style Klingon Bird of Prey decloaks near the observatory.

74 INT. OBSERVATORY PROBE ROOM (VFX-P)74

Soran is continuing to shoot at Riker and Worf. Riker suddenly notices

something off-camera.

74ARIKER'S POV74A

Data is huddled in a corner of the room, cowering in fear.

74BNEW ANGLE (VFX-P)74B

The firefight continues.

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