Star Trek (1966–1969): Season 2, Episode 6 - The Doomsday Machine - full transcript

The USS Enterprise encounters the wrecked USS Constellation and its distraught commodore who's determined to stop the giant planet-destroying robot ship that killed his crew.

The distress call came from
a solar system in this sector.

Can you pinpoint it?

lt was so garbled all we got
was the name "Constellation".

Sir, we're now within the limits
of system L-370,

but l can't locate...

Captain, sensors show this entire
solar system has been destroyed.

Nothing left but rubble and asteroids.

But that's incredible.

The star in this system is still intact.
Only a nova could destroy like that.

Nonetheless,
sensors show nothing but debris

where we charted seven planets
last year.



- Continue a search pattern.
- Aye, aye, sir.

Entering limits of system L-374, sir.

Scanners show the same evidence
of destruction.

Every solar system in this sector
blasted to rubble

and still no sign of the Constellation.
Matt Decker's in command.

The two innermost planets
of this system appear intact.

- Sir, a ship's disaster beacon.
- Try to raise it.

l have it on the sensors.
By configuration, a starship.

She appears to be drifting.

No answer. All l get is the beacon.

Sensors not recording
normal energy output.

Approach course, Mr Sulu.

lt's the Constellation. Look at that.

She may have been wrecked by
whatever destroyed solar systems.



She was attacked.

Red Alert. Man your battle stations.

Red alert. Red alert.
Man your battle stations.

Space - the final frontier.

These are the voyages
of the starship Enterprise.

lts five-year mission,
to explore strange new worlds,

to seek out new life
and new civilisations,

to boldly go
where no man has gone before.

- Mr Sulu?
- All phaser banks ready.

lnitiate full sensor scan of the area
for any other vessel.

l can't raise the Constellation, sir.

Subspace interference
is blocking the signal.

Keep trying.

Evaluation of the damage
to the Constellation.

Power plants dead, reserve energy
banks operative at a very low level.

- Life support systems?
- Also operative at a low power level.

The bridge is uninhabitable. The rest
of the ship seems able to sustain life.

- Radiation levels?
- Normal, but readings are difficult.

No other vessels in the area.
All scanners show clear.

All hands, Yellow Alert.
Stand by battle stations.

Have Dr McCoy, Mr Scott
and a damage control party

report to me in the transporter room.

- Mr Spock, you're in command.
- Acknowledged.

- Radiation level normal.
- Filtration systems are out, sir.

The whole communication system
is shorted out, too.

See if the phaser banks have been
fired. Bones, come with me.

What a mess.

No clutter. Whatever happened
didn't happen without a warning.

- What do you think did it, sir?
- l don't know, lad.

But l want a full structural
damage check

and l'm going to have a look
at those engines.

The crew wasn't abducted,
they just left. Kirk to Enterprise.

- Enterprise, Spock here.
- No survivors, no bodies either.

Could they have beamed down
to a planet?

lmprobable. The inner planet has
a surface temperature of molten lead.

The other's atmosphere is poisonous.

We'll continue our search.
Kirk out.

Captain, l've checked the engines.
The warp drive is a pile of junk.

The impulse engines
are not too badly off.

- Phaser banks?
- Exhausted.

Where are they?

Decker wouldn't abandon ship while
life support systems were operative.

Computer system is still intact.
We can play back the captain's log.

Matt.

Matt, it's Jim Kirk.

Commodore?

Commodore Decker?

Matt.

Kirk. lt's Jim Kirk.

What happened to your ship, Matt?

A ship...

- Attacked. That thing.
- What was it?

That...

Answer me! What was it?
What happened, Matt?

Jim, give him a minute.
He's in shock.

Ready with the duplicate log, sir.

Go.

Captain's log, stardate 4202.1.

Subspace interference still prevents
our contacting Starfleet

to inform them
of the destroyed solar systems.

We are now entering system L-374.

Science officer Masada
reports the fourth planet breaking up.

- We are going to investigate.
- The fourth planet.

Only two left now.

Scotty,
beam the microtapes to Spock.

l want a full report of what happened
when they went in on that planet.

We tried to contact Starfleet.
No one heard. No one!

We couldn't run.

- What happened to your crew?
- l had to beam them down.

We were dead.
No power, our phasers useless.

l stayed behind. The captain,
the last man aboard the ship.

That's what you're supposed to do,
isn't it?

And then it hit again
and the transporter went out.

There they were down there
and l'm up here.

What hit? What attacked you?

They say there's no devil, Jim,
but there is.

- Right out of hell. l saw it.
- Matt, where's your crew?

- On the third planet.
- There is no third planet.

Don't you think l know that?

There was, but not any more.

They called me. They begged me
for help, 400 of them.

l couldn't. l couldn't...

Captain, Washburn has a report.

We made a complete check
on structural and control damage.

Something crashed through
the deflectors

and knocked out the generators.

The antimatter in the warp drive pods
has been deactivated.

Scotty, could some kind of general
energy dampening field do that

and would it account
for the subspace interference?

That all adds up, but what sort
of a thing could do all that?

lf you'd seen it, you'd know. The whole
thing's a weapon, it must be.

What does it look like?

lt's miles long, with a maw
that could swallow a dozen starships.

lt destroys planets,
chops them into rubble.

What is it, an alien ship?
Or is it alive...

- Both or neither. l don't know.
- Matt.

Your log stated that the fourth
planet was breaking up.

We saw this thing over the planet,
slicing out chunks with a force beam.

- What kind of a beam?
- Pure antiproton.

Absolutely pure!

- Kirk here.
- Spock here.

Unable to raise Starfleet Command
due to heavy subspace interference.

What about the Constellation?

She was attacked
by what appears to be a robot,

an automated weapon
of immense size and power.

lts apparent function
is to smash planets to rubble

and digest the debris for fuel.

lt is therefore self-sustaining as long
as there are planets to feed on.

A robot weapon

that purposely destroys
entire solar systems. Why?

Unknown. However, Mr Sulu has
computed the path of the machine,

using the destroyed solar systems
as a base course.

Projecting back on our star charts,
we find it came from another galaxy.

What is the projected course
of this thing?

lf it follows its present path,

it will go through the most densely
populated section of our galaxy.

Thank you. Stand by, Mr Spock.
Kirk out.

This whole thing's incredible.
A robot?

- Who would build a machine like that?
- We don't know.

- An alien race from another galaxy.
- But why?

Bones, did you ever hear
of a doomsday machine?

No. l'm a doctor, not a mechanic.

lt's a weapon built primarily as a bluff,
never meant to be used.

So strong
it could destroy both sides in a war.

Something like the old H-bomb
was supposed to be.

That's what l think this is.

A doomsday machine that somebody
used in a war uncounted years ago.

They don't exist any more,
but the machine is still destroying.

Forget about your theories!
That thing is on the way to our galaxy.

- What are you going to do about it?
- Get you back to the Enterprise.

- l'm not leaving my ship!
- lt's a dead hulk!

We'll take her in tow.
l'll stay on board and get her ready.

Go back to the Enterprise
with the doctor and let him help you.

lt's just that l never lost
a command before.

Kirk to Enterprise.

Have the transporter room beam
Dr McCoy and Commodore Decker

on board immediately.

- Red Alert! Red Alert.
- Come on.

lt came up on us fast, but we seem
able to maintain our distance.

We're blind here.
What's it look like?

lt looks very much like Commodore
Decker's planet killer.

And it is pursuing us.

We are more manoeuvrable,
but it is gaining on us.

Sensors indicate some kind
of total conversion drive.

No evidence of life, subspace
interference level incredibly high.

Whatever it is, we can't let it go
beyond us to the next solar system.

lf it's a robot, what are the chances
of deactivating it?

None. The energy generated
by our power nacelles attracts it.

l doubt we could manoeuvre close
enough without drawing an attack.

The nature of this machine precludes
easy access to control mechanisms.

- lt's closing on us, Mr Spock.
- Closing, Captain.

Lower your deflector screens
long enough to beam us aboard.

Transporter room,
beam party aboard.

Ready to beam, sir.

Evasive action, Mr Sulu.
Damage report, all stations.

- The transporter's out.
- Effect repairs. Captain Kirk?

We've been attacked.
Transporter is damaged.

Mr Spock, communications damaged.

Damage in communications...

Spock? Come in, Spock.

Spock?

- We're stuck, blind and deaf.
- And paralysed. No power.

We just can't stand around.
Get me some manoeuvring power.

- l can't repair warp drive.
- Then get me impulse power.

lf we get this hulk moving,
maybe we can do something.

- l might coax the impulse engines.
- Then get moving.

Washburn, let's see what we can do
about this viewing screen.

l've got to find out what's happening.

No casualties, Mr Spock.
How are we doing?

- We have outrun it, Doctor.
- Status report.

lmpulse and warp engines operative,

transporter and communications
under repair.

Random chance has operated
in our favour.

ln plain, non-Vulcan, English,
we've been lucky.

l believe l said that, Doctor.

lt's veering off, back on course
for the next solar system.

The Rigel colony, sir.

Evidently programmed to ignore
anything as small as a ship.

We'll circle back
to pick up the captain.

You can't let it reach Rigel.
Millions would die.

l am aware of Rigel's population,
but we are only one ship.

Our shields are strained,
our subspace transmitter useless.

Our primary duty is to survive
in order to warn Starfleet Command.

Our primary duty is to maintain
the safety of Federation planets.

Do you deny that?

Mr Sulu, you will lay in an evasive
course back to the Constellation.

Belay that last order, helmsman.

180 degree turn, hard about.
We're going to attack.

You will carry out my last order,
Mr Sulu.

Mr Spock,

l am officially notifying you
that l'm exercising my option

under regulations
as a Starfleet commodore

and assuming command
of the Enterprise.

You have that right,
but l would advise against it.

- That thing must be destroyed.
- You tried to destroy it once before.

The result was a wrecked ship
and a dead crew.

l made a mistake then.
We were too far away.

This time l'm going to hit it with full
phasers at point blank range.

The object's hull is solid neutronium.

A single ship cannot combat it.

That will be all.
You have been relieved of command.

Don't force me to relieve you of duty
as well.

- You can't let him do this, Spock.
- Doctor, you are out of line.

So are you...sir.

Well, Spock?

Starfleet order 104, section B,
leaves me no alternative.

Paragraph 1 A clearly states...

You can't let him take command!

lf you can certify Commodore Decker
unfit for command,

l can relieve him under Section C.

l'll certify that right now.

You'll also be asked to produce
your medical records to prove it.

You know l haven't had time
to run an examination on him.

Then your statement would not
be considered valid.

- You may leave the bridge, Doctor.
- What about the captain?

Doctor, you may leave the bridge.

Spock, do something!

Mr Spock knows his duty
under regulations, Doctor.

Do you?

Hard about, helmsman.
Course 32 degrees, mark 10.

Deflectors at full power.
Ready on main phaser banks.

Aye, aye, sir.

Kirk here.

- The impulse engines are fused solid.
- What about the warp drive circuits?

We can cross-connect the controls,
but the ship will be hard to handle.

You worry about your miracles,
l'll worry about mine.

Aye, sir

Washburn, try the 2G6 circuit.

- Closing fast.
- Deflector shields at full power.

They can't take much more.

Helmsman, hold your course.
Stand by all phaser banks.

Aye, sir.

Deflectors holding, but weakening.
We must retreat, Commodore.

l'm in command here.

Maintain course, helmsman.
Get us in closer.

- Ready to give it a try?
- Just one minute, sir.

- Scotty, how you doing?
- We should have some power soon.

Try it now, Captain.

Yes, l think...

What the devil's going on?

Fire!

Direct hit.

lt just bounced off.

l urgently recommend
immediate withdrawal.

Recommendation noted.
Maintain course. Fire!

Kirk to Enterprise. Come in.
Mr Spock, come in.

Kirk to Enterpri...

- Scotty, where's that power?
- Coming, sir.

lf l push these engines too hard,
they'll blow apart.

Washburn, go down to engineering.
Assist Mr Scott.

Scotty, push it right to the edge.
This ship has got to manoeuvre.

Deflector shields are gone.

Deck 7 reports power failure
in main energisers.

Casualties on decks 3 and 4.

Damage control party
sealing off inner hull rupture.

- AG Section acknowledging.
- Section stabilised.

All decks, this is bridge engineering.
We're in emergency condition 3.

lt has ceased fire.
We're in a tractor beam.

We're being pulled inside, Commodore.

- You must veer off.
- Maintain phaser fire.

lf we don't break the tractor beam
within 60 seconds, we never will.

Don't you understand?
We've got to destroy it!

That, sir, is illogical. lt is suicide.

Attempted suicide would be proof
that you are unfit for command.

lf you don't veer off,
l shall relieve you on that basis.

- Veer off.
- We can't break loose.

- We need more power.
- We haven't got it.

We're being pulled inside.

Scotty, give me that power.

You've got enough to move us.
l can't do better.

That'll do.

Full ahead, Mr Scott.

That's it, Mr Scott.
Keep that power coming.

- Full power astern.
- Aye, sir.

We still can't move.

- Keep pouring it on, Scotty.
- What are we doing?

We're moving, the Enterprise isn't.

Maybe that thing will see us
and let the Enterprise go.

- lf l only had some phasers.
- l have one bank recharged.

Scotty, you've just earned your pay
for the week. Stand by.

Fire phasers.

- We're loose, Commodore.
- Good boy, Jim.

We'll kill that thing.

Mr Scott, it worked. Great!

l think. Scotty, get us out of here.

- lt's closing fast on the Constellation.
- Standing by.

- Commodore, l suggest...
- Kirk distracted it.

Now it's our turn.
Fire phasers.

We did it! Hard about.
Give me some distance.

We're moving away.

lt seems to have a defensive sphere.

Any energy source
is subject to attack.

Mr Spock, status report.

Warp drive and deflectors
will be out for a solar day.

Repairs proceeding.

- lt's closing with us.
- Maintain speed and distance.

lt's sucking in space rubble
from those destroyed planets.

We can maintain this speed for seven
hours before we exhaust our fuel.

- lt can refuel itself indefinitely.
- Then we must fight it now.

lllogical. We cannot destroy it.
Therefore, we cannot save Rigel.

We must transport the captain
and the others

and escape this thing's interference
in order to warn Starfleet Command.

- We pierced the interference locally.
- Can you raise Starfleet?

No, sir, but l'm picking up Captain Kirk.

- On audio, Lieutenant.
- Enterprise, come in.

Mr Spock, l am still in command
and l will speak for this ship.

Enterprise to Kirk.
Commodore Decker speaking.

Matt. Give me Mr Spock.

- l'm in command here, Jim.
- What happened to Spock?

Nothing. l assumed command
as he was reluctant to take action...

You're responsible
for almost destroying my ship?

- You are speaking to a senior officer.
- Give me Spock.

l am in command here,
according to every rule in the book.

Anything you say, say it to me.

There's only one thing l want to say.
Get my ship out of there.

- Mr Spock, ship status.
- Commodore?

Down here.

Warp drive out, deflector shields
down, transporter under repair.

- How long to repair warp drive?
- A solar day.

We'll exhaust our impulse power
long before then.

- lt's gaining on us.
- Evasive action, Mr Sulu.

l told you, l am in command here
and l will give the orders, Captain.

- We are going to attack.
- Not with my ship, you don't.

Mr Spock, relieve Commodore Decker.

You can't relieve me and you know it.

Mr Spock,
l order you to assume command

on my personal authority
as captain of the Enterprise.

Commodore Decker,
you are relieved of command.

l don't recognise your authority
to relieve me.

You may file a protest with Starfleet,
assuming we reach a starbase.

But you are relieved.

Commodore, l do not wish
to place you under arrest.

You wouldn't dare.

- You're bluffing.
- Vulcans never bluff.

No, l don't suppose that they do.

Very well, Mr Spock.
The bridge is yours.

- Captain, l have assumed command.
- Good. Now, Mr Spock...

One moment. Commodore, you are
scheduled for medical examination.

Mr Montgomery, you will accompany
the commodore to sickbay.

Mr Sulu, change course.
70, mark 21.

Mark 21, sir.

Captain, we are taking a course
back to you.

We'll stay ahead of the object
until we transport you aboard.

Make sure you stay ahead of it.

Captain Kirk. l've hooked in
ship's communication.

The best l can give you on impulse
is one third power.

- Shields are up, but won't last long.
- Keep it going, Scotty.

Mr Spock.
l'm plotting an intercept course.

Will rendezvous with you
at 14:13.7 hours.

Mr Spock, someone's opening
the shuttlecraft bay doors.

- Shut them.
- Too late.

Why are you launching a shuttlecraft?

Whoever it is has no authorisation.
Raise the shuttlecraft.

Enterprise to shuttlecraft.

Enterprise to shuttlecraft.
Come in, shuttlecraft.

Shuttlecraft to Enterprise.
Decker here.

Commodore, l must insist
that you return to the ship.

You said it yourself, Spock.

There is no way to blast through
the hull of that machine,

so l'm going to take this thing
down its throat.

Matt, you'll be killed.

l've been prepared for death
ever since l...

- Ever since l killed my crew.
- Don't die for a judgement error.

The commander is responsible
for the lives of his crew

and for their deaths.
Well, l should have died with mine.

You cannot succeed. Your only
alternative is to return to the ship.

Matt, listen to me. You can't throw
your life away like this.

Matt, you're a starship commander.

We need you, your experience,
your judgement.

We're stronger with you
than without you!

He's gone.

Constellation, come in, please.

Captain Kirk, come in, please.

Kirk here.

Sir, may l offer my condolences
on the death of your friend.

lt is most regrettable.

lt's regrettable that he died for nothing.

Sensors indicate a minute drop
in the machine's power emanations.

Do you think the shuttlecraft explosion
might have done some damage?

The drop in power is definite, Captain,
but negligible.

The object is still pursing us,
causing us to drain our power reserve.

- The transporter is operational.
- Transporter operational, Captain.

- Shall we beam you aboard?
- Negative.

Mr Scott and l will stay here.
Beam the party aboard.

There is little to be gained
by staying aboard.

Except possibly...

the destruction of that thing.
Carry out your orders.

Transporter room.
Beam damage control party aboard.

Spock, listen. Maybe Matt Decker
didn't die for nothing.

He had the right idea,
but not enough power.

Am l correct in assuming that a fusion
explosion of 97 megatons will result

if an impulse engine is overloaded?

No, sir. 97.835 megatons.

97.835. Will it be powerful enough
to destroy that thing out there?

Negative. lts hull is pure neutronium.
There is no way of blasting through it.

Not through it, from inside it.
Will it be enough?

lnsufficient data.
l shall take further readings.

Make it fast. Kirk to Scott.

The damage control party
just beamed to the Enterprise.

Good. Can you set the ship's
impulse engines to overload?

Aye, it's hard to keep it from blowing.

Rig a 30 second
delay detonation device.

Rig it so that it can be blown
from up here.

- Set it and get up here fast.
- Captain?

The object's hull makes readings
of the inner mechanism impossible.

- Spock, you don't know?
- Correct.

You're getting dangerously
close to the planet killer.

l intend to get a lot closer and ram her
right down that thing's throat.

Jim, you'll be killed, just like Decker.

No, l don't intend to die. We've rigged
a delay detonation device.

You'll have 30 seconds
to beam me aboard

before the engines blow.

Your chances of survival
are not promising.

The explosion might not even
be powerful enough.

- A calculated risk.
- There's another factor.

The transporter is not 100% efficient.

30 seconds is very slim timing.

A chance l'll have to take. Kirk out.

A transporter's a finicky piece
of machinery to gamble your life on.

- What about the detonator?
- lt's armed now.

Press this one. 30 seconds later...
Poof!

Once activated,
there's no way to stop it.

Mr Spock,
prepare to beam Scotty on board.

- Good luck, Captain.
- Thank you.

What's the matter with that thing?

A power drain, sir. l almost lost you.

lt'll never work like this.
lt's the main junction circuitry.

Bridge, transporter malfunction.

Transporter is out, Captain.
You'll have to stand by.

l can't. Power level's dropping too fast.
Hurry.

Mr Scott, speed is of the essence.

He's 2,000 miles from the planet killer.

Transporter operational,
but it won't last for long.

- He must come off now.
- 1,500 miles and closing.

Captain, transporter operational,
but just barely.

Prepare to beam me aboard
on my signal.

- 1,000 miles and closing.
- Transporter, stand by.

500 miles.

- Beam me aboard.
- Energise.

- Bridge, it's shorted out again.
- What's wrong with it?

- Gentlemen, beam me aboard.
- We can't. Transporter is out again.

Mr Scott, 20 seconds to detonation.

Mr Scott?

Mr Scott, try inverse phasing.

60...

50...40...

- 30...
- l suggest you beam me aboard.

10...

9...8...

- 7...
- Mr Scott?

- Try her now, Mr Kyle.
- 5...4...

Bridge, we got him through!

Energy output zero.

Radiation level normal.

Welcome aboard, Captain.

Sensors show all energy sources
deactivated.

lt's quite dead.

Mr Sulu, back to minimum headway.
Conserve power as much as possible.

Lieutenant Palmer, tell Mr Scott
to expedite repairs on the warp drive.

Poor Matt. He gave his life
in an attempt to save others.

- Not the worst way to go.
- lndeed, Captain.

l presume your log will show
Decker died in the line of duty?

lronic, isn't it?
Back in the 20th Century,

the H-Bomb
was their doomsday machine.

We used something like it
to destroy another one.

Probably the first time such a weapon
has been used constructively.

Appropriate, Captain.

But l wonder if there are more
of those weapons

wandering around the universe.

l certainly hope not.
l found one quite sufficient.