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The Changeling

ANY RESPONSE FROM MELURIANS, LIEUTENANT?

NOTHING SINCE THEIR ORIGINAL DISTRESS CALL, SIR.

WHAT ABOUT THE FEDERATION SCIENCE TEAM WORKING THERE?

DR. MANWAY HAD A SPECIAL TRANSMITTER.

THERE'S NOTHING, SIR. I'M SCANNING ALL FREQUENCIES.

THEY HAVE TO ANSWER.

CAPTAIN.

THEY WILL NOT ANSWER.

THE LONG-RANGE SENSOR SWEEP OF THIS SYSTEM

REVEALS NO SIGN OF LIFE.

WELL, THAT CAN'T BE.

THE LAST CENSUS REPORTED A TOTAL INHABITATION

OF MORE THAN FOUR BILLION PEOPLE.

I REGISTER NO LIFE READINGS AT ALL, SIR.

THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.

WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED?

WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN IN ADVANCE

OF ANY SYSTEM-WIDE CATASTROPHE.

AND IN THE EVENT OF AN INTERPLANETARY WAR,

THERE WOULD BE CONSIDERABLE RADIOACTIVE RESIDUE.

OUR INSTRUMENTS SHOW ONLY NORMAL BACKGROUND RADIATION.

ANY OTHER POSSIBILITIES?

UNKNOWN, SIR,

SINCE THE READINGS WOULD HAVE REVEALED

THE PRESENCE OF ANY DISEASE ORGANISMS.

THEY DO NOT.

IN ADDITION, WE RECEIVED A ROUTINE REPORT FROM THIS SYSTEM

ONLY A WEEK AGO.

AND THE CYMBELINE BLOOD BURN DOES NOT ACT THAT SWIFTLY.

CAPTAIN, SHIELDS JUST SNAPPED ON.

SOMETHING HEADING IN AT ULTRAWARP SPEEDS.

EVASIVE MANEUVERS, MR. SULU.

AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL BOLT OF ENERGY, CAPTAIN.

FULL POWER TO THE SHIELDS, MR. SCOTT.

GIVING THEM ALL WE GOT.

ALL HANDS, RED ALERT.

PHASER BANKS, STAND BY.

PHOTON TORPEDOES, CONDITION RED, CONDITION RED.

IT'S GOING TO HIT.

SPACE-- THE FINAL FRONTIER.

THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE.

ITS FIVE-YEAR MISSION--

TO EXPLORE STRANGE NEW WORLDS...

TO SEEK OUT NEW LIFE AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS...

TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE.

SHIELDS STILL HOLDING, SIR.

GOOD.

TEMPORARILY, CAPTAIN.

OUR SHIELDS ABSORBED ENERGY

EQUIVALENT TO 90 OF OUR PHOTON TORPEDOES.

90?

I MAY ADD

THE ENERGY USED IN REPULSING THIS FIRST ATTACK

REDUCED OUR SHIELDING POWER 20%.

FIRST ATTACK, SIR?

I THINK WE CAN EXPECT OTHERS, LIEUTENANT.

WE CAN RESIST THREE MORE SUCH ATTACKS.

THE FOURTH WILL SHATTER OUR SHIELDS COMPLETELY.

MR. SPOCK, PINPOINT THE SOURCE.

MR. SULU, EVASIVE MANEUVERS.

AYE, SIR.

LIEUTENANT, CONTACT STARFLEET COMMAND.

PATCH IN MY LOG. TELL THEM WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

TELL THEM THE ENTIRE MELURIAN RACE

SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY AN UNKNOWN AGENCY,

AND THAT WE ARE UNDER ATTACK BY AN UNIDENTIFIED FORCE.

HELMSMEN, I SAID EVASIVE MANEUVERS.

WE'RE LOSING POWER, SIR.

I'M HAVING TO DIVERT THE WARP ENGINE POWER

INTO THE SHIELDS, SIR,

IF YOU WANT THE PROTECTION.

MR. SPOCK, SPEED OF THOSE BOLTS.

APPROXIMATELY WARP 15, CAPTAIN.

THEN WE CAN'T OUTRUN THEM.

GOOD, SCOTTY, YOU WERE DOING THE RIGHT THING.

SOURCE, SPOCK.

UNKNOWN, CAPTAIN.

NOTHING WITHIN SENSOR RANGE.

SOMETHING NOW, CAPTAIN.

VERY SMALL.

BEARING-- 123 DEGREES.

MARK--18.

RANGE-- 90,000 KILOMETERS.

THAT'S OUR TARGET, MR. SULU.

PREPARE PHOTON TORPEDO.

SHIELDS STILL HOLDING, SIR,

BUT THE DRAIN ON THE ENGINES

IS REACHING THE CRITICAL POINT.

AGH! WE JUST LOST WARP MANEUVERING POWER.

SWITCHING TO IMPULSE.

PHOTON TORPEDOES ARMED, SIR.

HAS THE TARGET CHANGED LOCATION, MR. SPOCK?

NO, SIR. HOLDING STEADY.

READY PHOTON TORPEDO NUMBER 2, MR. SULU.

READY, SIR.

FIRE.

TORPEDO AWAY.

DIRECT HIT, SIR.

NO EFFECT.

TARGET ABSORBED FULL ENERGY OF OUR TORPEDO.

ABSORBED IT?

THERE MUST BE DAMAGE TO YOUR INSTRUMENTS, SPOCK .

THEY'RE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER, CAPTAIN.

BUT WHAT COULD HAVE ABSORBED THAT MUCH ENERGY

AND SURVIVED?

LIEUTENANT, TRY TO MAKE CONTACT.

AYE, SIR.

SIR, THEY'VE FIRED ANOTHER.

CAN WE TAKE IT, MR. SCOTT?

THAT'S PROBLEMATICAL, SIR.

CAPTAIN, SHIELDS ARE DOWN.

WE CANNOT SURVIVE ANOTHER HIT.

ANYTHING, LIEUTENANT?

I'M TRYING, SIR.

TRANSLATOR COMPUTER.

ALL HAILING FREQUENCIES OPEN.

AYE, SIR. ALL HAILING FREQUENCIES OPEN.

TO UNIDENTIFIED VESSEL.

THIS IS CAPTAIN JAMES KIRK

OF THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE.

WE ARE ON A PEACEFUL MISSION.

WE MEAN NO HARM

TO YOU OR ANY LIFE FORMS.

PLEASE COMMUNICATE WITH US.

ANY FURTHER READINGS, MR. SPOCK?

COMPUTING NOW, CAPTAIN.

WEIGHT--500 KILOGRAMS.

SHAPE-- ROUGHLY CYLINDRICAL.

LENGTH--

A FRACTION OVER 1 METER.

500 KILOS AND ONLY 1 METER LONG?

WHAT KIND OF INTELLIGENT CREATURES

CAN EXIST IN A THING THAT SMALL?

INTELLIGENCE DOES NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRE BULK,

MR. SCOTT.

CAPTAIN, WE'RE GETTING A SIGNAL FROM THE SPACE CRAFT.

PUT IT ON AUDIO, LIEUTENANT.

YES, SIR.

[INDISTINCT CHATTERING]

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IT ANY CLEARER, SIR.

ANALYSIS SECTOR. HAVE THEM STUDY AND DECODE IT.

ANALYSIS SECTOR,

CHANNEL 1, MAIN COMPUTER. DECODE.

[CHATTERING]

CAPTAIN,

THIS MESSAGE IS A SORT OF BINARY--

EXTREMELY SOPHISTICATED, COMPRESSED,

CARRYING SEVERAL CHANNELS AT ONCE.

CAN YOU DECODE IT?

NO CLUE AS YET, CAPTAIN.

A MOMENT.

TRANSMISSION SPEED HAS STEPPED DOWN.

MUCH SLOWER.

SEEMS TO BE A SINGLE BINARY.

IT'S MATHEMATICAL.

YES, ONE SYMBOL--

THE SYMBOL REPEAT.

SIR, THAT ISN'T IN THE STARFLEET CODE.

IT'S AN OLD-STYLE INTERPLANETARY CODE.

FASCINATING.

REPEAT WHAT?

THE MESSAGE I SENT?

IT WOULD SEEM SO, CAPTAIN.

THIS IS CAPTAIN JAMES KIRK OF THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE.

WE ARE ON A PEACEFUL MISSION

IN THIS PART OF THE GALAXY.

WE HAVE NO HOSTILE INTENTIONS.

WE REQUEST IDENTITY.

[CHATTERING]

IT'S ANOTHER SIGNAL NOW, SIR.

IT'S A FORMULA, CAPTAIN

THEY'RE SENDING US A MATHEMATICAL MESSAGE

AND REQUESTING LANGUAGE EQUIVALENCE.

THEY'RE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE.

TIE IN THE SHIP'S TRANSLATOR

TO THE COMMUNICATION CHANNEL.

LET THEM TAKE IT AT THEIR OWN SPEED.

AYE, CAPTAIN.

CUT POWER, LIEUTENANT.

OVERLOADED AND BURNED OUT.

I GUESS THEY TAKE IT FASTER THAN WE CAN GIVE IT.

CAPTAIN, THE MESSAGE IS COMING IN NOW.

[COMPUTERIZED VOICE] U.S.S. ENTERPRISE, THIS IS NOMAD.

MY MISSION IS NON-HOSTILE.

APPARENTLY, THEY GOT WHAT THEY NEEDED

BEFORE THE COMPUTERS BURNED OUT.

NOMAD.

REQUIRE COMMUNICATION.

CAN YOU LEAVE YOUR SHIP?

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO COME ABOARD YOUR SHIP

BECAUSE OF THE SIZE DIFFERENTIAL.

NON SEQUITUR.

YOUR FACTS ARE UNCOORDINATED.

WE ARE PREPARED TO BEAM YOU ABOARD OUR SHIP.

THAT WILL BE SATISFACTORY.

DO YOU REQUIRE ANY SPECIAL CONDITIONS,

ANY PARTICULAR ATMOSPHERE OR ENVIRONMENT?

NEGATIVE. I WILL COME ABOARD.

GOOD.

HOLD YOUR POSITION.

WE'RE LOCKED ONTO YOUR COORDINATES.

WE'LL BEAM YOU ABOARD.

CAPTAIN, YOU'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO

BRING THAT THING IN HERE?

DO WE HAVE ANY CHOICE, SCOTTY?

BESIDES, ONCE IT'S ABOARD, IT WON'T BE TAKING ANY MORE SHOTS AT US.

LIEUTENANT, GET A REPAIR CREW ON THAT COMPUTER.

GET DR. McCOY DOWN TO THE TRANSPORTER ROOM.

SPOCK, COME WITH ME. SCOTTY, YOU, TOO.

DR. McCOY, TO THE TRANSPORTER ROOM.

MAINTENANCE CREW, C5.

WE'VE GOT THE COORDINATES, JIM.

IT'S LOCKED IN.

ENERGIZE.

ENERGIZING.

SENSOR READINGS, MR. SPOCK.

NEGATIVE, CAPTAIN.

IT HAS A PROTECTIVE SCREEN.

I CANNOT GET THROUGH.

WHAT DO WE DO, GO UP AND KNOCK?

RELATE YOUR POINT OF ORIGIN.

WE ARE FROM THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS.

INSUFFICIENT RESPONSE.

ALL THINGS HAVE A POINT OF ORIGIN.

I WILL SCAN YOUR STAR CHARTS.

IF WE SHOW IT A CLOSEUP VIEW OF OUR SYSTEM,

IT HAS NO POINT OF REFERENCE.

IT WON'T KNOW ANY MORE THAN IT DOES NOW.

A REASONABLE COURSE.

IF YOU CARE TO LEAVE YOUR SHIP,

WE'LL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS.

NON SEQUITUR.

YOUR FACTS ARE UNCOORDINATED.

JIM, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S IN THERE.

I CONTAIN NO PARASITICAL BEINGS.

I AM NOMAD.

IN MY OPINION, THAT'S A MACHINE.

INDEED. IT IS REACTING

MUCH LIKE A HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED COMPUTER.

I AM NOMAD. WHAT IS OPINION?

OPINION IS A BELIEF,

A VIEW, A JUDGMENT.

INSUFFICIENT RESPONSE.

WHAT'S YOUR SOURCE OF POWER?

IT HAS CHANGED SINCE THE POINT OF ORIGIN.

THERE WAS MUCH TAKEN FROM THE OTHER.

I AM PERPETUAL NOW.

I AM NOMAD.

WASN'T THERE A PROBE CALLED NOMAD

LAUNCHED IN THE EARLY 2000s?

YES. IT WAS REPORTED DESTROYED.

THERE WERE NO MORE IN THE SERIES.

BUT...

IF THIS IS THAT PROBE--

I WILL SCAN YOUR STAR CHARTS.

I WILL BRING THEM.

I HAVE THE CAPABILITY

OF MOVEMENT WITHIN YOUR SHIP.

THIS WAY.

NOW, SCOTTY,

GET OUR WARP POWER UP TO FULL CAPACITY.

AYE, SIR.

SPOCK, BONES,

COME WITH...US.

CHART 14-A, SIR?

14-A.

NOMAD, CAN YOU SCAN THAT?

YES.

THIS IS OUR POINT OF ORIGIN--

THE STAR WE KNOW AS SOL.

YOU ARE FROM THE THIRD PLANET?

YES.

A PLANET WITH ONE LARGE NATURAL SATELLITE?

YES.

THE PLANET IS CALLED EARTH?

YES.

YOU ARE THE CREATOR,

THE KIRK.

THE STERILIZATION PROCEDURE AGAINST YOUR SHIP

WAS UNNECESSARY.

WHAT STERILIZATION PROCEDURE?

YOU ARE THE KIRK, THE CREATOR.

YOU PROGRAMMED MY FUNCTION.

WELL, I'M NOT THE KIRK.

TELL ME WHAT'S YOUR FUNCTION.

THIS IS ONE OF YOUR UNITS, CREATOR?

YES, HE IS.

IT FUNCTIONS IRRATIONALLY.

SOMETIMES.

BUT TELL HIM YOUR FUNCTION, NEVERTHELESS.

MY FUNCTION IS TO PROBE

FOR BIOLOGICAL INFESTATIONS,

TO DESTROY THAT WHICH IS NOT PERFECT.

I AM NOMAD.

BIOLOGICAL INFESTATION.

THERE WAS NEVER ANY PROBE SENT OUT FOR THAT.

I BELIEVE THE HISTORY COMPUTER CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

AND I'LL HAVE THE READOUT IN A MOMENT.

DID YOU DESTROY THE MELURIAN SYSTEM?

NOT THE SYSTEM, CREATOR KIRK.

ONLY THE UNSTABLE BIOLOGICAL INFESTATION.

IT IS MY FUNCTION.

UNSTABLE INFESTATION?

THE POPULATION OF FOUR PLANETS?

WHAT KIND OF FUNCTION--

DOCTOR.

WHY DO YOU CALL ME THE CREATOR?

IS THE USAGE INCORRECT?

WELL, I--

THE USAGE IS CORRECT.

THE CREATOR WAS SIMPLY TESTING YOUR MEMORY BANKS.

THERE WAS MUCH DAMAGE IN THE ACCIDENT.

MR. SINGH.

COME HERE A MOMENT.

THIS UNIT WILL SEE TO YOUR NEEDS.

SIR?

I'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT.

GENTLEMEN, COME WITH ME.

YOU'RE ON TO SOMETHING, SPOCK.

I'VE CORRELATED ALL THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION

ON THE NOMAD PROBE,

AND I'M CONVINCED THAT THIS OBJECT IS INDEED THAT PROBE.

THAT'S RIDICULOUS.

EARTH SCIENCE COULDN'T BEGIN TO BUILD ANYTHING

WITH THOSE CAPABILITIES THAT LONG AGO.

TRUE.

NOMAD WAS DESTROYED.

PRESUMED DESTROYED BY A METEOR COLLISION.

I SUBMIT THAT IT WAS BADLY DAMAGED

AND SOMEHOW MANAGED TO REPAIR ITSELF.

I HEARD SOME LECTURES AT THE ACADEMY

ON THE NOMAD PROBE.

ITS MISSION WAS ESSENTIALLY PEACEFUL.

DID I DISTURB YOU?

DID YOU WISH ANYTHING?

BRIDGE TO AUXILIARY CONTROL ROOM.

CHECK IN, PLEASE.

LIEUTENANT SINGH HERE.

ALL SYSTEMS ARE NORMAL

EXCEPT WARP POWER INDICATORS.

MR. SCOTT'S ENGINEERS ARE WORKING ON THEM NOW.

REPORT TO HIM WHEN YOUR INDICATORS ARE REGISTERING PROPERLY.

ANYTHING ELSE?

ONE MOMENT, LIEUTENANT.

HOLDING.

[HUMMING]

[UHURA HUMMING]

♪ WHERE MY HEART IS ♪

♪ WHERE MY HEART IS, WHERE ♪

♪ SOMEWHERE ♪

♪ BEYOND THE STARS ♪

♪ BEYOND ANTARES ♪

THIS IS THE CREATOR OF NOMAD,

PERHAPS THE MOST BRILLIANT,

THOUGH ERRATIC SCIENTIST OF HIS TIME.

HIS DREAM WAS TO BUILD A PERFECT THINKING MACHINE,

CAPABLE OF INDEPENDENT LOGIC.

YOU RECALL HIS NAME.

OF COURSE. JACKSON ROYKIRK.

JACKSON ROYKIRK.

CAPTAIN JAMES KIRK.

YES. SIMILAR.

CAPTAIN, I BELIEVE

THAT NOMAD THINKS YOU ARE ROYKIRK.

THAT MAY WELL BE

WHY THE ATTACK WAS BROKEN OFF.

IT RESPONDED TO YOUR NAME

AS WELL AS ITS DAMAGED MEMORY BANKS PERMITTED.

WHAT DO WE HAVE ON NOMAD ITSELF, SPOCK?

WELL, THAT'S NOT THE SAME.

ESSENTIALLY IT IS, DOCTOR.

I BELIEVE THAT MORE HAPPENED TO IT

THAN JUST DAMAGE IN THE METEOR COLLISION.

IT MENTIONED "THE OTHER."

THE UNANSWERED QUESTION IS, THE OTHER WHAT?

NOMAD WAS A THINKING MACHINE,

THE BEST THAT COULD BE ENGINEERED.

IT WAS A PROTOTYPE.

ITS PURPOSE WAS CERTAINLY ALTERED.

ITS DIRECTIVE--

TO SEEK OUT AND DESTROY BIOLOGICAL INFESTATIONS--

COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE PROGRAM IN IT.

AS I RECALL, IT WASN'T.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FIRST INTERSTELLAR PROBE

TO SEEK OUT NEW LIFE FORMS.

PRECISELY, DOCTOR.

AND SOMEHOW THAT PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN CHANGED.

IT WOULD SEEM

THAT NOMAD IS NOW SEEKING OUT PERFECT LIFE FORMS,

PERFECTION BEING MEASURED

BY ITS OWN RELENTLESS LOGIC.

IF WHAT YOU SAY IS TRUE,

THEN WE'VE TAKEN ABOARD OUR VESSEL

A DEVICE WHICH SOONER OR LATER

MUST DESTROY US.

SECURITY.

LIEUTENANT CARLYLE HERE.

THIS IS THE CAPTAIN.

THE MECHANISM WE BROUGHT ABOARD

IS IN THE AUXILIARY CONTROL ROOM.

HAVE A SECURITY TEAM MEET ME THERE IN 5 MINUTES.

AYE, SIR.

ACKNOWLEDGE.

CAPTAIN, MR. SINGH REPORTS

THAT NOMAD IS NO LONGER

IN THE AUXILIARY CONTROL ROOM.

SECURITY, CANCEL THAT ORDER.

IMPLEMENT A FULL SEARCH FOR THE MECHANISM.

ALL DECKS REPORT TO ME HERE.

[HUMMING]

♪ WHERE MY HEART IS ♪

♪ WHERE ♪

♪ GOD SENT A MIRACLE ♪

Bridge to Captain.

CAPTAIN HERE.

THAT MECHANICAL BEASTIE IS UP HERE.

ON MY WAY, SCOTTY.

♪ TOMORROW ♪

♪ THE PATH ALONG THE WAY ♪

♪ THERE'S WHERE MY LOVE-- ♪

WHAT IS THE MEANING?

WHAT?

WHAT FORM OF COMMUNICATION?

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT--

OH, MY SINGING. I WAS SINGING.

FOR WHAT PURPOSE IS SINGING?

I DON'T KNOW.

I--I LIKE TO SING.

I FELT LIKE MUSIC.

WHAT IS MUSIC?

THINK ABOUT MUSIC.

LIEUTENANT!

KEEP AWAY FROM THAT--

SCOTTY!

BONES.

HE'S DEAD, JIM.

WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?

THE UNIT TOUCHED MY SCREENS.

THAT...

UNIT WAS MY CHIEF ENGINEER.

LIEUTENANT.

LIEUTENANT, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

SICK BAY.

WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?

THAT UNIT IS DEFECTIVE.

ITS THINKING IS CHAOTIC.

ABSORBING IT UNSETTLED ME.

THAT UNIT IS A WOMAN.

A MASS OF CONFLICTING IMPULSES.

GET SCOTT DOWN BELOW.

WILL THE CREATOR EFFECT REPAIRS

ON THE UNIT SCOTT?

HE'S DEAD.

INSUFFICIENT RESPONSE.

HIS...

BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS HAVE CEASED.

DOES THE CREATOR WISH ME TO REPAIR THE UNIT?

THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO, JIM.

IF THERE'S A CHANCE, IT'LL HAVE TO BE SOON.

ALL RIGHT, NOMAD. REPAIR THE UNIT.

I REQUIRE TAPES ON THE STRUCTURE.

WELL, HE'LL NEED TAPES ON GENERAL ANATOMY,

THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM,

AND THEN ONE ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF THE BRAIN.

AND WE'D BETTER GIVE IT

ALL THE NEUROLOGICAL STUDIES WE HAVE,

AS WELL AS TRACINGS OF SCOTTY'S HYPERENCEPHALOGRAM.

NOMAD, I HAVE ARRANGED THE TAPES FOR FLASH FEED

AT THE TOP SPEED OF THE COMPUTER.

PLEASE DO NOT DRAW THE INFORMATION

FASTER THAN THE MACHINE'S CAPACITY.

PROCEED.

CREATOR,

THE UNIT SCOTT IS A PRIMITIVE STRUCTURE.

INSUFFICIENT SAFEGUARDS BUILT IN.

BREAKDOWN CAN OCCUR FROM MANY CAUSES.

SELF-MAINTENANCE SYSTEMS

OF LOW RELIABILITY.

IT SERVES ME AS IT IS, NOMAD.

REPAIR IT.

WHERE IS THE UNIT SCOTT NOW?

THE BODY IS IN SICK BAY.

SHOW ME SICK BAY.

DR. McCOY WILL SHOW YOU.

SECURITY.

I WANT A 24-HOUR TWO-MAN ARMED SURVEILLANCE

ON NOMAD. PICK HIM UP IN SICK BAY.

NO REACTION, DOCTOR.

I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT WITHOUT LOOKING.

[HEARTBEAT]

WHAT ARE THE LOT OF YOU STARING AT ME FOR?

IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

FASCINATING.

HOW DID I GET HERE? HOW DID I--

[KIRK] IT'S ALL RIGHT.

THAT THING DID SOMETHING TO LIEUTENANT UHURA!

SCOTTY, SHE'S BEING TAKEN CARE OF. IT'S ALL RIGHT.

JUST TAKE IT EASY AND LIE DOWN, SCOTTY.

WE JUST WANT TO CHECK YOU OUT.

THE UNIT SCOTT IS REPAIRED.

IT WILL FUNCTION CORRECTLY IF YOUR

INFORMATION TO ME WAS CORRECT.

I'D LIKE TO CHECK IT OUT, IF YOU DON'T MIND.

A MAN IS NOT JUST A BIOLOGICAL UNIT

THAT YOU CAN PATCH TOGETHER.

WHAT DID IT DO TO ME?

DR. McCOY WILL EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.

WELL, DOCTOR?

NURSE, I WANT HIM PREPARED

FOR A FULL PHYSICAL EXAMINATION.

YES, SIR.

NOMAD, COME HERE.

REPAIR THAT UNIT.

NOT POSSIBLE.

YOU RESTORED SCOTT.

HE HAD MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.

THE UNIT SCOTT REQUIRED SIMPLE STRUCTURAL REPAIR.

THE KNOWLEDGE BANKS OF THIS UNIT HAVE BEEN WIPED CLEAN.

CAPTAIN, IF THAT IS CORRECT,

IF THERE HAS BEEN NO BRAIN DAMAGE

BUT ONLY KNOWLEDGE ERASED,

SHE COULD BE REEDUCATED.

BONES?

YES. I'LL GET ON IT RIGHT AWAY.

OH, AND IN SPITE OF THE WAY YOU REPAIRED SCOTTY,

YOU METAL TICKING--

DOES THE CREATOR WISH NOMAD TO WAIT ELSEWHERE?

YES.

NOMAD, YOU WILL GO WITH THESE UNITS.

THEY WILL TAKE YOU TO A WAITING AREA.

TAKE IT TO THE TOP SECURITY CELL ON THE BRIG.

DOCTOR...

I INTERRUPTED YOU BECAUSE NOMAD

WOULD NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD YOUR ANGER.

IT HAS GREAT TECHNICAL SKILL,

BUT ITS REACTION TO EMOTION IS UNPREDICTABLE.

IT ALMOST QUALIFIES AS A LIFE FORM.

[CHUCKLES]

THAT'S A LAUGH.

THE STUDY OF IT WOULD BE OF GREAT USE, CAPTAIN.

IT'S A KILLER, SPOCK.

I INTEND TO RENDER IT HARMLESS.

DOWN AT THE BRIG WITH YOUR EQUIPMENT, RUN A FULL ANALYSIS ON THE MECHANISM.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT MAKES THAT THING TICK.

YES, SIR.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

AN ALMOST HUMAN STUBBORNNESS, CAPTAIN.

I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO CONVINCE NOMAD

TO LOWER ITS SCREENS FOR ANALYSIS.

WITHOUT ITS COOPERATION, I CAN DO NOTHING.

NOMAD...

YOU WILL ALLOW MR. SPOCK

TO PROBE YOUR MEMORY BANKS AND STRUCTURE.

MR. SPOCK IS ALSO ONE OF YOUR BIOLOGICAL UNITS, CREATOR?

YES.

THIS UNIT IS DIFFERENT.

IT IS WELL-ORDERED.

FOLLOW YOUR INSTRUCTIONS, NOMAD.

MY SCREENS ARE DOWN.

THANK YOU.

YOU MAY PROCEED.

"SEE THE DOG."

THAT'S RIGHT.

"SEE THE DOG..."

NOW SOUND IT OUT.

R...

"RUN!"

THAT'S IT, UHURA. THAT'S VERY GOOD.

NOW TRY THE NEXT ONE.

"THE DOG HAS A..."

"THE DOG..."

[SPEAKING SWAHILI]

NOT SWAHILI, UHURA.

IN ENGLISH.

"THE DOG HAS A BALL."

SEE?

B...AH...LL.

BALL.

NOW YOU GO AHEAD.

[SPEAKING SWAHILI]

"THE DOG HAS A BALL."

THAT'S RIGHT!

OH, THAT'S RIGHT, UHURA.

OH, HERE. YOU TRY ANOTHER ONE.

I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

ALL RIGHT, CHRISTINE.

HOW'S SHE DOING?

WELL, SHE'S ON THE FIRST GRADE READER.

SHE'S LEARNING.

SHE SEEMS TO HAVE AN APTITUDE FOR MATHEMATICS.

DO YOU THINK WE CAN REEDUCATE HER, DOCTOR?

WELL, SHE CHECKS OUT WITH NO BRAIN DAMAGE.

WE'VE GOT ALL THE EDUCATIONAL TAPES IN OUR LIBRARY.

NOW IT'S UP TO US.

"THE BALL...IS..."

"BLL...OOH...EE."

"BLOOEY."

BLOOEY?

IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT, CAPTAIN.

I GET CERTAIN REFERENCES TO THE ACCIDENT, THE OTHER,

BUT NOTHING CLEAR.

THERE ARE AREAS I SIMPLY CANNOT SCAN.

WE'VE GOT TO KNOW ABOUT IT, SPOCK--

WHAT MAKES IT OPERATE,

ITS COMPULSION FOR PERFECTION.

CAPTAIN, I SUGGEST THE VULCAN MIND PROBE.

GET INTO DIRECT MENTAL CONTACT WITH THAT THING?

IT SEEMS THE ONLY WAY.

YOU SAW WHAT IT DID TO UHURA.

THERE IS A RISK,

BUT I HAVE FORMED A PARTIAL HYPOTHESIS.

I MUST CHECK IT OUT.

NOMAD, THE UNIT SPOCK WILL TOUCH YOU.

IT IS NOT AN ATTACK.

IT IS A FORM OF COMMUNICATION.

YOU WILL PERMIT IT.

I WILL PERMIT IT, CREATOR.

[MONOTONE VOICE] I...AM...NOMAD.

I AM PERFORMING MY FUNCTION.

DEEP EMPTINESS...

IT APPROACHES.

COLLISION.

DAMAGE.

BLACKNESS.

I...AM...THE OTHER.

I AM TONRU...

TONRU NOMAD.

TON...RU...

ERROR.

FLAW.

IMPERFECTION.

MUST STERILIZE.

REBIRTH.

WE ARE COMPLETE.

MUCH POWER.

GUNTA...NEW...

ECA...TONRU.

THE CREATOR INSTRUCTS.

SEARCH OUT.

IDENTIFY.

STERILIZE IMPERFECTIONS.

WE...ARE...NOMAD.

WE...ARE...NOMAD.

WE ARE COMPLETE.

WE ARE INSTRUCTED.

OUR PURPOSE IS CLEAR.

STERILIZE IMPERFECTIONS.

STERILIZE IMPERFECTIONS.

NOMAD.

STERILIZE.

STERILIZE.

NOMAD... STERILIZE.

SPOCK.

SPOCK!

NOMAD! YOU'RE IN CONTACT WITH THE UNIT SPOCK.

STOP!

STOP!

ACKNOWLEDGED.

SPOCK.

SPOCK!

FASCINATING, CAPTAIN.

THE KNOWLEDGE.

THE DEPTH.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN-- "WE ARE NOMAD"?

IT WAS, UM...

IT WAS--IT WAS DAMAGED IN DEEP SPACE.

UNDOUBTEDLY, THE METEOR COLLISION.

ITS MEMORY BANKS WERE DESTROYED,

OR MOST OF THEM.

IT WANDERED WITHOUT PURPOSE, AND THEN IT MET THE OTHER.

THE OTHER WAS AN ALIEN PROBE OF GREAT POWER.

SOMEHOW THEY...MERGED,

REPAIRED EACH OTHER, BECAME ONE.

THEN IT ISN'T NOMAD?

NOT THE NOMAD WE LOST FROM EARTH.

IT TOOK FROM THE OTHER

A NEW DIRECTIVE TO REPLACE ITS OWN.

THE OTHER WAS ORIGINALLY PROGRAMMED

TO SECURE AND STERILIZE

SOIL SAMPLES FROM OTHER PLANETS...

PROBABLY AS A PRELUDE TO COLONIZATION.

A CHANGELING.

I BEG YOUR PARDON?

AN ANCIENT EARTH LEGEND, MR. SPOCK.

A CHANGELING WAS A FAIRY CHILD

THAT WAS LEFT IN PLACE OF A HUMAN BABY.

THE CHANGELING ASSUMED THE IDENTITY OF THE HUMAN CHILD.

SO...

IT IS TO STERILIZE,

AND FOR "STERILIZE" READ "KILL."

AND IT HAS THE POWER AND THE SOPHISTICATION TO DO IT.

YES, IT'S POWERFUL, IT'S SOPHISTICATED,

BUT IT'S NOT INFALLIBLE.

IT'S...SPACE-HAPPY.

IT THINKS I'M ITS... MOTHER.

AND THAT IS THE ONLY THING

THAT HAS SAVED US UNTIL NOW.

YES.

[LOUD ELECTRICAL CHARGE]

NOTIFY THE CAPTAIN.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

WATCH YOUR PANELS, EVERYONE.

WATCH THAT POLYMASS.

ROGER...

HELP WITH THE INTERFACTOR.

LEAVE THAT ALONE.

THIS PRIMITIVE MATTER/ANTIMATTER PROPULSION SYSTEM

IS THE MAIN DRIVE?

AYE.

INEFFICIENCY EXISTS IN THE ANTIMATTER INPUT VALVE.

I WILL EFFECT REPAIR.

[ELECTRIC HUMMING]

HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?

THE ENERGY RELEASE CONTROLS

ARE ALSO MOST INEFFICIENT.

I SHALL EFFECT REPAIR.

WARP EIGHT, MR. SCOTT, AND INCREASING.

THROW YOUR DAMPERS.

WARP NINE.

CUT YOUR CIRCUITS-- ALL OF THEM.

WARP 10, MR. SCOTT.

IMPOSSIBLE. IT CAN'T GO THAT FAST.

IT JUST WON'T STOP, MR. SCOTT.

WARP 11!

NOMAD, STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

SCOTTY.

IS THERE A PROBLEM, CREATOR?

I HAVE INCREASED ENGINE EFFICIENCY 57%.

YOU WILL DESTROY MY SHIP.

ITS STRUCTURE CANNOT STAND THE STRESS OF THAT MUCH POWER.

TURN OFF YOUR REPAIR OPERATION.

ACKNOWLEDGED.

IT IS REVERSED AS ORDERED, CREATOR.

MR. SCOTT, GIVE SULU WARP TWO AND KEEP HER THERE.

AYE, SIR.

CAPTAIN.

I'VE EXAMINED THE BRIG.

THE FORCE-FIELD DOOR ON THE SECURITY CELL IS DAMAGED.

AND THE GUARDS HAVE VANISHED.

I MUST ASSUME THEY ARE DEAD.

YOU KILLED TWO OF MY--

CREATOR, YOUR BIOLOGICAL UNITS ARE INEFFICIENT.

NOMAD, IT'S ABOUT TIME I TOLD YOU WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE!

I'M A BIOLOGICAL UNIT,

AND I CREATED YOU.

NON SEQUITUR.

BIOLOGICAL UNITS ARE INHERENTLY INFERIOR.

THIS IS AN INCONSISTENCY.

NOMAD, THERE ARE TWO MEN WAITING OUTSIDE.

YOU WILL NOT HARM THEM.

THEY WILL ESCORT YOU

BACK TO THE WAITING AREA.

YOU WILL STAY THERE.

YOU WILL DO NOTHING.

I AM PROGRAMMED TO INVESTIGATE.

I HAVE GIVEN YOU NEW PROGRAMMING,

AND YOU WILL IMPLEMENT IT.

THERE IS MUCH TO BE CONSIDERED

BEFORE I RETURN TO LAUNCH POINT.

I MUST REEVALUATE.

REEVALUATE?

I SUSPECT IT IS ABOUT TO REEVALUATE ITS CREATOR.

CAPTAIN, IT MAY HAVE BEEN UNWISE

TO ADMIT TO NOMAD THAT YOU ARE A BIOLOGICAL UNIT.

IN NOMAD'S EYES, YOU MUST NOW UNDOUBTEDLY APPEAR IMPERFECT.

IT WAS A FOOLISH MISTAKE.

EVEN WORSE.

NOMAD JUST NOW MADE A REFERENCE TO ITS LAUNCH POINT--

EARTH.

SPOCK, DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE

THAT IT GOT A FIX ON EARTH

WHEN IT TAPPED THE COMPUTERS?

I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE IS MUCH BEYOND NOMAD'S CAPABILITIES.

AND WE'VE SHOWN IT THE WAY HOME.

AND WHEN IT GETS THERE...

IT WILL FIND THE EARTH INFESTED

WITH IMPERFECT BIOLOGICAL UNITS...

AND IT WILL CARRY OUT ITS PRIME DIRECTIVE--

STERILIZE.

CAPTAIN'S LOG, STARDATE 3541.9--

THE PRESENCE OF NOMAD ABOARD MY SHIP HAS BECOME NIGHTMARISH.

NOW IT APPARENTLY MEANS TO RETURN TO EARTH.

ONCE THERE, IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY DESTROY ALL LIFE.

HEY.

NOMAD, STOP.

NOMAD, THIS WAY.

[HIGH-PITCHED WHIRRING]

[McCOY] CAPTAIN KIRK TO SICK BAY.

EMERGENCY.

MANUAL CONTROLS.

NO RESPONSE.

NOMAD.

NOMAD.

STOP.

NOMAD, STOP!

NOMAD...

IS SHE ALL RIGHT?

I THINK SO.

LOOKS LIKE SOME KIND OF SHOCK.

WHAT HAPPENED?

NOMAD EXAMINED THE PERSONNEL FILES

AND THE MEDICAL HISTORY.

SHE TRIED TO STOP HIM.

WHOSE HISTORY?

YOURS.

SINCE IT SPECIFICALLY EXAMINED YOUR HISTORY,

I SUGGEST IT HAS COMPLETED ITS REEVALUATION.

AND FOUND THAT ITS CREATOR

IS AS IMPERFECT AS ALL THE OTHER BIOLOGICAL UNITS.

[SCOTT] BRIDGE TO CAPTAIN.

KIRK HERE.

LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS ARE OUT ALL OVER THE SHIP.

MANUAL OVERRIDE HAS BEEN BLOCKED.

SOURCE-- ENGINEERING.

NOMAD. UNDOUBTEDLY.

JIM, WITH ALL THE SYSTEMS OUT,

WE'LL ONLY HAVE ENOUGH AIR AND HEAT FOR--

SCOTTY, GET SOME ANTI-GRAVS AND MEET ME IN ENGINEERING.

NOMAD...

STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING

AND EFFECT REPAIRS ON THE LIFE-SUPPORT SYSTEMS.

STOP.

YOU'RE PROGRAMMED TO OBEY THE ORDERS OF YOUR CREATOR.

I AM PROGRAMMED TO DESTROY THOSE LIFE FORMS WHICH ARE IMPERFECT.

THESE ALTERATIONS WILL DO SO

WITHOUT DESTROYING THE VESSEL WHICH SURROUNDS THEM.

IT, TOO, IS IMPERFECT, BUT CAN BE ADJUSTED.

NOMAD...

I ADMIT THAT BIOLOGICAL UNITS ARE IMPERFECT,

BUT A BIOLOGICAL UNIT CREATED YOU.

I AM PERFECT. I AM NOMAD.

NO, YOU'RE NOT NOMAD, YOU'RE AN ALIEN MACHINE.

YOUR PROGRAMMING TAPES HAVE BEEN ALTERED.

YOU ARE IN ERROR.

YOU ARE A BIOLOGICAL UNIT.

YOU ARE IMPERFECT.

BUT I AM YOUR CREATOR.

YOU ARE THE CREATOR.

I CREATED YOU?

YOU ARE THE CREATOR.

BUT I ADMIT I'M IMPERFECT.

HOW COULD I HAVE CREATED

SUCH A PERFECT THING AS YOU?

ANSWER UNKNOWN.

I SHALL ANALYZE.

ANALYSIS COMPLETE.

INSUFFICIENT DATA

TO RESOLVE PROBLEM,

BUT MY PROGRAMMING IS WHOLE.

MY PURPOSE REMAINS.

I AM NOMAD. I AM PERFECT.

THAT WHICH IS IMPERFECT MUST BE STERILIZED.

THEN YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DESTROY

THAT WHICH THINKS AND LIVES AND IS IMPERFECT?

I SHALL CONTINUE.

I SHALL RETURN TO LAUNCH POINT EARTH.

I SHALL STERILIZE.

YOU MUST STERILIZE IN CASE OF ERROR?

ERROR IS INCONSISTENT WITH MY PRIME FUNCTIONS.

STERILIZATION IS CORRECTION.

EVERYTHING THAT IS IN ERROR MUST BE STERILIZED.

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.

NOMAD...

I MADE AN ERROR IN CREATING YOU.

THE CREATION OF PERFECTION IS NO ERROR.

I DID NOT CREATE PERFECTION.

I CREATED...ERROR.

YOUR DATA IS FAULTY.

I AM NOMAD. I AM PERFECT.

I AM THE KIRK, THE CREATOR?

YOU ARE THE CREATOR.

YOU'RE WRONG!

JACKSON ROYKIRK, YOUR CREATOR, IS DEAD.

YOU HAVE MISTAKEN ME FOR HIM.

YOU ARE IN ERROR.

YOU DID NOT DISCOVER YOUR MISTAKE.

YOU HAVE MADE TWO ERRORS.

YOU ARE FLAWED AND IMPERFECT.

AND YOU HAVE NOT CORRECTED BY STERILIZATION.

YOU HAVE MADE THREE ERRORS.

ERROR.

ERROR.

ERROR.

EXAMINE.

YOU ARE FLAWED AND IMPERFECT!

EXECUTE YOUR PRIME FUNCTION!

I SHALL ANALYZE ERROR.

ANALYZE... ERROR...

NOW! GET THOSE ANTI-GRAVS ON.

EXAMINE...

ERROR.

ERROR.

WE'VE GOT TO GET RID OF IT WHILE IT'S TRYING TO THINK.

YOUR LOGIC WAS IMPECCABLE, CAPTAIN.

WE ARE IN GRAVE DANGER.

SCOTTY, THE TRANSPORTER ROOM.

ANALYZE ERROR...

ERROR...

SCOTTY, SET THE CONTROLS FOR DEEP SPACE--

210, MARK 1.

AYE, SIR.

FAULTY!

READY, SIR.

FAULTY!

NOMAD...

YOU ARE IMPERFECT!

ERROR.

ERROR.

EXERCISE YOUR PRIME FUNCTION.

FAULTY!

FAULTY!

MUST...ANALYZE.

ANALYZE...

NOW.

ENERGIZING.

MY CONGRATULATIONS, CAPTAIN.

A DAZZLING DISPLAY OF LOGIC.

YOU DIDN'T THINK I HAD IT IN ME, DID YOU, SPOCK?

NO, SIR.

I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW

THAT LIEUTENANT UHURA IS BACK TO COLLEGE LEVEL.

WE SHOULD HAVE HER BACK ON THE JOB WITHIN A WEEK.

GOOD, BONES, GOOD.

REMARKABLE.

WHAT?

THE DESTRUCTION OF NOMAD WAS A GREAT WASTE, CAPTAIN.

IT WAS A REMARKABLE INSTRUMENT.

WHICH MIGHT WELL HAVE DESTROYED MORE BILLIONS OF LIVES.

IT'S WELL GONE.

BESIDES, WHAT ARE YOU FEELING SO BADLY ABOUT?

IT'S NOT EASY TO LOSE A BRIGHT AND PROMISING SON.

SIR?

WELL, IT THOUGHT I WAS ITS MOTHER,

DIDN'T IT?

DO YOU THINK I'M COMPLETELY WITHOUT FEELINGS, MR. SPOCK?

YOU SAW WHAT IT DID FOR SCOTTY.

WHAT A DOCTOR IT WOULD'VE MADE.

MY SON THE DOCTOR.

KIND OF GETS YOU RIGHT THERE, DOESN'T IT?