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Organization: Freshman, Art, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Path: moe.ksu.ksu.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!fs7.ece.cmu.edu!crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!me1g+
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Message-ID: <Ee3ehBO00UzxA2gkUw@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: Mon, 11 May 1992 13:13:49 -0400
From: Michael Paul Errante <me1g+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Civ Paper
Lines: 718
OK people here is the paper I wrote for my Civ class. I am sending this
as my very last message this year to this board. Any coments should be
sent to my e-mail address. I should have enough space for a bunch of
short comments.
Hope ye like it.
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Scene: Outside shot of the Enteprise orbiting a red orange planet.
Picard voice over: Captains Log Stardate 60107.4023. We have just finshed
repairing the damage to science station on Seemu 3 and are proceeding to leave
orbit for a rondeavouz with the Hood. I am hopeful that our journey will go
without interuption for my crew has earned a rest.
Scene: Main bridge. Worf is at tactical, Riker is in his chair. Troi is in
hers', wearing her blue dress uniform. Data has navigation and Wes is at the
con. Several nameless ensigns are at the stations behind tactical. The
captian enters from his ready room.
Riker stands: We are ready to leave orbit sir, just waiting for your
command.
Picard, sitting in his command chair: Ensign Crusher plot a course heading
345.8 by 764.3. Warp 4.
Wes: Course set and laid in sir.
Picard:Engage. Number one you have the bridge, I will be in my quarters.
Riker: Can't wait to finish that book, eh captain.
Picard: Yes Will, I just love Shakespeare. I am just finishing with Hamlet
right now. I can't wait to see how Ophelia reacts to the news of her fathers
death at Hamlets hands.
Nameless Ensign #1: She kills herself.
Picard: What?
Nameless Ensign #1: She kills herself, goes batty and thinks shes a fish.
It's all very beautiful. (He turns around, it is Q) At least thats what I've
been told.
Picard: Q.
Cut to opening.
Picard voice over: Space the final frontier. These are the voyages of the
Starship Enterprise. It's ongoing mission to explore strange new
civilizations, to . To boldly go where no one has gone before.
Lots of nifty space shots, and the Enterprise zooming all over the place.
Commercial-
Scene: Outer shot of the Enterprise in warp. Title in the upper right
corner. ATW-Q.
Picard: Q.
Q: Pi-card.
Riker: What the hell do want Q?
Q: Commander Riker, still the silver tongue aren't we.
Picard: Q! What are you doing here. I thought you out exploring dead
civilizations with Vash.
Q: She got, well, upset when I brought an extinct lifeform back into
existence and it mauled a team of archeologist. So I left her there to help
them patch things up. What have you been up to to Picard? Read any good
books lately?
Data: Captain Picard was remarking on a book when you made your presence
known, and since you did comment on it you already know the answer to the
question,I do not understand your reasoning for the question.
Q: It was a joke you insufferable android. Something you are not capable of
understanding.
Worf: Captain, permission to escort our 'visitor' off the bridge.
Q: Try it and end up a cow.
Data: There are several religions where being a cow is considered an honor.
The Hindus of Earth, the Deraks of Glorfinch, the Semba of...
Picard: Not now Mr. Data. Permission denied Mr. Worf. What is it you want
Q.
Q: I just want to be friends, Jean-Luc.
Riker: Sir, I say we just ignore him, maybe he'll get the hint and go away.
Picard: I only wish we could, but I think that solution is not a
possibility.
Q: Stop talking about me as if I'm not here, it really bugs me. Now please,
just hear me out.
Picard: As if I could stop you.
Worf: I could try.
Troi: Commander, I am sensing intense hostility from Leutenient Worf.
Picard: What is it that you are going to do to us Q. Get on with it or
leave.
Q: Well, it has come to my attention that you don't have a firm grasp on the
interconnectedness of things.
Riker: Just what does that mean.
Q: It all very zen. First you have to understand the collective
unconscious.
Wes: What's the collective unconscious.
Data: Accessing. The collective unconscious is a term coined by Karl Jung
on twentieth century earth. The basic idea behind it is that all the
experiences of every sentient being in the universe can be accessed and used
by those who follow them.
Wes: Oh, I may have to do an experiment on that someday.
Q: You do that kid. I'm sure you'll find something out, or kill your mom
again.
Wes: That was an accident, I was just trying to improve...
Picard: Please Wes, we have more important things at hand than you. What
are you getting at Q.
Q: Well I was trying to explain that you have no sense of continuity. Sure
you occasionally run into someone you've met before but you never see the
reprocussions of what you've done. if you did you would realize that you
should be at war with the Cardassians, after all the last time you looked they
were gearing up for a war.
Picard: SO they thought twice about attacking us. Who would blame them. I
know how the past can come back to haunt you, look at what happened with Yar.
Q: Yes what happened with Yar. Is her legacy dead or will her granddaughter
come back for revenge next. You know nothing of how one thing can affect an
entire civilization.
Riker: And I suppose you are going to show us.
Q: I had just planned on telling you but since you suggest it. Let's give it
a try.
Q snaps his fingers, and disappears in his usual flash of light. Another
flash at each of the bridge crew disappears, except the nameless ensigns. Troi
and Wesley.
Scene: England, 1601. Picard appears in a flash of light alone. He is
dressed in a simple frock and worn trousers, both brown. He glances around in
disaray.
Picard: Q, where are you? What have you done? I demand that I be put back
on the Enterprise immediately.
Wandering Person #1: Oi, mister you best not be talkin' to yerself.
Someones gonna take ya as a crazy and trow ya in da loonie bin.
Picard: My fine man, would you care to tell me in which city I am in, and ,
ah, what the date is.
Wandering Person#1: Sure mister, yer in W England, and it's June 14 1601.
Picard: How very interesting. Thank you.
Scene: Roman hall. Worf appears, he is missing the head ridges. He is
wearing a white toga. A group of men are conferring near him. He slips
behind a column to conceal himself.
Senator #1: We must strike now, for the good of the Empire. Caesar must
die.
Senator #2: We must be unanimous, are ye with us Brutus.
Brutus: I...I do not know. Caesar is my friend, he has put his trust in me.
I cannot betray that.
Senator #1: The good of the Roman Empire comes before any one man, even
Caesar.
Brutus: True, but is it necessary to...k...k...kill him. Could we not try
to reason with him. Show him he is hurting the Empire. He would listen.
Senator #3: Caesar is not the man we once knew. His mind has changed since
he has gotten power over the entire Empire.
Brutus: Ai, I know what you say is truth, it is just hard to accept. I am
with you. May Caesar forgive me, I am with you.
Scene: Lobby of some sorts, restroom signs are seen on the wall behind Riker
is dressed in a simple outfit of jeans and a shirt that has a blue three
quarter sleeves on it. Several people around him are jumping around, laughing
and screaming. He looks around and sees a poster. Bette Midler at the Red
Rocks Apitheater with a large sold out sign over it. The date was Sept 14,
1973.
Riker: Q, where the hell am I.
Screaming Fan Boy #1: Come on man, Bette's about to come back on.
Riker moved with the flow of the crowd toward an open ampitheater door.
Scene: Outdoors, near a forest of some sort. Data appears wearing a pair of
overalls, a white shirt and a wide brimmed straw hat. He looks about.
Data: Interesting. It would appear that I am now in the south France,
sometime near the end of the eighteenth century. Q must have placed me here.
I believe that the best course of action is to locate some form of shelter
and....
The aindroids head cocked sideways slightly.
Data: Strange, apparently my programming cannot come up with a proper
sequence that I should follow. I shall have to run a diagnostic on them when
I get back to the ship.
Data headed away from the forest, attempting to whistle while doing so.
-Commercial
Scene: England 1601.
Picard is wandering along the street, he approaches a large building, opens
the door and enters.
Scene: A theater of sorts. Seats are located on the upper level only. The
stage is several feet off the ground. The stage is not set at all.
Actor #1: I don't think he's going to show today.
Actor #2: Why not?
Actor #1: He was having trouble with a scene. He probably is still working
on it.
Actor#2: Well then. If he is not going to be here, what are we to do.
Picard: Pardon me.
Actor #1: There is no performance today good sir. You are not supposed to
be here, please leave.
Picard: This is the Globe theater?
Actor #2: Yes.
Picard: Ah, then would it be possible for me to see William Shakespeare,
if it is no problem.
Actor #3: He is not here yet, and we don't quite expect him anymore.
Picard: Do you know where I may find him.
Actor #1: Have you tried him rooms?
Scene: South France. Data has taken to walking along a road. He sees a
cottage off the road and begins heading for it. He is humming.
Scene: Enterprise Bridge. Geordi is sitting in Rikers chair. Wes is at the
con. Troi is in her chair. Dr. Crusher is standing next to Troi. Nameless
ensigns are at all other stations. The captains chair is empty.
Troi voice over: Counselors log, supplemental. The crew is holding together
well enough, considering the chain of command has been completely obliterated.
Q has yet to resurface and offer any sort of explanation. I am most
concerned about Geordi. The mantle of command has fallen to him,and he is
very inexperienced, and worried if he will make the correct decisions.
Geordi: Ensign Crusher, set a search pattern to search this quadrant.
Long range sensors.
Wes: Course set and laid in, sir.
Geordi: Engage.
Troi: Don't worry Geordi. We'll find them soon enough.
Geordi: But how Counsellor. Q could have sent them anywhere, and he
probably did.
Dr. Crusher: Did Q mention anything that might give us a lead to where they
are.
Wes: Well he was talking about zen, and unconscious and changing
civilization.
Dr. Crusher: You don't suppose he sent them back to change history, just to
prove it can be done.
Geordi: We don't even know if Q is capable of something like time travel.
Troi: He has seemed confidant in his omnipotence.
Geordi: I guess we'll just have to wait this one out.
Scene: Roman Senate. Worf is making his way down near the floor. He walks
over to Brutus.
Worf: You will derive no honor from this act.
Brutus: What? I don't know you do I.
Worf: (Shaking his head) No you do not, but I know of you and what you plan
to do. You will suffer if you go through with this treasonous act.
Brutus: But it is for the good of the Empire, that is not treason.
Worf: Somethings come before an Empire. Honor is one of them. You will be
dishonored.
Worf turns and walks away. Brutus turns and raises his hand, almost
shouting, but stopping. His head drops in thought.
Scene: Red Rocks Ampitheater. Riker has just come through the doors, he can
barely hear the piano that is solely playing on the stage. The light shines
off the players white outfit. He listens. Chopins' prelude n C minor drifts
to his ears. He stops, caught up in the music. He looks up, the sky is a
deep indigo, stars gleaming. The song changes from the normal one. Rikers
attention is moved back to the stage.
Riker: Beautiful. Beautiful music.
Scene: Cottage in S. France. Data has arrived at the cottage.
Data: Odd, I do not understand how I came to come to this cottage. I wonder
if this is more of Qs' doing.
He Knocks.
Data: Is there anyone in residence here.
He knocks again. We hear noise from inside. The door opens a man with a red
beard is in the door. He raises his hand to shield his eyes from the sun.
Data: Pardon me sir,...
Van Gogh: Vincent, my name is Vincent. What is it you would be wanting of
my. Not a portrait I am sure.
Data: No thank you. I would like (he is caught for a reason) somewhere I
could stay for the evening. I am a...traveler from far away.
Van Gogh: You can stay on my floor if that suits you at all.
Data: That will be acceptable, I am sure.
Van Gogh opens the door for Data to enter. Data goes in. Van Gogh closes
the door.
Scene: An interior room. Picard is sitting on a chair, there is one other
opposite. A desk is in the corner by the window, a stack of papers on it.
Shakespeare' voice: I hope that tea is acceptable, Jean-Luc.
Picard: (laughing to himself) Yes tea will do quite nicely.
Shakespeare: (entering, and sitting on the chair) I am sorry you had to go
through all the trouble of finding me. It must have been hard for you to get
here from France.
Picard: It isn't how I got here that worries me, it's how to get back.
Shakespeare: If you need work, I am sure the theater could use you for a few
weeks, building or something.
Picard: No money isn't the problem, it's time.
Shakespeare: I do not understand, do you have an engagement you have to get
to.
Picard: Not quite, but I'll leave it at that. I wanted to ask you about your
plays, especially the new one, Hamlet.
Shakespeare: A rather tragic tragedy. It has the makings of a very good
play. Love, betrayal, revenge and death. Lots of death. Almost everyone
died.
Picard: But why must everyone die? Couldn't several live.
Shakespeare: Then it wouldn't be a real tragedy. Tragedy takes place best
when there is the most at stake and all is lost. When people get pulled down
because of only a small commitment to a main character. If people believe the
small characters and they suffer, the audience suffers along with them. And
if their suffering causes a lead player to suffer, all the more it is felt by
the audience. If the audience is drawn in, then it will be a good play. Only
one or two of the smaller main characters can live, after all we need someone
who could have told the story.
Scene: South France. A decent sized room with several painted canvases in
it. Data is sitting at a table with some flowers on it. Vincent brings some
wine to the table.
Van Gogh: It gets terribly lonesome out here at time, but the quiet is good
for my work.
Data: I find that your work is quiet, unsettleing to most people.
Van Gogh: There is a problem. People see my work as vulgar, I see it at a
perfect chance to manipulate the world that I live in to better suit my needs.
My work is in based in reality, but I don't limit myself to it. I put down
the color I think they could be.
Data: People have a great fear of the different, of the unknown.
Van Gogh: True, true. If people could think like me, then maybe they could
understand what I paint. If they lived as I have lived, or knew of how I have
lived maybe they could understand what I paint. But they do not.
Data: I wish I could.
Van Gogh: I wish you could, also. Come sit over here, the light is much
better.
Scene: Ancient Rome. The senate has conveened and Ceaser is down on the
floor Several senators surround him at a distance.
Caesar:...with the aid of the people. We can drive the northerners back
north, if we are united as a people. I have let you the people appoint the
senators, and under their council I have decided that we must strike before
the barbarians. We must keep them from our homeland, we must keep the Empire
pure and strong.
As he ends the croud cheers. Caeser gets down off the podium as the cheers
subside. The croud filters out. The senators group up. Worf can be seen
walking against the crowd, towards the floor.
Senator #2: See Brutus, he is bringing us into a war that we have no need to
be in. We must strike now, before he can cause much damage.
Brutus: No, I cannot allow this. I will not betray my friend.
Senator: Then you betray your country. Come fellows, we must still strike.
They move towards Caesar.
Brutus: CAESAR, BEWARE.
Senator #1 turns around, pulls a knife from his toga and stabs Brutus in the
stomach. Brutus falls. Caesar turns.
Caesar: What treachery is this. My friend Brutus, killed before my eyes. I
swear by my soul, he shal be avenged.
Caesar pulls a knife from beneath his toga and begins towards Senator #1. As
he passes the other senators they form a ring around him. Each pulling a
knife from their toga.
Caesar: Tis treachery most foul. Am I to be sacrificed for the advancement
of your careers. I think not. I shall not go meekly and I shall not go
alone.
He lunges toward Seantor #1 and cuts deply into his side. The other senators
close the circle. Worf appears and grabs one of the senators, throws him
across the room, he lands on his shoulder, he writhes in pain. Several
senators break off from the assault on Caesar to attack Worf. He dispatches
them quite easily. He picks up one of the knives and moves to aid Caesar.
Caesar has held his own fairly, two senators lie at his feet, he is bleeding
from three places. Worf wades in to the mass of senators and begins slashing,
hitting kicking and head butting anything in range. The senators break from
Caesar and concentrate on Worf. We see him cut several times. The senators
begin to fall from the combiuned assault of Worf and Caesar. When the last
one falls Worf drops his blade. Caesar puts an arm around Worf.
Caesar: Well fought. I thank you for the aid, if not for you I would be
fallen. As is my dearest friend, Brutus.
Worf: I could not allow such a dishonorable act to go unchallenged. I am
satisfied that we both survived.
Caesar: I will have to be more carefull who I trust in the future. I will
have to rule with a stronger hand. If treachery as this is to be avoided.
Caesar turns toward Brutuses' corpse. Worf disappears in a flash of light.
Scene: Red Rocks Ampitheater. Riker is listening to the song as it comes to
a close. He begins to applaud. He disappears in a flash of light.
-Commercial
Scene: Bridge of the Enterprise. Same as before except Dr. Crusher is
missing.
Geordi: I'm about ready to give up on this one. We can find no trace of the
Captian, Riker, Data or Worf. I don't think Q left any.
Troi: Don't worry. We'll find them...eventually.
There is a flash of light and Captian Picard, Riker, Data and Worf are all
back on the bridge, in Starfleet uniform.
Geordi: Captian...Riker...Data...Worf...where have you been?
Captian: Apparently Q sent us back in time. I had a most interesting
conversation with William Shakespeare. What happened to you Will?
Riker: I went to a Bette Midler concertin 1973 where some man was playing a
most amazing song.
Picard: Bette Midler?
Data: Accessing. Bette Midler, a preformer during the later half of the
twentith century. I believe the man in question could be Barry Manilow. He
played on her first tour which took place in that year.
Picard: Thank you Data, now tell us what you did.
Data: I talked with Vincent Van Gogh, and had my portrait painted by him.
Picard: That is spectacular, I would enjoy seeing how he painted you.
Data: Since there is no record of it in my memory, I do not think that it
was actually painted.
Picard: That is to bad, I am sure it was beautiful. Worf?
Worf has taken leave of the small group and taken his post. Several wet
blood stains can be seen on his uniform.
Riker: Worf, your bleeding.
Picard taps his communicator.
Picard: Picard to sick bay. Dr Crusher to the bridge, medical emergency.
Worf: I shall be fine, sir.
Picard: How did it happen Worf?
Geordi: Where did you go, Romulus?
Worf: I was sent back to...Sir there is an unidentified ship approaching us
on an intercept course. Warp 7.
Every one takes their normal positons at this time. The namless ensigns that
are replaced move to the turbolift.
Pircard: Estimated time to intercept.
Worf: Sixteen miniutes, sir.
Picard: Hail them.
Worf: No response.
Picard: Keep hailing them, Leutenant. Sugestions Number one?
Riker: Shields up and arm phasers.
PIcard: Make it so.
Worf: Shields up, pharsers are armed and ready.
Dr. Cruher arrives in the turbolift.
Dr. Crusher: It's good to see you again, Jean-Luc. Which one is my patient.
Picard: Lt. Worf.
Dr. Crusher goes over to examine him, popping the scanner from the medical
tricorder she carries.
Dr. Crusher: What happened to you Worf, you have several broken bones,
multiple cuts and quite a few abrasions.
Worf: I will be fine Dr. Crusher, please leave me to my duty.
Dr. Crusher: As cheif medical oficer I order you to report to sick bay.
Picard: Go down to sick bay Worf. We need you in top condition A.S.A.P.
Worf: ...Yes, sir.
Worf and Dr. Crusher leave in the turbolift. Riker takes tactical.
Data: Time till intercept is now ten miniutes forty seconds.
Picard: Any respone to our hails.
Riker: None, sir. The other ship has power to weapons and shields. Sir, it
looks like one of ours.
Picard: On screen.
The ship appears to be similar in design to a Galaxy class, except it is
larger, and has a more foward tilt to it.
Data: Time to intercept four miniutes sixteen seconds.
Picard: Slow to impulse.
Riker: Sir they are hailing us.
Picard: On screen.
The other ship is set just like the Enterprise. The Captian is seated in his
chair. He is in his late thirties, short brown hair.
Picard: I am Captian Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise. What is it
you want from us.
Captian: I am Captian Marc Fredrickson of the Starship Guenivere. Either
surrender yourselves to the Empire, or be destroyed.
Picard: Empire, what Empire?
Captian: The Galactic Roman Empire.
Picard: The empire fell a milenia ago. What is it you really want?
Captian: I will not repeat this again. Either surrunder your ship, or be
destroyed.
Picard: I will not give up my ship to an Empire that does not exist.
Captian: Have it your way.
The viewscreen switches back to a shot of the enemy ship. It begins moving.
A volley of photon torpeedoes fly out from it and hit the Enterprise. The
ship rocks violently.
Picard: Evasive manuvers Alpha six. Status Number one.
Riker: Shiels are at eibghty four percent. No damage.
Picard: Fire at will, attempy to disable it before destroyong it.
Riker: Aye, sir. Phasers fired.
A beam of red light stabbed out at the other ship, but was absorbed by it's
shield. The ship reciprocated the attack.
Riker: Shields at fifty four percent. There in damage to decks thirty five
and seventeen. Evacuating and sealing them off.
Another volley hits the Enterprise.
Riker: Sir, we've practically lost shields. I propose we try warp out of
here and repair the damage.
Picard: I don't think they are going to let us just go like that.
Riker: We cloud sepatate the saucer section, at least we could save some of
the crew.
Picard: Make it so.
Riker taps his communicator.
Riker: This is Commander Riker. All hand prepare for an emergency saucer
section separation. I repeat all hand prepare for an emergency saucer
separation.
Everyone begins to shuffle about, Picard, Data and Riker head for the Turbo
lift.
Picard: Will, you stay here. You are needed.
Riker: It has been a pleasure, sir.
Picard: For me too, Will.
The turbolift doors slide shut.
Riker walks to the center of the bridge.
Riker: Ensign crusher set a course fro Starbase 125.
Wes: Course set and laid in, sir.
Riker: Wait for my order, then punch us out of here at Warp 9.
Picard Voice over: Number one, commander Data and I are ready when ever you
are.
Riker: Initiate saucer separation seq..
A fourth volley of photon torpeedoes slammed through the shields and into the
side of the Enterprise.
Riker: Separate the saucer, NOW.
Wes: Saucer separated.
Riker: Engage.
Geordi: Sorry sir, but we've lost warp engines. We're sitting ducks.
Riker: Then all we can do is pray for a miracle.
The fifth folley cut the antimatter containment field to shreds. There was a
large flash of light.
The End
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