Star Trek (1966–1969): Season 1, Episode 29 - Operation - Annihilate! - full transcript

The Enterprise traces a virus-like outbreak that seems to be traveling in a direct line across a planetary system. The next planet is home to Kirk's brother Sam, his sister-in-law and their young son. The Enterprise arrives too late however for Sam. They find flying jellyfish-like creatures that attach themselves to humans. They take over the victims nervous system forcing them to bend to their will. Spock finds a weapon to use against the creatures but it leaves him hopelessly blind.

Anything,
lieutenant?

No, sir.

I've tried every major
transmitting station on Deneva.

None of them have acknowledged
my contact signal.

Try GSK-783,
subspace frequency three.

But, sir, that's a call sign
for a private transmitter.

I'm very well aware of that,
lieutenant. Try it.

Yes, sir.

Evaluation,
Mr. Spock.

As I speculated,
captain,

the overall pattern
of mass insanity



destroying civilizations
follows an almost straight line

through this section
of the galaxy.

Over here,
the Beta Portolan system,

the ancient civilizations.

Archaeologists have given us
information indicating

that they were
the beginning.

Two hundred years ago,

Lavinius V was swept
by mass insanity.

Then Theta Cygni XII.

The last was Ingraham B,
two years ago.

And next in line,
Deneva.

Bones, what's your theory
about the cause of all this?

There is no medical
or scientific cause

for what happened
on those planets, Jim.



But it follows
a definite pattern,

a systematic progression
from planet...

to planet.

Captain.

We're picking up a ship
on our sensors,

heading directly into
the Denevan sun.

He'll burn up.

Plot an interception course,
Mr. Sulu, warp factor 8.

Lieutenant Uhura,
try to contact that ship.

Aye, aye, sir.

The ship is a one-man vessel of
Denevan configuration, captain.

He does not seem to be
out of control.

His course is straight
for the sun.

Scotty, tractor beam?

Out of range, sir.

Making contact, captain.

Denevan ship,
this is the USS Enterprise.

Can you reverse your course?

Acknowledge.

Captain, we'll get
too close to the sun.

Keep closing.

Denevan ship,
reverse your course.

Do you hear me?

Reverse
your course.

Acknowledge.

Outer hull temperature,
now 480 degrees and rising.

He's too close, captain.

So are we.

Hull temperature
1,000 degrees and rising.

Sun's gravimetric pull
increasing.

I did it.

It's finally gone! I'm free.

I'm..

He burned up, captain.

Reverse course,
180 degrees about.

Aye, sir.

All clear, captain.
Hull temperature falling.

Gravimetric pull approaching
tolerance level.

Very well.

Reduce to
sub-warp speed.

Take us to Deneva.

Aye, aye, sir.

That Denevan ship headed
deliberately into the sun.

Why?

There's one
possibility.

The mass insanity may have
reached this planet too.

Captain,
I'm having difficulty

on that transmitter call
to Deneva.

Keep trying.

Yes, sir.

Jim, your brother, Sam,
his family,

aren't they stationed
on this planet?

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 3287.2.

The mass insanity

we have tracked across
this section of the galaxy

seems to have
already touched Deneva.

That planet,
colonized over a century ago,

is one of the most beautiful
in the galaxy.

Planet development
is normal, captain.

Originally colonized
as a freighting line base

in this area.

Aye, they make
regular trips from here,

carrying supplies to the
asteroid belt for the miners

and bringing
cargo out.

I've made the run
a couple of times myself

as an engineering
advisor.

No Federation contacts
for over a year.

Captain.

I've made contact with
your private transmitter, sir.

Put it on audio.

Please hurry. Help us.

I don't have much time.
They'll know.

Please! Please..

Aurelan. This is Jim
on the Enterprise.

Repeat your message.

Contact broken,
sir.

Re-establish.

I'm sorry, sir.

I'm not interested
in your excuses, lieutenant.

Re-establish contact
with that transmitter.

I'm afraid that's impossible
at the moment, captain.

They stopped broadcasting
immediately.

They do not acknowledge
my contact signal.

Keep trying to
raise them.

Yes, sir.

Jim.

Did you know who
that woman was?

Yes.

You were right
a while back.

My brother, Sam,
lives on Deneva.

He's a research
biologist.

That woman...

It sounded like his wife,
Aurelan.

Set your phasers
on stun.

We're going to beam directly
into the capital city.

Alert status.

Mr. Spock?

Lieutenant Uhura has had no
further response to our signals.

Sensors report
the expected number

of humans on the planet surface.

However,
they are strangely quiet,

very little
activity.

I'll want
a complete transcript

of everything that happens
down there.

Yes, sir.
Let's go.

Energize.

There are almost a million
inhabitants of Deneva.

There's more than 100,000
in this city alone.

Where is everyone?

They're here, captain.
In the buildings.

Strangely quiescent.

My brother's lab
is over there.

They signaled us once.

There should be someone there.

Let's find out
what's happening.

Back! Go away!

Captain,

several people approaching.

Go back! Run, get away! We don't want to hurt you!

Go back!
Beat it!

Go back!
Get out of here, please!

Run! Get away!

Go away! Get out of here now!
Get away!

Run! Get away!
We don't want to hurt you!

Stand by to fire.

Fire!

Did you hear
what they said, Mr. Spock?

Indeed, they seemed
most concerned for our safety.

They tried to brain us
with these clubs.

Check them out, Bones.

Their attitude was inconsistent
with their actions.

To say the least.

There's something
wrong, Jim.

Their nervous systems...

unconscious like this,
there should be

just routine
autonomic activity.

But I'm getting
a very high reading,

as though, even in
their unconscious state,

they're being
violently stimulated.

Fan out.
Follow me.

Security.

They're here!
They're here!

Please,
keep them away!

They're here!

Aurelan,
it's Jim.

They're here!

It's Jim, Aurelan.
Bones.

Aurelan...

you're safe now.

Is this your brother, Jim?

Oh...

Sam.

It is my brother.

Was my brother.

I'm sorry, Jim.

The boy's unconscious,
but he's still alive.

Peter.

I'd better get the boy and the
mother back to the ship, Jim.

I can't do much for them
down here.

Get ready to beam up.

McCoy
to Enterprise.

Prepare to beam up
party of four.

Captain, I understand
how you..

Yes.

Yes, Mr. Spock.

You heard my sister-in-law
say something

about "they" being here.
Your guess.

Notice the ventilator,
captain.

Apparently, they were
trying to keep

something outside
from getting in.

Obviously, they were not
entirely successful.

That doesn't
make sense.

There are no
harmful life forms reported.

Our sensors didn't
pick up anything

that didn't belong here.

That is correct.
I am at a loss to understand it.

Ready to beam up,
captain.

I'd like you to
be onboard

when your sister-in-law
regains consciousness.

Take charge of
the landing party, Mr. Spock.

I want some answers
to all this.

I won't be able to give you
the exact cause

until I get the plates
back from the lab.

They're both in extreme pain.
I've sedated them heavily.

But your sister-in-law seems
to have a high tolerance.

The tranquilizer hasn't
affected her much.

Can she talk?

Yes.

Aurelan.

Aurelan, it's Jim.

Jim?

Sam. He's...

He's dead.

But your son's still alive.

You've got to help us.

You are here.

It is you, Jim.

Yes, I'm here.

You have to tell us
what happened, Aurelan,

to you and
the others.

They came...

eight months ago.

Who?

Things.

Horrible things!

Visitors brought them
in their vessel from a planet...

Ingraham B.

What kind of things?

Not the ship's
crew's fault.

The things made them
bring their ship here.

Aurelan...

it's important that you
tell us what kind of things.

Not their fault.

When she answers questions,
any questions,

it's as if she's fighting
to get the answers out.

As though something
is exerting pain to stop her.

They use it to control us.

They're spreading, Jim.

They need us to be
their arms and legs.

They're forcing us
to build ships for them.

Don't let them!

Don't let them
go any further!

My brother's son...

I'll do everything I can,
Jim, to save him.

Report.

The streets are
extraordinarily quiet, Jim.

We've seen
no other Denevans,

and the ones we stunned earlier
were gone when we came out.

You've seen some kind of
creature, any alien form?

None, sir. There's just
that noise we heard.

A peculiar
buzzing sound.

We were about to
investigate it.

All right.

Let's go find out
what it is.

Set your phasers on
force 3, to kill.

We're looking for
some kind of creature.

And we already know
it will kill.

Spock!

Form a ring.

Fire!

Incredible.

Not only should it have been
destroyed by our phasers,

it does not even register
on my tricorder.

Captain, it doesn't
even look real.

It is not life
as we know or understand it.

Yet it is obviously alive,
it exists.

And it can bear up
under full phaser power.

Captain, I suggest
we risk taking it aboard.

It's too closed in here.

It may be a trap.
Let's move out.

Spock.

Spock!

It's gone.
Can you stand?

Spock, are you
all right?

Captain's log, supplemental.

Whatever the creatures are,

they have apparently taken over
all the inhabitants of Deneva.

Meanwhile,
ship surgeon Dr. McCoy

is examining
a strange puncture wound

left by one of the creatures
on Mr. Spock's back.

Nurse.

That's the second time
he's come out of it.

Either he's
fighting us...

or something inside of him
is fighting us.

Doctor, the readings have
never looked like that before,

not even on Mr. Spock.

Let's prepare to close.

Nurse!

Doctor, that's not
all you're going to do?

Miss Chapel!

Doctor, there is more
of it in him,

entwined all through
his body.

Miss Chapel, if you cannot
assist me as required,

call another nurse in here.

But do one or the other now.

How is he?

To be very frank, Jim, I don't
know that I can do anything

for Spock
or your nephew.

Pieces of some form
of living tissue.

I removed one
from Spock's spinal cord,

the other from your
sister-in-law's body.

They're both the same.

The boy's far
too weak to touch.

Besides, the removal
of the tissue

wouldn't stop the pain anyhow,
as far as I can tell.

Did you operate
on Spock in time?

No, no, no. I just removed
these for examination.

His body's full
of these tentacles,

entwining and growing
all about his nervous system.

My nephew?

The same.

Evidently,
when the creature attacks,

it leaves a stinger,
much like a bee or a wasp,

leaving one of these
in the victim's body.

And it takes over
the victim very rapidly.

And the entwining is far,
far too involved

for conventional surgery
to remove.

Recommendations?

I'm sorry, Jim.

The lab, the science
departments...

we're all stumped.

No.

No.

Mr. Spock.

No, I won't..

Mr. Spock..

Bridge,
this is Sickbay.

Tell Dr. McCoy
Mr. Spock just left here.

He's delirious,
possibly dangerous.

All decks, security alert.

Locate and restrain Mr. Spock.
He may be dangerous.

Use phasers, on stun,
if necessary.

Must take ship!

Spock..

I must...

take it down...

Get him back
to the Sickbay.

Use security restraints.

The K-3 indicator
registers the level of pain.

Now, watch it
as I turn it on.

Now, that's what he's
been going through.

I've never seen anything
like it.

No wonder
the poor devils go mad.

Dr. McCoy.

Captain.

Spock.

These restraints will
no longer be necessary.

Nor will your
sedatives, doctor.

I'll be able to
return to duty.

I apologize
for my weakness earlier,

when I tried to take
control of the ship.

I simply
did not understand.

What is there to understand,
Mr. Spock?

I am a Vulcan, doctor.

Pain is a thing of the mind.

The mind can be controlled.

You're only half Vulcan.

What about
the human half of you?

It is proving to be
an inconvenience,

but it is manageable.

The creature, with all
of its thousands of parts,

even now,
is pressuring me.

It wants this ship.
But I am resisting.

Can he control it
the way he says, Bones?

Who knows, Jim?

I know the amount of pain the
creature can inflict upon him.

But whether he can control it,
hour to hour...

I have my own will, captain.

Let me help.

I need you, Spock.

But we can't
take any chances.

We'll keep you confined
for a while longer.

If you can...

maintain control...

we'll see.

My nephew.

If he regains consciousness,
will he go through that?

Yes.

Help them.

I don't care what
it takes or costs,

you've got to help them.

Jim,

aren't you forgetting something?

There are over
a million colonists

on that planet down there.

Just as much
your responsibility.

They need
your help too.

I am a Vulcan.

I am a Vulcan.

There is no pain.

Mr. Spock.

I thought you were
still confined to Sickbay.

I was.

Here, now.
Where do you think you're going?

I have an errand
on the planet surface.

You will beam me down to the
same coordinates as before.

Not likely,
Mr. Spock.

That is an order,
Mr. Scott.

Aye, sir.

And I'm sorry
I have to disobey it.

The captain said no one
was to transport down.

Mr. Spock.

Freeze right there,
Mr. Spock...

or I'll put you
to sleep for sure.

This is Mr. Scott
in the Transporter Room.

Get me the captain.

Mr. Spock, I gave you an order
to stay in the Sickbay.

Until the pain was gone,
captain.

It has been
discontinued, by me.

Scotty?

He said he was transporting
down to the surface, sir.

Your orders were that
no one was to beam down

unless you
authorized it.

And knowing Mr. Spock's
determination on some things,

I thought I'd better hold him
here until I got your orders.

One of the creatures
will have to be captured

and analyzed, captain.

We did not have a clear
opportunity to do so earlier

when I was
attacked.

Since my nervous system
is already affected,

as you pointed out,
doctor,

I don't believe
they could do much more to me.

Jim, this
is ridiculous.

I don't want my patients running
around. He should be in bed.

I am in complete control
of myself, doctor.

The fact that I am here proves
that I do not belong in bed.

Mr. Spock.

Your logic,
as usual...

is inescapable.

Beam him down.
Stay in constant touch with us.

Give him your phaser.
He'll need that too.

Thank you, captain.

Energize.

Jim,
that man is sick.

And don't give me
any damnable logic

about him being
the only man for the job.

I don't have to, Bones.
We both know he is.

Come in,
gentlemen.

I believe you'll find this
interesting.

Doctor, your medical skill
and curiosity

are quite admirable,
but I assure you, I'm all right.

You may be controlling
the pain, Mr. Spock,

but you're far
from all right.

Unimportant at the
moment, doctor.

Please observe.

Interesting,
gentlemen.

A one-cell creature resembling,
more than anything else,

a huge individual
brain cell.

Yes, that would answer
a lot of questions, wouldn't it?

Do you understand
what I'm suggesting, captain?

I think so.

This may be one cell
in a larger organism,

an incredibly huge
organism, in fact.

And although it is not
physically connected

to the other cells,

it is, nevertheless,
part of the whole creature.

Guided by the whole,
drawing its strength

from the whole,
which probably accounts

for its unusual resistance
to our phaser weapons.

Existing so differently
from any living matter or energy

as we know it
that it may have come here,

planet by planet, from an
entirely different galaxy.

From a place where
our physical laws do not apply.

We may therefore find it
difficult to destroy, captain.

But not impossible,
Mr. Spock.

The Denevan that flew into the
sun cried out that he was free,

that he had won.

That's the angle
to work on, gentlemen.

I want an
analysis of all this

from Medical and Life Science
departments within the hour.

Yes, sir.

I'm sorry, captain.
I've tried everything I can.

Varying radiation, intense heat,
even as great as 9,000 degrees.

Then you're
wasting your time.

It has to be something
that will kill the creature

without destroying
the human host.

Which happens to be my point:
The thing won't die.

Even at temperatures
and radiation

which would burn Spock
and your nephew to ashes.

I can't accept that,
Bones.

We've got 14 science labs
aboard this ship.

The finest equipment
and computers in the galaxy.

Captain.

I understand
your concern.

Your affection
for Spock,

the fact that
your nephew

is the last survivor
of your brother's family.

No. No, Bones.

There's more than two lives
at stake here.

I cannot let it spread
beyond this colony,

even if it means
destroying...

a million people
down there.

Captain's log, stardate 3289.8.

I am faced with the most
difficult decision of my life.

Unless we find a way
to destroy the creatures

without killing
their human hosts,

my command responsibilities
will force me to kill

over a million people.

Gentlemen?

I regret I see no other choice
for you, captain.

We already know this thing has
destroyed three civilizations,

perhaps more.

Gentlemen, I want it
stopped too,

but not at the cost

of destroying
over a million people.

Including myself,
doctor,

and Captain Kirk's
young nephew.

Understandably upsetting.

But once it spreads
past here,

there are dozens
of colonies beyond,

and billions of people.

If killing five people
saves ten, it's a bargain.

Is that your simple logic,
Mr. Spock?

I will accept neither of
those alternatives, gentlemen.

I cannot let this thing expand
beyond this planet,

nor do I intend to kill

a million or more
people to stop it.

I want another answer.

I'm putting you gentlemen
on the hot seat with me.

I want that
third alternative.

Report.

I'm sorry, Jim.

We've been over it
and over it,

we've made every
conceivable test.

I therefore
request permission

to beam down to
the planet's surface.

I also suggest your
nephew accompany me.

Request denied.

Captain.

I do not make
this request lightly.

I do not know how much longer
I can hold out against the pain,

but I do know
what the boy will go through

should he
regain consciousness.

Request denied.

There must be
another answer.

Something in the sun
killed that thing,

before the Denevan died.

All right.

All right.

You've tried heat...

radiation...

What other qualities or
properties does the sun have?

It exists physically.

It occupies space.

It has mass, therefore gravity.

It converts matter
to energy.

Jim, we've been through it
and through it.

Radiation, heat...

But one other thing
you haven't mentioned.

It's bright.

It radiates a blinding light,
if you're close enough.

Nothing lethal
about light.

Not to us.

But down on the surface, the
creatures stayed in the shadows,

for the most part.

Suppose that they
weren't simply hiding.

Suppose they're
sensitive to light.

Light, like in a sun,
close up.

A possibility.

You can't move Deneva
closer to the sun, Jim.

No, but you can move the
equivalent of the sun to Deneva.

Mr. Spock?

Yes.

In essence,
it can be done.

A string of satellites
around the planet

with burning trimagnesite
and trevium.

Well, I can rig
a test cubicle in the bio lab,

put our specimen in it,

but I don't..
Good.

Let's get on it.

Your figures are,
of course, accurate?

Of course.

The light of the sun
at the proximity

where the Denevan
declared himself free

was one million candles
per square inch.

If this works,

the satellites we orbit
will produce light

of such intensity
that even someone

in a closed, darkened area
will be affected by it.

Ready, doctor.

Put on your masks.

Completed.

It worked!
We can do it.

What's the matter, Jim?
We can do it.

It worked in a lab,

with the creature exposed
to everything we can give it.

But what about the people
who are infected?

I don't know.
It may be trial and..

Maybe. There's no time
for maybes, Bones.

We need to know now.

But I'd have to put..

Yes, we'd have to put someone
who's infected under that light.

Do you have any idea
of the risk?

We have to duplicate
the conditions on the planet...

and Spock...

Captain.

You'll need a host
for the next step in the test,

to determine
whether the creature

can be driven from the body.

I am the logical choice.

Do you know what one million
candlelight per square inch

can do to
your optic nerves?

There's no other way, Bones.

We have to duplicate
the brilliance

that existed
at the moment

the Denevan declared
himself free.

All right. I'll rig up
a protective pair of goggles.

There will be none
on the planet's surface, doctor.

I agree completely.

Unfortunately,
you're both right.

It's the only thing
we can do.

All right, Mr. Spock.

Mr. Spock's the best
first officer in the fleet.

Proceed.

Completed.

Spock, are you
all right?

The creature within me
is gone.

I am free of it
and the pain.

And I am also...

quite blind.

An equitable trade,
doctor.

Thank you.

Doctor, the results
of the first test

on the creature's
remains...

Oh, no.

What is it?

I threw the total spectrum
of light at the creature.

It wasn't necessary.

I didn't stop to think that...

only one kind of light
might have killed it.

Interesting.

Just as dogs are sensitive
to certain sounds

which humans cannot hear,

these creatures evidently
are sensitive to light

which we cannot see.

Are you telling me...

that Spock
need not have been blinded?

I didn't need to throw

the blinding white light
at all, Jim.

Spock, I..

Doctor, it was
my selection as well.

It is done.

Bones...

Take care of him.

Completing
the seeding orbit, captain.

Two hundred and ten ultraviolet
satellites now in position,

72 miles altitude,

permanent orbit
about the planet.

Good. Scanners?

Scanners ready, sir.

Very well.
Ready, helm?

Ready, captain.

Satellite control,
this is the captain.

Energize all satellites.

Affirmative.

All satellites operative,
captain.

Captain, receiving messages
from a ground station.

Report.

The things are dying, sir.
It's working.

Sickbay.

McCoy here.

Tell Spock...

it worked.

Yes, captain.

He'll be happy
to hear that.

Bones...

it wasn't your fault.

Bones.

Bones.

Yeoman, record this
for Starfleet Command.

Ready, sir.

The alien creatures on Deneva
have been destroyed..

Captain, look.
Mr. Spock.

Spock.

You can see.

The blindness was
temporary, Jim.

There's something
about his optical nerves

which aren't the same
as a human's.

An hereditary trait,
captain.

The brightness of the Vulcan sun
has caused the development

of an inner eyelid,
which acts as a shield

against high-intensity
light.

Totally instinctive,
doctor.

We tend to ignore it,
as you ignore your own appendix.

Mr. Spock.

Regaining eyesight would be an
emotional experience for most.

You, I presume,
felt nothing?

Quite the contrary, captain.
I had a very strong reaction.

My first sight was the face
of Dr. McCoy bending over me.

Mm.

'Tis a pity brief blindness did
not increase your appreciation

for beauty,
Mr. Spock.

If you gentlemen
are finished,

would you mind laying in

a course for
Starbase 10, Mr. Spock?

My pleasure,
captain.

Unusual eye arrangement.

I might've known he'd turn up
with something like that.

What's that, doctor?

I said, please
don't tell Spock

that I said he was the best
first officer in the fleet.

Why, thank you, Dr. McCoy.

You've been so concerned
about his Vulcan eyes, doctor,

you forgot about
his Vulcan ears.

Ahead warp factor 1,
Mr. Sulu.

Warp factor 1, sir.