STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Hollow Pursuits" #40273-169 Written by Sally Caves Directed by Cliff Bole 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 1990 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 This script is not for publication or reproduction.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. FINAL DRAFT FEBRUARY 9, 1990 STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" 2/15/90 - CAST STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Hollow Pursuits" CAST PICARD BARCLAY RIKER DATA BEVERLY TROI GEORDI WORF WESLEY GUINAN O'BRIEN DUFFY COMPUTER VOICE Non-Speaking SUPERNUMERARIES ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS SECURITY GUARD COSTA STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" 2/9/90 - SETS STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Hollow Pursuits" SETS INTERIORS EXTERIORS USS ENTERPRISE USS ENTERPRISE MAIN BRIDGE CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM MAIN ENGINEERING CARGO BAY TEN-FORWARD TROI'S OFFICE CORRIDOR TURBOLIFT TRANSPORTER HOLODECK ENTRANCE HOLODECK MAIN BRIDGE TEN-FORWARD TROI'S OFFICE GLADE PICNIC SETTING A HILL STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - 2/14/90 - PRONUNCIATION STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Hollow Pursuits" PRONUNCIATION GUIDE CORRELLIUM kor-REL-lee-um INVIDIUM in-VID-ee-um JAKMANITE JACK-man-nite LUCROVEXITRIN loo-kro-VEX-ah-tren METALLURGY MEH-tahl-urj-ee MIKULAKS MICK-ah-lacks NAHMI NAH-me NUCLEO-SYNTHESIS NEW-kleo SIN-thee-sis SALTZGADUM SALTS-gad-um SELGNINAEM selg-nen-NAY-um ZHUKOV ZOO-kov STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - TEASER 1. STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Hollow Pursuits" TEASER FADE IN: 1 INT. TEN FORWARD/HOLODECK (OPTICAL) Lieutenant ENDICOTT REGINALD BARCLAY THE THIRD slouches at the bar. Scattered around the room are HOLO-TROI, who sits provocatively at a table in her off the shoulder dress; HOLO-RIKER seated at the end of the bar and mumbling into his drink, OTHERS. There should be the suggestion of something bogus about the scene, like a bad John Wayne movie, rife with cliches and over-acting. Holo-Guinan walks over to Barclay... with a bottle of whisky and a shot glass. HOLO-GUINAN I don't want any trouble, Barlcay... BARCLAY Trouble? Why would there be trouble? HOLO-GUINAN There's always trouble when you come in here. Barclay just grins. As he opens the bottle and pours a shot... HOLO-GEORDI ENTERS, comes up behind Barclay. HOLO-GEORDI You're on duty, Lieutenant. BARCLAY Is that a fact? HOLO-GEORDI It is, and you'll observe it. Get back to your post. BARCLAY Look, pal. Do me a favor. Take yourself and your holier-than-thou attitude and get out of my life. During the above, Holo-Riker looks up from his position at the bar, stands, moves over. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - TEASER 1A. 1 CONTINUED: HOLO-RIKER This is insubordination, Mister Barclay. BARCLAY So punish me. HOLO-RIKER (keys insignia) Security to Ten-Forward! A SECURITY CREWMAN ENTERS and heads for Barclay. In a blur of a movement, Barclay manages to flip him neatly onto the floor. All stare at him, stunned. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - TEASER 2. 1 CONTINUED: The Holo-Guard groans, Barclay smirks, takes a gulp of synthehol and gestures with the glass at Holo-Riker. BARCLAY "Insubordination." Holo-Riker seizes his arm and slops the drink; Barclay turns quickly, gets a half-Nelson on Holo-Riker and strains him painfully against the counter. BARCLAY Riker, you're nothing but a pretty mannequin dressed up in a fancy uniform. You're full of hot air, and if Picard has a problem with me, he can come and tell me himself... Barclay gives him one last hard push before releasing him. Defeated, Holo-Riker slips wearily down and leans against the bar. Barclay moves threateningly at Holo-Geordi, who retreats, runs out of the room, scared to death. Barclay saunters over to the table where Holo-Troi is seated. He picks up her willing hand. HOLO-TROI I feel your confidence, your arrogant resolve. It excites me. COM VOICE OF THE REAL GEORDI -- GEORDI'S COM VOICE Lieutenant Barclay, report to Cargo Bay Five now. BARCLAY (to Troi) This will have to wait, darling. (to com) Um... Be right there. (to the room) Freeze program. Exit. All the human figures FREEZE. Barclay heads toward the o.s. Holodeck doors. BARCLAY Save program. Ten Forward vanishes... he EXITS. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - TEASER 3. 2 INT. CORRIDOR Barclay steps into the corridor, a much altered man. The hero of the hour has been replaced with a shy individual with a perpetual frown born of stress and unhappiness between his brows. He is hustling because he's late. Troi comes briskly around a corner. She's headed straight for him. He steps aside for her. Troi nods in greeting, gives him a kindly but perfunctory smile and moves on. We barely notice Barclay sigh as he moves on. 3 INT. CARGO BAY (OPTICAL) O'BRIEN is operating the transporter console... several canisters MATERIALIZE. A couple of ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS (named DUFFY and COSTA) move the canisters from the transporter pad to an antigrav unit. Geordi is studying an open panel on the unit which is out of service... Riker is listening to him gripe about Barclay. GEORDI I just don't know what to do with him. He's always late, never gives his best effort, always slides by... I can't deal with it anymore. How does a guy like him ever make it through the Academy... RIKER (agrees) I think it's time we talked to the captain about Broccoli. (off Geordi's look) That's what Wesley calls him. Keep it to yourself. GEORDI It fits. 3A ANGLE as they see Barclay ENTER... moving to him... a throw-away piece of business -- Duffy discovers a canister with a trace of GASEOUS NITROGEN leaking from it. DUFFY A broken seal, Commander. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - TEASER 3A. 3A CONTINUED: GEORDI You better destroy it. Those samples will be tainted. Duffy and the other supernumerary take the canister away. Barclay tries to slither past Riker and Geordi. What we notice most about him is that he is uncomfortable around other people to the point of agony... he rarely makes eye contact... when he speaks, he hesitates, desperately afraid of saying the wrong thing... which he occasionally does. GEORDI Is it a problem for you to report to duty on time, Lieutenant? STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/19/90 - TEASER 4. 3A CONTINUED: (2) BARCLAY Problem? Nossir. I'm... I'm very sorry, sir... it's just... I had a very important communique... it required my immediate response and... GEORDI (tired of excuses) I don't want to hear it... we're having intermittent problems with the anti-grav unit, see what you can do... Barclay acknowledges and as he moves to the unit... RIKER Mister Barclay, I'm tired of seeing your name on report. (a beat) I don't know what you got away with on your last posting, but this is the Enterprise. We set a different standard here. Understood? And for a beat, Barclay looks at Riker and it is quite a different moment than the Holodeck. BARCLAY Understood... sir. Riker exchanges a glance with Geordi then EXITS as Barclay meekly goes to work... FADE OUT. END OF THE TEASER STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT ONE 5. ACT ONE FADE IN: 4 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) In orbit around a PLANET. PICARD (V.O.) Captain's log, Stardate 43807.4. We are taking on a load of special tissue samples donated by the Mikulaks for shipment to Nahmi Four. The samples could prove vital to the containment of an outbreak of Correllium Fever on that world. 5 INT. CARGO BAY (OPTICAL) Barclay closes up the anti-grav panels, looks up at Geordi... BARCLAY (shrugs) Everything looks... it looks normal to me... He turns it on and the antigrav unit comes to life... rises a few feet off the floor. Duffy starts to move the unit toward the other end of the cargo bay. Almost immediately, the antigrav field fails and there is a CRASH as the pallet falls. O'BRIEN Dammit.. Barclay reacts, Geordi turns, looks at him impatiently... BARCLAY I... I don't understand... Barclay looks guilty, tongue-tied... rushes back to the anti-grav unit to check it out again. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/16/90 - ACT ONE 6. 5A ANGLE GEORDI (to com) La Forge to Engineering... I'll need more people in Cargo Bay Five... anyone you can spare. Out. He moves to the anti-grav unit, begins to lift a canister... Geordi looks at Barclay who is still trying to solve the mystery in the anti-grav unit panel... GEORDI We could use a hand, Mister Barclay... Barclay looks up awkwardly at Geordi... moves quickly to help... and as he takes hold of the canister, facing Geordi... BARCLAY I'll... I'll disassemble it later, Commander... it shouldn't do that... well, of course, it shouldn't do that... I mean... well, it shouldn't do that. Two beats as they carry the canister in silence across the room... Barclay avoids Geordi's glare. 6 INT. CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM Picard behind his desk. Riker and Geordi. There is a report on the computer screen on Picard's desk. Picard indicates the screen. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT ONE 7. 6 CONTINUED: PICARD I'm not accustomed to seeing an unsatisfactory rating for one of my crew. RIKER I guess the issue is whether Mister Barclay is Enterprise material. PICARD (to Geordi) I assume from your request for his transfer that you don't think he is, Commander... Geordi takes a beat -- he's aware of the impact of this answer... GEORDI I hate to say it... I always thought I could work with anyone... but I just can't stand the guy. Broccoli makes me nervous... he makes everyone nervous... PICARD Broccoli? RIKER Young Mister Crusher started it. I'm afraid it's caught on. PICARD Let's get it uncaught, shall we? They acknowledge. PICARD By all indications, Barclay has served honorably in Starfleet for many years. His rating aboard the Zhukov was satisfactory... I recall Captain Gleason speaking quite highly of him before his transfer... RIKER In retrospect, I wonder if Captain Gleason wasn't buttering our bread a little... (MORE) STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT ONE 8. 6 CONTINUED: (2) RIKER (Cont'd) He knew we were looking for a diagnostic engineer. Picard glances at him. A beat. Frowns. RIKER I've reviewed Barclay's psychological profile. He's always had seclusive tendencies... it was noted at the Academy more than once... PICARD And yet he chose this way of life; he's made the same commitment to Starfleet that we all have... (beat) It's easy to transfer our problem to someone else. Too easy. GEORDI Captain, it's not like I haven't tried... PICARD Try harder. The captain studies La Forge... there is an issue of command to be examined here... PICARD He's on your team. Manage him. Pull him in. Find ways to help him make a positive contribution. Get to know the man. Make him your best friend. Geordi smiles with a bit of incredulity... GEORDI With all respect, sir... my best friend? I can barely tolerate being in the same room with the man... PICARD I suggest you put your personal discomfort with him aside, Commander. Dismissed. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT ONE 9. 6 CONTINUED: (3) Geordi exchanges a depressed glance at Riker and they EXIT... 6A INT. CARGO BAY Geordi ENTERS... the room is deserted now except for Barclay who is off to one side looking over the disassembled antigrav unit. It's open, the guts exposed as he traces circuits with a sensor. Geordi frowns to himself as he looks over to Barclay, whose back is to him. GEORDI (muttering, to himself) My best friend. He sighs, knows what he has to do, crosses to... 6B ANGLE - BARCLAY wrapped up in his mystery... Geordi moves up behind him, and as he pats him on the back... GEORDI Hey, Reg... And Barclay nearly jumps out of his shoes at the unexpected physical contact... Geordi reacts, covers... GEORDI Uh, how's it going? BARCLAY Oh, it's... I still haven't traced the problem, Commander... GEORDI (smile, "warm") That's okay. No rush. Take your time. Barclay notes this new tone of voice from Geordi... glances at him suspiciously... a beat. Doesn't trust the moment... rushes to fill the gap... BARCLAY I've... I've been planning to run diagnostics on the graviton invertor circuits... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/9/90 - ACT ONE 10. 6B CONTINUED: GEORDI Smart plan... well, I'd say we're in good hands here... BARCLAY (still suspicious) I'll get a preliminary report to you... GEORDI ...whenever. BARCLAY (beat) Before the end of the day. GEORDI Fine. And say, Reg, how about sitting in on the mission briefing with my senior officers in the morning... BARCLAY The briefing? Me? GEORDI I'd just like your input... BARCLAY On what? I mean, should I prepare something... GEORDI No... no... just be there. Eight hundred hours. BARCLAY I'll be on time, sir. GEORDI Good. And he's about to pat Barclay on the back once more, thinks better of it... as he turns to leave, an exasperated expression fills his face... and Barclay sighs, glad this is over. 6C EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) At warp. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT ONE 11. 7 INT. MAIN ENGINEERING Geordi ENTERS with WESLEY... GEORDI Morning. Start your brains, and let's do it. They all gather around the pool table for the morning briefing. After a beat, Barclay rushes in late, out of breath... Geordi nods to him. GEORDI (points to injectors on schematic) Okay, this trip to Nahmi Four is pretty routine. We'll have plenty of time to realign the magnetic capacitors in both the matter and anti-matter injectors. (light hearted groans) Duffy, Costa, that'll be your assignment. DUFFY We probably ought to do the flow regulator maintenance at the same time, Commander. GEORDI Good idea. (moving on) Ensign Crusher is putting in some hours with us this week as part of his training duties... he'll be assigned to assist you, Mister Myers. Be sure and teach him the difference between impulse and warp drive. (chuckles all around) Lieutenant Barclay is working on the mystery of the anti-grav failure we had yesterday... your preliminary report had a couple of interesting theories, Reg... Geordi waits a beat for Barclay to pick it up and run with it. He doesn't. After an awkward beat... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/19/90 - ACT ONE 12. 7 CONTINUED: GEORDI Why don't you summarize your findings so far, Reg... As Barclay begins to answer, we can see him growing more and more uncomfortable under the gaze of his fellow engineers. BARCLAY Yes. (clears his throat) It wasn't a maintenance problem... everything checked out. I... I'm going to check for... a surge in... the transfer coils. WESLEY (certain) A coil surge wouldn't have resulted in a field dissipation. Attention now focuses on Wesley. Barclay flushes slightly as Wesley inadvertently steals his thunder. BARCLAY I... I... I realize that... GEORDI (trying to rescue the the situation) But we shouldn't ignore the possibility, Wes... WESLEY You ought to take a look at the flow capacitor. That could have forced a chain collapse of the antigrav field. Everyone looks at Barclay again. BARCLAY I... was going to. And it looks like Barclay is just jumping on Wesley's idea... Geordi wants to bail out of this... GEORDI Good. Okay, then... let's go over the realignment procedure... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/19/90 - ACT ONE 13. 7 CONTINUED: (2) As Geordi starts to go on with the rest of the meeting, we PUSH IN on Barclay's terribly uncomfortable expression... 8 INT. TROI'S OFFICE (HOLODECK) It appears that Barclay is in therapy with Troi. She sits, listening intently... Barclay pacing the office in front of her. When he speaks, it is forceful, without hesitation. BARCLAY I just didn't know what to say. HOLO-TROI What do you wish you had said? BARCLAY I should have told him to mind his own damned business... I knew about the flow capacitor... I didn't need to hear about it from a seventeen year old kid. HOLO-TROI You're letting it get you much too upset. BARCLAY You think so? Holo-Troi gives him a very sympathetic look, gets up and stands closer to him. HOLO-TROI Why are you so hard on yourself? BARCLAY You don't know... it's hard out there. HOLO-TROI I understand, but let go of it. You're here now. BARCLAY (beat) You're right, of course. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT ONE 14. 8 CONTINUED: HOLO-TROI (a small smile) Of course. She reaches out for him as if to comfort him, but instead begins to caress his arms and shoulders while her stance and expression take on a smoldering sexuality. HOLO-TROI Let me help you relax. BARCLAY I'd like that. HOLO-TROI I knew you would. And she leans into him, puts her arms around him and kisses him passionately... 8A NEW ANGLE (OPTICAL) BARCLAY Mmm, nice... but I'm in the mood for someplace a little more... unusual... (beat) Computer. Run Barclay Program Fifteen. We stay on Barclay, but lose Holo-Troi, as the surroundings change to -- 9 EXT. GLADE (HOLODECK) A glade with a few small hills, rock formations, some trees, grass, a pond. As different as can be from the world Barclay lives in... peaceful, green, remote... a warm breeze flutters through the trees... Barclay takes a deep, cleansing breath... turns to see --- 9A ANGLE - HOLO-TROI dressed in flowing Grecian robes which reveal a good deal of her anatomy, atop a part of a crumbling wall or section of ruins, stunning... as the breeze lifts her hair, her robes... and she reaches out to Barclay... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT ONE 15. 9A CONTINUED: HOLO-TROI I am the Goddess of Empathy. Cast off your inhibitions and embrace love, truth, joy... And he runs up the hill to her as they dissolve in each others' arms... we boom to a dramatic rising shot against the wondrous landscape and... 10 INT. TEN-FORWARD Data, Wesley, Geordi, Duffy seated at a table. All except Data are drinking various beverages. WESLEY But I thought that's the point of the briefing... to discuss different approaches... GEORDI I'm not saying you did anything wrong, Wes... it's just that Barclay's... well, my new project. DUFFY (shakes his head) Yeah, Broccoli's a real project all right... GEORDI (frowns, hates the job) I just gotta draw him out more... WESLEY And I shut him down. (with pity) Poor Broccoli. DATA Pardon me, but why is Lieutenant Barclay being referred to clandestinely as a vegetable? WESLEY It's a joke, Data... you know, a nickname. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/9/90 - ACT ONE 16. 10 CONTINUED: DATA Nicknames generally denote fondness, a diminutive shared between friends. This does not sound friendly. He's got them there. Wesley and Duffy look a little uncomfortable. GEORDI Data's absolutely right. The nickname stops here and now. Captain's orders. Suddenly, the glass in Duffy's hand begins leaking badly... the drink spilling on the table... DUFFY What the hell... ? He stands and puts the glass down... and the others react, and Geordi throws a napkin on the table to catch the liquid... WESLEY What happened to your glass? And push in as Data picks it up... the glass has been mangled in the shape of Duffy's hand. On reactions... FADE OUT. END OF ACT ONE STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT TWO 17. ACT TWO FADE IN: 11 EXT SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) Moving at warp speed. 12 INT. MAIN ENGINEERING Data and Geordi are examining the glass from Ten Forward with a tricorder and one of the consoles on the bulkhead. Barclay is in the b.g. working on some console. DATA Nucleo-synthesis. The structure of the glass has been altered at the atomic level. GEORDI A problem with the replicator? DATA Unlikely. A problem with the replicator would have affected the contents as well as the glass. But the liquid in the glass was a perfect replication of a dark ale of Earth origin which I believe is what Lieutenant Duffy ordered. GEORDI I can't detect any residual radiation or unusual chemical compounds that would have caused this. DATA The most probable explanation is that the glass came into contact with an unshielded power source. GEORDI (slightly dismayed) That means a complete diagnostic check of the Enterprise power systems. All four thousand of them. Beat as he turns toward Barclay... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT TWO 18. 12 CONTINUED: GEORDI Have I got the man for this job... (calling) Hey, Reg... Barclay looks up with a start... me again? Moving to him -- GEORDI Busy? BARCLAY Well, I was just... no, not really... what? GEORDI (handing him the cup) Got another mystery for you... somehow the molecular structure of this cup from Ten-Forward has been altered... As Barclay studies it, to Data... GEORDI Mister Barclay is the Sherlock Holmes of the technical support crew... Data knows Geordi's assignment, wishes to be supportive of Barclay. DATA A fascinating vocation, Mister Barclay. I am a student of Sherlock Holmes mysteries and I would enjoy discussing some of your cases at your leisure. Barclay looks at them both curiously. BARCLAY My cases... ? GEORDI (to Barclay, indicating glass) Uh, Reg, we're gonna have to run through the power systems, to see if there's some kind of leak that caused this. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT TWO 19. 12 CONTINUED: (2) BARCLAY I had to... I was going to do it anyway... GEORDI You were? BARCLAY To... to try and explain the anti-grav unit failure... I still can't... nothing about it makes sense. DATA Then it is possible these two very disparate incidents could be related. Data and Geordi exchange a glance... 13 OMITTED 14 INT. MAIN BRIDGE At the science station, starting close on the mangled glass... pulling back to find Riker listening to Geordi who has deliberately brought Barclay along. Data is there too. WORF is at his station. Picard is ENTERING from the Ready Room in the background. GEORDI I wouldn't bother you with something this minor, Commander... but it may be a symptom of a more serious problem... RIKER You think we'll need to put in to a starbase? GEORDI We'll have a better idea after Mister Barclay runs a check of the power systems... DATA It was Lieutenant Barclay who first suggested the link between the two incidents, sir. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT TWO 20. 14 CONTINUED: BARCLAY No, it wasn't. Not really. Picard hears this... and wanting to throw his support behind Barclay, comes over, examines the glass... PICARD Will your investigation affect our available power during the mission, Lieutenant? BARCLAY No... nossir... we'll have to shut off some systems... they'll be down a few at a time... it shouldn't... I don't think so. PICARD Good. I look forward to your report, Mister Broccoli. A brief, poisonous silence. PICARD Barclay. Barclay's face turns red... BARCLAY If you'll excuse me. He moves quickly to the turbolift, EXITS. A beat. Then Data offers... DATA Metathesis is one of the most common of pronunciation errors, sir... a reversal of vowel and consonant, "bark" to "broc"... A sharp look from Picard shuts him up. Picard sits in command. Off Geordi's look... 14A INT. TEN FORWARD (OPTICAL) Guinan looks across the bar at Geordi. GUINAN Yes, I know him... comes in here, stands at the bar, doesn't say much... always orders a warm milk. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT TWO 20A. 14A CONTINUED: GEORDI Figures. GUINAN Warm milk helps you sleep, La Forge. You should try it. What's that got to do with Barclay? GEORDI (frowns) I don't know. I'm just trying to figure the man out, that's all. You ever talk to him? GUINAN He's not much for talking. GEORDI Does he have any friends? GUINAN Not that I've seen. GEORDI (shakes his head) What do you do with a guy like that? GUINAN I give him his warm milk and let him be. GEORDI Yeah, well, I'm not so lucky. I can't let him be. He's my problem. GUINAN (beat) He's imaginative. GEORDI How do you know that? GUINAN I just do. GEORDI Well, then maybe he's in the wrong line of work. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT TWO 20B. 14A CONTINUED: (2) GUINAN You engineering types don't appreciate imagination... ? GEORDI That's not it, Guinan... he just doesn't fit in here... GUINAN Terkim. GEORDI What? GUINAN Reminds me of Terkim. My mother's brother. A kind of family misfit. Everybody told me to stay away from him. Bad influence. GEORDI Did you? GUINAN Are you kidding? He was the only member of the family with a sense of humor. But no one ever stayed around him long enough to realize it... except me. My mother says I take after him. I probably do. Because the idea of "fitting in" repels me, too. She looks challengingly at Geordi. GEORDI Maybe I didn't make myself clear... Barclay, he's always late... he's nervous... nobody wants to be around him... GUINAN If I had the feeling that nobody wanted to be around me, I'd probably be late and nervous too. Geordi frowns. GEORDI Guinan, that's not the point... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/16/90 - ACT TWO 21. 14A CONTINUED: (3) GUINAN Are you sure? GEORDI (beat, exasperated) I'll take another one of these. GUINAN Get it yourself. And she walks away. He reacts. GEORDI (sighs, keys insignia) Computer, where is Lieutenant Barclay? 15 thru OMITTED 16 16A EXT. GLADE/HOLODECK Close on the arch as it slides open to reveal Geordi who ENTERS and reacts as he sees the glade... GEORDI Reg... ? But as we move with him to reveal the setting, there is no sign of Barclay... then as he moves in further he sees -- 16B ANGLE -- A PICNIC SETTING as exquisite as a Gainsborough canvas... a swing suspended from a tree branch on which the image of a woman is swinging in flowing petticoats, a silent garment draped on the grass and spread with delicacies... a boy dressed as "Blue Boy" eating messily with his hands... as Geordi moves closer, he reacts as we reveal the woman and child to be Holo-Beverly and Holo-Wesley... GEORDI Beverly? Holo-Beverly looks up and smiles. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/9/90 - ACT TWO 22. 16B CONTINUED: HOLO-BEVERLY Good morning, Mi-lord. (looks at Wesley) Manners, my son. Manners. You embarrass me before our guest. Holo-Wesley ignores his mother, lifts a whole blueberry pie with his hands and bites into, leaving a blue stain around his mouth... HOLO-BEVERLY Master Barclay will spank you if you don't behave. HOLO-WESLEY (sullen) I don't care. He takes another bite of pie. Geordi can't believe his eyes... GEORDI (to himself) Wesley... ? And he suppresses a laugh... HOLO-WESLEY (to Geordi) What do you want? GEORDI Ah, well, I guess I want... Master Barclay. HOLO-BEVERLY The boys got into another little scrap, I'm afraid. But boys will be boys. The sound of a sword fight turns Geordi's attention to-- 16C ANGLE - A HILL Coming over the rise, backing toward him is Barclay (in uniform) ... in classic swordsmanship stance, his sword moving with lightning speed fighting off unseen adversaries... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/9/90 - ACT TWO 23. 16C CONTINUED: and then as he moves backwards and they follow, we see whom he's fighting -- Holo-Picard, Holo-Data and Holo-Geordi dressed as the three musketeers... HOLO-GEORDI You cannot withstand our assault forever, Barclay. HOLO-DATA Say you will yield and it ends here... BARCLAY (smiles, confident) I will speak with my sword, sir... A flourish of extraordinary moves and Barclay disarms both Holo-Data and Holo-Geordi... booting them both off the hill as... 16D THE REAL GEORDI below reacts and... 16E THE FIGHT between Holo-Picard Musketeer and Barclay continues up the rocks... Holo-Picard backing up now, fighting for his life, breathing heavily... HOLO-PICARD Where in God's name did you learn to fight like this, man? BARCLAY Self-taught, my good capitaine. Shall I give you a few lessons? An acrobatic move and Holo-Picard's sword goes flying... and as Holo-Picard stands there, the tip of Barclay's sword at his chest, shivering in his boots, he sees the real Geordi below, watching... HOLO-PICARD Who is that? One of your allies? BARCLAY Jean-Luc. Not that old trick. I'm disappointed in you. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT TWO 24. 16E CONTINUED: Geordi coughs from o.s... Barclay reacts... follows Holo-Picard's look and goes pale as he sees -- 16F ANGLE - THE REAL GEORDI looking up at him. 17 INT. TEN FORWARD (OPTICAL) Barclay and Geordi at a table. BARCLAY I'll... I'll make it easy for you, Commander. I'll just request reassignment... GEORDI Now, wait a minute... BARCLAY Look, we both know... the whole ship knows... I can't cut it here. GEORDI Hey, Barclay... I've spent a few hours in the Holodeck myself, you know. Barclay gives him a look... and this is the first real compassion that Geordi has had for Barclay. GEORDI Far as I'm concerned... what you do in the Holodeck is your own business... as long as it doesn't affect your work. BARCLAY (reacts) You're... you're not going to tell anyone about this? Guinan arrives with a tray of warm milk for two. She makes eye contact with Geordi. GEORDI (no) I'm not sure everyone would appreciate your... imagination... like I do. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT TWO 25. 17 CONTINUED: He glances at Guinan who leaves. GEORDI (curious) It is kind of unusual... recreating people you already know... The unspoken question is why? BARCLAY (sighs) I was just kind of really... well, it was just... I needed to blow off some steam... because one... one of the officers had been on my back... GEORDI Let me guess... BARCLAY Okay, it was you. And I couldn't tell you what I wanted to, to your face... and it just sort of... I guess it got out of control. GEORDI (warm, smiles) I don't know... sounds like maybe there's a side to this that's kind of therapeutic... we ought to tell Counselor Troi about it. BARCLAY It's... it's just more comfortable... when I'm in there. (looks down) You don't know what a struggle it is for me, Commander. GEORDI I'd like to help if I can. BARCLAY (shakes his head, you can't) Being afraid all the time that I'll forget somebody's name. Or not knowing what to do with my hands... (MORE) STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/9/90 - ACT TWO 26. 17 CONTINUED: (2) BARCLAY (Cont'd) I mean, I'm the guy who writes down things to remember to say when there's a party. And when I get there, I'll wind up alone in a corner trying to look comfortable examining a potted plant. (sighs) Sometimes, I just don't want to get out of bed in the morning. GEORDI Sometimes, neither do I. BARCLAY No, but you're good. You were born to be in Starfleet. Me... GEORDI You're just shy, Barclay. BARCLAY (nods, painful) "Just shy"... sounds like nothing serious, doesn't it... You can't know. Geordi studies him, concerned. O'BRIEN'S COM VOICE O'Brien to La Forge. Keying his insignia -- GEORDI Go ahead. O'BRIEN'S COM VOICE I need you in Transporter Room Three, Commander. GEORDI On my way, Chief. Geordi looks at Barclay once more... GEORDI I really do want you to talk to Counselor Troi, Reg. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT TWO 27. 17 CONTINUED: (3) BARCLAY (reacts) Troi? No, no, I couldn't. GEORDI I mean it. As your friend and as your commanding officer. He EXITS... Barclay thinks about what this will be like... and a dreaded shiver sweeps across his body. 18 thru OMITTED 20 20A INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM THREE (OPTICAL) O'Brien is setting a transporter test object, a cylinder three feet tall, six inches in diameter, on a transporter pad... O'BRIEN I was synchronizing the phase transition coils... I didn't do anything I haven't done a hundred times before... Pull back to see Geordi watching. O'Brien moves to the console... O'BRIEN The test object is made of pure duranium. Geordi touches it... GEORDI Seems normal enough... O'BRIEN Watch this... As he powers up the transporter, the object DEMATERIALIZES from one position, MATERIALIZES under an adjacent transport pad, DEMATERIALIZES again, MATERIALIZES on the next pad over only this time as it does, it turns into a flash, burns brightly and disappears. As Geordi reacts... GEORDI I'm glad I don't have anywhere to go. FADE OUT. END OF ACT TWO STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT THREE 28. ACT THREE FADE IN: 21 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) at warp. GEORDI (V.O.) Chief engineer's log, Stardate 43808.2. A systems analysis of Transporter Room Three has yielded no suggestion of a cause for the latest malfunction aboard the Enterprise. 21A INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM THREE Picard, Riker and Geordi are examining the residue of the test object. PICARD Is this part of the same pattern? GEORDI We don't know, Captain. And we don't know why only Transporter Room Three is affected... None of the other Transporter Rooms are malfunctioning... RIKER Yet. PICARD (to Riker) We have twenty-two hours before we reach Nahmi Four. We'll need the transporters operational by then. I want a level one diagnostic across the board. (TECH) RIKER (acknowledges, to Geordi) Advise Mister Barclay to meet us on the bridge immediately... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT THREE 29. 21A CONTINUED: GEORDI Ah, could we push that back, just to fourteen hundred hours, Commander... I've got him doing something... RIKER (nods) Fourteen hundred hours. (as they exit) Mister O'Brien, no maintenance on the Transporters until further notice. O'BRIEN Aye, sir. 21B thru OMITTED 22 23 INT. TROI'S OFFICE Troi is sitting, very much the way she was (and dressed the same way she was) in Barclay's fantasy. Barclay, on the other hand, is entirely a different man from his dreams... dreadfully uncomfortable sitting on the far end of the couch from her. Troi studies him sympathetically... TROI I can tell this is difficult for you. Barclay is just able to nod. TROI Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable? BARCLAY (quick) No! She smiles her best therapeutic smile at him. TROI Have you ever been with a counselor before? STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/9/90 - ACT THREE 30. 23 CONTINUED: BARCLAY (swallowing) Yes. No. TROI (smiles) Which one? BARCLAY Yes. But she... it wasn't real... really a counselor. TROI Most people find a counselor intimidating at first. It's okay if you feel that way toward me. BARCLAY Not... at all. TROI Good. Close your eyes... Lean back. BARCLAY Why? TROI (standing) I just want to help you relax. BARCLAY (reacts) You do? She walks by him... to a light panel... turns the lights down... TROI Put your feet up... it's okay. And close your eyes... He puts his feet up... closes his eyes... tight... BARCLAY What are you going to do? TROI Just listen to the sound of my voice... (MORE) STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT THREE 31. 23 CONTINUED: (2) TROI (Cont'd) Take a slow deep breath through your nose... and let it out through your mouth just as slowly... good... there, that's better, isn't it... BARCLAY Oh, yes. Oh, yes, much better. This has been... extremely helpful... (standing) Well, thank-you for your time. TROI But... Backing out... BARCLAY Really... very helpful... in through the nose, out through the mouth... I'll practice and let you know... thank you again... And he's out. Off Troi's puzzled reaction... 24 thru OMITTED 25 25A INT. MAIN BRIDGE A short time later. Geordi is working at one of the aft stations along with Data. Wes at Conn, supernumerary at Ops. Troi ENTERS from turbolift and goes over to Geordi. TROI I had a very strange visit from one of your officers today. GEORDI Barclay. Yes, I can imagine. Were you able to do anything for him? TROI To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what happened... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/9/90 - ACT THREE 32. 25A CONTINUED: RIKER (entering from Picard's Ready Room) Where is Mister Barclay... it's past fourteen hundred hours... Geordi shakes his head, doesn't know. GEORDI (touches combadge) Lieutenant Barclay to the bridge. (beat of silence) Lieutenant Barclay report. There is another awkward silence as Geordi begins to suspect the worst. Riker's features harden. RIKER Computer. Locate Lieutenant Barclay. COMPUTER VOICE Lieutenant Barclay is in Holodeck Two. Geordi face falls, glances at Troi... Riker is really peeved. GEORDI I'll get him... RIKER No, I'll handle this. I've had it with him. He charges toward the turbolift... GEORDI Counselor, you better come along... They follow... 26 INT. CORRIDOR Geordi, Riker, and Troi turn a corner, head for the Holdeck. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/9/90 - ACT THREE 33. 26 CONTINUED: GEORDI I think you should know that Barclay's been running some... unique programs. RIKER I don't care what he's been running. My patience just ran out. Riker operates the panel outside the Holodeck doors. The doors slide aside. 27 EXT. GLADE (HOLODECK) Continuous. Geordi, Riker, and Troi standing in Glade. 27A POV RIKER - THE PICNIC SCENE Holo-Picard, Holo-Data and Holo-Geordi as the three musketeers sitting on the ground, eating... Holo-Wesley as Blue Boy with another blueberry pie... The Holo-characters look over at our real characters' entrance. 27B RIKER, TROI AND GEORDI react, Riker ready to blow... 27C OMITTED FADE OUT. END OF ACT THREE STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FOUR 34. ACT FOUR FADE IN: 28 EXT. GLADE (HOLODECK) Riker, Geordi, and Troi, as before, staring at the Holo-characters. GEORDI Like I said Commander, Barclay's been running some... unusual programs. Riker's furious... RIKER This is a violation of protocol. Crewmembers should not be simulated in the Holodeck... GEORDI Ah, Commander... I don't think there's any regulation... RIKER Then there should be... computer, discontinue program and erase... TROI (interrupting) Computer, belay that order! RIKER Counselor... TROI If Barclay is having a difficult time facing reality, to suddenly destroy his only means of escape would be brutal and could do considerable damage. 28A ANGLE - ON THE PICNIC (OPTICAL) Holo-Picard musketeer glances at his cohorts. HOLO-PICARD They are quite disagreeable, aren't they... shall we have a go at them? STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FOUR 35. 28A CONTINUED: HOLO-DATA Delighted. HOLO-GEORDI We shall thrash them. They stand, draw their swords... move to the real people... HOLO-PICARD En garde. RIKER Stop it. Put that down. HOLO-DATA Your sword, sir... RIKER (impatient) I don't have a sword. HOLO-GEORDI (puzzled) How do expect to fight without your sword? RIKER I don't expect to fight. Holo-Picard exchanges a glance with his fellows, grins. HOLO-PICARD Do I detect a streak of yellow along the good fellow's back? The holograms laugh. 28B HOLO-WESLEY laughs, eats his blueberry pie. 28C RESUME SCENE (OPTICAL) HOLO-PICARD Perhaps we can supply a more appropriate adversary for him. (calling) Number One... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/15/90 - ACT FOUR 36. 28C CONTINUED: HOLO-WESLEY (calling) Number One... Holo-Riker as the fourth Musketeer rushes in... HOLO-RIKER Am I late? Did I miss the fight? He's a foot shorter than his real counterpart... and the difference is not lost on Troi. HOLO-RIKER En garde... (looks closely at Riker, reacts) Sir... you have a familiar bearing... is it possible we have crossed swords somewhere before? RIKER (furious) Where is he? Where is Barclay? HOLO-RIKER Ah, a personal grudge. I warn you... you would be wise to put your affairs in final order before you meet him in combat. You challenge the greatest sword in all the... RIKER ... in all the Holodeck. Troi suppresses a laugh. RIKER (to Troi) You think this is funny? TROI You are very tall. It could be very threatening to some people. RIKER Barclay'll find out what it means to be threatened. Computer, discontinue image of Riker. The hologram of Riker disappears. The other musketeers react. To Riker -- STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT FOUR 37. 28C CONTINUED: (2) HOLO-PICARD Sir, you have no sense of fair play. GEORDI Just tell us where to find Barclay. The holograms shrug, they don't know... shake their heads at Riker's foolishness... move back to their picnic... RIKER (to Troi) You're gonna make us search through this to find him? TROI It could provide us with valuable information about what's troubling him. On the move... TROI There's nothing wrong with a healthy fantasy life, as long as it doesn't take over. RIKER You call this healthy? TROI You're taking it so seriously. This is not without its element of humor... 29 ANGLE - HIGH ATOP A HILL - THE GODDESS OF EMPATHY (OPTICAL) as before, her robes flowing in the warm breeze, her arms out... very revealing... HOLO-TROI I am the Goddess of Empathy! Cast off your inhibitions and embrace love, truth, joy... GEORDI Oh my God... Troi snaps a look at Geordi... who looks away... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FOUR 38. 29 CONTINUED: HOLO-TROI Discard your facades and reveal your true being to me. TROI Computer, discontinue -- RIKER (delighted) Belay that order, computer! (to Troi) We want to get more insight into what's troubling the poor man. Remember? (to Geordi) Quite a healthy fantasy life, wouldn't you agree? Off Troi's burn... 30 thru OMITTED 33 34 INT. MAIN BRIDGE The ship is ROCKED and alarms start to go off on the bridge. Picard ENTERS from his Ready Room... Worf is at Tactical, Data at Ops, supernumberary at Conn. PICARD Report... WORF Sir, our velocity increased to warp seven point two five. DATA Compensating, sir. WORF (reading console) Confirmed. Velocity now warp seven. PICARD Maintain that. What the hell happened? STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FOUR 39. 34 CONTINUED: DATA (still working) The matter/anti-matter injectors locked for a split second, Captain. I am not certain why. They seem to be working properly now. PICARD (pressing insignia) Picard to La Forge. INTERCUT: 35 EXT. GLADE/HOLODECK (OPTICAL) As before. GEORDI (to com) Go ahead, Captain. PICARD Any explanation for the injector problem? GEORDI I'm not in Engineering, sir. I'm in Holodeck Two. PICARD Another malfunction? GEORDI Not exactly, sir. I'll return to Engineering immediately. PICARD Yes, I would say you should, Commander. Your Holodeck activities can wait until later. And Commander... GEORDI Yessir? PICARD It would be wise to consult Lieutenant Barclay on this latest incident. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - 2/9/90 - ACT FOUR 40. 35 CONTINUED: GEORDI I'd like to, very much, sir. La Forge out. END INTERCUT: GEORDI (to the Goddess) We need to find Barclay. Now. She motions to the other side of the hill... as they climb... HOLO-TROI Cast aside your masks and let me slip into your minds... TROI Muzzle it. The Goddess reacts, shocked. As they reach the top of the hill, they discover, on a little plateau... 36 NEW ANGLE Under a tree sits Holo-Beverly in a very pastoral scene, skirts and petticoats billowing out. Troi, Geordi, and Riker approach. Holo-Beverly looks up at them coquettishly, and puts a finger to her lips. Barclay is asleep in her lap, snoring away. HOLO-BEVERLY Shhhhh! 37 INT. CORRIDOR Riker, Geordi, Troi, and Barclay ENTER from the Holodeck. Riker's expression is furious. Troi looks sympathetic, but resigned, while Barclay looks incredibly embarrassed. He hangs his head slightly. TROI We have a lot to talk about. Barclay nods silently, humiliated. GEORDI (to Riker) Sir, Barclay and I better get to Engineering. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT FOUR 41. 37 CONTINUED: RIKER (acknowledges) Dismissed. Riker and Troi go one direction... Barclay and Geordi move off the opposite way... 37A INT. CORRIDOR - MOVING BARCLAY I just couldn't keep my eyes open... I'd worked twelve hours on the power systems and then the transporter went down and... GEORDI Reg... you had a chance to get some help from the real Counselor Troi... but instead you went back in there... BARCLAY I know... I didn't want to... I just couldn't help myself... GEORDI You're gonna be able to write the book on holodiction. (they exchange a look) Look, I know how easy it is to get caught up in it. I... fell in love in there once. BARCLAY Really? GEORDI (nods) But I knew when it was time to turn it off and say goodbye... Wasn't easy. But I did it. BARCLAY You know... the people I create in there have started to become more real to me... than anyone out here. (beat) Except maybe for you, Commander. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - 2/9/90 - ACT FOUR 42. 37A CONTINUED: GEORDI I need you out here, Reg... right now, more than ever. Barclay looks at Geordi, appreciates his continuing faith. 38 INT. ENGINEERING (OPTICAL) At a console... looking at an Okudagram on the monitor... showing read-outs, graphic representation of the injectors (TECH?)... pulling back to see Barclay working the console... trying several commands... his expression concerned. Geordi watches over his shoulder. GEORDI The injectors aren't responding to the diagnostic commands. BARCLAY (acknowledges) I... think we should drop out of warp. GEORDI (hits combadge) La Forge to bridge. INTERCUT: 39 thru OMITTED 40 41 INT. MAIN BRIDGE As before. Riker and Troi ENTER. PICARD Go ahead, Commander. GEORDI Recommend we go to impulse power sir. PICARD Take us out of warp. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FOUR 43. 41 CONTINUED: DATA Controls are not responding, Captain. Barclay works controls. BARCLAY It's the injectors. GEORDI Override. BARCLAY It's not a computer problem. The mechanism is physically jammed. (shakes head) I can't clear it. DATA Speed increasing, Captain. Warp seven point six... seven point six five... seven point seven... GEORDI We can't shut it down, Captain. The anti-matter flow is increasing. She's accelerating out of control. Off reactions... FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FIVE 44. ACT FIVE FADE IN: 42 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) The ship is racing along. 42A INT. MAIN BRIDGE Picard, Riker, Data, Worf. Supernumerary at Con. WORF Approaching warp nine sir... PICARD Red Alert. The ship goes to Red Alert. RIKER Data, estimated time to structural failure. DATA (working panels) At this rate of acceleration, fifteen minutes, forty seconds, Commander... RIKER Geordi, did you copy? INTERCUT: 42B INT. ENGINEERING Geordi, Wesley, Barclay, Duffy and the other senior officers are around the pool table... it is a parallel scene to the first act mission briefing. GEORDI Aye, Commander... RIKER Recommendations. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FIVE 44A. 42B CONTINUED: GEORDI (under great pressure) I'll let you know as soon as we have some. La Forge out. (MORE) STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT FIVE 45. 42B CONTINUED: (2) GEORDI (Cont'd) (to his men) Okay, this ship will start tearing itself apart in fifteen minutes... I want every idea on the table... I don't care how outrageous... DUFFY What about attempting a magnetic quench on the fusion pre-burners? GEORDI No, I tried that already... the magnetic fields won't reset. WESLEY Could the fuel inlet servos be caught in cycle? GEORDI (shakes his head) If they were, the swirl dampers would be frozen too... and they aren't... DUFFY (looking to Barclay) Nothing showed up in the diagnostic sweep... at all? All eyes turn to Barclay and he blanches slightly under their scrutiny. BARCLAY The tests... uh, showed problems... I mean no problems with the flow... the flow of the... Geordi doesn't want to step on Barclay, but this is a crisis and time is slipping away. GEORDI There's nothing wrong with the computer control protocols or the power transfer systems. As far as we can determine, the injectors are just physically jammed... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT FIVE 46. 42B CONTINUED: (3) DUFFY (trying to add it up) Injectors freeze... antigrav unit goes down... transporter malfunctions... WESLEY And a twisted glass... GEORDI What's the connection? The ship shudders for the first time... the men react... 43 OMITTED 43A INT. MAIN BRIDGE As before. They're reacting to the first shudders too. WORF Exceeding warp nine point four. PICARD Begin evacuation of secondary hull. Prepare for emergency saucer separation. WORF (reading console) Standing by to release docking clamps. RIKER Re-route systems to primary hull power sources. DATA Captain, the plasma flow to the nacelles is uneven due to the injector lock. An emergency saucer separation could rupture the warp field. Another shudder. Reactions. DATA Twelve minutes to structural failure. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FIVE 46A. 44 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) faster and faster. 44A INT. ENGINEERING As before... emphasizing Barclay thinking hard... gets an idea, shakes his head, suppresses it... the ship is vibrating and it continues to shake more noticeably. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FIVE 47. 44A CONTINUED: GEORDI None of the systems involved interact directly with each other... I don't see anything in common... A beat of silence... and then Barclay does the most difficult thing he's ever done in his life -- he takes a chance, he speaks up, well almost, he clears his throat... it's enough to get everyone's attention... BARCLAY What if... what if... (beat) what if one of us is the connection? DUFFY Us? How? BARCLAY I don't know. But we're looking for... a, a systemic explanation and there isn't one. We work with all the systems that are affected ... what if we're transmitting something ourselves... by touching it, or something... WESLEY The computer sensors would've picked up anything dangerous. Everyone reacts "yes, of course" and Barclay begins to retreat back into silence... but then he speaks up again, actually disputes Wesley's analysis. BARCLAY But... if it were something... something that we couldn't scan... (to Duffy and Costa) You might've passed it to the injectors when you were realigning the magnetic capacitors. GEORDI It was your glass, Duffy... and both of you were in the cargo bay when the anti-grav failed... DUFFY So was O'Brien. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/16/90 - ACT FIVE 48. 44A CONTINUED: (2) WESLEY The transporter malfunction. That's a connection too. Alarm klaxons. COMPUTER VOICE Danger. Approaching safety limits of engine containment field. GEORDI Computer, list all physical substances that wouldn't normally be picked up by internal scans. COMPUTER VOICE There are fifteen thousand five hundred twenty-five known substances that cannot be detected by standard scans. GEORDI (sarcastically) Great. How many of those can exist in an oxygen atmosphere? COMPUTER VOICE Five hundred thirty-two. GEORDI (irritated) And could alter molecular structure when it comes in contact with... (a beat) ... with glass. COMPUTER VOICE Five. GEORDI (touches pool table button) On screen at this station. 44B INSERT POOL TABLE MONITOR (OPTICAL) The screen shows five names and a small graphic representation of the molecular structure of each chemical. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/15/90 - ACT FIVE 48A. 44C RETURN TO SCENE Geordi, Wesley, Barclay and the others study the list on the various screens. BARCLAY Jakmanite has a half life of about fifteen seconds. There wouldn't be enough time to spread it around the ship. Geordi touches the panel and the chemical name and graphic for Jakmanite disappear. GEORDI Right. WESLEY Selgninaem and Lucrovexitrin are extremely toxic. GEORDI (acknowledges, touches panel again) We'd all be dead by now. That leaves Saltzgadum and Invidium. Neither of which has been used for decades. WESLEY Could either one be causing all these malfunctions? DUFFY Most of the affected systems weren't even invented when those substances were in use. Who knows what they could do to a transporter or a magnetic capacitor... ? STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/14/90 - ACT FIVE 48B. 44C CONTINUED: GEORDI (beat) Wasn't Invidium used in... medical containment fields? WESLEY Not for over a century. BARCLAY But the Mikulaks might still be using it. DUFFY (nods) And one of those canisters was broken. Geordi and Barclay on the move... GEORDI (hits combadge) La Forge to bridge. We have a working theory, Captain... INTERCUT: 45 INT. MAIN BRIDGE As before. Riker and Picard react to this new information. GEORDI'S COM VOICE There's a chance we picked up some Invidium from a broken canister in the cargo bay... and have been spreading it around the ship... INTERCUT: 45AA INT. CORRIDOR Geordi and Barclay moving quickly to the cargo bay. RIKER'S COM VOICE Working theories are fine, Geordi. But we need a working solution in about five minutes... GEORDI Understood, Commander. We're on our way to Cargo Bay Five for confirmation. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/16/90 - ACT FIVE 48C. 45A EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) Faster still. 46 INT. CARGO BAY (OPTICAL) Barclay and Geordi have one of the canisters sitting on the deck and are wearing protective gloves. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/16/90 - ACT FIVE 49. 46 CONTINUED: They pick up small tools and carefully open the canister. Nitrogen escapes. Geordi scans the contents with a tricorder. GEORDI Nothing from the tricorder... Geordi uses a flashlight-like device that projects a light... aims it into the canister (we don't need to see inside)... Barclay reaches in with his glove and as he pulls his glove out, Geordi shines the light on it... COMPUTER VOICE Danger. Exceeding safety limits of engine containment field. At current acceleration, structural failure will occur in three minutes, thirty seconds. ... making adjustments in the flashlight three times as he tries different tests... a substance is revealed on the glove's fingers... BARCLAY There it is... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/16/90 - ACT FIVE 50. 46 CONTINUED: (2) GEORDI Duffy and O'Brien picked up the broken canister and became contaminated.. BARCLAY If we can get it... the invidium... down to minus two hundred degrees Celsius, it'll become inert. Geordi hits combadge. GEORDI La Forge to bridge. Invidium is confirmed. INTERCUT: 46AA INT. MAIN BRIDGE Riker and Picard listening to Geordi's report. GEORDI'S COM VOICE (continuing) Recommend we flood the injector pathway conduit with liquid nitrogen. That should neutralize it. PICARD The question is, will the injectors come back on-line? GEORDI The injectors have sustained considerable damage, sir. I can't guarantee we'll be able to regain control... RIKER We don't have much choice, do we? GEORDI Nossir. PICARD Make it so. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/15/90 - ACT FIVE 50A. 46A INT. ENGINEERING Wesley and Duffy work the consoles. DUFFY (to Wesley) Route primary coupling through starboard transfer conduit. WESLEY Routing... ready for engine core injection. COMPUTER VOICE At current acceleration, structural failure will occur in forty-five seconds. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/16/90 - ACT FIVE 51. 46B thru OMITTED 47 48 INT. ENGINEERING The engine core is flooded with liquid nitrogen. The RACING LIGHTS in the core SLOW as GASEOUS NITROGEN leaks from a few spots on the engine core. 49 INT. MAIN BRIDGE As before. DATA (working console) Injector conduit temperature minus one hundred degrees Celsius. PICARD Transfer injector control to manual. DATA Ready... temperature now minus one hundred ninety degrees... minus two hundred degrees, sir. RIKER Injector status? DATA Matter injector... is on-line. Anti-matter injector... still locked. COMPUTER VOICE At current acceleration, structural failure will occur in thirty seconds. PICARD Cycle power through ventral relay. DATA (works console) Anti-matter injector... on-line. Reducing flow capacity. Commencing warp engine shut-down. 50 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) Dropping out of warp. STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/16/90 - ACT FIVE 51A. 50AA INT. MAIN BRIDGE As before. PICARD Stand down from Red Alert. Red alert ENDS. RIKER (to com) Nice work, Geordi. INTERCUT: 50A INT. CARGO DECK GEORDI Mister Barclay and I thank you, sir. RIKER'S COM VOICE (beat) Acknowledged. GEORDI The ship is seriously contaminated with Invidium, sir. Recommend we set course for Starbase one-two-one for a complete systems and bio-decontamination. END INTERCUT: PICARD'S COM VOICE Understood. Geordi and Barclay exchange a look. GEORDI Glad you were with us out here in the real world today, Mister Barclay. Barclay grins, shrugs and... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FIVE 52. 51 thru OMITTED 53 53A INT. MAIN BRIDGE/HOLODECK (OPTICAL) Holo-Picard, Holo-Data, Holo-Worf, Holo-Wesley, Holo-Riker, Holo-Troi, Holo-Beverly all present and at their stations. Barclay ENTERS from turbolift. He walks to center of bridge and addresses everyone. He seems a little changed now. There is a little more confidence in his demeanor, a slight change in his bearing. BARCLAY It has been most difficult to reach this decision to leave you... but after thinking it over, discussing it at length with Counselor Troi... I think it is for the best... I just wanted to thank you all for your support... HOLO-GEORDI You'll always be welcome here, Barclay. BARCLAY I know. That's what makes it hard to go. HOLO-PICARD It was a pleasure to serve with you, Mister Barclay. HOLO-TROI Good luck, Reg. BARCLAY It's been fun. (looks at them) Computer, end program. The bridge VANISHES and is replaced by the empty Holodeck. BARCLAY (cont'd) Erase all programs filed under Reginald Barclay. Barclay heads toward doors... pauses... BARCLAY Except... Program Nine... STAR TREK: "Hollow Pursuits" - REV. 2/13/90 - ACT FIVE 53. 53A CONTINUED: He smiles to himself... and EXITS. CUT TO: 54 OMITTED 55 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) as it moves on to its next destination. FADE OUT. END OF ACT FIVE THE END