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Between a Rock... Broadcast March 2nd 1968

Mission Date 3931.2 the Endeavour is sent on another SAR mission. This time it has to try and locate and help if necessary the CSS Rutherford a small science vessel which was carrying out a detailed survey of Maya IV which had shown some unusual readings when the Maya system had been surveyed by CSS Endurance 3 years before.

The Endeavour arrives at Maya IV. The planet is an ecological oddity. Despite long-term geologic evidence of liquid water existing on the surface, it is one vast desert. There is no sign of recent (or future) rainfall, despite the dense cloud formations. Scanning the surface Spock finds the Rutherford on the planet’s surface. This is unusual as although the Rutherford (and the rest of her class) are designed to be able to make landings they very rarely do so unless in extreme danger. He also picks up the crew’s life signs but they are very weak. The instruments also detect a further minimal but unidentifiable form of life.

Reynolds, Summers, Stein and M’Beke beam down to the bridge of the Rutherford. They find the crew still alive but extremely dehydrated and on the point of death. However the Chief Science Officer is missing. M’Beke beams the Rutherford crew back to the Medical Centre on the Endeavour and Blamire and two more security personnel beam down.

Stein analyses the logs on the Rutherford but is baffled by some of the recordings and so transfers them to Spock on the Endeavour. Reynolds examines the Captain’s log and finds the final entry made by the Captain (guest star Nicholas Courtney). The crew has found itself becoming extremely dehydrated and week. All the water has gone from the ship as well. It seems to be related to rock samples that the CSO had brought up from the surface. The Captain had landed the ship with his last remaining strength and had launched a distress beacon.

Summers wondered why he hadn’t just left orbit and used the autopilot. Reynolds was more understanding saying that stress and dehydration can make you do things that you would not normally have done. It didn’t explain why there had been no record of the distress beacon’s signal as it had obviously been launched. They hadn’t picked it up nor had the fleet and the fleet should have done almost as soon as it was launched!

Meanwhile in the science labs, Stein is examining some samples left on the microscope. The computer analysis of the rock is inconclusive. However examining a liquid smear on one of the samples Stein finds that the fluid contains structures similar to blood corpuscles—the rock is a living organism. He knocks two of the samples next to each other with his elbow. The two samples glow furiously and, with energy arcing between them, fuse into a single, larger body.

Reynolds and Blamire explore outside the Rutherford. They find the body of the CSO a few yards from the ship completely desiccated. Just then, stein calls, telling them the rock is now glowing green. Reynolds orders him to vacate immediately. Moving for the hatch, Stein is obstructed by multiple beams of green energy, which herd him into a corner. Stein watches as another ray plays over his supplies, as if searching for a specific item. He makes a break for the exit, but is caught by the green light. Stein slips to the floor, conscious but paralysed by an all-pervading numbness.

As Stein remains helplessly pinned, another beam resumes probing the cargo area. Alighting on a water bottle, it intensifies. Pulled through the bottle's sides, a jet of water streams across the module to be absorbed by the rock. After draining the container, the rock's pulsing glow strengthens. Stein relays these facts via an open communicator. Outside, Reynolds and company realise the rock-forms need water to survive. Some meteorological event in the past stopped the rain cycle; over time, the rocks drained this planet dry. Many of the surrounding 'normal' rocks are probably deceased members of the species.
They realise that they must have used the Rutherford’s crew as a last desperate source of water.

Reynolds has an idea. He signals Spock and asks him to launch a probe full of rain making crystals into the clouds above them. This is done and within half an hour there is a steady heavy down pour. As they look around they see more and more faint glows. Stein, released from his paralysis, brings the samples left on the ship outside and places them in the rain.

The team beam back to the Endeavour. A crew is beamed down to the Rutherford and brings it back into orbit where Scotty and O’Gorman have a field day making repairs! Another ship the CSS Curie arrives with a relief crew and orders to ensure that the rain continues and the Endeavour departs.