DIRECTED BY
AIRED ON
October 21, 1991
RUNTIME
45 minutes
STARRING
VIEWS
198
LAST UPDATE
2024-09-11 14:49:53
PAGE VERSION
Version 1
LIKES
0
DISLIKES
0
SUMMARY
Stardate: 45156.1. A natural disaster leaves Troi in command of the Enterprise, Picard stuck in a turbo lift with three small children and Keiko O'Brien stuck in Ten-Forward giving birth with an anxious Worf.
STORY
No story yet.
BEHIND THE SCENES
No trivia yet.
QUOTES
That will teach you to give a fuck when it ain't your turn to give a fuck. -Bunk-
FILMING LOCATIONS
TOPICS
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REVIEWS
The beginning of something real
Written by
Pike on 2018-03-03
★
★
★
REVIEW FROM 03.03.2018
INTO THE DARKNESS
After years of hearing about the series The Wire, I finally gave it a chance and started my journey in early 2018, sixteen years after the pilot aired. I actually started to watch the series after a rewatch of Breaking Bad and a discussion with a friend, saying that The Wire was actually even better than Breaking Bad. Therefore, I simply had to watch it.
REALISTIC, REALLY
"Realistic: representing things in a way that is accurate and true to life."
So, I've started the pilot episode and went straight into the darkness. I actually thought that it would be quite realistic, so I wasn't particularly surprised about the tone. Nevertheless, this series is really realistic. Pun intended. By watching it, I can only say that the word itself "realistic" is quite a loaded word. I think we use it way too often, when referring to series or movies.
As a big fan of realism in cinema, I can only deeply appreciate it in The Wire. The series feels like a total immersion in a dark and real world. For instance, there is no music in most scenes. Since this is so rare in series - where we are used to hear music almost the entire episode - it feels really strange and therefore, this is an original move which I can only applaud. And I am a huge fan of music in cinema, so I think that this is a fantastic bet. It takes enormous courage to be able to produce a series with so little background music. Not only in terms of the audience (will they get bored?) - hence financially speaking as well - but also in terms of storytelling. Removing music from the equation is having to focus even more on some other artistic qualities, such as the acting, the directing and... the dialogue.
FUCK, THE WRITING
The writing of the series, or at least the first episode, is very good. In a sense that we do not have any cheesy dialogue or any immature writing that we see in most series. The dialogue feel real. Because in reality, we rarely finish any sentence, we say stupid things, we make sentences without any verbs and we curse way too often. And boy do the characters curse in The Wire! I am wondering how many times we can hear the word "fuck" in the entire series - as I imagine that the next episodes will be quite similar in tone and dialogue.
AMBITION? I DUNNO SHIT
I sense that the series is starting to place its pieces into a real puzzle. And I simply do not know what will happen in terms of ambition and scope. I can easily imagine that if we follow so "truly" these true characters, that if they feel emotions, those will be even "truer" and therefore the climaxes will be even higher than in other ambitious stories. The realism would exacerbate the feelings. Only time will tell in my new journey throughout the series.
ENTERTAINMENT
As a all, I was not particularly entertain. I would say that the series is a all and that you cannot simply watch one episode and feel rewarded the same way as in many other movies and most importantly tv series. It definitely does not follow the classic 3 or 4 storytelling acts. Once again, this is quite a courageous move and can have many downsides. But I do not want to start criticising before having watched as least the entire first season.
HOW TO RATE IT?
For once, I really have no clue how to rate this episode. It is very rare for me, as I usually am able to judge an episode or a movie very quickly. But here, I can only say that I didn't find the episode captivating. But at the same time, maybe that is a good thing. Because reality is often boring. That's the all concept. So, I am definitely in front of something original and I do not want to preemptively say anything about the overall quality.
SUMMARY
As mentioned before, I do not know yet how to rate it. I will refrain my judgment and will just put a standard 5 for now, before I come back and edit this review, whether in a few days, weeks, months, years or even decades. That's the beauty of not knowing what the future will bring and watching a series without knowing anything at all about it. I have no clue if anyone is going to die (I imagine many will), I do not know who I am going to root for, if I will remember a few characters' names or if I will cry or get emotional for some others. And damn, not knowing feels fucking good.
EDIT I: Already on same day, just after the three first episodes, I think this episode deserves a 6. It's definitely not as good as episodes 2 and 3. Hence the 6 for this one and 7 for the other two. But maybe it should have 7 and the next two 8. To be seen.
___________________________________________
Very entertaining
Written by
kimmy on 2019-03-07
★
★
★
★
Disaster strikes the Enterprise! because of some technobabble, with quantum in it — but the focus is the characters. The cast is trapped in five different parts of the ship, each part doing its best to do right. A tense episode with problem arising on top of problems, and somewhat of a bottle episode too. Troi is put in charge of the Bridge, that was an unexpected and welcome development; Troi is proven right about her faith that others would prevent the Enterprise from exploding, but things could very well have turned out differently — an easy resolution to her disagreement with Ensign Ro (I didn’t expect to see her again really, that was a surprise!). Dr. Crusher and LaForge face chemicals and radiation — a coupling of characters not seen much before. Riker is reluctant to use Data as a machine with detachable parts — and a detachable head! — but Data doesn’t have such human prejudice. In the episode’s comic relief bit, Worf is cornered into becoming the one who has to deliver Keiko’s baby — predictable but effective! As for Picard, his dislike of children (set up ever since the pilot) is put to test as he has to marshal three very different kids into a miniature Starfleet unit — it was nicely written in how the one who turned out the leader was not necessarily the one it looked like it would be when we met them. By season 5, both writers and audience know these characters very well, and it is in putting them in unexpected situations and teasing them where it hurts that the writers find inspiration for new stories.
The quote:
Worf: “Congratulations, you are fully dilated to ten centimeters. You may now give birth.â€
Keiko: “That’s what I’ve been doing!â€
TRANSCRIPT
Captain's log, stardate 45156.1. Our mission to Mudor Five has been completed and since our next assignment will not begin for several days, we are enjoying a welcome respite from our duties.
[Ten Forward]
(Keiko O'Brien is a good eight months pregnant)
O'BRIEN: If it's a boy, Michael, after my father.
KEIKO: Wait a minute. We decided on Hiro, after my father.
O'BRIEN: We talked about this last night.
KEIKO: That's right, and we decided on Hiro.
RIKER: Wait. I've got it. William. It's a great name. William O'Brien. It's got a nice ring to it.
KEIKO: It's all right. He's just doing somersaults. Here, feel.
(She puts Riker's hand on her bump)
KEIKO: Right there.
RIKER: He's going to be a hell of a gymnast.
DATA: May I?
KEIKO: Sure. There, feel it? When he's not turning, he's kicking and punching. When I want to sleep, he wants to wake up. At this point, I just wish it were over.
O'BRIEN: I have to go. I've got a transporter simulation on the bridge. Bye-bye, Michael.
[Cargo bay]
LAFORGE: No.
CRUSHER: Come on, Geordi.
LAFORGE: No.
CRUSHER: Just try it once. It is not as hard as you think. I'm telling you, you will be terrific.
LAFORGE: All right. (sings) I am the very model of a modern major general, I've information vegetable, animal and mineral. I can't do this.
CRUSHER: Yes you can!
LAFORGE: I cannot sing in front of people.
CRUSHER: You were terrific! You were a little off pitch, but I think I can take care of that. Okay, La Forge as a modern major general.
[Bridge]
TROI: Captain, I'd like to introduce you to the winners of the primary school science fair. This is Marissa, Jay Gordon, and Patterson. They're here for their tour.
PICARD: Hello.
PATTERSON: Can we see the battle bridge and torpedo bay?
PICARD: No, I'm afraid not. But we will be visiting the hydroponics and astrophysics laboratories.
TROI: I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.
PICARD: Well. If you'll come with me.
(Picard and children go into the turbolift as O'Brien comes out)
O'BRIEN: I'm not sure who to feel sorry for, the Captain or the kids.
[Turbolift]
PICARD: I want you to know we're very proud of the science fair winners. Perhaps some of you will choose to pursue a career in Starfleet. Well, then. What did you do for your science projects?
PATTERSON: I planted radishes in this special dirt and they came up all weird!
PICARD: I see. That's very, very commendable. And you?
JAY GORDON: An analysis of the life span of the swarming moths of Gonal Four. They only live for twenty hours, then they all die.
PICARD: How interesting. And you
(but before the shy girl can answer, something happens)
PICARD: We're falling!
(all over the ship, power drops and everything is shaken violently. Red Alert goes off automatically)
[Bridge]
MONROE: (female helm) What happened?
MANDEL: (man at ops) Sensors are picking up subspace distortions and high energy particles directly to starboard.
MONROE: Looks like we ran into a quantum filament. Damage report?
O'BRIEN: We've lost primary life support. Switching to secondary systems. Impulse and warp engines are offline.
MANDEL: There's another filament moving toward us, sir.
MONROE: All decks brace for impact!
(Thump! and it all goes dark - except for the opening titles)
O'BRIEN: Counsellor?
TROI: I'm all right. Medical team to the Bridge. Troi to Sickbay. Counsellor Troi to Captain Picard. Troi to Engineering. Counsellor Troi to any crew member, please acknowledge.
(Mandel tries to open the turbolift doors)
TROI: Medical team to the Bridge.
O'BRIEN: The computer's down. It looks like we still have impulse power but not much else.
TROI: Lieutenant Monroe!
(She's dead)
MANDEL: Chief O'Brien. The turbolifts aren't working. We're trapped up here.
[Turbolift]
(three crying children and an injured adult)
PICARD: Are you, are you children all right?
(His leg is broken)
PICARD: Bridge, this is Picard. This is the Captain. Can anyone hear me?
PATTERSON: Why don't they answer?
PICARD: I don't know.
JAY GORDON: They're all dead.
PICARD: They're not dead. Communication is down, that's all.
JAY GORDON: We're going to die, too.
PICARD: We most certainly are not. Now listen to me. No one here is going to die. The bridge will be sending a rescue party as soon as possible. So I want you all to stop crying. Everything is going to be all right.
(they cry even more)
[Bridge]
O'BRIEN: This is the Federation Starship Enterprise calling any vessel within range. We are in distress and need assistance. Please respond. I'm still not sure we're even transmitting. I'll set the message on auto repeat and see if we get a response.
(a turbolift door is forced open, and Ro Laren hauls herself out of the stuck car)
O'BRIEN: Are you all right?
RO: I'm alive. What the hell happened?
O'BRIEN: We were hit by a quantum filament. Most of our systems are down and we haven't been able to contact anyone off the bridge.
RO: Well, don't count on leaving through there. An emergency bulkhead closed just beneath that lift.
O'BRIEN: Confinement mode.
RO: Right. Isolation protocol.
TROI: I'm not really familiar with that protocol.
O'BRIEN: If the computer senses a hull breach, it automatically closes emergency bulkheads to isolate the breach. Until we can clear those bulkheads, we'll be cut off from the rest of the ship.
MANDEL: I have partial sensors back online. I'm picking up sporadic life signs throughout the saucer section. There are definitely survivors.
O'BRIEN: What about Ten Forward?
RO: Ten Forward?
O'BRIEN: My wife's there.
MANDEL: I'm sorry, Chief. The readings are not that specific.
RO: Can you scan the drive section?
MANDEL: I'm not reading any life signs in the drive section.
RO: Could the sensors be malfunctioning?
MANDEL: There's no way to know. Without the main computer, I can't run a full diagnostic.
O'BRIEN: Can you sense anything, Counsellor?
TROI: There are a lot of people still alive. Many of them are hurt but I can't tell where they are.
RO: We need to start emergency procedures. Who's the duty officer?
O'BRIEN: Lieutenant Monroe was in command, but she's dead. I believe Counsellor Troi is the senior officer on the deck.
RO: Counsellor Troi?
O'BRIEN: She carries the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
TROI: I'd appreciate some suggestions.
O'BRIEN: I recommend we initiate emergency procedure alpha two. Bypass computer control and place all systems on manual override.
TROI: Very well.
O'BRIEN: Aye, aye, sir.
RO: May I suggest that our next priority be to stabilise life support and try to re-establish intership communications?
TROI: Yes. Mister Mandel, I'd like you to assist Ensign Ro.
MANDEL: Yes, sir.
[Ten Forward]
(the place is a wreck)
RIKER: How do you feel?
KEIKO: Okay. A little foggy.
RIKER: Just lie still for a while. We'll get you to Sickbay as soon as we can.
KEIKO: Okay.
RIKER: Report.
DATA: I have surveyed all the turbolifts and service crawlways on this deck. Access to the Bridge has been completely severed by emergency bulkheads.
WORF: Sickbay?
DATA: Heavy damage to section twenty three A has cut off access to Sickbay. I have ordered a security team to bring casualties here until further notice.
RIKER: I think we should assume the worst, that everyone on the Bridge is dead. There's no one is in control of the ship.
DATA: In that circumstance, re-establishing control should be our top priority.
RIKER: Agreed. Can we get to Engineering?
DATA: Yes, sir. The most direct route is blocked, but I believe we can use a starboard service crawlway.
RIKER: Okay, you and I will try to get there. Mister Worf, this room is going to fill with wounded in a few minutes and they're going to need help. I want you to stay in charge here.
WORF: Yes, sir.
RIKER: Let's go.
(a man carries a woman in)
WORF: Over here.
CREWMAN: Yes, sir.
[Cargo bay]
(it's a lot brighter in here)
LAFORGE: Okay. Clear the power shunt.
CRUSHER: The shunt is cleared.
LAFORGE: Right. And bypass the flow current, and (nothing). The computer still won't release the doors.
CRUSHER: Can we force them open?
LAFORGE: Yes, we can try. There's an emergency hand actuator.
CRUSHER: Geordi?
LAFORGE: Yes?
CRUSHER: This wall is hot.
LAFORGE: Where?
(then something blows out where he had removed a panel, knocking him off his feet)
LAFORGE: I'm all right, but I think we've got a new problem. One of the energy conduits must've ruptured and ignited the polyduranide inside the bulkhead. That's a plasma fire.
(and it's green)
CRUSHER: It's putting out a lot of radiation. We can't stay in here very long.
LAFORGE: We've got a bigger problem than that. The quaratum in these containers is used in emergency thruster packs. It's normally pretty stable stuff but when you expose quaratum to radiation, it has a way of exploding.
[Turbolift]
(Marissa is helping Picard at an open panel)
PICARD: The external power is cut off.
JAY GORDON: We're going to die.
(the turbolift jolts)
PATTERSON: What was that?
PICARD: I don't know.
(Marissa helps Picard stand. He tries to reach the hatch in the ceiling but misses)
PICARD: Your name is Marissa. Is that right? Well, Marissa, I'm going to need a first officer to help me. You're the oldest and so that makes you my Number One.
MARISSA: Number One?
PICARD: That's what I always called my first officer. So, here.
(He puts two of his rank pins on her top)
PICARD: There. Now, Number One, we need a crew to help us get that hatch off. Don't you think that Jay here would make an excellent science officer? What do you say, Jay? Will you join our crew?
JAY GORDON: It's Jay Gordon.
PICARD: Of course. Forgive me, Jay Gordon.
JAY GORDON: I accept.
(another pin)
PICARD: There.
PATTERSON: Can I be an officer, too?
PICARD: Well, let me see. Your science project involved radishes, did it not?
PATTERSON: Yes, sir.
PICARD: Then I shall appoint you my executive officer in charge of radishes.
(he gets the last pin)
PICARD: There. Right, then let's get to work.
[Jefferies tube]
RIKER: Thirteen sixty five baker. That should put us right behind shuttlebay two.
DATA: That is correct, sir. We have approximately fifty two metres remaining in this crawlway before we can safely exit into a main corridor.
(opaque gas bursts out behind them)
RIKER: Coolant leak!
(they scramble forward and manage to shut a bulkhead behind them, only for an energy barrier to start up ahead)
[Cargo bay]
CRUSHER: We can withstand this level of radiation for another three or four hours without any permanent damage. We'll need a few days of hyronalin treatments.
LAFORGE: What are the radiation levels in the quaratum?
CRUSHER: They're at eighty three rads and rising at a rate of about four rads per minute.
LAFORGE: That stuff gets unstable at around three hundred and fifty rads. I still haven't been able to get any power to this transporter.
CRUSHER: The radiation levels is about twenty percent lower at this end of the bay. Let's move the containers over to here.
LAFORGE: That's a good idea. It should buy us some time. You know we're going to have to do this by hand. With all the radiation floating around in here we can't trust the antigrav units.
[Bridge]
(at a rear science station)
O'BRIEN: There. Just before the second time we were hit. See the subspace distortion?
TROI: Yes. How big is a quantum filament?
O'BRIEN: It can be hundreds of metres long, but it has almost no mass, which makes it very difficult to detect.
TROI: So, it's like a cosmic string?
O'BRIEN: No. that's a completely different phenomenon.
(another station comes online)
O'BRIEN: How did you do that?
RO: I diverted power from the phaser array and I dumped it into the engineering control system.
O'BRIEN: You what?
RO: Engineering station's online, Counsellor.
O'BRIEN: But that's a completely improper procedure. You can't just dump that much raw energy into a bridge terminal without blowing
RO: We're not going to get out of this by playing it safe.
TROI: What is our engine status, Ensign?
RO: We've got half impulse power available, but I'm getting some odd readings from the warp drive. I'm reading a spike in the warp field array. It looks like a containment deviation.
O'BRIEN: Switch to primary bypass.
RO: Nothing. Field strength's at forty percent and falling. We've got a problem. The quantum resonance of the filament caused a polarity shift in the antimatter containment field.
O'BRIEN: When the filament hit us, the ship was momentarily charged, as if it had come into contact with a live electrical wire.
RO: That weakened the containment field surrounding the antimatter pods. The field strength is at forty percent and it is still falling.
O'BRIEN: If it falls to fifteen percent the field will collapse and we'll have a containment breach.
TROI: Which means?
RO: Which means the ship will explode.
[Jefferies tube]
DATA: Commander, the current cannot be off down from this relay box.
RIKER: We can't just sit here.
DATA: If the energy flowing through that arc were interrupted by a nonconductive material, it is likely the circuit would be broken.
RIKER: I don't see any material in here that could handle that much current.
DATA: Commander, much of my bodyframe is made up of tripolymers, a non conductive material.
RIKER: Are you suggesting we use your own body?
DATA: Yes, sir.
RIKER: Data, there's half a million amps flowing through that arc. Could your body handle that much current?
DATA: The power surge would cause a system failure in my internal processors and melt my primary power couplings. However, there is a chance that the damage would not be irreparable.
RIKER: No.
DATA: Commander, our options are very limited.
RIKER: First of all, android or not, I wouldn't ask anyone to take that kind of risk. Second, if the computer is not working in Engineering, I'm going to need your help to get control of the ship.
DATA: My positronic brain has several layers of shielding to protect me from power surges. It would be possible for you to remove my cranial unit and take it with you.
RIKER: Let me get this straight. You want me to take off your head?
DATA: Yes, sir. Is something wrong, sir?
RIKER: Well, Data, would you be all right?
DATA: My memory core and neural nets are self-contained. I would be fine, sir.
RIKER: Well, like you said, our choices are very limited.
(Data walks forward into the currents, they stop and he falls forward)
RIKER: Data? Data! Data.
DATA: A remarkable experience, Commander.
RIKER: Are you all right? Did the shielding work?
DATA: Apparently so, sir. My neural nets are still fully operational. You may begin by opening the ventral access panel located two centimetres beneath my right ear.
[Turbolift]
(with Jay Gordon on Picard's shoulders, they get the hatch open)
PICARD: Can you climb up?
JAY GORDON: Yes, I think so.
PICARD: Good. Now look down the sides of the lift. Can you see two big clamps?
JAY GORDON: Yes, I see them.
PICARD: Can you see if those clamps are attached to long beams inside big grooves?
JAY GORDON: Yes. But one of them looks broken. It's half out of the groove.
PICARD: All right. Come down.
(Picard catches him)
PICARD: All right. Number One, those big clamps are part of the emergency system. If something goes wrong, they're designed to hold the turbolift in place. But it would seem that they're damaged.
MARISSA: Is that why we keep shaking?
PICARD: That's right. Now, when they give way, we shall fall. So you've got to get your crew out of here before that happens. Now, there is a ladder along the wall of the shaft. You can climb up that until you come to an open doorway.
MARISSA: What about you?
PICARD: My ankle is broken. I will just slow you down when you need to move quickly. Now, you are the leader. And that's an order.
MARISSA: We have to climb up the shaft.
PATTERSON: I want to stay here with you, Captain.
PICARD: Patterson, you're an officer. You have to obey orders.
PATTERSON: I don't want to be an officer any more. I want to stay here with you.
JAY GORDON: If the captain stays here, we won't make it. We'll all die.
PICARD: We don't have time to argue. You must go now.
MARISSA: The crew has decided to stick together. We all go or we all stay.
PICARD: All right. I'll try. But I want you to know this is mutiny. Now, Number One, look at that control panel. Now, the yellow control pad, hit that once. Now the one below it, hit twice. Now that should release the panel underneath.
MARISSA: Yes, it did.
PICARD: Now, you can pull it away.
MARISSA: Okay.
PICARD: Good. Now, that bundle of wires, that's optical cabling. See how much of that you can pull out.
[Cargo bay]
(they've moved the containers)
CRUSHER: The levels are still rising. There must be some way to put that fire out.
LAFORGE: The energy's being fed by the ship's internal power grid and we can't even get near that. The only way to stop it would be to eliminate its supply of oxygen. Wait a minute. Doctor, I've got an idea. It's kind or wild, but we just might be able to kill two birds with one stone.
CRUSHER: Let's hear it.
LAFORGE: Okay. We open the external door. That would depressurise the cargo bay and suck all of those containers out into space. At the same time, the lack of oxygen should put out the plasma fire.
CRUSHER: What about us?
LAFORGE: We just need to find something in here to hold onto while the air is evacuating. Then, we close the door, repressurise the bay.
CRUSHER: What about this?
(a ladder up to the second level)
LAFORGE: Yeah, that ought to do it.
[Ten Forward]
(Keiko is doing some bandages)
KEIKO: There that should do it.
WORF: (to man with broken leg) There will be a sharp pain as I set the bone. Prepare yourself. Good. Good, you bore that well.
(Keiko gasps)
WORF: Keiko?
KEIKO: I'm all right. I think.
WORF: Perhaps you should lie down.
KEIKO: Oh, oh, oh. I'm having contractions.
WORF: I believe that is not uncommon in the late months of pregnancy.
KEIKO: No, I mean contractions. I'm going into labour.
WORF: You cannot. This this is not a good time, Keiko.
KEIKO: It's not open for debate. Like it or not, this baby is coming.
[Observation lounge]
(Troi is getting the Worst Case Scenario briefing)
O'BRIEN: If the containment field strength continues to drop at its present rate, we still have at least two hours before it becomes critical.
RO: But you're ignoring the fact that the power coupling is also damaged. If that coupling overheats, the field strength could drop a lot faster. We could have a containment breach in a matter of minutes.
TROI: What do you suggest?
RO: We should separate the saucer now, and put as much distance as possible between us and the drive section.
O'BRIEN: Excuse me, sir, but that's damn cold blooded. What about the people down there?
RO: There's no evidence that anyone is still alive in the drive section.
O'BRIEN: No evidence they're dead, either. If you were trapped down there, would you like us to just cut you loose and leave?
RO: No, of course not. But I also wouldn't expect the bridge crew to risk the safety of the ship and hundreds of lives in a futile effort to rescue me.
TROI: You said there was no way to stabilise the containment field from the Bridge. Could it be done from Engineering?
O'BRIEN: Yes, but my readings indicate there's no power down there. They don't even have monitors to tell them there's a problem.
TROI: Could we divert energy from the Bridge to those monitors?
O'BRIEN: Yes, sir.
RO: I'll say it again. There is no reason to believe that anyone is alive in Engineering. We're wasting time even talking about this. We have to separate the ship now.
TROI: I believe there are still people alive down there and I'm going to give them every chance. Assuming they're alive, they'll be hoping there's someone up here who can help them. So we'll help them. Chief, divert the necessary power to Engineering.
O'BRIEN: Aye, sir.
RO: I remind you, Counsellor, that power coupling could overheat at any moment. By not separating the ship now, you may be responsible for all our deaths.
TROI: Thank you, Ensign. Proceed.
[Turboshaft]
(using the optical cable as a rope, the group have climbed up to the next deck)
PICARD: I can't open this door. We're going to have to climb up to the next deck.
PATTERSON: What if that one doesn't open either?
JAY GORDON: Then we'll never get out.
MARISSA: Quiet, both of you. That's an order.
PICARD: We're going up. Ready?
MARISSA: Ready, sir.
(everything shakes)
PICARD: The lift's falling! Hang on!
PICARD: We're all right. We're going to keep on climbing. Just don't look down.
JAY GORDON: What's wrong?
MARISSA: He's scared.
PICARD: We're right with you, Patterson. You're not going to fall. Everything will be all right if you just keep climbing. What we need is a climbing song. Marissa, is there a song you sing at school?
MARISSA: The Laughing Vulcan and His Dog?
PICARD: I'm afraid I don't know that one. I know. Frere Jacques. That's a song I used to sing when I was at school. Patterson, do you know that one? Good. It goes like this. Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques, dormez vous? Dormez vous?
ALL: Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines, ding ding dong, ding ding dong.
PICARD: Very good. Now, keep singing.
ALL: Frere Jacques, frere Jacques, dormez vous? Dormez vous? Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines. Ding ding dong, ding ding dong. Frere Jacques, frere Jacques, dormez vous? Dormez vous? Sonnez les matines, sonnez les matines. Ding ding dong, ding ding dong. Frere Jacques, frere Jacques
[Ten Forward]
WORF: Your contractions are now only thirty seconds apart. Dilation has gone to seven centimetres since the onset of labour. That did not take long.
KEIKO: That's easy for you to say.
WORF: You are doing very well. I am sure the child will arrive soon.
KEIKO: Worf, has the baby turned?
WORF: Turned?
KEIKO: So the head is down. Doctor Crusher told me a few days ago that it hadn't. She wasn't worried because I still had a month to go.
WORF: I am not certain. Can't you tell?
KEIKO: Worf, have you ever done this before?, delivered a baby?
WORF: Yes. No. I have taken the Starfleet Emergency Medical Course. In a computerised simulation, I assisted in the delivery of a human baby.
KEIKO: Sometimes it doesn't go by the book, Worf.
WORF: I am sure everything will be fine.
[Cargo bay]
CRUSHER: Once the air is vented, the first thing you'll feel is extreme pressure in your lungs. You have to resist the temptation to exhale. Next, our hands and feet will get cold, then numb, and some of the capillaries on exposed sections of the skin may burst.
LAFORGE: Sounds like fun.
CRUSHER: We will have about fifteen seconds of useful consciousness, then about ten seconds of extreme disorientation, then we pass out.
LAFORGE: Okay. Once the air is evacuated, one of us is going to need to get to that panel to repressurise the bay.
(of course, the panel is on the far wall)
LAFORGE: We're ready. Are you okay?
(one touch of a button, up goes the outer door, some hyperventilating, another command and out goes the air, the barrels and the green fire. Geordi closes the doors and they set off across the bay, but he collapses halfway. Beverly just makes it and air rushes back in)
[Bridge]
RO: The field strength is down to twenty percent. We cannot run the risk of staying here any longer.
O'BRIEN: We're in no danger until it drops below fifteen percent. We can afford to wait and see if anyone in Engineering notices those monitors.
TROI: Have you made preparations to separate the Saucer section?
RO: Yes, sir. We're in stand by mode for docking latches.
O'BRIEN: Ensign there's a thermal inversion in the power coupling!
RO: Quick, cross-connect to the transfer coil. That was close.
TROI: What happened?
RO: Exactly what I said might happen. The power coupling overheated and the entire containment field almost collapsed. O'Brien's fixed it temporarily, but this could happen again at any moment, and next time we might not be able to stop it. You can't let wishful thinking guide your decision, Counsellor. It's time to leave.
TROI: We will separate the ship when I decide that it's time, and not before. Is that clear, Ensign?
RO: Yes. Perfectly.
[Engineering]
(Data's head is on a shelf, laced up to a panel. Riker is working on another one)
RIKER: Okay, try it.
DATA: Very good, Commander. You have established a connection. I can now raise the door.
(the blast door goes up to reveal Geordi's office area all lit up)
RIKER: There's no power on this entire deck, yet somehow these monitors are working.
DATA: The power reaching those monitors has been diverted from the Bridge, sir.
RIKER: But why? Unless there's something they want us (pause) something they need us to see. Wait a minute. Data, the containment field strength is down to eighteen percent. Can you stabilise it?
DATA: No, sir. I do not have access to the containment field. You will have to establish a new link. Locate the ODN conduit, sir.
(Riker probes Data's exposed circuits)
RIKER: Got it.
DATA: Yes, sir. You must now change the input matrix in my secondary optical port and then connect the ODN conduit.
(his right eye closes)
DATA: That is not the correct port, sir.
RIKER: Sorry.
DATA: You must hurry, Commander. The containment field has dropped to sixteen percent.
RIKER: I'm trying. You need a bigger head.
DATA: The field continues to drop, sir. Collapse is imminent.
RIKER: Try it now.
DATA: I have a connection, sir. I am now stabilising the containment field.
[Bridge]
O'BRIEN: Sir, the field strength is stabilising. Eighteen percent, twenty, twenty five.
RO: I guess they got our message. I was wrong, Counsellor.
TROI: You could have easily been right.
[Corridor]
(a turbolift door opens, and Picard hauls himself onto the deck like a seal hauling itself onto land, followed by the children. They sit panting)
[Ten Forward]
WORF: Congratulations. You are fully dilated to ten centimetres. You may now give birth.
KEIKO: That's what I've been doing.
WORF: Bearing down is the next stage. It should start at full dilation. Why has it not begun?
KEIKO: I don't know. I don't think it's up to me. It happens when it happens.
WORF: The computer simulation was not like this. That delivery was very orderly.
KEIKO: Well, I'm sorry!
WORF: Did you feel an uncontrollable urge to push?
(screams with a nod)
WORF: Good. You are bearing down. Now you must push with each contraction and I must urge you gently but firmly to push harder. Push, Keiko. Push hard. Push, Keiko. Push. Push.
KEIKO: I am pushing!
WORF: The baby is emerging head first. One more contraction.
KEIKO: Okay.
WORF: That's good. Push. Push. Hard. I have the baby. I will smack the child to induce breathing.
(waaa!)
WORF: Now I will cut the umbilical cord. Blanket. I believe she looks like Chief O'Brien.
(he hands the baby to Keiko)
KEIKO: Hello. You were wonderful, Worf. I couldn't have done it without you. Hello.
Captain's log, supplemental. We are en route to Starbase sixty seven, to undergo repairs. Life aboard the Enterprise is slowly returning to normal.
[Bridge]
(Troi leads the children onto the Bridge)
TROI: Now just wait here.
RIKER: You just can't stay away from the big chair, can you?
TROI: I don't think I'm cut out to be Captain. First officer, maybe. I understand there aren't many qualifications.
RIKER: Captain Picard to the Bridge, please.
(Picard enters)
PICARD: Hello. It's good to see you again. What brings you to the Bridge?
MARISSA: In appreciation for the way you helped us get out of the turboshaft, and the way you helped us not be scared, we want to present to you this commemorative plaque. Give it to him.
(Jay Gordon hands it over. It reads - to Captain Picard, in appreciation for the way you helped us get out of the turboshaft and the way you helped us not be scared. Jay Gordon Graas, Paterson Supra, Marissa Flores)
PICARD: Thank you. Thank you very much.
PATTERSON: I made the back piece.
PICARD: And a wonderful job you did of it, too. Well, later this afternoon, we're going to finish the tour I promised you, starting with the battle bridge. I'll see you at fourteen hundred hours. You have the Bridge, Number One.
RIKER + MARISSA: Aye, sir.
2024-09-11 14:49:53 -
Pike:
Added the transcript.
