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THE READING'S GROWING STRONGER, CAPTAIN.

COMING FROM A STAR SYSTEM DIRECTLY AHEAD.

IT'S NOT A SIGNAL, SIR.

IT DOES NOT SEEM TO EVEN EXIST,

AND YET IT'S AFFECTING ALL MY CHANNELS.

WELL?

SOMEONE OR SOMETHING

IS ATTEMPTING TO ATTRACT OUR ATTENTION.

SOMEONE OR SOMETHING HAS SUCCEEDED.

OUR DISTRESS SIGNAL RELAYS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED.

WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A DIRECTION TO FOLLOW, BUT HOW?

WHAT'S CAUSING IT?

I DO NOT KNOW.

NOT EVEN A VULCAN CAN KNOW THE UNKNOWN, CAPTAIN.

WE ARE HUNDREDS OF LIGHT YEARS PAST

WHERE ANY EARTH SHIP HAS EVER EXPLORED.

PLANET DEAD AHEAD, CAPTAIN. BECOMING VISUAL.

CLASS "M" PLANET, CAPTAIN.

CLOSE TO EARTH CONDITIONS.

WITH TWO VERY IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS.

IT IS MUCH OLDER THAN EARTH,

AND ABOUT A HALF MILLION YEARS AGO,

ITS ATMOSPHERE WAS TOTALLY RIPPED AWAY BY SOME SORT OF CATACLYSM.

THE PLANET HAS EVIDENTLY BEEN DEAD SINCE THEN.

SENSORS DETECT NO LIFE OF ANY KIND.

ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS

WILL BE ANSWERED IN TIME, CAPTAIN KIRK.

ARE YOUR HAILING FREQUENCIES OPEN?

NO, SIR.

I AM SARGON.

IT IS THE ENERGY OF MY THOUGHTS

WHICH HAS TOUCHED YOUR INSTRUMENTS

AND DIRECTED YOU HERE.

NOW WITH THIS CLOSER DISTANCE

I CAN SPEAK TO YOU AT LAST.

WHO ARE YOU, SARGON?

PLEASE ASSUME A STANDARD ORBIT

ABOUT OUR PLANET, CAPTAIN.

IS THAT A REQUEST OR DEMAND?

THE CHOICE IS YOURS.

I READ WHAT IS IN YOUR MIND.

WORDS ARE UNNECESSARY.

THE PLANET IS DEAD.

THERE'S NO POSSIBILITY OF LIFE THERE

AS WE UNDERSTAND LIFE.

AND I AM AS DEAD AS MY PLANET.

DOES THAT FRIGHTEN YOU, JAMES KIRK?

FOR IF IT DOES,

IF YOU LET WHAT IS LEFT OF ME PERISH,

THEN ALL OF YOU, MY CHILDREN,

ALL OF MANKIND MUST PERISH, TOO.

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.

CAPTAIN'S LOG, STARDATE 4768.3.

THE ENTERPRISE IS IN ORBIT ABOVE A PLANET

WHOSE SURFACE, OUR SENSORS TELL US,

IS DEVOID OF ALL LIFE,

A WORLD DESTROYED AND DEAD

FOR AT LEAST A HALF MILLION YEARS,

YET FROM IT COMES A VOICE,

THE ENERGY OF PURE THOUGHT,

TELLING US SOMETHING HAS SURVIVED HERE

FOR THOSE THOUSANDS OF CENTURIES.

SINCE EXPLORATION AND CONTACT WITH ALIEN INTELLIGENCE

IS OUR PRIMARY MISSION,

I'VE DECIDED TO RISK THE POTENTIAL DANGERS

AND RESUME CONTACT.

LOG ENTRY OUT.

HOW LONG BEFORE STARFLEET RECEIVES THAT?

OVER THREE WEEKS AT THIS DISTANCE, SIR.

CAPTAIN.

GOT SOMETHING?

SENSORS REGISTERING SOME FORM OF ENERGY

DEEP INSIDE THE PLANET.

YOUR PROBES HAVE TOUCHED ME, MR. SPOCK.

READING ENERGY ONLY, CAPTAIN.

NO LIFE FORMS.

I HAVE LOCKED YOUR TRANSPORTER DEVICE ON MY COORDINATES.

PLEASE COME TO US.

RESCUE US FROM OBLIVION.

COMING FROM DEEP UNDER THE PLANET SURFACE, CAPTAIN,

UNDER AT LEAST 100 MILES OF SOLID ROCK.

I WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOUR TRANSPORTER

TO BEAM YOU THAT DEEP BENEATH THE SURFACE.

HAVE NO FEAR.

READING A CHAMBER NOW.

OXYGEN-NITROGEN ATMOSPHERE,

SUITABLE FOR HUMAN LIFE SUPPORT.

LIEUTENANT UHURA,

HAVE DR. McCOY REPORT TO THE TRANSPORTER ROOM

IN 10 MINUTES WITH STANDARD LANDING PARTY EQUIPMENT.

YES, SIR.

SPOCK--

CAPTAIN, I...

DO WISH TO INSPECT WHATEVER THIS IS

THAT LIVED THAT LONG AGO.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY SCIENCE OFFICER WITH ME

ON SOMETHING AS UNUSUAL AS THIS,

BUT IT IS FULL OF UNKNOWNS,

AND WE CAN'T RISK BOTH OF US BEING OFF THE SHIP.

ALL POWER GONE, SIR.

ON THE OTHER HAND,

PERHAPS THIS SARGON

WOULD LIKE YOU TO COME WITH US.

FASCINATING.

ALL NORMAL. NO DAMAGE AT ALL.

I SEE.

WILL YOU TRANSPORT DOWN WITH US, MR. SPOCK?

EVIDENTLY, CAPTAIN.

MR. SULU, YOU HAVE THE CON.

JIM, WHY NO BRIEFING ON THIS?

I'D AT LEAST LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING INTO.

EASY. EASY, BONES.

AS LONG AS YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMETHING DOWN THERE,

YOU KNOW AS MUCH AS WE DO.

THE REST IS ONLY GUESSES.

I DON'T LIKE IT, SIR.

THE TRANSPORTER COORDINATES PRESET BY A...

BY AN ALIEN OF SOME SORT.

YOU COULD MATERIALIZE INSIDE SOLID ROCK.

INSIDE SOLID ROCK?

UNLIKELY. THESE COORDINATES

CORRESPOND WITH THE LOCATION

OF THE SUBTERRANEAN CHAMBER.

I HAVE A FEELING THAT THEY OR IT

COULD DESTROY US JUST STANDING HERE

IF THEY OR IT WANTED TO.

THEY OR IT?

WHO ARE YOU?

DR. ANNE MULHALL, ASTRO-BIOLOGY.

WELL, I WAS ORDERED TO REPORT HERE

FOR LANDING PARTY DUTY.

BY WHOM?

STRANGE. I'M NOT SURE.

WELL, I'M NOT A LIAR, CAPTAIN.

I DID RECEIVE AN ORDER TO REPORT HERE FOR DUTY.

I'M SURE SHE DID, CAPTAIN,

JUST AS YOU RECEIVED AN ORDER TO BRING ME ALONG.

OH, YES.

LET'S GET BACK TO THIS SOLID ROCK BUSINESS.

JUST HOW MUCH ROCK ARE WE GOING TO GO THROUGH?

APPROXIMATELY 112.37 MILES, DOCTOR.

MILES?

ARE YOU JOKING?

NO, WE'RE NOT.

LET'S GO.

PLEASE STAND READY.

I WILL OPERATE YOUR CONTROLS.

DOCTOR...

IF YOU PREFER TO STAY BEHIND...

NO.

NO, IF I'D BE USEFUL,

AS LONG AS YOU'RE GOING DOWN,

I MIGHT AS WELL TAKE A MEDICAL LOOK AT WHATEVER THIS IS.

[BEEPING]

CAPTAIN, THE SECURITY GUARDS.

[BEEP BEEP]

KIRK HERE.

[SCOTTY] CAN YOU READ ME, CAPTAIN?

YES, SCOTTY, AND I SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO

THIS DEEP INSIDE THE PLANET,

BUT PERHAPS THAT'S BEEN ARRANGED FOR US, TOO.

IS THE SECURITY GUARD UP THERE?

THEY'RE FINE, CAPTAIN. THEY JUST DIDN'T DEMATERIALIZE.

I DON'T LIKE IT, SIR.

NO PROBLEM YET.

MAINTAIN ALERT. KIRK OUT.

ATMOSPHERE REPORT, CAPTAIN.

A FRACTION RICHER IN OXYGEN THAN USUAL FOR US,

BUT OTHERWISE NORMAL.

THIS VAULT WAS CONSTRUCTED ABOUT A HALF MILLION YEARS AGO.

ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE PLANET SURFACE WAS DESTROYED,

IF OUR SENSOR READINGS ARE ACCURATE.

COMPOSITION OF WALLS?

THEY'RE AN ALLOY OR SUBSTANCE

COMPLETELY UNKNOWN TO ME,

MUCH STRONGER AND HARDER

THAN ANYTHING I'VE MEASURED BEFORE.

ALL READINGS ARE OFF THE SCALE, CAPTAIN.

THE AIR SEEMS FRESH.

IT MUST BE RECIRCULATED SOMEHOW.

IS THAT FOR US OR DOES IT NEED FRESH AIR?

WELCOME.

I AM SARGON.

SARGON...

WOULD IT HARM YOU IF I...

YOU MAY USE YOUR TRICORDER, MR. SPOCK.

YOUR READINGS WILL SHOW ENERGY

BUT NO SUBSTANCE.

SEALED IN THIS RECEPTACLE

IS THE ESSENCE OF MY MIND.

PURE ENERGY.

MATTER WITHOUT FORM.

IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT YOU ONCE HAD A BODY OF SOME TYPE?

A BODY MUCH AS YOURS, MY CHILDREN,

ALTHOUGH OUR MINDS WERE INFINITELY GREATER.

THAT'S TWICE YOU'VE REFERRED TO US

AS "MY CHILDREN."

BECAUSE IT IS POSSIBLE YOU ARE OUR DESCENDANTS,

CAPTAIN KIRK.

SIX THOUSAND CENTURIES AGO,

OUR VESSELS WERE COLONIZING THIS GALAXY,

JUST AS YOUR OWN STARSHIPS

HAVE NOW BEGUN TO EXPLORE THAT VASTNESS.

AS YOU NOW LEAVE YOUR OWN SEED ON DISTANT PLANETS,

SO WE LEFT OUR SEED BEHIND US.

PERHAPS YOUR OWN LEGENDS OF AN ADAM AND AN EVE

WERE TWO OF OUR TRAVELERS.

OUR BELIEFS AND OUR STUDIES

INDICATE THAT LIFE ON OUR PLANET EARTH

EVOLVED INDEPENDENTLY.

THAT WOULD TEND, HOWEVER,

TO EXPLAIN CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF VULCAN PREHISTORY.

IN EITHER CASE, I DO NOT KNOW.

IT WAS SO LONG AGO,

AND THE RECORDS OF OUR TRAVELS WERE LOST IN THE CATACLYSM

WHICH WE LOOSENED UPON OURSELVES.

A WAR?

A STRUGGLE FOR SUCH GOALS

AND THE UNLEASHING OF SUCH POWER

THAT YOU COULD NOT COMPREHEND.

THEN PERHAPS YOUR INTELLIGENCE

WASN'T SO GREAT, SARGON.

WE FACED A SIMILAR CRISIS

IN OUR EARLY NUCLEAR AGE.

WE FOUND THE WISDOM

NOT TO DESTROY OURSELVES.

AND WE SURVIVED OUR PRIMITIVE NUCLEAR ERA, MY SON.

BUT THERE COMES TO ALL RACES

AN ULTIMATE CRISIS

WHICH YOU HAVE YET TO FACE.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

ONE DAY OUR MINDS BECAME SO POWERFUL,

WE DARED THINK OF OURSELVES AS GODS.

YOU SAID YOU WANTED OUR HELP.

WHAT IS IT YOU WISH?

JUST A MOMENT, DOCTOR.

I...

AM...

SARGON.

WHERE'S OUR CAPTAIN?

WHERE'S JIM KIRK?

HE IS...UNHARMED.

I...HAVE TAKEN HIS BODY TO DEMONSTRATE.

I WON'T GO ALONG WITH THIS.

BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE, SARGON,

OR WHATEVER YOU ARE.

AND IF HE REFUSES, DOCTOR,

WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE TO DO WITH YOUR PHASER?

THAT IS STILL JIM'S BODY.

LUNGS FILLED WITH AIR AGAIN.

TO SEE AGAIN.

HEART...PUMPING.

ARTERIES SURGING BLOOD AGAIN.

AFTER A HALF A MILLION YEARS.

TO BE AGAIN.

YOUR CAPTAIN HAS AN EXCELLENT BODY, DR. McCOY.

I COMPLIMENT YOU BOTH

ON THE CONDITION IN WHICH YOU MAINTAINED IT.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR IT?

CAN YOU EXCHANGE PLACES AGAIN WHEN YOU WISH?

HAVE NO FEAR.

YOUR CAPTAIN IS QUITE UNHARMED,

ALTHOUGH HIS MIND GENERATES INSUFFICIENT ENERGY

FOR HIM TO SPEAK FROM THERE AS I DO.

DOCTOR?

YES, I HAVE THE SAME READINGS.

ARE YOU AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO HIS BODY--

HEART ACTION DOUBLED, TEMPERATURE 104 DEGREES?

HE'LL DIE IF YOU DON'T LEAVE HIS BODY SOON.

WHAT IS IT YOU WANT OF US?

IN THE NEXT ROOM,

THERE ARE OTHER RECEPTACLES--

THE OTHER TWO OF US THAT SURVIVED.

YOU, DR. ANNE MULHALL, AND YOU, MR. SPOCK,

WE REQUIRE YOUR BODIES ALSO.

WE MUST HAVE CAPTAIN KIRK...

AND YOU...

SO THAT WE MAY LIVE AGAIN.

EVEN FOR US,

A HALF MILLION YEARS WAS ALMOST TOO LONG TO WAIT.

TWO OTHERS STILL SURVIVE--

HENOCH...

AND THALASSA.

THALASSA, MY THALASSA.

I AM PLEASED YOU SURVIVED.

FORGIVE ME.

IT HAS BEEN SO VERY LONG.

WHEN THE STRUGGLE CAME

WHICH DEVASTATED YOUR PLANET--

ONLY THE BEST MINDS WERE CHOSEN TO SURVIVE--

THALASSA,

MY WIFE, AS YOU MAY HAVE GUESSED.

HENOCH, FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

REALIZING OUR MISTAKE,

WE ATTEMPTED TO PERPETUATE BOTH SIDES.

WE BUILT THIS CHAMBER HERE

IN ORDER TO PRESERVE OUR ESSENCE IN THIS FASHION.

FASCINATING.

WE KNEW THE SEED THAT WE HAD PLANTED ON OTHER PLANETS

WOULD TAKE ROOT,

THAT ONE DAY YOU WOULD BUILD VESSELS AS WE DID,

AND ONE DAY YOU WOULD COME HERE.

THESE OTHERS,

THEY WERE STORED DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU,

BUT IT WAS YOUR TASK

TO REMAIN IN THE RECEPTACLE OUT THERE...

AND SEARCH THE HEAVENS WITH MY MIND,

PROBING, WAITING, PROBING.

AND THEN ONE DAY MY MIND TOUCHED YOUR VESSEL

AND BROUGHT YOU HERE.

SO YOU COULD STEAL OUR BODIES FROM US?

TO STEAL?

TO TAKE THEM FROM YOU?

NO, NO, MY CHILDREN, YOU MISUNDERSTAND.

WE MEAN ONLY THAT YOU SHOULD LEND US YOUR BODIES

FOR A SHORT TIME.

AND DESTROY THEM,

JUST AS YOU'RE BURNING THAT ONE UP NOW.

HEARTBEAT--262, SPOCK.

ENTIRE METABOLIC RATE CORRESPONDINGLY HIGH.

I WILL RETURN YOUR CAPTAIN TO YOU

BEFORE THE BODY LIMIT HAS BEEN REACHED.

OUR BODIES, SARGON,

FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

TO BUILD.

TO BUILD HUMANOID ROBOTS.

WE MUST BORROW YOUR BODIES LONG ENOUGH

TO HAVE THE USE OF YOUR HANDS, YOUR FINGERS.

THEN YOU INTEND TO CONSTRUCT MECHANICAL BODIES,

MOVE YOUR MINDS INTO THEM,

AND THEN RETURN OUR BODIES TO US.

WE HAVE ENGINEERS, TECHNICIANS.

WHY CAN'T THEY BUILD YOUR ROBOTS FOR YOU?

NO. OUR METHODS, OUR SKILLS...

ARE FAR BEYOND YOUR ABILITIES.

IT IS TIME.

IS IT YOU, JIM?

GOOD. HIS METABOLIC RATE IS BACK TO NORMAL.

CAPTAIN, DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?

DO YOU REMEMBER ANY PART OF IT?

YES. SARGON BORROWED MY BODY.

I WAS FLOATING IN TIME AND SPACE.

HE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE HARMED.

PHYSICALLY, ANYWAY.

SPOCK...

I REMEMBER.

WHEN SARGON AND I EXCHANGED,

AS WE PASSED EACH OTHER,

FOR AN INSTANT, WE WERE ONE.

I KNOW HIM NOW.

I KNOW WHAT HE IS AND WHAT HE WANTS,

AND I DON'T FEAR HIM.

THAT'S THE MOST RIDICULOUS STATEMENT I'VE EVER HEARD.

AN ALIEN PRACTICALLY HIJACKS YOUR BODY

AND THEN CORKS YOU INTO A BOTTLE, AND YOU--

I'M AFRAID THAT I MUST AGREE WITH DR. McCOY.

YOU COULD BE SUFFERING FROM A FORM OF FALSE EUPHORIA.

SARGON.

I UNDERSTAND, MY SON.

GO TO YOUR VESSEL.

ALL WHO ARE INVOLVED MUST AGREE TO THIS.

AFTER ALL THESE CENTURIES,

WE CAN WAIT A FEW MORE HOURS.

WHAT IF WE SHOULD DECIDE AGAINST YOU?

THEN YOU MAY GO AS FREELY AS YOU CAME.

YOU'RE GOING TO WHAT?

ARE THEY ALL RIGHT IN THE HEAD, DOCTOR?

NO COMMENT.

A SIMPLE TRANSFERENCE-- THEIR MINDS AND OURS.

QUITE SIMPLE. HAPPENS EVERY DAY.

SCOTTY, I NEED YOUR APPROVAL, TOO,

SINCE YOU'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM,

FURNISHING THEM ALL THEY NEED TO MAKE THE ANDROID ROBOTS.

YOU WON'T BE WORKING WITH THEM.

YOU'LL BE WORKING WITH US--OUR BODIES.

THEY'LL BE INSIDE US, AND WE'LL BE--

IT ALL SEEMS RATHER INDECENT TO ME.

I'M NOT SO CERTAIN OF THAT, DOCTOR.

IT IS SCIENTIFICALLY FASCINATING.

ONCE INSIDE THEIR MECHANICAL BODIES, ENGINEER,

THEY CAN LEAVE THIS PLANET,

TRAVEL BACK WITH US.

WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE, MANKIND COULD LEAP AHEAD 10,000 YEARS.

BONES, THEY'LL SHOW US MEDICAL ADVANCES,

MIRACLES YOU NEVER DREAMED POSSIBLE.

SCOTTY, ENGINEERING ADVANCES--

VESSELS THIS SIZE

WITH ENGINES THE SIZE OF WALNUTS.

ACH! YOU'RE JOKING.

NO, HE'S NOT.

THEY'RE GIANTS, AND WE'RE INSECTS BESIDE THEM.

THEY COULD DESTROY US WITHOUT MEANING TO.

AND ALL HE WANTS IS OUR CAPTAIN'S BODY

AND OUR SECOND IN COMMAND, TOO.

COINCIDENCE?

THEY SELECTED US AS THE MOST COMPATIBLE BODIES.

WHAT'S YOUR ATTITUDE ON THAT, DOCTOR?

WELL, IF WE ALL AGREE,

I'M WILLING TO HOST THALASSA'S MIND.

I'M A SCIENTIST.

THE OPPORTUNITY IS AN EXTRAORDINARY ONE

FOR EXPERIMENTATION, OBSERVATION.

A STARSHIP ENGINE THE SIZE OF A WALNUT?

THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT I DON'T SUPPOSE THERE'D BE ANY HARM

IN LOOKING OVER DIAGRAMS ON IT.

BONES...

YOU COULD STOP ALL THIS BY SAYING NO.

THAT'S WHY I CALLED YOU ALL HERE TOGETHER.

WE'LL ALL BE DEEPLY INVOLVED.

IT MUST BE UNANIMOUS.

THEN I'LL STILL WANT ONE QUESTION ANSWERED TO MY SATISFACTION--

WHY?

NOT A LIST OF POSSIBLE MIRACLES,

BUT A SIMPLE BASIC UNDERSTANDABLE "WHY"

THAT OVERRIDES ALL DANGER.

AND LET'S NOT KID OURSELVES

THAT THERE IS NO POTENTIAL DANGER IN THIS.

THEY USED TO SAY

IF MAN COULD FLY, HE'D HAVE WINGS.

BUT HE DID FLY.

HE DISCOVERED HE HAD TO.

DO YOU WISH THAT THE FIRST APOLLO MISSION

HADN'T REACHED THE MOON

OR THAT WE HADN'T GONE ON TO MARS AND THEN TO THE NEAREST STAR?

THAT'S LIKE SAYING YOU WISH THAT YOU STILL OPERATED WITH SCALPELS

AND SEWED YOUR PATIENTS UP WITH CATGUT

LIKE YOUR GREAT- GREAT-GREAT-

GREAT-GRANDFATHER USED TO.

I'M IN COMMAND.

I COULD ORDER THIS.

BUT I'M NOT...

BECAUSE...

DR. McCOY IS RIGHT

IN POINTING OUT THE ENORMOUS DANGER POTENTIAL

IN ANY CONTACT WITH LIFE AND INTELLIGENCE

AS FANTASTICALLY ADVANCED AS THIS.

BUT I MUST POINT OUT THAT THE POSSIBILITIES,

THE POTENTIAL FOR KNOWLEDGE AND ADVANCEMENT

IS EQUALLY GREAT.

RISK.

RISK IS OUR BUSINESS.

THAT'S WHAT THIS STARSHIP IS ALL ABOUT.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE ABOARD HER.

YOU MAY DISSENT WITHOUT PREJUDICE.

DO I HEAR A NEGATIVE VOTE?

ENGINEER...

STAND BY TO BEAM ABOARD THREE RECEPTACLES.

THE EXTREME POWER OF THE ALIEN MIND

WILL DRIVE THE HEART ACTION DANGEROUSLY HIGH.

THE BODY FUNCTIONS WILL RACE MANY TIMES THEIR NORMAL METABOLISM,

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MONITOR THIS VERY CAREFULLY.

YES, SIR.

WELL, I GUESS WE'RE ABOUT AS READY AS WE'LL EVER BE, JIM.

READY, SARGON.

THE TRANSFERENCE...

IS COMPLETE.

HMM...

METABOLIC RATE IS DOUBLED AND RISING, DOCTOR.

HELLO.

OH, YOU ARE A LOVELY FEMALE.

A PLEASANT SIGHT TO WAKE UP TO

AFTER HALF A MILLION YEARS.

THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

I'D FORGOTTEN WHAT IT FELT LIKE...

EVEN TO BREATHE AGAIN.

SARGON?

HERE.

IN THIS BODY.

I AM NOT DISPLEASED, MY HUSBAND.

YOUR BODY IS NOT UNLIKE THAT WHICH WAS YOUR OWN.

AND I, TOO...

AM PLEASED, BELOVED.

AFTER SO LONG...

SO VERY LONG.

YES.

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BODY, DOCTOR.

I SEEM TO HAVE RECEIVED THE BEST OF THE THREE.

STRENGTH, HEARING, EYESIGHT,

ALL FAR ABOVE YOUR HUMAN NORMS.

I'M SURPRISED THE VULCANS NEVER CONQUERED YOUR RACE.

VULCANS WORSHIP PEACE ABOVE ALL, HENOCH.

YES, OF COURSE, JUST AS WE DO, DOCTOR.

NURSE!

DOCTOR.

HENOCH, YOU'D BETTER GET BACK TO BED, TOO.

IT WILL BE UNNECESSARY, DOCTOR.

THIS VULCAN BODY IS ACCUSTOMED TO THE HIGHER METABOLISM.

SARGON, IT WON'T WORK.

YOU'VE GOT TO GET OUT BEFORE YOU KILL THEM!

WE WILL VACATE AT ONCE

UNTIL YOU CAN ADMINISTER A METABOLIC REDUCTION INJECTION.

A WHAT?

I'LL PREPARE THE FORMULA, SARGON.

HENOCH...

YOUR CONDITION?

I CAN CONTINUE IN THIS BODY FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

FORTUNATE.

WE WILL...

VACATE AT ONCE.

THIS WOMAN WILL ASSIST ME.

YOU WILL TAKE ME TO YOUR PHARMACOLOGY LABORATORY.

BONES...

WHAT...

IT WAS CLOSE, JIM.

YOU BOTH BARELY GOT BACK ALIVE.

UNLESS THE FORMULA WORKS,

WE CAN'T RISK IT AGAIN.

NOW, THIS FORMULA WILL REDUCE THE HEART ACTION

AND THE BODILY FUNCTIONS TO NORMAL.

WHILE THE BODIES ARE OCCUPIED,

YOU WILL ADMINISTER ONE INJECTION OF 10ccs

EACH HOUR.

I UNDERSTAND.

THIS HYPO YOU WILL CODE MARK FOR THALASSA.

AND THIS ONE YOU WILL CODE MARK...FOR ME.

YES, SIR.

THIS ONE YOU WILL ADMINISTER TO CAPTAIN KIRK

WHILE SARGON IS IN HIS BODY.

THIS HYPO DOES NOT CONTAIN THE SAME FORMULA.

NO. THAT'S CORRECT.

BUT SINCE I WILL ARRANGE FOR YOU

TO ADMINISTER EACH OF THE INJECTIONS,

NO ONE ELSE WILL NOTICE.

BUT WITHOUT THE SAME FORMULA,

CAPTAIN KIRK WILL DIE.

WHAT WERE YOU SAYING?

I...

I-I-I WAS... I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING.

I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS.

YES. WELL, YOU WERE ABOUT TO SAY

THAT YOU WATCHED ME PREPARE THE FORMULA

AND FILL EACH OF THE HYPOS.

YES, THAT...THAT WAS IT.

I WILL INFORM DR. McCOY

THAT EACH IS PROPERLY FILLED FOR EACH PATIENT.

VERY GOOD.

YOU SEE, SARGON WOULD NOT PERMIT ME TO KEEP THIS BODY.

IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY FOR YOU TO KILL YOUR CAPTAIN

SO THAT SARGON WILL DIE WITH HIM.

[DR. McCOY] ENTERPRISE MEDICAL LOG,

STARDATE 4769.1.

THREE ALIEN MINDS

NOW INHABIT THE BODIES OF CAPTAIN KIRK,

SCIENCE OFFICER SPOCK,

AND DR. ANNE MULHALL.

AS PLANNED,

THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANDROID ROBOTS IS UNDERWAY.

ALL IS PROCEEDING AS EXPECTED...

AND AS PROMISED.

I CAN FIND NO REASON FOR CONCERN,

BUT YET I AM FILLED WITH FOREBODING.

SARGON, I REMEMBER A DAY LONG AGO.

WE SAT BESIDE A SILVER LAKE.

THE AIR WAS SCENTED WITH THE FLOWERS OF OUR PLANET.

I REMEMBER.

YOU HELD MY HAND...

LIKE THIS.

I THINK IT BEST NOT TO REMEMBER SO WELL.

IN TWO DAYS, YOU'LL HAVE HANDS OF YOUR OWN AGAIN, THALASSA--

MECHANICALLY EFFICIENT AND QUITE HUMAN-LOOKING.

ANDROID ROBOT HANDS, OF COURSE.

HANDS WITHOUT FEELING.

ENJOY THE TASTE OF LIFE WHILE YOU CAN.

OUR MINDS WILL HAVE SURVIVED.

AND AS ANDROIDS,

WE CAN MOVE AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO DO LIVE,

TEACHING THEM,

HELPING THEM NOT TO MAKE THE ERRORS WE DID.

WHAT IS IT, SARGON?

NOTHING.

OUR NEXT INJECTION WILL RENOVATE ME.

DO NOT BE CONCERNED.

NURSE, HOW ARE THE LAST METABOLIC READINGS ON OUR PATIENTS?

YOU'LL FIND THEM EXCELLENT, DOCTOR.

WELL WITHIN NORMAL.

IS SOMETHING WRONG, MISS CHAPEL?

UH...YES.

I, UH...

I HAD... SOMETHING TO SAY.

I...CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER.

REGARDING OUR PATIENTS?

UM...YES.

THAT MUST BE IT.

UM...

I AM SO PLEASED THE WAY THEY ARE RESPONDING, DOCTOR.

THE FORMULA'S WORKING PERFECTLY.

YOU LOOK TIRED, MISS CHAPEL.

PERHAPS YOU'D CARE FOR ME

TO ADMINISTER THE LAST FEW INJECTIONS.

TIRED?

WELL, NOT AT ALL, DOCTOR.

THANK YOU FOR ASKING.

THANK YOU.

HAVE YOU PREPARED THE NEGATON HYDROCOILS

FOR THE DRAWING SARGON SUPPLIED?

FOR ALL THE GOOD IT'LL DO YOU.

IT'S A FANCY NAME,

BUT HOW WILL SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A DROP OF JELLY

MAKE THIS THING WORK?

YOU'LL NEED MICROGEARS

AND SOME FORM OF PULLEY THAT DOES WHAT A MUSCLE DOES.

THAT WOULD BE HIGHLY INEFFICIENT.

I TELL YOU, LADY, THIS THING WON'T WORK.

IT WILL HAVE TWICE THE STRENGTH AND AGILITY OF YOUR BODY, ENGINEER,

AND IT WILL LAST A THOUSAND YEARS.

THAT IS, ASSUMING YOU'LL STOP WASTING YOUR TIME

AND ALLOW US TO COMPLETE IT.

A THOUSAND-YEAR PRISON, THALASSA.

AND WHEN IT WEARS OUT, WE'LL BUILD ANOTHER ONE,

AND WE'LL LOCK OURSELVES INTO IT

FOR ANOTHER THOUSAND YEARS...

AND ANOTHER...

AND ANOTHER.

SARGON HAS CLOSED HIS MIND TO A BETTER WAY...

WITH THESE BODIES.

THEY'RE NOT OURS, HENOCH.

WHEN YOU AWOKE IN THIS BODY, THALASSA,

YOU SAID HOW GOOD IT WAS TO BREATHE AGAIN,

TO HAVE EYES,

AND TO SEE AGAIN,

TO FEEL...

TO LIVE AND FEEL AGAIN, THALASSA.

JUST THINK HOW MUCH WE CAN DO FOR MANKIND.

ARE THESE BODIES TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR IN RETURN?

WOULD YOU PREFER THIS?

NO.

I'M BEGINNING TO HATE IT.

SICKBAY.

SICKBAY. McCOY.

SARGON HERE, McCOY.

I'M IN YOUR...

DECK 6 BRIEFING ROOM.

YOU SOUND TERRIBLE.

WAIT THERE FOR ME.

SARGON, WHAT IS IT?

NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE.

FATIGUE, PERHAPS.

HENOCH'S FORMULA.

YES. I WANTED TO BE CERTAIN THERE WAS NO ERROR.

FORMULA...

IS CORRECT.

DON'T BE CONCERNED.

IT IS AN EXCELLENT BODY.

THERE. YOU SEE?

I FEEL BETTER ALREADY.

IN TIME, OUR HOST BODY WILL BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO US, HUSBAND.

INJECTIONS WILL NO LONGER BE NECESSARY.

THAT WILL TAKE MONTHS,

PERHAPS YEARS.

WE HAVEN'T THAT CHOICE, THALASSA.

HUSBAND...

FEEL THE TOUCH OF MY HAND, HUSBAND.

NO, BELOVED.

IF WE TORMENT OURSELVES--

BELOVED-- WHAT WILL THAT WORD MEAN TO A MACHINE?

OUR THOUGHTS WILL INTERTWINE.

WILL THEY, HUSBAND?

WILL THEY INTERTWINE LIKE THIS?

CAN TWO MINDS PRESS CLOSE LIKE THIS?

CAN ROBOT LIPS DO THIS?

SARGON...

WHAT IS IT?

HYPO.

DOCTOR, HELP HIM.

HE'S DEAD.

[DR. McCOY] MEDICAL LOG,

STARDATE 4770.3.

DO I LIST ONE DEATH OR TWO?

WHEN KIRK'S BODY DIED,

SARGON WAS TOO FAR DISTANT FROM HIS RECEPTACLE

TO TRANSFER BACK.

SARGON IS DEAD.

BUT IS CAPTAIN KIRK DEAD?

HIS BODY IS,

BUT HIS CONSCIOUSNESS IS STILL IN THE RECEPTACLE

INTO WHICH IT WAS TRANSFERRED EARLIER.

ALL HIS VITAL ORGANS ARE NOW WORKING, DOCTOR.

YES. WE CAN KEEP THEM GOING FOR A FEW WEEKS OR A MONTH,

FOR ALL THE GOOD IT'LL DO.

WHY PRETEND TO WORK ON THAT THING, HENOCH?

YOU KNOW YOU NEVER INTENDED TO LEAVE SPOCK'S BODY.

THIS IS YOUR NEW HOME, THALASSA.

ONCE OCCUPIED, I'LL ADD FEMALE FEATURES

AND SOME TEXTURING.

YOU NO DOUBT WANT THE MECHANISM

TO AT LEAST APPEAR TO BE A WOMAN.

[BEEPING]

IT IS READY, THALASSA.

NO!

YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE TO KEEP THE REAL BODY ANY LONGER.

SARGON WOULD'VE REQUIRED

THAT YOU ENTER THE MECHANISM IMMEDIATELY.

I CANNOT LIVE IN THAT THING.

DOCTOR.

YES?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAVE YOUR CAPTAIN KIRK?

BUT YOU SAID THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

WE HAVE MANY POWERS SARGON DID NOT PERMIT US TO USE.

HE THOUGHT THEM TOO TEMPTING TO US.

THIS BODY PLEASES ME.

I INTEND TO KEEP IT.

I SEE.

AND HENOCH INTENDS TO KEEP SPOCK'S BODY, OF COURSE.

HENOCH'S PLANS ARE HIS OWN AFFAIR.

I WISH ONLY TO EXIST IN PEACE

AS A LIVING WOMAN.

IF YOU'RE ASKING MY APPROVAL--

I REQUIRE ONLY YOUR SILENCE.

ONLY YOU AND I WILL KNOW

THAT DR. MULHALL HAS NOT RETURNED TO HER BODY.

ISN'T THAT WORTH YOUR CAPTAIN'S LIFE?

DOCTOR...

WE CAN TAKE WHAT WE WISH.

NEITHER YOU, THIS SHIP,

NOR ALL YOUR WORLDS HAVE THE POWER TO STOP US.

NEITHER JIM NOR I CAN TRADE A BODY WE DON'T OWN.

IT HAPPENS TO BELONG TO A YOUNG WOMAN.

WHO YOU HARDLY KNOW.

ALMOST A STRANGER TO YOU.

I WILL NOT PEDDLE FLESH!

I'M A PHYSICIAN.

A PHYSICIAN?

IN CONTRAST TO WHAT WE ARE,

YOU ARE A PRANCING, SAVAGE MEDICINE MAN.

YOU DARE DEFY ONE

YOU SHOULD BE ON YOUR KNEES WORSHIPPING?

I COULD DESTROY YOU WITH A SINGLE THOUGHT.

STOP!

SARGON WAS RIGHT.

TEMPTATIONS WITHIN A LIVING BODY ARE TOO GREAT.

FORGIVE ME.

I AM PLEASED, MY BELOVED.

IT IS GOOD YOU HAVE FOUND THE TRUTH YOURSELF.

SARGON?

WHERE ARE YOU?

I THOUGHT YOU WERE DESTROYED BY HENOCH.

I HAVE POWER EVEN HENOCH DOES NOT SUSPECT, BELOVED.

YES.

YES, I SEE.

I...

I UNDERSTAND.

JUST AS WE WOULD HAVE PLACED OUR CONSCIOUSNESS WITHIN ROBOTS,

SARGON HAS PLACED HIS INTO YOUR VESSEL.

DOCTOR.

DOCTOR, LEAVE US.

SARGON HAS A PLAN. WE HAVE MUCH WORK TO DO.

THIS IS SICKBAY. GET ME--

NURSE CHAPEL, WHAT IN THE DEVIL--

JIM?

ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

YES, I'M FINE, BONES.

THALASSA?

SHE IS... NOW WITH SARGON, DOCTOR.

I...

I'M ANNE MULHALL,

BACK IN MY OWN BODY.

JIM, THE RECEPTACLES!

SPOCK'S CONSCIOUSNESS WAS IN ONE OF THEM.

IT WAS NECESSARY.

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

THERE IS NO SPOCK TO RETURN TO HIS BODY.

YOU'VE KILLED A LOYAL OFFICER,

YOUR BEST FRIEND.

BONES, PREPARE A HYPO--

THE FASTEST, DEADLIEST POISON TO VULCANS.

SPOCK'S CONSCIOUSNESS IS GONE.

WE MUST KILL HIS BODY,

THE THING IN IT.

AAH!

MUST I MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF YOU, TOO, HELM?

PAIN, CAPTAIN?

AND YOU, MY DEAR?

FORTUNATELY, DOCTOR,

I KNOW EVERY THOUGHT OF EVERY MIND AROUND ME.

SEE?

TAKE THE HYPO FROM HIM.

AND INJECT HIM WITH IT.

YOU FOOLS.

I'LL SIMPLY TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PLACE,

ANOTHER BODY.

SARGON!

NO, SARGON, PLEASE.

LET ME...

LET ME...

TRANSFER...

SPOCK.

MY FRIEND SPOCK.

IF THERE'D ONLY BEEN ANOTHER WAY.

I COULD NOT ALLOW YOUR SACRIFICE

OF ONE SO CLOSE TO YOU.

JIM.

YOU'RE ALIVE.

THERE WAS ENOUGH POISON IN THAT HYPO

TO KILL 10 VULCANS.

NO, DOCTOR,

I ALLOWED YOU TO BELIEVE THAT TO BE TRUE

SO THAT HENOCH WOULD READ YOUR THOUGHTS

AND BELIEVE IT ALSO.

SARGON.

IT SEEMS, DOCTOR, THE INJECTION

WAS ONLY ENOUGH TO CAUSE UNCONSCIOUSNESS.

BUT HENOCH BELIEVED AND FLED THE BODY.

HE IS DESTROYED.

BUT YOUR VESSEL WAS DESTROYED, TOO.

WHERE WAS YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS KEPT?

THE PLACE HENOCH WOULD LEAST SUSPECT, CAPTAIN.

THAT IS WHY I WAS SUMMONED TO THE SICKBAY, DOCTOR.

MR. SPOCK'S CONSCIOUSNESS WAS PLACED IN ME.

WE SHARED CONSCIOUSNESS TOGETHER.

WE NOW KNOW WE CANNOT PERMIT OURSELVES

TO EXIST IN YOUR WORLD, MY CHILDREN.

THALASSA AND I MUST NOW ALSO DEPART INTO OBLIVION.

IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN HELP YOU, SARGON?

YES, MY SON.

YOU CAN ALLOW THALASSA AND ME

TO SHARE YOUR BODIES AGAIN.

A LAST MOMENT TOGETHER.

OBLIVION TOGETHER DOES NOT FRIGHTEN ME, BELOVED.

PROMISE WE'LL BE TOGETHER.

I PROMISE...

BELOVED.

TOGETHER FOREVER.

FOREVER...BELOVED.

FOREVER.

WELL, I'M SURE THAT, UH...

SARGON APPRECIATED YOUR COOPERATION, DR. MULHALL.

YES. I WAS, UH...

HAPPY TO COOPERATE, CAPTAIN.

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.