STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Identity Crisis" #40274-192 Teleplay by Brannon Braga Directed Rick Kolbe 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 1991 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 This script is not for publication or reproduction.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 STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - CAST STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Identity Crisis" CAST PICARD SUSANNA LEIJTEN RIKER HICKMAN DATA BREVELLE BEVERLY GEORDI Non-Speaking WORF TWO ALIENS MENDEZ TRANSPORTER CHIEF HEDRICK NURSE ALYSSA OGAWA ENSIGN GRAHAM COMPUTER VOICE Non-Speaking SUPERNUMERARIES SECURITY GUARDS STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - SETS STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Identity Crisis" SETS INTERIORS EXTERIORS USS ENTERPRISE USS ENTERPRISE MAIN BRIDGE OBSERVATION LOUNGE SHUTTLECRAFT SICKBAY BEVERLY'S OFFICE TARCHANNEN TEN FORWARD OUTPOST ENGINEERING CLEARING GEORDI'S OFFICE CORRIDORS TRANSPORTER ROOM HOLODECK TURBOLIFT HOLODECK TARCHANNEN SURFACE SHUTTLECRAFT STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - PRONUNCIATION STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Identity Crisis" PRONUNCIATION GUIDE CRECHE CRAY-sh LEIJTEN LIE-ten MICROPHAGE MICRO-foj TARCHANNEN tar-CHAN-in STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - TEASER 1. STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "Identity Crisis" TEASER FADE IN: 1 EXT. TARCHANNEN - RECORDING DEVICE POV (OPTICAL) A VISUAL OVERLAY, complete with ticking stardate, is superimposed over a dark, desolate landscape of spindly black plants and shadowy dunes... a world of perpetual twilight. BREVELLE (O.S.) Tarchannen Three Investigation. Stardate 40164.7. Ensign Anthony Brevelle Recording. Lieutenant Susanna Leijten in command. Then the recording device pans to include a small, futuristic structure... and LIEUTENANT SUSANNA LEIJTEN. Late twenties, striking, dynamic. She faces the camera. SUSANNA You up and running, Brevelle? BREVELLE (O.S.) Yes, Lieutenant. GEORDI moves into view, holding a Tricorder. (Note: Geordi is younger here, wearing a slightly different, earlier version of his VISOR.) GEORDI (baffled) I've checked buildings Four and Five... they're like all the others... no phaser hits, no sign of a fight. Looks like the entire outpost just... vanished... HICKMAN (O.S.) (from a distance) Lieutenant Leijten... The recording device pans back out into that gloomy landscape to reveal two palm beacons in the distance. One is held by ENSIGN PAUL HICKMAN, the other by ENSIGN EMILITA MENDEZ. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - TEASER 2. 1 CONTINUED: HICKMAN (continuing) You'd better come see this... 2 FOLLOW SUSANNA AND GEORDI (OPTICAL) As they hurry toward Hickman and Mendez. HICKMAN No footprints... no vehicle tracks. The wind probably erased them... but look... Then as Hickman lifts a dirty, torn Starfleet uniform into view, a disembodied voice is heard... SUSANNA (O.S.) Freeze visual. Everything and everyone FREEZES as we REVEAL... 3 INT. OBSERVATION LOUNGE (OPTICAL) This has all taken place on the wall MONITOR. A slightly older Susanna stands beside it, pointing to their images as she speaks... SUSANNA That's Hickman on the right... that's Mendez on the left... and as already noted, the recording was made by Ensign Brevelle... five years ago... As she turns to face PICARD, RIKER, and GEORDI... PICARD Commander Leijten, you said Brevelle was ill last week for several days before he... deserted. What about Mendez? SUSANNA Mendez was last seen aboard the Aries an hour before she disappeared. According to witnesses, she seemed completely normal. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - TEASER 3. 3 CONTINUED: RIKER And Hickman? Susanna shakes her head. SUSANNA He just passed a routine physical... with flying colors. GEORDI (skeptical) I know Paul Hickman. He's a family man... two kids. I can't believe he'd steal a shuttle and desert... Susanna sits down in the chair beside him. SUSANNA Believe it, Geordi. He was spotted by a Federation supply ship yesterday... on a course toward Tarchannen Three. Everyone ponders this for a moment. Then... PICARD The original Tarchannen disapperances were never solved, were they? SUSANNA No... we never learned what happened or why. Forty-nine people... gone... Riker contemplates the monitor... RIKER And now, five years later, members of the away team that investigated the disappearances... have started disappearing themselves. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - TEASER 4. 3 CONTINUED: (2) SUSANNA (acknowledges) Geordi and I are the only two left. And off this ominous statement... FADE OUT. END OF TEASER STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT ONE 5. ACT ONE FADE IN: 4 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) At warp speed. PICARD (V.O) Captain's log, Stardate 44664.5. We have set a course to intercept Lieutenant Hickman's stolen shuttlecraft... and, hopefully, to discover the whereabouts of the other missing officers... 5 INT. TEN FORWARD (OPTICAL) Geordi and Susanna at a table, drinking drinks. There's a subtext here... both have to wonder if they're in some kind of danger... but they try to mask it with casual humor and small talk... SUSANNA And then I almost married Paul Bogrow... GEORDI Bogrow... which one was he? SUSANNA You remember... with the thin moustache... GEORDI (remembering) Not Bogrow... SUSANNA (laughs) I know. GEORDI The one who used to drive you crazy... you thought he was so full of himself... SUSANNA (acknowledges) Well, I decided I prejudged him unfairly... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT ONE 6. 5 CONTINUED: GEORDI Uh huh... SUSANNA And then I decided I'd been right in the first place. GEORDI (laughs, shakes his head) Bogrow... SUSANNA And what about you... how come you never found the right girl? GEORDI I enjoy the bachelor's life too much... SUSANNA That doesn't sound like my "little brother" who always wanted advice on women... GEORDI Well, you were obviously a great advisor... Susanna nods. Suddenly somber. GEORDI What do you think, Suz? SUSANNA I don't know. But I'm not ashamed to tell you... (beat) I'm a little scared, you know? STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT ONE 6A. 5 CONTINUED: (2) GEORDI Yeah, I know. A beat as Susanna tries to lift their spirits out of the dip... SUSANNA Well, if anybody's gonna figure this out, it'll be the Leitjen and La Forge Show, right? We always made a good team... GEORDI A helluva team... RIKER'S COM VOICE Commander La Forge, Commander Leijten, report to the Bridge. We have a fix on the missing shuttle. Geordi and Susanna exchange a look as... GEORDI (keying insignia) On our way, Commander. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - ACT ONE 7. 6 OMITTED 7 INT. MAIN BRIDGE Picard, Riker, WORF, DATA at their positions; ENSIGN GRAHAM at the helm; SUPERNUMERARIES as needed. GRAHAM Entering the Tarchannen system, sir. PICARD Slow to impulse power. Mister Worf? WORF Long range sensors holding on the shuttlecraft... bearing zero one zero, mark two seven one. PICARD Hail the vessel. WORF Lieutenant Hickman is not responding, sir. PICARD Put a repeating message on all sub-space channels. Make it a Priority One communique -- order the Lieutenant to come about and stand to. As Geordi and Susanna ENTER from the turbolift... WORF Still no response, sir. GRAHAM The craft is now within visual range. PICARD On screen. 8 ANGLE ON VIEW SCREEN (OPTICAL) (INTERCUT) A Federation shuttle speeding through space. Susanna watches the view screen, takes a nervous breath. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - ACT ONE 7A. 8 CONTINUED: This is it -- the investigation is at a critical moment... DATA The shuttle's acceleration is increasing... its trajectory is moving directly into the planet's atmosphere. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT ONE 8. 9 EXT. SPACE - THE SHUTTLE (OPTICAL) Approaching TARCHANNEN THREE, a grey orb visible in the distance. 10 INT. MAIN BRIDGE Riker's on his feet. Geordi stands by Data at Ops. DATA He will reach an atmospheric interface at an altitude of two hundred and ten kilometers. RIKER At his current speed, he'll self-destruct. DATA That is correct, Commander. PICARD How soon, Data? DATA (checking panels) Fifty-three seconds. PICARD Options? GRAHAM He's out of transporter range. GEORDI And he's too far away for a positive lock with the tractor beam. PICARD (quickly, to Worf) Open a channel. WORF Open. PICARD Lieutenant Hickman, listen carefully. I am Captain Picard of the Enterprise. You are in danger. You must slow your rate of approach. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - ACT ONE 9. 10 CONTINUED: DATA (reacting to console) The shuttle is approaching the outer thermosphere, Captain. RIKER He's panicking... DATA At current rate of acceleration, the shuttlecraft will be destroyed in twenty-eight seconds. 11 EXT. SPACE - THE SHUTTLE (OPTICAL) The shuttlecraft continues on toward Tarchannen at faster speed. 12 INT. MAIN BRIDGE Data responds to his console... DATA Sixteen seconds to impact. PICARD (to com) Lieutenant Hickman, you must do as I tell you. Reduce your velocity and bring your craft to a positive pitch of twenty degrees... now. DATA The shuttle is entering the lower ionosphere... 13 EXT. SPACE - THE SHUTTLE (OPTICAL) It flies toward the planet and burns into the atmosphere. A spectacular FLASH, some stray sparks... then nothing. 14 INT. BRIDGE - CLOSE UPS - VARIOUS Riker, Worf, Picard, Geordi, and finally Susanna... shocked. Then... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - ACT ONE 10. 14 CONTINUED: WORF Sir, sensors detect two more Federation shuttlecraft on the planet's surface... no life signs. Reactions... PICARD Ready an away team, Number One. RIKER Geordi, Data, Worf... Riker looks at Susanna, nods. RIKER (continuing) And Commander Leijten. Then as they all head for the turbolift... 15 EXT. TARCHANNEN OUTPOST - ESTABLISHING After five years, sand dunes have begun to encroach upon the abandoned facility. 16 EXT. TARCHANNEN SURFACE - NEARBY (OPTICAL) A dark and gloomy landscape... trapped in a perpetual twilight. Riker, Worf, Data, Geordi and Susanna MATERIALIZE in a clearing near a SHUTTLECRAFT. They flick on their palm beacons and move toward it, Susanna in the lead. RIKER Commander Leijten, La Forge, check the shuttle... Worf, Data, you've got the perimeter. 17 SUSANNA Checks the side of the shuttle for identification... finds it. SUSANNA It's the shuttle pod Mendez stole from the Aries... Geordi pulls the shuttle's doors open and ENTERS it. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT ONE 11. 18 INT. SHUTTLECRAFT Geordi looks around the cramped interior, then glances down... and picks up a Starfleet uniform... torn to shreds. 19 EXT. TARCHANNEN SURFACE Susanna inspects the ground in front of the shuttle, sees something, shines her light on it and discovers... 20 FOOTPRINTS Scattered in the dirt... footprints which are clearly not human... Susanna's expression turns blank, as if something inside her has clicked on. She follows the prints out into the darkness. 21 ON WORF Close by, examining the ground with his beacon. He looks up, suddenly wary. His eyes shift with a warrior's alertness as he slowly shines his light out into the darkness. 22 ON RIKER AND DATA Data is scanning the area with his Tricorder. DATA No life signs, sir. Worf approaches them, looking uncomfortable... WORF (low) Sir... I am certain that we are being watched. Reactions. Riker sweeps his beacon through the darkness. Data performs a quick scan with his Tricorder. Nothing. They exchange a look -- this is nothing short of creepy... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT ONE 12. 23 ANGLE - THE SHUTTLE DOORS Geordi EXITS the shuttle to meet with the others. He shows them the torn uniform. GEORDI Commander Riker... A beat as they all react. Then... GEORDI Where's Commander Leijten? They look about. No sign of her. RIKER (keys insignia) Susanna, report. Nothing. Riker exchanges a grim look with the others. RIKER Fan out. Let's find her. They move off in different directions. 24 ANGLE - IN FRONT OF SHUTTLE Geordi stops and looks around... GEORDI (calls out) Susanna? No response. He spots Susanna's footprints in the dirt and follows them... GEORDI (keys communicator) La Forge to Leijten... Somewhere close in the darkness, a whisper -- SUSANNA (O.S.) Over here... Geordi whips around, startled, and discovers Susanna nearby, her beacon turned off, standing stock still, as if listening for something. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT ONE 13. 24 CONTINUED: GEORDI Where have you been? SUSANNA Mendez... Brevelle... they're alive. You saw the footprints? GEORDI Yes... but they're not human... SUSANNA (interrupting) They're here. Stand still... listen... and you can feel it... they're here... A beat. He scans with his Tricorder. Then... GEORDI I'm not picking up anything... Susanna ignores him, walks forward into the darkness. Geordi moves for her, gently takes her arm... GEORDI Where are you going? She jerks away from him. Geordi is taken aback. For an instant, Susanna looks equally surprised... then she starts backing away from him... GEORDI Susanna... ? Geordi reaches for her, nice and slow... and she turns to run. Geordi grabs her, holding her tight as she thrashes in his arms like a trapped animal. GEORDI (hits communicator) La Forge to Enterprise, medical emergency, two to Sickbay. And off Susanna's wildly panicked face... FADE OUT. END OF ACT ONE STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT TWO 14. ACT TWO FADE IN: 25 INT. SICKBAY Susanna lies in the diagnostic bed, Geordi and Beverly standing on either side of her. She opens her eyes, dazed for a moment, then quips... SUSANNA Do I look as bad as I feel? GEORDI You look fine... now. As Beverly scans her with an instrument, Susanna sits up, manages a weak smile. SUSANNA What happened? BEVERLY Your blood chemistry is way off. And you had a histamine response, to what I don't know. (a beat) I'll run a complete blood and tissue analysis. Picard ENTERS... overhears... SUSANNA I need to get back to the surface. BEVERLY Uh uh... until we find some answers, I don't want you to leave the Enterprise. SUSANNA But I have work... BEVERLY (interrupting) Look, Commander, you may simply have had an anxiety reaction down there. But we've got to make sure. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT TWO 15. 25 CONTINUED: GEORDI (to Susanna's look) Probably wouldn't hurt to take it easy for a while... SUSANNA I'm not going to stay locked up on this ship while the investigation... PICARD Your devotion to duty is admirable, Commander... but Doctor Crusher is right. You will remain on the Enterprise until we know whether or not this is connected to the disappearance of the others. SUSANNA (protesting) Captain... PICARD (firm) We have completed our survey on the surface. Analyzing that data will keep all of us busy for some time. His tone is clear... and Susanna heeds it. SUSANNA Of course, sir. I understand. GEORDI (gently stepping in) Data has a preliminary report... if you feel up to it... SUSANNA Sure... what're we waiting for? As Geordi and Susanna EXIT, Picard faces Beverly. PICARD Doctor... what about La Forge? STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT TWO 16. 25 CONTINUED: (2) BEVERLY I gave him a complete bioscan. Everything says he's in perfect shape. PICARD But according to all reports... so were Mendez and Hickman before they disappeared. Beverly nods, acknowledging their shared concern. They've lost one Starfleet officer today... and they don't want to lose any more. 26 INT. CORRIDOR Geordi and Susanna walk along. She is clearly agitated, talking a little too fast... SUSANNA Captain Picard's wrong. The way to handle this is to get back down there with a dozen away teams... fan out from the shuttle... We can cover a lot of ground in a hurry... use proximity detectors and infrared sensors... GEORDI (a warning) Susanna... And then she notices it, too. Her hand is shaking. Trembling badly. Almost palsied. After a beat... SUSANNA Geordi... it's started... whatever happened to the others... it's happening to me, too... He takes her hand in his. Holds it tight. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT TWO 17. 26 CONTINUED: GEORDI Suz... I'm here... (a beat, a smile) I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Susanna manages a small grin in response. As they ENTER the turbolift. GEORDI Main Bridge. And as the doors close. 27 OMITTED 28 INT. MAIN BRIDGE (OPTICAL) Data, Geordi, and Susanna are at an aft science station, studying the greatly magnified image of a single cell. DATA During microscopic examination of the torn uniform, I discovered these alien skin cells. SUSANNA Source? DATA Undetermined. GEORDI (shakes his head) Without something else to cross-reference, it would take weeks to try and identify them... DATA Fortunately, there is more evidence... Data taps a control and the monitor displays a computer graphic of a strange, alien footprint. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT TWO 18. 28 CONTINUED: DATA We have been able to determine that the footprints we found by the shuttle were not made by any known Tarchannen life form. SUSANNA If we're pursuing a theory that somehow unknown aliens are involved... I should tell you we didn't find tracks like that during the original investigation. DATA The planet is subject to frequent sandstorms. Footprints could have been obliterated prior to your arrival. Geordi stares at the monitor... Data taps a control and an image of the skin cell appears next to that of the footprint. DATA Doctor Crusher and I will begin to search the medical database... and attempt to match these with a known life form. As Geordi and Susanna study the image... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT TWO 19. 28A thru OMITTED 28B 29 INT. TURBOLIFT Geordi and Susanna riding in it. Thinking. Then... SUSANNA Aliens or no aliens... why would our people start returning after five years to be... abducted? As they talk, Geordi and Susanna click back into an old mode... an enthusiastic team searching for answers. GEORDI Some kind of compulsion... like a post hypnotic command... ? SUSANNA (acknowledging) Something that happened while we were down there the first time... GEORDI We can go back to the mission record... construct a log of everyone's movements... SUSANNA And look for a commonalty. Something we all touched... maybe a plant... the sand... GEORDI Or something we ingested... could be in the air itself... And as the turbolift doors open and they EXIT... 30 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) In a synchronous orbit over Tarchannen. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT TWO 20. 31 INT. BEVERLY'S OFFICE - TO INCLUDE WALL MONITOR (OPTICAL) Data and Beverly study the data on a monitor. Then he taps it and a series of images begin flashing by. BEVERLY (not hopeful) The parameters are pretty broad, Data... any match we make is going to be inconclusive at best. DATA I am aware of that. However, I see no other reasonable course of investigation available to us. (beat) And we may not have much time. This last statement hangs in the air. Then... BEVERLY You're worried about Geordi, aren't you? DATA (reminding her) I am an android. It is not possible for me to feel anxiety. Starfleet personnel have vanished... others may be at risk. We must do the best we can to find out why. A beat. DATA However... He pauses, seeming to search for the correct words. DATA I am strongly motivated to solve this mystery. Off her reaction... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/11/91 - ACT TWO 21. 32 INT. ENGINEERING - GEORDI'S OFFICE - ON WALL MONITOR (OPTICAL) Footage of Tarchannen from the Teaser... without audio. The away team (including Susanna and Geordi) search the area where the uniform was found. GEORDI (O.S.) Freeze visual. Everything and everyone FREEZES as we reveal... 33 GEORDI (OPTICAL) Watching the monitor. Susanna sits at a nearby console, studying the image of a spindly Tarchannen plant. It's been a long session... and Susanna's clearly frayed at the edges. She frowns and nervously rubs her hand. SUSANNA We're wasting our time. GEORDI (surprised) You didn't feel that way before... it was your idea to look for some sort of commonality. SUSANNA Well... I was wrong. Susanna stands, begins pacing. Restless. SUSANNA We're not going to find anything this way. We should go back to the planet... it's all down there... everything we need to know. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT TWO 22. 33 CONTINUED: GEORDI That's not an option... not until the Captain says it is... He turns back to the monitor... GEORDI Computer resume. 34 ON WALL MONITOR (OPTICAL) (INTERCUT) Which begins playing the images from the opening of the Teaser. As Geordi watches this... 35 SUSANNA (OPTICAL) Crosses back to the console and stares at the image of the plant... then abruptly switches the viewer off. SUSANNA I can't look at this anymore. It hurts my eyes... I can't think. My brain feels like it's wrapped in a blanket. GEORDI Take a break. I'll work for a... SUSANNA I don't need a break... I... (hushed) ... I need to get off this ship. Geordi reacts... knowing what this could mean. GEORDI (gently) I think... we should go see Doctor Crusher... SUSANNA Forget Crusher... forget your logs. Tarchannen's down there, Geordi. It's waiting for us. That's where we should go. GEORDI Susanna... you can't leave... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT TWO 23. 35 CONTINUED: Susanna glares at him... whatever she's caught up in is rapidly consuming her. Then she whips around and heads toward the office door. GEORDI Susanna... She ignores him, leaves the office. Geordi quickly follows her out into Main Engineering. They draw the attention of startled SUPERNUMARIES as... GEORDI SUSANNA! She finally stops, faces him -- unable to speak -- her body trembling uncontrollably... and then she collapses. Geordi rushes to her. The Supernumaries gather around them as he takes her head in his hands... And her hair brushes aside to reveal the dark BLOTCHES peppered along the back of her neck. Susanna reaches for him, clutches his shoulders, fighting back a sudden jolt of pain. Geordi looks at her hand... 36 CLOSE ON SUSANNA'S HAND Her two middle fingers are FUSED together... 37 ON GEORDI As he reacts... FADE OUT. END OF ACT TWO STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - ACT THREE 24. ACT THREE FADE IN: 38 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) In orbit around Tarchannen Three. 39 INT. SICKBAY The room is dimly lit. Susanna's shadowy form lies in an emergency medical bed. As NURSE OGAWA stands by, Beverly passes an instrument over the patient... BEVERLY (tense) Her blood pressure's still falling... (to the Nurse) Apply the T-cell stimulator. We've got to stabilize her immune system. Picard and Geordi ENTER the dark room. As Geordi reacts to the low light level, Beverly explains... BEVERLY She's developed an extreme sensitivity to light... we're trying to make her more comfortable. Geordi nods, approaches the bed. 40 ANGLE - FAVORING SUSANNA The changes are startling... her skin is mottled with intricately woven black patches and veins... her hair, oily and black. Geordi stares at Susanna... shocked. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/11/91 - ACT THREE 25. 40 CONTINUED: GEORDI My God... Susanna regains a hazy consciousness and looks up at Geordi with eyes which are no longer human. SUSANNA (softly) Geordi... He gently takes her hand. Beverly catches Picard's eye and nods toward her office. As they EXIT... GEORDI Hold on, Susanna. Doctor Crusher will help you. Just... hold on. SUSANNA It's inside me, Geordi... I can't fight it... it's winning... GEORDI Don't give up... do you hear me, Suz? You can't give up... But she's lost consciousness again... 41 INT. BEVERLY'S OFFICE (OPTICAL) Picard and Beverly watch a wall monitor as a greatly magnified image of a single cell appears on the screen. BEVERLY This is one of Susanna's altered skin cells... She presses a control and a second cell appears next to the first. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - ACT THREE 26. 41 CONTINUED: BEVERLY And this is one of the alien cells Data found. PICARD Almost identical. How do you explain it? BEVERLY Captain, I think the people who disappeared from Tarchannen Three weren't abducted... they were transformed into another species... That's when they realize Geordi has quietly entered. GEORDI (even) Can you stop it, Doctor? BEVERLY (not hopeful) The T-cell stimulator will slow the rate of change... but until I find the cause... She shakes her head. Then, after a pause... PICARD Doctor Crusher... is this a threat to the Enterprise? BEVERLY No. I've tested the cell wall integrity. It's viability is extremely low. It's not possible for Susanna to transmit it. GEORDI Then how did she get it? STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT THREE 27. 41 CONTINUED: (2) BEVERLY That's a good question. And it would be a great help if I knew. (turning to Geordi) The only thing I do know, Geordi... is that it's very possible you'll be next. Geordi is stunned, tries to deny the possibility. GEORDI I had two full bioscans today. You said I was fine. BEVERLY I gave Susanna a bioscan, too. I didn't find anything wrong with her, either. A beat. Geordi moves from denial... to acceptance. GEORDI How long? BEVERLY I don't know what we're dealing with. Brevelle was sick for days before he left... Mendez was normal an hour before she disappeared. You may have weeks... or just a few hours. GEORDI (after a thoughtful beat) Then there's no time to waste. I've got to get back to work. BEVERLY Geordi... until I know exactly what we're dealing with, you're staying here. In Sickbay. GEORDI Doctor, you said it would help if you knew the source of this... (MORE) STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT THREE 28. 41 CONTINUED: (3) GEORDI (Cont'd) If I could finish my analysis of the mission records... I might find an answer. PICARD (stepping in) And what if you begin to change... and feel compelled to return to the planet like the others? GEORDI Program the computer to monitor my movements... that way you can be sure I don't leave the ship. Geordi takes Picard's silence as a refusal... becomes more impassioned in his argument. GEORDI What would you do, sir? Sit it out in Sickbay... or try to learn what it is that's got you... and maybe stop it? Picard thinks about this. Knowing exactly what he would want to do if he were in Geordi's place. He exchanges a look with Beverly... she understands. PICARD All right, Mister La Forge... proceed with your investigation. But report to Doctor Crusher for another bioscan at the start of day watch. BEVERLY In the meantime, if you have symptoms of any kind -- I want to know. Immediately. Geordi smiles. Relieved and thankful. GEORDI Understood. And as he rushes out of the room... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT THREE 29. 42 INT. ENGINEERING - GEORDI'S OFFICE - ON WALL MONITOR - (OPTICAL) And a scene from the visual record we haven't seen before: Illuminated by the stark camera lights, Susanna, Geordi, and Mendez stand outside Building One, watching as Hickman lifts an evidence case. HICKMAN (keying insignia) One to transport. As Hickman DEMATERIALIZES, Susanna turns to the others. SUSANNA I want to make another sweep of the perimeter. Mendez, Brevelle, start at Building Two. La Forge, you and I will begin at Four. They move out of the scene, casting dark shadows across the building behind them as they all head off in different directions... then the record ends and the screen is abruptly filled with static. GEORDI (O.S.) Okay, computer... 43 ANGLE TO INCLUDE GEORDI Alone in his office... head aching from hours of fruitless effort, pushing himself hard. As he stares at the wall monitor... GEORDI (continuing) Analyze audio elements from time index fourteen four seven to fifteen five eight. List all anomalies. COMPUTER VOICE No audio anomalies present. GEORDI Any subspace projections... z particle emissions... or interferometric frequencies? COMPUTER VOICE No subspace projections present. No z particle emissions present. (MORE) STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT THREE 30. 43 CONTINUED: COMPUTER VOICE (Cont'd) No interferometric patterns present. Another dead end. Geordi sighs with frustration as Data ENTERS. DATA Geordi... may I inquire how your investigation is proceeding? GEORDI It's not. DATA Have you done an audio analysis... Geordi impatiently interrupts Data in mid-sentence -- a strong indication of how tired and frustrated he is. GEORDI And a spectrographic analysis and a screen for ionizing radiation... and I even ran an enhancement for micro-seismic disturbances. I've tried it all. A beat. Geordi shakes his head. GEORDI I'm sorry, Data. DATA There is no need for an apology. Geordi just nods. Data observes him for a moment. DATA Perhaps if you indulged in a short rest period, you could approach this problem with what humans commonly refer to as a fresh point of view... This is as close to human concern as Data can express... and Geordi knows it. He manages a smile. GEORDI You're probably right, Data. But I've got to finish scanning these records... while I can. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT THREE 31. 43 CONTINUED: (2) DATA Is there some way I can assist you? GEORDI (shakes his head) If I knew what I was looking for... (sighs) I think it's just down to going over it, Data... maybe find something I forgot... I'll let you know if I come up with anything... anything at all. Data acknowledges and as Geordi goes back to the wall monitor, Data EXITS... 44 INT. SICKBAY Beverly is met by Nurse Ogawa as she ENTERS. OGAWA Sorry to disturb you, Doctor... BEVERLY It's alright. What's happened? OGAWA I thought you should see this. They approach the unconscious Susanna, who has changed further. Her skin, slick with an oily coating, bears an even more elaborate network of black swirls and patterns. Nurse Ogawa shines a penlight on Susanna's face... 45 ANGLE - FAVORING SUSANNA (OPTICAL) As the beam glides across Susanna's cheek a quickly fading phosphorous trail is left on the skin. BEVERLY (what the hell) Her skin's simulating the light... a radiant reaction... (musing) Some sort of mimetic ability? STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - ACT THREE 32. 45 CONTINUED: OGAWA That's not all. Her body temperature is dropping. Beverly waves a Tricorder over Susanna... BEVERLY (puzzled) It's as if she's generating a disruptive field... I can barely get readings off her now... What about her rate of transformation? OGAWA It's increasing. BEVERLY That's not possible. It should have been inhibited by the T-cell stimulator... unless... (thinking hard) If there's a foreign body inside her that's producing these changes... something like a viral creche... OGAWA A very small one if our scans haven't found it. BEVERLY (let's get to it) I want a full genetic analysis. We're going to examine any abnormality we find... no matter how insignificant it seems. And as they go to work... 46 INT. ENGINEERING - GEORDI'S OFFICE - MONITOR (OPTICAL) The visual record PLAYS... beginning with the entire team at Building One again. HICKMAN One to transport. GEORDI (O.S.) Computer, delete the audio. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT TWO 33. 47 INCLUDE GEORDI (OPTICAL) As he watches, the record continues silently. Hickman DEMATERIALIZES. Susanna and the others move out of the scene, their shadows following after them. Then Geordi suddenly frowns... GEORDI Wait a minute... freeze visual. The image freezes. We see the bare wall of the outpost building... and a single shadow. GEORDI (after a beat, puzzled) Whose shadow is that? COMPUTER Please restate question. He taps a console... a grid appears over the image on the monitor. GEORDI Computer... the shadow currently displayed in section B-eleven... what is its source? COMPUTER Unknown. Geordi sighs, shakes his head. GEORDI It's gotta belong to somebody... (to viewer) Computer... return to time index fourteen five eight... The image flashes backwards... and starts again. Geordi watches as the away team moves off in different directions, leaving that single shadow prominently displayed on the wall... GEORDI Okay... Brevelle's behind the camera... Susanna and I head off in that direction. Mendez moves off that way... (softly) ... so whose shadow is it? STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - ACT THREE 34. 47 CONTINUED: Geordi thinks about it... a tired man with a very hard question in front of him. He drums his fingers on his desk nervously... a subtly uncharacteristic gesture. GEORDI Computer... replay visual from last time index. No audio. Slow to fifty percent. On the monitor, the away team moves in SLOW MOTION, their shadows close together on the wall behind them. As they walk off... GEORDI Freeze visual. 48 CLOSE ON MONITOR (OPTICAL) And that shadow remaining on the building wall. GEORDI Magnify four times... apply spectral enhancement. The visual MAGNIFIES, becoming fuzzy in a digital, blocky false color manner... then resolves into a sharp, normal color image... showing a close-up of the mysterious, vaguely humanoid, shadow. 49 GEORDI (OPTICAL) Stares hard at the screen... rubs his forehead. Annoyed. Impatient. And then the idea hits him... driving him on to an even greater effort... despite his fatigue... GEORDI (urgent) Computer, do you have sufficient data to compile a Holographic simulation of this Visual Record? COMPUTER VOICE A simulation would be limited to areas scanned by the visual recording device. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/11/91 - ACT THREE 35. 49 CONTINUED: Geordi stands, paces excitedly, ever fiber of his being convinced he is on the verge of a breakthrough. GEORDI Good. Fine. Scan the entire record... then recreate it in Holodeck Three. Geordi EXITS, almost on the run. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/11/91 - ACT THREE 36. 50 thru OMITTED 54 55 INT. CORRIDOR - OUTSIDE HOLODECK THREE Geordi hurries up and hits the companel. GEORDI Computer, is the Tarchannen simulation ready? COMPUTER VOICE Affirmative. Program complete. Enter when ready. Geordi moves for the doors. Then stops and holds out his hand. It's trembling... badly. Like Susanna's. Geordi frowns, reaches for his insignia... then hesitates. He knows he should contact Beverly, but he's driven to solve this mystery... to save Susanna. After a beat, he presses a series of buttons on the control panel. The doors slide open and Geordi ENTERS the holodeck... 56 INT. HOLODECK Geordi stands near the door, studying... 57 ANGLE - HOLODECK/TARCHANNEN OUTPOST A re-creation of Building One... complete down to Tarchannen's perpetual twilight. Holograms of Susanna, Mendez, and Geordi, frozen in place... their shadows clearly visible on the wall behind them... FADE OUT. END OF ACT THREE STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT FOUR 37. ACT FOUR FADE IN: 58 INT. HOLODECK As before. Geordi stares numbly at the facsimile of a healthy, vibrant Susanna... then charges on... GEORDI Computer, scan Starfleet records and create a simulation of Brevelle... place him where he stood while recording this... 59 ANGLE - FAVORING BREVELLE (OPTICAL) A hologram of BREVELLE APPEARS between the real Geordi and the holograms of the away team. Brevelle holds a recording device with a bright light mounted on it... 60 GEORDI Steps up beside Brevelle... looks over at the holograms of the away team standing by the wall... so intent on his investigation that he is unaware of the increased trembling of his hands... or the sweat beading on his brow... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/15/91 - ACT FOUR 38. 60 CONTINUED: GEORDI Good. Computer, based on their speed and direction, can you extrapolate each officer's movements as they walk out of the recording device's field of view? COMPUTER Affirmative. With an increasing probability of error, reaching ninety-five percent after ten seconds. GEORDI Understood. Run simulation. 61 THE SIMULATION Comes to "life." Susanna turns to Mendez and Geordi... HOLO-SUSANNA I want to make another sweep of the perimeter. Mendez, Brevelle, start at Building Two. La Forge, you and I will begin at Four. They walk off in different directions... 62 THE "REAL" GEORDI Observes intently as... 63 ANGLE ON OUTPOST WALL Geordi, Mendez and Susanna's shadows move off the wall... leaving that one strange shadow in place. But as Geordi moves closer to examine it... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT FOUR 39. 64 THE HOLO-BREVELLE (OPTICAL) Turns off his camera's light... and the shadow abruptly DISAPPEARS. Geordi shakes his head. Frustrated. GEORDI It's happening too fast. (a beat) Freeze program. The holograms all freeze in place. GEORDI Computer, reverse simulation... run it back to... time index fourteen five eight. 65 OMITTED 65A BREVELLE (OPTICAL) His camera light comes back on... and... 66 THE HOLOGRAMS OF SUSANNA, MENDEZ, AND GEORDI (OPTICAL) Walk in reverse back toward the building. Their shadows reappear on the wall... moving backwards... rejoining the mysterious shadow that was left behind. 67 THE "REAL" GEORDI (OPTICAL) Reacts... interrupts... GEORDI Freeze. The holograms all freeze in place. Geordi walks up to the wall... stares at the jumble of shadows on it. He nervously rubs his hand. Then... GEORDI Computer... remove Leijten... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT FOUR 39A. 67 CONTINUED: Susanna and her shadow VANISH. The unexplained shadow remains. GEORDI Remove La Forge... Holo-Geordi and his shadow VANISH... the unexplained shadow remains... GEORDI ... and now remove Mendez... Mendez and her shadow DISAPPEAR, leaving Brevelle, his camera, its light and that one, unexplained shadow behind. Geordi moves closer... studying the shadow's indistinct, vaguely human shape. He steps still closer... right between the camera and the wall... the shadow falls over him. 67A ANOTHER ANGLE Geordi turns and faces Brevelle's camera... squinting at its bright light... there is clearly nothing between him and the light which could be casting the shadow. He steps to one side and the shadow falls on the wall again. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FOUR 40. 67A CONTINUED: GEORDI Computer, using vector analysis, identify the source of this shadow. COMPUTER VOICE There is no object in the program which could generate the shadow. Geordi puts a hand to his head, feeling a wave of dizziness. It subsides as quickly as it came. GEORDI There must be something else here... something between the camera lights and the wall. Geordi paces back and forth. Thinking furiously. GEORDI Computer, given the distance from the lights to the wall... can you determine the most likely shape and position of the object casting this shadow? COMPUTER VOICE There is insufficient data to reconstruct the requested object. GEORDI Okay... let's assume the height of our friend here is about my size... say one hundred seventy centimeters... now can you extrapolate its shape and position? COMPUTER VOICE Affirmative. GEORDI Do it. 68 HOLODECK/SHADOW (OPTICAL) A gray figure MATERIALIZES right in front of the shadow... taking shape bit by bit until it becomes a roughly defined humanoid CREATURE. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT FOUR 41. 69 GEORDI (OPTICAL) Reacts with astonishment as he approaches the humanoid hologram and slowly circles it... there was something there... Then he is struck with a sudden, intense jab of internal pain. Geordi drops to his knees... clutching at the back of his neck. 70 HIS HAND The middle fingers have fused together. As his hand slides away, we see the first mottled blotches of the transformation on his neck. 71 GEORDI Stares at his hand... at the horror of it. 72 OMITTED 73 INT. SICKBAY (OPTICAL) Susanna is still in bed, further transformed, and barely conscious. Beverly and Nurse Ogawa are at a wall monitor, studying a diagram of Susanna's upper chest and throat. A small light begins pulsing in the region of the thymus. BEVERLY (at last) There... in the thymus... Beverly taps on some panels... some data flashes on the monitor. BEVERLY (studying the figures, puzzled) Some kind of parasite. It's using Susanna's immune system to spread genetic instructions... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FOUR 42. 73 CONTINUED: OGAWA How did it get there? BEVERLY She could have been infected during the original mission. It's small enough to have entered through any of the mucous membranes... She taps the wall monitor again and a graphic display of cells undergoing rapid transformation comes up. BEVERLY (continuing) But it certainly isn't acting like a typical parasite... it's not feeding off her -- it's actually transforming her DNA to match its own... Ogawa crosses to Susanna, scans her with an instrument. OGAWA There's not much of her original DNA left. BEVERLY (acknowledges, urgent) And we're going to need unaltered genes... or we'll never get her back. We've got to get that thing out of her. Now. And as they prepare for surgery... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FOUR 43. 73A EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) In orbit over Tarchannen Three. 74 OMITTED 75 INT. MAIN BRIDGE - SCIENCE STATION Data is working the panels... checking further analysis... Picard is at command, Worf at Tactical, and Riker stands near Graham at the helm. As Riker crosses to Data... RIKER Any luck? DATA Negative, Commander. Nothing in our survey suggests the source of a parasitic infection... He breaks off as... BEVERLY'S COM VOICE Crusher to Bridge. 75A NEW ANGLE PICARD Go ahead, Doctor. BEVERLY'S COM VOICE The surgery was successful... INTERCUT: 76 INT. SICKBAY Beverly "coming out" of surgery... the strain is clearly showing. BEVERLY (continuing) ... but it will be a few hours before we know how her regenerative systems are responding... In the meantime, I'd better get Geordi in here. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FOUR 43A. 76 CONTINUED: PICARD'S COM VOICE Very good, Doctor. Keep us advised. BEVERLY (keying insignia) Crusher to La Forge... No response. BEVERLY Computer, locate Commander La Forge. COMPUTER VOICE Commander La Forge is not on board the Enterprise. A moment of stunned silence... then... BEVERLY Bridge, the Computer says Geordi isn't on board... ? Is that correct? 76A INT. BRIDGE Reactions. DATA I show no transporter activity. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FOUR 44. 76A CONTINUED: WORF All shuttles are secure. RIKER Negative, Doctor. There is no indication he left the ship. PICARD Computer, what was Commander La Forge's last known location? COMPUTER VOICE Holodeck Three. Riker and Picard exchange a quick look. Then as Riker heads toward the turbolift... RIKER Worf... As Riker and Worf EXIT... 76B INT. SICKBAY BEVERLY Captain, if Geordi has transformed, he may be virtually a chameleon -- the skin develops mimetic capabilities... he could still be onboard... 76C INT. MAIN BRIDGE BEVERLY'S COM VOICE ... but undetectable to our sensors... Off Picard's reaction... 77 INT. CORRIDOR - OUTSIDE HOLODECK THREE Riker and Worf rush up from one end of the corridor; two N.D. SECURITY GUARDS from the other. Worf presses a series of buttons on the control panel and the doors slide open. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FOUR 45. 78 INT. HOLODECK (OPTICAL) One Security Guard stays in the doorway as Riker, Worf, and the other Guard ENTER. As they react to the Tarchannen simulation... WORF (to guard) Search the structure... I will take the perimeter... As Worf and the Guard move off, Riker approaches the frozen, humanoid hologram. What the hell is this thing... and what part does it play in this mystery? WORF (O.S.) Commander... Riker turns toward... 79 WORF Who holds up Geordi's abandoned VISOR and torn uniform. Off Riker's reaction... 80 INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM SIX TRANSPORTER CHIEF HEDRICK is at his station, running a routine maintenance program. The door opens and he reacts to... 81 A HUMANOID BLUR - AT THE DOOR (OPTICAL) Shaped like the hologram Geordi created; almost invisible thanks to its incredible chameleon-like skin. HEDRICK (keying insignia) Security... But before he can call for help, the humanoid form lunges at Hedrick in a RIPPLING BLUR... knocking the surprised man off his feet. 82 INT. MAIN BRIDGE Data reacts to his console... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FOUR 46. 82 CONTINUED: DATA Captain... the security lockout on Transporter Room Six has been broken. PICARD Re-engage... now. DATA I cannot, sir... The transport cycle has already begun. 83 INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM (OPTICAL) Hedrick sprawled on the floor; the humanoid blur on the pad. As the DEMATERIALIZATION finishes, an energy silhouette of the Alien/Geordi is briefly visible on the pad. Then we... 84 OMITTED FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/17/91 - ACT FIVE 47. ACT FIVE FADE IN: 85 thru OMITTED 89 90 INT. MAIN BRIDGE Worf and Data at their positions; Riker, and Picard in the command area. WORF I do not read any life signs on the surface. A moment of worried silence... then... PICARD Our sensor array is useless... we have to find another way of locating him. Data processes this for a moment, then turns toward Picard and Riker. DATA Captain, if we can get close enough to Geordi... we can read his absorption spectrum with an ultraviolet light. RIKER Can you modify an emergency beacon to operate on UV? DATA Yes, sir. PICARD Make it so. Number One, as soon as Data is ready, I want you to lead an away team. 90A OMITTED 90B INT. ENGINEERING Worf and Riker ENTER to discover Data at a work station, the various components of an emergency beacon laid out before him. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/17/91 - ACT FIVE 47A. 90B CONTINUED: RIKER How long, Mister Data? DATA (continuing to work as he talks) I still must replace the emitter module and reconnect the power supply. It will take approximately two minutes to complete the modification. Then Riker reacts to the Transporter Chief's voice as... HEDRICK'S COM VOICE Hedrick to Commander Riker. RIKER (keying insignia) Go ahead. 90C INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM Hedrick is back at his console... recovered from his encounter with the transformed Geordi. HEDRICK I've been able to determine La Forge's transport coordinates. 90D INT. ENGINEERING HEDRICK'S COM VOICE (continuing) He beamed down next to the Aries shuttle. RIKER Acknowledged. Riker and Worf cross to the pool table. As Riker punches up something on its monitor... RIKER He's on foot... couldn't have gotten far by now. Let's assume a radius of ten kilometers... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/17/91 - ACT FIVE 47B. 90D CONTINUED: WORF That is still a search area of more than three hundred square kilometers. Riker hears this... knows what they're up against... RIKER We've got to narrow it down. What's happening with the enhanced sensor arrays? Worf punches up something else on the pool table, studies it... then shakes his head. WORF All scans are still negative. Riker frowns with frustration. RIKER There has to be some way to track him. (new thought) What about the high resolution EM scans? WORF We are adjusting the sensors to read Commander La Forge's absorption spectrum... but it will take several hours. RIKER (beat) Geordi doesn't have several hours. Data approaches... carrying the now assembled, baton-like emergency beacon. DATA I have completed the modifications, Commander. On the move. RIKER (keying insignia) Doctor Crusher... meet us in Transporter Room Six. Immediately. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/17/91 - ACT FIVE 48. 90E INT. SICKBAY (FORMERLY 90A) Beverly is readying her medical kit for the Away Team... BEVERLY (to Ogawa) ... And I'm going to need a sedative for him... Get me ten cc's of kayolane... Ogawa acknowledges, leaves as... SUSANNA (O.S.) Doctor Crusher... 91 ANGLE To reveal Susanna who has regained consciousness... still part alien but her eyes once again clear and human. BEVERLY You look a lot better than you did an hour ago... SUSANNA (weak) What did you do? BEVERLY We removed some kind of parasite from your thymus... SUSANNA (interrupts) No. (off Bev's look) It wasn't a parasite, Doctor. (with new found inner knowledge) It's their method of reproduction... to plant a DNA strand in a living host... that causes a metamorphosis. (beat) ... Geordi? Beverly barely has time to react... when Susanna's alien instincts tell her. Sitting up, alarmed... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FIVE 49. 91 CONTINUED: SUSANNA He's gone... BEVERLY Yes... SUSANNA He's on the planet... BEVERLY Don't try to get up yet... SUSANNA We have to find him... BEVERLY An away team is about to start a search. SUSANNA You'll never be able to find him... (beat) I'm the only one who can. Off Beverly's reaction... 92 EXT. TARCHANNEN THREE - THE OUTPOST The dark, gloomy landscape... the deserted buildings. 93 BY THE SHUTTLE (OPTICAL) Riker, Beverly, Susanna, Worf, and Data MATERIALIZE near the abandoned shuttle. Data holds a foot long, baton-like emergency beacon. As they all turn on their individual palm beacons... Susanna reacts to the light, blinks, uncomfortable, turns away... SUSANNA No... you must turn them off... the light frightens them... Riker nods to the others, all turn off the beacons. RIKER (to Susanna; re: the emergency beacon) What about the ultraviolet? STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FIVE 50. 93 CONTINUED: SUSANNA That is beyond their visual spectrum... they will not run from it. WORF He could be several kilometers away by now. Susanna shakes her head. SUSANNA No... he's here... they're all here... Susanna moves into the underbrush. The others follow... 93A FAVORING SUSANNA As she slowly surveys the grey, spindly plants... the deserted dunes. SUSANNA There. Data raises the emergency beacon. Its filament GLOWS, flooding the area with an intense BLUE RADIANCE. 94 OMITTED 95 WIDE (OPTICAL) The bright light reveals TWO TARCHANNEN CREATURES. Even in the fuzzy, fluorescent glow, their appearance is more extreme than Geordi's was... more alien. Susanna looks around, reacts as she sees... 96 THE ALIEN/GEORDI Partially hidden in nearby underbrush; silhouetted by the vivid blue light, barely recognizable. Reactions. BEVERLY Geordi... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT FIVE 51. THE TWO ALIENS (OPTICAL) Suddenly rush off, shoving the underbrush aside as they vanish into the darkness. Worf and Riker rush the Alien/Geordi, but he darts past them. SUSANNA Geordi... stop... 98 DATA Pursues Geordi, beacon held high, moving at top, android speed as... 99 WORF AND RIKER Move in pursuit... Beverly and Susanna following... 100 thru OMITTED 101 101A DATA - IN THE UNDERBRUSH He runs into a secluded area... stops. Pans the beacon... no Geordi. The others arrive. SUSANNA Wait here... Susanna moves toward some rocks... looks past them... seeing only indistinct shapes at first... Then she steps closer... and discovers the three aliens huddled in the shadows behind the rocks... vaguely outlined by the beacon's blue light. SUSANNA (gently, quietly) Geordi, my voice is familiar... listen to it... you can feel that we share this... you know I am not a threat... She slowly moves closer... SUSANNA The others... Mendez, Brevelle, they no longer exist as humans... but a part of you still does. You are not one of them... not yet. I can help you... if you'll just trust me... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FIVE 52. 101B ANGLE - THE AWAY TEAM Watches when... 101C RESUME - SUSANNA AND ALIEN/GEORDI She reaches out a hand... The other two scramble away but Geordi stays... SUSANNA I know what's going on inside you... the war you're fighting with yourself... the humanity slipping away... the instinct to run... It's overpowering, but they know how to beat it now... Geordi shakes his head, moves as if to follow the other two aliens. Susanna stops him with... SUSANNA Look at me... I've come back... Let me take you back, too. Slowly, Geordi emerges... bathed in the blue light... SUSANNA Just take my hand... please... She continues to hold out her hand... and finally he reaches out and takes it with his hand. A long beat. 101D ANGLE - THE AWAY TEAM BEVERLY (taps insignia) Crusher to Enterprise. Lock on to Commander Leitjen's signal... prepare to transport two directly to Sickbay. 101E RESUME - GEORDI AND SUSANNA (OPTICAL) SUSANNA We're going home, Geordi. And they DEMATERIALIZE... STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - REV. 1/14/91 - ACT FIVE 52A. 102 thru OMITTED 107 108 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) Still in orbit over grey, murky Tarchannen Three. 108A INT. SICKBAY Geordi, clearly on the road to recovery... though his skin is still patterned with a few blotches. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FIVE 53. 108A ANGLE Picard, Beverly and Susanna at his beside... Susanna is completely back to normal. PICARD Is there no hope for the others? Brevelle, Mendez... SUSANNA (shakes her head) None. Geordi moves and regains consciousness... he's without his VISOR so he can't see... GEORDI (slight panic) Susanna... She takes his hand... SUSANNA I'm here, Geordi. So's Doctor Crusher and Captain Picard. Beverly puts on his VISOR... Geordi sighs, keeps his head down on the pillow... GEORDI (weakly) Lieutenant Commander La Forge reporting for duty, Captain. PICARD Welcome back, Mister La Forge. BEVERLY (to Susanna) This species... can we communicate with them? But Geordi answers... GEORDI No. They act on instinct alone. (beat) In another few minutes, I wouldn't have responded to you at all, Susanna. STAR TREK: "Identity Crisis" - 1/11/91 - ACT FIVE 54. 108A CONTINUED: PICARD Then we shall leave them be. I'll order warning beacons placed in orbit and on the surface. Hopefully, no one else will have to go through what you did. He exits. Beverly moves away with him, leaving Geordi and Susanna alone. GEORDI Down there, I didn't know who you were... and yet somehow I believed you... trusted you... SUSANNA (grins) Must've been all the good advice I used to give you... Geordi almost laughs... but a shudder rolls across his body... he pulls her close to him and hugs her tightly... he takes a deep unsteady breath and whispers in her ear... GEORDI Thank you. As she comforts him... FADE OUT. 109 OMITTED 110 EXT. SPACE - THE ENTERPRISE (OPTICAL) In orbit around Tarchannen Three. FADE OUT. END OF ACT FIVE THE END