STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Change of Heart" #40510-540 Written by Ronald D. Moore Directed by David Livingston 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 This script is not for publication or reproduction.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 December 12, 1997 STAR TREK: DS9 - "Change of Heart" - 12/12/97 - CAST STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Change of Heart" CAST SISKO LASARAN KIRA BASHIR DAX WORF QUARK O'BRIEN Non-Speaking Non-Speaking N.D. SUPERNUMERARIES STAR TREK: DS9 - "Change of Heart" - 12/12/97 - SETS STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Change of Heart" SETS INTERIORS EXTERIORS DEEP SPACE NINE DEEP SPACE NINE QUARK'S RUNABOUT WORF & DAX'S QUARTERS PLANET ATMOSPHERE CAPTAIN'S OFFICE JUNGLE O'BRIEN'S QUARTERS INFIRMARY SURGERY RUNABOUT DEEP SPACE NINE - "Change of Heart" - 12/15/97 - PRONUNCIATION STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Change of Heart" PRONUNCIATION GUIDE ANDOR ANN-door CASPERIA kas-PAIR-ee-ah HORVIAN HOR-vee-an NIKOLAI NEE-koh-lie SOUKARA sue-KAR-uh URAL YER-al DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - TEASER 1. STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Change of Heart" TEASER FADE IN: 1 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Establishing the station. 2 INT. QUARK'S It's after hours and DAX and QUARK are in the middle of a heated tongo game with four N.D. Ferengi. The stakes are large and the game has moved into the tense, take-no-prisoners phase. DAX Sell at twenty. QUARK Is that a joke? DAX Do I look like I'm joking? Quark studies her face for a beat, then glances at his cards before making his next move. QUARK Evade. He spins the wheel and then we MOVE to reveal WORF and O'BRIEN leaning on the bar and watching the action. They're the only "audience" in the bar and the game has their full attention. They keep their voices low. WORF She has him. O'BRIEN She's down fifty strips. WORF Not for long. O'BRIEN What makes you so sure? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - TEASER 2. 2 CONTINUED: WORF (awkward) Jadzia... is playing a very deep game. Her strategy will become apparent any moment now. O'BRIEN I see. (beat) You don't have any idea how this game is played, do you? WORF No. But I've developed a new appreciation for it. O'BRIEN Since when? WORF Since I married a tongo player. (beat) And I am certain of one thing -- Jadzia will defeat that... Ferengi bartender. O'BRIEN I don't know about that. Quark's on a roll. In the last month, he's won two hundred and six straight games. WORF Would you care to... make a wager on the outcome? O'BRIEN I wouldn't want to bet against a man's wife. WORF (a shrug) If you're afraid... O'BRIEN (quick) Name your stakes. WORF A bottle of bloodwine against a bottle of scotch whiskey. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - TEASER 3. 2 CONTINUED: (2) O'BRIEN Done. They shake and then return to watching the game for a beat. 3 THE TONGO GAME It's Dax's turn again. DAX A sale at fifty... and I'm buying at one hundred. She spins the wheel as everyone at the table throws down their cards in frustration except Quark, who won't be cowed. QUARK Pretty big talk for a woman who's lost fifty strips. DAX Afraid I can't cover my bets? QUARK Perish the thought. I just hate to kick someone when they're down. (beat) I'll buy at a hundred. And confront. DAX Well, if you're going to kick me, I'm going to have to kick back. She lays down her cards with a look of triumph. Quark looks crushed. Worf lets out a Klingon battle cry of victory from the bar -- DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - TEASER 4. 3 CONTINUED: WORF ESH-ta PAR-mach-KAI!! (to O'Brien) I like my bloodwine very young and very sweet. But the game's not quite over. QUARK Is he a friend of yours? DAX Just a fan. Dax begins to rake in her winnings, but Quark stops her. QUARK I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint all your fans. He lays down the cards. DAX (oh, no) A Full Consortium. O'BRIEN Two hundred and seven. (to Worf) Single malt. Preferably something from the Highlands. WORF I'll need some time. O'BRIEN Your credit's good. Worf heads for the Tongo table, where the game has now broken up. Quark is carrying off his winnings and the other Ferengi are EXITING. Stay on O'Brien for a beat as he shakes his head in admiration and disbelief. O'BRIEN Two hundred and seven games... 3A ON WORF AND DAX As Worf approaches. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - TEASER 4A. 3A CONTINUED: DAX Did you just lose a bet? WORF It is of no consequence. DAX Sorry about that. WORF I would rather lose a bet on you than win on someone else. DAX Good response. She smiles and kisses him. CUT TO: 4 INT. WORF & DAX'S QUARTERS - BEDROOM Later that same evening, Worf and Dax are getting ready for bed. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - TEASER 5. 4 CONTINUED: Worf is coming out of the bathroom, dressed in his night clothes and his hair loose and out of the ponytail. Dax is also dressed for bed and is brushing out her hair in front of a vanity. Worf moves to a small Kahless shrine and begins to light one or two candles. DAX Are you still running that drill tomorrow afternoon? WORF I was planning to. Why? DAX I wanted to recalibrate the external sensors. WORF We should be done by sixteen hundred. DAX I think that'll work. (beat) Oh -- the Sutherland's going to be here the day after tomorrow and I wanted to-- She stops herself as she notices in the mirror that Worf is now kneeling before the Kahless shrine and has closed his eyes in silent prayer. Dax turns on her seat and looks at him for a long moment. He makes a romantic image there on the floor, his face lit by candlelight and his hair cascading around his face. Dax drinks in the sight of her husband for a moment. 5 WORF finishing his prayers. He snuffs out the candles on the shrine and begins to pull his hair back into its ponytail again. WORF (absently) What were you saying? DAX'S VOICE Nothing. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - TEASER 6. 5 CONTINUED: Suddenly Dax's nightgown hits him in the head. He pulls it off his face in surprise. He turns to see -- 6 DAX naked and waiting for him under the covers. DAX I don't feel like talking anymore. Worf gets up off his knees and crosses to the bed. He takes his wife in his arms and we... DISSOLVE TO: 7 INT. WORF & DAX'S QUARTERS - BEDROOM A few hours later. Worf and Dax are sound asleep in each other's arms when... KIRA'S COM VOICE Kira to Worf. Worf is instantly alert, while Dax burrows beneath the covers. WORF (hits control panel) This is Worf. KIRA'S COM VOICE Sorry to bother you, Commander, but I need to see you and Jadzia in the captain's office immediately. WORF On our way. He jumps out of bed, but there's no movement from Jadzia. WORF Jadzia. DAX (muffled) Mmmm. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - TEASER 7. 7 CONTINUED: WORF Get up. DAX (muffled) I'm coming. 8 ON WORF as he pauses, then decides there's only one thing to do. He grabs the foot of the covers and YANKS them off the bed and Dax (who we can't see) lets out a YELL of protest. DAX HEY! CUT TO: 9 INT. CAPTAIN'S OFFICE A short time later. Dax and Worf (now back in uniform) ENTER -- Dax is stifling a yawn. KIRA looks up from the desk. KIRA We don't have a lot of time, so I'll get right to it. For the last two months, Starfleet has been receiving military intelligence from a Cardassian operative. That operative has now sent an emergency signal indicating that he needs to speak to someone in a face-to-face conversation. She hands them a PADD. KIRA In thirteen hours, he'll beam an encrypted subspace transmission to these coordinates near the Badlands. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - TEASER 8. 9 CONTINUED: DAX Who is this operative? KIRA Intelligence told me his name is Lasaran, but that's all they'd say about him. They did emphasize -- several times -- that he's very important to them and we should get someone to the Badlands as soon as possible. So with the Defiant gone, and most of the runabouts off on exercises with the Ninth Fleet... DAX We just volunteered to take a trip to the Badlands. KIRA 'fraid so. The Shenandoah is prepped and ready to go on landing pad "A." Good luck. As Worf and Dax rush out of the room... FADE OUT. END OF TEASER DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 9. ACT ONE FADE IN: 10 EXT. SPACE - THE RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) Moving at warp speed. 11 INT. RUNABOUT Dax is studying a PADD, while Worf looks on. After a few seconds, she hands it back to him. DAX No. WORF No? DAX No. I'm not going to spend two weeks hiking across Vulcan's Forge in the middle of their summer. WORF I thought you'd always wanted to see the Forge. DAX See it? Yes. Honeymoon there? No. Worf frowns and begins working the PADD. WORF Well... there is a mountain- climbing expedition on Andor that caught my attention -- DAX Worf? My love... ? She takes his hands and tries to put this as gently as possible. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 10. 11 CONTINUED: DAX (deliberate) Let me make this very clear -- I do not want to spend my honeymoon climbing, hiking, sweating, bleeding or suffering in any way. WORF Then... what do you want? DAX Room service. WORF Room service? DAX Room service. I want to be pampered. I want a staff to cater to our every whim. I want to be embarrassed by the size of our room. I want a balcony with a view that makes you want to break down and cry from the sheer beauty of it all. And I don't want to spend one moment of our honeymoon suffering from anything except guilt about our complete self- indulgence. WORF (please no) Risa? DAX Not this time. She grabs a PADD that's been sitting nearby and hands it to him. DAX Welcome to Casperia Prime. The vacation capital of the Horvian Cluster. WORF You have been planning this all along. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 11. 11 CONTINUED: (2) DAX Seems fair. You planned the wedding. Worf finds that he has no answer to that. He struggles for a long moment... the effort apparent on his face... and then decides to go with it. WORF Very well. Room service. DAX Really? WORF Really. DAX That was easy. WORF Did you want to fight over it? DAX No. But I wasn't expecting you to surrender so quickly. WORF (eyes flash) "Surrender?" DAX Bad word. WORF Very bad. DAX Okay. (beat) But I will say that you've been unusually... accommodating lately. WORF What's wrong with that? DAX Nothing. It's just... unexpected. Are you feeling all right? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 12. 11 CONTINUED: (3) WORF I'm a married man. I have to make certain... adjustments to my lifestyle. DAX Adjustments? Worf, you've become almost... easygoing. I mean, what's next -- a sense of humor? WORF I have a sense of humor. (off her look) On the Enterprise, I was considered to be quite amusing. DAX That must've been one dull ship. He gives her a dirty look, then pulls it back in. WORF That's a joke. I get it. (beat) It's not funny, but I get it. DAX I don't know if I can get used to this "New you." It's kind of eerie. WORF Your problem is that you can't accept change. DAX I can't accept change? WORF That's right. DAX You've got to be kidding. I've changed bodies six times, Worf. WORF Yes, but you are still very set in your ways. DAX Look who's talking! DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 13. 11 CONTINUED: (4) WORF I don't have to sleep on the same side of the bed every night. Or brush my hair exactly fifty strokes every night. Or eat the same breakfast every day. Or read the last page of a book before the beginning. Or lift the -- DAX I get the point. (beat, dry) I don't know how you can live with someone so... monotonous. WORF It's not easy. She gives him a sharp look. WORF That was a joke. Beat. DAX This is going to be a very, very, long trip... She nods and goes back to work at the console as Worf smiles to himself -- pleased that he's won this round. CUT TO: 11A EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Re-establishing the station. 11B INT. O'BRIEN'S QUARTERS O'Brien is studying a tongo wheel that's sitting on the dining table. He's got a PADD displaying the rules of the game, and he gives the wheel a spin and looks at a hand of cards as he tries to learn the rules. The door CHIMES. O'BRIEN Come in. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 13A. 11B CONTINUED: BASHIR ENTERS, dressed in his tuxedo. BASHIR You're not dressed. O'BRIEN Is it time? BASHIR Seventeen hundred on the dot. (warming to the subject) The holosuite is ours for the next three hours and we'll need every minute of it. Three British agents have disappeared in West Berlin. MI Five suspects the Soviets may be involved, but the Americans have intercepted -- what are you doing with a tongo wheel? O'BRIEN I'm brushing up on my game. BASHIR You play tongo? O'BRIEN Sure. Well... I used to. That is, I played a game once, a long time ago. Against a Ferengi privateer and a Romulan mercenary... BASHIR Fascinating. Anyway, the Americans have intercepted a series of messages between Istanbul and a remote island in the South Pacific that might-- O'BRIEN Let's play one hand. BASHIR Miles... O'BRIEN One hand. I need the practice. BASHIR Why? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 13B. 11B CONTINUED: (2) O'BRIEN I want to beat Quark. BASHIR Good luck. O'BRIEN Luck has nothing to do with it. Tongo is a game of strategy and calculated risk. Pull up a chair. BASHIR I don't even know the rules. O'BRIEN (hands him the PADD) Here. O'Brien starts to deal two hands and Bashir finally gives in. He sighs and then scans through the PADD at lightning speed. BASHIR All right, let's play. As he sits down... CUT TO: 12 EXT. SPACE - THE RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) As it hangs in space. WORF (V.O.) Shenandoah Log:. Stardate xxxxx.x We have arrived at the designated coordinates near the Badlands and are awaiting the transmission from Lasaran. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 14. 13 INT. RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) Worf and Dax are looking at a MONITOR which displays a pattern of shifting and unreadable encrypted data. Dax works the console for a moment. DAX This is it. WORF (off console) A very sophisticated encryption matrix. DAX (nods) Whoever he is... he's good. After a moment, the data on the screen CLEARS and reveals LASARAN, a Cardassian glinn. Lasaran is nervous and uneasy throughout the conversation. He's a man under tremendous pressure and it shows. He looks at them with naked suspicion. LASARAN Who are you? WORF I am Commander Worf, this is Commander Dax. Starfleet Intelligence sent us here to receive your transmission. LASARAN (to himself) A Klingon... why did they have to send a Klingon... ? DAX (dry) I'm a Trill. Does that make you feel any better? LASARAN Are you trying to be funny? DAX Not at all. (re: Worf) He's the funny one. WORF What is it you want? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 15. 13 CONTINUED: LASARAN I'll get to that in a moment. First, I have something that you want. Badly. (glances around) Information about the Founders... I know how many of them are in the Alpha Quadrant... where they are... and what they're doing. DAX We're listening. LASARAN I'm sure you are. But now let's talk about what I want. I want out. Now. DAX You mean defect? LASARAN (glances around) The Vorta advisor here is getting suspicious. Asking questions. Making a lot of "routine" security checks in my section. I can't stay here anymore. WORF Very well. We will relay your message to Starfleet Intelligence. They will arrange to bring you out. LASARAN I can't wait for them to make "arrangements." In fifteen minutes, I'm supposed to leave here for the Dominion base on Soukara. I have a feeling this may be the last time they let me leave Cardassia Prime, so I need to take advantage of the opportunity. Worf and Dax exchange a look -- this isn't going to be easy. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 16. 13 CONTINUED: (2) WORF Soukara is inside Dominion- controlled space. It will not be easy to make a rendezvous near that planet without being detected. LASARAN Don't work your brain too hard, Klingon, I've taken care of everything. (beat) Three days from now, at exactly seventeen-thirty hours, local time, I will leave the base and walk into the jungle. It'll be at least two days before they know I'm missing. All you have to do is get me off the planet. Now -- there are transporter scramblers protecting Soukara, so you won't be able to beam me aboard your ship. You'll have to land and then meet me at a rendezvous point on foot. (works a panel) I'm sending you all the information you'll need to avoid the Dominion sensors on the ground. Follow my instructions, meet me at the rendezvous point and have a ship waiting. Dax looks over the data on her panel. DAX (to Worf) We've got the information. (beat) It looks pretty thorough. WORF We'll need time to study these plans. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT ONE 17. 13 CONTINUED: (3) LASARAN Haven't you been listening! I don't have time! Once I leave here, I won't be able to contact you again. I need to know if you're going to be there or not, and I need to know right now. Worf and Dax exchange a look. She nods and Worf makes a snap decision. WORF We'll be there. Lasaran looks at him for a moment. LASARAN Look at how far I've fallen. I'm risking my life on the word of a Klingon. Three days -- don't be late. The transmission ENDS. Worf and Dax exchange a look, then quickly and quietly go to work. FADE OUT. END OF ACT ONE DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT TWO 18. ACT TWO FADE IN: 14 INT. O'BRIEN'S QUARTERS A few hours have passed. O'Brien has his jacket off and is frowning at the cards in his hand, while Bashir is unruffled, but bored. (NOTE: They're using chips instead of latinum.) O'BRIEN All right. I'll buy at... thirty. With a sale at thirty-five... He spins the wheel. BASHIR Buy at thirty-five, sell at one- fifty, and index the margin at ten percent. O'BRIEN Index the margin... ? He picks up the PADD and looks up the rule. BASHIR Miles, give it up. This just isn't your game. O'BRIEN (determined) We'll see about that. Evade. He spins the wheel again. O'BRIEN Do you realize that Quark has won two hundred and seven straight games of tongo? BASHIR So? O'BRIEN So someone has to beat him. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT TWO 19. 14 CONTINUED: BASHIR And that someone is you? O'BRIEN Why not? BASHIR Well, for one thing you can't play tongo. Confront. He lays down his cards and O'Brien reacts in frustration. O'BRIEN Damn! BASHIR Had enough? O'BRIEN Not by a long shot. BASHIR Miles, at this rate you won't be ready to take on Quark for another twenty years. O'BRIEN (undeterred) One more. O'Brien begins gathering and shuffling the cards once more. BASHIR Why are you so determined to beat Quark? O'BRIEN It's the challenge. BASHIR That's it? The challenge? O'BRIEN That's enough. Why do you think I became an engineer? It's the challenge. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT TWO 20. 14 CONTINUED: (2) O'BRIEN (Cont'd) What do you think has kept me kayaking down the same river week after week for the last seven years? The challenge. Why do I keep playing darts against someone with genetically engineered hand-eye coordination? BASHIR The challenge? O'BRIEN Exactly. (beat) Besides, I need something to keep my mind off the fact that Keiko's been gone for six months. O'Brien trails off and stops shuffling as he gets a new idea. O'BRIEN Hold on. Maybe I can't beat Quark. But you can. You and that genetically engineered brain of yours. BASHIR Me? I just learned to play the game. O'BRIEN Yeah -- in about ten seconds. We can do it, Julian. we can beat him. BASHIR "We?" You're talking about me. O'BRIEN You're good at calculation, but a little... weak on strategy. I'll be your coach. BASHIR No, thank you. O'BRIEN Think of it as a challenge. BASHIR That's your obsession, Miles, not mine. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT TWO 21. 14 CONTINUED: (3) O'BRIEN Do it for the latinum. BASHIR Nice try. Beat. O'BRIEN Do it for the satisfaction of seeing the look on Quark's face when he loses a game of Tongo to a lowly "Hew-mon." Bashir thinks about that for a moment. BASHIR Deal the cards. CUT TO: 15 EXT. SPACE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) at warp. 16 INT. RUNABOUT Dax is looking back and forth between the helm controls and a monitor full of shifting sensor graphics. Worf is in the co-pilot's seat. WORF We're approaching the Soukara system... DAX Stand-by to bring us out of warp... now. WORF (off console) There's an asteroid field directly ahead. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT TWO 22. 16 CONTINUED: DAX That's what we want. The Dominion sensor grid in this system has three gaps -- and they're all in that asteroid field. As they work... 17 EXT-SPACE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) The ship is now dodging and weaving through the ASTEROID FIELD. 18 INT. RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) As before. The ship is twisting and turning violently as Dax pilots them through the field and the view out the window shows ASTEROIDS looming up and then sliding away again. They have a VERY CLOSE miss with a large asteroid and then Dax glances over at Worf, who's leaning forward in his seat and hanging onto the console tightly. DAX Want me to slow down? WORF (surprised) No. Unless... you think you should? DAX Not at all. (beat) In fact... I could go faster. She glances at him again and he gives her an eager smile. DAX (pleased) A man after my own heart. She works the panel and their speed increases. Worf and Dax both look out the window with predatory smiles, enjoying the adrenaline. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT TWO 23. 19 EXT. SPACE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) The ship ROCKETS through the asteroid field. 20 ANGLE (OPTICAL) As the Runabout finally CLEARS the asteroid field and then hurtles toward the DARK SIDE of a JUNGLE PLANET. 21 INT. RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) As before. The PLANET is filling the window directly ahead of them. WORF Most impressive. DAX Nothing that any three-hundred- year-old pilot couldn't do. The console BEEPS. WORF (urgent, off console) We're being scanned from the surface. Dax works and the ship HEELS way over on its side. DAX Did they get a fix on us? WORF I don't think so. DAX Good. We've come too long a way just to get shot down. The PLANET appears out the window again. DAX If you take the helm, I'll scan the surface for a landing site. Worf takes over as Dax turns to a side console works for a moment. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT TWO 24. 22 INCLUDE MONITOR (OPTICAL) Which shows a TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP of the planet surface. Dax works for a beat and then the Dominion base is clearly HIGHLIGHTED. DAX There's the base. Dax keeps working and A POINT appears on the map and begins FLASHING. DAX The rendezvous point... She works some more and a CIRCLE appears around both the base and the rendezvous point. DAX And the Dominion sensor perimeter. She studies the map for a moment. DAX There's a valley about twenty kilometers north of the rendezvous point. It's a long way to go on foot in the jungle, but I don't think we can risk taking the ship any closer to their sensors. Worf looks over at the display for a beat. WORF Agreed. 23 EXT. PLANET ATMOSPHERE - NIGHT (OPTICAL) As the Runabout comes howling out of the misty night, FLARES up into a HOVER and then begins settling down into the dense JUNGLE below. 24 INT. RUNABOUT - NIGHT A short time later. The ship has landed. Dax is strapping on a PACK. Worf is already wearing one as he OPENS a weapons locker and removes a phaser RIFLE. There's nothing but darkness and some foliage visible out the front windows. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT TWO 25. 24 CONTINUED: WORF We have less than two days to reach the rendezvous point... DAX That's about ten kilometers a day -- shouldn't be too bad. WORF Do not underestimate the task ahead. We still have to penetrate the sensor grid and avoid the Dominion patrols... He tosses her the rifle, which she catches easily, checks the power and then switches ON the light on the gunsight. DAX Find a man in the middle of an alien jungle, and then walk him out, without getting caught, I know. Piece of cake. Worf checks his own rifle and switches ON the light. They both move to the door and stand ready. WORF Ready? DAX After you. Worf hits the control panel and the door OPENS. They both react like professional soldiers -- weapons instantly up and pointed,out the door, each of them using the door for protection and aiming across the body of the other person. Their LIGHTS illuminate a dense and steaming JUNGLE, filled with sounds that echo throughout the night. Dax and Worf EXIT the safety of the runabout and begin to move out into the forbidding jungle... the door CLOSES behind them and as it does, we... FADE OUT. END OF ACT TWO DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 26. ACT THREE FADE IN: 25 EXT. JUNGLE #1 - DAY ON WORF'S BOOTS. PAN along his body to reveal that Worf is lying prone on his stomach, pack off, with his arms stretched out in front of him. We find that Dax is lying with her body at a right angle to his, with her arms stretched out in front of her as well and she's working a tricorder. Worf has a small Engineering TOOL in one hand and he's directing the tool carefully with the other. (Dax has taken off her jacket and is wearing her long-sleeve shirt.) 26 CLOSE ON TOOL - INSERT As the tip of the tool comes close to a TINY METALLIC DISC which is sitting innocuously on the ground. 27 RESUME As Dax works the tricorder, sweat beading on her face. Worf waits patiently for her to give the word. DAX (sotto) Okay... go to twenty-five joules... Worf works the tool. Dax glances over to her right and is surprised to see -- 28 AN ALIEN LIZARD about six inches away from her face, staring at her. Dax doesn't flinch, but just stares back at the creature. 29 CLOSE ON TOOL - INSERT (OPTICAL) as the tool sends out a thin BEAM, which hits the disc and causes it to FLASH for a moment. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 27. 30 RESUME WORF Done. Dax looks at her tricorder. DAX That's it. We're linked. They both relax. Dax BLOWS at the lizard and it scurries off. Worf rolls onto his back for a moment and lets out a long breath and Dax sits up. DAX Here -- check my work. She tosses him the tricorder, which he catches without sitting up. He lies there on his back and runs a quick diagnostic with the tricorder. Dax is still too hot and so she pulls the long-sleeve shirt off, leaving her with the tank-top underneath. WORF The Dominion encryption lockouts are... (works) Bypassed. Our tricorders are... (works) Linked to their sensor grid. And our lifesigns are... (works) Masked. Nicely done. He sits up and gets to his feet. DAX Thank you. WORF Of course, that means our tricorders will be useless from now on. Worf offers her a hand up. DAX There you go again, always looking for the cloud in the silver lining. They pick up their gear, which has been sitting a short distance away. Dax stores her shirt in the pack. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 27A. 30 CONTINUED: WORF I'm not complaining. I look forward to walking through the jungle without a map or any idea about what lies ahead. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 28. 30 CONTINUED: (2) DAX The funny thing is, you probably are. They head off into the jungle... CUT TO: 31 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Re-establishing the station. 32 INT. QUARK'S Bashir and O'Brien are standing in front of the tongo table, where another game was about to begin. O'Brien is carrying a small CASE. Quark and the same four N.D. Ferengi seen earlier are looking up at them with incredulous expressions. QUARK This is a Ferengi-only game, gentlemen. O'BRIEN You let Dax play. QUARK She's an exception -- the only exception. BASHIR Afraid I'll clean you out? QUARK I'm afraid you'll embarrass yourself and ruin the game for the rest of us. BASHIR I think I can keep up. The question is, can you keep up with me? QUARK Don't try to scare me with that gentically engineered intellect of yours, doctor. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 29. 32 CONTINUED: QUARK (Cont'd) Tongo is more than just number- crunching. They have yet to create the computer that can master this game. BASHIR Then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Quark sizes him up for a beat. QUARK You realize we're not playing for drinks. This is a high-stakes game. O'Brien holds up the case. O'BRIEN We came to play. QUARK (to other players) Gentlemen? Beat. The Ferengis at the table nod. QUARK All right. The buy-in is five strips, and you're dealing. O'Brien sets down the case on an adjacent table and opens it (away from the view of Quark and the others). MOVE to reveal that there are only SIX strips in the case. O'Brien hands Bashir five strips. O'BRIEN (sotto) Better get off to a fast start. BASHIR (confident) They won't know what hit them. As Bashir takes his money to the table and sits down... DISSOLVE TO: DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 30. 33 INT. QUARK'S A few hours later. Bashir has taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Three of the N.D. Ferengi have dropped out of the game and are watching from the sidelines along with O'Brien. Bashir and Quark have the biggest piles of money left on the table and it's quickly becoming a two-man game. Quark is dealing the cards. Bashir only glances at his hand, then puts it down. BASHIR Buy at three hundred and sell at three fifty. He spins the wheel and when it finally stops, the last N.D. throws down his cards in disgust and gets up from the table. Quark isn't fazed at all. QUARK You're a quick study, doctor, I'll give you that. BASHIR You mean quick for a "Hew-mon," don't you, Quark? QUARK I would never say something so distasteful during a game. BASHIR You'd wait until it was over. QUARK Of course. Evade. He spins the wheel and then deals two more cards for each of them. QUARK Dax was a quick study too. She told me it only took her two weeks to win her first match -- that's practically unheard of. BASHIR Dax specializes in the unexpected. I'm still buying at three hundred, selling at four hundred and I'd like to index the margin at twenty percent. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 31. 33 CONTINUED: He spins the wheel. QUARK Interesting. (beat) She certainly did the unexpected when she married Commander Boring. BASHIR That's for sure. QUARK When they first started seeing each other, I thought, "This can't last -- I give it two months." I'll buy at four hundred and sell at five. He spins the wheel. BASHIR I had the same thought... but to tell you the truth, I only gave it a month. Confront. QUARK She's a real heartbreaker, that one. That strikes a chord in Bashir, and his focus is definitely no longer on the game from now on. BASHIR That she is. QUARK Leverage the buy-in and sell at five-fifty. You know, you go through a lot of ups and downs in my business. There're days when the profits are down and the customers are scarce... and you begin to wonder if you'll ever see another strip of latinum. But then Jadzia comes in... and flashes that smile of hers... and suddenly things don't seem so bad after all. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 31A. 33 CONTINUED: (2) BASHIR I know exactly what you mean... exactly. (beat) You know, sometimes she'll walk past the Infirmary and just wink at me... and my whole day becomes a little brighter. Bashir's mind drifts away from the game for a beat and O'Brien sees it. O'BRIEN Focus, Julian, focus! Quark gives O'Brien a dirty look and Bashir looks down at his cards. BASHIR I'll buy that five fifty. Discount the exchange at ten. He spins the wheel and there's a quiet beat before Quark picks up the thread of the conversation again. QUARK And now she's married. BASHIR (doesn't like the word) Married. QUARK Out of reach. I'm converting my reserves and selling at six hundred. (spins the wheel) And you know what's really sad? What really keeps me awake at night? She's out of reach because we let her go. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 32. 33 CONTINUED: (3) BASHIR I suppose so. But... some things were just not meant to be. (distracted) Evade. Bashir spins the wheel and O'Brien is immediately concerned. O'BRIEN Julian... are you sure you want to -- QUARK (quietly annoyed) Chief, please. You know the rules -- no coaching during a round. O'Brien backs off. Quark picks up his cards again. QUARK (to Bashir) You're probably right. (beat) But on the other hand, what if that's just a convenient rationalization? What if deep down in our heart of hearts we both know that she's something unique, something that we may never see again -- a chance at true happiness... and we let her slip through our fingers. What if fifty years from now we each look back and say, "What a fool I was?" Confront. Bashir is disturbed by the thought and it shows. QUARK Doctor? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 33. 33 CONTINUED: (4) BASHIR Hmm? QUARK (beat) Confront. BASHIR Oh. Sorry. He lays down the cards. BASHIR Full consortium. QUARK (lays down his cards) Total monopoly. He rakes in the whole pot and Bashir is just waking up to the realization that he's lost everything. BASHIR What? QUARK You seem to be out of money. BASHIR Miles? O'BRIEN We're busted. QUARK Thanks for the game. You're welcome back anytime. Quark gets up from the table. BASHIR Quark -- wait. Did you really mean all that? About Dax. How she might've been my one last chance for true happiness? QUARK Doctor -- you don't expect me to show you all my cards do you? Quark heads off as O'Brien moves over to Bashir. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 34. 33 CONTINUED: (5) O'BRIEN You lost. BASHIR What happened to "we?" O'BRIEN "We" weren't mooning over lost love with a Ferengi who was holding a total monopoly. Bashir realizes what O'Brien is getting at -- BASHIR Are you saying all that talk about Dax was meant to distract me? O'BRIEN Obviously. Bashir shakes his head in dismay, looks up at his friend sheepishly... BASHIR I can't believe I let him get to me... O'Brien can't bring himself to hold it against his friend... O'BRIEN It's not your fault. Genetically engineered or not, you're still "Hew-mon." BASHIR I guess... They share a smile. O'BRIEN Come on, Let's go get a drink. Off the two old friends as they stand and head toward the bar... CUT TO: DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 34A. 34 EXT. JUNGLE #2 THROUGH #11 - DAY/NIGHT A series of shots: JUNGLE #2 -- Worf and Dax trudge through the dense underbrush. The jungle is HOT and STEAMING. They both have the phaser rifles at the ready and are constantly on the lookout for any signs of the enemy. The packs are on their backs and Dax is wearing her tank top. JUNGLE #3 -- Dax and Worf are walking along a narrow ledge on the side of a ROCKY CLIFF. JUNGLE #4 -- Worf is CLIMBING up a different section of CLIFF when he SLIPS and nearly FALLS, but Dax grabs his arm and saves him. JUNGLE #5 -- In the jungle once more, Dax is checking their position by using the sun and a PADD. JUNGLE #6 -- Worf is HACKING his way through the dense underbrush with his mek'leth. JUNGLE #7 -- Dax drinking from a small container. JUNGLE #8 -- Worf struggles through a dense patch of foliage, only to come out the other side and discover Dax has found a quick and easy way around. JUNGLE #9 -- Dax sitting on a rock with her boot off, wincing, while Worf tends to a wound on her calf. -- The SUN begins to set. (STOCK SHOT) DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 35. 34 CONTINUED: JUNGLE #10 -- Worf and Dax peer through the darkening underbrush, rifles at the ready... suddenly a HUGE REPTILE comes out of the bush and lumbers away. They both react and then relax. JUNGLE #11 -- They're walking through quickly gathering darkness, Worf in the lead. Finally, he stops in a small clearing and Dax pauses behind him. He turns back to her and nods silently -- she understands that he means to camp for the night and she sits down with an exhausted expression. Worf helps her off with her pack... CUT TO: 35 EXT. JUNGLE #11 - NIGHT They've made camp for the night in the tiny clearing. TWO SLEEPING ROLLS are laid out, with thin blankets on top. They're both sitting in front of a tiny HEATER, which is perched on a rock and provides warmth, but gives off very little light. Worf is sitting in front of the heater, trying to warm up. Dax has put her long- sleeve shirt on, but doesn't seem to feel the cold. Their rifles are within easy reach. Dax pulls a blanket off of one of the sleeping rolls and tries to put it over Worf's shoulders, but he resists. DAX Let's not stand on pride, shall we? Trills don't like the heat, and Klingons don't like the cold. There's no shame in admitting it. He grudgingly nods and she wraps him up in the blanket. WORF Thank you. DAX You're welcome. And I hope you're enjoying your honeymoon. Are you suffering enough? WORF Almost. DAX Something else I can get for you? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 35A 35 CONTINUED: WORF (beat) More pain, less cold. She smiles and chuckles. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 36. 35 CONTINUED: (2) DAX I don't know why that's funny... but it is. There's a HOWL off in the night. They both stop and listen. DAX Mating call? WORF (nods) Five hundred meters... (points) That way. Another, lower pitched HOWL comes from another direction. DAX (wry) That didn't take long. WORF Less than three hundred meters... The first HOWL returns. DAX Another happy couple. The second HOWL answers again and there's a quiet moment. WORF When I was a boy, my father used to take my brother and me on camping trips into the Ural Mountains. Every night we'd hear the wolves howling in the distance. Nikolai was always afraid of them, but I'd lie there in my tent for hours... just listening. (beat) And I remember being seized by the urge to just... strip off my clothes and run into the night... to live in the forest... and become something... wild. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 37. 35 CONTINUED: (3) It's a very intimate moment and Dax does nothing to break it. She snuggles up closer to him. The first HOWL returns, but now it's coming from a new direction, and the pitch has changed slightly. DAX He's moving off. Must've been rejected. The second HOWL now sounds, then CHANGES to something more like a GROWL. DAX She doesn't sound happy. Worf suddenly sits up, completely alert. The two HOWLS are now going together. His sudden change of attitude puts Dax on guard. DAX What? They're getting farther away, aren't they? WORF Yes. But that's because something else is coming. (beat) And it's close. They leap into action -- grabbing packs, sleeping rolls, rifles and the tiny heater before plunging into the dense bushes surrounding the clearing. 36 DAX & WORF hunker down in the bushes, rifles at the ready and their gear at their feet. They both strain to hear and see in the dark night. There's a long, agonizing moment of silence as they wait. 37 THEIR POV OF THE CLEARING which is silent. Nothing moves for a long time... then there's a RUSTLING SOUND. 38 DAX & WORF react to the sound and peer through the bushes... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 38. 39 IN THE CLEARING we can see MOVEMENT in the brush. Then more movement. Then finally a JEM'HADAR FIRST steps into the clearing, then a SECOND and a THIRD. The First STOPS and then signals his men to stop as well. He looks around the jungle with a careful eye... then pulls out a SCANNER and begins scanning the jungle. 40 WORF & DAX never take their eyes off the Jem'Hadar. 41 WORF'S FINGER moves from the stock to the trigger of his rifle. 42 THE JEM'HADAR FIRST has completed his scan, and finds nothing. He puts the scanner away, but still doesn't move. Something's bothering him. The other members of his squad exchange looks, but none say anything. 43 DAX'S HAND tightens on the barrel of her rifle. 44 THE JEM'HADAR FIRST finally signals his men to move forward. 45 WORF & DAX'S POV The First will pass by their position, no problem. So will the Second... but the Third is heading right for them! 46 WORF & DAX exchange a glance -- there's no way around it, they're going to have to fight their way out of here. Worf indicates that he'll take the Second, and that Dax should take the Third. She nods and they ready themselves... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 39. 47 WIDER (OPTICAL) The Jem'Hadar Third is less than a meter away from the hiding place when Worf and Dax OPEN FIRE. -- Dax's first shot HITS the Third directly in the chest, killing him. -- Worf's shot HITS the Second and kills him as well. -- The Jem'Hadar First whirls around and unleashes a volley into their position. -- Worf and Dax roll out of the way as the shots come flying in. -- Worf rolls to his knees and throws his mek'leth into the First, killing him. The whole fight is over in a matter of seconds. Worf is gets to his feet with a pleased look, then notices that Dax is nowhere to be seen. WORF Jadzia? A low gasp of pain comes from the nearby underbrush. Worf RIPS AWAY the brush and finds her on her on her back, grimacing in pain and holding her side. DAX Painkillers... please. WORF Lie still. She pulls her hands away -- they're covered in blood. DAX (gasping) I can do that. Worf finds one of their packs and pulls a medkit out of it. He scans her with the tricorder, doesn't like what he sees. He drops the tricorder, pulls out a hypospray, makes a few adjustments then applies it to her neck. The relief is instantaneous. Worf opens her jacket to expose the wound, then pulls out a field bandage from the kit and begins applying it to the bleeding. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 40. 47 CONTINUED: DAX I'd like the good news first. WORF No vital organs were damaged. DAX Now the bad news... WORF The disruptor burst left an anti- coagulant in your system... She reads it in his eyes. DAX And you can't stop the bleeding. His silence speaks volumes. She picks up the medical tricorder as he finishes dressing the wound. DAX It looks like I didn't take the full burst... the hemorrhaging's not too bad yet. Just keep pumping me full of painkillers and we'll be on our way. WORF Moving could make the bleeding worse. DAX Staying here isn't an option. (re: dead men) Someone's going to start looking for them when they don't check in. I'd rather take my chances on foot. She holds out a hand for him to help her up. He hesitates, then pulls her to her feet as she uses her rifle as a crutch to stand. She grimaces a bit, then takes a deep breath, and checks her weapon. DAX Ready? (beat, then hard) Ready? Worf gives her a long, worried look for a moment. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT THREE 41. 47 CONTINUED: (2) WORF Ready. DAX Then let's go. She winks strides off into the jungle. After a beat, Worf picks up her pack and follows her... FADE OUT. END OF ACT THREE DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FOUR 42. ACT FOUR FADE IN: 48 EXT. JUNGLE #12 - DAY Worf is standing on a tall rock, working a PADD, checking the position of the sun, and trying to work out their location. Dax is now wearing her jacket (unzipped) and resting on a rock, her phaser rifle leaning against her. She doesn't look good -- but she's not ready to collapse either. Worf is wearing his pack, while Dax's sits on the ground next to her. WORF We're still twelve kilometers from the rendezvous point. He moves to scan her with the medical tricorder. All the humor and banter is gone from Worf, and he's back to the stoic, gruff Klingon we've known for so long. DAX And only twenty hours left. I guess it's time to stop having so much fun and pick up the pace, huh? He closes the tricorder and opens the medkit. He takes out an oversized hypospray with a blood-red vial attached to the bottom. DAX (re: hypo) More plasma? No, thanks. I'm full. WORF Your blood pressure has dropped another twenty percent. He applies the hypospray to her neck and waits as the vial drains itself (which we don't see). DAX Love that bedside manner. You should've been a doctor. He looks at her bandage while the hypo drains. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FOUR 43. 48 CONTINUED: WORF Your dressing will need to be changed soon. DAX I think I'd like a blue chiffon bandage this time -- maybe some rhinestones -- you know, something with a little pizazz. WORF This is not a joking matter. You are seriously injured and we have a great deal of terrain to cover. DAX Just trying to lighten the mood. WORF This is not the time nor the place. The hypo is done and he pulls it away from her neck. DAX What happened to that new Worf? You know, the one with a sense of humor? WORF That was a mistake. He stows the medkit in her pack and then slings it over his shoulder. DAX What's that supposed to mean? WORF It means if I had not been joking with you, I would not have let the Jem'Hadar get that close. DAX So this is all my fault? WORF No. It is mine. I was trying to be something I am not. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FOUR 44. 48 CONTINUED: (2) WORF (Cont'd) By letting down my guard -- by ignoring my duty -- I allowed my wife to be injured and I put the entire mission in jeopardy. It will not happen again. DAX That's not the way it happened. Without our tricorders there was no way to know that -- WORF (hard) I do not wish to debate this! We have a long way to go and very little time. Dax looks at him for a moment, then her own expression hardens. DAX Fine. Let's go. He offers her a hand up, but she brushes it aside. She grabs her rifle and they head off into the jungle once more... DISSOLVE TO: 49 EXT. JUNGLE PLANET - DAY (MATTE SHOT) The vast and dense jungle... DISSOLVE TO: 50 EXT. JUNGLE #13 THROUGH #19 - DAY A series of dissolving shots as Worf and Dax trudge through the jungle: JUNGLE #13 -- Worf hacking away with fury at the foliage. JUNGLE #14 -- Dax soldiering on. JUNGLE #15 -- Worf changing the dressing on her wound. JUNGLE #16 -- Worf's boots stomping through the jungle. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FOUR 45. 50 CONTINUED: JUNGLE #16 -- Dax's boots staggering behind him. JUNGLE #17 -- Worf tries to help her through a thick patch of bushes, but she pulls away from him and barrels through on her own. JUNGLE #18 -- Dax getting another injection of plasma. JUNGLE #19 -- Worf checking the PADD and shaking his head, unhappy at their progress. DISSOLVE TO: 51 EXT. JUNGLE #20 - DAY Dax leaning against a tree, eyes closed, and holding her rifle like a cane, while Worf checks their position again. He turns to Dax. WORF Ready? Dax nods. She pushes away from the tree, opens her eyes and sets off grimly into the jungle. Worf looks at the tree... 52 WORF'S POV There's a bright smear of BLOOD on the tree trunk. 53 RESUME WORF As he reacts with concern, then follows Dax. DISSOLVE TO: 54 EXT. JUNGLE #21 - DAY Worf leading the way, Dax following. Worf is now carrying her rifle, but she's still pushing herself past the breaking point -- her eyes are watery and bloodshot, her face is ashen and covered with sweat and she can barely keep putting one foot in front of the other. They reach an OBSTACLE (a boulder or fallen tree perhaps) and there's no obvious way around. Worf climbs awkwardly over the top and then pulls Dax up and over, getting scratched and bruised in the process. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FOUR 46. 54 CONTINUED: Worf eases her down on the opposite side and then easily jumps down himself. Dax stays on the ground, her breathing shallow, on the very edge of passing out altogether. Worf kneels down in concern. WORF Jadzia... ? DAX Hhhh... hhhh... hypo. He pulls the hypo out of the pack and applies it to her neck. Her eyes widen and she takes a big gulp of air. Worf opens her jacket and inspects the bandage. DAX There we go... good as new. WORF I have to change the dressing. He opens the pack, pulls out the medkit and begins to change the dressing. DAX That's four bandages in two hours... that has to be some kind of... record. She starts laughing -- a little too loud and a little too shrill. Dax is one step away from delirium at this point. DAX (rambling) Sorry. I forgot the new rules -- nothing funny... we have to be serious... life and death... we've got a job to do. Worf finishes the new dressing and regards her for a moment. He's very, very concerned about her, but he's caught between a rock and a hard place. WORF Jadzia. I know you're tired. But we need to cover at least three more kilometers before nightfall. Can you do it? DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FOUR 47. 54 CONTINUED: (2) DAX As long as you have those painkillers, I'll follow you through the gates of hell... sir. His expression softens just a little. DAX Hey... that was almost a smile. WORF When this mission is over... I'll smile all you want. DAX Promise? WORF Promise. DAX Then let's finish the mission and get out of here. He lifts her to her feet and she stands there a moment on her own. Worf turns to pick up his rifle and Dax collapses -- he whirls around just in time to catch her before she hits the ground. DAX I can stand... just help me... get my balance... He tries to steady her on her feet... but this time her legs can't hold her weight for even a few seconds. She falls into his arms again. DAX Or... maybe not. As Worf lowers her limp body to the ground... FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 48. ACT FIVE FADE IN: 55 EXT. JUNGLE #21 - DAY Continuous from Act Four. Worf grabs the tricorder and scans Dax. DAX Let me guess -- things are not looking up. WORF (off tricorder) There's been another drop in your blood pressure... and your neural EDL readings are erratic. DAX So, doc, what's your prescription? Worf reads the tricorder for a moment, then closes it grimly. WORF You need surgery... at a Starbase. DAX Can I get a second opinion? There's a quiet beat as Dax's smile fades and they both begin to grapple with just how serious this is. She knows exactly what's going through his head and she tries to make it easier for him. DAX Worf... you have to go on without me. I know that. And it's all right. WORF My... duty requires me to... carry out the mission regardless of... my personal feelings. DAX Absolutely. You're a Starfleet officer. So am I. I understand. He still makes no move to go. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 49. 55 CONTINUED: WORF The information Lasaran has could... potentially be... invaluable to the war effort... DAX You don't have to explain yourself. I'm hurt. You're not. And there's a job to do. Another beat. WORF I'll be back tomorrow night. DAX Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. WORF We can have you in the stasis chamber on the Runabout in... (knows it's too long) ... forty-five hours. DAX (she knows too) No problem. Beat. WORF I'll leave you the medkit. Scan yourself with the tricorder every half-hour. The plasma hypospray is set to -- DAX I took basic first aid. I know what to do. He nods and sets the medkit next to her. There's a beat here as they look into each other's eyes and the brave words melt away -- they know she's not going to make it. And this is good-bye. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 50. 55 CONTINUED: (2) DAX (quiet) It's been a good two months, hasn't it? WORF (quiet) Yes... (his heart breaking) Jadzia... I want to tell you how much you've -- DAX Worf. Just kiss me and go. He gives her a passionate, loving kiss... then pulls himself away... draws himself up straight, his emotions churning and then grabs his rifle, turns and plunges into the jungle. STAY ON WORF as he heads away from the clearing, a fierce, wild-eyed expression on his face... DISSOLVE TO: 56 WORF'S FACE - JUNGLE #22 - DAY as he hacks his way through the underbrush with a rage and ferocity we seldom see displayed so nakedly on his face. DISSOLVE TO: 57 WORF'S FACE - JUNGLE #23 - DAY still going through the jungle. We begin to HEAR his HEART BEATING... and he glances back behind him for the first time. DISSOLVE TO: 58 WORF'S FACE - JUNGLE #24 - DAY The heartbeat is LOUDER... his trek through the jungle becoming more angry, less focused on forward momentum and more focused on the destruction of the brush. DISSOLVE TO: DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 51. 59 WORF'S FACE -JUNGLE #25 - DAY The heartbeat is DEAFENING. He's slowing down, the swirl of emotions churning inside him is taking over and he keeps struggling not to look behind him... the hacking at the foliage is becoming an end unto itself... finally he STOPS. He stands there for a moment, his heart pounding away in his ears... then makes a decision. He THROWS the mek'leth at a TREE and the heartbeat STOPS. He turns and heads back the way he came at a run. CUT TO: 60 EXT. JUNGLE #21 - DAY Worf comes out of the jungle into the clearing once again. Dax is passed out on the ground, blood from her wound starting to pool next to her. He checks her pulse, is relieved that she's still alive. He slings the medkit over his shoulder. PULL UP and BACK as Worf lifts his wife in his arms... and carries her off into the jungle toward the distant runabout. CUT TO: 61 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Re-establishing the station. 62 INT. INFIRMARY Worf is sitting alone at a console in the empty room when SISKO ENTERS. SISKO What's the word? WORF She's still in surgery. But Doctor Bashir is hopeful she'll make a full recovery. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 52. 62 CONTINUED: SISKO (nods, then a beat) Lasaran's dead. Intelligence intercepted a transmission saying he was killed trying to re-enter the base on Soukara. A beat as Worf nods and takes that in. SISKO Could you have made the rendezvous? WORF Yes. SISKO But you turned back to save Jadzia? WORF Yes. SISKO Were you aware that man's information could have saved millions of lives? WORF Yes. SISKO So what happened? WORF You may not understand... SISKO Try me. Worf struggles for a beat to put this into words. WORF You were at my wedding... you heard the story of the first two Klingon hearts... how nothing could stand against them... and how they even destroyed the gods that created them. I've heard that story ever since I was a boy... DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 52A. 62 CONTINUED: (2) WORF (Cont'd) ... but I never understood it -- really understood it -- until I was standing there in the jungle with my heart pounding in my chest... and I found that even I couldn't stand against my own heart. I had to go back... and it didn't matter what Starfleet thought or what the consequences were. She was my wife and I couldn't leave her. There's a quiet beat as Sisko thinks about that. SISKO As your captain, it's my duty to tell you that you made the wrong choice. I don't think Starfleet will file any formal charges -- even a secret court-martial would run the risk of revealing too much about their intelligence operations. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 53. 62 CONTINUED: (3) SISKO (Cont'd) (beat) But this will go in your service record... and to be completely honest, you should know that they'll probably never give you a command of your own after this. WORF I understand. SISKO I've also issued new orders stating that you and Jadzia are not to be assigned to missions on your own ever again. Worf nods and that seems to be the end of it. But not quite... SISKO One last thing: as a man who had a wife... I can tell you that if it had been Jennifer lying in that clearing... I don't think I could've left her either. Sisko EXITS. CUT TO: 63 INT. SURGERY Worf is sitting at Dax's bedside holding her hand as she sleeps. She's hooked up to various tubes and medical devices, but all apparent wounds are gone. We get the feeling that Worf has been here for quite some time. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 54. 64 CLOSE ON DAX'S HAND as it suddenly tightens around Worf's hand. 65 RESUME As Dax slowly wakes up and looks up at her husband. DAX Hey... I know you... WORF We've met. She manages a weak smile and looks around. DAX You're joking again... that must be a good sign. Did you... make the rendezvous? WORF No. (beat) I couldn't leave you there. Not for Lasaran or the mission or anything else. DAX Lasaran? WORF Dead. There's a beat as Dax takes that in -- she's sad and touched at the same time. DAX Are you in trouble? WORF (shrugs it off) I've been in trouble before. DAX I'm so sorry. I should've kept going... WORF You have nothing to be sorry about. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 55. 65 CONTINUED: DAX I know how much your career means to you... Worf leans closer, looks into her eyes with passion and fire. WORF You come first. Before my career, my duty -- before everything. I don't regret what I did. And I'd do it again. Dax smiles up at him, her eyes filling with tears. DAX I don't know what to say. WORF (lighter) You could say, "Thank you for saving my life." DAX (smiles) Thank you for saving my life. WORF And you could say, "I'd do the same for you, Worf." DAX (joking) Well... I'll have to think about that one... my career is very important to me, you know. He moves closer to her. WORF And you could say that you love me. DEEP SPACE NINE: "Change of Heart" - REV. 1/9/98 - ACT FIVE 56. 65 CONTINUED: (2) DAX I love you. WORF And I love you. He kisses her, and holds her tight to him like the most precious thing in the world... which she is. FADE OUT. END OF ACT FIVE THE END