An Alternate Trek

[Lindseyman]

Star Trek in comics

From 1968 Star Trek appeared as the colour strip at the centre of the TV21 comic. It maintained this position all the way through to TV21’s eventual demise in 1971. Even then it continued as a black and white strip in Valiant until its demise in 1976.

Each story lasted 5 or 6 issues of the comic even in the Valiant days. However this did result in the last story in 1976 comprising nearly a quarter of the last issue of Valiant!

The comic strip was drawn by artists such as Frank Bellamy, Ron and Gerry Embleton and Keith Watson. Despite their different styles there managed to be a continuity of characterisation (i.e. each character was readily recognisable from the drawing not just the way that he was addressed) which at its best was compared to Dan Dare at its height.

Although many of the stories up until 1971 were taken over by the actual show they were considered to be good Star Trek stories in their own right. Indeed there are two sets of strips which are considered to be canon. The first is a set of stories set in the early days of Pike’s command of the Endeavour and the second are those stories that are set after the end of the last episode of the television series in the reset continuity.

These even saw a change in crew to reflect the changing norms of the 70s, so for example there was a Japanese Science Officer Hiromi Sulu (the nephew of the Captain Sulu shown in the episode The Dragon), and even a Russian Deputy Chief of Security Grigori Putinov as well as an Indian Admiral Moraji Roy.

Despite the temptation Star Trek was not directly tied into the shared world of the other Gerry Anderson based stories. However there were recurring Admirals Tracey and Shore and a helmsman named Parker who bore amazing resemblances to certain characters from Stingray and Thunderbirds!

The strips were collected together in a series of books first by Hawk in the late 1980s and then by Titan in the early 2000s. They have proved popular not just with the generation that watched Star Trek on the television and bought (or had bought for them) TV21 and/or Valiant but also with their children and grandchildren.

 

[Lindseyman]

As a courtesy NBC and Paramount invited ITC representatives to watch a special presentation of the first few episodes of Star Trek: USS Enterprise during October of 1970. Lew Grade, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, Brian Clemens and various other members of the ITC production team plus both Malcolm Hulke and Terry Dicks (who had a break from their duties on Doctor Who) attended.

There was a pleasant meal and then they settled down to watch the episodes. NBC were very happy with the production. It “corrected” all the problems that they had had with the ITC production and were sure that it was going to be a success.

The first episode was a version of the episode Omega IV. In many ways Paramount had reverted to Gene Roddenberry’s original conception of the idea and had given it the title “The Omega Glory”. The British watched the episode and their reaction was not what NBC had expected to say the least!

Bruce Lansbury, the producer of the Paramount version, later recalled

“We shouldn’t have been at all surprised by their reaction. We had taken their baby and turned it into something else very different. I began to suspect that something was amiss when after twenty or so minutes I noticed Hulke and Dicks wincing. That stopped when we showed the second episode that introduced the Tellurians and was replaced by a look that was a cross between shock, horror and quite a bit of anger. The Andersons’ reaction was equally horrified although I could tell that they were at least impressed by the production values.

After the first episode Gene (Roddenberry) of all people, leaned over and whispered to me that this wasn’t going as well as he expected. He was very protective of this version, as it was closer to his original vision that he had tried to sell in the States in the early sixties, but he had worked with these people for four or five years and could tell that they were not reacting the way that we had hoped.”

Brian Clemens in an interview in the late seventies about “The New Avengers” was also asked about this showing. After some thought he replied

“With hindsight we shouldn’t have been surprised at what they (Paramount) did. They had taken the background and the idea and turned it into an American programme. It had superb production values, was very well edited and produced. Most of the acting was good or better, Leonard Nimoy’s Spock was superb. Bill Shatner’s Captain Hunter wasn’t to our tastes but did prove popular with American audiences and George Kennedy and De Forest Kelley were very good as the Chief Engineer and Doctor. However it was Lew Grade’s comment that hurt the Americans most. He said that the programme was excellent, much, much, better than other American Sci Fi on Television but it was NOT Star Trek!

It was much more action orientated than ours had been. It was clear that the bad guys were just bad guys, there was no attempt to explain their point of view. This became even more apparent in later episodes when the Tellurians and Klingons appeared. Worst the United Systems really was the US in space. Admittedly ours had been the British Commonwealth in space but we had the Commonwealth making bad decisions that backfired and creating problems which had to be solved. There was none of that in this version they were right because they were the US and that was it!

I really think that the American’s did not understand our reactions. They were obviously baffled by them as in their eyes this was a production much better suited to their domestic market. It almost certainly was however in producing it they had ripped the soul out of our programme. In the end it didn’t really matter what we thought. The first series was successful in the States and when it got accepted for being a different programme, especially when they re-branded the second season as “Enterprise” dropping the Star Trek, it has been relatively successful overseas although nowhere near as successful as our Star Trek has been.”

 

[Lindseyman]

British Television in 1970

1 January–5 February – The BBC airs The Six Wives of Henry VIII, a series of six plays, each of which focusses on the life of one of King Henry VIII of England's six wives. Each featured Keith Michell as Henry VIII.

2 January – Manhunt broadcast on ITV. British pilot Jimmy Briggs (Alfred Lynch) crashes his aeroplane in occupied France and immediately finds himself on the run from the Nazis. He meets a young girl, Nina (Cyd Hayman), a part-Jewish agent with important information, and vows to get her back to Britain. He is helped by another agent, code-named Vincent (Peter Barkworth), and pursued across France by S.S. Officer Lutzig (Philip Madoc), and the ambivalent Abwehr Sgt. Gratz (Robert Hardy), a complex psychological character who is implied to fall in love with Nina. Unlike most previous war dramas, the Nazis were presented as more than just fanatical thugs. While Lutzig was close to the stereotype, although given great depth by Philip Madoc, Gratz could not have been more different. Unlike many similar dramas, Manhunt also portrayed in detail the rivalry between the SS and the Abwehr.

5 January – A Question of Sport first broadcast on BBC1 presented by David Vine

9 February – Doomwatch broadcast on BBC1. The series was set in the then present day, and dealt with a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist (played by John Paul), responsible for investigating and combating various ecological and technological dangers

28 March Finis the last episode of Star Trek is broadcast on ITV

14 April – A Family at War produced by Granada for ITV. The series examined the lives of the lower middle-class Ashton family of the city of Liverpooland their experiences from 1938 and through WW2.

13 June – Albert and Victoria aired on ITV. Starring Alfred Marks, it was written by Reuben Ship. It was made for the ITV network by Yorkshire Television.

8 July – Jack Walker dies off-screen of a heart attack in Coronation Street as a result of the death of actor Arthur Leslie. Jack becomes the first major character to be written out due to the death of an actor.

14 September – The BBC Nine O'Clock News is first broadcast on BBC1. The programme aired until 13 October 2000 when the station's main evening bulletin was switched to 10:00pm.

28 September – Timeslip made by ATV for ITV. A fondly remembered series that explored Time Travel in a more down to earth way than Doctor Who, it ran for three series.

15 October – Play for Today produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted. The individual episodes were between fifty and a hundred minutes in duration.

27 October – The Lovers. A sitcom by Jack Rosenthal, starring Richard Beckinsale and Paula Wilcox as a courting couple, Geoffrey and Beryl. It was made between 1970 and 1971 by Granada Television for the ITV network.

November – Mr Benn broadcast by the BBC for the first time (it is repeated many times over the years). Mr Benn's adventures take on a similar pattern. Mr Benn, a man wearing a black suit and bowler hat, leaves his house at 52 Festive Road and visits a fancy-dress costume shop where he is invited by the moustache, fez-wearing shopkeeper to try on a particular outfit. He leaves the shop through a magic door at the back of the changing room and enters a world appropriate to his costume, where he has an adventure (which usually contains a moral) before the shopkeeper reappears to lead him back to the changing room, and the story comes to an end. Mr Benn returns to his normal life, but is left with a small souvenir of his magical adventure. Additionally, scenes before and after his adventure usually have some connection to it, such as the games the children are playing in the street as he passes.

7 November – Felix Dennis becomes the first person to use the word "cunt" on British television during a live broadcast of The Frost Programme.

8 November – The Goodies appears on BBC2. Much more traditional and gentle than Monty Python, it runs for many years. The show was co-written by and starred Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie (together known as "The Goodies"). Bill Oddie also wrote the music and songs for the series — while "The Goodies Theme" was co-written by Bill Oddie and Michael Gibbs.

13 November – The Colour Strike begins when ITV staff refuse to work with colour television equipment following a dispute over pay with their management.

9 December – 10th anniversary of the first episode of Coronation Street.

25 December – Pluto's Christmas Tree is broadcast on BBC1, the first complete Mickey Mouse cartoon to be shown on British television in colour.

 

[Lindseyman]

The crew of the USS Enterprise

The main crew of the Enterprise at the start of season 1 was as follows:

Captain James Hunter: William Shatner

First Officer Commander Spock: Leonard Nimoy

Chief Engineer Scott (Scotty) Drake: George Kennedy

Helmsman Ensign Jack Crusher: Tim Matheson

Navigator Lieutenant Lavrenti Kutusov: Harrison Ford

Communications Officer Jane Rand: Grace Lee Whitney

Chief of Security Lieutenant Commander Emmet Chandler: Clu Gulager

Chief Medical Officer Lieutenant Commander Milton (Doc) Piper: De Forest Kelley

One of the many points that the ITC representatives had made when given their screening of the first few episodes was that the main crew were all white and male, the only regular female officer was Rand and she was only a lieutenant. Also although black and Asian actors played some of the crew none held any positions of responsibility. This seemed strange especially as the ITC Star Trek had had a black captain!

The Paramount and NBC representatives had shifted uncomfortably on this being pointed out to them but when casting it just hadn’t occurred to them as a major problem. Steps were taken for season two but season one was already in the can.

 

[Lindseyman]

The Omega Glory, the first episode of Star Trek:USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log, Mission Date 0126.4, the Enterprise has been ordered to investigate the apparent disappearance of the USS Hornet. There have been no communications with it for the past six months. We are heading for their last recorded position in the Omega II system, so named as it is a twin to the Omega system in the Klingon Empire. The crew of the Enterprise is settling in very well and getting to know the ship and its systems. The Chief Engineer still complains about shoddy workmanship at the shipyard and has spent many hours getting the systems to perform to the upper limits of their specifications and in some cases exceeding them…”

Captain Hunter breaks off from making his log entry as the Enterprise enters the Omega II system. Spock, at the Science Station as the Duty Science Officer has left the bridge feeling ill and his relief has not yet reported for duty, scans the system

“Captain, the Hornet is in orbit around the fourth planet of the system. There appear to be no life signs on board the vessel although there are many on the planet.”

Hunter looks at Spock

“Opinions?”

“I have no data upon which to form any, Captain. However an investigation of the Hornet would seem to be the logical next step.”

Hunter grins and leads a boarding party to the Hornet despite Spock’s objections. On arrival they find uniforms covered with a crystalline substance — found to be the chemicals of the human body when all water is removed. Piper scans them with a perplexed look on his face.

“What’s up Doc?” asks Hunter

Piper rolls his eyes. Hunter never tires of using that phrase but Piper is getting fed up of it!

“I’m not sure but I’m sure that I’ve read about something similar when training.”

Spock scans the computer records for similar occurrences in the past. Meanwhile Chandler accesses the ship's logs which show that the Hornet's landing party contracted a strange disease on the planet and brought it back to the ship. The medical officer's last log, warns anyone watching it that they have been exposed to the disease and will die unless they go down to the planet; returning to their own ship would only spread the disease.

Piper is now even more certain that he has heard of this happening before! However all Spock can report is that there are records of an old Commonwealth ship encountering something similar but nothing more than that. Many records have been lost since the Commonwealth fell.

Hunter's party beams to the last coordinates in the Hornet's computer and they find themselves in what resembles a Tibetan village. They see two prisoners, a man and woman, are being prepared for execution by native warriors who appear Asian. Leading the warriors is Hornet Captain Ron Tracey (Robert Windom) who pauses the execution and greets Hunter. Tracey explains he was stranded when the disease ravaged his ship. He discovered that remaining on the planet confers immunity. He tells the party they will be safe as long as they stay on the planet. Tracey then explains the prisoners are savages called "Yangs" who are waging a war with the villagers, the "Kohms."


The village is attacked by the Yangs and Kutusov is injured. Piper takes him into a hut for treatment while Spock investigates a pile of Yang bodies. He finds exhausted phaser power packs, evidence that Tracey is helping the Kohms, a violation of the Prime Directive. Hunter tries to contact the Enterprise, but Tracey confiscates his communicator. When Kutusov reaches for his phaser, Tracey stuns him. He defends his actions, because the planet offers valuable medical benefits — the people are immune to the disease.

Tracey orders Piper to investigate the secrets of their immunity and has Hunter and Spock locked up in a crude jail. Hunter is thrown in with the two Yang prisoners. They attack him, but Spock manages to nerve pinch the female and the male stops, concerned. When Hunter plots an escape, he uses the word "freedom." The Yang male objects to an "enemy" using a "Yang worship word." Hunter gets the Yang to loosen the bars of the cell window. Once opened, the Yang knocks Hunter out and takes the woman. When Hunter recovers, he and Spock make their own escape.

Reunited with Piper, Spock modifies some medical equipment into a makeshift communicator. Piper believes the natives' immunity is the result of evolution; the inhabitants developed hardy physiologies as a result of a cataclysmic war. So any infected visitor naturally acquires an immunity after being on the planet.

An angry Tracey destroys the communicator. He demands that Hunter order a supply of phasers from the Enterprise. Hunter tells Tracey that his interference has been for nothing. Tracey's mind snaps and he demands that Hunter order the weapons. Hunter calls Chandler who insists on clarifying the situation before complying. He asks Hunter if he should send a security team, but Hunter refuses to explain, saying the security team is not needed. Hunter then tries to wrestle Tracey's phaser away, but fails. He escapes, but is quickly recaptured. Tracey tries to shoot Hunter, but his phaser is out of power.

The two fight over an axe when Yang warriors arrive and take everyone back to their village. Their leader, Cloud William, turns out to be the prisoner from earlier. Cloud produces a very old American Flag and ancient manuscripts from which he poorly recites the Pledge of Allegiance. When Hunter completes the pledge, the Yangs are shocked. Spock surmises that the cultures may have developed along very similar lines to Earth. Kirk speculates that the Kohms were "Communists" and Yangs were "Yankees." Apparently, the Omegans had a war, similar to the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. The conflict resulted in a war that destroyed both cultures many centuries earlier. Even Spock finds the parallel between the two worlds to be "almost too close".

The Yangs decide to execute Hunter and his companions, but Tracey claims that Hunter and the others are evil. Tracey tells Cloud that Hunter was cast out of Heaven and claims that Spock looks like an image of Satan in a Yang document. Despite their explanations that the Vulcanian is not a devil, Cloud is not convinced and asks Hunter to complete the "sacred words" starting with 'E Plebneesta' from another document. Hunter doesn't understand the words and suggests that he and Tracey duel to the death — since good always triumphs over evil. As Hunter and Tracey begin to fight, Spock notices a communicator near Cloud's female companion, and makes a mental suggestion which causes her to activate it. Soon, just as Hunter subdues Tracey, Chandler and a security detail beam down to investigate the situation. Hunter spares Tracey's life and has him taken into custody to face Federation charges.

The Yangs now believe Hunter is a deity and Cloud kneels before him, but Hunter refutes this and tells him to stand up. He looks over the ancient, crumbling document, which appears to be a distorted version of the American Constitution. Hunter finishes the sacred speech (the Preamble to the United States Constitution) and rebukes the Yangs for allowing the document to degrade. He declares that the words were not just for the Yangs, but for Kohms, as well, declaring that they "must apply to everyone or they mean nothing." Cloud doesn't fully understand, but swears to Hunter that the "holy words" will be obeyed. Before departing, Hunter takes one last proud look at Old Glory.


Notes:

1. Any OTL viewer would not be able to tell the difference between the OTL episode and TTL episode after the arrival on the planet (apart from names and actors)

2. The two senior officers beaming together into danger was one of the objections raised by the ITC representatives at their screening. They rarely, if ever, did it in their version.

 

[Lindseyman]

Reaction to Star Trek: USS Enterprise

NBC ordered 26 episodes of Star Trek: USS Enterprise. “The Omega Glory” aired on Thursday 7th January 1971 at 8:30pm EST. Reviews were mixed; while The Philadelphia Inquirer and San Francisco Chronicle liked the new show, The New York Times and The Boston Globe were less favourable, and Variety predicted that it "won't work", calling it "an incredible and dreary mess of confusion and complexities and a pale shadow of the ITC Star Trek". The first regular episode of Star Trek, “Errand of Mercy” aired on Thursday 14th January, pitched against mostly reruns, Star Trek easily won its time slot with a 40.6 share. However the following week against all-new programming, the show fell to second (29.4 share) behind CBS. It ranked 33rd (out of 94 programs) over the next two weeks, then the following two episodes ranked 38th in the ratings.

Star Trek: USS Enterprise’s first-season ratings would in earlier years likely have caused NBC to at least consider cancelling the show. The network had pioneered research into viewers' demographic profiles in the 1960s, however, and, by 1971, it and other networks increasingly considered such data when making decisions (for example, CBS had temporarily cancelled Gunsmoke in 1967 because it had too many older and too few younger viewers). Although Roddenberry later claimed that NBC was unaware of Star Trek's favourable demographics, (despite them being aware of the demographics watching the ITC Star Trek in the graveyard slot of Friday evenings!) awareness of Star Trek: USS Enterprise "quality" audience is what likely caused the network to retain the show after the first season. Indeed the show rapidly built up a loyal fan base who became known as “Prisers” and who let NBC know how much they enjoyed the program.

However NBC did insist on a rebranding to just Enterprise when it ordered a second season in May 1971, as well as some re-casting to alleviate the problems of the composition of the crew. This had been pointed out by the newspaper reviews as well as the ITC representatives at their screening. The network originally announced that the show would air at 7:30–8:30 pm Tuesday, but it was instead given an 8:30–9:30 pm Friday slot when the 1971-72 NBC schedule was released, making watching it difficult for the young viewers that the show most attracted.

 

[Lindseyman]

Mercy Mission the second episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log, Mission date 0276.4, Relations between the United Systems and the Tellurian Empire have again reached breaking point, and the recent negotiations have collapsed. The Enterprise has been sent to the world of Organia, a non-aligned planet near the Tellurian border, to prevent the Tellurians from annexing it. We are approaching with some trepidation as old Commonwealth records seem to indicate that they avoided this system. However given the current situation Command feels that we need to prevent a Tellurian take over.”

As the Enterprise approaches Organia, Spock briefs Hunter, calling it a primitive society. However remaining Commonwealth records indicate that there is, or at least was, something with great power on the planet of which Command does not wish the Tellurians to gain control.

On entering the system, the Enterprise is attacked by a Tellurian vessel without warning. It is quickly destroyed when the Enterprise returns fire. Upon arrival at the planet, Hunter leaves Spock in command of the ship with instructions to withdraw if a Tellurian fleet arrives. Hunter and Chandler then beam down to the planet surface and find themselves in a primitive town, with ruins in the distance. Hunter tells the Organian council what the Tellurians will do if they capture the planet, but the Organians are unconcerned. Instead, the Organian leader says that the Enterprise and her crew are the only ones in danger. A Tellurian fleet appears, firing on the Enterprise. Hunter orders Spock to withdraw, which strands Hunter and Chandler on the planet.

The Organians disguise Hunter and Chandler as inhabitants of the town. The Tellurians seize control of the planet without resistance and install the ranking Tellurian officer, Schmidtt (Jon Voight), as the military governor. Schmidtt, noticing that Hunter and Chandler are the only Organians who don't smile all the time, takes a liking to them and demands that Hunter act as the Organian liaison, with Chandler as his assistant.

The Organians do nothing to resist the occupation. Hunter and Chandler start guerrilla operations of their own by blowing up a munitions dump outside town. The Organians in the council strongly object to the action, while Hunter protests their lack of action. Meanwhile, Schmidtt listens to Hunter's speech through a hidden camera, discovering that he is the saboteur.

When the Tellurians threaten to torture them as suspected insurgents, the Organians reveal the true identities of Hunter and Chandler and allow them to be arrested. Chandler is imprisoned while Hunter is taken to Schmidtt's private chambers, where Schmidtt tells Hunter that he has twelve hours to answer questions about the United Systems’ fleet. After that, if Hunter still refuses, he will undergo a mind scanning technique, leaving him a vegetable. Then he will question Chandler.

With six hours before the deadline, the Organians free the pair and hide them in the council chamber. While Hunter and Chandler try to comprehend the natives' contradictory actions, Schmidtt orders the executions of two hundred Organians. Still, the Organians protect them, but remain otherwise unperturbed by the Tellurian's actions, leaving Hunter, Chandler and the Tellurians baffled.

As United Systems and Tellurian fleets converge on the system, Hunter and Chandler raid the Tellurian headquarters in hopes of rousing the population into resistance. They capture Schmidtt and prepare to make a last stand, while the fleets are ready to clash. The Organians then reveal their true nature: They are not primitive humanoids, but are highly advanced incorporeal beings. They instantly incapacitate both sides, stating that the two sides had been allies against powerful foes in the recent past and would be so again in the future. The Organians force the two sides to agree to the Organian Peace Treaty. Both sides protest, but the Organians predict the rivals will get along far better in the future. The Organians’ final message is that they had told their predecessors to stay away and that they had done so. They really hoped that the United Systems and Tellurian Empire would also do so or that there would be unfortunate results.


NOTE: Although ITTL this episode is VERY loosely based on the ITC episode “Organia” an OTL viewer would have no difficulty in recognising the OTL Star Trek episode “Errand of Mercy”. The Tellurians were portrayed as Prussian Militarists rather than Nazis but it was a very one dimensional portrayal with none of the nuances that occurred in the ITC shows with the Tellurians.

 

[Lindseyman]

The Klingons The Third Episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission Date 0586.5, we are patrolling the area of space officially known as the Neutral Zone but is more commonly called “The Maginot Line”. Outposts have reported strange sightings and have then gone silent. We have been ordered to investigate.”

Crusher asks why the area is known as the Maginot line. Spock explains that the Neutral Zone came into being following the peace treaty that ended the War a century earlier, which resulted because of the collapse of the Tellurian Klingon Alliance and also resulted in the formation of the United Systems. It was sowed with gravitic mines to act as a barrier to Klingon forces by the Earth and is known as “The Maginot Line” after the French Fortifications built after WWI because it serves the same purpose and is likely to be as effective if there is conflict with the Klingons! Hunter adds that Command fears that the Klingons are preparing for another war.

They come into range of the Pike Command Post and contact the base commander, Commander Styles (Ed Asner), who informs them he is the only survivor of an attack by a ship with weapons of immense power. A single shot blew out the base's shields, killed the weapons crew, and Styles is suffering from terrible burns. As they speak, Styles tells them the enemy ship is reappearing. He shows them the view from his sensors as the ship materializes and fires before disappearing again. That one shot destroys the outpost.

The Enterprise discovers that the attacker is a lone Klingon ship equipped with an advanced cloaking device. The cloak is not perfect; the Enterprise can track the ship, which is returning home to report on weaknesses in the United Systems' defences. The Enterprise taps into the Klingon's internal security camera, revealing that the Klingons appear identical to Humans.

During a briefing on the Klingon ship's capabilities, Kutuzov (who lost several ancestors in the battles to defend Earth when the Commonwealth fell) suggests that the Enterprise attack the Klingon vessel before it can reach Klingon space. Even Spock agrees with Kutuzov’s suggestion, believing the Klingons would surely infer weakness in a lack of response from the United Systems and launch a full-scale war.

A cat-and-mouse game ensues, with each ship having its strengths and weaknesses. The Enterprise is faster and more manoeuvrable, while the Klingon ship has its cloaking device and an arsenal of immensely destructive plasma torpedoes. However the plasma torpedoes' range is limited, and to fire a torpedo requires so much power that the ship must decloak before it can launch.

The two commanders are soon locked in a battle of wits. At one point, the Klingon commander (Brock Peters), referring to Hunter, says,

"He's a sorcerer, that one! He reads the thoughts in my brain!"

In his turn Hunter regards the Klingon captain as canny, clever, and extremely dangerous.

In an act of desperation the Klingons, almost beaten, jettison a nuclear weapon along with other debris in the hope that the Enterprise will come near enough to the weapon to be destroyed. However, when Spock detects "a metal cased object" amongst the debris, Hunter orders a point-blank phaser shot that detonates the device. The Enterprise is badly shaken by the blast and the phaser controls are damaged; so they cannot be fired from the bridge. Hunter decides to use this to his advantage, ordering operations to work at minimal power to exaggerate the apparent damage and lure the Klingon in for a kill shot.

Although the Klingon ship's fuel is running low, a member of the command crew with connections to the Klingon High Command (James Earl Jones) convinces his commander to finish off the seemingly helpless Enterprise. The Klingon commander is unhappy in doing so despite recognising the military necessity to do so stating

“This ship has shown why our ancestors held them in such high regard and accorded humans the protection of the Code.”

When the Klingon ship decloaks to launch a torpedo, Hunter tries to spring his trap, but a coolant failure puts the phasers off-line and incapacitates Kutuzov, who had volunteered man the auxiliary phaser controls. Chandler rescues Kutuzov and fires the phasers in time for the Enterprise to mortally wound the Klingon ship.

Hunter hails the crippled vessel and at last communicates directly with his opponent, offering to beam aboard his survivors. The Klingon commander declines, saying that

"it is no longer our way to accept such assistance."

The commander expresses regret that he and Hunter are on opposite sides, saying,

"You and I are of a kind. In the days of our ancestors, I could have called you friend."

Then

"Just one more duty to perform,"

The commander triggers his ship's self-destruct system, preventing his crew and the new Klingon cloaking and weapons technology from falling into United System hands.


NOTE: This was the episode with which the ITC representatives had had fewest problems in their preview screening. Although still more one dimensional than the Klingons in the ITC Star Trek the “new” Klingons were still obviously an honourable race that adhered to the Code.

 

[Lindseyman]

The Marquis of Gallia The Fourth episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission date 0976.2, we are on a mapping mission in an area which has been left uncontacted since the fall of the Commonwealth. There are sketchy records left of the area but Command has ordered that the area be remapped as it is close to the Tellurian Empire…”

The Enterprise is passing close to what is recorded as the Schneider system when it is suddenly pulled into the system by an unknown force. Despite the crew’s best efforts the ship is unable to break free and the Enterprise is brought into orbit around the second planet. Suddenly both Kutuzov and Hunter vanish from the bridge in a flash of light.

Spock believes that the two must have been taken to the mysterious planet below even though sensor readings indicate the planet's atmosphere is lethal to most forms of life. The Enterprise then receives a strange message on a view screen in blackletter writing, "Greetings and Felicitations!", after the Enterprise responds, a follow up message is sent "Hip hip hoorah. Tallyho!" Spock orders Dr. Piper, along with Chandler and geophysicist David Archer (Gary Lockwood), to form a landing party and conduct a search.

The landing party beams down and finds the area to be a lush and breathable environment, contradicting Archer's original scans that the world was barren and couldn't support life. They also come across what appears to be a medieval castle constructed in the middle of nowhere. They find Hunter and Kutuzov immobilised, just before discovering a brash and impetuous being (John Vernon)who identifies himself as "General Trelawney, Retired" who soon returns Hunter and Kutuzov back to normal. Piper's medical tricorder does not get any readings from Trelawney and according to the scanner nothing is there. Trelawney invites everyone to stay as his guests on his world he calls Gallia and discuss his favourite subject: the military history of Earth.

Spock, meanwhile, manages to locate the landing party in a minute zone of breathable atmosphere, and beams everyone, except Trelawney, back to the ship by locking onto every detectable lifeform in the area. Unwilling to let his guests leave, Trelawney makes an appearance on the Enterprise's bridge. He then brings the entire bridge crew back down to the planet.

Hunter's patience begins to wear thin, especially when Trelawney dances with Rand and changes her standard red uniform into a flowing formal ball gown. Hunter and Spock both notice that their host never strays far from a particular wall mirror; they surmise that the mirror may be the source of his powers. To test this theory, Hunter provokes Trelawney into a duel and during the fight he destroys the mirror and damages some strange machinery inside. It is assumed that Trelawney only has this machine to manipulate matter for his amusement. The bridge crew manages to beam back to the Enterprise but, as the ship warps away, it is pulled back into orbit.

Hunter decides to beam down. As he leaves the bridge, he suddenly finds himself in a witness stand in a courtroom back on Gallia where the angry Trelawney confronts him dressed in the white wig and robes reminiscent of an English circuit judge. Trelawney tells Hunter he must face a trial for "treason", "conspiracy", and "fomenting insurrection". Silencing Hunter's protests, Trelawney condemns Hunter to death by hanging. However, Hunter, to stall the execution, plays off of Trelawney's childish whims by presenting him with a better idea.

In order to have his ship released, Hunter offers himself as the prey for a royal hunt. Trelawney gleefully accepts and the hunt begins. Just as Trelawney is about to kill Hunter, two energy beings appear and put a stop to his fun. It is revealed that Trelawney is the "child" of the two beings. After apologizing to Hunter for their child's misbehaviour, the beings disappear along with the whining Trelawney, and Hunter is allowed to return to the ship.

NOTE: This is TTL version of the OTL "Squire of Gothos" and is virtually identical apart from the necessary changes of cast and names. It was the last of the episodes shown to the ITC representatives in their preview. They actually liked it but felt that it wasn't Star Trek (well, at least not their version of Star Trek) because of the characterisation of Trelawney (despite their version having Celtic Gods and of course Eisen!).

 

[Lindseyman]

The Last Survivor the Fifth Episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Personal Log Mission Date 0986.3, the Enterprise has been ordered to M-113 to give Professor Pearce and his wife a long overdue medical examination. Doc is a bit worried as he and Mrs Pearce apparently had a relationship before she married Professor Pearce…”

The Enterprise arrives at planet M-113 and Hunter, Dr. Piper, and Security Guard Darnell (David Soul) transport to the surface as Hunter teases Piper about his affection for Lesley Pearce years earlier. They arrive in the research station, Professor Pearce (Robert Alda) is not that happy to see them claiming that the medical examination is unnecessary all they need is more salt. He introduces them to his wife Lesley (Suzanne Pleshette) and each of the three men see Lesley differently: Piper as she was when he first met her, Hunter as she should look accounting for her age, and Darnell as a totally different, attractive younger woman. Hunter sends the dazed Darnell outside; when Lesley goes out to check some instruments, she beckons Darnell to follow her.

Whilst Piper conducts Pearce’s examination, they hear a scream from outside. They find Darnell dead, with red ring-like mottling on his face and a plant root visible in his mouth; Lesley says that she was unable to stop Darnell from tasting the plant. On board Enterprise, Science Officer Lieutenant Duke (Wayne Rogers) analyses the plant. He confirms that it is poisonous, but the mottling is not a symptom. Piper conducts a medical exam, and together with Duke determines that Darnell died after all the salt was drained from his body. In response, Hunter transports back down to the planet with Piper and two crewmen, Green (Bruce Watson) and Sturgeon (John Arndt). They spread out to search, but Pearce slips away. Hunter and Piper find Sturgeon's body. Meanwhile, unseen by them, Lesley has killed Green; the faces of Green and Sturgeon show the same mottling as Darnell. Lesley alters her shape, assuming the form of Green, and meets Hunter and Piper. They beam back up to the ship.

"Green" roams the corridors, first following Yeoman Janet Lyons (Gretchen Corbett) as she brings Kutuzov his lunch with a salt shaker. The salt shaker is knocked over the meal rendering it far too salty. Kutuzov leaves it but “Green” devours it salt and all. The creature moves on, attacking several crew members, killing one. It then shape-shifts into the form of Piper. Meanwhile, Spock confirms that scans show only one person, Pearce, on the planet; Hunter and Spock beam down to capture him. They find Green's body before Pearce tries to frighten them away with phaser fire. After they stun him with a phaser beam, the dazed Pearce reveals that his real wife was killed by the creature—the last member of a long-dead civilization of shape-shifters who feed on salt—a year earlier. The creature continues to take on the appearance of Lesley out of affection for Pearce, and he has been feeding it. Hunter informs Enterprise of the creature's intrusion, as the away team and Pearce transport back to the ship.

Pearce refuses to help them identify the creature, so Hunter orders the fake "Piper" to administer truth serum. Hunter arrives in sickbay to find Pearce and Duke dead and Spock injured; Spock's Vulcanian blood made him incompatible with the creature's needs. Back in its "Lesley" form, the creature goes to Piper's quarters. Hunter arrives with a phaser to provoke the creature into attacking. Piper gets in the way, giving the creature the opportunity to attack Hunter. The creature starts to feed on Hunter. Piper opens fire with his phaser. The creature as Lesley pleads for its life as Piper continues firing and kills it. As Enterprise leaves orbit, Hunter comments, with a degree of compassion, that this creature—the last of its kind—was probably not inherently evil, but simply desperate.

NOTE:Although again ITTL this is the American version of an ITC episode("Old Wounds") even to using the same planet, it is very close to the OTL "The Man Trap".

 

[Lindseyman]

The Macrobes the Sixth Episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission Date 1208.9, we have been orders to investigate the loss of communication with the recently contacted world of Wesux. This was an old Commonwealth colony world known as Wessex which was occupied by the Tellurians for a time but abandoned in the aftermath of the collapse of their alliance with the Klingons. It took Wesux sometime to rebuild enough to be able to re-establish contact with Earth and delicate negotiations have been taking place about trade agreements but Wesux shows no interest in joining the United Systems. Contact with the negotiating team was lost at the same time as contact with the planet…”

On entering the system, the Enterprise witnesses a ship directly dive into the local sun, its pilot raving incoherently about being "free" up until its destruction, and the Enterprise crew fear they may be too late.

Transporting to Wesux, Hunter, Chandler, Dr. Piper and a security detail find the city in which they find themselves quiet. A group of men come out and try to warn the landing party away and suddenly fall into a fit of violence. Hunter has the men stunned, and Piper finds that they are still being stimulated to behave violently despite being unconscious. They explore the city and find an old scientist Pickring (Wilfred Hyde-White) and his daughter Sylvia (Joanna Pettet) hiding in Pickring’s laboratory. Hunter and Piper return with the survivors to Enterprise, where Piper finds they are suffering from violent tendencies similarly to the outpost men. Piper gives both painkillers, and Sylvia wakes briefly to warn Hunter that some agency had forced them to bring them to the planet months ago and this agency is looking to spread beyond the planet through the ability to control people's bodies.

Hunter returns to the planet and joins Spock in search for these entities. They find a number of macroscopic single-cell organisms attached to the walls and ceiling of one building, and the organisms attempt to attack the humans; the landing party finds they are immune to phaser fire. One makes contact with Spock before they can pry it off, and Spock falls in pain. They transport back to the Enterprise, and Piper determines that the creature has injected some of its tissue into Spock's spinal column, and it will be impossible to remove surgically. When Spock regains consciousness, he is able to break free of his bonds and attempts to take control of the ship before Piper is able to sedate him. Later, Spock apologizes to Hunter and asserts that he can control the pain, but that he must return to the surface to acquire a specimen to study. Hunter and Piper agree, and Spock, on return to the outpost, is able to stun a creature. Returning to the Enterprise, Spock determines that the creatures are part of a hive mind, and apparently indestructible. Despite numerous tests, Spock and Piper fail to find a solution.

Hunter holds a senior staff meeting, asserting they must find a solution before these creatures reach the next inhabited planet, holding over a million people, without harming them. A debate ensues, but Hunter rejects offered solutions as having too high a toll. Eventually Piper realises that the creatures had all been found in areas not exposed to direct sunlight and that the pilot of the ship claimed to be free just before it burned up due to its proximity to the sun. Spock volunteers to be exposed to an intense beam of light without eye protection, and while the test proves that ultra-violet light will kill the creatures without harming others, Spock, freed of the influence of the creatures, has seemingly gone blind from the test.

They then test Pickring and Sylvia with a massive dose of ultra-violet light and they recover without any of the side effects that Spock suffered. Pickring inform Hunter and Piper that the nexus of the hive mind can be found on a planet about five days away at warp 4. The creatures had been brought back to Wesux by an expedition to that planet. Spock adds that if the nexus is destroyed that the creatures will die and that the population of Wesux will be freed of their influence.

Hunter orders the Enterprise to that planet. On arrival the only life signs that they find are those of the creatures. Reluctantly Hunter orders that the planet be destroyed by launching multiple torpedoes at weak spots in the planet’s crust. This is done and the planet is indeed destroyed.

When they return to Wesux, they are contacted by the survivors of the United Systems negotiating Team who inform them that the population is indeed free of the creatures influence and that the creatures have all shrivelled and died. The Enterprise waits in orbit until it is relieved by the USS Endeavour and the USS Yorktown. Whilst waiting for these ships Spock slowly recovers his sight. Piper is perplexed and is only slightly mollified by the Vulcanian Doctor on board the Endeavour explaining about how this has happened.

NOTE: This is the ITTL version of "Operation: Annihilate!" and is not based upon any ITC episode.

 

[Lindseyman]

Adams III the seventh episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s log Mission date 1452.7 we have arrived in the Adams system about which many rumours and strange stories have circulated since the days of the Commonwealth. Command have ordered us to survey the system. We have discovered a strange signal at the old jump point into this system and are going to investigate…”

They discover a malfunctioning warning buoy from an old Commonwealth ship the CSS Endeavour. However they are unable to get any useful information from it except a repeated warning to stay away from the third planet. Hunter orders that they conduct a long range scan of the third planet. However their sensors are unable to penetrate a defensive shield which surrounds the planet. Hunter orders the Enterprise to move closer and when they reach the orbit of Adams IV the sensors are able to penetrate the shield. The scans seem to show a pre-industrial society but there are some very strange energy signals from one city.

Kutuzov leads a landing party to investigate the readings but they soon lose contact with the ship and only Kutuzov is brought back. He exhibits some very strange behaviour and Hunter decides to beam down to find the rest of the party ignoring Spock’s objections.

Hunter beams down with another party to investigate. They find the inhabitants living in an apparently pre-industrial culture, with little or no individual expression or creativity. The entire culture is ruled over by hooded “Monks”, controlled by a reclusive leader known as “The Abbot” (special guest star Alan Hale Jr). The landing party has arrived at the start of "Festival", a period of bacchanalian behaviour, which apparently is the only time that “The Abbott” does not exercise control over the populace.

Hunter’s landing party seeks shelter from the mob at a boarding house owned by Abrams (Guest star Roger C Carmel), A friend of Abrams's suspects that the visitors are "not of The Book" (the whole of society), and summons Monks. The Monks kill Abrams's friend, Seejay (Lawrence Montaigne), for resisting the "will of The Abbot". When the landing party refuses to do as the Monks say, the Monks become immobile and Abrams leads the Enterprise landing team to a hiding place.

Abrams reveals that The Abbot has controlled the planet for centuries. Contacting the Enterprise, Hunter learns that heat beams from the planet are attacking the Enterprise, which must use a lot of power for its shields. Unless the beams are turned off the Enterprise will have to leave orbit in roughly 12 hours.

A projection of The Abbot is projected into the hiding place, and Hunter and his team are rendered unconscious by ultrasonic waves and captured. The landing party is imprisoned in a dungeon, and Chandler is "absorbed into The Book" and placed under The Abbot's mental control. Hunter is taken to a chamber full of high technology, where she is to be "absorbed". But Lizbet (Mariette Hartley), one of the Monks of The Abbot who is immune to The Abbot's control, rescues him and Crusher. Returning to the dungeon, Abrams and Lizbet tell how The Abbot saved their society from war and anarchy 6,000 years ago and reduced the planet's technology to a simpler level, but also that he has become increasingly erratic over the last few decades since some incident involving strangers.

Chandler summons the Monks to "absorb" Hunter and Crusher, who subdue them and done their robes. Lizbet takes Hunter and Crusher to the Hall of Audiences, where priests commune with The Abbot. A projection of The Abbot appears and threatens Hunter, Crusher, and all others who saw the landing party with death. Hunter and Crusher use their phasers to blast through the wall and expose the truth: the reclusive Abbot is actually a computer. The computer neutralizes their phasers. Hunter argues with the machine, telling it that it has destroyed the creativity of the people. The computer refuses stating that it has twice successfully dealt with their type before.

However nothing then seems to happen. The Abbot reappears but only a few people react and attempt to seize Hunter. The Abbot then disappears and the computer appears to shut down. After a minute or so it restarts and the Abbot appears once more. The projection speaks and tells Hunter that it doesn’t control more than 10% of the population so its rule is over. Hunter disagrees and tells it that it can lead the people of Adams III back to what they had been before but avoiding what had caused the catastrophe to occur. The Abbot agrees but states that it will prevent further contact with anyone else until the people are ready.

Hunter agrees to this and the party together with the rest of the original landing team, who are now freed of the Abbot’s control return to the Enterprise. Hunter contacts Command and the system is barred from contact for another century. As the Enterprise leaves the system an asteroid near it is destroyed by a beam from the planet. The Abbot contacts the ship and states that that was a demonstration to show that it is able to enforce non-contact if necessary but it trusts that the United Systems will keep its side of the bargain.

NOTE: This is both the American version of the ITC episode "The Forgotten" and a sequel to it.

 

[Lindseyman]

Beserker the eighth episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s log, mission date 1612.6 we have been receiving strange distress signals from what was Commonwealth territory but is now part of the Tellurian Empire. The signals are garbled but all are suggest that something exceptionally powerful and destructive is ploughing through the Empire destroying all in its path. Even more disquieting, Spock has postulated that if it keeps on its current heading not only will it enter United Systems space but will reach Earth! Command has ordered us to investigate even if it means entering the Empire….”

The Enterprise heads to the location of the most recent distress signal which is just inside Tellurian territory. Strangely they are not challenged by any Tellurian ships or bases in the area. They find a Tellurian ship, the KSS Willenbrock, adrift and heavily damaged. Captain Hunter beams over to the Willenbrock with Spock, Dr. Piper, Chief Engineer Drake and a damage control team to investigate. Drake reports that the ship's warp engines are damaged beyond repair and the weapons exhausted. There they find the ship's commanding officer, Kapitan Henrik Jurgens ( guest star Christopher Walken) – the sole survivor, half-conscious in the auxiliary control room. Meanwhile, an incoherent Jurgens can only mutter about something attacking his ship as Piper treats him.

After some difficulty Spock manages to access the ship’s logs. These reveal that the ship was the latest to be ordered to intercept and destroy the attacker. The Willenbrock was soon attacked by an enormous machine with a conical shell miles in length and a giant opening at one end filled with sparkling energy. After the attack, Jurgens ordered his surviving crew to the surface of a nearby planet, but to his horror, the machine destroyed that world next. Spock theorizes the machine destroys life as it ignored the nearer planets and destroyed the planet onto which Jurgens had beamed his crew.

Spock then adds that something similar has been encountered before but that he would have to check the records on board the Enterprise as it was a part of an old family story about a distant ancestor who had served in the Commonwealth Fleet. Hunter orders them back to the Enterprise, including Jurgens, and orders a briefing to take place in half an hour.

At the briefing Spock shows the Command Crew what records remain of the encounter with a similar device. Even Jurgens is interested, as the ship involved, the CSS Endeavour, is famous even in Tellurian history. Meanwhile on the bridge, Kutuzov, having been left in command, is alerted to the approach of the alien machine which generates interference that makes communication with Command impossible. Hunter returns to the bridge but orders Spock to dig deeper to find out how the Endeavour destroyed the previous device.

The attack by the Enterprise doesn’t even slow the device down although the Enterprise’s shield are able, just, to deal with the devices attacks. Spock finally reports that the Endeavour had destroyed the previous device by exploding a damaged ships warp engines within the maw of the device. If the Commonwealth warp engines could do this then certainly the United Systems ones could as they are much more powerful. However this would mean a suicide mission with no certainty of success.

Jurgens slips away and beams himself back to the Willenbrock. Soon after Spock reports that the ship is manoeuvring on thrusters and that the warp engines are building up to critical. Hunter tries to persuade Jurgens to beam back surely they can just direct the Willenbrock unmanned into the device. Jurgens demurs saying that the systems are too badly damaged for the task to be done other than manually. He asks that the Enterprise keeps the device occupied whilst he steers it into the device.

Reluctantly Hunter does as Jurgens requests and the Willenbrock inches its way into the maw of the device. In a final transmission Jurgens states that he has launched a buoy towards Tellus including all that has happened including what the Enterprise has done.

“You are not such weaklings as we have been led to believe Captain. I salute you.”

As the transmission ends there is a mighty explosion within the device and it stops dead. The Enterprise remains near the device but it stays unoperational until a Tellurian Fleet appears. The Enterprise is signalled and ordered to return to United Systems space at once. However the Empire is grateful for what they have done to aid Jurgens in destroying the device.

“The ungrateful…” is Pipers reaction.

Hunter disagrees

“They cannot officially acknowledge what we did. Let’s just be grateful that they have decided to let us return. We couldn’t defeat that many Tellurian ships.”

Piper is still not happy but lets it ride.

NOTES:

1. Fred Saberhagen is credited with the original idea of berserkers in this episode.

2. This is the American version of the ITC episode “The Ultimate Weapon” and both are ITTL versions of the OTL “The Doomsday Machine”.

3. It is unusual for Star Trek: USS Enterprise in that it shows the Tellurians being relatively reasonable rather than the bone headed militarists depicted in other episodes.

 

[Lindseyman]

A Mother’s Love the Ninth episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission date 2007.5, we have been ordered to investigate several unexplained deaths and destroyed equipment on the mining colony established on Hianus V. I am beaming down with Spock and Chandler to meet the Colony’s Governor and Chief Engineer..”

Hunter, Spock, and Chandler meet with Van Rjinn (Barry Russo) and the Chief Engineer, Hendrik (Davis Roberts), who describe an amorphous creature which they believe is responsible both for the deaths and the destroyed equipment. During the briefing, Spock's attention is drawn to a spherical object on Van Rjinn's desk, which Van Rjinn dismisses as a worthless silicon nodule, saying that there are thousands of them in the mines, and that they are a mere geological oddity. Suddenly, they are alerted to a problem in the colony's main nuclear reactor, and find its guard killed and the main circulation pump stolen. Chief Engineer Drake, together with Hendrik and his staff, rigs a temporary replacement, whilst vociferously complaining that the equipment is old enough to have been produced in the Commonwealth, that will prevent critical failure, but a more permanent solution must be found in 48 hours.

Hunter and his team begin to search for the creature. Spock, suspecting the creature may be a silicon-based lifeform, modifies their phasers to be effective against it. They encounter the creature, which has the appearance of molten rock, and fire upon it, breaking a part of it off; the creature flees by burrowing through the rock wall at a rapid pace. Spock analyses the fragment, and confirms the creature is made of silicon. He deduces that it is able to burrow through solid rock by secreting a corrosive substance which killed the miners. They adjust their equipment to scan for silicon-based life, and confirm that the creature is the only such lifeform for miles. Spock advises the captain that killing what appears to be the only one of its kind would be a crime against science, though Hunter believes that the creature has proven too dangerous to keep alive.

As all nonessential personnel are evacuated from the colony to the Enterprise before the temporary pump fails, Hunter and Spock continue to search for the creature, happening upon a chamber containing thousands of the silicon nodules. The creature arrives, causing a cave-in that separates Hunter and the creature from Spock. Though Spock now urges Hunter to kill it, Hunter observes the creature has not attacked him, instead presenting its wound to him. Spock finds a way around the cave-in and joins Hunter, observing the creature. Spock attempts to mind meld with the creature, saying that Vulcanians have a limited telepathic ability, but it is in far too much pain to for the process to be successful. The creature, having gained some knowledge of them from the meld, is able to etch the words "NO SLAY I" into the rock, demonstrating some sentience. Spock attempts a second meld, and learns that the creature’s race dies out completely every several thousand years, save for one individual that remains alive to protect their eggs. The creature, through Spock, tells them the location of the stolen pump. Hunter has Piper beam down to try to heal the creature while they recover the pump.

Piper, on seeing the creature, exclaims in disgust that he is a doctor not a construction worker. However on examining the creature’s wound does have an idea. He contacts Drake and asks for bucket loads of silicone rubber. Drake intrigued beams to the location together with the requested material. After an initial pause he suggests that they add some powdered rock to the silicone rubber to make it more durable given the creature’s modus operandi. This is done and Piper and Drake start trowelling the mixture onto the creature’s wound.


Van Rjinn and the remaining miners threaten to attack the creature when they see Drake and Piper caring for it, but Hunter explains it was only protecting its eggs, the silicon nodules they have found. The miners fear that thousands of creatures could hatch and ravage their colony, but Hunter convinces them that they are sentient and only want to be left alone. He offers the possibility that in exchange for leaving them alone, they could get the creature to help them locate more valuable deposits within the rock. Van Rjinn agrees to the idea, and the creature, now fully healed through Piper and Drake's application of the silicone rubber mixture and speaking through Spock's mind-meld, also agrees to this plan. The pump is installed and the colony restored to normal.

Van Rjinn then points out that they cannot keep calling the creature, the creature, and wonders what they call themselves. Spock replies that their name for themselves does not translate well into vocal speech but that the creature is willing that they should be called Khayssad after a mythical Vulcanian burrowing creature, which brings either great fortune or misfortune depending on how it is treated.

Hunter, Spock, and Piper return to the Enterprise and prepare to leave orbit, and learn from Van Rjinn that the eggs have hatched and already the new Khayssads have found them rich veins of rare metals. He adds that the miners are learning to overcome their instinctive aversion to the Khayssads. Spock remarks that the mother Khayssad felt similarly about humans, though she apparently found his ears and colour quite attractive.

NOTE: This is the ITTL version of the OTL “The Devil in the Dark”

 

[Lindseyman]

Megavac the Tenth episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission Date 2234.1. The Enterprise has spent the two months since having a major refit including a revolutionary tactical and control computer called "Megavac", designed by the brilliant Dr. Richard Foster(William Marshall) (who had also been involved in creating the original computer systems whilst still a postgraduate at MIT). Megavac will handle all ship functions without human assistance.


Spock and Drake are not very happy about the situation but the Science Institute insists. Also adding to their unhappiness at the situation is the fact that as it is intended that Megavac will run all systems there is only a skeleton crew on board


At first Megavac works well, performing ship functions more quickly and efficiently than a living crew. Later, Megavac exhibits quirks such as turning off power and life support to unoccupied parts of the ship. It draws increased power for unknown reasons. But Foster maintains that Megavac is working properly.


In a drill, Megavac defends the Enterprise against mock attacks from USS Farragut and USS Victory. The Enterprise is declared the victor, prompting Admiral Hanley (Martin Landau) who is in overall charge of the trials to tell Hunter that it looks like Captains are now redundant.


Soon after, Megavac detects the Bomarc, an unmanned freighter that is not part of the test, and attacks with real weapons, destroying it. Hunter orders Megavac taken offline, but Foster continues to believe it is working correctly, and refuses. Hunter tries to disconnect the unit containing Megavac from the rest of the computer system, but discovers it is protecting itself with a force field. Drake tries to unplug the main connection, but is stunned in the process. Spock and Hunter desperately attempt a manual override, but they discover Megavac has bypassed its power source and now draws energy directly from the ship's generators. Foster persistently defends Megavac and refuses to disconnect it.


Spock questions Foster on his computer design. Foster reveals that he has programmed human engrams into Megavac. Pressed further, he admits that the engrams he used were his own, meaning Megavac thinks similarly to Foster himself. With increased stress and anger, Foster appears unstable. Megavac now shows similar instability. Another attempt by the Enterprise crew to isolate Megavac from the ship also fails.


Meanwhile the other ships in the test continue unaware of the problems with the Enterprise. Next follows a war game against Farragut, Victory and Saratoga. Megavac detects the ships, but does not treat them as part of the trial, instead firing on them with full-strength weapons. Foster states Megavac is programmed to preserve itself by any means. Although he is surprised by Megavac’ actions and admits that these "mistakes" are costing lives, and the computer must be shut down.


The crew watches as Megavac pounds the other ships relentlessly. The Enterprise fires on the Farragut, damaging her killing some crew, then completely cripples the Saratoga leaving her to drift in space. From the Farragut, Hanley contacts the Admiralty for permission to destroy the Enterprise. Since Megavac has disabled communications, Hunter is unable to contact Hanley and explain what is happening. Hunter demands that Foster act, but the scientist just curls up into a ball and rocks backwards and forwards.


Hunter has Foster taken to Piper and then talks to Megavac to see whether he can persuade it to stop the attacks. The Megavac acknowledges Hunter, who asks Megavac what its purpose is. Megavac responds "To save men from the dangerous activities of space exploration". Hunter replies that it just acted contrary to its purpose by killing some of the Farragut’s crew. Megavac recognizes this, so it shuts itself down. However in doing so it also shuts down all the ship’s systems.


Having permission from the Admiralty, the other ships now close on the Enterprise to destroy it. While Spock and Drake frantically attempt to regain control of the ship, Hunter decides to let the ship drift with shields down, hoping that Hanley will investigate what the situation is aboard the Enterprise. The gamble pays off as Hanley orders his ships to stand down at the last moment and beams a boarding party onto the Enterprise’s bridge.

NOTE: This is the American version of the ITC episode Colossus and is virtually identical apart from the names.

 

[Lindseyman]

The Iotian Connection the Eleventh episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission Date 2879.6 We have been ordered to Dana Iotia Two, a planet on the border between the United Systems and the Tellurian Empire, which is moderately industrialized. Command fears that the Tellurians will move in and use it as an outpost, I have been ordered to make contact with the natives and initiate a friendship treaty, one which will offer protection from the encroaching Tellurians, despite the Iotians not having reached even 21st century levels of technology. I am worried by the implications of this order, Spock more so. However sometimes, needs must…”

Hunter speaks with Bela Okmyx (Telly Savalas), self-identified as the "Leader," and agrees to meet with him. Once Hunter, Chandler and Kutuzov materialize on the city street, they are surrounded by Bela’s hitmen.

As Kalo(Brian Dennehy), Bela’s main henchman, and his boys escort Hunter, Chandler and Kutuzov down the street to Bela’s headquarters, they are hit by Krako’s boys, but escape, make their way finally to Bela. He informs them that the Tellurians have been to Dana Iotia Two ahead of them and are trying to initiate a treaty with Krako and the other Bosses, all of whom want him out of the picture. Bela is prepared to throw in with the United Systems if they will supply him with all the weapons and men he desires. And, what’s more, Bela wants the Enterprise in the bargain.

Hunter, dumbfounded, naturally declines. Bela orders his henchmen to "bag ‘em." Hunter, Chandler and Kutuzov are held hostage in a luxurious room of Bela’s summer house. As Hunter and Kutuzov pace, Chandler speed-reads all the books Bela has, learns that this culture is based upon the gang system.

Chandler comments that this world seems to be 1920’s Chicago writ large. Hunter agrees with him.

Spock attempts to hail Captain Hunter. Bela answers Hunter’s confiscated communicator, tells Mr. Scott that the Enterprise better be ready to play ball. Spock thinks he is offering to hold an athletic contest.

Hunter plays the card game "farfel" with their guards, overpowering them. Hunter orders Chandler and Kutuzov to use Bela’s radio/broadcasting equipment to attempt to contact the Enterprise. After that, they are to meet him at Bela’s headquarters.

Hunter grabs a gun, attempts to make his way back to Bela’s headquarters. Angry citizens, thinking he is now working for Bela, stop him and present their complaints about the way Bela is running things. Hunter promises to bring their grievances to Bela, gets away from the mob, only to be "bagged" by Krako’s boys, and forced into a car. At Krako’s headquarters, we learn that Krako (Victor Buono) is close to making a treaty with the Tellurians. As he informs Hunter of this, Jurgens (Hardy Kruger) and Breimer (Heinz Weiss), two Tellurian military officers, enter the room, stare ominously at Hunter.

Despite Hunter’s pleas, Krako accepts the Tellurians’ offer of weapons and troops. Though the Tellurians avow they simply wish to trade goods and interact peacefully with the Iotians, they also say that they would like to establish a military outpost there as well "to watch the sneaky United Systems." The Tellurians promise to start beaming down weapons immediately. Hunter is locked inside a small room, helpless.

Chandler and Kutuzov transmit a message to the Enterprise from the radio, ask that phasers and communicators be beamed down to their location. They then return to Bela’s headquarters, hold Bela at phaserpoint as they await Hunter’s arrival.

Hunter escapes from Krako’s hapless guards using the wiring from the radio to trip them. He meets Chandler and Kutuzov at Bela’s, calls the Enterprise and instructs Spock to jam the Tellurian vessel, causing its transporters to malfunction.


At Krako’s, Jurgens and Breimer explain that their transporters are mysteriously malfunctioning, and they cannot beam down the weapons as promised, but as a gesture of good faith they give Krako their own personal phaser-like weapons. Krako is delighted, says that he will test this weapon on Bela right away!

Bela Okmyx asks Hunter for help. He knows that all the other gang Bosses will fall in with Krako and the Tellurians and "bag" him. Krako and the Tellurians, and two of Krako’s boys, approach in separate cars. Krako’s boys engage Hunter, Chandler and Kutuzov in a pitched phaser shootout in the street outside Bela’s headquarters. Hunter and his boys easily vaporize Krako’s hoods and their car. Krako, Jurgens and Breimer manage to escape in their car.

The terrified Bela again demands weapons and troops from Hunter. But Hunter has other plans, asks how many Bosses there are, anyway. Jurgens and Breimer decide to bring a squad of Tellurian troops down to kill Bela as soon as they can figure out what is wrong with their transporter system. Krako begins to realize that he is in over his head with these cold-blooded Tellurians.

Hunter calls all of the dozen-or-so Bosses on the phone and has Spock lock in on them and transport them to Bela’s headquarters. Hunter also instructs Spock to wait a few moments, and then discontinue the jamming of the Tellurian vessel. He further instructs Spock to then call him and say that the ship is drained of power, and they have been forced to discontinue the jamming.

Hunter’s plan works. The Tellurians overhear Spock’s faux call to Hunter, and immediately Jurgens and Breimer beam down to the street outside with six fully-armed Tellurian soldiers. They approach Bela’s headquarters. Suddenly a detail of Enterprise security men materialize, surrounding the Tellurians. Jurgens and Breimer reluctantly order their soldiers to drop their weapons. Hunter allows them all to return to their ship and leave orbit.

The Bosses all agree that they would much prefer to make a treaty with the fair-dealing United Systems. On-board the Enterprise, Hunter, Chandler and Spock await the beam-up of Dana Iotia Two’s newly elected Ambassador to the United Systems. Chandler informs them that the ambassador is aboard and on his way to the bridge. Hunter and Kutuzov idly wonder which Boss was elected.

The turbolift doors snap open, and out tumble Bela, Krako, and every single Boss of the various gangs. Bela explains that since every Boss had one vote, each Boss, naturally, voted for himself.

Hunter eyes Spock, shakes his head, mutters, "Boy, oh boy, oh boy!"

NOTE: This episode closely resembles some of the early drafts of the OTL Star Trek episode “A Piece of the Action”. It was NOT played as a comedy.

 

[Lindseyman]

The Conference the Twelth episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission Date 3042.3, we are transporting United Systems ambassadors to a conference to discuss the admission of the Cascadia system into the United Systems. The system is an old member of the Commonwealth which has just applied for membership of the United Systems after a long and bitter debate amongst its inhabitants many of whom cannot forgive the Earth for “abandoning” them to the Tellurians. However Cascadia is very rich in resources and occupies a strategically important position..”

Ambassador Sovak (Mark Lenard) from Vulcanis boards the Enterprise. Hunter learns, to his surprise, that Sovak is Spock’s father. Hunter is also taken aback by how coldly Sovak views his own son, apparently because Spock chose to devote his life to the Navy instead of the Vulcanian Diplomatic Service, against Sovak's wishes.

Formal negotiations are to take place on the USS Surak a ship run by the United Systems Diplomatic Service, but preliminary diplomacy begins at a social gathering aboard the Enterprise. The issue is a controversial one and the Tarsan ambassador, Gav (Billy Curtis), demands to know Sovak's position. Pushed for a response, Sovak transparently implies that the Tarsans want to keep Cascadia out of the United Systems as they have a very advantageous (to them) trade agreement with Cascadia. Gav takes offense at this allegation and the confrontation briefly becomes physical before Hunter breaks it up, warning all parties to keep order on his ship.

Meanwhile the communications officer has detected an encoded transmission beamed from the Enterprise to a fast-moving vessel at the extreme edge of sensor range. Shortly afterward, the Tarsan ambassador Gav is found murdered (his neck having been broken by a method Spock calls T’Lashaya, an ancient Vulcanian form of execution), casting suspicion on Sovak. During questioning, Sovak suffers a cardiovascular malfunction, and is rushed to sickbay, where Piper determines that he requires immediate surgery. Because there is a shortage of his blood type, which is relatively rare among Vulcanians, Spock volunteers to donate his own blood for the operation, using an experimental stimulant for increasing blood production.

Meanwhile, a member of the Cascadian delegation, Reynolds (James Franciscus), attacks and stabs Hunter. Hunter subdues Reynolds but is seriously wounded and taken to sickbay, Reynolds is imprisoned in the brig. In accordance with regulations, despite the objections of Piper, Spock halts his participation in Sovak's procedure in order to command the Enterprise, as the situation is too critical to leave in the hands of a less experienced officer.

Hunter recovers sufficiently to pretend that he is well, and with the grudging support of Piper, returns to the bridge to relieve Spock and order him to return to sickbay. Another encoded transmission from the Enterprise and traces the source to the brig, Hunter decides to stay in command in his weakened state. When Reynolds is searched, it is discovered that he has a concealed small transceiver: Reynolds says nothing.

The unidentified vessel now closes in to attack the Enterprise, moving at extreme speed; far faster than the Enterprise can lock phaser weapons on it. Piper begins operating on Sovak who is directly receiving blood from Spock. Hunter orders Reynolds brought to the bridge and questions him about his and the ship's motives for attacking the Enterprise, though Reynolds is evasive. The ongoing attack damages the Enterprise and Hunter decides to try a ruse, shutting down internal power to make the Enterprise appear crippled. This lures the attacker to slowly approach until the Enterprise damages it with a surprise phaser counterattack. The disabled ship self-destructs, and Reynolds reveals that both he and the ship were on suicide missions; he then collapses and dies from a delayed-action poison.

Hunter returns to sickbay for further care and finds Spock and Sovak both alert, the surgery having been an apparent success. Spock speculates that Reynolds and the attacking ship were of Tellurian origin and the speed and power of the latter were consistent with a suicide mission, with all energy dedicated to attack and none for defence. Reynolds's mission aboard the Enterprise, Hunter and Spock presume, was to sow distrust among the United System diplomats and weaken the Enterprise (by killing Hunter) prior to the attack. The Empire may have lost Cascadia after the breakup of their alliance with the Klingons but they wouldn’t want it joining the United Systems. However there is no proof so this would have to remain a theory.

 

[Lindseyman]

Balance of Power the thirteenth episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission Date 3411.4, we have arrived at the planet Sigma Draconis II, known to its natives as Neural. It is a return visit for me as I visited it on a scouting mission when a raw ensign. Doc is ecstatic as Neural is a medical treasure trove of materials needed for various serums and drugs. The natives are still at the hunter-gatherer stage so we have to be careful about cultural contamination…”

Hunter is keen to revisit the planet so insists on beaming down with one of the landing parties. Whilst walking through a pleasant valley he and Spock notice a group of villagers crouching in the nearby rocks, apparently preparing for an ambush. Hunter is shocked to see they possess flintlock long guns and other firearms. Moreover, they seem to be waiting not for game but for a group of Hill People, one of whom Hunter recognizes as Tyree(Tony Young), a friend made on his previous visit to this world. Since the landing party aren't supposed to use phasers, Hunter tosses a rock to make a distraction, but this causes one of the natives' guns to go off and a chase ensues. Spock is shot by one of the natives.

Once back aboard the Enterprise, Spock is looked after by Piper who has just been on a refresher course on Vulcanian physiology. He informs Hunter that he has done all he can for Spock, who has fallen into a healing trance. Suddenly, sensors detect a Tellurian vessel in orbit around the planet, and Hunter orders Kutuzov to maintain a position outside of their sensor range.

Hunter returns with Chandler, both now disguised as local natives to blend in. Suddenly, the two are attacked by a mugato. The beast bites Hunter, injecting him with poison before Chandler can kill it with his phaser. Chandler is unable to call for help, as the Enterprise has moved out of communication range to avoid detection by the Tellurians.

A friendly group of Hill People finally arrive and take Hunter and Chandler to their cave, where Hunter discovers Tyree is now their tribal leader. Tyree, who has just returned from a hunting mission, is married to Nona (France Nuyen), a witch doctor who can cure the Mugato bite. In reality, Nona is influencing Tyree with her herbal drugs and urging him to acquire the villagers' "fire sticks" for their tribe. He has managed to hold out, maintaining a traditional, pacifistic view.

On hearing of Hunter's arrival, Nona heads for the caves and gets there just in time to see Chandler using his phaser to heat up rocks to keep Hunter warm. Nona is intrigued with the weapon and wants to know more about the mysterious guests. Nona treats Hunter with a Mahko root, a mobile plant. She cuts her own hand and presses it against the root over his wound ("Take this of my soul into thine..."). Hunter is fully healed by the small ceremony, and Chandler says that Doc would like to know more about the plant she used. According to legend, because their blood has mingled, and their souls have met in the spirit world, Hunter will be unable to refuse Nona anything once he recovers.

Meanwhile back on the Enterprise, Spock seems to be recovering well. Piper informs Nurse Chapel that once Spock revives, she must do exactly as Spock tells her no matter how bizarre the request. Once Hunter recovers, he asks Tyree about the "fire sticks" possessed by the villagers. Tyree says he saw the weapons for the first time about a year ago and believed the villagers were making them. He has not seen any strangers like the Tellurians that Hunter talks about. Hunter asks Tyree if they will help him on a reconnaissance mission to the village under the cover of night.

Nona also tags along, trying to persuade Hunter to help Tyree become a more powerful leader. Hunter refuses, since he knows that Tyree holds to traditional pacifism and has even sworn an oath against killing people. Once in the enemy village, they locate a forge in which they find a chrome steel drill and some virtually carbon-free iron—evidence of the Tellurians' involvement. Soon a Tellurian (Skip Homeier) appears, conversing with the village leader, Apella(Charles Napier), and Hunter's group ducks to hide. Apella and the Tellurian discuss the manufacture of improved weapons. Hunter and Chandler sneak up and overpower them, taking a flintlock weapon and escaping with Tyree's help.

Back aboard the Enterprise Spock finally wakes, but is only partially conscious. He requests a nurse to strike him repeatedly until he fully recovers, saying the pain helps him to consciousness. She hesitantly does what he asks, lightly at first, but then starts slapping him hard as he requests. Drake happens to stop in and witnesses the apparent beating of Spock and tries to stop her, however Piper arrives to explain that Spock's life is in danger and resumes the slapping. Spock finally comes out of his trance and thanks the bewildered nurse for her assistance.

Back on the planet, Hunter shows the hill people how to shoot the flintlock weapon, but Tyree refuses to handle it. Chandler loudly protests, telling Hunter he is violating the Prime Directive and interfering with the natives' normal development. Hunter maintains that irreversible damage has already been caused by the Tellurians, and if the two warring tribes are not on equal ground, one will slaughter the other. Hunter's interpretation of the Prime Directive compels him to arm Tyree's people with flintlocks as well, to maintain a balance of power on the planet. Chandler is horrified but he suggests longbows, which are easier to manufacture and are far more reliable than flintlocks. Also he notes that Tyree’s people are already accomplished archers with a small hunting bow so they should become proficient rapidly with the longbow.

Thinking Tyree is too weak and hesitant to arm the people, Nona tries to seduce Hunter with her herbs, but Hunter resists and Tyree witnesses her treachery. He is angry enough to pick up the flintlock and take aim at his wife, but he is unable to kill her and puts the weapon down. Suddenly another Mugato attacks and Hunter vaporizes it with his phaser. Nona knocks Hunter out and grabs the phaser, which in her mind is a weapon that will give her ultimate power. She runs away seeking to cut a deal with her tribal enemies in exchange for the weapon. Hunter, once he recovers, gives chase with a small group to stop her and get back his phaser.

When Hunter, Chandler, and Tyree arrive, they find Nona being assaulted by the enemy villagers, who seem more interested in forcing themselves on her than learning about the weapon she is holding. Nona tries to defend herself, but she is unable to figure out how to fire the phaser. When the others arrive, tracking Nona, the enemy villagers believe she has led them into a trap, and kill her for it. The villagers are driven off, and Chandler reaches the stolen phaser and retrieves it.

Tyree, now driven to kill, demands more "fire stick" weapons to avenge his wife's death. Hunter reluctantly orders Drake to manufacture and beam down a hundred flintlocks and a hundred longbows for the tribesmen. This would put them on an even footing with their enemy, which might satisfy the terms of the Prime Directive, but Hunter is ruefully aware of the arms race that will begin. Drake questions the unusual order, not understanding its purpose. Hunter confirms it, this time saying he wants "serpents for the Garden of Eden." The episode ends with the Enterprise pulling out of orbit.

 

[Lindseyman]

Court Martial the Fourteenth episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission Date 3987.2. This may well be my last entry as Captain of the Enterprise. I have been ordered to turn over command to Commander Spock and the Enterprise has been ordered back to Earth where I am to be court martialled because of my actions on Sigma Draconis II. Spock has been ordered to confine me to quarters and I am to have no contact with any of the crew…”

Hunter is sat at the desk in his quarters when the door chime sounds. The door opens and Piper comes into the room bearing a bottle of whiskey.

“Doc, I’m to have no contact with any of the crew!”

“I’m the CMO and I have to check that you are in good enough health to stand the court martial.”

Hunter nods at the bottle of whiskey

“What’s that then?”

“It’s for purely medicinal purposes.”

“Well I’d better take my prescription then like a good patient.”

Piper snorts

“That’ll be a first!” but he pours out two tumblers of the whiskey and hands one to Hunter. They sit down.

After a few minutes of companiable silence Piper speaks

“Don’t worry Jim, you’ll be cleared. This court martial is just a formality.”

Hunter swirls his whiskey whilst looking into the glass

“I’m not so sure Doc. I’ve trodden on enough toes in my time in the Navy that some of Command will be glad to have an excuse to get rid of me.”

“Just what else were you supposed to do? Let the Tellurians arm the Hill people and take over the place?”

“There are some who would argue just that Doc. It depends on who is sitting in judgement. However I’m certain that Scotty and Chandler will be cleared. They queried my orders before obeying them and their objections are in the log. It’s my position that is in doubt.”

“Jim, they’re not going to cashier one of the most decorated Captains in the Navy!”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that! They have to show that no one can just break regulations on a whim without repercussions.”

“It wasn’t a whim. It was a justifiable reaction to the circumstances!”

“That’s for the board to decide.”

The next scene is the courtroom in Navy Headquarters. Presiding over the court martial are Commodore Mason (Raymond Burr), Commodore Hand (Martin Landau) and Admiral Nelson (Richard Basehart). Prosecuting is Captain Lester (Sandra Smith) whilst defending Hunter is Captain Skorzeny (Barry Atwater).

The court dissects all of the Enterprise crew’s actions on Sigma Draconis II with Lester managing to show all Hunter’s actions in the worst possible light. Spock is only questioned briefly about the actions which led to him being shot, Lester managing to portray this as carelessness on Hunter’s part. Skorzeny defends Hunter skilfully but it becomes clear that the decision is likely to go against Hunter.

Eventually the court is adjourned so that the panel can make their decision. Whilst waiting for the decision Hunter is visited by Captain Brent (James Franciscus), an old friend, who tells Hunter not to worry as he doesn’t know a Captain in the Navy who wouldn’t have done the same in Hunter’s position.

The court is reconvened and Admiral Nelson gives the decision. Drake and Chandler are exonerated but much to everyone’s surprise the final decision about Hunter is deferred for two months as the panel cannot make up their minds! However as the Enterprise cannot be without a Captain for that period of time a new Captain will be appointed until a final decision is reached.

 

[Lindseyman]

Beta XII-A the Fifteenth episode of Star Trek: USS Enterprise

“Captain’s Log Mission Date 2998.5. It has been an interesting couple of weeks to say the least. The crew have been nothing less than superb at their duties, just what I’d expect from a Jim Hunter crew, however they resent me with a vengeance. Well perhaps not me personally but the fact that it is me in the center seat not Jim. As I’m certain that I’d feel the same way in their shoes (and many of us captains are upset at the treatment that Jim has received) I’m not making an issue out of it ….”

Just then the Enterprise recieves a distress call from a human colony on Beta XII-A. Brent, (james Franciscus) who is Captain whilst Hunter awaits the verdict of his court martial, is perplexed.

“We don’t have a colony on Beta XII-A, do we Mr Spock?”

“Not as I recall Captain, but the signal is a valid United Systems distress signal.”

“We’d better investigate. Full speed Mr Crusher.”

On arrival however they find no signs of any type of human settlement. A landing party, including Brent and Kutuzov, beam down to investigate when they are suddenly surrounded by Tellurians that have transported from their own orbiting vessel. Captain Werner (Michael Ansara) accuses the Enterprise crew of firing upon their vessel, and demands their surrender. Suddenly, Kutuzov tries to attack the Tellurians, claiming they had killed his brother Piotr. Werner subdues him and uses an agonizer device to torture Kutuzov, forcing Brent to agree to surrender. However, on contacting the ship, Brent surreptitiously warns Spock after asking for transport. Spock uses the transporter to materialize the Enterprise crewmen first, then the Tellurians without their weapons. Werner surrenders and he and the Tellurians are escorted to secure quarters on the ship.

Meanwhile, an entity made of pure energy enters the Enterprise undetected and interfaces with its controls. The ship lurches into warp at maximum speed for the edge of the galaxy. With the crew panicked, the entity then causes various bulkheads on the ship to open and close, using this to isolate small groups of the crew and Tellurians, where with tempers high, they begin to fight. Brent and Spock try to calm the crew down to no avail. Spock discovers the presence of the entity, apparently feeding off the violent emotions. When Brent is told by Piper that Kutuzov never had a brother, the crew realize that the entity is capable of instilling false memories in order to trigger aggression. Brent believes that if he can get to Werner, the Tellurian commander can help stop his crew from fighting and help return the ship to normal.

Brent works his way through the various scuffles aboard the ship, and comes across the Tellurian Science Officer Holst (Patty Duke), who is Werner's wife, who has been cornered by Kutuzov, still seeking revenge. Brent sees that Holst's clothing has been torn, so he punches Kutuzov out. Holst thanks Brent for his help but is initially wary of his plan. She changes her mind on seeing the entity and agrees to lead him to Werner, who has set up a command post in Engineering.

Werner distrusts Brent's explanation of the entity despite Holst's assurance, and challenges Brent to a sword duel. As they fight, Brent implores Werner to stop, telling him that they may be puppets of this entity for lifetimes if they continue to fight. Werner recognizes Brent's warning that their fighting is pointless, as the entity appears in the room, and lays down his weapon, commanding the other Tellurians to do so as well.

To stave off the entity, Brent and Werner get their crews to act jovially and laugh loudly; the entity disengages from the computers and leaves the ship. The Enterprise crew regain control and set course to return the Tellurians to their space.

NOTE: This is the ITTL version of “The Day of the Dove”