INT. TALK SHOW SET – EVENING
In front of a large bay window which looks out over an alien metropolis, behind a desk of midnight green wood, sits a TALK SHOW HOST.
SUPERIMPOSE: (in Federation Standard) THE FOURTH-QUARTER AT NIGHT SHOW!.
ANNOUNCER: (V.O.) We now return to The Fourth-Quarter at Night Show! with Franc Gouger Is.
CUT TO
A close-up shot of FRANC GOUGER IS. Adorned in a five-piece suit of magenta and gold, Mr. Gouger looks almost like a baseline Human; only his webbed hands and nictitating membranes break the illusion.
FRANC GOUGER IS: Welcome back, welcome back. (beat) Now, for our next guest. I’m sure you all know who she is; she played the laughing groupie in The Infitters, played Victim #16 in Nightmare in Remelt Set, and now has a starring role as Lei Ka in Lei & Wain: The Wain-B’Rus Story. (beat) Guys, gals, herms, and a’s, I present to you Ms. Heth Lang!
PAN LEFT
As HETH LANG, an attractive near-Human woman with mottled red skin, walks out onto the set.
Waving to the unseen audience as they applaud her, she walks up to Gouger’s desk as he rises from his chair; the two greet each other with a hug and kiss.
FRANC GOUGER IS: (smiles) Welcome to the show, Heth. My contractors are glad to have you here.
HETH LANG: (laughs) I’m glad to be here, too, Is.
Gouger returns to his chair as Lang takes a seat on the hot pink couch to his right.
FRANC GOUGER IS: So, how are you tonight, Heth?
HETH LANG: (tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear) Oh, I’m fine – just fine.
FRANC GOUGER IS: Nice to hear that. Traffic in the second sector was the tenth hell earlier today; did you --?
HETH LANG: The traffic was a little congested, but it was no biggie. (beat) You wanna see real bad traffic? Check out the skylanes of the Northeastern Quadrant back home; now that’s just awful.
FRANC GOUGER IS: (turns to the camera) You heard it here first, folks, straight from the qantu’s orifice: “Kwwa XI – homeworld of the Alpha Sector’s worst drivers.”
The audience laughs uproariously.
CUT TO
Captain Kirk seated in his cabin aboard the Enterprise, watching The Fourth-Quarter at Night Show! on a flatscreen display.
Having discarded his gold command jacket and kicked off his jackboots, Kirk sits low in the cushions of a comfortable sofa, his eyelids heavy with drowsiness.
KIRK: (yawns) Sorry, Is, but it’s time for this starship captain to call it a night. (beat) Computer, record program already in progress and deactivate flatscreen display.
COMPUTER: Recording. Deactivating.
As the display goes dark, Kirk stands up then strips down to his underwear. Yawning again, he walks half-asleep to his bunk, throws back the sheets, lies down on the mattress, then pulls the sheets back over him as he closes his eyes.
CROSSFADE TO
Carol Marcus, dressed only in a translucent black nightie, who now sits astride Kirk.
CAROL: (whispers) Jim … oh, Jim ….
Slowly, Kirk opens his eyes. Coming awake to this beautiful angel straddling him, he smiles lazily.
KIRK: Carol …?
CAROL: (smiles) You were expecting maybe Lenore Karidian?
KIRK: You wouldn’t believe the dream I just had.
CAROL: (grins) You won’t believe the dream you’re going to have.
Smiling sexily, Carol bends low over Kirk, bringing her lips
close to his. Before they can connect, she halts.
CAROL: Beep, beep, beep.
Kirk frowns.