03x22 - The Savage Curtain

[bunniefuu]

All observation
Stations take
Final readings.

This will be
Our last orbit.

Spock, any answers?

I still read a suggestion
Of carbon cycle life forms

On the planet's
Surface, captain.

Which is
Scientifically
Impossible

Under
Conditions there.

Agreed.

Mr. Sulu,

Switch to the planet area
I have under observation.

I'm reading it now,
Mr. Spock.

It seems to indicate
Artificial par

Being generated in
Factor 7 quantities.

Which would indicate

A considerable
Civilization there.

What's all this poppycock

About life forms
On this planet, spock?

The surface is molten lava.

The atmosphere
Is poisonous.

Our readings
Could be false, captain.

Perhaps caused by
Some natural phenomena.

Well, I think starfleet
Should forget about
Those old space legends.

There's no
Intelligent life here.

Lieutenant, anything
From the planet?

I've repeatedly
Tried on every
Hailing frequency, sir.

There's no response
On any channel.

Transmit to starfleet

Our sensor readings
And log entries
On the planet.

Surface conditions
Make it impossible

For us to beam down
And investigate further.

We are therefore
Going on to
Our next assignment.

Aye, aye, sir.

Completing
Final orbit,
Sir.

Prepare to warp us out.

Alert status.

We're being
Scanned, captain.

A deep probe,
Incredibly swift.

Jim.

Captain kirk, I believe.

A pleasure to make
Your acquaintance, sir.

Uhura...

No need to check
Your voice telegraph device.

Do I gather
That you recognize me?

I recognize
What you appear to be.

And appearances
Can be most deceiving.

But not in this case,
James kirk.

I am abraham lincoln.

Kirk: space:
The final frontier.

These are the voyages
Of the starship "Enterprise."

Its 5-year mission--

To explore
Strange new worlds,

To seek out new life
And new civilizations...

To boldly go
Where no man has gone before.

Spock.

Fascinating.

I have been described
In many ways, mr. Spock,

But never with that word.

I was requesting
Your analysis,
Spock.

They did scan us
And our vessel, captain,

And doubtless obtained
Sufficient information

To present this illusion.

Illusion?

Captain, will you permit me
To come aboard your vessel?

No doubt you have devices
Which can check my reality.

We'd be honored
To have you aboard,

Mr. President.

Do you still measure time

In minutes?

We can convert
To it, sir.

Then you should be

Directly over
My position in...

There.

Exactly 12 1/2 minutes.

Until then, captain.

Thank you,
Mr. Mellway.

Small change
Occurring there, captain.

Magnification 4, helm.

Aye, aye, sir.

An area of approximately
1,000 square kilometers.

It measures
Completely earth-like.

Perfect
Oxygen/nitrogen
Atmosphere, sir.

He called it
To the second, sir.

He'll be over it
In exactly 12 minutes now.

Security, send a detachment
To the transporter room.

Relieve phaser side arms

And be prepared to give
Presidential honors.

Jim, do you really believe
He's abraham lincoln?

Well, it's obvious
He believes it.

Ooh, dr. Mccoy,
Mr. Spock...

Full dress uniforms.

Full dress?
Presidential honors?

What is all this
Nonsense, mr. Dickerson?

I understand
President lincoln's
Coming aboard, sir.

Ha! You're daft, man.

All I know, sir,
Is what the captain
Tells me,

And he says he'll
Have the hide

Of the first man
That so much
As smiles.

I'd have expected sanity
From the ship's
Surgeon, at least.

President lincoln, indeed.

No doubt to be followed
By louis of france
And robert the bruce.

If so, we'll execute

Appropriate honors
To each, mr. Scott.

Aye, sir.

Gentlemen, I don't
For a moment believe

That president lincoln
Is actually coming aboard,

But we're dealing
With an unknown

And apparently
Highly advanced life form.

Until we know...

When in rome,
We'll do as the romans do.

[intercom buzzes]

Chekov on intercom:
Bridge to transporter room.

One minute
To overhead position.

Locked onto something.

Does that appear human
To you, mr. Spock?

Fascinating.

For a moment,

It appeared
Almost mineral,

Like living rock
With heavy foreclaws.

Settling down now to
Completely human readings.

We can beam it aboard
Anytime now, sir.

Dr. Mccoy,
Take tricorder readings

And see if it is human.

Appropriate ruffles
And flourishes, mr. Spock.

Security, stand ready.

Phaser team, set ready
For a heavy stun.

Band honors ready, captain.

Energize.

[drum roll]

[blowing
Boatswain's pipe]

[drum roll]

[fanfare playing]

The u.S.S. "Enterprise"

Is honored to
Have you aboard,
Mr. President.

Strange.

Where are the musicians?

That's taped music, sir.

A starship on active duty

Never carries
An honor detachment.

Taped music,
You say.

Well,
Perhaps mr. Spock

Will be good enough
To explain that
To me later.

A most
Interesting way

To come aboard,
Captain.

What was
The device used?

An energy matter
Scrambler, sir.

The molecules in your body

Are converted into energy,

Then beamed
Into this chamber

And reconverted back
Into their original pattern.

Well, since I'm
Obviously here...

And quite whole...

Whatever you mean
Apparently works
Very well, indeed.

Gentlemen,
If those are weapons,

Please lower them.

At my age, I'm afraid
I'm not very dangerous.

Human, jim.

All too human,
Dr. Mccoy.

Happy to make
Your acquaintance, sir.

Mr. President, may I
Present my officers.

Commander spock,
Second in command,

Engineering officer scott,
And security officer dickerson.

Mr. Spock, mr. Scott,
Mr. Dickerson.

Gentlemen, I hope
To talk to each of you.

But meanwhile,
Your captain

Is consumed
With questions

And I shall do my utmost
To answer them.

And I trust your duties
Will permit time

To answer some of mine.

At your service,
Captain.

Lieutenant dickerson,

You and your men
May return to quarters.

Mr. President.

A most interesting
Vessel.

Just what was it
You locked onto

Before you
Beamed him aboard?

You heard mr. Spock
Yourself.

Mineral, he called it,
Like living rock.

And that
Became lincoln.

I couldn't tell.

May have been
Another figure
Down there standing by.

What do you make of it?

I'm not quite sure.

Kirk, voice-over: captain's log,
Star day 5906.4

Who or what has been beamed
Aboard our vessel?

An alien who has changed
Himself into this form,

An illusion?

I cannot
Conceive it possible

That abraham lincoln
Could have actually
Been reincarnated,

And yet his kindness,
His gentle wisdom, his humor,

Everything about him
Is so right.

Yes, if I recall,

Your union army
Observation balloons

Were tendered
600 or so feet high.

We're 643 miles

Above the surface
Of this planet.

You can measure great
Distances that closely?

We do, sir.

643 miles, 2,021 feet,
2.04 inches at this moment,

Using your
Old-style measurements.

Bless me.

Uhura:
Excuse me, captain kirk.

Yes, lieutenant.
Mr. Scott--

What a charming
Negress.

Oh, forgive me, my dear.

I know that in my time

Some used that term as
A description of property.

But why should
I object to
That term, sir?

You see,
In our century,

We've learned
Not to fear words.

May I present our communication
Officer lieutenant uhur.

The foolishness
Of my century

Had me apologizing where
No offense was given.

We've each learned
To be delighted
With what we are.

The vulcans learned that
Centuries before we did.

It is basic
To the vulcan
Philosophy, sir.

The combination of
A number of things

To make existence
Worthwhile.

Yes, philosophy of "Nom,"
Meaning "All."

How did I know that?

Just as I seem to know
That on the planet's surface,

You will meet one
Of the greatest living vulcans

In all the long history
Of your planet.

My mind
Cannot recall his name,

But I know he
Will be there.

What is it that
Powers your
Vessel, captain?

May I see your
Engine room?

Certainly. Our
Engineering officer--

Has been waiting
In the briefing room

For you, sir,
For over 2 hours.

Oh, dear.

If you'll forgive me,
Our communications officer--

I would
Be delighted

To have her
As guide.

Forgive me again.
We'll rejoin you shortly.

Where the devil
Are they?

Why, they're
Probably licking up
A plate of haggis

In the galley.
They've been
Everywhere else.

Sorry to have
Been delayed, gentlemen.

Jim, I would be
The last to advise you
On your command image.

I doubt that, bones,
But continue.

Well, do I have
To lay it out for you?

Practically the entire
Crew has seen you

Treat this impostor
Like the real thing,

When he can't possibly
Be the real article.

Lincoln d*ed 3 centuries ago
On a planet hundreds of
Light years away.

More that
Direction, engineer.

Mccoy: you're
The science officer.

Why aren't you, well,

Doing whatever
A science officer does

At a time like this?

I am, doctor.

I am observing the alien.

At last!
At least somebody

Agrees with us
He's an alien.

Yes, of course
He's an alien.

And he's
Potentially dangerous.

Mad, loony
As an arcturian
Dog bird.

Gentlemen...

As you know,
Mr. Spock and I
Have been invited

To beam down to
The planet's surface
With him.

Any comments on that?

Yes. A big one.

Suddenly, miraculously,

We see a small spot

Of earth-type environment
Down there.

Now, is it really there,

Or do we just think
We see it down there?

You might beam down
Into a sea of
Molten lava.

But why would he want
To k*ll only 2 of us?

It would be illogical.

With such abilities,
They could as easily
Trick us

Into destroying
The entire vessel.

Are you implying,
Mr. Spock,

That it's
Probably safe
To beam down there?

No, I'm not, doctor.

There's no doubt
They want us down there

For some hidden purpose.

Otherwise, they
Would have revealed

Some logical reason
For all of this.

Why...Lincoln, spock?

Any speculation on that?

Speculation is
Unnecessary, captain.

The answer is clear.

President lincoln
Has always been

A very personal
Hero to you.

What better way
To titillate
Your curiosity

Than to make him
Come alive for you?

But not only to me, spock.

Agreed.

I, too,
Experienced his charm.

It is a magnificent
Work of duplication.

Mccoy: but he holds

A special
Involvement
To you, jim.

And I think
It's interesting,

Inasmuch
As you're the one

Who's going to make
The decision whether
To beam down or not.

Don't do it,
Captain.

The very reason

For the existence
Of our starships

Is contact with other life.

Although the method is
Beyond our comprehension,

We have been offered
Contact.

Therefore...

I shall beam down.

Mr. Spock, as for you...

Captain,
Since I was included

In the invitation
To make contact, I must
Beam down with you.

You're both
Out of your head!

Aye, sir.

And you're
On the edge of
Insubordination!

Would I be on the edge
Of insubordination
To remind the captain

That this smells
Of something
Happening to him

That I might not
Be able to patch
Back together again?

Aye.

Gentlemen, your
Concern is noted
And appreciated.

Mr. Spock,
Standard dress,

Tricorders
And phasers.

We will guide
President lincoln

To the
Transporter room.

We'll beam down
Immediately.

Standing by, mr. Scott.

Transporter room
To bridge, standing by.

Chekov: we are now locked in
Synchronous orbit, mr. Scott.

Sensors continue
To show the area

As completely earth-like
In all respects.

If they're wrong
And they do beam

Into a pool
Of lava...

Then they're dead men.

I couldna pull them
Back in time.

All right, mr. Scott.
Energize.

Scotty.

Spock: captain...

Our phasers and tricorders
Did not beam down with us.

Kirk to
"Enterprise."
"Enterprise"?

"Enterprise,"
Come in.

Kirk to
"Enterprise."

"Enterprise,"
Come in.

Undamaged, yet something

Is preventing them
From functioning.

Come in, landing party.
Report!

"Enterprise" to captain kirk.
Can you read us?

If they're
All right,

They should
Have reported in.

Your explanation,
Sir?

Well, I have none.
To me, this seems quite
As it should be.

Why were our weapons taken?
Why can't we communicate
With our ship?

Please, believe me,

I know nothing
Other than what
I already told you.

The game is over.
We've treated you
With courtesy.

We've gone along
With what and who
You think you are.

Despite the seeming
Contradictions,

All is as it appears to be.

I am abraham lincoln.

Man: just as I am

Whom I appear to be.

Surak.

Who?

The greatest of all
Who ever lived on
Our planet, captain.

The father of
All we became.

All ship's systems
Going dead.

Switch to reserve power.

All decks report status.

All decks
Report status.

All decks
Report status.

Bridge to engineering.
Come in.

What's happening
To our power?

Bridge to engineering, report.

Engineer: everything's out.

We've switched to reserve power.

Lost all power
In the warp engines.

How is it,
Mr. Sulu?

No answer yet
On what caused it.

They're standing by.

Shut down all but the most
Necessary systems.

No damage report,
Mr. Scott.

Engineer: no indication
Of engine damage, sir.

Engage
Restart cycle.

Engineer: I can't.
I don't understand it.

Start emergency
Procedures.

Engineer: aye, aye, sir.

Live long
And prosper, spock.

May you also,
Captain kirk.

It is not
Logical that
You are surak.

There
Is no fact,

Extrapolation
Of fact,

Or theory
Which would
Make possible--

Whatever I am,

Would it harm you
To give response?

Live long and prosper,
Image of surak--

Father of all
We now hold true.

The "Image of surak"
Read in your face

What is in
Your mind, spock.

As I turned
And my eyes beheld you,

I displayed emotion.

I beg forgiveness.

The cause was more
Than sufficient.

Let us speak
No further of it.

In my time, we knew not
Of earth men.

I am pleased to see that
We have differences.

May we together
Become greater

Than the sum
Of both of us.

Spock, we'll not go along
With these charades any longer.

[scraping]

You'll have an answer
Soon, captain.

Our world
Is called excalbia.

Countless who live
On that planet are watching.

Before this drama unfolds,

We give welcome to the ones
Named kirk and spock.

We know nothing
Of your world

Or your customs.

What do you mean,

Drama about to unfold?

You're an intelligent
Life form.

I'm surprised
You do not perceive
The honor we do you.

Have we not created
In this place on our planet

A stage identical
To your own world?

We perceive
That we were invited
To come down here,

And we came
In friendship,

And you have deprived us

Of our instruments
To examine your world,

To defend ourselves,

To communicate
With our vessel.

Your objection
Is well taken.

We shall communicate
With your vessel

So that your fellow
Life forms may also enjoy

And profit...

From the play.

Behold...

[click click]

Captain, mr. Spock,

Some of these you
May know through history.

Genghis khan, for one,

And colonel green,
Who led a genocidal w*r

Early in the 21st century
On earth.

Zora, who experimented
With the body chemistry

Of subject tribes
On tiburon.

Kahless the unforgettable,

The klingon
Who set the pattern

For his planet's tyrannies.

We welcome
The vessel "Enterprise"

To our solar system
And to our spectacle.

Well, at least the captain
And spock are safe.

It's a confrontation
Of some sort.

Those are all figures
Out of history,

Notoriously evil.

Excalbian: we ask you
To observe with us

The confrontation
Of the 2 opposing
Philosophies

You term
"Good" and "Evil."

Since this is
Our first experiment
With earthlings,

Our theme
Is a simple one:

Survival,
Life and death.

Your philosophies
Are alien to us,

And we wish
To understand them

And discover which
Is the stronger.

We learn
By observing
Such spectacles.

What do you mean,
Survival?

The word is explicit.

If you and spock survive,
You return to your vessel.

If you do not...

Your existence is ended.

Can we beam the captain
And spock back up?

We don't have the power.

They'll come aboard
A mass of dying flesh.

Well, can we send
The phasers down?

There's nothing
We can do, doctor,

Nothing but watch them.

He's skimmed
The worst ones in
History to face them.

But they're not real,

Any more than
That lincoln or surak.

What do
The sensors read?

As life forms.
They are living beings.

Could they be
Aliens projecting
An illusion?

The readings
Are those of humanoids.

Excalbian: why do you hesitate?

Do you wish
Further clarification?

Your choice of action
Is unlimited,

As is your choice
Of weapons.

Should you wish
To use any,

You may fabricate
Anything you desire

Out of what you can find
Around you.

Captain?

Mr. Spock and I refuse
To participate.

You will
Decide otherwise.

Analysis, spock.

Why do they want us
To fight?

It may be exactly as
Explained, captain.

Our concept
Of good and evil

Is strange to them.

Perhaps they
Wish to determine
Which is strongest.

And they'll get their
Answer if it kills us.

I'm afraid none of us
May leave, gentlemen,

Until we do what
It demands of us.

Colonel green:
Captain kirk?

May I speak with you?

I quite agree
With your attitude

Toward this charade.

It's ridiculous
To think that we
Should take part in it.

What do you want?

The same thing as you do,
To get out of here.

I have no quarrel
With you

Any more than
You have with me.

You're somewhat
Different than the way

History paints you,
Colonel green.

History tends
To exaggerate.

I suggest we call
A halt to this at once

And see if we can't
Find some way

Out of our difficulties.

My associates are
In full agreement
With me.

Captain,
You were tricked

Into coming here,
Weren't you?

So were we all.

Where do you
Come from?

I can't remember.

Isn't that strange?

My memory used to be
Quite remarkable.

Well...

Wherever it was,

I want to get back.

So it seems to me,
Captain,

That we have
A common cause.

And our enemy
Is that creature.

What do you propose?

Green: that
We combine forces

And reason some way
To overcome it.

You were notorious,
Colonel green,

For striking
At your enemies

In the midst of
Negotiating with them.

Green: but that
Was centuries ago, captain,

And not altogether true.

No, there's much
I would change now
If I could.

Don't let prejudice
And rumors sway you.

Captain!

How can we
Warn him?

Anyone hurt?

Oh, I fear my clothing
Is somewhat damaged,

But how delightful
To discover at my age

That I can
Still wrestle.

Mr. Spock?

I'm all right, captain.
However, I suggest

That we prepare ourselves
For another att*ck.

No. I think
Colonel green
Is right.

That rock-like thing
Is our enemy,

Not those illusions.

For an illusion,
My opponent carried

A considerable punch.

Oh, I forgot.

You consider me
An illusion, too.

The captain
Speaks wisely.

Those 4 are not
Our enemy.

We should arrive
Together

At a peaceful
Settlement.

Excalbian:
I am disappointed.

You display no interest
In the honor we do you.

We offer you
An opportunity

To become our teachers

By demonstrating
Whether good or evil
Is more powerful.

Oh!

You find my body heat
Distressing, captain?

You forget the nature
Of this planet.

I must conclude
That your species

Requires a cause
To fight for.

You may now communicate
With your ship.

Kirk
To "Enterprise."

"Enterprise,"
Come in.

Scott, on intercom:
Scott to engineering.
Report, lieutenant.

Lieutenant: emergency
Increasing, sir.

Deterioration has
Just started, sir.

Give me that again, man.
I cannot hear you.

Mr. Scott,
I have the captain.

Scotty, do you
Read me?

Mr. Scott,
I have the captain!

Engineering, check
For radiation.

Get a repair crew on it at once.

Engineer: we have
Already, sir.

We can't seem to stop it.

Is there a danger of detonation?

Engineer: estimating
4 hours, sir.

Red alert, captain.

Mr. Scott is
Standing by.

Kirk: what caused the red alert?

I don't
Know yet, sir.

Captain.
Scotty,
Beam us up fast.

I cannot. We have
A complete power failure.

We're on emergency battery
Power only.

What happened?

I can't explain it, sir,

But the matter
And antimatter

Are in red zone
Proximity.

What caused that?

There's no knowing,
And there's no
Stopping it, either.

The shielding
Is breaking down,

And I estimate 4 hours
Before it goes completely.

4 hours before
The ship blows up.

The estimate
Is quite correct.

Your ship will
Blow itself to bits

Within 4 hours, captain,

Unless you defeat
The others before then.

Is that cause enough
To fight for?

What if they
Defeat us?

To save your ship
And your crew,
You have to win.

Scotty, inform
Starfleet command.

Disengage
The cells.

Jettison,
If possible.

Mr. Spock,
Assist them.

Advise and analyze.

Scotty?

Scotty?

Your communicator

Is no longer
Functioning, captain.

You may proceed
With the spectacle.

James, the w*r
Is forced upon us.

History repeats itself.

Scott: supplemental log,
Stardate 5906.5.

Engineer scott reporting.

The "Enterprise" is doomed
To explode in 2 hours

If captain kirk
Is defeated by the enemy

On the surface
Of the planet.

The enormous power
Of the "Enterprise"
Has been neutralized,

And we sit here watching,
Unable to assist.

Did you set the traps?

Yes.

What did you find out?
What are they doing?

They've done
Nothing.

They've not
Armed themselves
Nor prepared

For any kind
Of defense.

I say att*ck now
And finish them.

With what?
These?

Better than
What they have.

No, it's not
Advantage enough.

I want to make sure
The odds are in our favor.

Overwhelm and devastate,

That's the way to get power
And to hold it,

And I mean to do that.

There's nothing immoral

About fighting
An illusion, mr. Spock.

We play
Their game. Fight,

Or lose the ship

And all the crewmen
Aboard.

And if they're
Real, captain?

We'll use this...

As a base.

It's defensible.

They can't approach
Without being seen.

Are we fighting
A defensive w*r, james?

No, we don't have time.

But if things
Do go against us,

I want a place
To retreat to.

What I want to do now
Is scout them out,

Find their weaknesses,
And att*ck.

Hmm. Do you
Drink whiskey?

Occasionally. Why?

Because you have
Qualities very much

Like those
Of another man

I admire greatly--
General grant.

Thank you.

Ha ha.
Thank you.

Mr. Spock,
We'll need weapons.

I believe
The ancient vulcans

Made something
Like a boomerang.

Yes, captain.

And slings
And spears.

Slings.
Mr. President,

You used a sling
As a boy.

Indeed I did.

Captain,
Logic dictates

That we consider
Another course.

We don't have
Much time, spock.

In my time on vulcan,

We also faced
These same alternatives.

We'd suffered
Devastating wars

Which nearly destroyed
Our planet.

Another was
About to begin.

We were torn.

But out of
Our sufferings,

Some of us
Found the discipline to act.

We sent emissaries
To our opponents

To propose peace.

The first were k*lled,

But others followed.

Ultimately,
We achieved peace,

Which has lasted
Since then.

Circumstances
Were different then,

Surak.

The face of w*r
Has never changed, captain.

Surely it is more logical

To--to heal than k*ll.

I'm afraid
That kind of logic

Doesn't apply here.

That is precisely why
We should not fight.

My ship is at stake.

I will not harm others,
Captain.

Spock: his convictions
Are most profound

In this matter,
Captain.

So are mine, spock.

If I believed
That there was

A peaceful way
Out of this--

The risk will be
Mine alone.

If I fail,
You lose nothing.

After all,
I'm no warrior.

The captain knows
That I have fought

At his side before,

And will do so now,
If need be.

However, I, too,
Am a vulcan,

Bred to peace.

Let him attempt it.

You saw how
Treacherously
They acted.

Oh, yes.

But perhaps it's
Our belief in peace

That is actually
Being tested.

Hmm?

I have no authority
Over you.

You may do
As you think best.

Thank you.

May you live long
And prosper.

The weapons,
Gentlemen.

In case he fails.

Colonel!

No.

Let's hear what
He has to say.

We may find it useful.

Stop there, vulcan.

State your purpose.

I come in peace
To propose peace.

Are you surrendering?

I am doing
What I consider best

For all of us.

If you choose
To regard that
As...Surrender,

I accept
Your definition.

One of those
Peace lovers, colonel.

Why are you
Doing this?

Do you speak
For the others?

No, I speak for myself,

Because
I abhor v*olence.

But if you accept
The solution I offer,

They, too,
Will accept it.

How can I be sure?

I think you're trying
To trick me, vulcan.

I think that while
You're here talking peace,

The others are preparing
To att*ck.

No, colonel.

They are at their base
Awaiting an answer.

How can I believe that?

No one talks peace

Unless he's ready
To back it up with w*r.

He talks peace
If it is the only
Way to live.

Then tell me,

What do you have
To gain if we accept?

Nothing
But the knowledge

That I have done
What I believe in.

Well, what do I
Get out of it?

I fight for gain,
Vulcan.

What do I gain here?

Your life and the lives
Of the others.

You said yourself,
Colonel,

That we have
Common cause--
To survive.

Together, we can.

But not by warring.

Why don't we
k*ll him?

No! He's our means
To finish them all.

Surak: colonel,
Surely you accept
The logic of this.

What is your answer?

You're very
Persuasive, vulcan.

I'd like
To come out of this

With a whole skin.

Perhaps I can convince
My associates

That it would be
To their advantage also.

Your surak
Is a brave man.

Men of peace
Usually are, captain.

On vulcan,
He is revered

As the father
Of our civilization.

The father image holds
Much meaning for us.

Do you show emotion,
Spock?

I deeply respect

What he
Has accomplished.

Well, I hope
He accomplishes

Something here...
And soon.

[man screams]

Surak?

Surak's voice:
Help me, spock!

Surak's voice:
Spock, help me!

Green: mr. Spock,
Your friend wants you.

He seems to be hurt.

Spock!
Help me, spock!

Spock! Help me!

You can't let him
Suffer.

They are trying
To goad us

Into attacking,
Captain.

They expect us
To act rashly.

Yes, I know that.

Surak's voice:
Help me, spock!

He was aware
Of what might happen
When he went.

Aah!

I should never
Have let him go.

You had no choice,
Captain.

Aah!

You could not
Have stopped him.

How can you
Ignore that?

A vulcan would not
Cry out so.

Whether he's a vulcan
Or not, he's in agony.

I am not insensitive
To it, captain.

Surak's voice:
Help me, spock!

But you can
Just listen to it
And do nothing.

Aah!

I can't.

Captain, that is what
They're waiting for.

They're waiting for us
To attempt a rescue.

I can't just
Let him stay there.

Perhaps we can
Rescue him, mr. Spock.

Now, I suggest that

We do whatever
They want.

Do what they want,
Sir?

Not the way
They want it, however.

We must first
Convince them

That they have provoked us
To recklessness.

James,

I do not mean to presume
Upon your authority.

What I propose
Is that I circle around

To their rear

While you two provide
A frontal as*ault.

It should be
Sufficiently violent

To cover whatever I do.

What will you do?

Why, slip into their camp
And free him.

No.

James, james.
Remember, I was

Something of a backwoodsman.

I doubt that you could do
What I was bred to.

I can't let you
Risk it, mr. President.

Well, I am
No longer president.

Mr. Spock,
Any comment?

Surak's voice:
Help me, spock!

No, sir.

One matter further,
Gentlemen.

We fight
On their level

With trickery, brutality,
Finality.

We match their evil.

I know, james.

I was reputed to be
A gentle man.

When I was
Commander in chief,

During the 4
Bloodiest years

Of my country's history,

I gave orders
That sent...

100,000 men
To their death

At the hands
Of their brothers.

There is no
Honorable way to k*ll,

No gentle way
To destroy.

There is nothing good in w*r
Except its ending.

[sights]

And your fighting for the lives
Of your crew.

Your campaign,
Mr. President.

They should be
Coming soon.

Zora! Kahless!

No, wait.

How many do you see?

2.

Zora.

Surak...

Surak, the others
Have drawn them away.

We will circle around.

'twas a worthy effort,
Surak.

Worthy.

No need to blame
Yourself...

For its failure.

[imitating surak]
Help me, spock.

Help me. Spock.

Now, can you cry
Like lincoln?

[imitating lincoln]
Help me, kirk.

Help me, kirk.

[leaves rustling]

Mr. Lincoln.

James, stay back.

You are the survivors.

The others have run off.

It would seem that
Evil retreats

When forcibly confronted.

However, you have failed
To demonstrate to me

Any other difference
Between your philosophies.

Your good and your evil
Use the same methods,

Achieve the same results.

Do you have
An explanation?

You established
The methods and the goals.

For you to use
As you chose.

What did you offer
The others if they won?

What they wanted most:

Power.

You offered me...

The lives of my crew.

I perceive.

You have won
Their lives.

How many others
Have you done this to?

What gives you the right
To hand out life and death?

The same right
That brought you here:

The need to know
New things.

We came in peace.

And you may go
In peace.

Kirk
To "Enterprise."
Come in.

Sulu: is that you,
Captain? Are you all right?

Yes, mr. Sulu.
We're all right.

You may beam us
Aboard.

Mr. Scott.
Report.

The ship is functioning
Normally again, sir,

And the restart cycle
Is in operation.

You'd never know
That anything had been
Out of order.

I can't fathom it.

Mr. Sulu.

We should be on warp power
Within 30 minutes, sir.

Good. Mr. Chekov?

The deterioration
Of the shielding
Has stopped, sir,

And is reversing itself.
I have no explanation.

Thank you,
Mr. Chekov.

Mr. Spock,
Any explanation?

Conjecture, captain,
Rather than explanation.

Well?

It would seem
That we were held
In the power

Of creatures able
To control matter

And to rearrange
Molecules

In whatever fashion
Was desired,

So they were
Able to create

Images of surak
And lincoln

After scanning
Our minds

And using their
Fellow creatures

As source matter.

They seemed so real.

And to me,
Especially
Mr. Lincoln.

I feel I actually
Met lincoln.

Yes, and surak.

Perhaps in a sense,
They were real, captain.

Since they were created
Out of our own thoughts,

How could they be
Anything

But what we
Expected them to be?

It was so hard
For me to see him...

Die again.

I feel I understand

What earth must have
Gone through

To achieve
Final peace.

Uhura: captain kirk,

The planet has resumed
Its normal appearance.

There's still so much
Of their work to be done

In the galaxy, spock.

Mr. Sulu, break us
Out of orbit

And continue
To our next assignment.

Sulu: aye,
Aye, sir.