Story:Starship Challenger/Shakedown Cruise/Act Three

ACT THREE

FADE IN

EXT-SPACE

Challenger is at warp five point two heading toward Epsilon II.

INT-TAYLOR'S QUARTERS

Taylor is in the shower when the doors chimed.

TAYLOR (off screen) Come in.

The door opens and Commander Martin walks into the quarters.

MARTIN Marcia can we talk?

Taylor walks out of the bathroom zipping up her uniform.

TAYLOR (Nods) Yeah sure I'll start off by saying I didn't mean to blow up on you on the bridge before we launched, (beat) but what I did was wrong and disrespectful I hope we can be friends?

MARTIN (Nods) I'd like that, now my turn I know why you did what you did to me it was because that I was too focus on my duty as a Starfleet Officer, and I never knew what being a husband meant I was just wanting to secure a future for you and me and maybe our children but I'm not mad that you moved on it's just that it hit me too hard.

Taylor sat on her bed getting her boots and socks on.

TAYLOR So what else did you want to talk about?

MARTIN Oh yeah I've been looking over the supplies we're taking to Epsilon II and some of this is high grade stuff.

Martin hands Taylor the PADD.

TAYLOR (re:PADD) Wow this is high grade stuff did you let Starfleet Command know?

MARTIN (Sighs) Yeah I did but I have no clearance required to review this stuff more.

RUBIN (Over com) Captain Taylor please report to the Bridge.

Both Taylor and Martin leaves her Quarters.

EXT-SPACE

Challenger drops out of warp and approaches the planet.

INT-BRIDGE

TAYLOR Sutherland hail the research lab.

Sutherland inputs commands into the console.

SUTHERLAND Channel opened.

Taylor gets up from the Captain's Chair and speaks.

TAYLOR Epsilon II this is Marcia Taylor Captain of the Starfleet vessel Challenger do you read?

Static on the com.

TAYLOR (Worried) Doctor Aronov do you read, please respond?

More static on the com as Taylor walks over to Martin.

TAYLOR (to Martin) Commander scan the surface.

Martin inputs commands into his console.

MARTIN (Worried) I'm unable to scan the surface for the station there's some sort of radiation that's interfering with my scans.

TAYLOR Take a team to the surface (beat) and find out what's going on.

Martin heads to the lift as he picks his team.

MARTIN Rubin, Carlson, T'Shar you're with me Marie have both Williams and Doctor Carlson meet us in the Launch Bay.

SUTHERLAND Aye, Commander.

They enter the turbo-lift and the door closes as Taylor folds her arms.

TAYLOR What the hell is going on?

(End of Act Three, Fade out)