INT. MANTILLES – APARTMENT COMPLEX/KIRK’S APARTMENT – DAWN
In the early hours of the Mantillian dawn, as the first dull rays of sunlight begin to filter in through the small, one-room apartment’s window blinds, James Kirk – dressed in black jackboots, trousers, and undershirt – stands over a small suitcase, loading his few possessions – a couple microtapes, an ancient pre-Eugenic Wars family Bible, a thin sheaf of family photos, and one hand-written letter – into it.
KIRK: Computer.
COMPUTER: Ready.
KIRK: Close out my account here.
COMPUTER: Done.
Closing the suitcase, Kirk walks over to a chair and pulls a Starfleet jacket – gold instead of gray – off of it. As he pulls it on and zips it closed, we can tell by the rank pin secured to his left breast and the braids embroidered on his sleeves that he is no longer a colonel; he has been promoted to the rank of captain.
Returning to his suitcase, he picks it up then leaves the apartment without a single look back.
EXT. FEDERATION TEACHING HOSPITAL – DAWN
Stepping out of a taxi, Kirk finds himself standing before the Federation Teaching Hospital, a short but wide building with a pristine exterior of whitewashed walls and sparkling clean windows.
Approaching the hospital, Kirk climbs the steps to the front entrance.
SUPERIMPOSE: THESE ARE THE VOYAGES …
INT. FEDERATION TEACHING HOSPITAL/REGENERATION WARD – DAWN
Entering the ward, Kirk makes his way over to a long, transparent regeneration tank. Lying inside the tank, immersed up to his neck in a green regenerative gel, is the Andorian Thelin; though his burns have healed, he remains unconscious, in a deep coma.
Sitting down in a chair beside the tank, Kirk locks a pained gaze upon his subordinate.
KIRK: They keep telling me you’ll wake up soon. I hope it’s true. You’ve been here too long, and it isn’t fair. (beat) They also claim you can’t hear me because of the drugs, but they’re wrong. I don’t care if they think I’m nuts to talk to you. (beat) I saw it all going wrong at Ghioghe. I still can’t believe Sieren could make a mistake like that. I saw – this is going to sound weird, Thelin, I know it, but I saw the pattern of what was happening. I knew that if everyone would calm down for thirty seconds, if all the commanders held their fire for another minute, the crisis would pass. But it didn’t happen that way. (shakes his head) Lord, I admired Sieren. (beat) I saw the pattern, I knew how to fix it, but I couldn’t do anything and it all went wrong. Is that how it was for Sieren? Is that how it would have been for me, if I had been in command? Efros could have turned out just the same, but it didn’t. We came out of that one covered in glory and holding a peace treaty. Was that just good luck?
Kirk rises from his chair.
KIRK: It’s alright. Sleep, get well. I have to leave for Starbase 95 soon to begin my assignment on the Enterprise, but I’ll check in to see how you’re doing as often as I can, my friend. I promise.
At that moment, Christine Chapel, a handsome blonde woman dressed in a blue nurse’s uniform, enters the room, a clipboard-sized PADD cradled under her right arm.
CHRISTINE CHAPEL: Good morning, Captain.
Kirk doesn’t seem to hear her.
CHRISTINE CHAPEL: Captain?
Finally noticing her, the captain turns around to acknowledge the young nurse.
KIRK: Sorry, Ms. Chapel. I’m still not used to being addressed to as “captain”. Good morning.
The nurse approaches the captain.
CHRISTINE CHAPEL: The biotelemetry on Maj. Thelin is very encouraging. I thought you’d like to know.
KIRK: Then why doesn’t he wake up?
CHRISTINE CHAPEL: He will. (beat) When he’s ready.
Chapel calls the information on Thelin’s current medical condition up on her PADD, then hands the device over to Kirk. Accepting it, he reads it over.
KIRK: (smiles) I see he has the heart of an eighteen-year-old.
CHRISTINE CHAPEL: (grins) Yes – in a jar on his closet shelf. (beat) He will be alright, Captain. I promise you that.
KIRK: Thank you, Ms. Chapel.
Deactivating the PADD, the captain hands it back to the nurse.
KIRK: (cont’d) Ms. Chapel …
CHRISTINE CHAPEL: Yes, Captain?
KIRK: Would you do me a favour?
CHRISTINE CHAPEL: If I can.
KIRK: I know it isn’t supposed to make any difference, but I keep remembering the time before I woke up. I could hear things – or thought I could hear – but I couldn’t open my eyes and I didn’t know where I was or what had happened to me. While Thelin’s still asleep, could you … talk to him? Tell him he’s going to be alright ….
CHRISTINE CHAPEL: (touches Kirk’s arm reassuringly) Of course I will.
KIRK: Thank you. (beat) I’m supposed to report to Starbase 95 soon. I’d like to leave a note --?
CHRISTINE CHAPEL: You can use the office in back.
INT. FEDERATION TEACHING HOSPITAL/REGENERATION WARD/OFFICE – DAWN
As Kirk steps into the office, he finds two individuals, engaged in conversation, standing there, their backs turned to him. Both female, one is a near-Human doctor with radiant blue-green eyes and silver hair while the other is a young Human woman with short blond hair
SILVER HAIRED DOCTOR: (cont’d) No, of course not. It’s just – (notices Kirk standing there behind them) Why, Capt. Kirk! How nice to see you looking so well!
The blonde – CAROL MARCUS – spins around upon hearing that name.
CAROL MARCUS: Jim!
KIRK: Hello, Carol.
SILVER HAIRED DOCTOR: (to Carol) Talk to you later.
The doctor leaves so the two Humans can converse in private.
CAROL MARCUS: How are you feeling, Jim?
KIRK: (ignores her question) It’s wonderful to see you. I have to leave soon. Can we … I’d like to talk to you. Would you have a drink with me?
CAROL MARCUS: It’s too early in the day for a drink, Jim ….
KIRK: Oh, of course!
CAROL MARCUS: (cont’d) But I will go for a walk with you.
EXT. PARK – DAY
Mantilles’ sun has risen high in the western sky, and it casts its red rays down over the beautiful orange foliage of the park.
Kirk and Carol walk together along a narrow dirt path, hand-in-hand.
CAROL MARCUS: We are still friends, I hope.
KIRK: I hope so, too.
CAROL MARCUS: Are you sleeping any better?
Kirk hesitates too long before answering.
KIRK: I’m sleeping fine.
CAROL MARCUS: If you want to talk about it ….
KIRK: (flustered) No, I don’t want to talk about it! (more gently) No, I don’t want to talk about it.
They soon reach a small lake. As they take a seat on a bench close to the shore, a number of small, violet cephalopods rise out of the water and begin to flail their short tentacles about in search of a handout.
CAROL MARCUS: (looking upon the cephalopods) We always forget to bring them anything. How many times have we walked here? We always meant to bring them some bread, but we never did.
KIRK: We had … other things on our minds.
CAROL MARCUS: Yes ….
KIRK: (frustrated) Carol, there’s got to be someway --!
He cuts himself off when he notices her tense up.
CAROL MARCUS: Such as what?
KIRK: We could … we could get married.
She turns to face him.
CAROL MARCUS: What?
KIRK: Let’s get married. Come with me to Starbase 95. Gen. Noguchi could perform the ceremony.
CAROL MARCUS: But why marriage, for heaven’s sake?
KIRK: That’s the way we do it in my family.
CAROL MARCUS: Not in mine. (beat) And anyway, it still wouldn’t work.
KIRK: It’s worked for quite a number of millennia. (beat) Carol, I love you. You love me. You’re the person I’d most want to be with if I were stranded on a desert planet. We have fun together – remember when we went to the dock and snuck on board the Majel for our own private tour – (notices her strange expression) It’s true.
CAROL MARCUS: Yes, it’s true, and I have missed you. The house is awfully quiet without you.
KIRK: (smiles hopefully) Then you’ll do it?
CAROL MARCUS: (shakes her head) No. We talked about this too many times. No matter what we do, it wouldn’t make any difference. I can’t be with you and you can’t be with me.
KIRK: But I could. I could transfer to headquarters –
CAROL MARCUS: Jim ….
The pretty young woman takes both of Kirk’s hands in hers and gazes deeply into his eyes.
CAROL MARCUS: (cont’d) I remember how you felt when you found out you were getting command of the Enterprise. Do you think anyone who loved you would want to take that away from you? Do you think you could love anyone who tried?
KIRK: (voice breaking) I love you. I don’t want to lose you.
CAROL MARCUS: I don’t want to lose you, either, but I lost you before I ever met you. (a tear runs down from her eye) I can get used to the quiet. I can’t get used to having you back for a few weeks at a time and losing you over-and-over-and-over again.
KIRK: (miserable) I know you’re right. I just ….
Tears running down both their faces, they kiss for the final time. Carol then holds him to her, allowing him to rest his head on her shoulder as he weeps.
CAROL MARCUS: (crying) I love you, too, Jim, but we don’t live on a desert planet.