EXT. SPACE – STARBASE 104
The Enterprise’s shuttlebay door slides open, allowing the Galileo – a Class G shuttlecraft – exit into the open vacuum of space. Impulse thrusters blazing a bright azure, the Galileo begins its trek to Starbase 104.
INT. GALILEO/MAIN CABIN
The inner walls of the cabin are lined by two long benches. Seated upon these benches are Mitchell, Ruan, Piper, and TEN INFANTRYMEN. Suited up in mark-5 body armour – environmentally-sealed armour equipped with life support systems – they each go over their equipment and weapons.
PIPER: (praying quietly) Our Creator in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. And save us from this time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours now and forever. Amen.
As Piper concludes his prayer, he looks up to find Mitchell, seated across from him on the other bench, examining him.
MITCHELL: A religious man, Doc?
PIPER: I try to be. How about you?
MITCHELL: (shakes his head) I come from a long line of secular humanists. Faith’s just not in my genes.
PIPER: In my experience, I’ve found that faith doesn’t come with the genes. You find it somewhere down the road – or maybe it finds you – and then once you have it, you have to struggle to hang onto it. (beat) There are times when I don’t feel the struggle’s worth it, times when I feel I should just hang up my cross and call it a day. Other times, I feel that faith’s the only thing in my life that makes the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune the least bit tolerable.
MITCHELL: (frowns) You’re not a very happy man, are you, Doc?
PIPER: (half-smiles) I have my days.
EXT. SPACE – STARBASE 104
The Galileo enters the open shuttlebay of the K-class space station, disappearing into the deep shadows within.
INT. STARBASE 104/SHUTTLEBAY
As the shuttlecraft comes to a hover just inside the shuttlebay, we find all the various starships, tools, and other unsecured machinery and equipment taking up space within drifting about without the starbase’s artificial gravity to hold it all down.
INT. GALILEO/COCKPIT
Mitchell steps inside the cockpit and turns to the second pilot.
MITCHELL: Fire a low-powered phaser burst, wide spread.
INT. STARBASE 104/SHUTTLEBAY
The Galileo’s phaser banks power up, glowing with bright green radiance. A burst of green energy is then released, spreading out in a wide field to envelop the entire interior. The low-powered blast – calibrated only to take out organic life – isn’t powerful enough to inflict any severe structural damage to the walls or mechanical components inside the chamber.
INT. GALILEO/COCKPIT
MITCHELL: Alright, take her down.
INT. GALILEO/MAIN CABIN
As the shuttlecraft touches down, Mitchell re-enters the main cabin. Crossing over to the rear of the compartment, he turns to face the others.
MITCHELL: Alright, everyone, here’s what’s up. Twenty-one lifeforms have been detected on-board this station. Of that twenty-one, we aren’t quite sure how many are friendlies, but six have been detected holed up in the station armory. As the armory is the most secure area of the station, it makes sense that the starbase commander would have taken as many of his personnel with him as he could there. (beat) Our mission is to head straight for the armory, retrieve the survivors there, and head straight back here. They are our top priority; if enemy troops are present aboard this station, we can’t go out of the way looking for strays. (beat) Any questions?
No one replies.
MITCHELL: Alright then. (puts on his helmet) Let’s lock ‘n’ load!
Standing up, the others secure their helmets in place, activate their gravity boots, and bring their phaser rifles to bear. The Galileo’s hatch then pops open before them, lowering to form a ramp leading out into the shuttlebay. With the shuttle’s on-board force field active, the atmosphere inside is prevented from being sucked out into the airless vacuum beyond.
MITCHELL: After me!
Bringing his rifle up, the major cautiously steps out of the shuttlecraft, making his way down the ramp onto the shuttlebay deck.
RUAN: You heard the No. 1 – move out!
Ruan and the infantrymen follow Mitchell out into the shuttlebay. Spreading out, they keep their eyes peeled for hidden dangers, fingers tensed over their phaser triggers as they make their way away from the Galileo and deeper into the cavernous bay.