Safeguards

INT. ENTERPRISE-D - BRIDGE

GARY SEVEN stands at the engineering station. His back is toward the Viewscreen with KIRK on it, and his eyes are glued on an OLDER SPOCK positioned by the turbolift aiming a phaser at him. Concurrently, Spock's partner, an OLDER DATA, holds his phaser securely toward an unduly calm GUINAN standing halfway down the ramp. PICARD, RIKER, and other CREWMEMBERS watch intently from their stations.

In the background, the feminine voice of the COMPUTER continues counting down.

COMPUTER (V.O.)

Eighty-three…

PICARD tenses, but maintains his edge, acutely aware of what the countdown and Guinan's words mean.

PICARD

(to computer) Computer, abort self-destruct sequence.

COMPUTER

Unable to comply. Voice recognition patterns are no longer valid.

PICARD

What the hell is going on here and what are you all doing on my bridge? Guinan-

OLDER DATA

Do not listen to her, Captain. The Enterprise must not be destroyed. Despite our aged appearances, Spock and I are authentic. This man, however, is insane and must be stopped.

OLDER SPOCK

(to Seven) Step away from that console or I will shoot.

GUINAN

Jean-Luc, you must let my friend finish.

SEVEN turns toward Picard with his hands up, an uncanny smile on his face. On the VIEWSCREEN, KIRK's jaw drops in recognition.

KIRK

Seven. Gary Seven.

SEVEN's eyes dart from Picard to the VIEWSCREEN.

SEVEN

Yes, Kirk, it is me and once again I'm here to set things right.

OLDER SPOCK

Not this time, Captain. The man you see is not the Gary Seven you knew. He is here from the future to sabotage the Guardian.

Both captains almost respond in unison, but Kirk manages to get the first word.

KIRK

Sabotage? How?

SEVEN

Such a subjective word. I'm righting a wrong. Each lifetime and civilization will become yesterday, today and tomorrow all at once. Time will separate no one.

COMPUTER

Sixty seconds…

PICARD

Guinan, how do you know this Seven? Why should I trust him?

GUINAN

He's also my friend. We go way back, (to Seven) don't we, Gary.

She smiles at Seven, holding him transfixed in her gaze.

OLDER DATA

I believe Guinan is under the hypnotic influence of Mr. Seven's device.

PICARD

What device? Guinan is from a highly resilient species.

DATA

The stylus-like mechanism in his hand.

All are now aware of the antiquated pen-like instrument SEVEN holds in his raised hand.

OLDER SPOCK

Little is known of the technology behind Seven's sponsors. Suffice it to say, it is sophisticated enough to cause the Guardian's malfunction.

COMPUTER

Fifty seconds…

KIRK

He may be right. In the past, Mr. Seven's device made Scotty blindly carry out his orders.

PICARD

(to Seven) Release command of my ship.

SEVEN

Sorry, the constant has been shifted. Soon the past and future will be one. Everything will be fixed.

PICARD

Answer me. How are you responsible for the Guardian's malfunction?

SEVEN

You waste my time. The technology is far ahead of yours.

PICARD

How did you learn to use it?

KIRK

The cat… Gary, where's Isis? Where's your companion?

PICARD's brow furrows.

PICARD

Cat?

SEVEN shivers at the mention of Isis.

SEVEN

Dead. Murdered. I warned Kirk they didn't want to be discovered. All they wanted was to help. But no one listened. A whole species of caring beings… gone.

His grief hardens to resolve.

SEVEN (cont.)

But not for long.

KIRK

Gary, listen to me. Are you trying to bring Isis and the others back?

SEVEN

Soon the past will be the present.

SEVEN reaches to the console to initiate the transporter and disappears.

PICARD

Put a trace on-

KIRK