very typical, captain. iron-silicon base, oxygen-hydrogen atmosphere, largely arid, no discernible life. no surprises. cartographic section, begin scanning. titiindividual section 988-tg, computer bank 22. kirk out. abououfour more orbits ought to do it, mr. lesley. then we'll wrap it up. lay inin course for starbase 200.

mr. spock. incredible, captain. what was that? what my instruments read is totally unbelievable, captain. twice, for a split second each time, seemed on the verge of winking out. i want facts, not poetry. i have given you the fafas, captain. the entire magnetic field in this solar system simply blinked. the e anet below, the mass of which we're measuring, attained zero gravity. that's impossible. what you're describing... is nonexistence.

all stations to immediate alert status. stand by. captain, scanners now report a life object on the planet's surface below. you u st did a complete life survey 5 minutes ago. how is it you're just picking it up now? inexplicable, captain. this reading began at approximately theheoment that the pulsation phenomenon began to subside. well, what is it, this object? its physical makeup? a living being. body temperature 98.5 fahrenheit. it is apparently human, captain. and its appearance coincided with this cosmic winking out? almost to the second. explanation? none. speculation. could this being prprent any danger to the ship? possible. very possible.

ready to beam down with us. let's go. any word comes through from starfleet command, pipe it down immediately. communications, priority one. space--the final frontier. these are the voyages of the starshipenterprise. its five-year mission-- to explore strange new worlds... to seek out new life and new civilizations...

captain's log, stardate 3087.6. while investigating an uncharted planet, theenterpriseand at least this enenre quadrant of space has been subjected to violent, unexplained stress and force.

who might be connected with the phenomenon. with my first officer and a secucuty team, i have set out in search of him. you came! thank the heavens. there's still time. it's not too late.

need...need your help. aah! nothing yet, sir. report on the dilithium crystals, captain. yes. whatever that phenomenon was, it drained almost all of our crystals completely. it could mean trouble. you have a talent for understatement, lieutenant. without full crystal power, our orbit will begin to decay in 10 hours. re-amplify immediately. aye, aye, sir. any further magnetic disturbance? negative, captain. scanners indicate situation normal. nothing? nothing. ilillogical.

physicalalaws that i'm aware of. i have been able t t ascertain one fact. though the effect, whatever it was, was unquestionably widespread, it was strongest here, on the planet beneath us. keep checking. red 2 message in one minute, captain. starfleet command. code factor 1, sir. repeat. code factor 1. invasion status. all hands, this is the captain. battle stations. i repeat, battle stations. this is no drill. [intercom buzzer] mccoy, captain. kirk here. about our patient-- yes, doctor, quickly. he'll make it. he'll be stiff and sore for a while, but he'll be all right. i'll talk to him later, thank you. kirk out. message ready, captain. main screen, coming up. kirk here.

you're aware of the effect an hour ago? yes, sir. you may not be aware of its scope. it occurred in every quadrant of the galaxy and far beyond. complete disruption of normal magnetic and gravimetric fields, time warp distortion, possible radiation variations... and all of them centering in the general area which you are now patrolling. the question is, are these natural phenomena... or are thehe mechanically created? and if they are, by whom, for what purpose? your guess, captain? thank you, sir. i have considered all the alternatives. my best guess is it could be a prelude to invasion. exactly our consensus. i'm giving you the job of finding out specifically. aye, aye, sir. can you assign me other starships as a reserve?

within 100 parsecs of your position. it's going to be tough on you and theenterprise, you're on your own. i see. you mean... we're the bait. good luck. thank you, sir. aye, aye, sir. from the top, mr. spock. first, phenomenon came from the planet below. secondly, the danger is apparently real and immimint. third, a closer examination of the planet's surface would be in ordede my job, sir? yes. meanwhile, i'll talk to our unexpected guest. maybe he can provide some answers. that's how i came to be down there, captain, pursuing the devil's own spawn--

he's humanoid, outside, but inside, he's a hideous, murdering monster. i'll get him, captain. i swear it. you say this one man-- not man! thing. thing...destroyed yoyo entire civilization. to the last mama woman, and child. how did you escape? i was inspecting magnetic communications satellites. you believe me, don't you? before we picked you up, our ship sustained a n nber of incredible effects. that was he! he's death...antilife. he lives to destroy! is he the thing that attacked you? yes. i give you my word.

then you'll join me in my holy cause. help me in visiting justice and vengeance upon him? my only cause is the safety of my ship and the mission we're on. you'll beam down with me. i'll check your story out. spock, find anything? negative, captain. anything from our guest? according to him, there's a creature of some sort down here, a humanoid. lieutenant uhura communicated that information. i ordered reconfirmation on our sensors. they indicatatno living creature on this planet. i suggest, captain, that you've been l ld to. captain, you yourself sasa there were no other explanations.

i have simply made the logical deduction that you are a liar. let's have it. the truth this time. oh! you've come back here, lizard. well, don't stop. here i am. come at me again. we'll finish it! can you identify that? i'm trying, captain. lazarus! you stay here. all personnel, security red.

lazarus, what happened? i saw it again, the thing. it attacked me. i'll help you get out of here. ect indicate it's centered here on this planet, almost on this very spot. i told you it was the thing-- all white, black... and empty, a terrrrible emptiness. let's get back to the ship. he'll kill us all if we don't kill him first!

captain's log, stardate 3088.3. we continue to orbit the dead planet, which seems to be the source of the phenomenon which has struck theenterprise and all sections of the g galaxy once again. as for lazarus,

e. any luck? negative, captain. i can no more explain the occurrence of the second phenomenon than i can the first. what if there's a shred of truth to what lazarus said? that a single creature, a humanoid could be responsible fofoan effect of such magnitude? indeed. but the rest of his story seems to fit. his wounds testify to an apparent confrontation with something. affirmrmive. assuming there is a humanoid--something-- how does he do it? he has no weapons, no powers. captain, i only know for certain that the occurrence of the phenomenon coincides exactly with the moments that lazarus has his alleged confrontations. [intercom whistles]

i'm imag i don't know, jim. ining things, and maybe i'm not. you tell me. you tell me. that's why you brought me down here. well, as you know, we both brought lazarus in here. and i treated a deep abrasion on his forehead, right? right. and then i b bandaged it, i stepped into this room for just a moment-- bones, i have a lot of things to do. get to the point. well, say he's got the constitution of a dininaur, recuperative powers, ditto. and as we both know, i'm a bright youngngedic with a miraculous touch. well, why, then, when i returned, not even a bruise. it was like he had never been injureded where is he? i don't know, jim. this is a big ship. i'm just a cocountry doctor. hi.

oh. is that an order, lieutenant? i know what you mean. the amplification finished on the dilithium crystals?

lazarus, are you all right? uh, yes, sir... but impatient. have you decided to help me yet? is something wrong? no. i have a ship's physician with a strange sense of humor. no, but this is no joke, jim. i know what i saw. [uhura] bridge calling the captain. go. [spock]request you come to the bridge, captain. find something? something quite extraordinary. on my way. lazarus, you're with me. bones, if i had time, i'd laugh. main screen on, lieutenant.

a source of radiation, captain. how is it the scanners didn't pick it up before? because it is not there. another riddle? first dr. mccoy, then you? what i mean, captain, is that according to our usual scanning procedures, there's nothing there that could be causing that effect. but it is there. affirmative. i confess i am somewhat at a loss for words. it may be described, though loosely and inaccurately, as a...rip in our universe. what? a kind of physical warp, captain, in which none of our established physical laws apply with any regularity.

at's it! the dilithium crystals. their power... we could do it. you refer to the humanoid? yes. we've got himim captain, we've got him. what do the crystals have to do with it? all they show is a point of radiation. that's just it. that's the key. that's the way to trap him. that's the solution. captain... i beg of you. i plead. give me the crystals. out of the question. those crystals are the very heart of the power my ship. you fool. there won't be any ship if we don't kill him. he'll destroy you all. how? now, you tell me how! all i've heard from you is double-talk, lies, threats, r. now, you tell me, how does it present a danger to my ship? i warn you, captain.

me, lazarus. no threat intended. captain...

lieutenant masters, captain's calling. masters here. [kirk] lieutenant, can you prepare an experimentation chamber in 10 minutes? all dilithium crystals full power.

captain, the chamber will be ready in 10 minutes, sir. my assistant and i will-- captain! captain! lieutenant, what is it? what's wrong? lieutenant? lieutenant?

we are no closer to finding an answer to the strange phenomenon than we were at the beginning. t only have two of my crewmen been attacked, two of our dilithium crystals are missing, and without them, theenterprisecannot operate at full power. they must be found. fact--you said you needed the crystals. fact--an hour after you said you must have them, they were missing. fact--two of my crewmen were attacked. and fact, captain-- i didn't take the crystals. i'm not the one. find my enemy. find the beast, and you'll find the crystals. how did this beast get aboard my ship? he did. isn't that enough? no. he didn't transport up. a report would have been made. i tell you, we're dealing with a creature capable of destroying worlds. why does he need the crystals? for what reason? for the same reason that i do. listen to me. he's humanoid.

an pilot a spaceship. he can compute formulas to destroy races. he can steal an energy source for his vehicle so he can escape from me. are you deaf as well as blind? sit down. the crystals certainly aren't here. there's an unexplained radiation source on the planet. obviously some connection. eck it out. organize a search party immediately. thank you, captain. you may not have reason to thank me, depending on what we find. what do you believe now, captain? i believe the missing crystals aren't in your s sp. mr. spock? unable to locate the source of radiation. why not?t?ou had it spotted from theenterprise.

look for footprint, movement--anything. call out if you spot anything. don't be afraid to use your weapons.

[thunder]