Star Trek Epsiode 23, Season 1:
A Taste of Armageddon
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Episode #: | << 23 >> |
|---|---|
| Air #: | << 23 >> |
| Season: | 1 |
| Air Date: | 1967-02-23 |
| Stardate: | 3192.1 |
| Writer: | Robert Hamner and Gene L. Coon |
| Story: | Robert Hammer |
| Director: | Joseph Pevney |
| Guests: | Gene Lyons, David Opatoshu, Robert Sampson, Barbara Babcock, Miko Mayama, David L. Ross, Sean Kenney |
The Enterprise is en route to star cluster NGC321 to open diplomatic relations with the civilizations there, including the Eminiar VII, principal planet of the star cluster. However, Eminiar VII sends a Code 710 signal telling the Enterprise not to approach under any circumstances. The Federation knows very little about Eminiar VII, except that it has had space travel for several centuries but has never ventured beyond its own solar system. The Federation also knows that when Eminiar VII was first contacted, it was at war with Vendikar, its closest neighbor. However, the Federation ship making the report never returned and was listed as lost in space.
Kirk, Spock, and three crew members (including Galloway and Tamura) beam down and are met by Mea 3 and a security detachment of two who take them to Anan 7 and members of the High Counsel. Anan 7 claims that Eminiar VII has been at war with Vendikar, the third planet in the system, for 500 years. However, no evidence of warfare is evident to the landing party who witness a fusion bomb "attack." In fact, Yeoman Tamura's tricorder shows no radiation disturbances, despite Anan 7's claim that half a million people have just been killed. A counterattack is ordered by Anan 7 and carried out by Sar 6's activation of the "attack unit." Spock realizes that the war is being fought by computers which calculate casualties and that the citizens who are declared "dead" are then required to report to disintegration chambers.
Unfortunately, the Enterprise is declared destroyed by a tri-cobalt satellite explosion from Vendikar, and all persons aboard the Enterprise are ordered to report for disintegration within 24 hours. Kirk and the landing party are held hostage until the crew reports. Mea 3 is also declared a casualty, and so must report for disintegration. Anan 7 attempts to trick the crew down by imitating Kirk's voice and declaring that full diplomatic relations have been established. However, Scott smells a rat, and analyzes the transmission on the computer which determines with 98% certainty that a voice duplicator has been used.
Spock uses a Vulcan mind trick to get the guard to open the confinement cell, at which point he is knocked out and has his weapon stolen by Kirk. The escapees happen across disintegration chamber 12, and Spock takes its operator out of commission by distracting him with the line "Sir, there is a multi-legged creature crawling on your shoulder," then nerve pinching him. Kirk then blasts the chamber.
Anan 7 gives orders to open fire on the Enterprise. Fortunately, Scott has raised the shields and the disrupter fire of magnitude 1812 decibels causes no damage, as reported by navigator DeSalle. Stuffed-shirt Ambassador Robert Fox attributes the attack to a "misunderstanding" and communicates with Anan 7, who claims that an error in their sensors indicated that the Enterprise was about to attack them.
Fox beams down, and is almost disintegrated after he beams down to make diplomatic advances. Meanwhile Kirk is subdued and recaptured while trying to recover the phasers. Spock and the escaped landing party (dressed as Eminiarian) rescue Fox and disintegrate another disintegration chamber. When Anan 7 contacts the Enterprise to demand that the crew beam down, Kirk manages to tell Scotty to issue General Order 24 (destruction of the planet) in two hours. Kirk then overpowers his guards and is joined by Spock. They enter the computer center and destroy the central computer, which causes all the computers to be destroyed in a chain reaction. This nullifies the treaty with Vendikar, and initiates a real war unless Anan 7 agrees to make peace with its ancient enemy. Now faced with the grisly consequences of a real war, Anan agrees, and Fox offers to mediate the negotiations. As the Enterprise heads on its way towards Organna 2, Fox reports from Eminiar VII that the outlook is hopeful.