"captain:" "What do you make of it?" "It appears to be a probe, Captain, from an intelligence unknown to us." "Continue transmitting "Universal Peace" and "Hello"" "in all known languages." "Get me Starfleet Command." "Ready, Captain." "Starfleet Command, this is U.S.S. Saratoga patrolling Sector 5, Neutral Zone." "We're tracking a probe of unknown origin on apparent trajectory to the Terran solar system." "Attempts to communicate with the probe have been negative on all known frequencies." "MAN:" "Continue tracking, Saratoga." "We will analyse transmissions and advise." "Roger, Starfleet." "Saratoga out." "AUTOMATED FEMALE VOICE:" "6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ." "There." "Hold the image." "Hold!" "Behold the quintessential devil in these matters," "James T. Kirk, renegade and terrorist." "Not only is he responsible for the murder of a Klingon crew, the theft of a Klingon vessel, see now the real plot and intentions." "Even as this Federation was negotiating a peace treaty with us," "Kirk was secretly developing the Genesis Torpedo, conceived by Kirk's son, and test-detonated by the Admiral himself." "The result of this awesome energy was euphemistically called the Genesis Planet, a secret base from which to launch the annihilation of the Klingon people." "We demand the extradition of Kirk." "We demand justice!" "SAREK:" "Klingon justice is a unique point of view, Mr President." "Genesis was perfectly named, the creation of life, not death." "The Klingons shed the first blood while attempting to possess its secrets." "Vulcans are well known as the intellectual puppets of this Federation." "Your vessel did destroy U.S.S. Grissom." "Your men did kill Kirk's son." " Do you deny these events?" " We deny nothing." " We have the right to preserve our race." " You have the right to commit murder?" "Silence." "Silence!" "There'll be no further outbursts from the floor." "Mr President, I have come to speak on behalf of the accused." "Personal bias." "His son was saved by Kirk." "Mr Ambassador, with all respect, the council's deliberations are over." " Then Kirk goes unpunished?" " Admiral Kirk has been charged with nine violations of Starfleet regulations." "Starfleet regulations?" "That's outrageous!" "Remember this well." "There shall be no peace as long as Kirk lives." "MAN:" "You pompous ass!" "KIRK:" "Captain's log, Stardate 8390." "We're in the third month of our Vulcan exile." "And it was Dr McCoy, with a fine sense of historical irony, who decided on a name for our captured Klingon vessel." "And like those mutineers of 500 years ago, we, too, have a hard choice to make." " Dr McCoy?" " Aye, sir." " Mr Scott?" " Aye, sir." " Uhura?" " Aye, sir." " Chekov?" " Aye, sir." " Sulu?" " Aye, sir." "Let the record show that the commander and the crew of the late Starship Enterprise have voted unanimously to return to Earth, to face the consequences of their actions in the rescue of their comrade Captain Spock." "Thank you all." "Repair stations, please." " Mr Scott." " Aye, sir?" " How soon can we be underway?" " Give me one more day, sir." "Damage control is easy." "Reading Klingon, that's hard." "You'd think they could at least send a ship." "It's bad enough to be court-martialed, and spend the rest of our lives mining borite, but to have to go home in this Klingon flea trap..." "We could learn a thing or two from this flea trap." "It's got a cloaking device that cost us a lot." "I just wish we could cloak the stench." "Computer, resume testing." "COMPUTER 1:" "Who said, "Logic is the cement of our civilisation"" ""with which we ascend from the chaos using reason as our guide"?" "T'Plana-Hath, Matron of Vulcan philosophy." "Correct." "What is the molecular formula of yominum sulphide crystals?" "White queen to Section 5, Grid 6." "Queen takes knight." "Rook takes queen." "White pawn to Section 5, Grid 7." "Pawn takes rook." "Checkmate." "What significant contribution to bioengineering was made on the Loonkerian outpost on Klendth?" "The universal atmospheric element compensator." " Evaluate..." " COMPUTER 2:" "Correct." "COMPUTER 1:" "Starship sensors indicate it is being pursued so closely, that it occupies the same space as the pursuer." "COMPUTER 2:" "Correct." "COMPUTER 1:" "Identify object" " and its cultural significance." " COMPUTER 2:" "Correct." "Klingon mummification glyph." "What were the principal historical events on Earth" " in the year 1987?" " COMPUTER 2:" "Correct." "COMPUTER 1:" "What was Kiri-kin-tha's First Law of Metaphysics?" " Nothing unreal exists." " COMPUTER 2:" "Correct." "COMPUTER 1:" "Adjust the sine wave of this magnetic envelope so that antineutrons can pass through but the antigravitons cannot." " COMPUTER 2:" "Correct." " What is the electronic configuration" " of gadolinium?" " COMPUTER 2:" "Correct." "COMPUTER 1:" "How do you feel?" "How do you feel?" "How do you feel?" " l do not understand the question." " AMANDA:" "What is it, Spock?" "I do not understand the question, Mother." "You're half human." "The computer knows that." "The question is irrelevant." "Spock, the retraining of your mind has been in the Vulcan way, so you may not understand feelings, but as my son, you have them." "They will surface." "As you wish, since you deem them of value, but I cannot wait here to find them." " Why?" "Where must you go?" " l must go to Earth to offer testimony." "You do this for friendship." "I do it because I was there." "Spock, does the good of the many outweigh the good of the one?" "I would accept that as an axiom." "Then you stand here alive because of a mistake made by your flawed, feeling, human friends." "They have sacrificed their futures because they believed that the good of the one, you, was more important to them." " Humans make illogical decisions." " They do, indeed." "Here it comes now." " What's causing that?" " Their call's being carried on an amplification wave of enormous power." "Can we isolate the wave?" "Negative. lt's impacting on all our systems." "Yellow Alert." "Shields up." "Helm, reduce closing speed." "Thruster controls have been neutralised." " Emergency thrusters." " No response, Captain." "captain:" "Emergency lights." "Damage report." "All systems have failed." "We're functioning on reserve power only." "Starfleet Command, this is Saratoga." "Can you hear me?" "Come in, please." "Come in, please." "Thank you, sir." " Status report, Admiral." " Not good, Mr President." "The probe is headed directly toward us." "Its signal is damaging everything in its path." "The Klingons have lost two vessels." "Two starships and three smaller vessels" " have been neutralised." " Neutralised?" "How?" "We don't know." "Get me the Yorktown." "Emergency channel 0130." "Code Red." "It has been three hours since our contact with the alien probe." "All attempts at regaining power have failed." "It's using forms of energy our best scientists do not understand." " Can you protect us?" " We're launching everything we have." "Our chief engineer is trying to deploy a makeshift solar sail." "We have high hopes that this will, if successful, generate power to keep us alive." " Systems report, communications." " Communications systems all ready, sir." "Communications officer as ready as she'll ever be." " Mr Sulu?" " Guidance is functional." "Onboard computer will interface with Federation Memory Bank." " Weapons systems." " Operational, Admiral." "Cloaking device now available on all flight modes." "I'm impressed." "That's a lot of work for a short voyage." "We are in an enemy vessel, sir." "I did not wish to be shot down on the way to our own funeral." "Good thinking." "Engine room." "Report, Mr Scott." "We're ready, sir." "I've converted the dilithium sequencer into something a little less primitive, and, Admiral, I have replaced the Klingon food packs." "They were giving me a sour stomach." "Oh, is that what it was?" "Prepare for departure." "Everybody not going to Earth had better get off." "Saavik." " This is goodbye." " Yes, Admiral." "Thank you." "Sir, I have not had the opportunity to tell you about your son." "David died most bravely." "He saved Spock." "He saved us all." "I thought you should know." "Good day, Captain Spock." "May yourjourney be free of incident." "Live long and prosper, Lieutenant." " Permission to come aboard." " Permission granted." " Thank you, Admiral." " Jim." "Spock, Jim." "Don't you remember?" "It would not be proper to refer to you as Jim while you're in command, Admiral." "Also, I must apologise for my attire." "I seem to have misplaced my uniform." "Station." " Are you sure this is such a bright idea?" " What do you mean?" "I mean him back at his post like nothing happened." "I don't know if you've got the whole picture or not, but he's not exactly working on all thrusters." " lt'll come back to him." " Are you sure?" "That's what I thought." "Mr Sulu, take us home." "Thrusters functional." "One-quarter impulse power." "MAN:" "Spacedock, this is Starfleet." "Launch all vessels." "Launch all vessels." "Sir, spacedock doors are inoperative." "All emergency systems are nonfunctional." " Engage reserve power." " Aye, sir." "Starfleet Command, this is spacedock on emergency channel." "We have lost all internal power." "Estimating planet Earth, 1 .6 hours, present speed." "Continue on course." "Mr Chekov, any sign of a Federation escort?" "No, sir, and no Federation vessels on assigned patrol stations." "That's odd." " Uhura, what's on the comm channels?" " Very active, sir." "Multiphasic transmissions, overlapping." "It's almost a gibberish." "Let me see if I can sort it out." "Hi." "Busy?" "Uhura is busy. I am monitoring." "Well, I just wanted to say it sure is nice to have your katra back in your head and not mine." "What I mean is, I may have carried your soul, but I sure couldn't fill your shoes." "My shoes?" "Forget it." "Perhaps we could cover a little philosophical ground, life, death, life, things of that nature." "I did not have time, on Vulcan, to review the philosophical disciplines." "Come on, Spock. lt's me, McCoy." "You really have gone where no man's gone before." "Can't you tell me what it felt like?" "It would be impossible to discuss this subject without a common frame of reference." "You're joking." "A joke is a story with a humorous climax." "You mean I have to die to discuss your insights on death?" "Forgive me, Doctor." "I'm receiving a number of distress calls." "I don't doubt it." "Juneau, Alaska, clouds increase 95%." "Tokyo, total cloud coverage." "All power from reserve banks." "Leningrad has lost all electrical power." "Cloud coverage 100%." "Temperatures decreasing rapidly." "What is the estimate cloud cover of the planet, at this time?" " COMPUTER: 78.6%." " Notify all stations." "Starfleet emergency." "Red Alert." "Switch power immediately to planetary reserves." "Switching now, Admiral." "COMPUTER:" "Red Alert." "We are now on Red Alert." "Attention." "Attention." "Red Alert." "Mr President, even with planetary reserves, we cannot survive without the sun." "I'm well aware of that, Admiral." "Ambassador Sarek, I'm afraid you're trapped here with us." "There seems to be no way we can answer this probe." "It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question." "Mr President." "Perhaps you should transmit a planetary distress signal, while we still have time." " Admiral." " What is it?" "Overlapping distress calls and now a message coming in from the Federation." "On screen." "This is the President of the United Federation of Planets." "Do not approach Earth." "The transmissions of an orbiting probe are causing critical damage to this planet." "It has almost totally ionised our atmosphere." "All power sources have failed." "All Earth-orbiting starships are powerless." "The probe is vaporising our oceans." "We cannot survive unless a way can be found to respond to the probe." "Further communications may not be possible." "Save your energy." "Save yourselves." "Avoid the planet Earth at all costs." "Farewell." "Can you let us hear the probe's transmission?" "Yes, sir." "On speakers." " Spock, what do you make of that?" " Most unusual." "An unknown form of energy of great power and intelligence, evidently unaware that its transmissions are destructive." "I find it illogical that its intentions should be hostile." "Really?" "You think this is its way of saying," ""Hi there" to the people of the Earth?" "There are other forms of intelligence on Earth, Doctor." "Only human arrogance would assume the message must be meant for man." "You're suggesting the transmission is meant for a life form other than man?" "At least a possibility, Admiral." "The President did say it was directed at Earth's oceans." "Uhura, can you modify the probe signals, accounting for density and temperature and salinity factors?" "I can try, sir." "I think I have it, sir." "And this is what it would sound like underwater?" "Yes, sir." "Fascinating." "If my suspicion is correct, there can be no response to this message." "Excuse me." " Where are you going?" " To test my theory." "Bones, you stay here." "No way." "Somebody's got to keep an eye on him." " Spock?" " As suspected." "The probe's transmissions are the songs sung by whales." " Whales." " Specifically, humpback whales." "That's crazy." "Who would send a probe hundreds of light-years" " to talk to whales?" " lt's possible." "Whales have been on Earth far earlier than man." "10 million years earlier." "Humpbacks were heavily hunted by man." "They've been extinct since the 21 st century." "It is possible that an alien intelligence sent the probe to determine why they lost contact." " My God." " Spock." "Could the humpbacks' answer to this call be simulated?" "The sounds, but not the language." "We would be responding in gibberish." "Does the species exist on any other planet?" "Negative." "Humpbacks were indigenous to Earth, Earth of the past." "Well, we have no choice." "We must destroy the probe before it destroys Earth." "To attempt to do so would be futile, Admiral." "The probe could render us neutral easily." "We can't just turn away." " There must be an alternative." " There is one possibility, but, of course, I cannot guarantee success." "We could attempt to find some humpback whales." "You just said there aren't any, except on Earth of the past." " Yes, Doctor, that is exactly what I said." " Well, in that case..." " Now wait just a damn minute." " Spock." "Start your computations for time warp." "Bones, you come with me." "COMPUTER:" "Red Alert." "Red Alert." " Red Alert." " Admiral." "We need that power to keep the medical and emergency facilities functioning." "All underground storage systems have been shut down due to contamination from the probe's wave." "COMPUTER:" "Red Alert." "Red Alert." "MAN:" "Hey, Tom, get those steel plates in here!" "COMPUTER:" "Red Alert." "Red Alert." " Scotty, how long is this bay?" " About 60 feet, Admiral." "Can you enclose it to hold water?" "I suppose I could." "You planning to take a swim?" "Off the deep end, Mr Scott." " We've got to find some humpbacks." " Humpbacked people?" "Whales, Mr Scott." "Whales." "About 45 to 50 feet long." "About 40 tons each." "You really gonna try time travel in this rust bucket?" " We've done it before." " Sure." "Slingshot around the sun, pick up enough speed and you're in time warp." " lf you don't, you're fried." " You prefer to do nothing?" "I prefer a dose of common sense." "You're proposing that we go backwards in time, find humpback whales, then bring them forward in time, drop them off, and hope to hell they tell this probe what to go do with itself." " That's the general idea." " Well, that's crazy." "You have a better idea?" "Now's the time." " Your computations, Mr Spock?" " ln progress, Admiral." "Uhura, get me through to Starfleet Command." "COMPUTER:" "Red Alert." "MAN:" "I'm picking up a faint transmission." " Red Alert." " l think it's Admiral Kirk calling." "On screen." "Starfleet Command, this is admiral James T. Kirk, on route to Earth aboard a Klingon vessel." "We have intercepted and analysed the call of the probe threatening Earth." "Satellite reserve power." "Now." "Only the extinct species, humpback whale, can give a proper response to the probe." "Stabilise." "Emergency reserve." " Starfleet Command, do you read me?" " MAN:" "Go ahead." " We hear you." " Starfleet Command..." "If you read me, we're going to attempt time travel." "We are computing our trajectory at this time." "Get him back!" "Get him back!" "Ready to engage computer, Admiral." " What's our target in time?" " Late 20th century." " Can you be more specific?" " Not with this equipment." "I've had to programme some of the variables from memory." " What are some of the variables?" " Availability of fuel components, mass of the vessel through a time continuum, and probable location of humpback whales, in this case, the Pacific Basin." "You've programmed all that from memory?" "I have." ""Angels and ministers of grace defend us!"" "Hamlet, Act I, Scene iv." "No doubt about your memory, Spock." "Engage computers." "Prepare for warp speed." " Shields, Mr Chekov." " Shields, aye." "May fortune favour the foolish." "Warp speed, Mr Sulu." "Warp 2." " Warp 3." " Steady as she goes." "Warp 4." "Warp 5." "Warp 6." "Warp 7." "Warp 8!" "Sir, heat shields at maximum." "Warp 9!" "9.2. 9.3." " We need breakaway speed." " 9.5. 9.6." "9.7. 9.8." " l'm okay. I'm all right." " Steady." "Now, Mr Sulu!" "UHURA:" "I should never have left..." "SULU:" "I had no control, sir." "CHEKOV:" "The mains are down, sir." "Aux power..." "McCOY:" "My God, Jim, where are we?" "SPOCK:" "It is the human thing to do." "KIRK:" "Our mission?" "Spock, you're talking about the end of every life on Earth." "Mr Sulu." "Aye, sir." "What is our condition?" "Sir, the braking thrusters have fired." "Picture, please." "Earth." "But when?" "Spock?" "Judging by the pollution content of the atmosphere, I believe we have arrived at the latter half of the 20th century." " Well done, Spock." " Admiral, if I may, we are probably already visible to the tracking devices of the time." "Quite right, Mr Spock." "Engage cloaking device, Mr Chekov." "We are crossing the terminator into night." "Homing in on the West Coast of North America." "Admiral, I am receiving whale song." "Put them on speakers." "Admiral, this is strange." "The song is directly ahead." "It's coming from San Francisco." "From the city?" " That doesn't make sense." " SCOTTY:" "Admiral." "We have a serious problem." "Would you please come down?" "It's these Klingon crystals, Admiral." "The time travel drained them." " They're giving out, decrystallising." " Give me a round figure, Mr Scott." "24 hours, give or take, staying cloaked." "After that, Admiral, we're visible and dead in the water." "In any case, we won't have enough to break out of Earth's gravity, to say nothing about getting home." "I can't believe we've come this far only to be stopped by this." "is there no way of recrystallising the dilithium?" "Sorry, sir." "We can't even do that in the 23rd century." "Admiral, there may be a 20th century possibility." "Explain." "If memory serves, there was a dubious flirtation with nuclear fission reactors resulting in toxic side effects." "By the beginning of the fusion era, these reactors had been replaced, but at this time we may be able to find some." "But you said they were toxic." "We could construct a device to collect their high-energy photons safely." "These photons could then be injected into the dilithium chamber, causing crystalline restructure, theoretically." "Where would we find these reactors, theoretically?" "Nuclear power was widely used in naval vessels." "San Francisco. I was born there." "It doesn't look all that different." " Set us down in Golden Gate Park." " SULU:" "Aye, sir." "Descending." "We'll divide into teams." "Commanders Uhura and Chekov are assigned to the uranium problem." " Yes, sir." " Dr McCoy, you, Mr Scott, and Commander Sulu will convert us a whale tank..." "Oh, joy." "...while Captain Spock and I attempt to trace these whale songs to their source." "I'll have bearing and distance for you, sir." "I want you all to be very careful." "This is terra incognita." "Many of their customs will doubtless take us by surprise." "It's a foregone conclusion none of these people have ever seen an extraterrestrial before." "This is an extremely primitive and paranoid culture." "Chekov will issue a phaser and a communicator to each team." "We'll maintain radio silence except in emergencies." "Those of you in uniform, remove your rank insignia." "Any questions?" "All right." "Let's do ourjob and get out of here." "Our own world is waiting for us to save it. lf we can." " Commence landing procedures." " Aye, sir." "Don't tell me you two are fighting again?" "I thought you made up last night." " Why are you two always fighting?" " l like the way she fights." "Anyway, I said to her," ""lf you think I'm gonna spend $60 for a damn toaster oven," " "you're out of your mind."" " What did she say to that?" "Well, she..." "What the hell was that?" " Did you see that?" " No, and neither did you," " so shut up." " l didn't see nothing." " Bearing to the whales?" " 283 degrees, 15.2 kilometres." "Everybody remember where we parked." "Hey, why don't you watch where you're going, you dumbass!" "Well, double dumbass on you!" "It's a miracle these people ever got out of the 20th century." "They're still using money, we gotta find some." "Spock." "The rest of you stay here." "The rest of you, break up." "You look like a cadet review." "Yes. 18th-century American." "Quite valuable." "Are you sure you want to part with them?" " How much will you give me for them?" " Excuse me." "Weren't those a birthday present from Dr McCoy?" "And they will be again, that's the beauty of it." "How much?" "Well, they'd be worth more if the lenses were intact." "I'll give you $100." "is that a lot?" "That's all there is, so don't splurge." "All set?" "Good hunting." "Well, Spock, here we are." "Thanks to your restored memory and a little bit of good luck, we're walking the streets of San Francisco looking for a couple of humpback whales." "How do you propose to solve this minor problem?" "Simple logic will suffice." "I believe I shall begin by making use of this map." "I have the distance and bearing which were provided by Commander Uhura." "If we juxtapose our coordinates, we should be able to find our destination which lies at 283.7... I think we'll find what we're looking for at the Cetacean Institute in Sausalito." "A pair of humpback whales, named George and Gracie." " How do you know this?" " Simple logic." "What does it mean, exact change?" "You mind telling me how we plan to convert this tank?" "Ordinarily, I could do it with a piece of transparent aluminium." "I'm afraid you're a number of years too early for that." "I know." "We've got to find the 20th-century equivalent." "But where?" " Did you find it?" " Yes." "Under U.S. Government." "Now we need directions." "Excuse me, sir, can you direct me to the naval base in Alameda?" "It's where they keep the nuclear vessels." "Nuclear vessels." " Excuse us." " Excuse me, we are looking for nuclear vessels." "Can you tell me where the naval base is in..." "We're looking for..." "Hello." "We are looking for the nuclear vessels in Alameda." " Could you tell me where..." " Can you help us?" "We're looking for the naval base in Alameda." "Could you tell me where the nuclear vessels are?" "I don't know if I know the answer to that." "I think it's across the bay, in Alameda." "That's what I said, Alameda." " l know that." " But where is Alameda?" "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Would you mind stopping that noise?" "Excuse me." "Would you mind stopping that damn noise?" "Admiral, may I ask you a question?" "Spock, don't call me Admiral." "You used to call me Jim." "Don't you remember?" "Jim?" "What's your question?" "Your use of language has altered since our arrival." "It is currently laced with, shall I say, more colourful metaphors," ""double dumbass on you," and so forth." " You mean the profanity?" " Yes." "That's simply the way they talk here." "Nobody pays any attention to you unless you swear every other word." "You'll find it in all the literature of the period." "For example?" "Well, the collected works of Jacqueline Susann," " the novels of Harold Robbins." " Ah." "The giants." "WOMAN ON PA:" "The next showing ofthe Wonderful World of Whales will begin in five minutes..." "Here I go." "Good morning." "I'm your guide this morning." "My name is Dr Gillian Taylor, but you can call me Gillian." "I'm assistant director of the Maritime Cetacean Institute." "So, please follow me, and just give a yell if you can't hear me, okay?" "The Cetacean Institute is the only museum in the world exclusively devoted to whales." "As you can see, we have a great deal to offer, but that is small compared to what we know, or rather, what we don't know about whales." "The first commonly held misconception is that whales are fish." "They're not." "They're mammals, just like you and me, warm-blooded, needing air to breathe, and producing milk to nurse their young." "MAN:" "Do whales attack people like in Moby Dick?" "No." "No, most whales don't even have teeth." "They have a soft, gum-like tissue that strains vast amounts of tiny shrimp for food." "And that is the limit of their hostility." "Unfortunately, their principal enemy is far, far more aggressive." " You mean man." " To put it mildly." "Since the dawn of time, men have harvested whales for a variety of purposes, most of which can be achieved synthetically at this point." "100 years ago, using hand-thrown harpoons, man did plenty of damage." "But that is nothing compared to what he has achieved in this century." "This is mankind's legacy, whales hunted to the brink of extinction." "Virtually gone is the blue whale, the largest creature ever to inhabit the Earth." "Despite all attempts at banning whaling, there are still countries and pirates currently engaged in the slaughter of these inoffensive creatures." "Where the humpback whale once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, today there are less than 10,000 specimens alive." "And those that are taken in are no longer fully grown." "In addition, many of the female whales are killed while still bearing unborn calves." "To hunt a species to extinction is not logical." "Who ever said the human race was logical?" "Now, if you'll follow me, please, I'll introduce you to the Institute's pride and joy." "This is the largest seawater tank in the world, and it contains the only two humpback whales in captivity." "They are mature humpbacks weighing 45,000 pounds each." "They wandered into San Francisco Bay as calves and were brought here." "We call them George and Gracie." "It's perfect, Spock." "A male and a female humpback in a contained space." "We beam them up together, consider ourselves lucky." "Beautiful, aren't they?" "And extremely intelligent." "Now if you'll follow me, please." "Despite all that they are teaching us, we have to return George and Gracie to the open sea." " Why is that?" " Well, for one thing, we simply don't have enough money to keep feeding them 2 tons of shrimp per day." " How soon?" " Soon." "It's too bad, too, because they're really quite friendly, as you could see." "I've grown quite attached to them." "And now, here's a much better way to see George and Gracie." "Underwater." "What you're hearing is recorded whale song." "It is sung by the male." "He'll sing anywhere from 6 to as long as 30 minutes, and then start again." "In the ocean, the other whales will pick up his song, and pass it on." "The songs change every year, and we still don't know what purpose they serve." "Are they some kind of navigational signal?" "Could they be part of the mating ritual?" "Or is it pure communication beyond our comprehension?" " Frankly, we just don't know yet." " Maybe he's singing to that man." "How'd he get in there?" "What the hell?" "Excuse me." "Wait right here." "Excuse me." "Excuse me, please." "All right, who the hell are you?" "What were you doing in there?" "Yeah, speak up, fella." "Attempting the hell to communicate." "Communicate?" "Communicate what?" "You have no right to be here!" "You heard the lady." "Admiral, if we were to assume that these whales are ours to do with as we please, we would be as guilty as those who caused their extinction." "Okay, I don't know what this is all about, but I want you guys out of here right now, or I call the cops." "I assure you that won't be necessary." "We're only trying to help." "The hell you were, buster." "Your friend was messing up my tanks and messing up my whales." "They like you very much, but they are not the hell your whales." " l suppose they told you that, huh?" " The hell they did." "Right." " Spock." " Yes." "About those colourful metaphors that we've discussed." "I don't think you should try using them any more." " Why not?" " Well, for one thing, you haven't quite got the knack of it." " l see." " And another thing." "It's not always necessary to tell the truth." " l cannot tell a lie." " l don't mean lie, but you could exaggerate." " Exaggerate?" " Exaggerate." "You've done it before." "Can't you remember?" "The hell I can't." "What else did you learn from your mind meld?" "They're unhappy about the way their species have been treated by man." "Well, they have a right to be." "Are they gonna help us?" "I believe I was successful in communicating our intentions." "I see." "It's all right." "Yes, I know." "It's okay, they didn't mean any harm." " Heard there was some excitement." " Just a couple of kooks." " How you doing?" " l'm fine." "Don't tell me fish stories, kiddo." "I've known you too long." "Bob, it's tearing me apart, okay?" "I know. I feel the same thing, but we're stuck between a rock and a hard place." "We can't keep them here without risking their lives, we can't let them go without taking the same chance." "I know, I know." "And besides, we're not talking about human beings here." "It's never been proven their intelligence" " is in any way..." " Come on, Bob!" "I don't know about you, but my compassion for someone is not limited to my estimate of their intelligence." "Team leader, this is Team Two." "Come in, please." "I have the coordinates of the reactor." "Team Two, Kirk here." "Admiral, we have found the nuclear vessel." " well done, Team Two." " And, Admiral, it is the Enterprise." "Understood." "What's your plan?" "We will beam in tonight, collect the photons, and beam out." "No one will ever know we were there." "Understood and approved." "Keep me informed." "Kirk out." "There she is." "From the Institute." "If we play our cards right, we may be able to find out when those whales are leaving." "How will playing cards help?" "gillian:" "Well, if it isn't Robin Hood and Friar Tuck." "Where are you fellas heading?" "Back to San Francisco." "You came all the way down here just to jump in and swim with the kiddies, huh?" "Very little point in my trying to explain." "Well, yeah, I'll buy that." "What about him?" "Him?" "He's harmless." "Back in the '60s, he was part of the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley." " l think he did a little too much LDS." " LDS?" "Come on, why don't you let me give you a lift?" "I have a notorious weakness for hard luck cases, that's why I work with whales." " We don't want to be any trouble." " You've already been that." "Come on." " kirk:" "Well, thank you very much." " Don't mention it." "And don't try anything, either." "I've got a tyre iron right where l can get at it." " So, you were at Berkeley?" " l was not." " Memory problems, too." " Oh." "What about you?" " Where are you from?" " Iowa." "A landlubber." "Come on." "What the hell were you guys really trying to do back there?" "It wasn't some kind of macho thing, was it?" "Because if that's all, I'll be real disappointed." "I really hate that macho stuff." " May I ask you a question?" " Go ahead." "What's going to happen when you release the whales?" "They're going to have to take their chances." "What does that mean, exactly, take their chances?" "It means that they will be at risk from whale hunters, the same as the rest of the humpbacks." "What did you mean when you said all that stuff, back at the Institute, about extinction?" " l meant..." " He meant what you said on the tour, that if things keep going the way they are," " the humpbacks will disappear forever." " That's not what he said, farm boy." ""Admiral, if we were to assume"" ""those whales are ours to do with as we please,"" ""we would be as guilty as those who caused"" "past tense "their extinction."" "I have a photographic memory." "I see words." "Are you sure it isn't time for a colourful metaphor?" "You're not one of those guys from the military, are you?" "Trying to teach whales to retrieve torpedoes" " or some dipshit stuff like that?" " No, ma'am." "No dipshit." "Well, good." "That's one thing, I would have let you off right here." "Gracie is pregnant." "All right, who are you?" "And don't jerk me around any more." "I wanna know how you know that." " We can't tell you that..." " But..." "But, if you let me finish, I can tell you that we're not in the military, and we intend no harm towards the whales." " Then what..." " ln fact, we may be able to help you in ways that, frankly, you couldn't possibly imagine." " Or believe, I'll bet." " Very likely." "You're not exactly catching us at our best." "That much is certain." "I have a hunch that we'd all be a lot happier discussing this over dinner." "What do you say?" "You guys like Italian?" " No." " Yes." " No." " Yes. I love Italian." " And so do you." " Yes." "WOMAN ON PA:" "Sam, you got a phone call on line one." "Sam, call on line one." "Professor Scott, I'm Dr Nichols, the plant manager." "I'm terribly sorry." "There's been an awful mix-up." "Would you believe I was never told about your visit?" "I've tried to clear things up, Professor Scott." "I explained that you'd come all the way here from Edinburgh, on appointment, to study methods of manufacturing by Plexicorp, but they don't seem to know anything about it." "Don't know anything about it?" "I find it hard to believe that I've come millions of miles..." " Thousands." "Thousands." " ...thousands of miles on an invited tour" " of inspection..." " Professor Scott," " if you'll just..." " l demand to see the owners." " l demand..." " Professor Scott, just take it easy." "Dr Nichols has offered to take us around the plant, personally." " He has?" " Yes." " With pleasure." " Well, that's different." "Gregory!" "Whoa!" "Professor." " May my assistant join us?" " Of course." "Don't bury yourself in the part." " Hi." " Hi." " Good-looking ship." "Huey 204, isn't it?" " Right on." " You fly?" " Here and there." "I flew something similar back in my Academy days." "Right." "Then this must be old stuff to you." "Old, yes, but interesting." "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" "Do it." "Well, this is a fine place you have here, Dr Nichols." "Thank you. I must say, Professor, your knowledge of engineering is most impressive." "Yes." "Back home we call him the miracle worker." "Indeed." "May I offer you something, gentlemen?" "Dr Nichols, I might be able to offer something to you." "Yes?" "I noticed you're still working with polymers." "Still?" " What else would I be working with?" " Aye, what else, indeed?" "I'll put it another way." "How thick would a piece of your Plexiglas need to be, at 60' x 10', to withstand the pressure of 18,000 cubic feet of water?" "That's easy, 6"." " We carry stuff that big in stock." " l noticed." "Now suppose, just suppose, I were to show you a way to manufacture a wall, that would do the same job but be only 1 " thick."" "Would that be worth something to you?" "You're joking." "Perhaps the professor could use your computer." "Please." "Computer?" "Computer." "Hello, computer." "Just use the keyboard." "The keyboard." "How quaint." " Transparent aluminium?" " That's the ticket, laddie." "It would take years just to figure out the dynamics of this matrix." "Yes, but you would be rich beyond the dreams of avarice." "So, is it worth something to you?" " Or should I just punch up "clear"?" " No." "Not now, Madeline!" " What exactly did you have in mind?" " Well, a moment alone, please." "You realise, of course, that if we give him the formula, we're altering the future." "Why?" "How do we know he didn't invent the thing?" "Sure you won't change your mind?" "is there something wrong with the one I have?" "A little joke." " Goodbye, old friend." " Wait a minute." "How did you know Gracie's pregnant?" "Nobody knows that." "Gracie does. I'll be right here." "What, he's just gonna hang around the bushes while we eat?" "It's his way." " Do you trust me?" " implicitly." "A large mushroom-pepperoni with extra onions and Michelob, please." " Great choice." "And you, sir?" " Make that two of them." "Thank you." "Well, how did a nice girl like you get to be a cetacean biologist?" "Just lucky, I guess." "You're upset about losing the whales, aren't you?" "You're very perceptive." "How will that be done exactly?" "They'll be flown in a special 747 to Alaska and released there." "Flown, and that's the last you'll see of them?" "See, yes." "But we'll tag them with radio transmitters on a special frequency so that we can keep tabs on them." "You know, I could take those whales somewhere where they'd never be hunted." "You can't even get yourself from Sausalito to San Francisco without a lift." "If you have such a low opinion of my abilities, how come we're here having dinner?" "Sucker for hard luck cases." "Cheers." "Besides, I want to know why you travel around with that ditzy guy who knows that Gracie's pregnant and calls you Admiral?" " Where could you take them?" " Hmm?" "My whales." "Where could you take them where they'd be safe?" "It's not so much a matter of a place as of a time." " The time would have to be right now." " Why right now?" "Let's just say that no humpback born in captivity has ever survived." "The problem is that they won't be that much safer at sea because of all the hunting this time of year." "So you see, that, as they say, is that." "Damn." " What is that?" " What's what?" "You have a pocket pager." "Are you a doctor?" "What is it?" "I thought I told you never to call me." "SCOTTY:" "Sorry, Admiral." "We just thought you'd like to know, we're beaming them in now." "All right, tell them phasers on stun." "Good luck." "Kirk out." "You want to try it from the top?" "Why don't you tell me when those whales are leaving?" " Who are you?" " Who do you think I am?" "Don't tell me." "You're from outer space." "No, I'm from Iowa." "I only work in outer space." "Well, I was close." "I knew outer space was gonna come into this sooner or later." " The truth?" " l'm all ears." "Okay." "The truth." "I am from what, on your calendar, would be the late 23rd century." "I've come back in time to bring two humpback whales with me in an attempt to repopulate the species." "Well, why didn't you just say so?" "I mean, why all the coy disguises?" "You want the details?" "I wouldn't miss this for all the tea in China." "When are those whales being released?" "Okay." "What the hell?" "Your friend was right." "Gracie's not only pregnant, she's very pregnant." "And at noon tomorrow, in what is sure to be a media circus," " the whales get shipped out." " Noon tomorrow?" " Are we leaving?" " Come on." "We don't have much time." " Could we have that to go, please?" " Sure." "Who gets the bad news?" "Don't tell me, they don't use money in the 23rd century." "Well, we don't." "MAN:" "Now hear this." "Smoking lamp is out while transferring fuel." "How long?" "Depends on how much shielding there is between us and the reactor." "Well, Admiral, that was the briefest dinner I've ever had in my life, and certainly the biggest cockamamie fish story I've ever heard." "You asked." "You tell me something." "George and Gracie's transmitter, what's the radio frequency?" "Sorry, that's classified." "Look, I don't have a clue who you are, really." "You wouldn't want to show me around your spaceship, would you?" " That wouldn't be my first choice, no." " Well, there we are." "Let me tell you something." "I'm here to bring two humpbacks into the 23rd century." "If I have to, I'll go to the open sea to get them." "I'd much rather have yours." "It's better for me, better for you, it's better for them." "Think about it." "Who are you?" "Think about it, but don't take too long." "I'm out of time." "If you change your mind, this is where l'll be." "Here?" "In the park?" "Right." " Status?" " The tank will be finished by morning." "That's cutting it closer than you know." "What about Team Two?" "No word since beam-in." "We can only wait for them to call." "Damn it." "Damn it." "We've been so lucky." "We got two perfect whales right in our hands." "If we don't move quickly, we'll lose them." "In that event, the probabilities are that our mission would fail." "Our mission?" "Spock, you're talking about the end of every life on Earth." "You're half human." "Haven't you got any goddamn feelings about that?" " There it is again." " That's too weird." "Commander." "I thought you gents were running a test programme." "Yes, sir, but we apparently are getting a power drain." "It must be coming from inside the ship." "ClC Command Duty Officer, Commander Rogerson." "Yes, Chief, we're tracking that, too." "What do you make of it?" "Scotty, we're ready for beam-out." "Scotty, can you hear me?" "Confirmed." "Roger that." "MarDet Commanding Officer, this is the Command Duty Officer, Commander Rogerson." "We have an intruder in number 4MMR." "I say again, we have an intruder in number 4MMR." "Scotty, do you read?" "Scotty, come in, please." "Lass, I can hardly hear you." "My transporter power is down to minimal." "I've got to bring you in one at a time." "Take the collector." "You go first." "Stand by." "Scotty." "Hello." "Come in, please." "Scotty, how soon?" "Chekov, you're breaking up." "Please signal again." "Chekov, can you hear me?" "Scotty, now would be a good time." "Freeze!" "Chekov!" "I've lost him." ""Commander Pavel Chekov." "Starfleet." "United Federation of Planets."" "All right, Commander." "is there anything you want to tell us?" "Like what?" "Like who you really are, and what you're doing here, and what these things here are." "I am Pavel Chekov, a commander in Starfleet," "United Federation of Planets." "Service number 656-5827D." "All right." "Let's take it from the top." "The top of what?" " Name." " My name?" " No, my name!" " l do not know your name." "You play games with me, Mister, and you're through." "I am?" "May I go now?" " What do you think?" " He's a russkie." "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life." "Of course he's a russkie, but he's a retard or something." "We better call Washington." "Don't move." "Okay, make nice." "Give us the ray gun." "I warn you, if you don't lie on the floor, I will have to stun you." "Go ahead." "Stun me." "I'm very sorry, but..." "Must be the radiation." "MAN:" "Emergency." "We have a security breach." "General alarm." "Gangway!" "Hit the deck!" "Get out of the way." "Hit the deck." " Man down." "Get a corpsman over here." " Yes, sir." " Any luck?" " Nothing." " Admiral, I should never have left him." " You did what was necessary." "Keep trying, you'll find him." "Scotty, you promised me an estimate on the dilithium crystals." "It's going slowly, sir." "It'll be well into tomorrow." "That's not good enough, Mr Scott." "You've got to do better." "I'll try, sir." "Scott out." "Boy, he's in a wee bit of a snit, isn't he?" " He is a man of deep feelings." " Aye." "What else is new?" "They left last night." "We didn't want a mob scene with the press." "It wouldn't have been good for them." "Besides, we thought" " it would be easier on you, this way." " You sent them away without even letting me say goodbye to them?" " Gillian." " You son of a bitch!" "Admiral!" "Admiral Kirk!" "Admiral Kirk!" "Admiral!" "Admiral Kirk!" "Wait!" "Admiral!" "Admiral Kirk!" "Admiral!" "Admiral!" "Admiral Kirk!" "Can you hear me?" "They're gone!" "I need your help!" "Are you in there?" "Admiral, we have a problem!" "GILLIAN:" "Admiral!" "Admiral Kirk!" "Can you hear me?" "Admiral!" "Admiral Kirk!" "Can you hear me?" "Admiral Kirk!" "Can you hear me?" "I need your help!" "Oh, my God!" "Hello, Alice." "Welcome to Wonderland." " lt's true." " lt's true." " What you said." " Yes, it is." "I'm glad you're here, but I must admit, you picked a hell of a time to drop in." "Take it easy." "We need your help." " ls any of this real?" " Yes, it's real." "Take a look." "Storage tanks for your whales." "We'll bring them up" " the same way we brought you up..." " Admiral, they're gone." " Gone?" " They were taken last night." "I wasn't told." "They're in Alaska by now." "Damn." "But they're tagged, like I told you." "I mean, you can go find them, right?" " We can't go anywhere." " What kind of a spaceship is this?" " lt's a spaceship with a missing man." " Admiral, full power has been restored." " Thank you, Mr Spock." " Hello, Doctor." "Welcome aboard." "UHURA:" "Admiral, are you there?" "Yes, Uhura." "What's wrong?" "I've located Chekov, sir." "They're taking him to emergency surgery right now." " Where?" " Mercy Hospital." " Mercy Hospital." " That's in the Mission District." "They report his condition as critical." "He's not expected to survive." "Jim." "You've got to let me go in there." "Don't leave him in the hands of 20th century medicine." "Admiral, may I suggest that Dr McCoy is correct?" "We must help Chekov." "is that the logical thing to do, Spock?" "No, but it is the human thing to do." " Right." "Will you help us?" " How?" "Well, we're going to have to look like physicians." "We'll try down here." "You check there." " What's the matter with you?" " Kidney dialysis." "Dialysis?" "My God." "What is this, the Dark Ages?" "Here." "Now, you swallow that, and if you have any problems, just call me." "Here, I got it." "Let's go." "He's being held in the security corridor, one flight up." "His condition is critical." "Come on." "Excuse me." "We'll take that." "Hold the door." "Hold the door." "Emergency." " So, you were there, what happened?" " Yeah, I was there." "I heard the whole thing." "Weintraub says radical chemotherapy, or she's gonna croak, just like that." " Well, what about Gottlieb?" " All he talked about was image therapy." "Thought they were going to punch each other out." "Unbelievable." "You have a different view, Doctor?" "It sounds like the goddamn Spanish Inquisition to me." "Bad day." " Out of the way." " Sorry, Doctor. I have strict orders..." "Damn it, do you want an acute case on your hands?" "This woman has immediate postprandial upper abdominal distention." "Out of the way." "Get out of the way." " What did you say she's got?" " Cramps." "Who are you?" "Why aren't you masked?" "Who are these people?" "NURSE 1:" "I don't know." "What the hell is that?" "What are you doing?" "Tearing of the middle meningeal artery." "What's your degree in, dentistry?" "How do you explain slowing pulse, low respiratory rate, and coma?" " Funduscopic examination." " Funduscopic examination is unrevealing in these cases." "A simple evacuation of the expanding epidural haematoma" " will relieve the pressure." " My God, man." "Drilling holes in his head is not the answer." "The artery must be repaired." "Now put away your butcher knives and let me save this patient" " before it's too late." " l'm going to have you removed." "Doctor, such unprofessional behaviour." " into that little room, please." " What is that, a gun?" " Nurses." " NURSE 1:" "They must be crazy." " NURSE 2:" "Who is this guy?" " DOCTOR:" "I have no idea." "He melted the lock." "We're dealing with medievalism here." "Chemotherapy, funduscopic examinations." "Come on, Chekov." "Wake up." "Pavel, can you hear me?" "He's coming around, Jim." "Pavel, talk to me." "Name." "Rank." "Chekov, Pavel." "Rank, Admiral." " How's the patient, Doctor?" " He's gonna make it." " He?" "You came in with a she." " One little mistake." "Get us out of here!" "They've taken the patient." "Get some help." "Hold it!" "Hold it!" "Police!" "Not now, Pavel." "Hold it!" "Look out!" "Look out!" "The doctor gave me a pill, and I grew a new kidney." " NURSE:" "Fully functional?" " DOCTOR:" "Fully functional." "What the hell's going on?" "Freeze!" "Where would the whales be by now?" "At sea. lf you have a chart on board, I'll show you." "No, no, no." "All I need is the radio frequency to track them." "What are you talking about?" "I'm coming with you." "You can't." "Our next stop is the 23rd century." "Well, I don't care. I've got nobody here." " l have got to help those whales!" " l haven't got time to argue with you, or to tell you how much you've meant to us." "The radio frequency, please." "The frequency's 401 megahertz." "Thank you, for everything." "Scotty, beam me up." "Surprise." "Spock, where the hell's the power you promised?" "One damn minute, Admiral." "SCOTTY:" "I'm ready, Spock." "Let's go find George and Gracie." " Sulu?" " l'm trying to remember how this thing worked." "I got used to a Huey." " You tricked me." " You need me." " SULU:" "Ready, sir." " Take a seat." "Now, Mr Sulu." "MAN:" "What the hell was that?" "CHEKOV:" "Cloaking device is stable." "All systems normal." "kirk:" "Stabilise energy reserve." "Report, helm." "Maintaining impulse climb." "Wing 5 by 0." "Helm steady." " Advise reaching 10,000." "Steer 310." " 310, aye." "Uhura, scan for the whales." "401 megahertz." " Scanning, sir." " 10,000 MSL, Admiral." "Wing, cruise configuration." "Full impulse power." "Aye, sir. 310 to the Bering Sea." "ETA, 12 minutes." "Scotty, are the whale tanks secure?" "Aye, sir, but I've never beamed up 400 tons before." " 400 tons?" " lt's not just the whales. lt's the water." "Yes, of course." " The whales, any contact?" " Negative, sir." "You..." "You present the appearance of a man with a problem." "Your perception is correct, Doctor." "In order to return us to the exact moment we left the 23rd century, I have used ourjourney back through time as a referent, calculating the coefficient of elapsed time in relation to the acceleration curve." "Naturally." "So what's your problem?" "Acceleration is no longer a constant." "Well, then you're just gonna have to take your best shot." " Best shot?" " Guess, Spock." " Your best guess." " Guessing is not in my nature, Doctor." "Well, nobody's perfect." " That's it." "That's it!" " Affirmative." "Contact with the whales." " Bearing." " Bearing 3-2-7." "Range 600 nautical." "Put it on screen." " How can you do that?" " On screen." "Admiral, I have a signal closing in on the whales, bearing 328 degrees." "Let's see it." " What kind of ship is that?" " GlLLlAN:" "It's a whaling ship, Doctor." "Are we too late?" " Full power descent, Mr Sulu." " Aye, sir." "Full power descent." "10 seconds, sir." "All right, Scotty. lt's up to you." "10 seconds, Admiral." "5, 4, 3," "2, 1." "Admiral, there be whales here!" "Well done, Mr Scott." "How soon can we be ready for warp speed?" "Full power now, sir." " lf you will, Mr Sulu." " Aye, sir." "Warp speed." "Mr Sulu, you have the conn." "I'm gonna take our guest down and have a look at her whales." "Mr Spock, have you accounted for the variable mass of whales and water in your time re-entry programme?" "Mr Scott cannot give me exact figures, Admiral, so I will make a guess." "A guess?" "You, Spock?" "That's extraordinary." " l don't think he understands." " No, Spock." "He means that he feels safer about your guesses than most other people's facts." " Then you're saying it is a compliment?" " lt is." "Then I will try to make the best guess I can." ""They say the sea is cold,"" ""but the sea contains the hottest blood of all."" ""Whales weep not."" "D.H. Lawrence." "You know, it's ironic, when man was killing these creatures, he was destroying his own future." "The beasties seem happy to see you, Doctor." " l hope you like our little aquarium." " A miracle, Mr Scott." "A miracle?" "That's yet to come." "What does that mean?" "It means that our chances of getting home are not too good." "You might have lived a longer life if you'd stayed where you belong." "I belong here. I am a whale biologist." "Suppose, by some miracle, you do get them through." "Who in the 23rd century knows anything about humpback whales?" "You have a point." "What was that?" "Admiral, I think you'd better get up there." "We're having a power fall-off." "Stay with them." "On my way." "Hold on tight, lassie." "It gets bumpy from here." "Warp 7.5!" "7.9!" "Shields at maximum." "Mr Sulu, that's all I can give you!" "Can we make breakaway speed?" "Hardly, Admiral." "I cannot even guarantee we'll escape the sun's gravity." "I shall attempt to compensate by altering our trajectory." "Warp 8. 8.1!" "Maximum speed, sir." "Admiral, I need thruster control." "Acceleration thrust is at Spock's command." "Steady." "Steady." "Now!" "Did braking thrusters fire?" "They did, Admiral." "Then where the hell are we?" "The probe." "Condition report, Spock." "No data, Admiral." "Computers are nonfunctional." "The mains are down, sir." "Aux power is not responding." " Switch to manual control, Mr Sulu." " l have no control, sir." " My God, Jim, where are we?" " Out of control and blind as a bat." "Get him back, get him back!" "Look!" "They're heading for the bridge!" "Ground the ship." "Keep the nose up if you can." "We're in the water!" "Blow the hatch!" "It's the right place, Spock." "Now all we have to do is get the whales out of here before we sink!" "Abandon ship." "Scotty, do you hear me?" "Scotty!" "Damn it." "Move!" "Move!" " See to the safety of all hands." " l will." " Lassie, get my arm." " l got it. I got it." " You got it?" " Yeah." " Scotty!" " Admiral!" " l'm here, Scotty!" "I'm here!" " Help!" " You're going to be all right." " The whales are trapped." "They'll drown." "There's no power to the bay doors." " Explosive override." " lt's underwater." " There's no way you can reach it." " You go on ahead and close the hatch." "Admiral, you'll be trapped." "Go on!" "Do you see them?" "There!" "Why don't they answer?" "Why don't they sing?" "Mr President, we have power." "Council is now in session." "If you will all take your seats." "Bring in the accused." "Captain Spock, you do not stand accused." "Mr President, I stand with my shipmates." "As you wish." "The charges and specifications are conspiracy, assault on Federation officers, theft of Federation property, namely the Starship Enterprise, sabotage of the U.S.S. Excelsior, wilful destruction of Federation property, specifically the aforementioned U.S.S. Enterprise, and finally," "disobeying direct orders of the Starfleet Commander." "Admiral Kirk, how do you plead?" "On behalf of all of us, Mr President, I'm authorised to plead guilty." "president:" "So entered." "Because of certain mitigating circumstances, all charges but one are summarily dismissed." "The remaining charge, disobeying orders of a superior officer, is directed solely at Admiral Kirk." "I'm sure the Admiral will recognise the necessity of keeping discipline in any chain of command." " l do, sir." " James T. Kirk, it is the judgement of this council that you be reduced in rank to captain, and that as a consequence of your new rank, you be given the duties for which you have repeatedly demonstrated unswerving ability," "the command of a starship." "Silence." "Captain Kirk, you and your crew have saved this planet from its own shortsightedness, and we are forever in your debt." "Excuse me." "I'm so happy for you, I can't tell you." "Thank you so much." "Wait a minute." "Where are you going?" "You're going to your ship." "I'm going to mine." "Science vessel." "I got 300 years of catch-up learning to do." " You mean this is goodbye?" " Why does it have to be goodbye?" "Well..." "Like they say in your century, I don't even have your telephone number." "How will I find you?" "Don't worry." "I'll find you." "See you around the galaxy." "Father." "I'm returning to Vulcan within the hour." "I'd like to take my leave of you." "It was most kind of you to make this effort." "It was no effort." "You are my son." "Besides, I'm most impressed with your performance in this crisis." "Most kind." "As I recall, I opposed your enlistment in Starfleet." "It is possible that judgement was incorrect." "Your associates are people of good character." "They are my friends." "Yes, of course." "Do you have a message for your mother?" "Yes." "Tell her I feel fine." "Live long and prosper, Father." "Live long and prosper, my son." "McCOY:" "The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." "We'll get a freighter." "With all respect, Doctor, I'm counting on Excelsior." "Excelsior?" "Why in God's name would you want that bucket of bolts?" "A ship is a ship." "Whatever you say, sir." "Thy will be done." "My friends, we've come home." " Helm ready, Captain." " All right, Mr Sulu."