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Article #126 (134 is last):
From: jfy@cis.ksu.edu (Joseph F. Young)
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: FROM THE ARCHIVES: story/tng/ChainOfCommand.zip (part 02/04)
Date: Thu Oct 28 04:30:10 1993
This is an automated reposting of fiction from the alt.startrek.creative
archives. Any comments, questions, etc. about the archives may be
addressed to jfy@cis.ksu.edu.
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Stop with the condescension! Stop
with the cliches!
Picard, normally a diplomat, is angry that someone would
upset such a formal and solemn event. He snaps at
Bryan.
PICARD
Who are you? Identify yourself.
BRYAN
My name is Bryan Jennings.
PICARD
And?
BRYAN
And... my best friend is dead.
Picard softens.
PICARD
I'm sorry.
BRYAN
(sadly)
I am too.
Bryan pauses for a moment, remembering Richard. Maybe
he should just sit down and shut up... This is Bryan's
point of no return, to accept the world the way it is,
or to fight it. His anger resurfaces.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
There's something I'd like to know,
Captain.
Picard waits for the question.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
Why did my friend die?
PICARD
(a little surprised)
I beg your pardon?
BRYAN
_Why_ did he die? Nobody will tell
me. Yesterday I lost someone that I
had known for almost ten years, and
I can't find a reason for it.
A ripple runs through the crowd, people begin murmuring.
PICARD
I'm sorry, Mr. Jenn--
BRYAN
(angry)
I know you're sorry. That's not
good enough.
Bryan pauses for a moment, as the people around him
begin to get louder.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
What are we doing here, Captain?
Who was that that attacked us? Why
did my friend die?
Picard sees where this is going and sets his jaw.
PICARD
(stern)
I cannot tell you that.
BRYAN
Why not?
PICARD
It has been classified by Starfleet
as secret.
BRYAN
(incredulous)
_Secret_? My friend died for a
secret? None of those people chose
to "sacrifice" their lives -- we
have a right to know why they were
taken from us.
The murmuring around Bryan gets louder. Another
civilian, QUAN, stands up, tears running down his face.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
We are Federation citizens, Captain.
We have every right to know what our
government is doing, especially when
it involves our lives.
(beat)
Who attacked us?
PICARD
I can not answer that, Mr. Jennings.
Bryan turns to the crowd.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
Are we supposed to follow the man
who managed to kill two dozen people
before they even set foot in their
quarters?
The room is churning, turbulent. The crew members,
conspicuous in their Starfleet uniforms, squirm
uncomfortably in their seats as some of the civilians
stand, shouting.
Bryan slowly turns back to Picard.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
_What_ is going on?
EXT. ENTERPRISE
The Enterprise is limping along at warp one, the port
nacelle still dark.
INT. READY ROOM
TROI and PICARD are seated, in the midst of an analysis
of the events at the service.
TROI
Their emotions are gathering a focus
they did not have before. For quite
a few, grief and denial are being
pushed aside by anger.
PICARD
The one who stood up.
TROI
Jennings. He is tortured, Captain.
He is grieving intensely, but does
not know how to cope with his pain.
There is a ferocious urge to action
in him -- he feels a need to change
the world, to justify his friend's
death.
PICARD
By revealing why he died.
TROI
I doubt that he would stop there.
The door CHIMES.
PICARD
Come.
Susan enters.
SUSAN
Ensign Jennings, reporting as
ordered, sir.
PICARD
Please sit down, Ensign. Thank you,
Counselor.
Troi stands and exits as Susan sits down.
PICARD (CONT'D)
Ensign, it is not a habit of mine to
welcome new bridge officers aboard
with a private conference. In your
case, however, I feel the need.
SUSAN
Because of my husband.
PICARD
Yes.
SUSAN
Captain, I don't know wh--
Picard holds up his hand.
PICARD
Ensign, your relationship with your
husband is none of my business. But
your position as a Bridge officer
will give you knowledge of our
orders... Knowledge that your
husband, as a civilian, should not
have.
Susan straightens up in her chair. She sees Picard is
all business and reacts to that.
SUSAN
(formally)
Sir, what my husband chooses to say
and do has no bearing on my position
as an officer. Secret orders are
just that... No matter what my
husband might want to know.
This is exactly what Picard expected to hear from a
Starfleet officer. He stands, as does Susan.
PICARD
Welcome aboard, Ensign.
SUSAN
Thank you, sir.
Susan turns and leaves.
INT. TEN-FORWARD
Bryan and a small group of people from the service sit
at a table. They have been having a heated discussion.
Bryan has collected himself and his political science
training is surfacing.
BRYAN
And what I say is that the moral
legitimacy of a government comes
from the local level. Every other
citizen in the Federation might
think that Picard has the sole
authority over this ship, but
they're not here. We are.
QUAN
So...?
BRYAN
So we define if the government is
legitimate or not.
COLLIER
(a little shocked)
Are you saying we should reject the
Federation?
BRYAN
No, no, not at all. You're
misunderstanding me. The Federation
is a good government, and it has the
legitimacy that all good governments
have: the ultimate source of
authority is the people.
COLLIER
(thoughtfully)
OK.
BRYAN
But the Enterprise is a government,
too. We are Federation citizens,
yes, but we are also citizens of the
Enterprise. Our day-to-day lives
have more to do with this ship than
with anything else.
QUAN
And...?
BRYAN
And we have no control over what
goes on here! We're trapped in a
totalitarian society!
COLLIER
That's going a little overboard with
the rhetoric, isn't it?
BRYAN
No, not at all. The key feature of
totalitarianism is that the
government controls every aspect of
the society. That's exactly what
the Enterprise is like: Picard
doesn't want us to know why we were
attacked, so we don't get to know.
It's as simple as that. When was
the last time you got to vote about
something that this ship did? Would
you have put my friend in danger?
(indicating Quan)
Or your wife?
QUAN
OK. Point made. So what do we do
about it?
BRYAN
Now? Thoreau and Machiavelli,
that's what we do.
EXT. ENTERPRISE
The Enterprise is at warp, and the port nacelle is
unlit.
PICARD (V.O.)
Captain's Log, Stardate 46455.1.
While the Tholians, to our
knowledge, have not yet detected the
Enterprise, a new situation has
arisen on board. A group of
citizens, claiming to represent the
families of crewmembers, has made
its existence known, loudly and
repeatedly. They have scheduled an
appointment with me, to present
their "demands."
INT. BRIDGE
Susan is at Conn.
The Turbolift doors open and Bryan and a small group,
Quan and Collier among them, emerge. Bryan and Susan
exchange cold glances.
BRYAN
The Citizens' Committee to see
Captain Picard.
INT. READY ROOM
RIKER'S COM VOICE
Captain?
PICARD
Yes, Number One.
RIKER'S COM VOICE
The "Citizens' Committee" is here.
PICARD
Send them in.
The door opens and the Citizens' Committee walks in,
Bryan leading.
Bryan sees this confrontation as a test of wills, of
democracy against totalitarianism, as his memorial to
Richard. Picard sees it as a nuisance.
PICARD
Mr. Jennings.
BRYAN
(coldly)
Captain Picard.
PICARD
Please sit down.
BRYAN
No, thank you.
PICARD
Very well. May I ask the reason for
this meeting?
Bryan straightens himself up, very formal.
BRYAN
Captain Picard, the members of the
Citizens' Committee, recognizing
that all power is derived from those
governed, demand to be consulted by
you on all matters affecting the
health or safety of the people on
board this ship.
Picard leans forward.
PICARD
Consulted?
BRYAN
Yes. It is our belief that your
sole executive control of this
vessel is a violation of the
democratic principles of the
Federation.
Picard sits silently.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
Therefore, as representatives of
fifty percent of the individuals in
this community, we demand an equal
share of the authority.
Picard remains silent. Bryan is a little flustered at
Picard's lack of response -- he hadn't considered this
possibility and is running out of oratory.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
You, er, you will consult with the
Citizens' Committee before any major
decision, and a mutual veto will be
put in place between the military
and civilian command.
Picard slowly leans back in his chair.
PICARD
Mr. Jennings, are you finished?
BRYAN
(unsure of himself)
Yes. I am.
PICARD
Then please remove yourself from my
Bridge.
Bryan is stunned.
BRYAN
What?
PICARD
Mr. Jennings, your "demands" are out
of the question. I grieve for your
friend, just as I grieve for
everyone who was killed in the
attack. But mutiny, or the threat
of mutiny, will not be tolerated
aboard this ship.
Bryan begins to grow angry.
BRYAN
You misunderstand me, Captain. This
isn't mutiny. We are simply trying
to gain control of our lives.
PICARD
There is precious little difference,
Mr. Jennings. This is the real
world. You made certain concessions
when you came aboard the Enterprise
-- and that includes accepting that
I am the commander of this ship. If
you choose not to abide by that
agreement, you may leave the ship
when we reach Starbase 2-0-9.
BRYAN
And until then?
PICARD
Until then... I would advise you to
cease your attacks on my authority.
Bryan is now quite upset.
BRYAN
You've just made a very serious
mistake, Picard. Remember your own
history -- Louis XVI was French, too.
He turns, pushes through the rest of the Citizens'
Committee, and storms out.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT TWO
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STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"Chain of Command"
ACT THREE
INT. OBSERVATION LOUNGE
An "afternoon" briefing is in progress.
GEORDI
I'm sorry, sir, but the damage is
just too extensive. Warp one is all
that we're going to be capable of
until we get to a starbase, and
that's tenuous.
RIKER
Tenuous?
GEORDI
The modifications we did were all
sleight-of-hand. The circuit re-
routing isn't even close to standard
and there's no guarantee that it
will hold. The load required to
maintain a warp bubble is incredible
and the work we did is held together
by spit more than anything else.
RIKER
Great.
PICARD
Mr. Data, our progress?
DATA
At our current speed, the edge of
Tholian space remains forty-three
hours and nine minutes away. If
warp power were to fail, the journey
would increase to approximately
three weeks, two days, four hours.
INT. TEN-FORWARD
Bryan, Quan, Collier and about half a dozen others are
crowded around a table. Bryan's emotional response has
shifted from grief for Richard to anger at, and a
determination to best, Picard.
BRYAN
(shaking his head)
I still don't believe it.
COLLIER
You actually expected him to give
you what you wanted? You thought he
was just going to say, "Here, have
it"?
BRYAN
No... No, I didn't. But the way he
acted. He was so arrogant!
(mocking)
"Precious little difference, Mr.
Jennings." He actually treated us
with contempt!
QUAN
He's a power-monger.
BRYAN
He didn't even look at our demands.
He brushed us off like we didn't
matter. Like what the people think
didn't matter.
COLLIER
You're the one who called him a
dictator.
BRYAN
Looks like I was right.
QUAN
How do we get him? What now?
BRYAN
Now, we act. This is following the
classic cycle. He might as well
have said, "Let them eat cake."
COLLIER
So what do we do?
BRYAN
The first step toward revolution is
organization. We organize.
INT. OBSERVATION LOUNGE
Troi is standing next to the computer screen, which is
displaying a picture of Bryan with text next to it.
TROI
He graduated from the Gill Academy
of Social Science on Stardate 39225.
His thesis was titled "Authoritarian
Regimes and Their Democratic
Successors" and compared various
popular uprisings throughout
history. While Gill's graduation
committee criticized his work for
its use of overt rhetoric and
ideology, Jennings was unanimously
voted his degree. His wife, Susan,
is an ensign currently assigned to
the Conn during the second shift.
WORF
(to Picard)
Sir, she should be removed from
duty. If Jennings poses a threat,
his wife could--
PICARD
Mr. Worf, Susan Jennings is an
Starfleet officer and a member of my
crew. No matter what her husband's
intentions, she will not endanger
her ship any more than you or I.
WORF
I must object, sir.
PICARD
I refuse to punish a member of my
crew simply because her husband
dislikes me.
WORF
Then Bryan Jennings should be placed
under surveillance.
PICARD
Lieutenant, I need hardly remind you
that witch-hunts and dictatorships
begin when we question the right to
speak freely, no matter what is
being said.
Worf looks down at his hands.
PICARD (CONT'D)
(to the group)
Mr. Jennings is to remain unmolested
until he, or his group, commits a
crime or endangers this ship. I am
not the tyrant he believes I am.
INT. TEN-FORWARD
There is considerable heat in the discussion.
BRYAN
(passionately)
Every democratic revolution in
history has begun with just a few
people standing up and asserting
what was right. Half this ship is
civilian, and we deserve half the
control. If we're successful here,
we could make the Enterprise into a
Potempkin. It wouldn't just be _a_
revolution, but _the_ revolution --
the people would finally assert
themselves in the last bastion of
authoritarianism in the Federation.
The petty tyrant who runs this boat
will be beaten.
(beat, softer)
Richard's death will make sense.
There is a brief pause. Bryan looks sad.
QUAN
(caught up, eager)
How do we start?
Bryan snaps back to the present.
BRYAN
The Citizens' Committee is already
set up. If we use that as an
organizing body, half the battle is
won. We need to set up a voting
structure; design how we are going
to--
Bryan stops as he notices the Committee looking past
him. Picard has entered Ten-Forward and stops short as
he sees Bryan. Picard turns towards the bar and begins
to order a drink.
BRYAN
Ignore him. They'll all be
superfluous soon. After we set up
the voting structure--
QUAN
(to Picard)
Murderer!
Picard tenses up and turns towards the group at the
table. He approaches stiffly.
PICARD
(angry)
Who said that?
Quan stands up.
QUAN
You killed my wife!
Quan reaches for Picard, but is held back by the people
at the table.
PICARD
Mr. Jennings...
BRYAN
You do what you have to do, Picard.
We'll do what we have to.
PICARD
Inciting riots will get you thrown
in the brig.
BRYAN
Riots? We're not like you, Picard.
We think violence is immoral. This
will be a bloodless revolution.
PICARD
(surprised)
Revolution?
BRYAN
We have no choice.
PICARD
Everyone has choices, Mr. Jennings.
You chose to come on this ship.
BRYAN
I didn't choose to die. I didn't
choose to see my friends die.
That's what this is all about. None
of us has any choice. The people on
the Bridge make our choices for us.
That's what's wrong. That's why
we're here.
INT. JENNINGS' QUARTERS
BRYAN
It was great! He just stood there.
He knew I was right.
SUSAN
Bryan, you can't keep doing this.
You're blowing this whole thing out
of proportion.
BRYAN
Out of proportion? Remember Rich?
Remember Jimmy?
SUSAN
Of course I do. But you're running
around like a madman! The Captain
actually had to question my loyalty.
Bryan looks at Susan.
BRYAN
What did you tell him?
SUSAN
Bryan, I'm a Starfleet officer.
BRYAN
And what does that mean?
SUSAN
It means I'm loyal to Starfleet.
BRYAN
Loyal? Loyalty to tyranny is noting
to brag ab...
Bryan stops in mid-sentence, trailing off. Something
has just occurred to him.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
You know, don't you? You know
what's going on.
Susan had hoped that it would never come to this. She
sees what Bryan is going to do and considers it
tremendously unfair. She stands silently.
BRYAN (CONT'D)
You _know_. You know why we're
here...
SUSAN
I'm not going to answer that.
BRYAN
Do you know the entire mission?
SUSAN
I'm not going to answer that.
BRYAN
Tell me.
Susan turns directly toward Bryan.
SUSAN
No.
BRYAN
Tell me!
SUSAN
No.
Bryan suddenly looks vulnerable, almost pathetic.
BRYAN
Please. For Rich. I need to know.
SUSAN
(matter-of-factly)
You can stop asking, Bryan. I'm not
going to tell you.
Bryan dissolves back to anger and disgust.
BRYAN
So that's it. You've made your
choice.
SUSAN
What's that supposed to mean?
BRYAN
You've chosen the tyrant... over
your husband.
SUSAN
I'm not choosing sides! I'm doing
my job.
BRYAN
That's what they said at Nuremberg,
Susan. That's what they said at New
Delhi.
There's a long silence. Susan takes a slow breath.
SUSAN
You're not the man I married, Bryan.
You've changed. In three days,
you've become a completely different
person.
BRYAN
Susan, this is what I _am_.
SUSAN
(bitter)
A lunatic? A demagogue?
BRYAN
I don't believe you. Do you mean to
tell me that you're content to be
one of Picard's lackeys? To follow
him and oppress the rest of us?
For a moment, Susan looks at Bryan, unbelieving.
SUSAN
Get out. Just get out of here.
Find somewhere else to sleep.
Bryan stares at her for a moment, anger spilling over.
Suddenly, he turns and storms out.
INT. MAIN BRIDGE
The night watch is in place. SUPERNUMERARIES are
working at all the positions, with GARRISON at Tactical.
Data sits in the Captain's chair.
DATA
(to ceiling)
Ship's Log, Stardate 46456.2. The
Enterprise continues out of Tholian
space on damaged warp engines.
Despite the probability of Tholian
contact, we have thus far avoided
any confrontatio--
GARRISON
Commander! There are irregular
fluctuations in the warp bubble.
DATA
Are you able to stabilize them?
GARRISON
No, sir. The bubble is collapsing.
EXT. ENTERPRISE
The Enterprise drops out of warp.
INT. PICARD'S QUARTERS
Picard is asleep. An alarm wakes him.
PICARD
Yes?
DATA'S COM VOICE
Captain, the Enterprise has dropped
out of warp.
Picard stands and looks out the window. He begins to
take off his pajamas.
PICARD
On my way.
EXT. HALLWAY
The door opens and Picard, now in uniform, takes
one step out before pulling up short.
The hallway is lined with people, all sitting on the
floor, blocking any easy movement. Bryan is directly
across the hall from Picard.
BRYAN
Good morning, Captain.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
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STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"Chain of Command"
ACT FOUR
INT. CORRIDOR
PICARD
Mr. Jennings?
BRYAN
Captain. I warned you that there
would be a revolution. Welcome to
it.
PICARD
Civil disobedience.
BRYAN
And passive resistance.
Picard is deep in thought for a moment.
PICARD
I see.
(beat)
You will be asked to leave the ship
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