Star Trek

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 6334.1.

The outbreak of choriocytosis aboard the Enterprise

seems to be under control.

Dr. McCoy says the disease is no longer even as serious as pneumonia,

and there should be no problem completing our present mission,

representing the Federation at the dedication ceremonies

for the new Academy of Science on Deneb V.

- Status, Mr. Spock? - All systems affirmative, Captain.

The Enterprise is on course and on schedule.

It'll be nice to play diplomat for a change, eh, Spock?

Kirk to Sickbay. Emergency!

Jim, choriocytosis is a strange disease.

In races with iron-based blood, it's practically nothing,

- but in others... - Get to the point, Bones.

Spock has contracted the disease.

It's fatal to Vulcans.

- Are you sure? - I've triple-checked, Jim.

I wish to God I was wrong.

Spock's blood is copper-based.

The infection enters the bloodstream,

and encases the cells so they can't carry oxygen.

- The result is suffocation. - Yes, Jim.

- Is there any cure? - One.

A naturally-occurring drug called strobolin.

But it's only found on a few planets in the galaxy.

- Library computer. - Working.

What is the nearest strobolin supply planet to our present position?

Beta Canopus.

Four solar days away at maximum warp.

How long can Spock last without the drug?

I can give him injections of a synthesized drug

that would slow the disease.

But after two days the body builds up an immunity.

It loses its effectiveness.

By the end of the third day, the disease will be irreversible.

It'll take four days to get the drug, but Spock will die in three.

There's got to be a way!

- What about a rendezvous? - Of course!

If we can't go out of our way to get the drug in time,

there must be another ship closer to Beta Canopus.

Kirk to Bridge. Get me Starfleet, Lieutenant.

Captain's Log, supplemental.

We've arranged to get the strobolin needed to save Mr. Spock's life.

The Starship Potemkin has already picked up the drug

and will transfer it to a freighter, the S.S. Huron,

for delivery to the Enterprise.

What will the symptoms be, Bones?

Increasing tiredness, steadily decreasing efficiency,

all the symptoms of working in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere.

Kind of like the test you had to pass back at the Academy.

Come.

- You wished to see me, sir? - Yes, Spock, sit down.

We've arranged a rendezvous to pick up the drug you need.

I trust it will not affect our scheduled arrival at Deneb V.

No, it won't.

- Will that be all, Captain? - One other thing.

I've cut your duty time in half.

Captain, that won't be necessary.

- I'm quite able... - No arguments, Spock. Doctor's orders.

- Anything else, sir? - That's all, Spock. Dismissed.

- It'll hurt seeing him like that. - I know.

As much as it might seem at times

that I can't stand that pointy-eared encyclopedia,

I don't want to see that happen to him.

ETA at rendezvous point, two hours and seven minutes, Captain.

Good.

That's a pretty important drug we've got for the Enterprise.

I'd just as soon get rid of it and get back to shipping just dilithium.

Sir, our sensors are picking up a ship ahead.

- Could the Enterprise be that early? - I'm not sure it's the Enterprise, sir.

It's too far away to tell.

- Where's it headed? - Toward us, sir.

Keep an eye on it, Lieutenant.

Time to rendezvous, Mr. Arex?

One hour, 43 minutes, sir.

I hate to ask, but...

Aye, Captain, we'll squeeze a wee bit more speed out of her.

McCoy to Bridge.

- What is it, Bones? - Tell Spock it's time for another shot.

Mr. Spock.

- Spock... - I was conserving energy, Captain.

McCoy wants you in Sickbay.

Sensor readout, Captain.

It's not the Enterprise closing on us, sir.

- Another starship? - No, sir.

It's an alien ship, a design I've never seen before.

Put it on the screen.

You're sure it's following us?

It's on an intercept course now, Captain.

And at this speed, they'll get us before we get to the Enterprise.

This won't hurt a bit, Spock.

An unnecessary assurance, Doctor, in addition to being untrue.

That's the last time I waste my bedside manner on a Vulcan.

Such restraint would be welcome.

Not so fast, Spock. Lie there quietly.

Well, that's not too bad.

- Back to work, Mr. Spock. - Thank you, Doctor.

- The drug isn't working anymore. - I know, Christine. I know.

Don't worry, we'll have the strobolin soon.

They've increased speed, sir, closing fast.

Open hailing frequencies again.

Open, sir.

To unidentified alien vessel.

This is Captain O'Shea of the 8.8. Huron.

Please state your registry and purpose.

Repeat. Please identify yourself and your purpose.

It's no use, sir.

They're receiving, but they're not answering.

Well, we've got a hold full of dilithium and that drug to protect.

Evasive maneuvers.

No good, Captain.

Send out an emergency signal to the Enterprise.

Yes, sir. Message from the alien, sir.

Let's hear it.

Prepare to surrender your cargo, or be destroyed.

Captain, I'm getting a signal from the Huron.

It's an emergency beacon, automated.

- Try ship-to-ship. - I did, sir, no response.

Sensor report, Mr. Spock.

- Are they at the rendezvous point? - No, sir. They hadn't reached it.

Compute new course, Mr. Arex. Let's see what's going on.

The Huron's power levels are at bare minimum for life support, Captain.

I'm picking up metallic debris.

Was the Huron attacked?

Based on present data, I would say yes.

- Spock, are you all right? - Captain, I...

Bridge to Sickbay! Emergency!

We've got to have that drug, Jim.

The synthetic is useless now.

- Do what you can, Bones. - Blasted Vulcan!

Why couldn't you have red blood like any normal human?

- Status? - The Huron's engines are dead.

Emergency battery power is operating life support systems

at a low but acceptable level.

Still unable to make contact, sir.

- Is anyone on that ship alive? - Yes, sir.

Mr. Scott, Lieutenant Uhura, come with me.

Mr. Sulu, you have the conn. We're beaming over.

Scotty, check the cargo hold. See if the drug is there.

Aye, sir.

Uhura, see if you can get a playback of the log.

I want to know what happened here.

Nurse, attend to the wounded.

Scott to Captain Kirk.

Kirk here. Report, Mr. Scott.

There's nothing down here, Captain.

- No drug? - No drug and no dilithium shipment.

The hold is completely empty.

All right. Report back up here.

This screen is out, sir.

But we can take the tapes and play them back on the Enterprise.

Good. Nurse, how is he?

He needs surgery, Captain, but he'll live.

Kirk to Enterprise.

Ready to beam over. Have the medical team standing by.

- How's O'Shea, Bones? - He'll pull through.

Jim, what about Spock?

If we don't have that drug in 20 hours, he'll die.

Captain's Log, Stardate 6335.6.

The Huron has been left as space junk, its engines sabotaged.

Captain O'Shea has no idea who attacked his ship,

but the intruder must be found and the precious cargo retrieved.

I've run the Huron's sensor tapes through the computer, sir.

The intruder ship is a new design,

never before encountered by Federation shipping.

- Can we track it? - Yes, sir.

The intruder ship produces a unique trail of radioactive waste,

now bearing 2-1-2 degrees mark 1-7-5.