Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973) s01e07 Episode Script

The Infinite Vulcan

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 5554.
4.
The Enterprise has been ordered to survey a new planet recently discovered at the periphery of the galaxy.
Life readings are confused, sir.
I can't decipher them.
There is something else, Captain.
I'm getting a reading of some kind of power from that building.
Well, now, what's this? - Captain! Captain! - What is it, Mr.
Sulu? You're going to have to see this yourself, sir.
- What is that thing? - It's a mobile plant.
When it stops, its roots bore back into the ground.
They're all over the place.
I think it likes me.
We always encourage our officers to make friends with the natives.
Captain, the power reading now includes an electronic probe.
We are being scanned.
Phasers on stun, stay alert.
Mr.
Sulu, stay here.
Must have been a thorn.
The probe originates in this wall, as does an incredibly powerful force shield.
It appears to be an amalgam of devices designed to defend and protect the city and this building in particular.
Jim! I'm picking up a humanoid reading of incredible strength.
It's as if he - He's been poisoned.
Unknown toxin.
- Can you help him? I can't get a correlation with any known poison.
Maybe the ship's medical computers.
He's got about one minute to live unless I can find an answer.
Maybe dylovene.
No good.
Takes too much time to work if it does work.
- Maybe a stronger shot.
- That won't be necessary.
- Who are you? - I am called Agmar.
I believe we can help.
Are you getting a reading on them? A moment, Captain.
The results are unclear.
Now, just a minute! I can't let you, whatever you are, inject him with some alien dew drop! To wait is to assure your friend's death.
I must proceed.
Bones, let them help.
Captain, these beings are of botanical origin.
- Intelligent plants? - So it would seem.
It is an antidote quickly absorbed.
He should begin to respond momentarily.
- Thank you.
- Welcome to the planet Phylos.
I'm Captain James Kirk.
Mr.
Spock, Dr.
McCoy and Mr.
Sulu.
You seem to have been expecting us.
Our instruments have tracked and scanned you.
We did not wish to reveal ourselves immediately.
We are a peaceful race and we have a fear of aliens.
- What happened to him? - He was bitten by the Retlaw plant.
It is deadly only if unattended.
- Your medication worked quickly.
- A minor achievement.
Minor? Our science doesn't have anything that works that fast.
Yours must be incredible.
The toxin level is decreasing fast.
Body readings up to normal.
How is it you knew your antidote would work on a human? There have been humanoid aliens here before.
Your method of communication A voder, or translator.
Most efficient.
I'm sorry, Agmar, but I don't like puzzles.
Where are the rest of your people? Come.
I will show you.
Our people.
Nerve tissue.
Mass density is exceptionally high.
Readings indicate the beings used almost 70% of their brains.
A very high ratio.
Your ancestors? No.
Only the generation before us.
Then what happened? A human came.
He brought sickness and death.
But he also worked to save us from his disease.
There are evidences of gram-positive bacteria.
It's carried by humanoids without ill effect, but staphylococcus strains don't seem to be native to this planet.
It must have been like a plague.
We had no way of knowing what was happening.
- You were alive then? - Very young.
Plant life, Captain.
Primitive and aggressive.
They won't work on any setting, sir.
There is a weapons deactivator in effect here.
Your destructive machines will have no effect.
I think it's after you, Jim.
Kirk to Enterprise.
Captain! What do you think they'll do with us, sir? Something tells me we've just been used as a diversionary tactic.
Look.
I'm sorry, Captain Kirk, but there was no other way.
What are you talking about? Where have they taken Spock? He has been chosen to serve a greater cause.
The Master has searched many years to find a specimen like Spock.
And now, all the worlds of the galaxy will share in the beauty of peace and harmony.
So help me if you don't tell me where Spock has been taken.
- The Master.
- Praise to the Master.
- Praise to the Master.
- The Master, our Savior.
Savior, our Master.
- Another plant? - No, definitely human, Jim.
I am Dr.
Stavos Keniclius 5.
Welcome to Phylos, Captain Kirk.
Where is Spock? He is mine.
The essence of him is mine.
Return to your ship.
Here is your communicator.
Go back to your ship.
Not without my First Officer.
I am sorry, Captain.
You will leave now or suffer the consequences.
Kirk to Enterprise.
Beam us up, Scotty.
Captain's Log, Stardate 5554.
8.
We have come upon one of the most fascinating discoveries we have ever seen.
Plant life of extraordinary intelligence and technology.
However, they have captured Mr.
Spock, apparently, under the orders of a human named Keniclius.
Lieutenant Uhura is trying to locate any reference to such a man in order to unravel the mystery of this giant human.
Anything, Mr.
Sulu? We haven't been able to pick up any human life form readings, sir.
Spock and Keniclius must be somewhere our sensor scans can't penetrate.
What about the Phylosians? I had to adjust for the fact that they're plant life forms.
We're registering the lesser ones like the Swoopers in abundance.
No sign of Agmar and the other four.
Agmar said something about a weapons deactivator.
Mr.
Sulu, lock ship's phasers on that laboratory building.
- Use a wide area stun setting.
- Aye, sir.
Lieutenant Uhura, how are you coming with that information on Keniclius? Nothing current, Captain.
I may have found something in the history banks.
- I'll have it in a moment.
- Keep trying, Lieutenant.
Phasers locked on and ready, sir.
- Fire phasers.
- Firing.
No effect, Captain.
Phaser stun was neutralized at a distance of 1,000 meters above the area.
Which means our weapons are useless, and we have no alternative but to go back down there and try to rescue Spock without them.
I'd hate to resort to clubs and knives.
There may be something more effective, Mr.
Sulu.
- Kirk to Engineering.
Scotty? - Here, sir.
How's that special equipment coming along? My engineers are working on it now, sir.
You'll have it within the hour.
Very well, Mr.
Scott.
Kirk out.
I have the information now, sir.
I'll put it on the main screen.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
Bones? One of my great-great-granddaddies, way back, had the finest garden in the South.
Had to scramble around a little bit to find the materials, but I've got his recipe brewing now.
Working.
From Earth history file.
Stavos Keniclius.
Earth scientist, period, Eugenics Wars.
Planned to clone perfect specimen prototype into master race.
Concept considered anti-humanistic.
Banned from community.
Disappeared.
No evidence of death.
No further data.
There used to be a story about a modern Diogenes wandering the galaxy looking for someone special.
Someone special.
A perfect specimen, perhaps.
Yes, I've heard it, too.
It couldn't be Keniclius.
He'd be over 250 years old! Not if he cloned a new copy of himself every so often to carry on the search.
Remember, he said he was Keniclius 5.
It seems incredible that a man could take a few cells from his body and reproduce himself from them time after time.
But that seems to be exactly what we're dealing with in the giant human Keniclius.
- I hope these things work.
- Well, the equipment's guaranteed, but I have my doubts about the stuff inside.
A strange way to handle aliens.
These are strange aliens we're fighting.
Scotty, as soon as we beam down, I want you to leave orbit.
If they think we've gone, they won't be scanning the surface.
- Give us 30 minutes.
- Aye, sir, but I don't like it.
Neither do I, but it appears to be necessary.
Energize.
No indication of a scan.
I don't think they know we're here.
Let's go.
I'm not sure I can take too much of this.
They're almost mindless, Doctor.
They seem to attack primarily as a reflex action.
It's clear now.
- I can't believe it.
- Incredible! Looks like they're getting ready to go on a trip.
But where? To what purpose? The number of ships indicates a mass migration.
Or invasion.
Agmar said they were a peaceful people.
Sure they are, now.
But what about before? You could have a point, Bones.
Those ships, the city.
The Phylosians built a technology possibly greater than anything we animal species did.
The ships look like they never got off the ground.
Could be the disease Keniclius accidentally brought here swept the planet before they could do whatever they were going to do.
- Any indication of Keniclius or Spock? - No, sir.
- Only the Phylosians.
- Well, followers can be led.
Let's hope we can be as persuasive as Keniclius.
Agmar, we don't want to hurt you, but we must have Spock back.
I do not think that is possible.
The Vulcan-human blend of wisdom, sense of order, durability and strength is the finest the Master has ever found.
We are pleased Spock will carry on our work.
Carry on your work? We are the last of a dying people, Captain.
Once we had a great mission.
Then disease decimated us.
We few are the frail remnant of what survived.
Our spore cells have been destroyed.
There will be no more of our kind.
What if something happens to Spock or the Master? There will always be a master.
But, come, you are worried about your friend.
I will show you he is safe and in good hands.
- Just like that, Captain? - So it would appear, Mr.
Sulu.
All the same, keep that bag handy.
The way is through here, gentlemen.
We sprang from the soil, Captain.
These tunnels were once part of our home.
This will serve to illuminate our way.
No wonder we couldn't find Spock.
The walls are 600 times denser than lead, - in addition to the surface force field.
- Did you hear something? - What? - I'm not sure.
Not much further now, Captain.
There it is again, a flapping sound.
- Agmar! - Use the belt lights! They don't operate.
Agmar! Run.
We've got to find some light.
We can't do anything unless we can see what we're fighting.
Don't stop.
Try to stay together.
- Jim, up ahead.
- I see it.
I see it.
Keep going.
He's dying.
Something's happened to his brain.
Electrical activity decreasing.
It's too late, Captain Kirk! In a few minutes, your friend will be gone.
But as Keniclius 1 lives on in each of his clones, so will Mr.
Spock.
Behold, gentlemen, the dawning of a new era, the salvation of a galaxy! Spock Two! Get ready.
Captain, I'm out.
The chemical sprayer is empty.
- Mine, too, Jim.
- Wait.
Listen.
Maybe they're waiting for the mist to clear.
Well, how about that.
Great-granddaddy's weed spray still works.
Never mind that.
We've got to get Spock out of here before Keniclius returns.
Scott should have the Enterprise back by now.
Kirk to Enterprise.
Kirk to Enterprise.
Nothing.
Must be these blasted walls again.
- Kirk to Enterprise.
- It's no use, Jim.
He'll be dead in a few minutes.
His mind is gone.
He no longer thinks.
This machine has drained his mind somehow.
More than just drained.
It's been transferred, relocated into the mechanism itself.
I can duplicate exact physiological structure.
I cannot duplicate that which is learned.
Just as my predecessor transferred his knowledge to me through this apparatus, I have done that with Mr.
Spock and the first of his clones.
You talk about creating life with your clones, but you have to murder to do it.
Come on.
Out of my way, mister.
That's an order.
I don't think he understands.
His mind is still trying to assimilate all the knowledge it's been fed.
Keep trying, Lieutenant.
We've got to make contact with the Captain.
It's no use, Mr.
Scott.
I can't get through.
Except for environmental systems, I want the entire power load of the ship redirected into a tight beam transmission.
If we can break through the shielding, we can reach the Captain.
Mr.
Scott, you're risking a total drain of our dilithium crystals.
To maintain communication, we would have to burn out all our reserves.
And don't I know it, lass.
But we must speak to the Captain.
He's coming out of it, Jim.
He's becoming conscious and aware.
Spock, what is the logic in letting a man die for the sake of creating his duplicate? Explain it to me, sir.
Explain it to me.
- All power sources locked in, Mr.
Scott.
- Then throw the switch, Lieutenant.
Vulcans do not condone the meaningless death of any being.
Spock's death is meaningless if it is only to create a giant version of himself.
It is not just a duplicate! He will be the beginning of a master race.
He That's our ship calling, Spock.
You answer them.
Spock is slipping away.
There isn't much time left.
I'm sure we're getting through, but they're not acknowledging.
Keep trying.
Mr.
Scott, we're near the drain point on the dilithium crystals now.
- Our reserves - Keep trying.
- Commander Spock here.
- Oh, thank heaven.
Mr.
Spock, tell the Captain I've located more information about Keniclius.
I had the library computer check out all known writings by Keniclius.
They are obscure, but there is a recurring theme in his later essays about using his master race as a peace-keeping force throughout the galaxy.
That was why Keniclius wanted a perfect specimen.
I have to sign off.
We've reached power drain threshold.
That's what I call close, Mr.
Scott.
Let's hope it was information they could use.
All this has been a waste, Keniclius.
There's been peace in the Federation for over 100 years.
That is a lie.
What about the Eugenics Wars? The galactic wars? What of the depredations of the Romulans, the Klingons and the Kzinti? An army of Spock duplicates is necessary to subdue them.
You're the fifth Keniclius.
What makes you so sure what you believe is truth isn't just old news? Your predecessors could have been out of touch with our advances for two centuries.
The Master always speaks the truth.
I can understand why you think Keniclius is the master if he saved you from dying, but why do you agree with his plan of a super race? Our fleet of ships which you saw was to be launched for the same purpose the Master intends.
Disease struck us before we could carry out our own plan to impose peace on a galaxy that knew none.
We already have peace in the Federation.
It wasn't imposed, it was agreed upon.
You have no need of Spock.
Reverse the effects of that machine and let us take him.
No! The mold must be broken.
Jim, Spock's almost gone.
If you have Spock's mind, you'll know the Vulcan symbol called the IDIC.
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.
Symbolizing the elements that create truth and beauty.
Could an army of Spocks impose peace and Phylosian philosophy on any other beings in defiance of the IDIC concept? I do not believe so.
- Reverse the machine, Keniclius.
- No! Our dream must not be allowed to die.
Murderer! You've killed Spock! To persist in this behavior, Captain, is to negate the eloquence of your previous argument.
May I suggest a more constructive way? My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts.
The Vulcan mind touch! I am pleasantly surprised at your capacity for deductive reasoning, Captain.
When you are not being bellicose, there appears to be no end to your arsenal of formidable talents.
Spock.
Spock, you old And you needn't worry, Captain Kirk, about a master race.
There will be no militia, no other Spocks.
But what of my work? If all I have lived for is already done, if the times I feared are gone, what is to become of me? There appears to be no reason why I should continue to exist.
I would suggest Dr.
Keniclius remain on Phylos with my duplicate.
The concerted efforts of both scientists may yet achieve a rebirth of the Phylosian civilization and enable them to contribute to the Federation.
- My thoughts exactly, Mr.
Spock.
- So one might assume, Mr.
Spock.
How does that sound to you, Keniclius? To bring life is at least as important as bringing peace.
I would be honored.
- Lf I will be allowed.
- I'll report your work here.
I think the Federation will understand.
By the way, Mr.
Sulu, any chance of teaching me that body throw? - Could come in handy sometime.
- I don't know, sir.
It isn't just physical, you know.
You have to be inscrutable.
Inscrutable? Sulu, you're the most scrutable man I know.

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