STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Contagion" #40272-137 Written by Steve Gerber & Beth Woods Directed by Joseph L. Scanlan THE WRITING CREDITS MAY NOT BE FINAL AND SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR PUBLICITY OR ADVERTISING PURPOSES WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING WITH THE TELEVISION LEGAL DEPARTMENT. Copyright 1989 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved. This script is not for publication or reproduction. No one is authorized to dispose of same. If lost or destroyed, please notify the Script Department. 2ND REV. FINAL DRAFT JANUARY 4, 1989 STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - CAST STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Contagion" CAST PICARD CAPTAIN DONALD VARLEY RIKER ROMULAN SUB-COMMANDER TARIS DATA PULASKI Non-Speaking TROI YAMATO CREWMEMBERS GEORDI ROMULAN CREWMEMBERS WORF WESLEY Voice-Over ICONIAN COMPUTER VOICE O'BRIEN ROMULAN COMPUTER VOICE WILLIAMS DOCTOR Non-Speaking CREWMEMBERS Voice-Over COMPUTER VOICE STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - SETS STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Contagion" SETS INTERIORS EXTERIORS USS ENTERPRISE USS ENTERPRISE CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM MAIN BRIDGE USS YAMATO OBSERVATION LOUNGE MAIN ENGINEERING PLANET ICONIA CORRIDOR TURBOLIFT ROMULAN BIRD OF PREY "HAAKONA" ACCESS TUNNEL TRANSPORTER ROOM PLANET ICONIA CONTROL CENTER ROMULAN BIRD OF PREY "HAAKONA" MAIN BRIDGE STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/06/89 - TEASER 1. STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Contagion" TEASER FADE IN: 1 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) slows to sub-warp speed, moving forward on impulse. PICARD (V.O.) Captain's log, stardate 42609.1. In response to a desperate plea for aid by my old friend, Captain Donald Varley of the USS Yamato, I am running a grave risk and taking the Enterprise into the Neutral Zone. 2 INT. CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM PICARD at his desk, scanning a screen of data, schematics of the Galaxy Class starships, as: PICARD (V.O.) (continuing) This rendezvous is necessitated by dangerous malfunctions which are plaguing our sister ship. Perhaps with both crews working together we will be able to eliminate the problem -- before we are detected by the Romulans. He taps a touchpad, turning off the screen. 3 INT. MAIN BRIDGE The Ready Room doors open and Picard steps onto the bridge. PICARD Mister Crusher -- how long to rendezvous? STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - TEASER 2. 4 VARIOUS ANGLES AS NEEDED WESLEY, WORF, and TROI are at their stations. RIKER is at Science One with DATA. Picard crosses to his seat. WESLEY Four minutes, thirty-three seconds, sir. PICARD Status of download, Mister Data? DATA Entire Yamato log will be in our computer by rendezvous. RIKER (to Data) Have you nailed down our little hiccup yet? DATA Sir? RIKER The odd reading. DATA No. It might be due to the problems currently being experienced by the Yamato. PICARD Trouble, Number One? RIKER I'm not sure, sir. (to Worf) We are alone out here? WORF Yes, sir. There are no other vessels in the area except the Yamato. (checks his panel) Which is coming into viewer range now. Riker takes his seat next to Picard. Data moves back to his station. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - TEASER 3. 5 COMMAND AREA AND VIEWSCREEN - ANGLES AS NEEDED (OPTICAL) The screen displays a majestic view of the approaching USS Yamato, a twin of the Enterprise. Picard and Riker rise and move toward the viewscreen. WORF Transmission from the Yamato, Captain -- on visual. On screen is CAPTAIN DONALD VARLEY, about Picard's age, but brawnier and white-haired. He is standing near the executive officer's chair. To either side of him are two crewmembers who are inspecting an open panel which shows scorch marks and scattered isolinear chips. A third crewmember crosses in the foreground. PICARD Donald, what's a nice Starfleet Captain like you doing in a place like this? VARLEY It's good to see you, Jean-Luc, despite your antique humor. I only hope your people can help us. The malfunctions are becoming serious. We lost an engineering team when the computer shut down the forcefield in an open shuttle bay. Eighteen people. Picard and Riker exchange a look of shock. RIKER And no idea what's causing these problems? VARLEY None. They are affecting every system simultaneously. It's like the ship has suddenly decided to fall apart. (a forced little laugh) It's beginning to make me think we should have run these Galaxy Class ships across a few more drawing boards before we built one. PICARD Are you suggesting it's a design flaw? STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - TEASER 3A. 5 CONTINUED: Varley is a man under intense pressure who is burying it deep. He's had to call on an old friend for help. He feels helpless and frightened. He has also committed a major offense by entering the Neutral Zone. He's talking a little off the top of his head. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - TEASER 4. 5 CONTINUED: (2) VARLEY I don't know. I'm grasping at straws here. All I know is that we've got to get it fixed, and before I lose more than an engineering team. RIKER (urgently) Do you wish to evacuate non-essential personnel to the Enterprise? VARLEY No... that would be premature. PICARD Donald, we'll get our teams to work. I'm sure neither of us feels too comfortable sitting around the Neutral Zone. VARLEY I know what you're thinking, what the hell am I doing here? Well, I had heard rumors about a couple of archaeological digs that started making the Iconians sound a lot less like legend. I did a little investigating, and I located their homeworld. PICARD In the Neutral Zone. VARLEY In the Neutral Zone. PICARD Don, this was quite a risk to run just to satisfy an archaeological curiosity. VARLEY No, the risk would be in allowing the Romulans to locate Iconia. The viewer image of Varley breaks up in STATIC, fading for a beat, then returns. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - TEASER 5. 5 CONTINUED: (3) VARLEY (continuing) Fortunately, I got there first. It's a virtually dead planet, but enough of the technology remains to give the Romulans an edge if they were ever to find it. During Varley's speech, more break-up occurs. PICARD Don, your transmission is breaking up. (rising, then to Data) Clean that up. WORF (tensely) Sir, there is an energy build-up in the Yamato's engineering section. Picard whirls back to face the screen. PICARD Yamato, this is the Enterprise, come in Yamato. More STATIC. WORF Magnetic seals in the antimatter chamber decaying! PICARD Captain. Don! The viewer image of Varley BURSTS INTO A BLINDING WHITE FLASH. PULL BACK to show the Yamato exploding. PICARD (continuing) Shields up! STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - TEASER 6. 6 INT. MAIN BRIDGE AND VIEWSCREEN - VARIOUS ANGLES (OPTICAL) The bridge crew reflexively shield their eyes. The flash subsides, and the viewscreen defaults to a forward view of space and a barrage of fiery objects, hurtling toward the ship. KLAXONS SIGNAL RED ALERT as the objects batter the Enterprise. The ship is pounded (SFX) and shakes violently. WORF Sir! Worf is staring at the viewscreen. Picard and Riker follow his gaze and stared, stunned, as the Yamato's saucer section, engulfed in flames and explosions, sails past, narrowly missing the Enterprise. DATA (quietly) Sensors indicate no life readings from the Yamato's saucer section. WORF (looks up from his instruments) Captain! Another vessel coming into sensor range. (ominously) It is Romulan. FADE OUT. END OF TEASER STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT ONE 7. ACT ONE FADE IN: 7 INT. MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) On the Main Viewer is the Romulan battle cruiser. PICARD (V.O.) Captain's log, supplemental. The Yamato's entire crew and their families, more than a thousand people, have been lost. Data is at Ops. Wesley is at the Conn station. Riker is seated at his normal position. End on Picard as he finishes the log. PICARD (V.O.) (continuing) Circumstances, unfortunately, permit us no pause for grief. WORF No response from the Romulan vessel. RIKER Arm phasers and prepare to lock on target. PICARD (to Data) Did they attack the Yamato? DATA Unknown, sir. WORF All their weapons systems have been fully activated. Still no response. PICARD (upward glance; then, sternly) Romulan vessel, this is Captain Picard of the USS Enterprise. Explain your illegal presence in the Neutral Zone -- STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - ACT ONE 8. 8 VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL) He is interrupted by an UNFAMILIAR FEMALE VOICE. Picard faces the image of the SUB-COMMANDER. She is seated in what we assume to be her command position on the Romulan bridge. TARIS Explain yours! PICARD Are you responsible for the destruction of the Yamato? TARIS No. And believe me, Captain, had we chosen to exercise our right to defend the Neutral Zone, we would not have stopped with one starship. You will leave at once. Picard makes a slashing gesture to Worf who cuts the com. PICARD (looking to his bridge crew) Comments? TROI She is extremely anxious -- WORF Understandable if she just destroyed a Federation starship. RIKER Your scan was inconclusive. We can't be sure of what happened to the Yamato. TROI Our presence in the Neutral Zone is provocative. It could force her to respond. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - ACT ONE 9. 8 CONTINUED: PICARD (to Worf) Open com. We will comply when we have determined the cause of the Yamato's destruction. And when we are fully satisfied that you were not responsible. Picard out. The Romulan response is to disappear. WORF They are engaging their cloaking device. RIKER Good. They can't fire when they're cloaked. WORF Unless they have overcome that deficiency. The Yamato was destroyed while they were cloaked. PICARD Forget the Romulans. I want to know what happened to the Yamato. Number One, assemble the staff for a conference in one hour. And I want answers. RIKER Aye, sir. 9 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) stationary, holding in space. 10 INT. OBSERVATION LOUNGE Riker, Data, Worf, and GEORDI are present. Geordi stands by a screen containing a schematic of the Yamato and a blow-up of the affected engineering section. There is a pulsing red dot in the engine area. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/06/89 - ACT ONE 10. 10 CONTINUED: GEORDI (pointing) Sensor recordings reveal that what we witnessed was an uncontrolled and catastrophic matter/antimatter mix. The magnetic seals between the chambers collapsed -- PICARD That's not possible. GEORDI Yes, sir, it is, but a highly improbable series of events has to take place before such an occurrence can result. PICARD Explain. GEORDI In the event of a breach of seal integrity there is an emergency release system which dumps the antimatter. DATA Apparently such a dump began, was then halted, and the containment seals were dropped. There was still sufficient antimatter present to lead to the result we observed. They all look back to the schematic where that deadly red dot is still pulsing. PICARD Then there is no evidence that a weapon was used? Troi enters and moves to a chair. Seats herself. TROI I'm sorry I'm late. I was with the children. They have been deeply affected by the Yamato's destruction. There is a beat while they consider the cost in human terms of this tragedy. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/06/89 - ACT ONE 11. 10 CONTINUED: (2) PICARD Mister Data. DATA Evidence of a weapon? No, sir, none. GEORDI However it happened, the Yamato did it to herself. PICARD Theorize. What do you think caused this catastrophic malfunction? GEORDI (looking very grim) I think Captain Varley may have been correct. There could be a design flaw. RIKER In a Galaxy Class starship? Murmurs and physical reactions of consternation from the officers. Picard is stone faced, unmoved. GEORDI Yes, sir. It's the most complicated piece of machinery ever built. Something could have been overlooked. PICARD Knowing where the flaw is located, do you think you can isolate and solve the problem? GEORDI We're working on it now. PICARD Pull any and all personnel who might be useful to your task. They rise, ready to scatter to their assigned tasks. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/06/89 - ACT ONE 12. 10 CONTINUED: (3) TROI (to Picard) If we have established that the Romulans were not responsible for the destruction of the Yamato, would it not be prudent for us to withdraw? PICARD If this is a design flaw, we better stay where we are and give Geordi time to work. Or what happened to the Yamato could happen to us. 10A EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) remaining stationary. 11 INT. CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM Picard is standing near his desk, staring at his unactivated console. This is a duty he'd like to skip. He sits down. PICARD Computer, access Captain Donald Varley's personal log. Search parameter, locate entries containing the words Romulan and Iconia. COMPUTER VOICE Working. 12 COMPUTER VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL) Top of the screen shows a date and time code. Varley is slowly turning an alien-looking device in his hands. It is corroded and appears to be very old. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - ACT ONE 13. 12 CONTINUED: VARLEY Personal log. It was kind of Doctor Ramsey to allow me to carry away my own little piece of legend from the archaeological dig on Denius Three. My engineers have examined it, but are completely baffled by the technology. What was its purpose? I'm like a caveman confronted by a tricorder. I'm certain this device is Iconian. But how far had it travelled before it was abandoned on an alien world? A new image appears. Varley: elated. VARLEY (continuing) Personal log. A galactic Rosetta stone. The starfield shown on the artifact was unintelligible until I took into account two hundred millenia of stellar drift. After that it was easy to pinpoint Iconia. Screen blips. New image. Varley: thoughtful. VARLEY (continuing) My first officer is questioning the wisdom of my order to violate the Neutral Zone, but I am convinced I have taken the only proper course. Should this advanced technology fall into the hands of the Romulans, we might as well dock our ships and defend ourselves with sticks. Screen blips. New image. Varley: grim faced. VARLEY (continuing) Personal log. We've been spotted by a Romulan cruiser, but after playing hide and seek through several solar systems, I think I've managed to elude them. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - ACT ONE 14. 12 CONTINUED: (2) Screen blips. New image. VARLEY (continuing) The Iconian probe scan -- was it an attempt at communication? If only I knew what we were dealing with here. Screen blips. New image. Varley: worried and angry. VARLEY (continuing) Personal log. I am unable to send an away team to the surface of Iconia, nor can I scan the energy source on the planet because of these maddening system failures. It is infuriating to be stopped at the threshold of a dream by one's own ship. We are leaving orbit to rendezvous with Picard. If his people can't help us repair the Yamato, I must convince him to continue this exploration. The future well being of the Federation may depend upon it. The image blips out. COMPUTER VOICE No further entries conforming to search parameters. For a long, grim moment, Picard stares at the blank screen. He then rises and starts to exit. But the doors fail to open. He steps back, giving the doors a quizzical look, then steps forward again. This time the doors open normally. He exits. 13 INT. MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Riker is in the Command Chair. Data is at Science One. Picard crosses to the android. PICARD Mister Data, there is a reference in Captain Varley's personal log to a probe which scanned the Yamato. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT ONE 15. 13 CONTINUED: DATA Yes, sir. We have a visual record. PICARD Put it on Main Viewer. 14 ANOTHER ANGLE (OPTICAL) The image does not fill the entire screen. Next to it are a series of read-outs and a reference to the fact that this is from the Yamato log. Rising into view from the surface of a planet comes the probe. It is spherical, about the size of a beachball. It has a hard, transparent shell and, within it, a deep, translucent blue gel, flecked with bits of reflective material. It stops at "eye-level" and emits a BURST OF CRACKLING, SPIDERY ENERGY directly INTO CAMERA. RIKER What the devil is that? PICARD (to Data) Have you ever seen anything like that before? DATA No, sir, but it appears to be a scanner. Possibly a transmitter. RIKER Transmitting what? DATA Unknown, sir. Picard crosses to his Command Chair. PICARD Engineering. GEORDI'S COM VOICE La Forge. PICARD Progress on your matter/antimatter scan? STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - ACT ONE 16. 14 CONTINUED: GEORDI'S COM VOICE Everything continues to check out. I'm starting an analysis of the magnetic coils. PICARD Data, when the Yamato was probed, where was she? DATA In orbit around a planet at coordinates two two seven mark three five nine. PICARD Estimated time of arrival at warp factor eight? DATA Twelve hours, sixteen minutes. WORF Sir, that would put us substantially closer to the Romulan side of the Neutral Zone. PICARD It can't be helped. Ensign Crusher, lay in a course. Warp factor eight. Riker is staring at him. PICARD (continuing) We are going to assume the Yamato's mission. RIKER And risk a war? PICARD If that's what it takes to get some answers. As we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT ONE STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT TWO 17. ACT TWO FADE IN: 15 INT. CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM (OPTICAL) Picard is seated at his desk. There is a CHIME. PICARD Come. Wesley enters a little hesitantly. Picard eyes him, a little surprised by the intrusion. WESLEY Sir, may I talk to you for a minute? PICARD Yes. Wesley crosses to him. Picard studies the boy's serious face. WESLEY It's about the Iconians, sir. I'd always heard that they were just a myth. PICARD China was thought to be only a myth until Marco Polo travelled there. No, the Iconians were real. We know that three systems in this sector have a number of cultural similarities. Similarities which can be explained only if there had been a single unifying force. WESLEY The Iconians colonized those worlds? PICARD Probably conquered. WESLEY So they were warlike? STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - ACT TWO 18. 15 CONTINUED: PICARD Perhaps. Ancient texts refer to them as the Demons of Air and Darkness, but that could have so many different interpretations. WESLEY Air and darkness? PICARD Legend has it that they travelled without the benefit of spaceships. Merely appearing from thin air on distant planets. WESLEY That sounds like magic. PICARD Wouldn't we seem magical to a stone-age people? WESLEY (responding to Picard's enthusiasm and echoing it) How did you find out about all this? PICARD Archaeology has been a hobby since my Academy days. But why don't we talk about what really brought you here? WESLEY I can't stop thinking about the Yamato. All those people -- dead. I just don't know how you do it. You, Commander Riker, Geordi, you all handle it so easily. PICARD Easily. No, not easily. Picard rises and crosses to the food unit. Keys for a cup of tea. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - ACT TWO 19. 15 CONTINUED: (2) PICARD (continuing) Darjeeling tea, hot. We handle it because we are trained to, as you will be. But if the time ever comes when the death of even a single individual fails to move us -- Sitting smugly on the shelf of the food unit is a single flower in a pot. Picard takes a step back, eyes it, points. PICARD (continuing) That should not have happened. 16 OMITTED 17 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) in route to Iconia. PICARD (V.O.) Captain's log, supplemental. As happened with her sister, the Enterprise is being plagued by a series of system failures. 18 INT. MAIN ENGINEERING (Log entry will conclude over the fade-in to Engineering.) PICARD (V.O.) (continuing) So far they are random, but perhaps early symptoms of what happened to the Yamato. Geordi is hurrying from station to station. He holds a PADD and is making notes. Five other crewmembers hurry about. The com SOUNDS. With a mutter, he lunges to answer. GEORDI La Forge! STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - ACT TWO 20. 18 CONTINUED: PICARD'S COM VOICE Lieutenant, are you making any progress toward a solution to our problems? GEORDI A solution, no sir, but I can eliminate one worry. It is not a design flaw. I've been reviewing the Yamato's log, and I think maybe that alien probe had something to do with her problems. PICARD'S COM VOICE How? GEORDI I'd need to see the thing. PICARD'S COM VOICE If it was the probe, that explains the Yamato; but how do you account for the difficulties the Enterprise is experiencing? GEORDI I can't. PICARD'S COM VOICE Are our problems likely to attain the seriousness experienced by the Yamato? GEORDI If you want speculation, yes sir, I think they are. I need time. PICARD'S COM VOICE Lieutenant, time is the one thing which we do not have in abundance. 19 EXT. SPACE - PLANET ICONIA (OPTICAL) as the Enterprise ENTERS SHOT and assumes orbit. Iconia is a brown and red world. There are few bodies of water. It looks like a dead world. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/06/89 - ACT TWO 21. 20 INT. MAIN BRIDGE - VARIOUS ANGLES (OPTICAL) Picard, Riker, Data, Wesley and Worf are at their stations. DATA Scanning. Picard stands and moves between Wesley and Data. Examines the viewscreen, looking for anything that will tell him more about this place. PICARD (impatiently) Mister Data. DATA No life-form readings. WORF All major cities have been heavily damaged, and the pattern of destruction is consistent with large-scale orbital bombardment. PICARD How long ago? DATA Approximately two hundred thousand years. WORF There is an energy source in the mountains of the smaller continent. PICARD Magnify. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/06/89 - ACT TWO 22. 20 CONTINUED: RIKER Is this Iconia? PICARD Donald Varley died believing that it was. Suddenly, we SEE a tiny bright FLASH OF LIGHT on the planet's surface. WORF Captain! Projectile launched from the planet's surface! DATA (checking readings) Its size and composition match the probe which scanned the Yamato. PICARD Shields up. Ready the tractor beam. Lieutenant La Forge, I'm about to assist you in your research. A probe has been launched from Iconia. I intend to capture it. 21 INT. MAIN ENGINEERING Geordi is studying his notes. He has the expression of a man who has made the final leap of logic and put together the puzzle. GEORDI No, sir, wait! There is a SQUEAL OF STATIC from the com, causing everyone in Engineering to cover their ears. The communications system goes dead. GEORDI (continuing) Captain! Captain! (no response) Damn! He races for the door. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - ACT TWO 23. 22 INT. CORRIDOR Geordi runs down the corridor heading for the turbolift. 23 INT. TURBOLIFT Geordi enters the turbolift. GEORDI Bridge! The turbolift lurches into motion at an incredible speed, SCREAMING along its shaft, decks FLASHING by almost stroboscopically. The sudden acceleration pins Geordi to the ceiling and knocks off his VISOR. GEORDI (continuing; shouts) Emergency stop! 24 ANOTHER ANGLE The turbolift comes to a sudden, complete halt. The SCREAMING of the air in the shaft STOPS, and Geordi falls to the floor. Barely a beat... then the lift SCREAMS off in another direction, pinning him against a wall. GEORDI Emergency stop! Stop dammit! Another sudden halt -- and Geordi rolls toward the doors. He rolls across his VISOR, but manages to get a grip on the VISOR. 25 INT. MAIN BRIDGE - ANGLE ON THE PROBE (OPTICAL) Picard and Riker stand in front of their command positions watching the viewscreen as the probe approaches. Worf leans in tensely over his console ready to key the tractor beam. WORF Tractor beam ready, sir. PICARD Prepare to lower shields, Mister Crusher. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - ACT TWO 24. 25 CONTINUED: Suddenly the turbolift doors WHOOSH open, and Geordi tumbles out. He jams on his VISOR. Riker moves to assist him. Geordi looks up and sees the probe now dangerously near to the Enterprise. RIKER Geordi, are you -- Shrugging off the helping hands: GEORDI Destroy it, sir, quickly! Picard is not a man to waste words when one of his top officers is so obviously in distress. PICARD Worf, target phasers! Worf quickly punches several touchpads on his console. WORF Phasers locked on target. 26 ANGLE -- PAST PICARD TO VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL) The probe almost on top of the Enterprise. It begins to spit its energy. PICARD Fire! PHASERS FIRE, striking the probe. It EXPLODES. PICARD (continuing; cool as ice) Mister La Forge, are you all right? GEORDI Yes, sir, and thank you for trusting me. If that thing had managed to scan us, we would have had no hope of saving the Enterprise. Various reaction shots from the bridge crew as we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT TWO STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/06/89 - ACT THREE 25. ACT THREE FADE IN: 27 OMITTED 28 INT. OBSERVATION LOUNGE Present are Picard, Riker, Geordi, and Data. GEORDI That probe was a transmitter sending an alien computer program. The same program that is currently aboard the Enterprise and trying to rewrite our software in its own image. We have two completely incompatible computer systems trying to interact. RIKER So that's why the ship's instruments have become so erratic. GEORDI Yes. PICARD What can you do? GEORDI Not very much. The Iconian program is so sophisticated I don't think I'll ever understand it. DATA Consider, Captain, this program has entered an alien data base -- ours -- and in less than seven hours it has managed to not only learn our system, but has also begun to reprogram our computer. PICARD (to Geordi) So the earlier probe was responsible for the Yamato's destruction. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/06/89 - ACT THREE 26. 28 CONTINUED: GEORDI Only insofar as the probe transmitted the program. RIKER But we weren't scanned by the probe. So how did this thing get aboard the Enterprise? DATA We downloaded the Yamato log, and contained in the log was the program. PICARD So why haven't we suffered their fate? GEORDI The program affected all systems on the Yamato simultaneously. But with us, the program was deposited in a specific section of our mainframe. It's having to work its way out from that location. That gives us a little breathing space. RIKER Not much. Reports of injuries are mounting. DATA Doctor Pulaski is unwilling to trust the turbolifts. She is sending medical teams through the access tunnels. GEORDI Sir, the Enterprise computer system is a lot like our bodies with a voluntary and involuntary system. Probably ninety percent of what happens on this ship is done automatically, completely beyond our control. We're sitting on a bomb that could go any second -- or never. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/06/89 - ACT THREE 26A. 28 CONTINUED: (2) RIKER Can you stop this thing? GEORDI I'll give it my best shot. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/12/89 - ACT THREE 27. 29 OMITTED 29A INT. SICKBAY PULASKI chews out one of her medical staff. Sickbay is a scene of orderly chaos. The single remaining doctor is bouncing between three patients, the readouts on the biobeds are going crazy. PULASKI The biobeds aren't working. The ship's falling apart and you're wasting my time about biobeds? I've got thirty-five emergency calls scattered across twelve decks and my trauma teams are being run ragged trying to respond. (almost to herself, flinging up her hands) Biobeds! The doctor is trying to work with a patient with a broken arm. Frustrated, he calls for Pulaski: DOCTOR Doctor Pulaski. PULASKI What? DOCTOR I've got a problem here. Pulaski storms past the chastised nurse to where the harried doctor is staring at the broken arm and a shell that isn't doing its job. DOCTOR (continuing) The knitter isn't working. PULASKI Use a splint. A beat as the doctor stares uncomprehendingly at Pulaski. PULASKI (continuing) Splint. It's a very ancient concept -- two flat pieces of wood or plastic, a bandage. The broken limb is kept immobile. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/12/89 - ACT THREE 27A-28. 29A CONTINUED: DOCTOR That's crazy, that's not practicing medicine. PULASKI Oh yes it is. A time-honored way of practicing medicine -- by using your head and your heart and your hands. So jump to it. The doctor jumps to it. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/12/89 - ACT THREE 28AA. 30 INT. MAIN ENGINEERING (OPTICAL) Geordi and Data (mood lighting if desired). GEORDI Dammit! DATA Try a bypass on the shield control interface. GEORDI No go. Let me see if I can directly access the master program. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT THREE 28A. 30 CONTINUED: His fingers fly across the key pads. Suddenly the console passes a powerful electric shock into Geordi, freezing him to the console. Data pulls Geordi off the console. Feels for a throat pulse. Geordi is already recovering and fends him off. GEORDI (continuing) What happened? STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT THREE 29. 30 CONTINUED: (2) DATA Any answer would be mere speculation. This is just another example of how our actions have random results. GEORDI Thank you, Data, I noticed. 31 INT. CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM Present are Picard, Riker (mood lighting if desired). RIKER Life support has failed on Decks Seven and Thirteen. Picard gives no reaction to this report. RIKER (continuing) Suppose this thing manages to rewrite our entire system? It's so far beyond us that we don't have a hope of understanding it, much less controlling it. Our ignorance could kill us. PICARD We may never reach that point. A variation of what happened to the Yamato may destroy us first. RIKER So we just sit here while the ship disintegrates around us? PICARD The probe was launched from Iconia, probably by an automated system. There may be records near the launch site which could help us find a solution. RIKER I'll form an away team. PICARD I will lead it. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT THREE 30. 31 CONTINUED: RIKER You will lead it? PICARD Yes. RIKER We've had this discussion a hundred times before. PICARD Will, ever since I was a cadet I've studied the Iconians. I have to be the one to go. Riker slowly nods. PICARD (continuing) The Enterprise is yours. RIKER For as long as she lasts. 32 INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM (OPTICAL) O'Brien behind the console. Tools lie scattered around the transporter, isolinear chips, etc. Picard, Data, and Worf on the platform (mood lighting if desired). O'BRIEN I've got a fix on the energy source, and for the moment this baby... (points to the transporter console) ... is working, but that could change in an instant. PICARD We're aware of the risks. Energize. They DEMATERIALIZE. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/09/89 - ACT THREE 31. 33 INT. MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Riker in the Command Chair with Troi at his side. Wesley is at his station. WILLIAMS is at Tactical, supernumeraries at the other positions (mood lighting if desired). O'BRIEN'S COM VOICE Transport complete. RIKER Stay sharp, Mister O'Brien, I want to be able to pull them out at a moment's notice. WESLEY Commander, Romulan vessel! At Wesley's call Riker's focus is jerked to the viewscreen where a Romulan vessel is appearing. Following dialogue must proceed very quickly. RIKER Open hailing frequencies. WILLIAMS They're arming photon torpedoes! RIKER Shields up! Go to Red Alert! WESLEY Shields not responding. WILLIAMS They are preparing to fire photon torpedoes! RIKER Ensign Crusher, we need those shields! WESLEY I'm trying, sir! WILLIAMS Firing. Everybody turns to face the viewscreen and tenses as they prepare to die. Nothing happens. RIKER What happened? STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/09/89 - ACT THREE 32. 33 CONTINUED: WILLIAMS (confused) Instead of firing they suddenly disarmed and cancelled. RIKER Fate protects fools, little children and ships called Enterprise. (to Williams) Lock phasers on the Romulan, but hold your fire. WESLEY Sir, the shields are up. RIKER (almost to himself) Impeccable timing. WESLEY Uh, shields are back down. WILLIAMS Phaser banks are down. WESLEY The shields are back up. TROI In another time and another place this could be funny. RIKER Status of the torpedo banks? WILLIAMS They're down too. RIKER In case it should become necessary to fight, do you suppose you could find me some rocks to throw at them? Williams just shrugs and looks helpless. She returns to tinkering with the console. WILLIAMS Sir, the Romulan torpedoes are continuing to arm and disarm. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - ACT THREE 33. 33 CONTINUED: (2) RIKER Maybe their attempt to fire was not intentional. (to Williams) Open hailing frequencies. WILLIAMS Open. The viewscreen comes up revealing the Romulan sub-commander. RIKER Romulan vessel, this is Commander William Riker, first officer of the USS Enterprise. Why did you attempt to fire on us? TARIS This is Sub-Commander Taris of the Haakona. Why have you penetrated deeper into the Neutral Zone? RIKER Why are you still here? TARIS I have claimed this planet for the Romulan Empire. RIKER This is the Neutral Zone. Nobody can claim anything. TARIS You will withdraw or I will be forced to destroy your ship and your away team. She is interrupted mid-speech. There is break-up on Taris's face. CUT TO a view of the Romulan ship as it cloaks and uncloaks, cloaks and uncloaks. As it cloaks, communication is lost. Then returns when the ship reappears. Taris is looking rattled as she appears and disappears. RIKER What the hell? Taris is back on viewscreen. She is once again fully in control. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/09/89 - ACT THREE 33A. 33 CONTINUED: (3) TARIS This is your final warning, I will not -- STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT THREE 34. 33 CONTINUED: (4) RIKER (interrupting) Having a little trouble with your systems, Commander? Maybe we could consider postponing the war until we solve our more immediate problem? TARIS You're stalling for time. WESLEY Sir, another probe launched from the planet, heading for the Romulan. RIKER (to Williams) Have we got our phasers back? WILLIAMS No, sir. RIKER Taris, if you've got phaser capability, you better use it now! TARIS What? RIKER Destroy that probe! Taris blips out, and we have a view of the cruiser with the incoming probe. The probe reaches eye level and is destroyed by phaser fire. Taris does not return. RIKER (continuing) And not even a thank you. TROI Sub-Commander Taris is deeply frustrated, probably because her ship is as crippled as the Enterprise. WESLEY Why would the Romulans be having problems? They haven't been probed. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/09/89 - ACT THREE 35. 33 CONTINUED: (5) RIKER They must have tapped into the Yamato log. Taris got a whole lot more than she bargained for. WILLIAMS Commander, sensors indicate the Romulans are attempting to transport a team. (a beat) They lost them, complete molecular break-up. TROI So the captain is safe for the moment. RIKER Safe from the Romulans. (rises) Maintain Red Alert, and try to keep those shields up just in case Taris feels she has to act on her threat. WESLEY (slewing around in his chair) Sir, what about the away team? With our shields up we can't beam them back. Riker looks to the viewscreen at the ominous image of the Romulan cruiser. To the empty captain's chair. We can see his dilemma as we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT THREE STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT FOUR 36. ACT FOUR FADE IN: 34 INT. ICONIAN CONTROL ROOM The away team is exploring. They have beamed into a dimly lit room. The walls are covered with controls and conduits. Directly across from them is a wall which contains three silver gateways. In the center of the room is a pentagon-shaped "table" about waist high. At the center of the table is a large, softly glowing, translucent blue dome. It is flecked with the same bits of reflective material as the probe. Around the dome, extending to the edge of the table, are countless colored keys. There are also flat screens set in each of the five angles of the table. Each screen is a different geometric shape -- a square, a triangle, an octagon, a pentagon and a rectangle. There is alien script beneath the screens and on certain parts of the control walls. Data is scanning with his tricorder. Worf has his phaser out. Picard just roams the room. WORF (touching his insignia) Enterprise. Come in Enterprise. Still no response, sir. PICARD Keep trying them. Communication is going to be erratic. WORF I do not want to become a permanent resident of this planet. PICARD Nor do I, Mister Worf. DATA Scans indicate no other life-forms on the planet. PICARD I would not expect any. Judging from the severity of bombardment, I doubt any Iconians survived. Picard claps his hands and briskly rubs them together as he approaches the console. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FOUR 37. 34 CONTINUED: PICARD (continuing) Well, Mister Data, let us see if we can make sense of this. DATA Aye, sir. Picard studies the alien writing as Data joins him. PICARD This is very reminiscent of Dinasian. DATA Yes, sir. There are also similarities to Dewan and Iccobar. PICARD Is it possible that they are all branches of a language family beginning with Iconian? DATA Yes. PICARD Run a comparison between simple, basic words in Dinasian, Dewan and Iccobar. Let's see if we can't reconstruct a common root language. Data goes into his analysis mode. DATA Accessing. 34A INT. MAIN BRIDGE Troi and Riker are in the Command Chairs. Williams stands tensely at Tactical. Wesley is at Ops. A supernumerary mans Conn. RIKER You're jumpy. TROI The tension on the ship is very high. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - ACT FOUR 38-40. 34A CONTINUED: RIKER What's your recommendation? TROI Give everyone something else to think about, some place to focus their attention. RIKER All right, let's consider evacuation. TROI (surprised) To the planet? RIKER It's risky with Taris sitting out there -- it's probably impossible to pull off, but it will give everyone something to do. You go and start organizing it. TROI But you will need me if you have to negotiate with Taris again. RIKER I'll manage. Right now they're more important. Troi exits. 35 OMITTED 36 INT. ICONIAN CONTROL ROOM (OPTICAL) Picard and Worf are studying the console. Data comes out of his analysis mode. DATA Captain, your original hypothesis was correct. Iconian is the parent tongue for a language family consisting of Dewan, Iccobar and Dinasian. I have constructed a basic working understanding through a comparison of common root words such as mother, father, food, death, child, home, tribe, pain, love, mine, yours, ours -- STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FOUR 40A. 36 CONTINUED: PICARD Data, Data, Data -- the point. DATA You do understand that my interpretation of the symbols will not be exact? PICARD Yes, let's get on with it. DATA (pointing to a set of symbols) This would appear to be the manual override. He touches the keys, and a LOW HUMMING fills the room. The light within the globe intensifies. Worf stiffens with hand on phaser. Suddenly rays lance out from the globe. Our people react. The rays strike the panels on the back wall and intersect in the room to form the gateway. It spins slowly. Each time it comes around, a new image appears through the opening. It makes one full revolution every couple of minutes. Appearing is a courtyard of a house with an alien-colored sky, a desert scene with a city in the distance, a street with iron balconies and pastel stucco walls, a grassy field (and eventually the Enterprise and the Romulan bridges). Picard walks forward and stares in wonder. DATA That was not manual override. PICARD (to himself) Demons of Air and Darkness, indeed. WORF What is that? PICARD A gateway. WORF The scenes could be holographic images. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FOUR 40BB. 36 CONTINUED: (2) Data steps forward and thrusts his arm through the gate. From his elbow down, the arm is gone. Picard reacts quickly to this foolishness. Leaping forward, he grabs Data by the shoulders and pulls him back just as the scene changes. PICARD Data, that was very foolish. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FOUR 40B. 36 CONTINUED: (3) DATA But we have established it is not a holograph. If I step through and investigate, we would determine whether it is truly a gateway. PICARD No, Data. You might not be able to get back, and I can't risk losing you. WORF If it's not illusion, this gate would seem to take you beyond the confines of this planet. PICARD Is this how the Iconians travelled? Stepping across light years as easily as we would cross a room? Those worlds might be in distant sectors of our galaxy. Picard takes a turn about the room, studying the gateway. PICARD (continuing; almost to himself) This is what Varley feared. What he lost his life for. WORF Sir? PICARD The Romulans could turn this technology into a weapon. WORF Like the Iconians did. DATA No, I believe that to be incorrect. Captain, there is nothing in this room to indicate it was used as a military command center. It is much more akin to a transporter room. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/12/89 - ACT FOUR 40C. 36 CONTINUED: (4) WORF But the probe was hostile. PICARD We can't make that assumption. The probe's effect on the Yamato was devastating, but I suspect that was by accident rather than design. WORF We do know that the Iconians were conquerors. PICARD Do we? The little we know was passed down by the descendants of the people who attacked this world. I'm beginning to think the Iconians may have been the victims of some very bad press. DATA Sir? PICARD There's an unfortunate tendency in most cultures to fear what they don't understand. It is possible that their enemies, when confronted with this technology, were driven to attack the Iconians out of fear. Worf turns back to the gate to contemplate Picard's words. Picard and Data return to the console. Occasionally Data runs scans with his tricorder. Suddenly the bridge of the Enterprise appears. WORF Sir! STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FOUR 41. 36 CONTINUED: (5) The other two whirl at the note of urgency in his voice and have a brief glimpse of the Enterprise before it is replaced by an alien landscape. The Romulan bridge appears, vanishes; and we again have an alien landscape. WORF Was that really the Enterprise? PICARD I believe that it was. Gentlemen, we have a way home. (a beat) I think the Iconians might have outfoxed their enemies. Perhaps they didn't all die in the bombardment; some may have passed through this. Data runs more scans with his tricorder. DATA Sir, there is a vast underground power source which is controlled by this console. He points to a bank of lights which had not been lit previously, but are now glowing brightly. DATA (continuing) My triggering of the gateway has caused a dramatic upsurge in power levels. (runs more scans) Ah, I have access. Symbols appear on one side of the screens. Data studies them. He begins to input using the keys on the console. WORF Sir, the Enterprise again. PICARD Time the rotation. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT FOUR 42. 36 CONTINUED: (6) Suddenly the globe emits a HIGH-PITCHED TONE followed by a beam of sickly green light. There is a SOUND OF CRACKLING as the ray envelops Data. It travels the length of his body, rendering him immobile. The energy flow stops, and Data -- stiff as a board -- starts to topple. He is caught by Worf who eases him to the floor. Data lies unmoving, eyes open but devoid of expression, staring at the ceiling. FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/10/89 - ACT FIVE 43. ACT FIVE FADE IN: 37 INT. ICONIAN CONTROL ROOM (OPTICAL) Picard, seated on the floor, cradles Data. PICARD Data, respond. Data shudders, a shiver running from his head to his feet. Blinks. DATA Captain. WORF Are you all right? DATA No, I am damaged. Worf and Picard have gotten Data to his feet, but he is swaying drunkenly and can barely stand. PICARD How bad is it? DATA The Iconian program is attempting a rewrite of my basic software. Physical manifestations -- Data abruptly cuts off and seems to go into analysis mode. WORF Sir, without him we have no hope of deciphering the program. We see Picard's terrible agony as he realizes that the Enterprise may be doomed. PICARD How long until the Enterprise reappears? WORF Six minutes if the cycle holds. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT FIVE 44. 37 CONTINUED: PICARD Stand ready, Mister Worf, and go through with Data. Geordi can learn from him. Maybe help him. WORF Sir, we have not yet established that that... (a gesture to the gate) ... is truly a gateway. PICARD This will be the test. WORF Aye, sir. PICARD (holding out a hand) Data, give me your tricorder. With a hand that shakes like a palsy victim, Data removes the tricorder. He then hesitates, moving his head like a questing stork. DATA Sir, what is your present location? PICARD I'm right in front of you... Data, what is it? DATA Please, take the tricorder. I am unable to sufficiently pinpoint your location to be able to hand it to you. PICARD You're blind. DATA Yes, sir. Picard takes the tricorder from Data's hand. He has to peel back the android's fingers because Data has such a grip on the device. Data's equilibrium is shot, and he walks in a tight circle around himself. He then collapses again. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FIVE 45. 37 CONTINUED: (2) PICARD (handing the tricorder to Worf) Destroy this. WORF But, sir, it contains the record of all that we have discovered here. PICARD And that is precisely why it must be destroyed. Time? WORF Three minutes. PICARD (to himself) I am running out of time. We all are. Picard kneels beside Data and pulls him up until the android is supported against his shoulder. Worf lays the tricorder on the floor of the chamber and fires his phaser at it. The tricorder VANISHES. PICARD (continuing) This room and the technology contained in it must be destroyed. It cannot be allowed to fall into Romulan hands. DATA I understand... PICARD How! How do I do it? How can I destroy everything? Control room, the probes? All of it. DATA The... power... source. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FIVE 46. 37 CONTINUED: (3) PICARD I detonate it? DATA Yes. PICARD (giving Data a shake) How? What do I do? DATA The... probes. PICARD Probes... the probes. Launch? Do I launch the probes? Data nods. PICARD (continuing; to Worf) What's that going to do? Nothing. DATA Doors. PICARD Doors? WORF Perhaps the probes are in a launch bay. Data nods energetically. PICARD The doors will open automatically when the launch begins. I'd have to override. DATA Yes. PICARD The power source! The backwash from the rockets will spill into the main power grids and cause an overload. DATA Cor... rect. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT FIVE 46A. 37 CONTINUED: (4) PICARD Which control keys? Damn, I forgot you can't see. DATA Help. Picard rightly assumes that Data wants to be helped to the console. With Worf's help they get the Android to his feet and over to the console. This dialogue has to fly. DATA (continuing) Describe. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FIVE 47. 37 CONTINUED: (5) PICARD We're directly opposite the gateway. There is a rectangular screen. DATA (shakes his head) Left... one meter. PICARD Triangular screen. The lights directly above are solid amber. To the left red -- DATA Cor... rect. Key... blue, amber... amber... red. PICARD That's the launch sequence? Data nods. PICARD (continuing) How do I override the doors? DATA Blue, blue, blue. PICARD I hope you're not stuttering. (to Worf) I don't know how long a delay there will be between the launch and the detonation. I'll hold off keying the launch sequence until you're through the gate. How long until the Enterprise returns? WORF Almost time, sir. Captain, you will be killed. PICARD I'll go through the gate. WORF But where will you end up? STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT FIVE 47A. 37 CONTINUED: (6) PICARD Any place is going to be better than this room. Worf, I'm depending on you. Get Data back to the Enterprise. He may be their last hope. Worf helps Data. At the time expected, the bridge of the Enterprise appears and the Klingon steps through. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT FIVE 48. 38 INT. MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Access panels are open. The bridge is a complete mess. Still mood lighting. People work at the various stations. Riker is overseeing this last-ditch effort. Worf and Data APPEAR. RIKER Worf! What happened? Where's the captain? Data makes small mewling little sounds, then falls silent. WORF We must take Data to Engineering. Worf shifts Data into a fireman's carry, and he and Riker start moving. 39 INT. MAIN ENGINEERING CLOSE UP on Geordi's hands as he runs scans on Data. PULL BACK to reveal Riker watching tensely. The scanner is emitting a steady beeping sound. GEORDI I don't know how to help him. But comparing recorded norms for Data to the current readings, it's clear that all his functions are going crazy. If we had an expert -- Maddox, or somebody -- The steady blip of the scanner suddenly becomes a flat, steady tone; and the line goes flat. GEORDI (continuing) He's gone. 40 INT. ICONIAN CONTROL ROOM Picard keys in the launch sequence. A LOW HEAVY RUMBLING fills the room. A MECHANICAL, ALIEN-SOUNDING VOICE begins what is obviously a countdown. COMPUTER VOICE Kandar se. Kandar ere. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FIVE 49. 41 INT. MAIN ENGINEERING Only a few seconds have passed. Geordi reaches out and closes Data's eyes. Then abruptly the android's eyes reopen. Data sits up. GEORDI Data! RIKER What the hell? DATA Ah, I have access. Suddenly things begin to fall into place for Geordi. GEORDI The self-correcting mechanism -- DATA (looking for Picard) Captain? Captain? GEORDI It's constantly kicking in to make minute adjustments in the positronic brain. DATA This is the Enterprise. How did I get here? RIKER He cleared the Iconian program from his own system. How? DATA Iconia? I was on Iconia. Now I am on the Enterprise. RIKER Geordi, this is critical. How? STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/12/89 - ACT FIVE 49A. 41 CONTINUED: GEORDI Let me think for a second. There was an incompatible program running through Data's system, so the mechanism started searching for a way to keep him alive. The solution must have been a shutdown and a total wipe of all affected memory. DATA Query. What have I forgotten? RIKER One question. Can we do the same thing with the Enterprise? STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/09/89 - ACT FIVE 50. 41 CONTINUED: (2) GEORDI I don't see why not... but it will have to be a complete shutdown. We turn her off, effect a wipe of the Yamato log and every subsequent event since we downloaded it. I'll then reload all the ship's programs from the protected archives in the main core. RIKER Geordi, a shutdown means that the shields are going to be coming down too, and we're hanging nose to nose with a Romulan battle cruiser. GEORDI Hey, Commander, whether it's Romulan phasers or our own warp engines we're just as dead. RIKER Make it so. Geordi whirls to obey. Data is very confused, but he's still game and ready to be of help. DATA Can I help? 42 INT. ICONIAN CONTROL ROOM Picard is keying the override sequence. The RUMBLING becomes a ROAR. Suddenly the room is shaking. Steam erupts from the console. The countdown continues over this scene. COMPUTER VOICE Kandar more, kandar sete, kandar ne. 43 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) A shot of the ship completely dark. Suddenly the lights come up on the vessel. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FIVE 51. 44 INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM Riker walks in like a man with a purpose and hangs over the terminal. O'BRIEN All systems functioning. RIKER Lock on the captain and bring him back. O'BRIEN Scanning, sir. Got him. 45 INT. ICONIAN CONTROL ROOM (OPTICAL) Sparks are flying off the console. The room is shaking. Steam coming out of the walls. The gate is showing the bridge of the Enterprise. Picard runs for it, but at the last minute it switches to the bridge of the Romulan cruiser. Picard hesitates for an instant, then plunges through just as the globe shatters. Over all of this the countdown continues: COMPUTER VOICE Kandar qetar, Kandar jet, kandar piqe, kandar... 46 INT. ROMULAN MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Taris stands in astonishment as Picard APPEARS. Her bridge is a disaster. Sparks off some of the consoles, etc. Two Romulan crewmembers with phasers move in on Picard. Over all there is a HOWLING KLAXON and lights flashing. A MONOTONOUS VOICE announces: COMPUTER VOICE Setha-tri par trukatha. 47 INT. ENTERPRISE TRANSPORTER ROOM O'BRIEN I've lost him! RIKER Damn it! O'BRIEN Got him! Sir! He's on the Romulan ship. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FIVE 52. 47 CONTINUED: RIKER How the hell... never mind. Energize! O'Brien's hands as he engages the transporter. 48 INT. ROMULAN MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) TARIS (bitterly) You did this. COMPUTER VOICE Setha-ki par trukatha. PICARD Did what? TARIS Activated the auto-destruct. I at least have the satisfaction that you will die with us. COMPUTER VOICE Setha-mille par trukatha. PICARD (feeling the effects of the transporter kicking in) Not I think, today, Commander. He DEMATERIALIZES. 49 INT. ENTERPRISE TRANSPORTER ROOM (OPTICAL) Picard BEAMS IN and plunges off the platform. Reaches over the console and hits the com: PICARD Bridge. DATA'S COM VOICE Yes, sir. PICARD Get us out of here. The Romulan ship is set for auto-destruct and they can't deactivate it. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FIVE 52A. 49 CONTINUED: RIKER Wait, sir. (to O'Brien) Open a hailing frequency. Picard steps back and regards his First Officer in puzzlement. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FIVE 53. 49 CONTINUED: (2) O'BRIEN Open, sir. RIKER Commander Taris, prepare to receive a transmission from our chief engineer. He'll instruct you on how to purge your system. A beat. DATA'S COM VOICE Commander, your transmission has been received and acknowledged. RIKER Now, Mister Data, warp speed please -- just in case Taris's engineer is not as efficient as Lieutenant La Forge. DATA'S COM VOICE Yes, sir. (a beat) Captain, sensors picking up a large explosion on the surface of Iconia. It is equivalent to a force twelve hydrogen explosion. Blast radius is nine hundred kilometers. Picard and Riker begin walking toward the doors. Data continues to burble on over their dialogue: DATA'S COM VOICE (continuing) The dust particles entering the stratosphere will take an estimated seven months to fall back to the surface. The diminution in sunlight will have the effect of lowering average daily surface temperatures on Iconia by fifteen degrees Celsius. PICARD I see Data's back to normal. RIKER With a little touch of amnesia. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - REV. 01/11/89 - ACT FIVE 53A. 49 CONTINUED: (3) Picard pauses and surveys the lights, glances about the Transporter Room. PICARD It seems that everything is back to normal. Well done, Commander. RIKER (with a grin) Thank you, sir. STAR TREK: "Contagion" - 01/04/89 - ACT FIVE 54. 49 CONTINUED: (4) The two officers exit as we: FADE OUT. END OF ACT FIVE THE END