MALE VISITOR
Beautiful…
FEMALE VISITOR
This is truly…beautiful…
The visitors speak halting English with clumsy inflections. They know the language but have not yet adjusted to speaking it aloud.
HARBINGER
Who are you?
The visitors ignore him. Slowly, they look down at their new bodies, staring wonderingly as they raise and flex arms, flutter fingers, run hands over torsos.
HARBINGER
I said, who are you?
Still ignoring HARBINGER, the visitors turn their attention again to the contents of the room. Slowly, with eyes wide and big smiles, they separate and move off to explore.
HARBINGER sighs and nods to TORK.
TORK
(activating communi-link)
Security to Medlab.
TORK’s ray gun is already in his hand as he summons Security personnel.
The visitors continue to wordlessly explore the room. The FEMALE circles RUDY, runs her fingers over his face. The MALE touches bits of equipment.
MALE VISITOR
This…universe…is beautiful.
FEMALE VISITOR
It is all…so different.
MALE VISITOR
Nothing before was like this.
The FEMALE VISITOR moves from RUDY to MCNALLY. The MALE VISITOR investigates computer screens on the wall.
HARBINGER
(activates communi-link)
Captain, I think you should come to Medlab. Bring Athena.
PHILIPPE
(through communi-link)
What’s happened?
HARBINGER
We seem to have guests.
SYNTH
(off-screen)
Rudy?
RUDY was watching the FEMALE VISITOR. At the sound of SYNTH’s voice, he spins around to spot him.
RUDY
(excitedly)
Synth! Are you all right?
SYNTH is now sitting on the edge of the diagnostic table, legs hanging over the side. His nose is back to its original size.
SYNTH
I believe that I am undamaged. However, I seem to have been deactivated for a brief time.
RUDY rushes over to scan SYNTH with the scanalyzer.
RUDY
You were. Some kind of energy field flared up around your nose, and you just shut down.
SYNTH touches his nose.
SYNTH
I have stopped growing.
RUDY
Yeah. Everything’s back to normal. The flow of subatomic particles has stopped.
SYNTH
(looking at visitors)
Who are they?
RUDY
(also turning to look)
They came out of the energy field.
The VISITORS continue to move about and explore. They are still beaming with joy and amazement, touching everything.
The Medlab door opens, admitting PHILIPPE, COUNSELOR ATHENA, and a three-man Security team.
PHILIPPE
(catching sight of the VISITORS)
Report.
HARBINGER
There was an energy surge around Synth’s nose. The surge split into two spheres, which then seemed to probe various pieces of equipment and several of us. The spheres entered some diagnostic tables, the tables vanished, and these two beings appeared in their place. So far, we haven’t been able to get a straight answer out of them.
PHILIPPE watches the VISITORS for a moment. The FEMALE VISITOR comes over to join the MALE VISITOR in touching a chair.
PHILIPPE
They certainly don’t seem threatening. Counselor?
ATHENA
(frowning, strained)
They are difficult to read. Their emotions… and thoughts…are so strong…that they are painful for me…and they are very alien.
PHILIPPE
Are you receiving any coherent impressions at all?
ATHENA
(with great effort)
Something that I think…is curiosity. That seems to be the strongest. I cannot tell for sure…but I do not believe…that they mean to do us harm.
ATHENA weakens from the effort and slumps a little, gripping her head. HARBINGER puts an arm around her to support her. MCNALLY walks over, runs an instrument over her.
PHILIPPE
(low voice, to TORK)
Lieutenant, keep your team posted at the door. Mobilize additional teams and have them on standby. Also, I want you to be ready to throw a force field around Medlab on my signal. Until we know what we’re dealing with, you must be prepared for anything.
TORK
Aye, sir.
TORK takes his team out of Medlab. PHILIPPE slowly approaches the VISITORS.
PHILIPPE
I am Jean-Claude Philippe, Captain of this vessel. Who are you?
The VISITORS remain oblivious, wrapped up in their explorations.
PHILIPPE
(louder)
Excuse me. Who are you?
The VISITORS continue to ignore him. PHILIPPE sighs with annoyance, finally walks over and taps the MALE VISITOR on the shoulder. Both VISITORS turn to look.
I am Jean-Claude Philippe, Captain of this vessel. Who are you?
MALE VISITOR
We…are we.
FEMALE VISITOR
We are…
(searches for the right word)
We are people.
PHILIPPE
What kind of people?
The VISITORS pause and fish for the words to express themselves.
MALE VISITOR
We…explore.
FEMALE VISITOR
We are explorers.
PHILIPPE
Is that what you call yourselves? Explorers?
FEMALE VISITOR
We do not…call ourselves.
MALE VISITOR
Wait.
(stares intently at PHILIPPE)
There is something…called a “name.” To…identify we…it is easier for them. They want a “name.”
FEMALE VISITOR
We do not have… “name.”
MALE VISITOR
To make a “name,” we will use something…that we and you…have in common. The…counting. Call me “One.” Call she “Two.”
FEMALE VISITOR
I am “Two.”
She pronounces the word with great care, testing it.
“Two.”
PHILIPPE
Where are you from…One and Two?
ONE thinks, looks at TWO, then walks over to point at SYNTH’s nose.
ONE
There. We are from there.
PHILIPPE
From…there.
TWO
(nodding, still beaming)
Yes. We came from there.
PHILIPPE
I’m afraid…I don’t quite understand how you could have come from there.
ONE
(pointing at SYNTH’s nose)
In there…is before here.
(points at Medlab floor)
In there…
(points at SYNTH’s nose)
…are many theres. Many theres before there, before here.
TWO
Yes. Many theres.
PHILIPPE
(somewhat confused)
I’m sorry to say I still don’t understand.
ONE grins and rolls his eyes good-naturedly.
ONE
Captain. I am sorry…that you do not understand. We are trying, but it is hard. We cannot…do all the talking yet.
TWO
Soon, we will. We already know your talking…your lang…language. When we came here, we…joined…with you…and you
…and you.
TWO points at MCNALLY, then HARBINGER, then RUDY.
When we joined…we…ate your thinking.
ONE
(correcting TWO)
Minds. We ate your minds.
Everyone stares at the VISITORS and
at each other.
TORK
(whispered to HARBINGER)
What did he say?
TORK entered Medlab just in time to hear the last exchange.
ONE grins back at the crew, shrugs sheepishly.
ONE
You are not understanding again, are you?
PHILIPPE
No. You said you joined with some of us?
TWO
We joined…and ate the thinking.
ONE
We ate the thinking about talking…and living in your here.
TWO
So that we would talk and live here, too… though we could not before we ate the thinking. We are not from here.
PHILIPPE
I think I may understand. You…absorbed knowledge from my people.
TWO
(excitedly, after a moment’s intense thought)
Yes! That talking is like our thinking!
ONE
We know all your thinking. We know…everything those we joined with know…but there will be more time before we are talking and living like your thinking.
TWO
This is all beautiful…but it is strange for us.
She spreads her arms wide to encompass everything.
We need…to adjust.
ONE
This here is beautiful…and different. It is more beautiful because it is all different… from every there which has been here to us.
PHILIPPE
It is different from where you come from?
TWO
Yes. All different.
PHILIPPE
But where do you come from? I still don’t understand.
ONE
(again moving to point at SYNTH’s nose)
In there. Many theres before here.
PHILIPPE
Many theres?
ONE
Too many to count.
TWO
We are from a there which is before here…and there are many, many theres after our there but before here.
ATHENA
Do you mean places? By “theres,” do you mean places?
TWO
(pauses, thinks)
Universes. We mean universes.
PHILIPPE
You are from another universe?
TWO
Yes. The one before this one.
ONE again points at SYNTH’s nose.
ONE
The one in there.
PHILIPPE
Are you sure that you are…talking the way you are thinking? Are you sure that you mean “universe?”
ONE
(confidently)
Oh yes. We explore.
PHILIPPE sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. He’s stumped. HARBINGER steps forward to make an attempt.
HARBINGER
One, Two, we don’t understand. Are you trying to tell us that you came from a universe inside our friend’s nose?
TWO
Yes. In the nose.
HARBINGER
How can there be a universe in a nose?
TWO
There are many universes in that nose. Too many to count.
ONE
Wait. I think that I can give you understanding. That nose…
(he points at nose)
…your bodies…
(he waves to indicate the crew in Medlab)
…and all things in your universe are made of bits.
RUDY
You mean atoms?
ONE
Yes, that is your name for them. These bits are made of other bits.
HARBINGER
Protons, neutrons, and electrons.
ONE
I…think those are the namings. These bits are made of smaller bits…which are made of smaller bits…which are made of smaller bits…which are made of even smaller bits…and inside these smaller bits, there are universes.
TWO
Yes, and these universes are made of more of the same kind of bits…which are made of smaller and smaller bits.
ONE
And inside those bits, there are more universes…which are made of more bits.
TWO
Which hold more universes. And this goes on forever.
ONE
And we are from one of those universes. We explore.
The crew is stunned. RUDY steps up to confront ONE and TWO.
RUDY
Are you trying to tell us that there are universes inside particles smaller than an atom?
ONE
Yes…and they are inside every…atom…that makes your universe.
RUDY
Every atom?
TWO
Yes. Every…atom.
PHILIPPE
A universe in a subatomic particle?
(to crew)
Is that possible?
SYNTH
Perhaps. As I stated earlier, when we were investigating the phenomenon of my growth, it has been theorized that subatomic structure extends far beyond what we can detect, perhaps even to infinity, with an infinite number of smaller and smaller particles nested within each atom.
RUDY
There’ve been theories on nested universes, like One and Two are talking about. Cosmologists call the idea “Infinite Regression”…but there’s never been any evidence.
PHILIPPE
Infinity extending in all directions…even to a subatomic level. It boggles the mind.
HARBINGER
Assuming you are from a subatomic universe, how could you possibly get here? How could you move from one extreme scale of size to the other? Your bodies would be made of super-subatomic particles.
ONE
We have no bodies in our universe. We are all thinking…only thinking.
TWO
Since we are only thinking, we are not limited by bodies. We can go from one universe to the next.
ONE
It is not easy, but we can do it. We need…
TWO
(cutting off ONE’s comment)
In each new universe, we make bodies for ourselves…if we need them to…communicate and explore. With our thinking, we reshape the bits…the atoms… into bodies. That is what we did to make these bodies.
(gestures at her body)
ONE
We shaped the tables…into bodies. The bits in the atoms are all…basically the same. We only…shuffled them.
TWO
We got the…blueprint…from your bodies. They are different from the bodies in any universe we have explored.
RUDY
What about my friend here?
He indicates SYNTH.
Why did his nose change before you came here?
ONE
As we have said, our universe is inside a particle which is part of his…nose. When we broke through from the universe before this, we…expended much thinking energy. This energy caused the smaller particles to act wrongly…to join into larger particles which made more nose…but the changed form was not stable, not natural, and it returned to its rightful form when our thinking energy was withdrawn.
PHILIPPE
You say you came here to explore?
TWO
Yes. We live to explore. To know what we have not known before. To…make our thinkings grow.
PHILIPPE
We are explorers, too. Perhaps, we can share our knowledge.
ONE
Captain. As fellow explorers, you can understand that we want to explore now. We have come from far away, and we…want to get started.
TWO
Yes! The talkings have been good, but we want to explore!
ONE
We know that we are on a…ship…in your universe. Is there a way that we can…see the universe around the ship?
PHILIPPE sizes them up for a moment, then smiles and nods.
PHILIPPE
Yes, there is a way. I’ll show you. Please come.
PHILIPPE waves ONE and TWO through the open doorway into the corridor outside Medlab. T
hey gaze wonderingly at the new surroundings. PHILIPPE turns to address his officers while the visitors are distracted.
PHILIPPE
I’m taking them to Last Call. I’ll try to find out whatever I can.
MCNALLY
I’ll go with you. Their story’s so incredible, I’ve got to hear more.
PHILIPPE
Did you get to scan them?
MCNALLY
Yes, and they read as perfectly normal, perfectly healthy human beings.
Trek It! Page 27
