This is another episode that I always liked. Even if the plot contrivances kind of hurt it.
Plot:A survey of Argus X brings the Enterprise crew in confrontation with a vampiric cloud that killed a crew Kirk was on years ago
Guest Stars:Stephen Brooks as Ensign Garrovick
Nitpick:Was this episode not digitally remastered? Every copy I find has the old effects. Yes I know it was I don't understand why the remastered version is unavailable.
Summary:
Teaser-Kirk, Spock and a security is on a planet looking for Tritanium. When Spock uses is phaser to cut some, it scares off a strange cloud. Kirk then gets a whiff of an odor, which he hasn't smelled in years, and orders the security guards to check the area. The three look around when the cloud attacks, killing two guards and almost killing the other. There faces white, since every red corpuscle has been drained from their bodies.
Act 1-As the surviving security guard tries to recover, Kirk contacts the Bridge. However everyone is insisting they complete there assigned task of delivering much needed medications to a waiting vessel. Kirk says he is not leaving until he finds out more about what killed his men. McCoy awaken the security guard who seems to confirm what Kirk already believes, though McCoy says he could be half conscious and just saying what Kirk wanted to here. Why an ensign is chief os security is anyone's guess! On the Bridge Kirk ignores a message from Starfleet, and Spock reports that there are no life forms on the planet. Spock says that it may be able to change its molecular structure to hide from a sensor scan. On the Bridge the new head of security, Ensign Garrovik, joins Kirk who explains that he will be leading a security team back to the planet. Later, Garrovick is leading a team when the cloud creature attacks. He fires, after hesitating for a second, chasing the creature away but not before two guards are attacked, one killed.
Act 2-Kirk is no convinced that it is the same creature he encountered years ago. In the briefing room Kirk, Spock and McCoy question Garrovick. When he says he hesitated, Kirk relieves him of duty and confines him to quarters. When McCoy says Kirk was hard on the ensign he tells them to file reports and make their comments there. Kirk goes back to the Bridge and when Scotty reminds him of the mission they are supposed to be doing Kirk snaps at him and says he is tired of his officers conspiring against him. He then apologizes, but chews out Chekov when he says scanners still cannot locate anything. Spock arrives in Sick-Bay to ask McCoy about the human emotion of obsession. Clearly meaning Kirk. Spock then explains that the records tapes show 11 years earlier, it was a young lieutenant Kirk on phaser duty when a creature attacked. The attacked killed half the crew of the Farragut including its Captain, Garrovick. In is quarters, Kirk is questioning if he is doing the right thing staying when McCoy arrives. McCoy explains that Kirk did nothing wrong years earlier, even though the repots show he was determined to blame himself for what happened. Captain Garrovick was important to Kirk, and he still blames himself for hesitating. McCoy says that Kirk's obsessed, and he preparing a medical log entry. When he says that needs a witness of command grade, Spock appears. Going by the book, Spock explains that they have questions regarding Kirk's recent behavior. Kirk explains that years earlier, when he was losing consciousness he got the distinct impression that the creature was intelligent. And he is convinced this is the same creature. If it is the same creature, it implies it can travel trough space which makes it a danger to inhabitant planets. Kirk asks what log entry McCoy plans to make, and he says that his log is open. Chekov then reports that sensors are showing the creature, fleeing the planet into space.
Act 3-The Enterprise is chasing the creature, pushing the engines to hard. Scotty says they can't keep the pursuit at that speed much longer. But the creature is out racing them. When Scotty says they can't keep the speed, Kirk reluctantly goes to warp 6. Meanwhile, Garrovick is sulking his quarters when Chapel tricks him to accepting some food. However, in a fit of anger he tosses the tray and damages the vent controls. Suddenly the red alert sounds and Garrovik runs out of his room and to the Bridge. There, the creature has turned and headed straight for the ship. Phasers and photon torpedoes have no affect, and the creature enters through the open impulse engine vent. McCoy reports it attacked and killed on crewman, and now they only have enough air for two hours. Spock says that arguing over whether or not they should have attacked the creature is pointless. And McCoy and Kirk are surprised to hear him call it a creature. Spock explains it turned and attacked, it methods was well considered and intelligent. The plan is to use radioactive waste to flush out the creature. Spock then explains that the creature can phase, rendering a phaser attack useless. Even if he had fired on target and on time, the result would have been the same 11 years ago. Kirk seems to disregard this. Spock then visits Garrovick and tries to explain that his hesitation was natural, when suddenly the creature enters through the damaged vent. Spock tells Garrovick to get out as he tries to reverse the vent.
Act 4-Garrovick alerts Kirk to what is happening and when they arrive, they find Spock is just fine. Spock's blood is based on copper, not iron. McCoy comments it probably left a bad taste in the creatures mouth. Kirk gets the feeling now the creature is headed for home, the planet he first encountered it years ago. Kirk then pulls Garrovick aside and explains that he did nothing wrong on the planet, and realizes neither did he 11 years earlier, and returns him to duty. Kirk is going to chase the creature back to the planet he first met it, and when McCoy reminds him of the medicine they have to deliver Spock points out the creature may have come home to spawn. In that case, there would be thousands of them. Anti matter would be there best bet, even if the explosion would be immense. In fact transporters may not even work well. Kirk and Garrovik beam down with hemoplasm as bait and one ounce of antimatter. Unfortunately the bait is taken before the explosion can be set, so Kirk decides to use himself as bait. Kirk and Garrovick wait till the last second, and Kirk tells the ship detonate the blast and beam them up at the same time. Scotty and Spock struggle but in the end manage to successfully beam the two safely back. Kirk says that now that the creature is gone they can get the medicine delivered, while inviting Garrovick to hear some stories of his father from the old days.
Final Thoughts:This episode is a good character episode for Kirk. And really that's about it. I still like it, but the stakes are a little forced. The Enterprise shipping medical supplies, why? Oh and of course they're perishable. And the rest of the crew doesn't seem to understand why Kirk would want to stay and find out what killed his officers-which seems in character for him even without the incident from years ago. I think the episode would have been fine without that ticking clock since it makes Kirk look like a jerk who doesn't care about sick people on another world. Spock's close call is a good one because we had no idea that his blood type was different, and unlike the "inner eyelid" nonsense this makes a little more sense. I always liked the ending, the "Doomsday Machine" music fits very well and while the scene isn't as good I still like it. Decent episode in my opinion.
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