The New Link
How'd We Do it?
Synopsis Odo finds a group of changelings who long ago rejected the domineering tendencies of the Founders and formed their own great link. He may be in for a disappointment when he finds that they may be less then he expects.
Major Character and Plot Points
Rene's Comments
    This pitch was met with medium interest. What was behind it was a desire to resurrect a spec script that I had sent in called "Chance of a Lifetime." I sent Chance in through the writers submission program about 3 years ago. It was my second try at a teleplay and the format was way off, but the story was so riveting. People just love it! Chance of a Lifetime has been posted to the Internet and can be read in its entirety.

    The attempt at trying to save the beautiful elements of Chance came off as a little jumbled. The story vehicles we used to salvage it just didn't cut the mustard. Rene' called us on this like a champ and I commend him for it. The main problem was that the characters were not at the focus of the dramatic action. The plight of the silicates is the real fulcrum. One of the tenants of pitching to Star Trek is putting the characters on the head of a pin, making it personal and then finding a way to get them out of it.

    The idea of having other Founders play into the equation was not met with a lot of enthusiasm at this juncture in the series. I left with the impression that there is a definite resolution plan for the series that a quasi-wildcard power doesn't fit into.

The Pitch as Delivered Odo is contacted on the station by a Changeling who claims to be re-inviting him into the great link. Unable to resist the connection to his people. Odo goes off with him to contact his people. Afraid for Odo, Kira offers to accompany him and he excepts. On board the runabout to the Founder's home world, Kira starts asking questions as to why the Founders wanted to welcome Odo back. Suddenly disturbed the Changeling stuns Kira and diverts from the Founder's world. Refusing to answer any questions the Changeling comes to a different world than Odo expected.

When they go to the surface, Odo finds a group of changelings he has never met before. They refer to themselves as The Others. He is brought into their presence and told by an elder named Naray, that long ago, the Changelings were a peaceful people that were persecuted by the Dominion, which was then run by solids. Some were killed and some even mated with the solids and lost their ability to shift their shape.

Odo is shocked by all of this, but demands proof. The Changelings bring him into a smaller great link and he believes that they are telling the truth. Just then Kira is discovered hiding in the bushes and is welcomed by the Changelings. The Changeling that stunned apologizes her and states that her questions made him nervous. She had heard everything that told Odo and can't believe it, especially the part about the Changelings mating with solids.

Naray tells Odo that they are planning to bring about the old ways of peace and tolerance and Odo and Kira are happy about this. They want to find a way to bring the war to an end. They plan on a trip the next day that will bring about the end of the Founder's rule.

Instead of taking any ships anywhere, they head off on foot and come to the outskirts of a small village at the end of the day. The Changelings announce that they aren't planning to attack the Dominion head on but to liberate a village of half changelings from persecution by agents of the Dominion.

With the destructive war going on, Odo can't accept this. The Others are determined though and begin preparations to free the village, which is on the other side of the planet. Naray explains that the "Half-Solid Half-Changeling "Silicates" are the Founders dirty little secret and that this is the first small step that needs to be taken and will affect the Founders over time. Kira and Odo talk about the fact that Odo could possibly mate with a solid and are both oddly intrigued.

They find the village where the Silicates live as an underclass. Odo is sent in to find the silicates while the others prepare a strategy and Naray enhances Odo with the ability to appear completely human. While snooping around, Odo is caught and thrown in jail. The townspeople do not trust strangers. He is released by a mysterious silicate woman and is taken to meet other Silicates.

The chief of police, who followed Odo to the Silicates hiding place, sends his men to attack the creatures. When he finds his deputy was secretly a Silicate, he can't believe it. Just as all looks hopeless for the Silicates and Odo, the others arrive and intervene.

The Others thank Odo and tell him he that they will be getting in touch with him soon. Odo is enraged that the Dominion is almost sure to crush the Alpha Quadrant. As the freed Silicates thank him though, he realizes that changing the Founders may be a long, long road to follow.

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