STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Children of Time" #40510-520 Story by Gary Holland and Ethan Calk Teleplay by Rene Echevarria Directed by Allan Kroeker 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 1997 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 This script is not for publication or reproduction.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. Return to Script Department FINAL DRAFT PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION February 25, 1997 STAR TREK: DS9 - "Children of Time" - 02/25/97 - CAST STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Children of Time" CAST SISKO YEDRIN KIRA MIRANDA ODO BROTA BASHIR GABRIEL DAX LISA QUARK MOLLY O'BRIEN PARELL WORF Non-Speaking Non-Speaking N.D. SUPERNUMERARIES STAR TREK: DS9 - "Children of Time" - 02/25/97 - SETS STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Children of Time" SETS INTERIORS EXTERIORS DEEP SPACE NINE DEEP SPACE NINE DEFIANT DEFIANT BRIDGE PLANET'S SURFACE CORRIDOR SETTLEMENT ENGINE ROOM TOWN SQUARE MESS HALL FARMLAND SICKBAY KIRA'S QUARTERS MEETING HALL CAVE DS NINE - "Children of Time" - 02/26/97 - PRONUNCIATION STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Children of Time" PRONUNCIATION GUIDE GAIA GUY-uh GOLIAN GO-lee-uhn KAHLESS KAY-less KENDA KEN-duh MOLOR moh-LOR PELIOS PELL-ee-ose Q'APLA k-PLAH STO'VO'KOR STO-vo-kor TORVIN'S TOR-vinz YEDRIN YEH-drin GYROMAGNETIC GY-row-mag-NET-ik KELIPATE KELL-ih-pate MEK'LETH MECK-leth TESSIPATES TESS-ih-pates TORGA TOR-guh DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 1. STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Children of Time" TEASER FADE IN: 1 EXT. SPACE - THE DEFIANT (OPTICAL) as it travels at warp. SISKO (V.O.) Captain's Log, Stardate 50814.2. The Defiant is returning to Deep Space Nine after a weeklong reconnaissance mission in the Gamma Quadrant. 2 INT. DEFIANT - MESS HALL Where ODO is sitting with KIRA and DAX as they have breakfast. SUPERNUMERARIES as needed. Dax stretches her weary bones... DAX I can't wait to get home and sleep in my own bed... the bunks on this ship are so uncomfortable. KIRA You know what I could use? A weekend at the Golian Spa. DAX Maybe you and Shakaar can slip away when we get back? KIRA We're not seeing each other anymore. Dax and Odo react -- neither of them knew. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 2. 2 CONTINUED: ODO When did this happen? KIRA Last week. Odo's heart leaps up into his throat. After feeling he lost Kira to Shakaar, she's suddenly available again, and it's bringing his long-buried feelings to the surface. DAX No wonder you've been so down lately. KIRA I miss him. But last time we were on Bajor, we went to the Kenda Shrine and asked the Prophets if we were meant to walk the same path. DAX And? KIRA We're not. Dax isn't sure what she thinks of this... DAX You make it sound so... cut and dry. KIRA The way I see it, people are either meant to be together or they're not. DAX I guess I'd rather believe that any relationship can work if both people really want it to. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 3. 2 CONTINUED: (2) Dax and Kira glance at Odo to see if he has an opinion on the subject. ODO I'm not sure I have an opinion on the subject... He stands to go... ODO Excuse me. I need to regenerate. And with that, he moves off... Kira watches him head for the door... KIRA Is he all right? DAX You know Odo. This sort of talk makes him uncomfortable. 3 INT. DEFIANT - CORRIDOR as Odo ENTERS from the mess hall. Now that he's out of sight, he leans his back against the wall... suddenly, he has a lot to think about... 4 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE SISKO is in the command chair with a MUG of coffee. Kira, Dax, WORF and O'BRIEN are manning side consoles. An N.D. is distributing coffee from a tray, offers a cup to Sisko. SISKO (no thanks) I'm trying to cut down. The N.D. nods and moves to... 4A O'BRIEN AND KIRA As he smiles his thanks and takes a coffee... O'BRIEN (to Kira) I'm making Molly a dollhouse for her birthday. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 3A. 4A CONTINUED: O'BRIEN (Cont'd) The house itself was easy, but the furniture -- even with a micro- lathe, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to finish it all in time. KIRA (smiles) I guess her dolls are going to have to rough it for a while. 5 DAX as she spots something intriguing on her console. DAX Hmm, interesting. (off Sisko's look) I'm getting some unusual readings from a nearby solar system. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 4. 5 CONTINUED: WORF What kind of readings? DAX There's some sort of energy barrier surrounding the fourth planet. His interest piqued, Sisko moves closer to Dax. On her MONITOR, we see a schematic of the planet and the barrier around it. KIRA (off her console) It's hard to tell from all the interference, but there could be lifeforms on the surface. DAX If there are, I'd be interested to see how they've adapted to the quantum fluctuations in the barrier. This is an intriguing possibility, but O'Brien wants to get home. O'BRIEN Maybe we can check it out the next time we come this way. DAX It'll be too late -- at the rate the interference is intensifying, in another few weeks, we won't even be able to send a probe through it. Sisko can see where this is heading... SISKO Dax... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 5. 5 CONTINUED: (2) DAX I know everyone wants to go home, but if we're going to take a look at this planet, this is our only chance. Sisko is on the fence... SISKO You're sure it's safe to pass through the interference? DAX A few modifications to the shields and it'll be smooth sailing... Sisko can't bring himself to deny his old friend... SISKO All right. We'll make a quick survey. O'Brien frowns, turns to his console. SISKO (to Dax) But if all we detect is some fungus, we're not beaming down. As she sets to work... DAX (sly) What if it's a smart fungus? Off Sisko's playful scowl... 6 OMITTED DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 6. EXT. SPACE (OPTICAL) as the Defiant approaches the planet. We can see the barrier enveloping it like a cloud of evanescent energy. 7 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Sisko, Dax, Worf, Kira, O'Brien and SUPERNUMERARIES as before. KIRA We're approaching the barrier... SISKO (to Dax) All right, old man. Take us in. As the ship enters the barrier, it starts to SHAKE slightly and INTERACTIVE LIGHT starts to play on our people's faces. Sisko clears his throat pointedly... DAX (working console) Adjusting shield harmonics to compensate... A beat, then the ship starts to SHAKE more violently... O'BRIEN (off console) The quantum fluctuations are intensifying... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 7. 7 CONTINUED: The ship goes to Red Alert. Suddenly CRACKLES of ENERGY shake across some of the Bridge consoles, causing one to SPARK. The tendrils start to dissipate, but one lashes over and catches Kira's body. 8 thru OMITTED 9 10 KIRA (OPTICAL) As the tendrils snake over her, her muscles tense up, and for an instant we see a DOUBLE-IMAGE of her, as if she were slightly out of phase. A moment, then it's over -- the tendrils dissipate. DAX (off console) We're through... On the VIEWSCREEN, we see the curved horizon of the planet, and the energy barrier in the distant background. Sisko moves to Kira, who's trying to clear her head. SISKO Are you all right? KIRA I think so... SISKO (to com) Doctor Bashir to the Bridge... KIRA I'm fine. But Sisko wants her checked out anyway. He turns to O'Brien for a report. O'BRIEN The inertial dampers are off-line, and the gyromagnetic stabilizers have depolarized. (annoyed) We're going to be here for days. Sisko turns to Dax, annoyed. SISKO Smooth sailing? Suddenly -- DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 8. 10 CONTINUED: WORF Sir, we are being hailed from the surface. Sisko and Dax react -- WORF (off console) There are several settlements scattered across the southern peninsula. I'm reading approximately eight thousand inhabitants... they appear to be human. SISKO On screen. 11 INCLUDE VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL) where we see a human woman of about forty and a human man of about the same age. They're speaking from inside a simple structure, made of wooden logs and mortar. They're dressed in simple work clothes, something a farmer or ranch hand might wear. Their faces and demeanor speak to a lifetime spent working outdoors. The man, YEDRIN, smiles at the sight of our people, almost as if he recognizes them. He has a few Trill- like spots on his face. The woman, MIRANDA, speaks first. we'll come to discover that she's the elected leader of the community. MIRANDA Welcome to Gaia, Captain Sisko. SISKO You know my name. MIRANDA We've been expecting you. Yedrin can see that Sisko isn't sure what to make of this... YEDRIN It's a long story, Benjamin. Why don't you come down and we'll talk about it over some raktajino. (smiles) I forgot. You're trying to cut down. Off Sisko's face as he reacts to the familiarity with which this stranger speaks to him... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 9. 12 EXT. SETTLEMENT- MATTE SHOT (OPTICAL) A cluster of adobe-like buildings, surrounded by farmland. Scattered around the main settlement we see other, smaller clusters of buildings. Windmills and irrigation pipes dot the landscape. 13 EXT. TOWN SQUARE - DAY (OPTICAL) as Sisko, Dax, Worf, and O'Brien MATERIALIZE. The buildings that surround them show a range of architectural styles, as if they were built over years of technological advances -- a wooden building with a thatched roof abuts an adobe-type building, which stands next to a brick and tile structure. As the crew beams in, all activity in the settlement stops. Some CHILDREN who were playing with a BALL halt their game and stare at our people with a mixture of curiosity and awe. The people in the market stop inspecting the wares on the CARTS. A man who was DYEING FABRIC in a barrel pulls his hands out and wipes them on a cloth. A woman who was sifting pebbles from a sack of beans with a SIEVE stops what she's doing. Like Yedrin and Miranda, the inhabitants are dressed in practical, worn-looking clothes. These are working people, and their physicality expresses this in every way. They are a racially mixed group -- Black, Caucasian, Asian. A few of the men wear beards, and we might notice that a few of the inhabitants have subtle Trill markings, while a few others have subtle Klingon- style forehead ridges. Yedrin and Miranda approach the crew, who are taking in their surroundings. Yedrin holds his hands clasped behind his back as he approaches, much the same way Jadzia does. As Miranda extends a hand to Sisko, Yedrin glances at Jadzia. MIRANDA Miranda O'Brien. O'Brien reacts -- this is an odd coincidence. Yedrin introduces himself to Sisko. YEDRIN Yedrin... (looking at Jadzia) Yedrin Dax. This is starting to get weird. DAX (wry) What a coincidence... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - TEASER 10. 13 CONTINUED: SISKO Would one of you mind telling us what's going on here? MIRANDA This settlement was founded by the crew of a Starfleet vessel that crashed on this planet two centuries ago. I realize this is going to be hard for you to accept... but that ship was the Defiant. Our people react MIRANDA Two days from now, when you leave here and try to pass through the energy barrier, you'll be thrown back in time two hundred years. You'll be stranded here... and become the founders of this settlement. (beat) We're... your descendents. And as our people react to this astonishing claim, we... FADE OUT. END OF TEASER DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 11. ACT ONE FADE IN: (NOTE: Episode credits fall over opening scenes) 14 EXT. TOWN SQUARE - DAY - CONTINUOUS Yedrin looks at our people's faces, can see that they're not about to accept this claim at face value. He smiles, gestures to Dax's TRICORDER. YEDRIN Go ahead, Jadzia. Scan me -- you'll find the Dax symbiont right here. He pats his abdomen. Dax glances to Sisko, who nods she go ahead. DAX (off tricorder) It's true. YEDRIN The symbiont has been passed down to Jadzia's descendents for three generations. (smiles) I remember all of you like it was yesterday. Sisko looks at Yedrin, struggling to make sense of it all. YEDRIN If you scan Miranda, you'll find that her DNA is substantially similar to the chief's. DAX (off tricorder) She's an O'Brien, all right. Miranda hastens to point out -- MIRANDA And a Tannenbaum, too. Miranda, like the rest of the descendents, is not just aware of her lineage, she's proud of it. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 11A. 14 CONTINUED: O'BRIEN (shocked) As in... Ensign Tannenbaum? From Engineering? Yedrin fills him in gently, knowing how it's going to make him feel. YEDRIN You and Rita were married ten years after the Defiant crashed. O'Brien reacts, thinking about Keiko and his family. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 12. 14 CONTINUED: (3) YEDRIN You were trapped here, Miles. Two hundred years in the past. There was no going home, no chance of ever seeing your family again. You were the last to give up hope... but eventually, you realized you had to make a new life for yourself here. When Yedrin looks at Sisko, he sees the doubt on his face. YEDRIN I know that face, Benjamin. You're still not convinced we're telling the truth. (playful) If you want, I could tell you something only Curzon would know. Remember that dancer you met on Pelios station? The one who -- SISKO (interrupting) That'll do, thank you. A young boy of about ten, GABRIEL, runs up to the group. He and his friends have been watching from a distance, and they've dared him to come up and ask a question. GABRIEL (to Worf) Are you the Son of Mogh? WORF I am. GABRIEL Is it true you can kill someone just by looking at them? Worf doesn't know what to say -- clearly some very tall tales have grown around him over the past few centuries. WORF Only if I am angry. The boy's eyes go wide and he scampers off to report this fact to his friends. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 13. 14 CONTINUED: MIRANDA Why don't we go inside? You can meet some of the others later. We still have a lot to talk about. She indicates a nearby structure, one which appears to be the oldest in the settlement, made of logs and mortar. As the group moves off... 15 INT. MEETING HALL - DAY (OPTICAL) This is the room we saw on the bridge viewscreen, an odd mix of high and low technology. A VIEWSCREEN from the ship is built into one side of the room, a FIREPLACE into another. As Miranda and Yedrin lead Sisko, Dax, O'Brien and Worf inside they see a most improbable sight: two young girls are sitting at one of the tables near the viewscreen, doing schoolwork on pencil and paper. The girls are watching QUARK'S image displayed on the viewscreen. He's standing to the left side of the screen, in front of a black background. QUARK (to the girls) Ready for the next problem? MIRANDA This is our meeting hall... (smiling at the girls) Which as you can see, we sometimes use as a schoolroom. As Quark speaks, the relevant portions of what he says appear in LETTERS on the right side of the screen. QUARK Say you have twenty-seven tessipates of land you want to plant with nice juicy yelg melons. (rubbing his tummy) Yum. (continuing) If each melon needs one square kerripate to grow in, what's the total number of melons you can plant? (beat) Let me know as soon as you have an answer. And with that, Quark's image DISAPPEARS, leaving only the words: TWENTY-SEVEN TESSIPATES, and on the next line, ONE MELON PER KERRIPATE. Sisko and the others turn to Yedrin with curious looks. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 13A. 15 CONTINUED: YEDRIN Jadzia designed it as an educational program. She took Quark's image from the Defiant's security logs. (shrugs) I've always thought Quark would make a great math teacher, he's so good with numbers. Jadzia smiles, crouches down next to one of the girls, LISA. Her skin is dark, and she has light-colored Trill-spots on her face -- fewer than Jadzia, but visible. DAX I like your spots. LISA Most people don't have them because our ancestors were mostly human. (beaming) My mother says they make me special. The other girl, MOLLY, rolls her eyes -- MOLLY It's just genetics, Lisa. (touching her forehead) Like Torvin's ridges. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 14. 15 CONTINUED: (2) LISA You're just jealous, Molly. O'BRIEN Molly? YEDRIN There are a lot of them around here. The name's been passed down through the O'Brien line. Miranda smiles at the little girl, introduces her to O'Brien. MIRANDA Molly, this is your grandfather's great-great-great grandfather. MOLLY (smiling at O'Brien) Hello. But O'Brien barely acknowledges her... she seems to make him uncomfortable. O'BRIEN Hi. With that, he turns to a nearby piece of equipment from the Defiant. O'BRIEN (to Yedrin) How much were we... (correcting himself) ... were you able to salvage from the Defiant? YEDRIN A portable generator, a replicator... a few phasers and tricorders -- that sort of thing. WORF Did anyone ever try to send out a distress signal? YEDRIN To who? It was two hundred years ago. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 14A. 15 CONTINUED: (3) YEDRIN (Cont'd) The wormhole hadn't been discovered yet... there was no way to get back to the Alpha Quadrant. Lisa pipes up, offers a tidbit she obviously learned in class. She sounds like a schoolchild talking about the Pilgrims. LISA Our ancestors decided to make this their new home. Not one to be upstaged, Molly chimes in. MOLLY They needed to build a shelter quickly, before the winter came. LISA (indicating all around) This is it -- it's the oldest building there is. (can you believe it?) At first, everyone had to sleep in here -- all forty-eight of them. Sisko wheels around to face Yedrin -- DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 15. 15 CONTINUED: SISKO Forty-eight? Yedrin knows this is going to be hard for our people to hear. YEDRIN Kira died a few weeks after the crash. The energy discharge that struck her on the bridge damaged her neural pathways. The Defiant didn't have the medical equipment Julian needed to treat her. Yedrin and Dax exchange a look -- they're both thinking the same thing: that they were responsible for bringing them through the barrier, and by extension, what happened to Kira. LISA (brightly) Do you want to see where she's buried? Dax manages a smile -- DAX Maybe later. Miranda sees our people's discomfort, decides to send the girls away. MIRANDA Girls, why don't you run along and help your parents? It's almost time for planting and there's a lot to be done. The girls share a moan of protest, but gather their papers and scamper out of the room. LISA/MOLLY Bye. Sisko has been thinking about something... decides to come out with it... SISKO Obviously we need to get Kira back to the station for treatment as soon as we can repair the Defiant. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 16. 15 CONTINUED: (5) YEDRIN (agreeing) Of course. Yedrin doesn't seem to have caught Sisko's meaning... SISKO I don't quite know how to say this... but now that we know about the accident that sent the ship back in time, we should be able to avoid it. WORF If we do that, your timeline will collapse... and everything here will cease to exist. YEDRIN Not necessarily. (moving to the monitor) I have a plan. The key to it is what happened to Kira on the Bridge. The energy discharge caused a subspace doubling effect. For an instant, every molecule in her body had a corresponding quantum duplicate -- there were literally two Kiras. SISKO Go on. YEDRIN If we make certain modifications to the Defiant's systems, we should be able to amiplify the doubling effect and create a quantum duplicate of the entire ship. He works the controls... 16 MONITOR (OPTICAL) A SCHEMATIC appears on the monitor, showing a diagram of the planet and the energy barrier that surrounds it. Yedrin indicates a representation of the Defiant as it moves away from the planet into the barrier. YEDRIN When you encounter the temporal anomaly... We see a second representation of the Defiant peel off from the first. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 17. 16 CONTINUED: YEDRIN (continuing) The duplicate will be thrown back into the past, and the original -- you -- will pass through the barrier unaffected. As Sisko and the others watch, one Defiant emerges from the barrier, and the second crashes on the planet. O'BRIEN We go home, and your timeline is preserved. YEDRIN Exactly. Sisko stares at the monitor, wanting to believe that Yedrin's plan will work. Sisko turns to Dax and O'Brien SISKO What do you think? DAX It might work. YEDRIN According to the logs I retrieved from the wreckage, the Defiant encountered the anomaly thirty- nine hours after it arrived in orbit. WORF If your plan is going to work, we must do the same. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 18. 16 CONTINUED: (2) Yedrin watches Sisko consider... YEDRIN There are almost eight thousand people living on this planet. This is the only chance they have. Sisko makes his decision... SISKO (to Jadzia) Dax, I want a full evaluation as soon as possible. If the plan is sound, start making the modifications immediately. YEDRIN (clasping his shoulders) Thank you, Benjamin. SISKO Anything for you... (smiles) Old man. Yedrin breaks into a wide grin... off the moment between the two men... 17 EXT. SPACE - THE DEFIANT (OPTICAL) in geo-synchronous orbit. 18 INT. DEFIANT - SICKBAY where Kira is resting on a bio-bed, a NEURAL STABILIZER PAD on her forehead. BASHIR is at a side table, scanning a clear plastic vat containing Odo, in his gelatinous state. They've both heard about the situation on the planet, and Bashir, for one, is intrigued. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 19. CONTINUED: BASHIR Apparently the planet is crawling with Bashirs... KIRA (wry) Maybe I'll stay up here... Bashir takes her ribbing good-naturedly... KIRA How's Odo? As he speaks, Bashir places the vat containing Odo into a stasis device about the size of a microwave. BASHIR Resting comfortably. But he can't hold his shape because of the quantum fluctuations inside the barrier. Bashir activates some BLINKIES on the device, starts to shut the door. BASHIR (to Odo) Sweet dreams... (turning to Kira) As soon as we leave orbit, he'll be right as rain. Bashir moves to Kira's side, removes the Pad. BASHIR You, on the other hand, are going to have to undergo a complete neural pathway induction as soon as we get back to the station. Bashir starts getting ready to go. KIRA If you say so. I feel fine. BASHIR That's because your neural tissues haven't begun to deteriorate. But rest assured... (playful) -- you'll be on my operating table eventually. Bashir is almost out the door before she has a chance to thank him. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 19A. 18 CONTINUED: (2) KIRA Where are you off to? BASHIR (smiling) I want to get down there -- meet some Bashirs. He EXITS. Kira shakes her head, hops off the bio-bed. She moves to look at Odo for a moment. After a beat, the door OPENS to reveal a man who looks very much like Odo, though he's dressed like the colonists we've met on the planet. When Kira sees him, she does a double- take. 54:[1,#b] DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 20. 18 CONTINUED: (4) ODO Hello, Nerys. Unlike our Odo, his features are more defined. His ears are fully formed, he has eyebrows, and his lips are more defined -- but the shape of his nose and cheekbones are unmistakably Odo-ish. He is Odo, two hundred years older than the Odo we know, and that much better at mimicking the human form. He's been waiting two centuries to see Kira again, and the emotion is evident on his face. KIRA Odo... ? ODO I came up from the surface as soon as I heard you were here. Kira has already figured out that he's from the planet, what's confusing her is something else. KIRA How are you holding your shape? (glancing at the other Odo) I thought -- ODO (explaining) I learned to counter the barrier's effects a long time ago. He moves closer, as if drawn to her. ODO It's good to see you... She smiles, recognizing that for him, it's been a long time. KIRA You look different. ODO I've gotten better at shape-shifting over the years. To her surprise, he reaches up and touches her face, her hair... ODO You're as beautiful as I remember... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 20A. 18 CONTINUED: (5) Kira isn't sure of what to make of this, it's so unlike Odo to talk like this... ODO You don't know how I've longed to hear your voice... see your smile. She smiles uncomfortably... KIRA Odo... what's gotten into you? ODO There's something I want you to know... something I've wanted to tell you for two hundred years.... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT ONE 21. 18 CONTINUED: (6) He takes her hand, looks into her eyes. ODO I love you, Nerys. I've always loved you. And off her reaction, we... FADE OUT. END OF ACT ONE DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 22. ACT TWO FADE IN: 19 INT. DEFIANT - SICKBAY - CONTINUOUS Kira is completely stunned by Odo's revelation, and the intensity with which he's looking at her. She's not sure if he's pulling her leg, gently removes her hand from his and pulls back. KIRA Wait a minute... what do you mean you love me? ODO Is it so hard to believe? She sees that he's not joking... KIRA I never knew you felt that way about me. He shakes his head as he remembers the man he used to be... ODO I did everything I could to make sure you didn't find out. KIRA It worked. (gently) Why didn't you ever say anything? ODO I didn't think you could possibly care for me the way I cared for you. I suppose I was afraid of ruining what we had. Our friendship meant everything to me. It still does. Kira looks at him, thinking back to their friendship, the clues she missed. Odo misinterprets, thinks he's said too much. ODO Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. DEEP SPACE NINE. "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 22A. 19 CONTINUED: KIRA No, it's not that. I'm just thinking about all the times I came to you for advice about Shakaar. And Bareil. It must've been so hard for you to listen to me go on about another man. ODO I can't say I enjoyed it. But I wanted to be a good friend to you. KIRA You were. He moves a little closer to her... ODO Nerys, I didn't come here expecting you to throw yourself in my arms. But you're leaving here in two days, and I'm never going to see you again. All I'm asking is that you... spend some time with me. Gaia is very beautiful... I'd love to show it to you. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 23. 19 CONTINUED: (2) Kira looks at her old friend, and despite the awkwardness she feels over his revelation, she would like to spend time with him... KIRA I'd like that. Off Odo's smile... 20 INT. MEETING HALL As Miranda watches, Sisko is meeting two of his descendents for the first time. A young black WOMAN has come with her BABY to meet him, and it's a big moment for her. We cut in just as Sisko takes the baby into his arms, a huge smile on his face. The mother can't quite believe it's really happening, and all she can do is smile at the sight of her baby in Sisko's arms. Sisko studies the child's face, coos to get a reaction. He's clearly moved by the experience of holding his descendent. MIRANDA She has your eyes... SISKO You think? Dax's com voice cuts in -- DAX'S COM VOICE Dax to Sisko. SISKO Go ahead. DAX'S COM VOICE Good news, Benjamin. INTERCUT WITH: 21 INT. DEFIANT - ENGINE ROOM where Dax and Yedrin are working at a console, looking very pleased. SUPERNUMERARIES as needed. DAX I've gone over the sensor logs from the crash. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 24. 21 CONTINUED: DAX (Cont'd) It looks like Yedrin's plan to create a duplicate Defiant is going to work. Sisko is so glad to hear it he holds the baby up over his head and talks to her. SISKO Did you hear that? Hmm? Everything's going to be all right. Dax and Yedrin don't know what to make of his response until they HEAR the baby give a little YELP of delight. They realize what's going on, smile... YEDRIN Sounds like you have your hands full down there, Benjamin. SISKO You could say that... DAX We'll keep you posted. Off this moment... 22 EXT. TOWN SQUARE - DAY where Worf is inspecting the town WELL. Like everything else in the settlement, it is a mix of high and low technology. A stone-lined shaft has been cut into the ground, but the bucket and rope are vestiges from another time, replaced by a PUMP and a PIPE, which runs out of the shaft into a nearby wall. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 25. 22 CONTINUED: Bashir rounds a corner and sees him... BASHIR Thirsty? Worf ignores Bashir's teasing tone, studies the well-pump. WORF The captain asked me to make a survey of the settlement's infrastructure so we can leave behind appropriate supplies. BASHIR I was just doing the same thing at the clinic. Bashir is pleased with himself about something, and he can't keep it from his face. BASHIR I met one of my descendents. Bashir is hoping Worf will ask for details. But, of course, he doesn't. BASHIR My great-great-great-great granddaughter... (beaming with pride) The doctor. Worf barely nods -- BASHIR She made quite a fuss over me. Apparently my "healing touch" is something of a legend around here. Gabriel, the boy from Act One, comes scampering up. GABRIEL They're here! WORF Who? GABRIEL The Klingons! We follow the boy's gesture to include... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 26. 23 THREE FIGURES standing motionless in the street, holding SPEARS in their hands and wearing Klingon KNIVES in their belts. Despite the boy's appellation, two of the "Klingons" are genetically human. only one has the faint traces of Klingon forehead ridges, although his hair is strikingly BLOND. All are dressed in fur and leather, and wear their hair in the Klingon style -- the two men have Klingon beards, as well. They are the Sons of Mogh, and the colonists react to them much as the inhabitants of a town in the Old West react to a visit from some friendly, if exotic Indians. The leader of the group, BROTA, carries Worf's MEK'LETH, a prized possession. A scar is visible on his face. He gives Worf the traditional Klingon greeting.. BROTA Q'apla. WORF Q'apla. Worf eyes the newcomers, wondering what they're all about... BROTA We are the Sons of Mogh. WORF You are my descendents? BROTA Some by blood, some by choice. Our hearts are Klingon. We live as warriors. Just as you taught our ancestors long ago. GABRIEL (excited) I'm going to be one of them someday. I'll ride a wild torga, and go hunting -- and only come to the settlement to trade furs for the things I need. One of the other "Klingons," a woman named PARELL, addresses the boy. PARELL When you're older, you'll have the chance to prove yourself. If you are worthy, you can take a Klingon name and live among us. The boy grins at this -- DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 27. 23 CONTINUED: BROTA The Sons of Mogh are gathering to celebrate your return. It would honor us greatly if you would feast with us tonight. WORF I look forward to it. BROTA We'll come for you at nightfall. And with that, Brota and the others turn away and head out of town. After a beat... BASHIR Well... looks like I'm not the only legend around here... Off Worf's face as he watches the "Klingons" go... 24 INT. DEFIANT - ENGINE ROOM where Jadzia and Yedrin are working. SUPERNUMERARIES as needed. DAX Once the emitter array is re- calibrated, we can start synchronizing the shield generators. YEDRIN Good, we're ahead of schedule. He watches as Jadzia adjusts her hair, smiles. DAX What? YEDRIN You just reminded me of something. (explaining) The summer after the crash, it was so hot Jadzia cut her hair short. Worf hated it. They share a smile... YEDRIN I remember promising to grow it back in time for the wedding. DAX We got married? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 28. 24 CONTINUED: YEDRIN The next fall. Benjamin performed the ceremony. I'll never forget Worf's voice when he said the vows. It was shaking. Dax can't help asking... DAX Were we happy together? Yedrin smiles, nods. YEDRIN (smiles) He's a good man, Jadzia. DAX I know. It's just sometimes he's so hard to get along with. YEDRIN Don't worry. (with a wink) You'll learn to handle him. Off the moment between them... 24A INT. MEDICAL BAY where Kira is talking to someone off-screen. KIRA Maybe you're thinking I should've known, should've guessed. But I didn't have any idea. You realize that, don't you? She stops, as if feeling suddenly ridiculous. KIRA I know you can't answer me, I'm not even sure you can hear me. 24B NEW ANGLE to reveal Kira's talking to the box containing Odo in his gelatinous state. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 28A. 24B CONTINUED: KIRA But if you can... I just want to say that I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner. I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way. I didn't mean to. She pauses, collects her thoughts... KIRA You're probably wondering what's going to happen next. So am I. The only thing I know for sure is that I don't want anything to get in the way of our friendship. Kira thinks for a moment, making sure she's said her piece. KIRA But do me a favor... if there's anything else you're keeping from me, any other deep dark secret I should know about but don't -- just tell me, okay? Kira becomes aware of something out of the corner of her eye, turns to see an N.D. NURSE standing there watching her with an uncertain look on her face. It's unclear how long she's been there. Kira musters an embarrassed smile... KIRA Hi. The Nurse manages to smile back... KIRA Excuse me... And with that, Kira crosses past her and EXITS... off the Nurse as she watches her go, wondering what that was all about... 25 OMITTED DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 29. 26 EXT. TOWN SQUARE - DAY where O'Brien is installing a new PUMP for the well as Bashir looks on. We should see other settlers interacting with Defiant crewmembers in the background. These background scenelets should have the feel of families reunited, generations interacting. Bashir doesn't realize it, but O'Brien is disturbed by the knowledge that his counterpart remarried after the crash. BASHIR Did I mention she was a doctor? O'BRIEN Twice. BASHIR She showed me pictures of the family going all the way back to me. (get this) Know who I ended up with after the crash? O'Brien's seems barely interested... BASHIR Angie Kirby. O'BRIEN Who's that? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 30. 26 CONTINUED: BASHIR That's what I said. Apparently she transferred aboard last week. She's gorgeous. O'BRIEN (whatever) Congratulations. BASHIR When we get back, I'm thinking of asking her out. We obviously got along here. O'Brien keeps at his work, effectively derailing the conversation. BASHIR So... you and Rita Tannenbaum. O'Brien wheels around to face him O'BRIEN I don't want to hear it, Julian. I have a wife and kids back home. BASHIR Sorry... I didn't mean anything... O'Brien turns back to his work... BASHIR I'll let you get on with your work... O'Brien barely grunts an acknowledgement. Off Bashir's face as he moves off... 26A EXT. PLANET'S SURFACE - DAY (LOCATION) Kira and Odo in the shade of a tree. Kira is kneeling by her own grave, praying silently, her eyes shut. A GRAVE MARKER gives her name, and the dates of her life and death in the Bajoran calendar. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 30A. 26A CONTINUED: As Kira prays, Odo watches her with great tenderness. After a moment, she finishes... KIRA Praying over your own grave... that's got to be a new one. ODO (smiles) If the Prophets were listening, they're probably very confused. Odo's comment speaks to something she's been thinking about... KIRA I wouldn't blame them. I've got to tell you... this whole quantum duplicate, two Defiants thing has me feeling a little strange. ODO Why? Thanks to Yedrin's plan our timeline is being preserved, and you're going back to the station for the treatment you need. KIRA I know. It's just... I've always believed we're only given one Destiny. One path. And now we're going to use technology to get around that; I'm not sure how it makes me feel. ODO I know exactly how it makes me feel. He looks at her, his features softening with emotion. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 30B. 26A CONTINUED: (2) ODO You don't know how much it means to me to know you're going home, Nerys. It won't change things for me -- I lost you two hundred years ago. But for the other Odo up on the ship, it changes everything. He doesn't have to lose you. And somehow, knowing that makes me feel better. Does that make any sense? Kira smiles, nods. She can't help but be moved by the depth of his emotion... she looks at Odo, at the man he's become, and realizes how much he's grown. KIRA You've changed so much, Odo. I don't just mean the way you look. You used to be so... closed off. ODO I have changed. And the Odo you know will change too... (gently testing the water) -- if you're patient with him. Kira looks at him, understanding that he's talking about the possibility of her having a relationship with our Odo. She can't really think about that right now, she's still trying to get used to the whole idea that he loves her. KIRA Why don't we head back? Odo nods, starts away from the tree. They have to step over something, and he offers her his hand to help. Once past the obstacle, they encounter that do-we-let- go-of-each-other's-hands moment. He chooses not to, and Kira doesn't either. As they head off, hand in hand... 27 OMITTED 28 EXT. TOWN SQUARE - DUSK Sisko is outside the meeting hall batting a baseball to Gabriel and some other kids. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT TWO 31. 28 CONTINUED: SISKO Nice catch -- Dax approaches him, carrying a PADD. She doesn't look too happy. DAX We need to talk. (off his look) I was looking over the sensor logs from the crash and I came across something odd -- the quantum fluctuations in the barrier factored out to zero. The chances of that must be a billion to one. SISKO What are you getting at? DAX Yedrin faked the logs. SISKO Why would he do that? DAX So we'd think his plan was going to work. It's not. Dax is feeling angry and betrayed, and the feelings are especially sharp because she was betrayed by a version of herself. DAX There was never going to be a duplicate Defiant -- just one. And Yedrin wanted to make sure it would go back in time. SISKO (putting it together) So that history would repeat itself... DAX If I hadn't realized what he'd done, we would've ended up stranded here... and Kira would've died. And as Sisko considers the implications of this, we... FADE OUT. END OF ACT TWO DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT THREE 32. ACT THREE FADE IN: 29 INT. MEETING HALL where Sisko and Jadzia have confronted Yedrin with what they've learned. A FIRE is burning in the hearth, casting light on Yedrin's devastated features. The discovery of his ruse means the end of his people, and it's all he can think about. Sisko's anger over Dax's deceit is barely under control, simmering underneath the surface. Jadzia's anger is out front and center. DAX You betrayed us. You betrayed me. You call yourself Yedrin Dax, but you're not anyone I recognize. Yedrin speaks as if from far away, he's beyond questions of friendship and betrayal right now... YEDRIN Now that you know... what are you going to do about it? SISKO (hard) What do you think? Now it's Yedrin's turn to get angry -- YEDRIN Dammit, Ben -- if you don't take the Defiant back in time, the eight thousand people on this planet will cease to exist! SISKO Do you think I don't care? Come on, you know me better than that. But what am I supposed to do -- recreate the accident and deliberately maroon my crew? YEDRIN It's what would've happened! Who's to say it's not what's supposed to happen? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT THREE 33. 29 CONTINUED: SISKO I'm not going to stand here and argue philosophy with you. I have a duty to protect my people. YEDRIN Look around you, Ben. Think of all the things you've seen since you got here. This is what your crew and their descendents will build if you let history play itself out. I'm not saying it won't be hard at first, but they'll have good lives here. Happy lives. DAX What about Kira? If we don't get her back to the station, she'll die. YEDRIN Is one life too much to ask if it means saving eight thousand? Sisko explodes -- SISKO Who are you to decide who lives and who dies? Who are you to make that call? YEDRIN I have to make that call! Because I'm responsible for what happened here! Yedrin's anguished vehemence stops Sisko in his tracks long enough for him to continue. YEDRIN Jadzia knows what I'm talking about. She's the one who insisted the Defiant investigate this planet. (to Jadzia) You know as well as I do that you should've been more careful... you should've seen that the barrier was unstable when you scanned it. The two Dax's look at each other, both knowing this is true. She makes a difficult admission. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT THREE 34. 29 CONTINUED: (2) DAX But I didn't. I was so bent on making some great discovery that I missed it. YEDRIN (to Jadzia) And because of you, because of me -- Kira died, and forty-eight people were stranded here. You don't know what it was like to live with that. (to Sisko) For years, every time I looked at you, all I could think of was Jake... and how because of me, he'd never see his father again. But eventually, I had to accept the fact that there was nothing I could do to change things. I couldn't bring Kira back. All I could do was look to the future. And make sure we survived. No matter what. (with growing resolve) This community is my responsibility. For two centuries, I've watched it grow into something to be proud of. These people have worked for generations to make a life for themselves here, and they deserve the chance to hang on to it. Sisko takes in the undeniable power of Yedrin's words... but in the final analysis, he's determined to protect his crew. SISKO I'm not denying that. I wish there was a way we could help you... but my people have the right to go home to their families. And I can't ask Kira to sacrifice her life, not for eight thousand people, not for eight million. No one has the right to ask that... Yedrin looks down, realizing he's lost his argument... SISKO I'm sorry, old man... there's nothing I can do... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT THREE 34A. 29 CONTINUED: (3) And with that, Sisko and Dax turn away and EXIT. 30 OMITTED DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT THREE 35. 31 EXT. TOWN SQUARE - NIGHT where Worf and Kira are sitting near a FIREPIT. They both feel terrible about what's going to happen to the people around them tomorrow. The settlement is quiet. Though there are people around, their mood is somber. News of their impending fate has spread, and they're talking quietly about it in small groups. Only the children are unconcerned, and Gabriel is playing with a few friends. KIRA (re: the children) Look at them. They have no idea what's going to happen. WORF It's for the best. They are children. They would not understand. KIRA I'm not sure I understand, either... Worf looks at her, wondering what she means... KIRA Eight thousand people, Worf... and they're all going to die because I have to go back to the station to be treated for some condition I can't even tell I have. WORF That is not the only reason we are going back, major. Do not blame yourself. Kira looks into the fire for a long beat, trying to accept this... KIRA I'm going up to the ship. Worf acknowledges with a nod... Kira moves off... 32 MIRANDA in one corner, talking to a group of friends near an ANTI-GRAV PLATFORM stacked with SEEDLINGS. She fingers a budding leaf, her features tinged with sadness. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT THREE 35A. 32 CONTINUED: MIRANDA It would've been a good crop this year... spring came so early. A MAN standing with her nods his agreement, sadness etched on his features. Gabriel approaches the adults. GABRIEL Miranda, is something wrong? Everyone's so quiet. She looks at him tenderly, her heart breaking at the innocence in his face. MIRANDA It's nothing you need to worry about. He seems skeptical, but moves off to join his friends. 33 WORF as Brota, Parell and the third "Klingon" approach. They all regard him for a beat in silence. PARELL We came to tell you there will be no feast tonight. WORF I understand. This is not a time for celebration. BROTA Tomorrow we will see the sun rise again... but no one here will see it set. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT THREE 36. 33 CONTINUED: Brota says this with quiet dignity. It is his fate. Worf is moved by their plight, but there's nothing he can do to change things. WORF Sit with me. There is something I wish to say. The three "Klingons" settle around the fire... WORF It is a great honor to know that my legacy has thrived on your world for so long. I see that the Klingon heart beats strong here. BROTA You honor us with your words. We've tried to live as you taught us to. PARELL We've never plowed fields or milked chattel -- we've lived as warriors, hunters. BROTA Last year, I slew a yar-bear three meters tall. Your mek'leth was my only weapon. The beast maimed me, and for a time, it seemed I would die from my wounds. (with heavy heart) Now I wish I had. It would have been a warrior's death. PARELL He could've taken his place among t he honored dead in Sto'Vo'Kor. WORF Perhaps he will yet. BROTA No. Ceasing to exist because my parents were never born -- that is not a death worthy of Sto'Vo'Kor. Brota unsheaths his dagger... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT THREE 37. 33 CONTINUED: (2) BROTA Kill me, Worf. He tries to hand Worf the dagger... BROTA I have no enemies to fight, no glory to be won. Give me an honorable death. Worf hesitates... Parell and the other "Klingon" unsheath their daggers as well... PARELL Don't make us wait for the end like farm animals waiting for slaughter. Worf makes is decision... WORF I will come to you tomorrow... and do what you ask. And with that Worf takes his leave of them... off their faces as they watch him go... 33A EXT. SETTLEMENT - DAY BREAK (MATTE/OPTICAL) As the sun rises over the hills... 34 OMITTED 34A EXT. PLANET'S SURFACE - MORNING (LOCATION) As Kira kneels to study the grave marker, Odo watches her for a long moment... ODO Why did you want to come back here? KIRA I needed to see it again... so I could be sure. ODO Sure about what? KIRA That this is where I belong. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT THREE 38. 34A CONTINUED: She turns to look at him.. KIRA The path the Prophets laid out for me ends here. ODO Not this time, Nerys. The captain's taking you back to D.S. Nine. She speaks from the simple conviction that she's seen the truth. KIRA I can't let him do that. Not if it's going to cost eight thousand lives. We have to let history take its course... even if it means I have to die here... And off Odo's reaction we... FADE OUT. END OF ACT THREE DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 39. ACT FOUR FADE IN: 35 INT. DEFIANT - MESS HALL Sisko, Dax, Worf, O'Brien and Bashir are reacting to what Kira has just told them. O'BRIEN What? Have you lost your mind? BASHIR Kira, if we don't go back to the station... you'll die within a few weeks. There's nothing I can do for you here. KIRA I know that, Julian. And I've accepted it. (looking at the others) We have to take the Defiant back in time. If we don't, we'd be cheating fate. O'BRIEN (dismissing this) Yeah, well I wouldn't mind cheating fate all the way home to the station. DAX Neither would I. (torn) But if we go home, eight thousand people will cease to exist. O'BRIEN I don't know those people. I have a wife and kids back home who need me. KIRA They'll be all right, Miles, the Prophets will take care of them. O'BRIEN No offense, but I don't believe in your Prophets. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 40. 35 CONTINUED: WORF All Major Kira is saying is that our families will survive no matter what we do. The colonists will not. (making his choice) If she is willing to sacrifice her life to save them, I am willing to remain here. A moment as this hangs in the air... suddenly Dax, Sisko and Bashir have to ask themselves if they're willing to make the same choice. Only O'Brien refuses to consider it. O'BRIEN That's easy for you to say... you hardly see your son. Worf bristles -- WORF You are afraid to face your destiny. Exasperated, O'Brien looks to Dax, Bashir and Sisko. O'BRIEN We can sit here arguing Destiny until we're blue in the face... but the bottom line is, no one has the right to tell me I can't go home to my family. SISKO I want to go home as much as you do, Chief. I'm just listening to what everyone has to say. O'BRIEN So we're not actually considering this? Sisko doesn't answer for a beat... but it's enough to tell us that the arguments have unsettled him and made him think. He answers to Kira, knowing how she'll react. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 41. 35 CONTINUED: (2) SISKO No, we're not. KIRA (starting to object) Captain -- SISKO (stopping her) Major. (beat) You've made your position clear. Worf and Kira exchange a look... it seems their position has lost out. SISKO All right, people. Dismissed. Off Sisko's face as everyone files out... 36 EXT. SETTLEMENT - DAY (MATTE SHOT/OPTICAL) Re-establishing. 37 EXT. TOWN SQUARE - MORNING as Dax and Worf walk slowly together, taking in the settlement for a last time. Their mood is somber, and there doesn't seem to be anyone around. WORF By sunset... this will all be gone. They come across Sisko, heading the other way. DAX Taking a last look around? Sisko nods... Suddenly Gabriel comes tearing around the corner with a SHOVEL in his hand, nearly hitting Sisko. SISKO Whoa... GABRIEL Sorry. SISKO Where are you going in such a hurry? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 42. 37 CONTINUED: GABRIEL (excited) To the fields -- it's time for planting. And with that, he runs off. Sisko, Dax and Worf exchange curious looks. They move around the corner to the main square, where they see the last twenty colonists getting ready to head out into the field. A few of them are taking a PLOW out toward the field, carrying FARM IMPLEMENTS over their shoulders. 38 MIRANDA AND YEDRIN at an ANTI-GRAV CART with SEEDLINGS stacked on it. They're supervising the children, who include Molly, Lisa, Gabriel and a few others. As Yedrin approaches our people, Miranda gathers the children. MIRANDA (to the approaching boy) Come on, Gabriel -- there isn't much time. Miranda hands Molly a tube or bottle of lotion. MIRANDA Put some of this on your face. The sun's strong today. 39 SISKO, DAX AND WORF as Yedrin approaches, seeing our people don't understand what's going on. YEDRIN (smiling sadly) Planting day has always been important here. It brings everyone together. Somehow... it feels right to see it through. Sisko nods that he understands... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 43. 40 EXT. FARM LAND - DAY (LOCATION) A PLOW cuts a furrow in the soil 41 WIDEN to REVEAL Yedrin, carefully guiding the machine. Behind him, we see other settlers at work. 42 A SETTLER cutting a cylindrical hole in the freshly plowed earth with a SOIL CORER... 43 REVEAL SISKO nearby, doing the same. Behind him, we can see Settlers and Starfleet N.D.s working at other tasks... 44 GABRIEL tossing a handful of granule-fertilizer into a freshly cut hole... 45 REVEAL KIRA carrying the large SACK from which Gabriel is getting the fertilizer... 46 MIRANDA carefully taking a seedling off an anti-grav cart and handing it to Molly... other children are gathered around waiting to receive one as well... 47 REVEAL BASHIR as Molly comes up to him and hands him the seedling. She watches him unwrap the burlap around its roots for a beat, then scampers off to get another... 48 A SETTLER pushing a heavy WATERING APPARATUS... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 44. 49 DAX bent over a seedling, watering it from the hose leading to the Settler's watering apparatus... 49A THE SUN beating down from above... 49B O'BRIEN as he approaches Sisko, carrying a PADD. His uniform is clean because he hasn't been working in the field. O'BRIEN The status report you asked for, sir. We've finished the repairs, the Defiant's ready to leave orbit. Molly is nearby, patting the earth around a newly planted seedling. She watches O'Brien stand there as Sisko reads the report. MOLLY Aren't you going to help? O'BRIEN I'm busy. MOLLY You don't look busy. SISKO (smiles) She's an O'Brien, all right. Sisko hands O'Brien his soil corer... SISKO Better get to it, Chief. Sisko moves off. O'Brien glances at Molly, who's staring at him expectantly. A beat, then seeing no way around it, he gets to work... 50 MIRANDA and the people around the cart reacting to something off-screen... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 44A. 51 NEW ANGLE revealing Worf and the three "Klingons," standing motionless in the distance. They're just at the edge of the field, their bodies silhouetted against the sky... 52 SISKO AND A SETTLER Looking at the off-screen "Klingons," wondering why they came... S3 CLOSER - BROTA AND PARELL As they turn to Worf... PARELL I don't understand. BROTA You said there was an enemy for us to fight. WORF They're trying to plant their fields before the sun sets. (beat) Time is their enemy... we should help them defeat it. Brota and Parell exchange a look as they realize what Worf is offering them -- a challenge, a fight. BROTA (to the third Klingon) Bring the others. The third "Klingon" runs off to get the other Sons of Mogh... as Worf, Brota and Parell start down toward the field... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 45. 54 SISKO smiling as he sees that they're joining in... 55 BROTA watching a settler struggle with a plow stuck in the earth. He motions for him to get out of the way, gets behind the machine, and pushes it free... 56 BASHIR pausing to wipe the sweat from his brow. The SHOTS start getting tighter on the action and shorter in length, giving the scene a sense of growing momentum and pace. It becomes a rousing celebration of the indomitable spirit of the community. 56A THE SUN now lower in the sky... 57 OMITTED 58 WORF cutting a hole with a soil corer... 59 GABRIEL AND KIRA moving along the rows of planted seedlings, dispensing fertilizer... 60 MIRANDA handing seedlings off the now half-empty cart... 61 A SON OF MOGH we haven't seen before, pushing a plow... 61A O'BRIEN as he cuts a hole in the earth. Molly runs up to him with a fresh seedling. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 46. 61A CONTINUED: He kneels, helps her unwrap the burlap that's wrapped around its roots. O'Brien sees her sweet little face, can't help trying to make up for his earlier behavior toward her. O'BRIEN I have a little girl named Molly, too. MOLLY Really? Can I meet her? O'Brien's features falter as he realizes this can never be... O'BRIEN We'll see. Molly runs her fingers up the planted seedling. MOLLY By summer, this'll be taller than you are. After it's harvested, I'll help my mother make gelm bread with it. O'Brien's heart breaks over her innocent hope -- She scampers off to get another seedling... 62 thru OMITTED 65 65A ANOTHER ANGLE as O'Brien moves to join Sisko and Kira, his features sober. They stop what they're doing, look up at him. SISKO Something wrong? O'Brien has come to a difficult decision -- O'BRIEN We can't do it. He hurls the hand-shovel he's been working with onto the ground, angry at the impossibility of his situation. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FOUR 47. 65A CONTINUED: O'BRIEN We can't let these people die. Sisko's been feeling the same thing, and after a beat, he nods his agreement. Kira smiles sadly, realizing they've come to the same terrible decision she came to. As our crew looks around at the settlers still at work all around them, their quixotic labors seem to embody hope itself. Off this moment we... 66 thru OMITTED 70 FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 48. ACT FIVE FADE IN: 71 EXT. TOWN SQUARE - LATE AFTERNOON Sisko and Dax, still sweaty and dirty from their labors, have told Yedrin and Miranda their decision. They're still trying to assimilate the unexpected reprieve their people are getting. In the background, we see people returning from the field. Yedrin works a PADD, hands it to Dax. YEDRIN The navigational logs from the original crash. Download them into the ship's auto-pilot and it'll match the original trajectory. That should send the Defiant back to the right point in time. Miranda looks at Sisko, trying to get her mind around the sacrifice he's making. She takes Sisko's hand, squeezes it in a gesture of thanks. MIRANDA I don't know how to thank you for what you're doing... Sisko acknowledges with a nod... DAX We'd better go, Benjamin. There isn't much time. Sisko moves to Yedrin, they clasp each others arms, then pull each other into a hug... off the emotion between them... 72 INT. DEFIANT - CORRIDOR where Odo and Kira are saying good-bye. He can't stand the thought of her dying again, and the anguish on his face is palpable. ODO You can't do this. KIRA Please don't make it any harder than it already is. ODO You have to go home, Nerys, you have to. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 48A. 72 CONTINUED: KIRA This isn't about me -- it's about the eight thousand people down on that planet, and their children and grandchildren. Odo is desperate to say something to dissuade her... ODO What about the children who'll never be born because the Defiant doesn't go back to D.S. Nine? KIRA They don't exist yet. These people do. He sees there's no talking her out of it... gets a hold of himself enough to ask... ODO Nerys, just tell me one thing. If you'd known how I felt about you, if I'd said something years ago, do you think things might've been different? She looks at him, smiles gently... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 49. 72 CONTINUED: (2) KIRA Maybe... He smiles through his sadness. She leans in, kisses him tenderly... then turns and moves away down the corridor. Off Odo's anguished features... 73 EXT. SPACE - THE DEFIANT (OPTICAL) in geo-synchronous orbit. 74 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Sisko is in the command chair, Bashir stands at his side. Worf and O'Brien are at their posts; Dax and Kira are standing together at a side console. All are now in clean uniforms. The mood is sober, but our people are determined to go through with their decision. SISKO Has everyone had a chance to record a message to their families? Everyone has, including O'Brien -- who tries to keep the emotion from his voice. O'BRIEN I've downloaded the recordings into a class four probe. It'll start transmitting a location signal as soon as it clears the barrier. Sisko nods, gives the order. SISKO Launch the probe, Chief. O'Brien works his console and we hear the SOUND of the probe launching. After a beat... KIRA (to Dax) It's time. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 49A. 74 CONTINUED: Kira and Dax separate with a last look, move to their posts... Sisko takes a last look at the planet on the VIEWSCREEN. SISKO Transfer helm control to auto- pilot. DAX Auto-pilot engaged. SISKO Raise shields. Kira swivels around in her chair to look at Sisko. Their eyes lock -- this is the end and they both know it. Kira gives him a small smile to let him know she has no doubts about what they're doing... he gives her a small nod, letting her know he understands. WORF We're breaking orbit... DAX Coming around to four two mark seven. INTERACTIVE LIGHT starts to play on our people's faces... O'BRIEN I'm picking up an unusual temporal signature... KIRA It's the anomaly, we're heading right for it. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 50. 75 O'BRIEN bracing himself for the inevitable... 76 DAX as she turns to look back at Sisko and Bashir... 77 WORF as he looks to Kira, his first ally in thinking this was the right thing to do... 78 RESUME SCENE (OPTICAL) The energy barrier fills the VIEWSCREEN. DAX Ten seconds to impact, eight, seven -- Suddenly the ship banks hard to one side, throwing everyone off balance... KIRA We're veering away from the anomaly! SISKO Try to override the auto-pilot! DAX (works) I can't. O'BRIEN We're clearing the barrier -- 79 EXT. SPACE - THE DEFIANT (OPTICAL) as it emerges from the barrier into normal space... 80 INT. DEFIANT - BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Sisko is staring at the starfield on the viewscreen. SISKO What happened? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 50A. 80 CONTINUED: O'BRIEN (off console) Someone changed our flight plan. Sisko is so taken off-guard by this he just stares at O'Brien. O'BRIEN It wasn't me. Sisko can see that he's telling the truth, and he has bigger things on his mind right now than finding out who was responsible. He turns to Kira -- DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 51. 80 CONTINUED: (2) SISKO Scan the surface Kira doesn't want to accept what her sensors are telling her... KIRA There's no sign of the settlement... or any of the inhabitants... Everything's... gone... Our people react to this tragic loss. Sisko settles heavily into his chair... stares at the planet as it slowly recedes from sight on the VIEWSCREEN. Off this moment... 81 EXT. SPACE - THE DEFIANT (OPTICAL) as it travels at warp... 82 INT. DEFIANT - CORRIDOR as Sisko and Dax make their way down it... SISKO Whoever changed our flight plan knew their way around the computer system. They bypassed the security protocols without leaving a trace. Dax can see what Sisko is implying... DAX It must've been someone from the crew. SISKO Or someone who used to be. DAX (catching on) Yedrin? Dax understands Sisko's reasoning, but one thing doesn't make sense to her. DAX But all he cared about was the settlement. What could've changed his mind? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 51A. 82 CONTINUED: SISKO Seeing us again, maybe he decided he couldn't let us go through with it. A quiet moment between them... DAX Everyone we met... they never existed. SISKO They existed. And as long as we remember them, they always will... Sisko smiles, taking a bit of comfort in the sentiment. They round the corner and Odo -- our Odo, ENTERS the corridor from the other direction. He moves to Kira's door, hesitates for a beat... 83 INT. KIRA'S QUARTERS where Kira is lying on the lower bunk, lost in thought. The door CHIMES. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 52. 83 CONTINUED: KIRA Come in. The door OPENS to reveal Odo... KIRA Odo... She sits up to greet him. She's feeling a bit awkward because she feels she knows something he doesn't, and she's not sure what to do. Odo, for his part, seems very uncomfortable about something as well. ODO There's something you should know. The other Odo, the one from the planet, came to Sickbay before he left the ship. KIRA Oh? ODO He linked with me. (awkward) Now I know... everything that happened. She looks down, realizing the implications. A silent moment between them... Kira takes this in for a moment... asks about something she's been thinking about... KIRA The other day, when I told you that Shakaar and I weren't seeing each other anymore, you seemed so uncomfortable. ODO I'd come to accept the fact that you were involved with someone else, and suddenly... everything changed. Odo can see Kira is still struggling to make sense of it all... KIRA I don't know what to say. I'm still trying to sort it all out. ODO So am I. I think we both need time. She nods... a quiet moment between them. DFEP SPACE NINE: "Children... " - REV. 03/11/97 - ACT FIVE 53. 83 CONTINUED: (2) ODO There's something else the other Odo wanted you to know. Odo takes a beat to collect his thoughts... ODO He was responsible for changing the Defiant's flight plan. KIRA (stunned) Why? ODO So that you wouldn't have to die. Kira grapples with the enormity of what he did... and it makes her suddenly angry. KIRA I can't believe it... eight thousand people... Odo finds himself defending what his counterpart did... ODO He did it for you, Nerys. He loved you. KIRA And that makes it right? ODO I don't know. (beat) He thought so. A quiet moment between them... ODO I'll see you in the morning. And with that, Odo EXITS... off Kira's face as she considers everything that's happened, and wonders what's in store for the two of them... FADE OUT. END OF ACT FIVE THE END