Memory Alpha
Register
Advertisement
Memory Alpha

This article is about a TOS episode. You may also be looking for the species, the Changelings.

The Enterprise finds an ancient interstellar probe from Earth, missing for 263 years, which has somehow mutated into a powerful and intelligent machine bent on sterilizing (eliminating all life from) whole planets.

Summary

The USS Enterprise is en route to the Malurian star system, investigating a distress call. Uhura has received no response to her hails, and Captain Kirk tells her to keep trying. However, Spock's data contains depressing news: there is no sign of life in the whole system. As the crew speculates about what could have caused the eradication of life in such a short time, a large something comes out of nowhere. Kirk orders red alert, and the object impacts upon the Enterprise's shields. The entire crew is hurled around, and when things stabilize, Scotty reports that the shields will stand only three more such impacts, as they have been reduced by 20%. The Enterprise's shields continue to be battered. Finally, after the shields are completely gone, Kirk orders Lieutenant Uhura to hail the object. The object hears Kirk's name, and it somehow believes that Kirk is its creator. It identifies itself as Nomad, a probe whose mission is to seek out life and sterilize it. Kirk has it beamed aboard, if only to prevent it from firing on the ship again.

This episode or film summary is incompleteThis episode summary has been identified as lacking essential detail, and as such needs attention. Feel free to edit this page to assist with this expansion.
  • Note: Please obey copyright policy; do not copy material from other sources without permission.

Log entries

  • "Captain’s log, stardate 3541.9. The presence of Nomad aboard my ship has become nightmarish. Now, it apparently means to return to Earth. Once there, it would automatically destroy all life."

Memorable Quotes

"That 'unit' is a woman."
"A mass of conflicting impulses."

- Spock and Nomad


"The unit Spock is another one of your biological units, creator?"
"Yes."
"This one is different; it is well-ordered."

- Nomad and Kirk


"Congratulations, Captain; a dazzling display of logic."
"Didn't think I had it in me, did you?"
"No, sir."

- Spock and Kirk


"I am the creator?"
"You are the creator."
"You're wrong! Jackson Roykirk, your creator, is dead. You have mistaken me for him – you are in error, Nomad. You did not recognize your mistake – you have made two errors. You are flawed and imperfect, and you have not corrected by sterilization – you have made three errors."

- Kirk and Nomad


"We've got to get rid of it while it's trying to think."
"Your logic was impeccable, Captain – we are in grave danger."

- Kirk and Spock after Nomad realizes its error


"...It's 'space-happy!' It thinks I'm its... mother."
"And that is the only thing that has saved us until now."

- Kirk and Spock

Background Information

  • This episode, a rehash of Frankenstein, would later become the inspiration behind the first Star Trek film.
  • Director Marc Daniels portrays Jackson Roykirk in the photograph, wearing Scotty's dress uniform.
  • Eddie Paskey is seen in a gold shirt in this episode so he would match the standard stock footage screen shot with George Takei and an extra's left shoulder. In a few first season shows, he is seen wearing gold in the hallways during Kirk-to-crew announcements.
  • Watch carefully at the end of the teaser. As the actors are falling over during the attack by Nomad, Paskey lifts the navigation console off the floor of the set.
  • Scott refers to two of his engineers as Roger and Matt. He appears to be addressing Roger Holloway's character for the former.
  • After Nomad explodes, William Shatner quickly raises his hand to the camera as the scene fades away, to complain about the bacon available on the set that day. This outtake was later incorporated into the "second season blooper reel."
  • Also in the blooper reel: When Shatner tells Nomad that the Enterprise is prepared to beam it aboard, James Doohan says, "But captain – you forgot about the environment and all that stuff. Do you really want to do it?" A grinning Doohan steps out of camera frame, leaving a slightly perplexed Shatner behind, bemusedly shaking his head.
  • Remarkably, Uhura's erased knowledge is restored within a matter of days, presumably with all her memories intact as well.
  • Stock footage of Nomad exiting the turbolift is used to show him leaving sickbay.
  • Spock mentions that Nomad's first attack on the Enterprise was the equivalent of 90 photon torpedoes. Surprisingly, this attack only reduced the shields by 20%.
  • This episode marks one of four times Kirk is able to "discuss a computer to death". This skill is also used in "The Return of the Archons", "I, Mudd", and "The Ultimate Computer".

Production timeline

Links and references

Starring

Featuring

With

And

Uncredited cast

Stuntpeople

References

antigrav; Beyond Antares; changeling (folklore); hyperencephalogram; Malurians; Malurian system; Manway, Dr.; Nomad; Roykirk, Jackson; Symbalene blood burn; Tan Ru

Other references

acquisition sensor; coupler prediction scanner; data assimilation digital encoder; magnetohydrodynamic vernier; regenerative mode emulsifier; selective amplifier screen; sperographic analysis computer; tracking screen; transmission

Timeline

2002
Nomad built
2267
Malurian system destroyed

External links

  • Template:NCwiki
Previous episode produced:
"Wolf in the Fold"
Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 2
Next episode produced:
"The Apple"
Previous episode aired:
"Who Mourns for Adonais?"
Next episode aired:
"Mirror, Mirror"
Previous remastered episode aired:
None
TOS Remastered Next remastered episode aired:
None
Advertisement