- Kirk and Spock must save their ship's crew when they are all declared killed in action in a bizarre computer simulated war where the actual deaths must nevertheless occur.
- On a mission to establish diplomatic relations at Star Cluster NGC321, Kirk and Spock beam down to planet Eminiar 7 to learn that its inhabitants have been at war with a neighboring planet for over 500 years. They can find no damage nor evidence of destruction but soon learn that their war is essentially a war game, where each planet attacks the other in a computer simulation with the tabulated victims voluntarily surrendering themselves for execution after the fact. When the Enterprise becomes a victim in the computer simulation and ordered destroyed, Kirk decides it's time to show them exactly what war means.—garykmcd
- Mea (Barbara Babcock) is a pretty woman with blond hair that she wears up. She dresses in a flowing sheer garment. Her planet is called Eminiar. They are neighbors with a planet nearby called Vendikar. Very nice planets with nice buildings and beautiful, well-dressed people. The Enterprise is taking a trip and comes nearby Eminiar. They get a radio warning saying to get out. Enterprise is carrying Ambassador Fox (Gene Lyons) who tells Kirk that the Federation has lost many soldiers in the quadrant due to the lack of galactic port here. He tells Kirk to disregard the message and proceed to Eminiar VII.
Kirk decides to beam down with a landing party. Himself, Spock, two red-shirts and a very beautiful Japanese Yeoman named Yeoman Tamula (Miko Mayama) beam down. When they arrive on Eminiar, They meet Mea, and Kirk looks her over. Mea has a mean look. She says "Captain, you should not have come. You are in danger. We are at war." Kirk says, "Mea, the buildings are all here. You cannot have been at war too long'. The leader of the planet Anan VII (David Opatoshu) says that Eminiar are at war with Vendikar, the 3rd planet in their system.
Anan invites Kirk to the war room. Guess What? It's a computer room with lights and sounds. They're fighting by computer. Anan explains that attacks are launched mathematically, as per a mutual agreement between the warring nations, to protect the civilization, but to simulate the effects of the attack people impacted walk into a disintegration chamber. People follow this edict with a sense of duty. Meanwhile, a tall blond American-type man comes in and whispers to Anan. Anan immediately orders security guards to surround all of them, including Tamula.
Anan says, "we warned you. it's too late. Your ship is a casualty of war, all of your men are dead.", but when Kirk checks in with Scotty, the Enterprise is well. Anan gives Kirk's men 24 hrs to report to the disintegration chambers, as their death is also simulated. When Kirk refuses to order his men to surrender the ship, Anan locks them up
Anan is using a fake voice machine to speak like Jim, and to tell Scotty to beam everyone down. Scotty is listening. he is temporarily in command and sitting in the Captain's chair. Scotty compares the voice with a sample of Kirk and the computer says its a fake. Meanwhile, Spock tricked the guard (using a mind meld) and the guard unlocked the door to check, and gave him a neck pinch to knock him out. As they escape, Kirk grabs Mea, who is headed to the disintegration chamber, as she was also declared a casualty in the last attack. Kirk destroys the disintegration chamber.
Kirk asks Mea to take him to Anan's chambers, who has just ordered an attack on the Enterprise with real weapons. Fox stops Scotty from attacking the planet and open a channel with Anan. Anan invites Fox down to the planet, but his real intention is to blow up the Enterprise as soon as its screens are lowered to allow transported function. Scotty refuses to lower the screen in defiance to Fox.
Kirk reaches Anan's cabin with the help of Mea. Kirk is captured by Anan's guards. In the melee, Anan is distracted and Fox beams down to the planet. Spock gets a communicator and speaks to Scotty and learns Fox has beamed down. He saves Fox from being fried in a disintegration chamber. "Captain" Anan yells "If you do not let us disintegrate our casualties, Vendikar will have no choice but to start using real weapons, and both planets and all their people, will be destroyed. You will be destroying two planets." .. Spock arrives with Fox and rescues Kirk. Kirk and Spock fire their phasers into the entire computer and it is obliterated. Kirk asks Anan to talk peace with Vendikar. Ambassador Fox offers to be the negotiator between the 2 civilizations.
Anan is still angry, but he looks at Fox and says "Maybe we can do it. We will try." Spock debates with Kirk that he took a big chance by destroying the computer. Kirk argues that Eminians were killed 3 MM people a yr for 500 yrs. Even an actual attack wouldn't kill more people and it would reduce their ability to wage war.. hence it was a calculated gamble to get them to talk peace.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content