Blood & Fire

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"Blood and Fire" is an episode written by David Gerrold for possible use on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
==Plot==
In the original script, the crew of the Enterprise-D came upon a derelict spaceship whose crew had all been killed off by Regulan bloodworms. Since these creatures are highly dangerous and can kill within hours, any ship or space station found to be infested with bloodworms must be sterilized and/or destroyed, as per Starfleet orders. The concept of Regulan bloodworms, mentioned in dialogue in the original Star Trek series (but never actually explained until this episode), was intended to be a metaphor for the AIDS crisis, as AIDS was a similarly lethal disease.
==Development==
The script was commissioned and written, but never actually filmed because certain studio executives had a negative reaction to its positive depiction of an openly gay couple.
==Legacy==
* This episode was also noted for its inclusion of two openly gay crewmembers, which would have been a first in Star Trek history. Years later, an AIDS allegory would finally be included in a Trek episode, namely the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Stigma".
* The rejection of this episode is what ultimately led to Gerrold leaving TNG.
===Novel adaptation===
It was eventually adapted by Gerrold into a standalone novel.
===Reworked scripts===
Herbert Wright rewrote the script under the name "Blood and Ice", which also was left unproduced.
With Gerrold's permission, Carlos Pedraza rewrote Blood and Fire for the fan series Star Trek: New Voyages. Gerrold did a final draft polish (possibly to expand the gay relationship to something more than a hint) and also directed the episode. The episode has come under fire for showing the two crewmembers "dry humping" and sharing an extended, open-mouthed kiss while in their quarters.
Category:Gay themes
Category:AIDS metaphors
Category:Unused Star Trek: The Next Generation episode scripts
Category:David Gerrold
Category:Reused scripts