STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Playing God" #40512-437 Story by Jim Trombetta Teleplay by Jim Trombetta and Michael Piller 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 1993 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 This script is not for publication or reproduction.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 17, 1993 STAR TREK: DS9 - "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - CAST STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Playing God" CAST SISKO ARJIN KIRA TRAJOK ODO KLINGON HOST QUARK CARDASSIAN OFFICER BASHIR FERENGIS DAX O'BRIEN JAKE COMPUTER VOICE Non-Speaking Non-Speaking N.D. SUPERNUMERARIES STAR TREK: DS9 - "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - SETS STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Playing God" SETS INTERIORS EXTERIORS DEEP SPACE NINE DEEP SPACE NINE AIRLOCK COMMANDER'S OFFICE GAMMA QUADRANT CORRIDOR DAX'S QUARTERS RUNABOUT OPS PROMENADE/SECOND LEVEL WORMHOLE QUARK'S RUNABOUT SCIENCE LAB SISKO'S QUARTERS TURBOLIFT STAR TREK: DS9 - "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - PRONUNCIATION STAR TREK: DEEP-SPACE NINE "Playing God" PRONUNCIATION GUIDE ARJIN AHR-jihn BAJOR BAY-jor CALONDIA kahl-AHN-dee-uh CARDASSIAN car-DASS-ee-en FRENCHOTTE FRENSH-aht GALEO-MANADA gah-LAY-oh mah-NAH-dah GEDANA geh-DAY-nuh INITIATE in-IHSH-ee-uht LELA LEE-luh MARDAH MAHR-duh RACHT RAHKT TRAJOK TRAY-jahk VERTIRON VUHR-tih-rahn VOLE VOL DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - TEASER 1. STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE "Playing God" TEASER FADE IN: 1 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) A personnel transport arriving. 2 INT. AIRLOCK As the door opens and several passengers disembark... among the group arriving is BASHIR and a young Trill man in his early twenties, ARJIN. Both have shoulder bags. Moving with them into the corridor toward the Turbolift... BASHIR If there's anything I can do for you while you're here... ARJIN (overlapping) Oh, you've already been helpful. Just hearing about Dax makes me feel a little less nervous about the whole thing... BASHIR Really, there's no reason to be nervous... Jadzia will be a wonderful host... well, that is, she is a wonderful host in a Trill manner of speaking... and I'm sure you'll learn a great deal from her... ARJIN She sounds very different from the other Dax's I've heard about... BASHIR In what fashion? DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 01/05/94 - TEASER 2. 2 CONTINUED: ARJIN (tight laugh) Let me put it this way -- when I was told that Jadzia Dax had been designated my field docent, I asked for reassignment... BASHIR You're joking... why? ARJIN Because Dax is known for breaking initiates... BASHIR Breaking them? ARJIN (acknowledges) I've looked up the records... over the past two hundred years, Dax has personally eliminated forty-seven host candidates from the program... Bashir reacts as the Turbolift doors open and they go in... 3 INT. TURBOLIFT - CONTINUOUS As they ENTER... ARJIN I suppose it's too late to introduce myself to her... BASHIR Too late? I doubt it. Jadzia's a night owl... Computer, locate Lieutenant Dax. COMPUTER VOICE Lieutenant Dax is on level seven, section five... BASHIR (smiles to himself) Ah. Of course! Then take us to level seven, section five... (the doors close) That's the computer's way of saying she's in Quark's. OFF Arjin's curious reaction... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - TEASER 3. 4 INT. PROMENADE It's late. All shops closed. Very little traffic. As the Turbolift doors open and they exit... Moving with them toward Quark's... mid-conversation... ARJIN ... Over five thousand candidates qualify for the training program each year... only three hundred symbionts are available on the average. It doesn't take much for one of us to get knocked out of consideration. The administrators only want hosts who are... From inside Quark's, they hear and react to whoops and hollers. 5 INT. QUARK'S AFTER HOURS - CONTINUOUS as they ENTER... on Arjin's face as he reacts to the sight of -- 6 ANGLE - DAX leaping up from her chair at the Tongo table with victory, collecting her winnings... ARJIN (continuing) ... the best and the brightest... QUARK and the other Ferengi around the table yell at one another for errors they accuse each other of making... all overlapping -- DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - TEASER 4. FERENGI DAX (ad lib to Quark) It's the ears... every time You should have Evaded... he's going to Acquire, he the play was clearly scratches his left ear... to Evade... you're the right here, look... worst Tongo player in (she tickles his the quadrant... to lose left ear with a to a female no less... finger, he swats how could you risk so her playfully away, much... a good sport) (continues) QUARK Don't play with my ears unless you're serious about it... She laughs and slaps him lightly in mock indignation and as they all laugh... 7 ANGLE - ARJIN AND BASHIR watching, not impressed with this first image of Dax... BASHIR Jadzia, you have a guest... She looks over at the sound of Bashir's voice, reacts, puzzled for an instant, then seeing the Trill spots... she's not at all embarrassed... smiles, as they come over... DAX Oh. You're not supposed to be here until tomorrow. ARJIN Yes, Ma'am... I... caught a transport from Starbase Forty-One a day early... BASHIR We found ourselves sitting next to each other on the way... I've told Arjin all about you... (re: the game) Well, not quite all about you... He smiles at her, nods goodbye to Arjin and EXITS. QUARK Do you play Tongo, Arjin? ARJIN Ton--tongo? Nossir. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - TEASER 5. 7 CONTINUED: QUARK Then, you'll have to leave, Arjin. The risk's to you, Lieutenant... DAX (overlapping) Shame on you, Quark. Where are your manners... this is a Trill initiate you're speaking to. Of course, he doesn't play Tongo. QUARK (exaggerated) I beg your pardon. DAX (brightly) So, we'll have to teach him. QUARK (sensing profits) Actually, it is very easy to learn... how much money did you bring with you... give the young fellow a seat. (to a Ferengi) You... out! ARJIN It was a very long trip... I think perhaps... DAX Of course, you're tired... I'll take you to your quarters. Roll me away, fellas... FERENGIS AD LIB You can't roll away now! You just won! You're way ahead of us! This isn't fair! DAX (calling back) Sore losers. As they EXIT, on Arjin's rather overwhelmed expression... FADE OUT. END OF TEASER DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT ONE 6. ACT ONE FADE IN: (NOTE: Episode credits fall over opening scenes.) 8 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) 9 INT. CORRIDOR The next morning. Arjin moves cautiously down, looking for Dax's quarters... finds it and hits the chime... after a beat, the door opens to reveal a very alien man (TRAJOK) with an athletic build... Arjin reacts, startled... TRAJOK (gruff) Yes? ARJIN Oh. I'm sorry. I thought... this was Lieutenant Dax's quarters... TRAJOK She's in the shower. ARJIN (embarrassed) Oh. Well. In that case... TRAJOK Is she expecting you? ARJIN Yes. My name is Arjin. She told me to be here at... DAX (O.S.) Is that Arjin? She looks out from the back room, dressed only in a towel... Arjin is uncomfortable... DAX You're early again, Arjin. We'll have to work on that... ARJIN I can come back... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT ONE 7. 9A INT. DAX'S QUARTERS (OPTICAL) DAX Don't be silly. Come in. Sit down. I'll only be a minute. It always takes me a little longer to get ready as a female... He ENTERS... TRAJOK I have to go. I've got to be at Calondia Four by tomorrow... DAX When's my rematch? TRAJOK I'll be back next week. DAX It was fun. Brutal but fun. She slaps him on the butt affectionately. Arjin works hard to not be any part of this. DAX Safe trip. The Alien EXITS... she moves behind the wall... most of her dialogue is from O.C... and it's important to note that to someone like Arjin, everything in this relationship is a test... every response is a pitfall... and yet at the same time, he rather disapproves of her at this point... so it's a real tightrope he's walking... DAX The replicator makes a decent citrus blend... ARJIN Thanks, I already had something to eat. DAX Would you get me a Black Hole? ARJIN A what? DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT ONE 7A. 9A CONTINUED: DAX Black Hole. It's a Ferengi drink. A bartender I've known for a hundred years introduced it to Curzon... or was it Lela... well, it was ages ago... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT ONE 8. 9A CONTINUED: (2) Arjin has moved to the replicator... ARJIN Black Hole. The replicator gives him the drink... and he takes it toward the other room, uncertain if he should walk around the corner to her... during the action -- DAX (beat) Am I sore. Did you ever wrestle Galeo-Manada style, Arjin? ARJIN (slowly realizing) Wrestle... ? DAX You should. It's a great way to start a day. I'll set you up with Trajok next week. He's a great coach. He decides not to turn the corner... awkwardly -- ARJIN (I'm ready with the drink) O-kay. She looks out curiously... has made some progress... is in a robe now... her hair is almost done... she comes out and takes the drink... takes a deep sip... sighs... DAX Better. She sits down, casually crossing her legs at the ankles and putting them on a coffee table... DAX So, you don't play Tongo and you don't wrestle... what are we going to do while you're here... ? Just a little attitude with this -- he actually tries to put it in the form of a joke: ARJIN I was under the impression that field training consisted of... Cordial, but stopping him in his tracks -- DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT ONE 9. 9A CONTINUED: (3) DAX I know all about field training. Jadzia just went through it a few years ago... ARJIN Yes, Ma'am. DAX Arjin, if you truly want to become a Trill host someday, you'll never call me ma'am again... ARJIN Yes -- Lieutenant. DAX Why don't you just try "Jadzia"... ARJIN (uncomfortable) If you think that's appropriate. Dax finishes her Black Hole. DAX Oh, I'm sure it isn't appropriate at all. But then, I hate to be "appropriate." She smiles thinly, jumps up and goes back to finish getting ready... we stay a beat on Arjin's lost expression... 10 INT. OPS - CLOSE ON O'BRIEN as he crawls into an open circuitry panel holding a palm beacon in one hand, a phaser in the other. He bumps his head in the darkness and grunts in pain. He squints for a moment, then, frustrated: O'BRIEN Nothing! 11 WIDER to reveal KIRA scanning the panel with a tricorder... Her readings lead her to an adjacent panel. KIRA Over here, Chief. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 01/03/94 - ACT ONE 10. 11 CONTINUED: O'Brien quickly crawls over to the other panel and deftly removes the access door. (Note: some systems in Ops should be down.) O'BRIEN (entering the panel) All right, come to papa. 12 ON SISKO as he emerges from his office and notices O'Brien's behind disappearing into the open panel. Curious, he descends the steps and approaches Kira, who is intently monitoring her tricorder. SISKO Major? KIRA Voles, sir -- SISKO Voles? KIRA A Cardassian legacy. O'BRIEN They weren't bothering us until we started moving into areas of the station they've been using as hiding places... now they're spreading out everywhere... O'Brien hands Sisko a segment of cable conduit. Sisko examines the conduit, gnawed half-through by rodent-like teeth. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT ONE 11. O'BRIEN Apparently they're attracted to electromagnetic fields. As O'Brien crawls back under the console: O'BRIEN Give me a hand, will you, Major? 13 ANGLE TO INCLUDE Dax and Arjin stepping off the Turbolift. SISKO (with humor) Phasers on stun, Mister O'Brien. I want those voles taken alive. DAX Benjamin, I'd like you to meet Arjin, the host candidate I told you about. (to Arjin) Commander Benjamin Sisko. As they shake hands... 14 ANGLE - KIRA AND O'BRIEN All that's visible of them is their rear ends, side by side, as they rummage beneath the console... DAX (pointing, continuing "introductions") And that's our first officer Major Kira... Chief Engineer O'Brien... conducting... (to Sisko) Repairs? SISKO Chasing Cardassian voles. DAX (mostly to herself) Really? I've never seen a Cardassian Vole. KIRA (handing her the phaser) Be my guest. She goes on her knees and joins the hunt... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT ONE 12. 14 CONTINUED: SISKO (enjoying this) So you're the one who picked the black marble... ARJIN Sir? SISKO Field training with Dax used to be the nightmare of the initiate corps... DAX (O.S.) That was Curzon... The react as they hear a zap! DAX (rising) Gotcha! Kira, O'Brien emerge as does Dax from an open panel and stand up, proudly dangling by its corkscrew tail a stunned Cardassian vole: the Alpha Quadrant's nominee for ugliest creature in the galaxy. Off Arjin's expression... HARD CUT TO: 15 EXT. SPACE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) zooms into the wormhole. 16 INT. RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) looking through the front window at the light show... Dax and Arjin are at the front controls... 17 ON DAX AND ARJIN And it may be worth noting that throughout all this Dax is just Dax... she's not putting on any tutorial poses or doing anything with the purpose of seeing how he'll react... she's just casual and charming... DAX Spectacular, isn't it... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT ONE 13. 17 CONTINUED: ARJIN Amazing. 17A EXT. SPACE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) They exit the wormhole. 17B INT. RUNABOUT DAX Computer, play something by Frenchotte. A Ravel sort of piano music begins... ARJIN (never heard of him) Frenchotte? DAX Self-exiled Romulan. I collect forgotten composers. Feel like taking the controls? ARJIN I've never flown a Federation runabout before. DAX These things practically fly themselves. You have third level flight experience, don't you... ARJIN Actually, I just finished fifth level last month... He takes the controls... taps in some instructions... DAX Fifth! I didn't finish the third level until... (trying to remember) ARJIN Your last year of training... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT ONE 13A. 17B CONTINUED: DAX (dry, amused) You've been studying up on me, Arjin. I guess I can't blame you... I did the same thing when I found who my field docent was going to be. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/21/93 - ACT ONE 14. 17B CONTINUED: (2) ARJIN (beat) How'd you feel when you heard it was going to be Curzon Dax? DAX (beat) Nauseous might be the best description. ARJIN I suppose it wouldn't be fair to give me a few tips... DAX Tips? ARJIN (a tight joke) On how you managed to impress him. DAX (sighs) Let's get one thing straight. I'm not Curzon or Lela or any of the others. I'm Jadzia Dax. Jadzia is only three years older than you are. You're her first initiate. To be honest, in a lot of ways, I still feel like an initiate myself. I can remember the pressure of the competition when Jadzia was going through it and I'm not going to make it difficult for you. You don't have to impress me. Okay? ARJIN (not entirely convinced) Okay. DAX Okay. ARJIN (beat) So how did you. (off her look) Impress him. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT ONE 15. 17B CONTINUED: (3) DAX (evenly) I didn't. Curzon recommended that my initiate period be terminated. Arjin gives a surprised reaction... a moment later, there's a huge shock wave and the ship goes out of control... DAX I've got it! Engaging manual stabilizers. The ship stabilizes... DAX Shutting down all engines. Computer, analyze stability loss. COMPUTER VOICE Stability loss was due to an impact by a subspace interphase pocket... Arjin stands, begins to check readouts on rear panels... DAX Nature of interphase pocket... COMPUTER VOICE Unknown. DAX Damage report... COMPUTER VOICE Starboard nacelle nonfunctional... maximum available power fifty percent... ARJIN (checking readouts) Jadzia... you'd better take a look at this... As she moves over to take a look -- DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT FIVE 16. 18 ANGLE (OPTICAL) to see the nacelle on the monitor... and a glowing softball- sized mass of protoplasm has become caught in the nacelle... DAX Looks like we snagged something from that subspace pocket. Computer, identify mass on the starboard nacelle... COMPUTER VOICE Unknown. On their reactions... FADE OUT. END OF ACT ONE DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT TWO 17. ACT TWO FADE IN: 19 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Re-establishing. 20 INT. OPS Kira stands before a monitor, viewing a series of station schematics one after another. O'Brien stands next to her, pressing panels on a console. Various N.D.s as needed. O'BRIEN Maybe we could create some kind of EM pathway along the inner hull that would lure them into a trap... KIRA How can you do that without shutting down all the other power systems... O'BRIEN (sighs) I can't... and it would take days to round them all up... we'd have to evacuate the station... (beat) The only other thing I've come up with is a directional sonic generator... O'Brien picks up a device like a shotgun mic ... shakes his head, unhappy at the option... O'BRIEN I can adjust it to a frequency that'll be uncomfortable to their ears and drive them out of hiding one at a time... but at that rate, I'll be doing it for the rest of my tour of duty... Quark has arrived on the Turbolift... he tosses a dead vole in a plastic bag on top of the console... QUARK It ran right across a Dabo table. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT TWO 18. 20 CONTINUED: KIRA How'd it die? Get into your food? QUARK (gives Kira a look) As landlords, you're responsible for this... I expect vermin control or I'm going to... KIRA Leave? Please say "leave." I'd trade you for a Cardassian vole any day. She moves away, had enough of him... QUARK (to O'Brien) The girl insists on fighting her latent attraction to me. (beat) What are you going to do about these pests, O'Brien... O'Brien already has his tricorder out and is tracking down more vole movements... he has the sonic generator in the other hand... pointing it away from Quark for the moment... O'BRIEN Relax, Quark... we're trying something new that ought to make the voles beg for mercy... QUARK What is it? As he swings around toward Quark... O'BRIEN A sonic... Now the generator is pointing at Quark who immediately covers up his ears and doubles over, squealing in agony... QUARK Stop! Stop! O'Brien quickly complies and sets down the device. O'BRIEN Are you all right? DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 01/03/94 - ACT TWO 19. 20 CONTINUED: (2) Quark looks blankly at O'Brien. QUARK ... What? KIRA (off panels, urgent) Chief, the Mekong just came back through the wormhole... they're showing damage... O'Brien moves quickly to his station... Sisko ENTERS from his office having already seen the same readings... Quark puts his fingers in his ears and rubs as he EXITS... SISKO Open a channel, Major... put them on the screen... 21 ANGLE - INCLUDE THE VIEWSCREEN (OPTICAL) Dax and Arjin appear on the screen. SISKO (continuing) Are you all right, Dax? DAX Our power reserves are gone... we could use a tow. Sisko looks to O'Brien who nods he's already on it... SISKO What happened? DAX Not exactly sure. But we picked up some kind of subspace seaweed on our starboard nacelle... we couldn't get rid of it without causing further damage... O'BRIEN You can cut your engines, Lieutenant. We'll bring you in to pad "D"... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/21/93 - ACT TWO 20. 21 CONTINUED: Dax presses some panels... cutting her engines... DAX Set up a containment chamber in the Science Lab for me, would you Chief? When we get this thing untangled, I'd like to study it under controlled conditions... O'BRIEN (acknowledges) Give us a couple of hours... DAX Morning'll be fine. That'll give Arjin and me a little time to recoup... O'BRIEN Acknowledged. SISKO Stop by and fill me in later. 22 INT. RUNABOUT - CONTINUOUS DAX (acknowledges) Mekong out. She hits a panel and the monitors go blank... we sense the movement of the ship moving into docking position... she rises to exit... DAX Come on... I'll take you to dinner... As he rises to follow her, off his curious expression... 23 INT. PROMENADE At the Klingon sushi kiosk... the KLINGON HOST is touring with his instrument singing a Klingon song that is joyful by Klingon standards... the kind of song Nelson Eddy would have sung to Jeanette MacDonald if they had been Klingons... KLINGON HOST Ak'la bel-la doo-oo-oo-oo... Bel-la ak'la doo-oo-oo-oo... La suhm... La suhm... L'kahtra... La suhm... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT TWO 21. 23 CONTINUED: He pauses by Dax and Arjin's table, encouraging with his eyes for Dax to join him for the last line in harmony... KLINGON HOST & DAX Ak'la bel-la doo-oo-oo-oo! They finish with a laugh and scattered applause... Arjin is rather embarrassed by it all... it isn't helped when the Klingon slaps Arjin on the back with glee... KLINGON HOST (to Arjin) She taught that to me... can you believe it... a Klingon song I'd never heard... ARJIN (suffering the indignity with a trace of attitude) She... collects lost composers. KLINGON HOST (A new boyfriend?) Ak un lach'tel? DAX (no, no, my student) Doko... doko... un Koliay Trill... KLINGON HOST (to Arjin) Don't get any ideas. She's mine! He laughs, walking away... DAX You haven't touched your racht. ARJIN No, I have. It's... interesting... DAX You've been moving it around your plate to make it look like you've touched it. ARJIN I didn't have to move it... it moved itself. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT TWO 22. 23 CONTINUED: (2) DAX Arjin, if this didn't appeal to you, why didn't you say something? ARJIN (smiles, uncomfortably, shrugs) It's all right. I wasn't very hungry anyway. DAX Speak up for yourself while you're here, okay? ARJIN (earnest, but a false ring) I'll make a concerted effort. Dax studies him a beat. At this point Dax is not particularly impressed with Arjin... she has nothing against him but she doesn't like that vague superior attitude he occasionally lets slip through... he hasn't offered any distinctive qualities to her... he's playing it safe... she decides to casually probe a little deeper... she eats as the scene continues. DAX Who sponsored you for the program? ARJIN My father. DAX Was he Joined? ARJIN No, but he always had great ambitions for his children. He was a pilot instructor at the Gedana post for forty years. He died last year. DAX (sympathy noted) I see where you got your flight skills... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT TWO 23. 23 CONTINUED: (3) ARJIN (acknowledges) My sister was always his choice for Joining... but after she was accepted into the program, she ran off and got married. My father never spoke to her again. On the day he died, he turned to me and said -- "I'm counting on you"... (sad laugh) His last words to me. DAX Did he want you to enter Starfleet after Joining? Put your flight training to good use? ARJIN Honestly, he couldn't care less what I did afterwards as long as I became Joined. That was his only goal. DAX And what about your goals? ARJIN (smiles) There are so many possibilities when you're Joined. I'm not sure what I'd do yet... I figure I'd get a lot of guidance from the symbiont... wouldn't you say? Dax studies him, vaguely disturbed... she nods thoughtfully... DAX The symbiont's influence is very strong, Arjin... but you're the host... you've got to be strong enough to balance that influence with your own instincts. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT TWO 24. 23 CONTINUED: (4) DAX If you can't, the symbiont will overwhelm your personality. Arjin reacts, wondering if he misplayed that exchange... 24 INT. OPS O'Brien's talking to a CARDASSIAN OFFICER on the Viewscreen... Sisko is working at his desk in his office... CARDASSIAN OFFICER (with veiled pleasure) Oh, they are a nuisance, aren't they... O'BRIEN (who hates to be asking a Cardassian for anything) I was just hoping you'd found some way to deal with them... Dax ENTERS, carrying a long gift-wrapped box... her mind is deep in thought... CARDASSIAN OFFICER Federation technology isn't up to the task, eh... ? O'BRIEN (I don't need this) Look, I just thought in the interests of good relations, you might... CARDASSIAN OFFICER You've got the station. You've got the voles. By the way, their mating season begins in about six weeks... O'BRIEN (barely controlled, sarcastic) Thanks for your help. CARDASSIAN OFFICER The Federation could always withdraw from Bajor... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT TWO 25. 24 CONTINUED: O'Brien cuts the transmission... Dax hands him the long, gift-wrapped box... O'BRIEN What's this? DAX Got me. It's from Julian. He called it the solution you've been looking for. She moves toward Sisko's office. O'Brien quickly opens the box and pulls out a flute a la pied piper... reading the card... O'BRIEN "It worked in Hamlin." Very funny. She smiles, moves into Sisko's office. 25 INT. COMMANDER'S OFFICE As she ENTERS, he is studying a 24th century chessboard with a game in progress. SISKO Your move. (she sits) Your "seaweed" has been safely transported to the Science Lab... DAX Did you take a look at it? SISKO (nods) What do you think? (implied: of it) DAX We did as much analysis on the runabout as we could... none of the matter would scan... we'll do more tests tomorrow... SISKO (nods, a beat) How'd your initiate come through the experience? DAX (with reservations attached) Fine. He's a good pilot... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT TWO 26. 25 CONTINUED: SISKO Uh oh. DAX What. SISKO I know that look. DAX What look. SISKO That look, old man. The one that says "this one isn't going to make it." DAX (defensive) Not because of me. SISKO But you have your doubts. DAX I... have my doubts. SISKO What's his problem? DAX (picking up steam as she goes along) I'm not sure what he brings as a host... how he'll advance the symbiont to the next level... frankly, Benjamin, he's more than a little arrogant -- okay, for a Trill, that's to be expected -- but he's riding his father's ambitions and doesn't have any idea what he'd do with a symbiont if he got one. SISKO Have you confronted him? DAX (defensive) It's not my job to confront him. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT TWO 27. 25 CONTINUED: (2) SISKO (come on, Dax) Isn't it? DAX (too earnest) My job is to show him what it's like to function as a Joined Trill. And that's all. I can show you the guidelines. They're very clear. Beat. A long stare from Sisko challenges her. DAX Who am I to confront him? SISKO (simply) You're Dax. DAX Yes. But I'm not Curzon Dax. And I won't do to him what Curzon did to me... SISKO (softly) So, what are you going to do? (beat) This kid has to measure up soon or he'll never be chosen. True? She nods silently. SISKO So, you're not doing him any favors by avoiding a confrontation, are you? (a long beat) Curzon was tough. Maybe even abusive in his own charming way. But he always demanded the highest standards of excellence from these host candidates... DAX You don't know what he did to me. SISKO I know that you made it through the program. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT TWO 28. 25 CONTINUED: (3) DAX No thanks to him. SISKO Are you sure? Off her look... 26 INT. SCIENCE LAB Looking at the containment area... we can see the glowing protoplasm hovering in a constant forcefield... we can hear critters scurrying around... 26A ANGLE - COUNTER - INSIDE THE CONTAINED AREA (OPTICAL) See a glimpse of a vole scurrying in front of the forcefield... hear a fritz... the forcefield fails... the protoplasm drops to the counter and BREACHES appear in the protoplasm with bright light pouring out... the BREACHES tear open wider and the light spills out consuming the protoplasm... 26B ANGLE - OUTSIDE THE CONTAINED AREA Suddenly fills with Spielberg light and on that ominous note -- FADE OUT. END OF ACT TWO DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT THREE 29. ACT THREE FADE IN: 27 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) 28 INT. SCIENCE LAB (VPB) O'Brien comes out of a wall panel... Sisko is with Dax and Arjin looking into the bright light... O'BRIEN Voles ate through the security field energy lines... SISKO (angry) So, nothing is secure on this station any more... O'Brien feels personally responsible, shrugs an embarrassed acknowledgement... SISKO (to Dax) Any reason to believe there's an imminent threat from this? DAX Not as far as I can tell. But I can't tell you a lot yet. SISKO (nods) I want to know what we're dealing with as soon as possible. I'll schedule a briefing for fourteen hundred hours... (Dax acknowledges, continuing to O'Brien as they EXIT) And take those phasers off stun, Chief. No more Mister Nice Guy. They're out. DAX How's your astrophysics profile, Arjin... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT THREE 30. 28 CONTINUED: ARJIN It's one of my better subjects. Maybe that's why they sent me to work with you... DAX Set up a gravimetric microprobe for me... I need to calibrate the energy profile... She moves to the side as he works on setting up the gravimetric microprobe by the window to the contained area... (NOTE: I feel the need for this physical action because the scene is so long.) He hesitates before continuing to speak... ARJIN Jadzia... I felt that... last night... maybe I didn't express myself well... about my own goals... DAX I think you expressed yourself very clearly. ARJIN I just didn't want you to think I hadn't set any goals for post- Joining... I have thought about Starfleet... with my flight training... it would be a perfect... DAX (low key interruption, as she works) Starfleet is a career... a pilot is a job... what does that have to do with being Joined... ARJIN (confused) I'm not sure I understand. DAX (not harsh, always working) No, I don't think you do. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT THREE 31. 28 CONTINUED: (2) ARJIN (beat, suddenly on the defensive: what's that supposed to mean?) I'm sorry? DAX (casual) I think you're telling me what I want to hear. ARJIN (smiles, incredulous, she's changing the rules on me) That's not true. DAX I think you went to your quarters last night... tossed and turned in bed because you knew some of the things you'd said concerned me... and now you're trying to fix it. ARJIN I'm... I'm just trying to... to clarify... DAX (low key) I know what it's like. I've tossed and turned myself. Please don't insult me by denying it. He's clearly shaken by this exchange... finishes what he's doing... with a dry mouth -- ARJIN I'm finished. DAX Let's run a phase variant analysis... She rises... and they move to a set of consoles... on the way -- DAX I'm worried about you, Arjin. ARJIN Worried? DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT THREE 32. 28 CONTINUED: (3) DAX (tough for her, said calmly, in measured phrases) I'm worried you're not preparing yourself to be joined. Arjin can't believe he's hearing this... and he's getting angry because he sees his whole life slipping away from him... he's trying desperately to stay controlled... ARJIN (still incredulous) That's it? A day and a half and you've made up your mind... Shutting himself up before he goes too far. DAX (calmly) I didn't say that. Dax begins to set panels... DAX (continuing) Look, you've gotten this far by anticipating every demand of the program and performing beyond everyone's expectations, am I right? ARJIN I'd like to think that's true. DAX And I'm telling you that from this point on -- that's not going to be good enough. Arjin reacts, asking himself if that's not good, what is? The computer bleeps... results appear on the monitors... Dax studies them. DAX (continuing, curious) Highly structured but it doesn't seem to conform to any of our physical laws... computer, run a spectral line profile analysis... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT THREE 33. 28 CONTINUED: (4) COMPUTER VOICE Spectral analysis will take approximately seven minutes. Arjin is still desperately into himself... and the nature of the fierce competition just pushes him over the line -- but still low key -- ARJIN Just to... "speak up for myself"... I have to say I'm feeling... a little betrayed... here... I mean, after your impassioned "I-am-Jadzia, fellow initiate" speech in the runabout... DAX I understand why you feel that way. But this isn't about me. This is about the standards for Trill hosts. The opportunity is too rare and too important to waste on the wrong candidate. The term lingers in the air a long beat and it is crushing him. ARJIN (controlled) And in your mind, I'm a wrong candidate. DAX (sighs, a beat) I don't know that yet. But I felt it only... fair... to tell you that I am... worried about you. ARJIN (quietly) I see. And he can't restrain himself any longer. ARJIN I should have known this... I should have realized this... you're Dax. (beat) Standards for Trill hosts? DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT THREE 34. 28 CONTINUED: (5) ARJIN (Cont'd) (chuckles mournfully) That's really incredible coming from you. Because I've never seen any host in my life who is as far below those standards as you are... ma'am. No wonder Curzon Dax tried to terminate your training. And he EXITS. OFF her reaction... 29 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Time passage. 30 INT. OPS At the table. Sisko, O'Brien, Dax, Kira, Bashir. DAX I was finally able to read the EM flux... there are high plasma concentrations... and a rapidly expanding mass... Reactions. SISKO How rapidly... DAX (anticipating the security implications) The energy buildup is already straining the containment chamber. But here's the kicker: the mass periodically undergoes phased expansion and grows in spurts... it's a very specific growth pattern that the computer recognized... KIRA Recognized as what? DAX The expansion patterns of a universe. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT THREE 35. 30 CONTINUED: KIRA What? O'BRIEN A universe? DAX (acknowledges) What we have here, Benjamin, is a proto-universe in its earliest stages of formation. Unfortunately, as it grows, it's displacing our own universe. The ramifications of her report weigh on Sisko... SISKO Can we get it back where it came from? DAX This is not the subspace "seaweed" we started with. This is an energy mass with properties that don't conform to our own laws of nature. I have no idea what might happen if we tried to move it, let alone take it back into the wormhole. Even if we get there, the wormhole's vertiron nodes could interact with the energy fluctuations of the proto-universe and cause a devastating reaction. It could threaten this whole system. BASHIR (realizing) And if we don't do anything, it'll eventually obliterate this system and beyond... Dax acknowledges... O'BRIEN Can't we contain it somehow... DAX Not without destroying it. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT THREE 36. 30 CONTINUED: (2) KIRA Under these circumstances, that sounds like a pretty good option to me. DAX We can create a forcefield that will contain it... if we suppress it long enough, the feedback pressure should create an implosive wave. It would self-destruct. SISKO How long before the next phase of expansion? DAX About three hours. The collateral shock waves will probably destroy the lab... SISKO Can we get this containment field ready by then? O'BRIEN Yessir. Sisko makes the tough decision with a nod. O'Brien and Dax move into action immediately... SISKO (to Kira) Have Odo evacuate section fourteen. Kira acknowledges... lingering a beat on Sisko... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT THREE 37. 31 INT. QUARK'S As men have done for ages, Arjin has taken his sorrows to the nearest bartender... he drinks long and hard from a glass and lets the liquid burn his throat on the way down... our bartender studies him a short distance away, and as bartenders have done for ages, moves with a bottle to the rescue... QUARK Another? ARJIN Keep pouring until I drown. QUARK Sounds pretty serious. ARJIN Serious? No. I just threw my whole life out a porthole. Nothing serious. QUARK There isn't a problem in the world that can't be fixed by the right holosuite program. ARJIN (ignoring that, into his own thing) Never trust a Trill, Quark. QUARK Why not? ARJIN They're... two-faced. QUARK Does that go for all Trills or just for the ones with the worm? ARJIN Any worm named Dax. QUARK (understanding now) She break your heart, son? ARJIN What? DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 01/04/94 - ACT THREE 38. 31 CONTINUED: QUARK Mine too. And Bashir's in here every other day crying in his synthale over her. The Promenade is littered with the bodies of the men she's... ARJIN (overlapping) It wasn't my heart she broke. It was me. My career. My life. QUARK Wait a minute -- is this about all that "initiate" stuff? ARJIN (acknowledges) She told me I "wasn't preparing myself to Join." QUARK With the worm? So, that's her opinion. What's that worth, anyhow? ARJIN A bad recommendation from your field docent and you can forget it. Quark pours. Wanting to help -- QUARK Listen, son. When I was a young man, no older than you, I had an apprentice position with the District Sub-Nagus. I licked his boots like you couldn't believe. He loved me. I was his golden boy... I was on a fast track to the top of the Ferengi business world... and then it all fell apart... ARJIN How? QUARK Rule of Acquisition One-twelve. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 01/12/94 - ACT THREE 39. 31 CONTINUED: (2) QUARK (Cont'd) "Never have sex with the boss's sister." I was fired, broke. It was quite a setback to my ambitions. ARJIN How'd you recover? QUARK Never did. Look at me -- tending bar out here in Wormhole Junction while the big boys fly past me at warp speed. You only get one shot at the latinum stairway and if you miss it, you miss it. Welcome to the club, son. ARJIN Thanks. QUARK Glad I could help. He moves to another customer as Arjin feels even worse than before... 31A INT. SCIENCE LAB (OPTICAL) Close on the throbbing energy mass inside the chamber... pulling back to find a couple of Starfleet engineers putting equipment into place (or perhaps simply setting small blinkies along the ceiling or floor) in preparation for establishing the forcefield... moving again to find Dax still studying the readouts on a monitor... 31B CLOSE ON THE MONITOR (OPTICAL) as a bewildering series of numbers and scientific symbols flash by... 31C DAX reacts curiously to something she sees... presses some panels, her face even more curious... DAX Computer, confirm the localized entropy decrease in the energy mass. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 01/12/94 - ACT THREE 39A. 31C CONTINUED: COMPUTER VOICE Confirmed. DAX How much have the readings decreased in the last hour? COMPUTER VOICE Localized entropy readings have decreased twelve percent during the last fifty-eight minutes... Dax leans back, dumbfounded by these results... DAX (to herself) This can't be right. The whole thermodynamic structure would have to be changing. A beat. She leans forward again. Presses some panels. DAX Activate a quantometer probe. A bleep tells us it has. DAX Verify filter calibration. COMPUTER VOICE Filter calibration verified. DAX Set energy flux resolution to point one microdyne. Another bleep confirms it. DAX Begin high resolution energy scans. 31D THE MONITOR (OPTICAL) shows an Okudagram we don't have to understand. 31E DAX - EXTREME CLOSEUP studies it... shakes her head, disbelieving... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 01/12/94 - ACT THREE 39B. 31E CONTINUED: DAX There could be a malfunction in the sensors... computer, run a self- diagnostic and check quantometer calibration. COMPUTER VOICE Calibration is locked and normal. Diagnostic underway. DAX Are there any feedback anomalies in the dynametric array? COMPUTER VOICE Negative. DAX (hard to believe) What's the feedback reading? COMPUTER VOICE Feedback reading is zero. (beat, several computer bleeps) Diagnostic complete. Sensors are functioning normally. Dax is stunned by what she sees on the monitor. Takes a deep breath. 32 INT. OPS O'Brien is in the pit making preparations... Sisko and Kira are looking at monitor reports... ODO'S COM VOICE Odo to Sisko... SISKO Yes, Odo... ODO'S COM VOICE Section fourteen has been evacuated. SISKO Acknowledged. Mister O'Brien... ? O'BRIEN Just finishing up, Commander... He moves from the pit back to his station... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT THREE 40. 32 CONTINUED: SISKO Sisko to Dax. We're preparing to establish the containment field... I'd like you out of the lab during this... But Dax is arriving on the Turbolift... carrying a PADD... DAX I'm already out, Benjamin... but I'm not sure you're going to want to do this now... SISKO Why not? DAX I've found indications of life in the proto-universe. Off reactions... FADE OUT. END OF ACT THREE DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FOUR 41. ACT FOUR FADE IN: 33 INT. OPS (VPB) Minutes later... Bashir and ODO have joined the scene... DAX ... non-random thermodynamics... (new graphic) ... irregular power consumption. The computer's confirmed it, these are lifesigns... KIRA Wait a minute... single cell microbes are lifeforms too... but Doctor Bashir has a hypospray that will kill them... to say nothing of the Voles... DAX Kira, we could very well be dealing with intelligent life. KIRA How is that possible... you told us this proto-universe was just formed... BASHIR Oh, it's quite possible. We may have only experienced hours since this universe was formed... but we have no way of knowing how fast time is moving for them. Theoretically, billions of years might have passed... ODO (remarkable) An entire evolution of a species might have taken place in the last few hours. BASHIR It's possible. O'BRIEN'S COM VOICE O'Brien to Sisko DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FOUR 42. 33 CONTINUED: SISKO Go ahead, Chief. INTERCUT: 33A INT. SCIENCE LAB O'Brien and a couple of N.D. Supernumeraries are preparing to implement the forcefield. O'BRIEN (urgent) Commander, if we're going to implement that containment field, we've got to do it now. In two minutes, this thing is going to expand... Sisko takes a long beat... no, not this fast... SISKO'S COM VOICE Get your people out of there, Chief. We're not going to put up the containment field... O'BRIEN Aye, sir. They move to EXIT the Lab... 33B INT. OPS Reactions. Kira disagrees with the decision. KIRA Commander, this is only going to delay the inevitable... SISKO (overlapping) Take us to yellow alert, Major. Move repair crews into position... 34 INT. SCIENCE LAB (OPTICAL) Pushing in on the even brighter light coming out of the containment chamber... HEARING the creaking of metal, then BLAM -- whiteout... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FOUR 42A. 35 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) The hull outside the Science Lab is breached by the explosion -- shining bright light into the surrounding space... 36 INT. OPS As before... red alert lights come on as: COMPUTER VOICE Warning. Hull Breach. Level Twenty- two, Section Fourteen. SISKO (to com) Sisko to O'Brien. Seal off Section Fourteen, move your repair crews in... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FOUR 43. 36 CONTINUED: O'BRIEN'S COM VOICE Aye, sir... SISKO How long before the next expansion... DAX Roughly five hours... SISKO How much will it expand? DAX About three hundred percent. We'd lose a whole section of the station. By tomorrow, the station will be gone. BASHIR We could beam it into space, give us some more time to come up with a solution. KIRA We already have a solution and the longer we wait the harder it will be to implement it. I'm sorry but this is us or them. We have to destroy it. ODO You can't just wipe out a civilization... we would be committing mass murder. KIRA (can't anyone see this but me?) It's like stepping on ants, Odo. ODO I don't step on ants, Major. (beat) Just because we don't understand a lifeform doesn't mean we can destroy it. KIRA Do you have a better idea? Does anyone? DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FOUR 44. 36 CONTINUED: (2) No one does. Sisko takes it all in. It weighs heavily on him. SISKO I'll give you my decision in an hour. A beat as they look at each other. He EXITS, thoughtfully, to the Turbolift. 37 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) The breach still in place. SISKO (V.O.) Personal log. Supplemental. One hour. One hour to make a decision that could mean the life or death of a civilization. Or the end to our own. 38 INT. PROMENADE - SECOND LEVEL As Sisko looks out to space thoughtfully... moves to the rail and watches the people go by... SISKO (V.O.) My mind keeps going back to the Borg... how I despised their... indifference as they tried to exterminate us. And I have to ask myself... would I be any different if I destroyed another universe to preserve my own? Deep in thought, he walks on... 39 INT. SISKO'S QUARTERS Sisko ENTERS... JAKE is sitting at the computer, playing a computer game... SISKO Hey. JAKE Hi, Dad. What're you doing back so early? DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT FOUR 45. 39 CONTINUED: SISKO Just wanted to see you. Jake looks at him curiously... looks back at the screen, a guilty look on his face... JAKE He told you, didn't he. SISKO Told me what. JAKE Chief O'Brien. Darn it, he promised. SISKO If you have something you want to tell me, let's hear it. Jake turns off the monitor. JAKE I love her, Dad. Covering his stunned reaction -- SISKO Okay. JAKE She's everything I ever wanted in a woman. SISKO I'm sure she's a wonderful girl... JAKE She's not a girl... she's a woman... she doesn't like to be called a girl... everybody calls her that and she hates it... she wants to be something better than that... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FOUR 46. 39 CONTINUED: (2) SISKO (lost) Than what... ? JAKE Than a Dabo girl. SISKO You're in love with a Dabo girl? JAKE Wait a minute, you said Chief O'Brien told you... SISKO No, I didn't. Who is she... how old is she, Jake... JAKE Oh, jeez... (sighs) I wanted to tell you, but I was sure you'd never understand... SISKO So now you're hiding things from me... JAKE You would have understood? SISKO Of course not! Jake looks at him, "See? What was I supposed to do?" SISKO It's Mardah, isn't it... the one you've been tutoring in entomology. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FOUR 47. 39 CONTINUED: (3) JAKE I really want you to meet her, Dad. SISKO I really want to meet her. JAKE Can I invite her to dinner tonight? SISKO (beat, as the real problems he's facing are reawakened) Not tonight. But soon. JAKE Thanks, Dad. You'll love her. He runs out to tell her the "good" news... on Sisko's reaction as he forces his mind back to the reality of the decision that confronts him... and how that decision may affect all the lives of the people he loves and the people they shouldn't love but do... 40 INT. QUARK'S Arjin is still where we last saw him, studying the bubbles in his ale... with the intense stare of a medium reading a crystal ball... DAX (O.S.) What's so interesting in there? As he looks up, moving to reveal Dax sitting next to him... ARJIN (a dour smile) I can see my future. DAX I wouldn't trust a bottle of synthale to tell you the future. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT FOUR 48. 40 CONTINUED: ARJIN Let's get this over with, okay? Just use a sharp blade so I won't feel it. DAX You don't know me as well as you think you do. I'm sure you looked at all the training profiles... but that doesn't tell you who Jadzia really was before she was joined. Let me tell you about her. Jadzia was the quietest, shyest, most withdrawn young woman you've ever known. Brilliant, top grades... and not a clue to what life was about. She hadn't lived outside the program. And it didn't matter because she was sailing through... until she met Curzon Dax. Curzon sized her up in twenty seconds... and made the next two weeks the most miserable of her life. She cried herself to sleep every night. She hated him for it. But after the field training was over and she learned about his recommendation to terminate her from the program... she went back a different woman. She found her voice and reapplied. She tore through the program with a passion, a vengeance. And in the end, the administrators chose her for Joining. ARJIN How did you wind up with the Dax symbiont? DAX (personally triumphant) When I learned Curzon was dying, I requested the Dax symbiont. ARJIN And Curzon didn't object? DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FOUR 49. 40 CONTINUED: (2) DAX No. And I've never been sure why... except as I've come to know Curzon's dark sense of humor... I have a feeling the irony might have appealed to him. Arjin smiles for the first time in a long time. DAX Jadzia Dax is not Curzon Dax... but I am Dax... and I'm slowly coming to terms with what that means. Sometimes it means gambling or wrestling. Sometimes it means waking up an initiate before he slides into the middle of the pack and gets overlooked. ARJIN You're giving me another chance? DAX You're the only one who can give yourself another chance. You can't simply do this anymore to meet other people's expectations... not your father's, not your teachers', not mine. You've got to discover what Arjin wants... out of life and out of Joining. Sisko ENTERS... moves to Dax... with the decision... SISKO We'll try to take it back through the wormhole... How soon can you be ready? DAX (reacts) I'd want to be sure we have a containment field that would block out the vertiron node radiation as we pass through it... maybe two hours... SISKO Better get started. She acknowledges. Sisko EXITS... she turns to Arjin... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FOUR 49A. 40 CONTINUED: (3) DAX Wouldn't hurt to have a level five pilot along. Arjin is filled with renewed confidence. Smiles as they EXIT together. FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FIVE 50. ACT FIVE FADE IN: A41 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) Shuttle waiting off the outer ring. 41 INT. OPS Kira, O'Brien... Sisko ENTERS from his office... SISKO Chief... ? O'BRIEN The containment field is in place and holding, sir... but I'd like to run a practical test on the vertiron integrity... SISKO "Like to" or "need to"... that thing expands again in a little over an hour... O'BRIEN (sighs) This is the strongest forcefield I know how to construct, sir... but a test would at least tell us our odds of getting it through the wormhole intact... SISKO I'm not playing the odds today. Sisko to Rio Grande... your status... INTERCUT: 42 INT. RUNABOUT Dax and Arjin at the controls... DAX Systems check complete... auxiliary power to shields... I'd say we're packed and ready, Benjamin... MUCH INTERCUTTING: DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FIVE 50A. 43 INT. OPS/RUNABOUT SISKO (to O'Brien) Ready transporter. O'BRIEN (acknowledges) Locking on to the containment field... SISKO Energize... 43A ANGLE - THE RUNABOUT TRANSPORTER PAD (OPTICAL) The containment field with the bright energy mass inside phases in and out... DAX Chief... we're getting a phase variation here... O'BRIEN Stand by. The energy fluctuations are driving the transporter crazy. The transporter finally locks in... DAX We've got it now. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FIVE 51. 43A CONTINUED: O'BRIEN (checking panels) Switching your transporter to secure mode. Readings are stable. SISKO When you're ready, Dax. DAX Take us out gently, Arjin. ARJIN Firing thrusters. 44 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) As the runabout begins to move slowly away from the station... 45 INT. OPS O'BRIEN Energy readings from the containment field are holding... INTERCUTTING: DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT FIVE 52. 46 INT. RUNABOUT DAX Take us to fifty KPH... ARJIN Confirmed... Seventeen seconds to the wormhole... DAX Hold at fifty KPH... 47 INT. OPS (OPTICAL) O'BRIEN Ten seconds to the wormhole. KIRA Reading higher levels of neutrino activity... O'BRIEN Five... The wormhole explodes onto the viewscreen as the runabout reaches it... 48 INT. RUNABOUT DAX A short cross to the other side and we're home free. Rio Grande to Ops... com links will terminate in five seconds. See you later. 49 INT. OPS (OPTICAL) As the ship goes into the wormhole and it closes. KIRA Acknowledged, Rio Grande. (as transmission ends, to herself) May the prophets guide you. 50 EXT. WORMHOLE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) going through... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT FIVE 53. 51 INT. RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) There's an immediate reaction from the containment field... it's fritzing, fluttering... Dax sees it, reacts, gets up, goes to a rear panel to take readings... DAX (urgent) Containment field stability is down to eighty-five percent... every time we pass through a vertiron node, there's resonance leakage from the energy mass... ARJIN In twenty seconds, we'll be out of here... DAX We'll never make it. Field stability is down to sixty-five percent and falling. We've got to kill our forward acceleration. Now! ARJIN All engines stop. Blue light pours through the windows as they slow down... the field continues to crackle... DAX Thirty-eight percent stability... still falling... twenty-six percent... ARJIN Computer, thrusters on reverse... two second burst... The thrusters pop on for two seconds... ending all forward motion... ARJIN All stop. DAX It's stabilizing... The containment field is at twenty-seven percent... twenty-six... holding. She breathes a sigh of relief. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FIVE 54. 52 EXT. WORMHOLE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) virtually still inside the wormhole... without motion, we can see hundreds of light yellow nodes surrounding them: these are vertiron nodes... and they create for the runabout an incredible minefield to traverse... 53 INT. RUNABOUT Blue light pouring in. ARJIN Now what. Dax moves back to her seat... taking readings... DAX Well, we can't stay here. In forty- two minutes, that energy mass expands... and once it intersects with one of those vertiron nodes, they'll feel the result on the Cardassian homeworld... ARJIN But the containment field is so weak now, it'll fail as soon as we start to move again... DAX (beat, a plan emerging) I guess we'll just have to let it fail. ARJIN (reacts) Let it fail? But you said it yourself -- if we pass through even one of those vertiron nodes without the containment field, the energy mass will explode... DAX Then, we'll have to avoid them... ARJIN (reacts) You're talking about precision flying through a wormhole... it's never been done... Sitting down. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FIVE 55. 53 CONTINUED: DAX Until now. ARJIN Jadzia... DAX I'm a level three pilot. You're level five. I'll do it if I have to. But I don't have time to argue... Arjin looks at her... shakes his head with acceptance... ARJIN Watch the conn readouts... I'll try to keep at least fifty meters away from any node... DAX (pressing panels) Understood. Computer, calibrate internal scanners to detect vertiron radiation in the cabin... activate sonic indicators. A slow, repeating pulse TONE begins (24th century sonar)... DAX (reading) Vertiron levels are well within safe limits... ARJIN We'll start with one short thruster blast and coast through... that'll protect the containment field a few extra seconds... DAX Thrusters ready. ARJIN I'm taking the inertial dampers off line... it'll be a rougher ride but I'll have a little more response time... (beat, deep breath) Fire thrusters. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT FIVE 55A. 54 EXT. WORMHOLE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) thrusters fire for an instant and then shut off -- the ship inches forward... 55 INT. RUNABOUT Very, very bumpy without the dampeners in effect... the pulse tone gets slightly more rapid... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FIVE 56. 55 CONTINUED: DAX Velocity is forty meters per second. COMPUTER VOICE Warning. Containment field at ten percent. DAX Sixty seconds to Gamma... 56 ANGLE (OPTICAL) Past their heads to see the intimidating field of vertiron nodes. The pulse tone get more rapid... DAX Node to starboard... bearing oh-three- seven mark seven. ARJIN Firing starboard thruster... 57 EXT. WORMHOLE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) As the starboard thruster fires and the ship gently adjusts course... moving by a large node... 58 INT. RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) The pulse tone slows down notably... COMPUTER VOICE Warning. Containment field has collapsed. ARJIN No more margin for error... DAX Forty-five seconds to Gamma. (seeing) Node to port, bearing zero-three- zero mark three-five-one... ARJIN I've got it... The pulse tone quickens significantly... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FIVE 56A. 59 EXT. WORMHOLE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) The port thruster fires... and the ship barely passes the node safely... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/21/93 - ACT FIVE 57. 60 INT. RUNABOUT Massive shaking now... the pulse tones return to the previous level... DAX (looking at sensors) Thirty-five seconds to Gamma. Vertiron levels are still okay... ARJIN (reacts to what he sees ahead) Jadzia... look at this... She looks up through the window reacts as she sees -- 60A OVER THEIR SHOULDER (OPTICAL) to see an intimidating, seemingly impenetrable stretch of vertiron nodes facing them... like icebergs blocking the Titanic... ARJIN We'll never get through it... 60B RESUME Dax feverishly pressing panels, checking scanners... DAX Reading a passage... adjust heading to one three one mark four-seven... ARJIN Confirmed. DAX The sensors say it's directly ahead... ARJIN I don't see it... The pulse gets steadily faster and faster... 60C OVER THEIR SHOULDER (OPTICAL) On a collision course with the vertiron nodes... DAX Hold your course. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FIVE 57A. 60C CONTINUED: ARJIN I don't see it. Suddenly, a slight break in the blockade... a hole... ARJIN (continuing) I see it! 60D RESUME ARJIN It's less than seventeen meters across... DAX The ship is only fourteen meters wide... you've got over two meters to work with... The pulses come faster than ever... 60E EXT. WORMHOLE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) goes into the small passage... 60F INT. RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) And the pulses are going crazy now... DAX (checking) Vertiron levels are red-lining... The energy mass flares behind them, she looks quickly back, then back to the job... DAX Five seconds to Gamma... 61 EXT. SPACE - GAMMA QUADRANT (OPTICAL) As the wormhole opens and spits out the runabout... DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT FIVE 57B. 62 INT. RUNABOUT As it calms down... and they relax... DAX This is going to look very good on your initiate record, Arjin. Arjin smiles weakly... DAX (continuing) Now, lets get this thing back where it belongs. 63 EXT. SPACE - RUNABOUT (OPTICAL) as it engages engines and zooms into space... 64 EXT. SPACE - DEEP SPACE NINE (OPTICAL) 65 INT. PROMENADE Arjin and Dax walk to the airlock gateway... Arjin's leaving, he has his shoulder bag, pausing... ARJIN There's one thing I want to do before I go... and that's to apologize for the things I said to you in the Lab. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - 12/17/93 - ACT FIVE 58. 65 CONTINUED: DAX (forgiving) That was the first time you were really being honest with me. ARJIN Somehow, I always expected that Joining would make any Trill... (struggling) ... complete, serene, wise beyond her years... DAX (dry) And I'm none of those things... ARJIN What I mean is... (beat, struggling) ... you're nothing like I expected... DAX I'm nothing like I expected either... (beat) Life after life, with each new personality stampeding around in your head... you get desires that scare you, dreams that used to belong to someone else. (beat) I wouldn't recommend it for everyone... but in time I might recommend it for you. When you're ready. ARJIN I know what I have to do. She nods, smiles... he reaches out to shake her hand... but she kisses him on the cheek. DAX Good luck. He EXITS into the gate... and she turns and smiles to herself... DAX (affirmed) I am not Curzon. DEEP SPACE: "Playing God" - REV. 12/22/93 - ACT FIVE 59. 65 CONTINUED: (2) She smiles to herself and as she goes into Quark's -- FADE OUT. END OF ACT FIVE THE END