The Enterprise crew discovers an Eden-like paradise on Gamma Trianguli VI, controlled by a machine that is revered by the local humanoid primitives as a god.
Summary
On stardate 3715.3, the starship USS Enterprise orbits the planet Gamma Trianguli VI. A landing party comprised of Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Ensign Chekov, a yeoman and two security officers beams down to the planet to scout the area, followed shortly by Dr. McCoy and two more security officers.
Spock notes that the soil on the planet is rich and fertile and that there is very little variation in temperature, even at the poles, with a planet-wide average of 76 degrees. Chekov says that it makes him homesick, because it is "just like Russia". When McCoy corrects him that it is more like the Garden of Eden, Chekov claims that the Garden of Eden was "just outside Moscow". However, they soon discover a world of dart-shooting plants, explosive rocks, and electric storms. Almost immediately, one of the crewmen, Hendorff, is shot and killed by a pod plant.
Kirk contacts Scotty on the bridge, who reports that they are having a minor problem with the anti-matter pods and that the readings on the planet's electromagnetic field are "a wee bit abnormal". Spock reports that his tricorder has detected subsurface vibrations, coming from miles in all directions, that are "quite strong, fairly regular, [and] artificially produced".
Kirk orders two of the remaining security officers to make a full reconnaissance of the area, but to avoid contact with humanoids, be wary of other dangers, and stay in constant communication. Spock detects a humanoid lurking in the bushes nearby. Kirk goes off to investigate, and reports that "whatever it is, it moves like a cat". He advises the other members of the landing party that they are being watched, and they start heading through jungle for a nearby village.
Spock discovers a rock that has a low specific gravity, and is very brittle. After breaking it in two with his bare hands, he throws one of the pieces away, and it explodes.
Back on the Enterprise, Scotty contacts Kirk to report that the anti-matter pods are completely inert because of something on the planet's surface that is acting "like a pail of water on a fire". Spock surmises that it may have something to do with the vibrations his tricorder picked up earlier.
McCoy shows Kirk some of the plant darts and notes that they have an extremely strong poison on the tip. While he and Kirk are talking, Spock notices one of the pod plants preparing to shoot, just in time to step in front of it and take a chestful of darts himself.
Realizing there is too much danger, Kirk orders a retreat. However, Scotty reports that the ship's power systems are being drained. As such, the Enterprise's transporters don't have enough power to operate.
Spock regains consciousness, reporting that the injection McCoy used to revive him turns his stomach, but that he is otherwise "quite well". Kirk chastises him for stepping in front of the plant and tells him to "just yell" next time. Suddenly, an electrical storm starts, and Lieutenant Kaplan is struck by lightning and vaporized. The rest of the party runs for cover.
Meanwhile, security officer Mallory has reached the village and contacts Kirk to tell him the coordinates, but his communicator stops working shortly afterwards. Concerned for his safety, Kirk and the others rush to find him, just in time to see him run right over an exploding rock. He is killed instantly. Kirk has become increasingly distraught over the deaths of his crewmen. Spock and McCoy try to console him by telling him that he couldn't have foreseen any of the accidents that have happened while they were on the planet, but Kirk is convinced that he should have done more to prevent them.
While they are talking, Spock notices that the humanoid who was spying on them before has returned. Kirk orders Spock and Chekov to create a diversion while he ambushes the humanoid. Kirk successfully comes up behind the humanoid and punches him in the face, but is surprised when he starts to cry. Kirk assures the humanoid that he won't hurt him again, and asks him why he has been following them. He says, "I am the eyes of Vaal. He must see," and introduces himself as "Akuta, the leader of the feeders of Vaal." Kirk asks to speak to Vaal, but Akuta says that he is Vaal's representative and that only he speaks to Vaal. Akuta offers to take Kirk and the others to the village.
Meanwhile, Scotty hails Kirk to inform him that the Enterprise is being held in orbit around the planet by an unknown source, and is unable to break free. Kirk asks again to be taken to Vaal and this time, Akuta agrees, but says that Vaal will speak only to him.
Akuta takes the landing party to Vaal, which is a large cave with a mouth that resembles the head of a serpent. Spock's tricorder reads that Vaal's opening leads into the planet's surface, and Kirk believes it may be the source of the field that is affecting the Enterprise. When he tries to approach Vaal to get a closer look, he is repelled by a powerful force field. Kirk asks Akuta how he talks to Vaal, and he says that Vaal calls him when he has something to say, and that Vaal might be willing to talk when he is hungry.
Akuta leads the landing party to the village for food, drink, and rest, and introduces them to the "people of Vaal". Then Kirk points out that the tribe doesn't seem to have any children and asks Akuta why. Akuta doesn't know what a child is, replying that Vaal has forbidden love and marriage. McCoy scans the people and sounds surprised when he discovers they are in perfect health, and that they don't seem to be aging at all.
Suddenly, the villagers all begin to congregate around Vaal. Kirk and Spock follow, and spy on them from behind a bush. After observing that the villagers are able to approach Vaal, Kirk decides to try his luck. When Kirk and Spock start to get up from behind the bush, Vaal immediately notices, so they decide against it. Kirk wonders whether Vaal gets weaker around feeding time and asks Spock to get an estimate from the astrophysics lab of the total amount of energy Vaal is expending against the Enterprise on an hourly basis.
McCoy joins them and complains to Spock that Vaal is depriving the planet's inhabitants of their right to "a free and unchained environment" and an opportunity for growth. Spock argues that McCoy is unfairly applying Human standards to non-Human cultures, and that humanoids also have the right to choose a system that works for them.
Scotty contacts Kirk to report that Vaal's power output has been slowly decreasing, and that they are working on increasing power to the ship's impulse engines, but the work will take eight hours to complete. Kirk notes that they don't have much longer than that to break orbit before they get pulled into the planet's atmosphere.
Back in the village, Kirk wonders what would happen if one of the villagers died. The party agrees that they would need a replacement, but Yeoman Landon wonders where this replacement would come from, since they don't have any concept of love or sex. Spock postulates that in that case, Vaal would provide the "necessary instructions".
Out in the jungle, two of the villagers see Landon and Chekov kissing, become curious, and decide to try it themselves. Akuta catches them, decides that Kirk and the others are dangerous, and calls a village meeting to take place while the landing party is asleep.
Akuta tells the villagers that Vaal has ordered them to "kill the strangers". The villagers don't understand what "kill" means, so Akuta explains that "it is a thing to do, like feeding Vaal", and demonstrates by smashing a piece of fruit (representing the strangers' heads) with a stick.
While the others sleep, Kirk and Spock discuss the situation. Kirk has decided that he agrees with McCoy: the villagers' society is completely stagnant, and exists only to service Vaal. Spock warns that interfering with Vaal would violate the Prime Directive.
Kirk calls Scotty and asks for a progress report. Scotty still needs half an hour to complete the modifications to the engines, but he only has 45 minutes until the Enterprise is pulled into the planet's atmosphere.
Spock announces that the people of Vaal seem to have disappeared. Kirk and Spock go to Vaal, and Spock determines that the force field is down. Kirk tries to talk to Vaal, but Vaal starts another lightning storm. Spock is stunned by a bolt of lightning, and Kirk carries him back to the village, where McCoy diagnoses him with second degree burns — painful, but not serious.
Suddenly, the villagers return and successfully ambush Marple, but the others are able to fight off the rest of the villagers. Kirk orders Chekov and Landon to imprison the villagers in one of the huts.
With twelve minutes left before the ship enters the atmosphere, Scotty has transferred all available power to the impulse engines and is ready to try to break orbit. He orders full reverse and the ship pulls away enough to gain another hour, but most of the ship's systems have been heavily damaged and he will not be able to try it again. Kirk becomes distraught at the idea of the Enterprise's entire crew dying because he didn't realize the danger early enough, and orders McCoy and Chekov to prevent any of the villagers from feeding Vaal, and Scotty to concentrate all of the Enterprise's phaser power on Vaal's coordinates.
Trying to defend itself against Enterprise's phasers forces Vaal to exhaust all of its energy reserves. Spock determines that Vaal is no longer generating any power, and pronounces it dead. Scotty reports that potency is returning to the ship's anti-matter pods and that engineering will be able to start repairs immediately. Kirk orders him to send an engineering detail down to the surface as soon as the transporters are fixed, and then tells Chekov and McCoy to release the villagers.
Back on Enterprise, Spock expresses his concern that the people of Vaal have been "driven out of paradise", as in the Biblical story of Genesis. Kirk asks if Spock is casting him in the role of Satan, which Spock denies, and then rhetorically asks Spock whether he knows of anyone on the ship who looks like Satan. Spock replies, "I am not aware of anyone who fits that description, Captain." Kirk says, "No, Mr. Spock, I didn't think you would."
Log Entries
- Captain’s log, stardate 3715.3. While making a routine exploration of the unexplored Gamma Trianguli VI, one of my men has been killed by a poisonous plant.
- Captain’s log, supplementary. Our investigation of Gamma Trianguli VI has suddenly turned into a nightmare. We're being watched and followed, Mr. Spock has been injured, and now we find we are unable to return to the ship.
- Captain’s log, stardate 3715.6. We have been introduced to Vaal, evidently the source of the planet's power emanations, possibly the force that threatens both us, and our ship.
Memorable Quotes
"It makes me homesick. Just like Russia."
"More like the Garden of Eden, Ensign."
"Of course, Doctor. The Garden of Eden was just outside Moscow. A very nice place. It must have made Adam and Eve very sad to leave."
- - Chekov and McCoy, upon arriving on the planet
"Well, there goes paradise."
- - McCoy, after learning that love is forbidden by Vaal
"It, ah, does something for you."
"Yes, indeed it does, Captain. It makes me uncomfortable."
- - Kirk and Spock, referring to the garlands given to Spock
"But these people, I mean, if they don't know anything about... what I mean is, they don't seem to have any natural... I mean, how is it done?"
"Mr. Spock, you're the science officer, why don't you explain it to the young lady?"
"Well, I believe it's safe to assume that they would receive the necessary instructions."
"From a machine? That I'd like to see."
- - Landon, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, discussing the people of Vaal's means of reproduction
"It is a ...thing to do, like ... like feeding Vaal."
- - Akuta, explaining to fellow followers of Vaal how they must kill Kirk and the others
Background Information
- Spock's lightning-burned shirt was auctioned off at a science-fiction convention in 1967.
- This is the episode in which the redshirt phenomenon comes to the fore. Every red-shirted male in the landing party dies horribly. Hendorff is killed by the thorns, Kaplan by the lightning, Mallory is blown up by an exploding rock, and Marple is killed by a blow to the head.
- In his many appearances in Star Trek's second and third seasons, this was the most dialogue Jay Jones ever delivered. In fact, his only other speaking role is three words in "The Tholian Web".
- Footage of the Enterprise firing phasers down to the surface of a planet is reused from "Who Mourns for Adonais?".
- Walter Koenig seems to have discarded the wig he used in his earlier episodes. Since his own hair was now long enough, it was not necessary for him to wear it anymore.
- The sparkling effects as Vaal is attacked by the phaser barrage were lifted from the opticals used for the Companion in "Metamorphosis". They will appear again in the opticals for the creature in "Obsession".
- George Takei (Sulu) and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) do not appear in this episode.
- Typical of limitations placed on female television characters during the 1960s, even in a future setting, Yeoman Landon is only permitted to aim kicks at her adversaries in this episode – no punches allowed. On the other hand, she does spend the night in the same hut as her male companions.
- McCoy describes the poison in the thorns that killed Hendorff and injured Spock to be "like saponin, only 1000 times stronger." Given the potency of sapotoxin, this would give it an approximate LD50 of 1mg/kg earning it a rating of a class 1 toxin (Extremely toxic) on the Hodge and Sterner Scale.
- It is established in this episode that the warp nacelles can be jettisoned from the ship. Curious that this wasn't done in future episodes like "That Which Survives" when the warp engines were out of control and threatening the ship with an explosive end.
- This episode's original script called for an emergency saucer separation. However, due to budgeting, the effect was only mentioned but not seen. The first time it will be seen is in TNG's pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint".
- The greeting gesture performed by the people of Vaal upon welcoming the Enterprise crew is similar to one used by Neelix in a sticky diplomatic situation between Captain Janeway and a representative of the Tak Tak at the beginning of VOY: "Macrocosm".
Production Timeline
Links and References
Starring
Guest Star
- Keith Andes as Akuta
Co-Starring
Featuring
- James Doohan as Scott
- David Soul as Makora
- Walter Koenig as Chekov
- Jay Jones as Ensign Mallory
- Jerry Daniels as Marple
- John Winston as Lt. Kyle
- Mal Friedman as Hendorff
And
- Shari Nims as Sayana
Uncredited Cast
- Dick Dial as Kaplan
- Eddie Paskey as Leslie
- William Blackburn as Hadley
- Paul Baxley, Bobby Clark, Vince Deadrick and Ron Burke as natives
- Julie Johnson as Landon (stunt double)
References
antimatter; credit; Feeders of Vaal; Formation L; Gamma Trianguli VI; Gamma Trianguli VI pod plant; hornblende; Masiform-D; Prime Directive; quartz; Russia; saplin; uraninite; Vaal; Wortham units; Yeoman Landon
External Links
- Template:NCwiki
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