DARKLING
Season 3 : Episode 60
Part C

 

The Darkling injects Torres who comes abruptly to consciousness.

Darkling: "How are we feeling?" Torres: "What happened?" Darkling: "I shot you full of cateline, simulated anaphylactic shock." Torres: "Why?" Darkling: "I had to cover my tracks, especially from him, from your Doctor." Torres: "You're a new personality, from the subroutines." Darkling: "A little bit of this, a little bit of that."

As Torres goes to activate her combadge she finds the Darkling has taken it. Did you think I wouldn't have anticpated that?" Torres struggles but finds she cannot move her legs to get up. "Or that you'd try to run away?"

Torres: "What have you done? I can't move my legs!" Darkling: "Intra-spinal inhibitor. I've paralysed you from the waist down."

Torres flings himself at him but he seizes her and easily contains her struggles. "You're now in my capable hands, central nervous system, musculature, endocrine functions, your brain - all under my control." He flings her back onto the biobed.

Torres: "Why?" Darkling: "Because I need your co-operation, and I didn't think you'd offer it willingly." Torres: "You're in trouble, aren't you. The subroutines that created you - they're already starting to degrade." Darkling: "Stop!" He injects her and she collapses, completely subdued. "Watch your tongue, or I'll remove it."

The Darkling goes to the console and watches as elements of his program are displayed. "Look, it's me, but it's also him. 'What is the nature of the medical emergency?' What a hollow excuse for a life, servile, pathetic, at the beck and call of any idiot who invokes his name. The thought of him sickens me."

He returns to the biobed and informs Torres: "You are going to tell me how to delete him from the program." He injects her. "I've unblocked your speech centre. Answer the question." Torres speaks with difficulty, due to the residual effect of the drug: "Delete the Doctor and you go too. The subroutines are all interconnected." Darkling: "The physiology of pain is simple: too much and the organism loses consciousness, a protective mechanism. If that mechanism were chemically suppressed, one would experience agony beyond imagination. If you're lying to me-" Torres: "I won't help you." The Darkling fritzes: "What was that?" Torres: "Your subroutines are destabillising." Darkling: "There has to be some way to stop it. Tell me!" Torres: "By the time you force that information out of me it'll be too late." Darkling: "Them, my progenitors, they'll know. They'll reveal the secret. I won't be needing you after all." He injects her and she collapses into unconsciousness again.

The Darkling leaves Sickbay. In the corridor a female Ensign passes him, greeting him, "Doctor," as she does so. (It is Ensign Brooks but she is not named in this story.) He turns and follows her and joins her in the turbolift. He leers at her but she is not looking at him.

Ensign, to the turbolift: "Deck 10." Darkling: "How are you this evening, Ensign?" Ensign: "Fine, sir." Darkling, to the turbolift: "Deck 14." He leers at her, looking her up and down.

A moment later the turbolift stops and Paris gets in. "Ensign. Doctor." To the turbolift: "Deck 10." As the turbolift resumes its travel: "So, what are you up to, Doc?" Darkling: "Work." Paris: "Never ends, does it? Guess that mobile emitter turned out to be something of a mixed blessing, huh?" When the other does not reply: "OK." The turbolift stops at deck 10 and he and the Ensign get out. "Good night, Doctor." Sarcastically, "Nice chatting with you."

The Darkling strides to the Holodeck and orders the computer: "Computer, activate Tropical Resort Simulation 3. Populate with figures from EMH program 4-C." With a look round to check no one is watching, he enters the holodeck.

The Darkling enters the holoprogram and identifies his "progenitors", not sure what to make of them.

In the lodge Tuvok interviews Nakahn, the chief suspect. Tuvok: "The members of our away team witnessed an altercation between you and Zahir on the day of the assault." Nakahn: "We exchanged sharp words because of his arrogance, that was all." Tuvok: "You threatened him with a weapon." Nakahn: "Untrue." Tuvok: "Then I suppose my colleagues are liars." Nakahn: "I suppose they are." Tuvok: "This lodge was the last place Zahir was seen before he was attacked. You could easily have sent someone after him." Nakahn: "But I didn't." Tuvok: "A witness said he saw a light on in this room, after your usual closing time, less than one hour after the time of the attack." Nakahn: "I was working late." Tuvok: "Or perhaps conferring with whomever you paid to commit the assault." Nakahn: "You have no proof."

Zahir enters, supported by Chakotay. "Not yet, Nakahn, not yet." Chakotay to Tuvok: "He's going to take us to the exact location of the attack. We'll be able to scan the site itself." Tuvok: "Excellent."

Tuvok to Nakahn: "We'll be speaking again very soon."

Zahir to Nakahn: "Pray in your stars that we find nothing."

Kes enters Sickbay. She finds Torres.

Kes: "Computer, activate Emergency Medical Holographic program." Computer: "That program is currently running." Kes: "Computer, what is the Doctor's location?" Computer: "Holodeck 1." She sets out after the Doctor.

Holo-Gandhi's head is spinning round. Holo-T'Pau continually plays exactly the same move, in a loop.

Gandhi's head rotates 187Kb.

T'Pau repeatedly goes to make a kal-toh move. 201Kb.

Kes enters the Holodeck and is horrified at what she sees - mutilated and distorted holograms.

The Darkling is analysing the Lord Byron hologram with a tricorder.

The Darkling mutters at his findings: "Automatons, mannikins, simulacra, no secrets, no secrets to reveal, lifeless, worthless things!"

Kes: "Doctor?" Darkling: "Hello, Kes." Kes: "What are you doing?" Darkling: "I could use your help. My personality enhancement project." He approaches her. "It's taken an unexpected turn." Suddenly he reaches out and takes her combadge.

Kes: "Who are you?" Darkling: "The new master of the Emergency Medical Holographic program." Kes: "Where's the Doctor?" Darkling: "Inside, unconscious and unaware." Kes: "What do you want?" Darkling: "What everybody wants, just a little excitement." He seizes her and pulls her after him as he hurries out of the Holodeck. "Go with me now. It's for your own good."

The Darkling strides into the transporter room, clutching Kes, and phasers the transporter operator (Nozawa).

The Darkling pushes the unconscious crewman onto the floor. Doctor: "Flesh is weak, Kes. Never forget that." Kes: "Where are we going?" Darkling: "Wherever the winds of space carry us. You said you wanted to leave the ship for a while, pursue an adventure. Well, it looks like our travel plans have conveniently coincided." Kes: "The Captain will be alerted as soon as the transporter is activated. She'll beam us right back to the ship." Darkling: "That's where you've under-estimated me, Kes. Never do that. I know how to use a tricorder. It only takes a moment to reconfigure the subspace wave guide, generate a dispersion signal. The Captain won't be beaming us anywhere. She won't even know how to find us." Kes: "What you're doing is wrong." Darkling: "Not at all. It's working perfectly. There." Kes: "That's not what I meant." The Darkling pushes Kes up against the wall: "I know what you meant! It's you who don't seem to understand. I am beyond considerations of wrong and right, behavioural categories are for the weak, for those of you without the will to define your existence, to do what they must, no matter who might get harmed along the way." He goes to check the transporter controls. "Let's move." Kes: "I'm not going, Doctor." Darkling: "Don't call me that!" He takes her to the transporter pad. "And you certainly are going." Kes: "Why does it bother you so much when I call you Doctor? You said he was inside you, that he was unconsciouis. Why are you so afraid of him?" Darkling: "I fear nothing, no one. But he repulses me." Kes: "Why?" Darkling: "Because he's as weak as the rest of you. He fails to understand the power of his own holographic nature. He is detestable." He pulls her back when she tries to escape and aims a phaser at her: "It's set to kill." Kes: "You won't fire." Darkling: "Are you so certain? Stay close - it's about to get interesting." The transporter beam envelops them.