Hey ever wonder what it would have been like if "Star Trek-The Motion Picture" had been a regular episode of the series? This episode is about as close as you can get.
Plot:The Enterprise finds an ancient interstellar probe from Earth, missing for 265 years, which has somehow mutated into a powerful and intelligent machine bent on sterilizing entire populations that do not meet its standards of perfection.
Guest Stars:Vic Perrin as the voice of Nomad
Nitpick:The scene with Uhura being "re-trained" always bothered me. And it's never made clear how extensive the memory erasure is, is it just skills? The word knowledge implies that but it's never made clear. Credit though for having her speak Swahili instinctive. I can't help wonder if he more she learned, the more came back naturally. Also I find it a little hard to believe Nomad was able to send those intense blasts at the Enterprise during the start of the episode.
Summary:
Teaser-The Enterprise is approaching the Malurian system, but finds that the entire system has been destroyed. Four billion inhabitants, all gone. As Kirk and Spock try to figure out how this happened, they themselves become under attack.
Act 1-The Enterprise is recovering from the strike, when another energy blast heads for the ship. Spock saying they can only take a few more before there shields collapse. Another bolt strikes the ship, Scotty diverting warp power to the shields to increase their strength. Kirk tells Spock to find the source, and he tracks in on a small object in the distance. They fires photons but it has no effect. Another blast hits, Spock says one more will destroy them. Kirk sends out a message to the unidentified attacker asking for communication. Spock is able to get more info, the item is very small at one meter long. A signal then comes in, asking them to repeat the message. Kirk repeats saying he is Captain James Kirk and looking to communicate. Another message is sent saying his name is Nomad and he is asking them to confirm their identity. Kirk agrees to beam Nomad on board, figuring that at least this way it wont be taking any more shots at the Enterprise. Moments later, the transporter is energized and a small object is beamed aboard.
Act 2-Nomad clarifies that he has no life forms inside, he is Nomad. And asks them to confirm their place of origin. Kirk agrees to allow him to scan their star charts. Kirk recalls a probe being launched called Nomad, from the early 21st century and was presumed destroyed. In Auxillary control, Kirk allows Nomad to scan their point of origin. When he confirms that Kirk is from the third planet from the star Sol, Nomad declares that Kirk is the creator and the sterilization attempt on the Enterprise was unnecessary. Nomad explains his function is to probe for biological infestations and destroy that which is not perfect. When Nomad asks if the usage of creator for Kirk is incorrect, Spock jumps in and says that it is. In the briefing room, Spock explains that Nomad was created by a eratic scientist named Jackson Roykirk. Nomad responded to Kirk's name as best as his memory banks could and thinks he is Roykirk.Kirk explains that the probe did not have that mission when it was launched, it was supposed to seek out new life forms. Now it is seeking out perfect life forms. Nomad overhears Uhura singing, and goes to investigate. He arrives on the Bridge, and Scotty alerts Kirk and Spock. Nomad asks Uhura what the purpose of singing is. When she cannot give a satisfactory explanation, he scans her mind. Kirk and Spock arrive just as Scotty races to help Uhura...but Nomad blasts Scotty across the railing. McCoy declares that he is dead.
Act 3-Kirk demands to know why Nomad killed Scotty, and he explains that Scotty touches his screens. Uhura is dazes and unresponsive, Kirk has her sent to sick-bay. Nomad asks if they will repair Scotty, and Kirk explains he is dead. Nomad says that he can effect repairs if he has the biological tapes on his structure. Spock pulls together all the information, and in sick-bay Nomad is able to restore Scotty to life. When Kirk tells him to repair Uhura, Nomad says he cannot. Scotty needed simple structural repair, Uhura's knowledge banks have been wiped clean. Spock says that she could be reeducated, and McCoy says he will get to work on that right away. Nomad is then brought to a waiting area where Spock will analyze it further. However Nomad refuses to lower his screens until Kirk tells him to. Spock is still unable to get any real info, and recommends he try the Vulcan mind meld. During the meld there is mention of another probe, and later Spock confirms that after a meter collision it met an alien probe in space and the two merged and fixed each other. The alien probe's mission to secure and sterilize soil samples from planets. It took from the other a new directive to seek out and sterilize imperfect life forms. Perfection measured by its own logic. Kirk compares Nomad to the classic story of the Changeling, in which a fairy child took the place of a human baby. Nomad breaks out of the holding cell he is in and kills the two guards guarding it. It goes to Engineering where it begins messing around with the ship's "imperfect" systems. Kirk arrives and tells him to stop. When Spock reports the guards are missing, probably dead, Kirk loses his temper and admits he is a biological lifeform also. Nomad announces that there is much to consider before he returns to launch point, and needs to reevaluate. Spock assumes he means he is going to reevaluate his creator. Also Nomad mentioned his launch point, meaning that he wants to go back to Earth. When he does he will find the planet infested with imperfect life forms. He will then exercise his prime function, sterilize.
Act 4-Kirk tells Nomad to follow two more security guards to another cell, but Nomad kills them also. Moments later McCou reports Nomad went through the personnel files and medical history on Kirk. Nomad then starts affecting the life support on the ship. Kirk tells Spock to get some anti grav's and meet him in Engineering. There, Nomad has knocked out some Engineers and is affecting changes that will kill the biological infestations on the ship without harming the ship itself. It is not perfect but can be adjusted. Kirk questions Nomad on his prime mission, and Nomad confirms that anything imperfect or flawed that must be sterilized. Anything, there are no exceptions. He says he is perfect. Kirk admits that when he created Nomad he created error, Nomad says that is ridiculous. Nomad confirms that anything flawed must be sterilized. Kirk asks Nomad if he is his creator, and Nomad says he is the creator. Kirk says he is WRONG! Kirk explains his real creator is dead, Nomad is in error. Nomad did not discover his mistake, he made two error's! (sorry I still love this scene). Kirk tells him to exercise his prime function. While Nomad is trying to think, Kirk and Spock put anti grav's on him and get him to the transporter room. He is beamed out to space before it explodes. Later McCoy reports that Uhura is already back to college level and should be back on the job in a week. Kirk makes a stupid joke, and the episode ends.
Final Thoughts:When I re-watched "Return of the Archons" I was amazed at how similar the ending was where Kirk made Landru explode. The difference is that there, it feels like Kirk pulls that speech out of his ass. Here, we have been following Nomad not only getting to know it but watching it make factual errors. So it's much more effective when Kirk finally dumps that cold logic onto him, even Spock compliments him for it. And Nomad doesn't just explode like Landru did, Kirk and Spock get him off the ship first. Also there is no "computers are evil" talk, we'll get more of that later in the season. So is it a great episode? I'd say just average. Vic Perrin is perfect as the voice, but what they do to Uhura is lame. Scotty getting killed and brought back to life is kind of lame, and the whole nonsense of Nomad reevaluating his creator feels like padding since it goes nowhere. In fact if you went from that point in act 3 to the point in act 4 where Kirk arrives in engineering again to deal with Nomad, you'd miss nothing. This is a personal favorite of mine but not the strongest episode. Finally, as I noted at the top this episode bears some strong parallels to Star Trek:The Motion Picture which was also about a long lost probe being reborn and returning to Earth to seek out its creator.
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