Showing posts with label Escape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Escape. Show all posts

Friday 21 July 2023

DUNKIRK







DUNKIRK 

“The first eventful date in my army career was the eve of the final evacuation from Dunkirk, when I was sent to the O.P. at Galley Hill to help the cook. I had only been in the Army twenty-four hours when it happened. Each news bulletin from BBC told an increasingly depressing story. 

Things were indeed very grave. For days previously we could hear the distant sound of explosions and heavy gunfire from across the Channel. Sitting in a crude wood O.P. heaped with earth at two in the morning with a Ross Rifle with only five rounds made you feel so bloody useless in relation to what was going on the other side. Five rounds of ammo, and that was between the whole O.P. 

The day of the actual Dunkirk evacuation the Channel was like a piece of polished steel. I’d never seen a sea so calm. One would say it was miraculous. I presume that something like this had happened to create the “Angel of Mons” legend. 

That afternoon Bombardier Andrews and I went down for a swim. It would appear we were the only two people on the south coast having one. With the distant booms, the still sea, and just two figures on the landscape, it all seemed very very strange. We swam in silence. Occasionally, a squadron of Spitfires or Hurricanes headed out towards France. 

I remember so clearly, Bombardier Andrews standing up in the water, putting his hands on his hips, and gazing towards where the B.E.F. was fighting for its life. It was the first time I’d seen genuine concern on a British soldier’s face;I can’t see how they’re going to get ’em out,” he said. 

We sat in the warm water for a while. We felt so helpless. 

Next day the news of the “small armada” came through on the afternoon news. As the immensity of the defeat became apparent, somehow the evacuation turned it into a strange victory. I don’t think the nation ever reached such a feeling of solidarity as in that week at any other time during the war. 

Three weeks afterwards, a Bombardier Kean, who had survived the evacuation, was posted to us. “What was it like,” I asked him.

Like son? It was a fuck up, a highly successful fuck up.


******

In the months to come we enlivened many a lonely military camp. We saw life. In Upper Dicker, we played for a dance-cum-orgy. Couples were disappearing into the tall grass having it off and then coming back to the dance. God knows how many Coitus Interrupti the Hesitation Waltz caused, but we heard screams from behind the trees. 

Music has strange effects on drunks : one lunatic ripped open his battle-dress, pointed to a scar on his chest, and shouted “Dunkirk! You bloody coward.He had a face made from red plasticine by a child of three, that or his parachute didn’t open. “Do you hear me, you bloody coward. Dunkirk …he kept saying. I’ve no idea what he meant. I confused him by giving him the ladies’ spot prize. 

A fight broke out with the Canadians. They were all massive. “How do you get such huge men?” I asked one. 

“We go in the forest, shake the trees and they fall out,” he said. 

A worried officer rushed up. 
“Can you play ‘The Maple Leaf Forever’?” 

“No sir, after an hour I get tired.” 

“You’re under arrest,” he said. 

In despair we played The King, shouted ‘Everyone back to their own beds’, and departed.

Sunday 5 June 2022

Do.






Politicians like to panic. 
They need Activity
it's their substitute 
for Achievement.


ROMANA
The clipboard marks the spot. 
I'll stand guard.

(The Doctor climbs through 
the hole and up a ladder. 
When he's out of sight, Romana 
enters and heads for a staircase. 
The Doctor reaches the top of the ladder.)

RORVIK
Is this what you're looking for, Doctor?

(Rorvik drops the clipboard.)

Tom : 
Look here, Rorvik. 
You've got to stop this back-blast. 
You'll kill us all.

RORVIK
So you say, Doctor. 
I say it's the only 
way out of here.

(Rorvik stands on the Doctor's fingers.)

Tom : 
You can't blast through those mirrors. 
You must realise by now it just 
throws the energy straight back.

RORVIK
They've got to break. 
Everything breaks eventually.

(He kicks the Doctor back down the ladder, 
comes after him and starts 
to strangle him with his own scarf. 
Romana arrives and tries 
hitting Rorvik with the clipboard.)

Tom : 
Never mind the clipboard, 
short the cables.

(The Doctor gives Romana the manacles.)

Tom : 
Drain the main power line. 
Earth it to The Ladder.

ROMANA
I know. I've done it.

(Rorvik lets The Doctor go and heads 
for the ladder to undo the damage.)

Tom : 
Biroc? What are 
you doing here?

BIROC
Nothing.

Tom : 
It's all right for you.

BIROC
And for You, Too : 
Do Nothing.

Tom : 
Do Nothing?

ROMANA
Of course, Doctor. 
Don't you see?

Tom
Yes, that's right
Do Nothing.

....if it's the right 
sort of Nothing.

(They join hands with Biroc and fade away. 
Rorvik has removed the manacles 
from the cable.)

RORVIK: 
Run, Doctor. Scurry off 
back to your blue box. 
You're like all the rest. 
Lizards when there's 
a man's work to be done. 
I'm sick of your kind. 
Faint-hearted, do-nothing
lily-livered deadweights
This is The End for all of you! 

I'm finally getting 
something done

Bwahahahaha!






MacDonald :
No. Watch.

Do.

No, no, no. 
Clean. Clean.

The Governor :
It seems the little fella's
not so bright after all.

MacDonald :
No. But brightness has never
been encouraged amongst slaves.

The Governor :
Oh, don't be so touchy, Mr MacDonald.
All of us were slaves once,
in one sense of the word or another.

Kolp :
If you feel the ape's unsatisfactory,
we can have him reconditioned.

MacDonald :
That isn't necessary.

The Governor :
You're quite right, Mr MacDonald.
But not for any of your 
bleeding-heart reasons.

Reconditioning. That's all
any of you ever think of, isn't it?

Don't you realise, if we were to take
every ape who disobeyed an order
and sent him back for reconditioning, 
Ape Management would become overcrowded.

Kolp :
It's the only thing that has any effect.

MacDonald :
Just makes them worse.

The Governor :
Some of them couldn't be worse.
I've been having a comprehensive list compiled.

Wednesday 16 March 2022

Reality Control




Look man, You know the score.

Why do I know the score?

Because You're Me.  

We're shot from 
the same gun-barrel.  

Only difference is, 
one did breast-stroke, 
one did crawl.





Well, The Legend tells of a droid -- 
a rogue simulant, who survives 
till the end of Eternity; to the 
end of Time-Itself.

After millions of years alone, 
He finally reaches the conclusion 
that there is •no• God, 
•no• afterlife, and the only 
Purpose of Existence is to lead 
a worthwhile Life.  

And so the 'droid constructs a 
time machine, and roams Eternity, 
visiting every single soul in History, 
and assessing each one.  

He erases all those who have wasted their lives and replaces them with those who never had 
a CHANCE of Life -- the unfertilised eggs, 
the sperms that never made it.  

THAT is The Inquisitor -- 
He PRUNES away The Wastrels, 
EXPUNGES The Wretched, 
and DELETES The Worthless!


RIMMER
We're in Big Trouble.


A city inside a dome on some moon somewhere.
2 Int. A bedroom on Earth.

A middle-aged man is sleeping in a darkened bedroom. 
A tall, black-caped figure with a black and white mask 
similar to a skull appears in the doorway, backlit 
and with smoke curling around his ankles. 
He booms the next line out with, curiously, 
a slight Scottish accent.

INQUISITOR: 
Thomas Allman!

ALLMAN, a stout man with gray hair, 
scrabbles about on the nightstand looking for his glasses.

INQUISITOR: 
Thomas Allman, you have been found 
unworthy of having existed

ALLMAN: 
Is that you, mother? 

INQUISITOR: 
Your Life and all Memory of You 
will be wiped from History. 
The Void you occupied in the Space-Time continuum 
will be allocated to a person who was 
never given The Gift of Life. 
May they spend their time more wisely.

The INQUISITOR shoots an orange-red beam of light at ALLMAN from a glove-like device he wears, which forms an aura around ALLMAN.

ALLMAN
But, please! Why me? 
There must be others who've 
lived worthless lives! 

INQUISITOR
All will be judged.

In ALLMAN's picture of himself on his nightstand, his image is replaced with that of a thinner, taller dark-haired man with a mustache. The dark-haired man then appears in the room in a flash of yellow-green light.

INQUISITOR: 
It is complete. 
All that remains is to delete 
your physical form.

The INQUISITOR shoots another red-orange beam 
at ALLMAN, who sort of dissolves. 
He then turns to speak to the new ALLMAN.

INQUISITOR: 
Sorry to disturb you, sir. 
Reality Control.

The INQUISITOR salutes, 
turns, and vanishes. 


The Batman :
There's a difference between 
Me and You :
We both starred in The Abyss....
But when it looked back into Us --
You blinked.




A door opens and the SECOND KRYTEN 
and SECOND LISTER walk through.  
They are very similar to the first KRYTEN and LISTER, 
but the SECOND KRYTEN's head is more rounded
and his voice is a little higher pitched.  
The SECOND LISTER is dressed similarly, 
but he is slightly smaller and has a worse haircut.  


SECOND LISTER
Who the smeg are these guys, Rimmer?

LISTER: 
Never mind, "Who the smeg are these guys?" 
Who the smeg are you?

SECOND LISTER
I, The Smeg am Lister!

KRYTEN: 
Of course!  He's the alternative You!  
One of the many David Listers 
who never got a chance to exist.

LISTER: 
So we're kind of... 
Sperms-in-law?

KRYTEN: 
Yes, sir.

SECOND KRYTEN: 
Delicately put, sir.

CAT: 
So whatta we do with 'em?

RIMMER: 
I say waste them.

LISTER and SECOND LISTER: (Together) 
Rimmer, for smeg's sake!

SECOND LISTER: 
He's such a dork, man!

LISTER: 
You're tellin' me?!

RIMMER
Look, they come here with some cock-and-bull story, 
they're chained together like Sidney Poiter 
and Tony Curtis -- I say 
open the door to oblivion 
and kick 'em through.

SECOND LISTER: 
Rimmer, no one's killin' no one, allright?

LISTER: 
Yeah, right!

RIMMER: 
Look, they're from some freaky alternative dimension, 
they've come here to hijack this ship and do... 
oooh, weird things to us.  
I think we should take the lift, 
put them on the security deck 
and stick them in The Brig.

CAT
I hate to say it, but for once 
TransAm-wheel-arch-nostrils 
is right. Come on, get moving!

RIMMER
What did you call me?

9 Int. Lift.

Cut to everyone packed together in a very old lift -- 
the kind with fold-up iron grating instead of a door.  
The LISTERs are having a conversation.

LISTER
Look man, You know the score.

SECOND LISTER
Why do I know the score?

LISTER
Because You're Me.  

We're shot from 
the same gun-barrel.  

Only difference is, 
one did breast-stroke, 
one did crawl.

SECOND LISTER: 
What are you tryin' to say?

LISTER: 
I'm saying--

LISTER is cut off when the INQUISITOR appears on the floor above them and begins shooting orange lasers at them through the floor (which is metal
grating.)

LISTER
That's him, guys!

General panic ensues as everyone tries to escape.  
LISTER and KRYTEN become separated from the group.  
The SECOND LISTER and SECOND KRYTEN are
blown up when the INQUISITOR's lasers 
touch off an explosion.

KRYTEN: 
C'mon, let's go.

LISTER
Let's go back!  
Let's go back!

They return to where they heard The Explosion.  
LISTER crouches over the bodies of the SECOND LISTER and SECOND KRYTEN.  
They have been literally
blown to pieces.

LISTER: 
Oh my god.  
Hang on a minute, 
I can use this.  C'mon, go!

LISTER has picked up something, 
but we couldn't see what.  
They continue running.

LISTER
If we got down to the transport decks, 
maybe we could nick one of the Starbugs, 
and get outta town.

They come upon A Door.

KRYTEN : 
Uh-oh, A Door. 
We'd better use an air vent.

LISTER: 
No need.

KRYTEN
Sir?

LISTER
Look, I'm gonna do something now, Kryten, 
that's totally, totally gross. 
I don't want you to look.  
Turn around.

KRYTEN: 
What?

LISTER: 
Trust me, you don't wanna know!

KRYTEN reluctantly turns around.  

LISTER pulls the object he picked up earlier 
out of his jacket:  it's a hand.  

He presses the severed hand to
the palm-print device, and the door opens.  
He puts the hand back in his
jacket and turns around.  

KRYTEN has a sick look 
of realisation on his face.

KRYTEN: 
Logically, sir, there is only one way 
you could have possibly have 
opened that door.  
I feel quite nauseous. Where is it?

LISTER: 
Where's what?

KRYTEN: 
Oh, sir!! You've got it 
in your jacket!!

LISTER: 
I got us out of the hold, didn't I?

KRYTEN: 
Sir, you are sick!  
You are a sick, sick person!  
How can you possibly even 
conceive of such an idea?

LISTER: 
Cheer up!  Or I'll beat you to death 
with the wet end!!

KRYTEN: 
Sir, if mechanoids could barf
I'd be onto my fifth bag by now!
  You're a sick person!  Sick!  Sick!

LISTER: (Overlapping) 
C'mon, Kryten, let's go!  C'mon!

Monday 6 December 2021

People







[Great hall 2]
As they walk through the castle grounds, 
Romana notices that The Tharil's burns have been healed.
 
The Doctor is served with 
a plate of food.

Tom : 
My Goodness!
You Live Like Kings!

BIROC
We are Kings.


[Great Hall]
(The contents of the lunch hamper are being handed out, 
which is far more important than 
what their Captain has to say.

RORVIK: 
Now listen, I'm only going to say this once
We're stuck here with no warp motors 
and no navigator. 

Now in practical terms 
that means we stay here forever 
unless we do something about it
Listen! And that means The Mirror
There's A Way through
You've all seen it. 
That's why we brought up the MZ. 
Will you listen to me 
when I'm talking! 

(Rorvik gets out his blaster. 
That grabs his crew's attention.)

RORVIK: 
This is very serious. 
We are in A Terminal Situation. 
A DEAD End.

[Great hall 2]

Tom : 
Such variety
Where did it all come from? 

BIROC
The Universe is 
Our Garden. 

Tom :
Ah. So this is what it was all like. 

BIROC: 
At the height of Our Empire
before The Tharils became 
The Slaves of Men

Tom :
I notice you don't do 
too badly for staff

This Garden of Yours, The Universe —
How do you manage it? 

BIROC
We use Our Power.
For those who travel on the Time Winds. 
The vastness of Space is no obstacle
Everything is Ours. 

(A Tharil BACKHANDS The Serving Wench pouring wine. 
The Doctor goes to help her up again.

Tom : 
Including her

BIROC: 
They're only People

Tom : 
So You're 'The Masters' the Gundan 
spoke of? The Enslavers

BIROC
The Weak enslave THEMSELVES, Doctor. 
You and I know THAT

Tom :
Yes, yes — 

He pours rich, Red Wine into a TINY, ornate chalice until The Cup runneth over, before BACKHANDING the thing HARD, in once swift movement of his arm into a wall in the distance, where it CLATTERS to The Floor with a CRASH

This is no way to 
run An Empire. 

(A Tharil points a knife at the Doctor. 
Romana sees it all from the gallery.

ROMANA
Danger! The Doctor's in danger! 

A troupe of Gundan robots enter. 
Romana rushes to The Doctor's side.


ROMANA: 
Doctor! 

(And an axe cleaves the table.)

Friday 3 December 2021

It IS Possible, and It is HAPPENING.







The CAPTAIN
Er, excuse me! Doctor?

Dr. Disco
Get back inside.

The CAPTAIN: 
I'm not quite sure, 
but it seemed to me that 
this young lady's life 
was being offered 
in exchange for my own. 

As it happens, I think my number is 
pretty much up anyway.

Bill's Ghost :
What are you talking about? 
Doctor, what's he talking about?

CAPTAIN: 
So, might as well make it 
count for something, eh?

I should be happy to take your place, 
if that would resolve this situation.

Testimony
Accepted.

Bill's Ghost :
That is, that is not Happening. 
That's totally Not Happening. 
Agreed?

Dr. Disco
Tell me What to Do, then. 
Bill Potts would Tell Me 
What to Do.

Bill's Ghost 
Do What You Always Do -- 
Serve at The Pleasure of 
The Human Race.

Dr. Disco
Here's What's Going to Happen :
First, I'm Going to Escape
You, with Me.

Old Grandfather
Where are we going?

Testimony
Escape is Not Possible.

Dr. Disco
It is Possible, 
and It is Happening
and 
I'm Taking Bill 
and The Captain with me.

Old Grandfather
Why are You 
Advertising Your Intentions? 

Can't you stop boasting 
for a moment?

Dr. Disco
Mister Pastry, too. 
I could do with a laugh.


Testimony
Escape is Not Possible.

Dr. Disco
Oh, I'm Going to Do 
WAY More Than Escape. 

I'm Going to Find Out 
Who You Are and 
What You're Doing, 
and 
If I Don't Like it, 
I Will Come Back 
and 
I Will STOP You. 

I Will Stop ALL of You!

Old Grandfather
Who The HELL 
Do You Think You Are..!?

Dr. Disco
The Doctor.

Old Grandfather
I am The Doctor
Who YOU Are, 
I cannot begin to imagine.

Testimony
Then let us show you, Doctor. 
See who you will become.

DAVROS: 
Doctor!

DALEK: 
Exterminate!

CYBERMAN
You will be assimilated.

(Images of past Doctors fly around in bubbles, 
including The War Doctor.)

Dr. Disco : 
No, no, that's not a good idea.

Perfect-10 [OC]: 
They all Died.

Testimony
The Doctor has Walked in Blood 
through all of Time and Space. 
The Doctor has 
MANY Names.

DAVROS [OC]: 
The Destroyer of Worlds.

Testimony : 
The Imp of the Pandorica. 
The Shadow of the Valeyard. 
The Beast of Trenzalore. 
The Butcher of Skull Moon. 
The Last Tree of Garsennon. 
The Destroyer of Skaro. 

He is The Doctor, of War.

(The images disappear.)

Old Grandfather : 
What, what was that?

Dr. Disco : 
To be fair, they cut out 
all The Jokes




Monday 22 November 2021

I Have a Feeling They Will Choose to






 

Uncle BOB :

I didn't Hurt You, did I?


Cornelius :

Actually, you did.


Uncle BOB :

Thank You for This.

Thank you, Thank You, 

Thank You.


The Narrator :

Fight Club.

This was Mine and Tyler's Gift.

Our Gift to The World.





Man, I see in Fight Club The Strongest and Smartest Men who've ever lived.

I see all this Potential. 
And I see it SQUANDERED.

Goddamn it, an entire Generation 
pumping gas.
Waiting tables.
Slaves with white collars.

Advertising has us chasing Cars and Clothes.
Working Jobs We HATE 
so We can buy SHIT 
We don't NEED.

We're The Middle Children of History, Man. 
No Purpose or Place --
We have no Great WAR;
No Great DEPRESSION.

OUR Great War is A SPIRITUAL War --
Our Great Depression..... is Our LIVES.

We've all been raised on Television to Believe that one day We'd all be Millionaires and Movie Gods and Rock Stars.
But We WON'T......

We're slowly learning that fact.
And we're very, VERY 
pissed off about it....




TROI
You are a non-violent man, yet 
you committed Acts of Excessive Violence.

ROGA
You can learn to do it 
if you have to.

TROI: 
Did you have to?

ROGA: 
It was War.

TROI
So it started with The War?

ROGA
It started the day I volunteered, Counsellor. 
The day I began training. 
The day I met my first instructor. 
And he also called himself 
A Counsellor.

[Observation lounge]

TROI: 
Roga Danar was an idealistic Young Man 
who answered His People's Call to Service. 
He joined the military to fight 
for The Angosian Way of Life. 
What he didn't realise was that 
by doing so he would have to give up 
that Way of Life forever.
 
He's not the same man who left Home to go to War. 
He's been through intense psychological manipulation and biochemical modifications.

CRUSHER: 
At Troi's request I examined him. 
His cell structure has been significantly altered. 
They used a combination of cryptobiolin, triclenidil, macrospentol and a few things I can't even recognise.

RIKER: 
Was he A Prisoner of War? 
Who did this to him?

TROI: 
His Own Government. 
He's been programmed to be The Perfect Soldier. 
He can be absolutely normal
but when A Danger is perceived, 
The Programming clicks in 
and takes over. 

Memory, Strength, 
Intelligence, Reflexes, 
all become enhanced. 
He's conditioned to 
Survive at any cost.

CRUSHER: 
One of the new substances in his cellular structure 
even shields electrical impulses.

DATA: 
Perhaps that would explain why 
our sensors did not detect him.

PICARD: 
Why was he assigned to the Lunar Five facility?

TROI: 
He committed no crime. 
He says he was ordered there with others like him. 
When the first soldiers returned to Angosia, 
they had Trouble. 

The Rules changed too quickly
A lost temper could result in murder.

DATA: 
Counsellor, did no one try to adjust their programming?

TROI: 
They were just exiled to Lunar Five.

PICARD: 
Lunar Five, an orbiting gulag.

[Brig]

ROGA: 
What do you want?

DATA: 
Am I disturbing you?

ROGA: 
Yes.

DATA: 
Then I will leave.

ROGA: 
NO. Wait, wait. I'd rather talk to someone. 
Why do you have yellow eyes?

DATA: 
I am an android. 
I believe you and I 
have something in common.

ROGA: 
We do?

DATA: 
Yes. We have both been programmed.

ROGA: 
Ah, yes, yes. You've been talking to Counsellor Troi. 
It is not at all the same, android.

DATA
I do not mean to belittle your condition. 
I understand Your Dilemma. But I am curious. 

My Programme can be altered
Yours cannot?

ROGA: 
The Man I Was is still inside me, 
but this conditioning has been imposed
Woven together with my thoughts 
and my feelings and my responses. 

How do you separate 
The Programme from The Man?

DATA: 
Without further analysis of your condition from 
Counsellor Troi or Doctor Crusher, I cannot say. 
But I believe it is possible.

ROGA: 
Yeah, Doctors! The Angosian Doctors did this to me. 
If it could be undone, wouldn't they undo it?

DATA: 
I cannot answer that.

ROGA: 
Nor can I, yet I ask myself that question 
every moment of every day.

[Ready room]

NAYROK [on monitor]: 
Captain, what this man has been telling you 
is full of half-truths. 
He's A Prisoner. 
What do you expect him 
to say about us?

PICARD: 
Well, perhaps you would clarify it for me.

NAYROK [on monitor]: 
The soldiers were resettled on Lunar Five. 
It was to be their colony.

PICARD: 
Was it a resettlement of their choosing?

NAYROK [on monitor]: 
It was for their own protection as well as that of others
Most of them were quite happy there. 
We went to great lengths to give them a fine quality of life.

PICARD: 
Prime Minister, even the most 
comfortable prison is A Prison.

NAYROK [on monitor]: 
Unfortunately, a few agitators like Danar 
forced us to add security.

PICARD: 
My medical team suggests there may be alternative treatment.

NAYROK [on monitor]: 
Captain, I assure you that 
every alternative has been explored. 
And this discussion is now treading upon 
matters of internal security, 
which is not your concern. 
I have dispatched a ship to rendezvous with you 
to transport the prisoner back to Lunar Five. 

On behalf of Angosia, I thank The Federation 
for its assistance in retrieving our citizen.

(Transmission ends)

PICARD: 
'Matter of Internal Security.' 
The age-old cry of The Oppressor.

[Brig]
ROGA: 
Were you built for combat, android?

DATA: 
No. But My Programme does 
include Military Strategy. 
That is how I was able to anticipate your final tactic 
and capture you.

ROGA: 
You did that
Perhaps you would be better 
at combat than you think.

DATA: 
Except that I am not programmed to kill.

ROGA: 
My improved reflexes have allowed me 
to kill eighty four times. 
And my improved memory lets me remember 
each of those eighty four faces. 
Can you understand how that feels?

DATA: 
I am incapable of any feeling.

ROGA: 
Why, then I envy you.

(Picard and Troi enter)

TROI: 
Roga, this is Captain Picard.

ROGA: 
Captain.

PICARD: 
Mister Danar, I'm transferring you to Angosian security. They're en route. They will arrive shortly. 
I wanted to tell you I have No Choice
The Prime Minister insisted 
and We have No Right to refuse.

ROGA: 
You would be foolish to consider it otherwise, Captain, 
for they are very correct. 
I am dangerous. 
There is no place for me 
in A Civilised Society.

TROI: 
I do not believe that.

DATA: 
Nor do I.

PICARD: 
I respect my officers' judgements. 
I wish I could help further. 
If a way appears to me, I will.

ROGA
I appreciate your telling me that face to face.

PICARD: 
I thought you deserved that much.

ROGA: 
And you deserve to know 
that I must use whatever means I can to escape.

WORF [OC]: 
Captain, the Angosian transport vessel has arrived.

PICARD: 
Inform them the transfer will take place shortly. 
Picard out. Mister Data, to the Bridge please.
(Picard leaves)

ROGA: 
Take care of yourself, android. 
I enjoyed our talk.

DATA: I too.
(Data leaves)

TROI: 
Perhaps when this planet becomes a member of the Federation, we'll be able

ROGA: 
I will not be there to see it, Counsellor. 
Because even with this overwhelming Demand to Survive 
that they've built into my soul, 
I would rather die than return to Lunar Five.

orridor]
PICARD: 
And my understanding is these men are 
Programmed to Survive. Is that correct?

TROI: 
Yes, Captain.

PICARD: 
And that they will not kill 
unless Their Survival is at stake?

DATA: 
It is against Their Nature to do so, Captain.

PICARD: 
Then let us hope they do not believe 
Their Survival is at stake.

RIKER: 
Mister Worf, you are personally responsible 
for the Captain's safety.

WORF: 
I understand, Commander.

[Angosian Senate]
(Weapons are being handed out in a hurry)

NAYROK: 
I don't expect them to listen to reason. 
I loathe the idea of a violent confrontation, 
but we must be prepared.

(The away team beam in)

NAYROK: 
This is all you've brought? 
Where are your security men?

PICARD: 
We're not here to fight your wars for you.

NAYROK: 
They have been seen moving 
toward the center of the city. 
People are scared. 
Don't you understand, Captain? 
They're dangerous.

PICARD: 
You are Dangerous. They're only victims
You made Them What They Are. 
You asked them to defend your way of life 
and then you discarded them.

ZAYNAR: 
They were not happy here.

TROI: 
They were not welcome here.

ZAYNAR: 
It was the will of The People to resettle them.

NAYROK: 
No one was pleased with The Solution, 
but we had to act for the greater good.

DATA: 
Prime Minister, if you have the skills 
to create a master soldier, 
can you not contradict the effect?

NAYROK: 
The chemicals can be removed from their systems, 
but we're not convinced that the psychological conditioning can ever be entirely reversed.

DATA: 
Have you tried, sir?

NAYROK: 
We studied it thoroughly. 
Even before the training began
we knew there would be problems reversing it. 
It was a risk we had to take.

WORF: 
Did you reveal that risk to the men 
who volunteered for Service?

NAYROK: 
We were helping Them 
to Survive The War
you understand? 
They needed these skills.

PICARD: 
They're Your Brothers, Your Sons, 
and you turned Your Backs on them.

TROI: 
There are methods of treatment. 
Until you try them, how can you know they won't work? 
Even a partial recovery could give them some peace.

ZAYNAR
It was The Will of The People.

TROI
To allow them to suffer?

NAYROK
There was a referendum. 
The people weighed The Costs involved. 
They chose The Resettlement Solution.

ZAYNAR: 
Besides, we may need to use Them 
again some day.

PICARD: 
Have you understood one word that we've said?

(The rogue soldiers arrive)

ROGA: 
Freeze! Nobody move!

PICARD: 
No, Worf! All of you. Don't respond. 
Don't provoke them further. 
Keep those weapons down unless you wish to be killed.

NAYROK: 
Do as he says.

ROGA
No! Don't. Shoot Us. Destroy Us. 
Do What You Have to Do. 

But you will not ignore us. 
Go on, DO it!
(He shoots a hole in the wall next to Nayrok)

ROGA: 
Cowards.

PICARD: 
Yes, and you are not programmed 
to murder cowards.
 
So if they will not fight back, 
what will you do?

ROGA
We will not go back.

NAYROK
You are Programmed to Survive. 
You can Survive at the Lunar Five settlement.

ROGA: 
To Survive is Not Enough
To simply exist is Not Enough.

TROI: 
Roga, tell Them What You Want.

ROGA
We want Our Lives back. 
We want to Come Home.

NAYROK
I am not prepared to negotiate under threat, Danar, 
but if you will put down your weapons and return peaceably to Lunar Five, I would be willing....

ROGA: 
Mister Prime Minister, with all due respect, 
You will have to Force Us. 
Or at least try.

NAYROK
Captain, you must DO Something. 
Call Your Ship.

PICARD: 
Quite right, Prime Minister. 
Enterprise, prepare to beam the away team back.

RIKER [OC]: 
At your command, Captain.

NAYROK: 
Picard, you can't leave us like this.

PICARD: 
I have all the information I need for our report. 
Your Prisoner has been returned to you 
and you have A Decision to make. 
Whether to try to Force Them Back 
or Welcome Them Home. 

In your own words, 
This is not our affair.
 
We cannot interfere in the natural course 
of your society's development, 
and I'd say it's likely to develop significantly 
in the next several minutes. 

It's been an interesting visit. 

When you're ready for membership, 
The Federation will be pleased 
to reconsider your application. 

Mister Riker, four to beam up.

RIKER [OC]: 
Aye, sir.

[Bridge]

RIKER
Success, Captain?

PICARD: 
Number One, will you note in our report that 
if The Government of Angosia Survives The Night, 
we will offer them Federation assistance 
in their efforts to reprogram their veterans.

RIKER
And if The Government doesn't survive?

PICARD
I have a feeling they will choose to. 
Mister Crusher, set coordinates for Starbase Lya Three.

WESLEY: 
Coordinates set, Captain.

PICARD: 
Engage.