Eventually they work out that Worf's shuttle passed through some kind of quantum singularity thing and now the old theory that every decision we make, a version of it is played out in another dimension, comes into play. The rift thing is causing hundreds of other Enterprises from these other dimensions to appear, and they need to send Worf back to the one he's originally from. So off he goes, on a shuttlecraft, to the 'correct' Enterprise.
And then. I'd better let Memory Alpha tell you.
Quote:
Worf sets away, but the shuttle is attacked by one of the Enterprises. Captain Riker hails it and he comes face to face with an alternate version of himself.
This counterpart Riker has a long beard, is disheveled and tired, panicking on the totaled bridge of his Enterprise. The transmission is filled with static. He begs not to be sent back to his own universe, where the Federation is gone, the Borg are everywhere and the Enterprise is one of the only remaining ships. However Captain Riker says that there is no option and if the plan works, all ships will automatically return. Desperate, the counterpart Riker declares they won't go back. He cuts the channel, then he fires on the shuttle. Captain Riker grimly orders Wesley to disable the Enterprise. Wesley fires a single photon torpedo, collapsing the ship's weakened shields and engine core, which destroys it completely.
(A desperate Captain Riker doesn't want to go back to his Borg-ravaged universe)
And here's the script:
Code:
57 INT. BRIDGE (OPTICAL)
Riker, Data, Wesley, Troi at positions. Red Alert.
WESLEY
Captain -- the shuttle is under
attack!
RIKER
The Bajorans again?
WESLEY
No sir -- it's one of the
Enterprises.
(beat)
They're hailing us.
RIKER
On screen.
On the Viewscreen, we see another CAPTAIN RIKER
standing on the Bridge of another Enterprise. He looks
haggard, terrified about something. Worf can be seen
behind him -- he also looks urgent. The ship is DARK,
smokey, lit only by emergency lighting. A panel
explodes in the b.g.
STAR TREK: "Parallels" - REV. 10/08/93 - ACT FIVE 61.
57 CONTINUED:
RIKER ON VIEWSCREEN
(urgent)
We won't go back! You don't know
what it's like in our universe.
The Federation is gone -- the Borg
are everywhere! We're one of the
last ships left! Please, you've
got to help us!
A difficult moment.
RIKER
I'm sorry. There's no choice. If
this works, everything will return
to --
RIKER ON VIEWSCREEN
No! We won't go!
The transmission ENDS.
WESLEY
They're firing on the shuttle!
RIKER
Open fire! Try to disable them!
Wesley works...
58 EXT. SPACE - THE TWO ENTERPRISES (OPTICAL)
One of the ships FIRES TORPEDOES on the other.
59 INT. BRIDGE (OPTICAL)
As before.
WESLEY
(off console)
Direct hit... their shields have
collapsed... their engine core's
overloading --
On the Viewscreen, the other Enterprise EXPLODES in a
blast of fiery debris -- completely destroyed.
RIKER
What happened?
WESLEY
(off console)
It looks like their ship had
already taken heavy damage --
their warp containment field must
have been weak.
RIKER
Probably from fighting the Borg...
Fucking. Hell. Both our minds were set to racing by this little 30 second sequence, and the ending of the episode was almost ignored - we were both babbling about the poor bastards from the universe where the Borg had won, how they'd had to hide in their tatty ship knowing that all hope was lost, and now their once chance at rescue had just blow them to bits.
The more I think about it, a ragged Enterprise and desperate crew fleeing across the Galaxy just prolonging the inevitable. Crumbs.