PEACE AS A DISEASE

 

Name: Perry’s Planet

Author: Jack C. Haldeman II

Publication Date: 2/1980

Publisher: Bantam Books

Page Number: 132

Historian’s Note:  Takes place sometime between The Counter-Clock Incident and The Motion Picture

Cast of Characters:  Captain James T. Kirk       Commander Spock              Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”       Lieutenant  Hikaru Sulu              Lieutenant Nyota Uhura              Lieutenant Martin Larousse                Nurse Christine Chapel          Ensign Pavel Chekov      Ensign Alan Huff              Ensign Wade Moody            Ensign Nason         Crewman Bischoff             Crewman Kukar                 Crewman Shaw                          Commodore Larry Propp              Dr. Kelly Davis                   Commander Karol                    Priest Kirl                    Captain Wayne Perry                          Ami                     Dawn                   Joan        Jon         Mika          Rus

Starships and/or Starbases: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, USS Potemkin NCC-1657, USS Phoenix NCC-625, one unnamed Klingon K't'inga-class ship

Planets: Tombstone, Waycross, Perry

My Spoiler filled summary and review: The Enterprise is delivering medical supplies and personnel to the planet Waycross.  They are long overdue for tune-up for the ship and leave for the crew. The dilithium crystals need to be swapped out and the crew is on edge.  McCoy is really concerned for the ship’s mental health.  So, this is the worst time for an attack and that is exactly what happens. Coming from seemingly nowhere, a Klingon warship attacks the Enterprise.  They manage to fight back and drive them off, but before the Klingons leave the two ships make contact and communicate with each other on screen.  The Klingon commander is named Karol, and he is here to avenge his dead brother, Khall.  Khall was killed by Kirk in a physical fight on unseen adventure.  Karol has sworn the Klingon Blood Oath.  This means he will stop at anything to get Kirk.  His likely hood of doing it is high with this new technology.  More than a cloaking device, this technology renders the ship undetectable to a Federation starship’s sensors until it is too late, and the attack has begun.  Kirk may have fought him off now but soon he will look to strike again. 

Attacked by the Klingons

Things go from bad to worse when a transporter accident causes an explosion on the ship.  Some are killed and several are injured.  Among the injured is Dr. Kelly Davis, a brilliant surgeon that was headed to help at Waycross.  Investigation reveals that it was Klingon sabotage, using their new technology they were able to get onboard without anyone knowing about it.  It also reveals that the crew should have caught the sabotage in time, but that overwork and exhaustion prevented it.

They bury their dead and get to Waycross to drop off supplies and personnel.  Dr. Davis is too injured to be moved from the ship’s sickbay so she will be staying.  The Enterprise is now looking to head to the nearest Starbase 6 for some needed repairs and R & R.  However, the USS Phoenix shows up with Commodore Propp in command, to deliver a message to Captain Kirk.  They have a new assignment, a colony that was established by a long-lost generation ship, has been found and they wish to join the Federation.  Starfleet wants its best man, and that is James Kirk, to handle the negotiations.  Kirk protests citing the needs of his ship.  The Commodore says they are aware of the problems that the Enterprise is facing, but this mission is far too important, so they are sending them there anyway.

You're too important, you have to go!

  

Kirk organizes a landing party consisting of himself, Spock, McCoy, and a few security officers.  When they arrive, they are greeted by local pages of the colony’s governing council.  No one, on a planet without transporter technology, seems the slightest bit surprised that a number of people just appeared out of thin air.  They are brought to the Council where it has a feeling of local town council and not a planetary government.  Everyone is on a first name basis.  Kirk explains what the Federation is all about, the Council receives it positively, let’s them know that the people will have to vote on it, before going to Captain Wayne Perry for final approval.  Captain Perry was the leader who led the generational ship from the Earth.  Conversation with Council makes it clear that this is same person not a descendant.  They are granted an audience with Captain Perry, who seems friendly enough, and he tells them that they have had the ability to monitor their communications but not to contact them.  Perry seems quite interested in joining the Federation.  However, as the leave Spock has some new information.  He has discovered that Captain Perry is not real.

Kirk meets council

 Despite the weirdness of Captain Perry, the planet is quiet, and the people are welcoming.  Kirk and McCoy decide it’s time for some shore leave and start sending down parties.  This planet doesn’t use money so everything is free for the crew to enjoy.  Dr. Kelly Davis, now recovered from her earlier injuries, makes friends with Lt. Uhura and the two explore the planet together.  They find the people nice if not a bit naïve.  For example, they think it’s perfectly normal for Captain Perry to have been alive for over 300 years, because he is their ruler and rulers are different.  They give off the impression of children whose parents keep replacing the family dog every time they lose one and telling the children that it is the same dog.  There are no law enforcement people because there is no violence at all.  There is one big exception, Uhura and Davis notice a woman being dragged away with force by a man.  Uhura wants to get help, but Davis thinks it might be an odd mating ritual, since no one around seems to be concerned.

Uhura gets captured!

Later Sulu gets into an intense argument with another crew member and faints.  When he recovers, he doesn’t even remember what happened.  And even though he was in a local place none of the natives were aware of what had happened to him.  When they get him back to the Enterprise they try to test him and when he faints and loses memory after another confrontation they know they have a serious problem.  Kirk goes to confront Perry.  Perry explains that violence is very bad, and they have worked to remove it from their society as its evil cannot be justified.  Kirk, who thinks sometimes you need to be a little violent after all it can be a nasty universe.  Elsewhere Uhura and Davis are kidnapped by an unknown group.

Sulu can't feel any negative emotion

The Klingons arrived in the sector, but they were targeting it for different reasons, resources, when they came upon the Enterprise.  Stunned to see Karol’s archnemesis, they attacked.  The Enterprise crew raised the shields and evaded, but neither Scotty nor anyone under his command could go near the weapon controls.  Kirk tries to use his communicator but finds he can’t give an offensive order.  He and Spock confront Perry, who now reveals his plan.  He created a society where only peace can exist.  Once exposed to this virus, of their creation, no one can be violent again.  Just has he created the prefect society here soon they will spread this nice disease.  Kirk points out that you are taking an important trait that makes them fully human, more immediately you are removing their ability to defend themselves and they are right now attacked by Klingons.  Perry says he knows that there will be sacrifices.  Spock then points out that his whole plan is flawed anyway because his virus isn’t perfect some are immune who have been shunned by your society and forced to live as outcasts.  However, they exist by preying on the settlement with impunity because there is nothing anyone can do to stop them.  When Perry tries to say they will go away Spock counters that mathematically the more the virus spreads the number of immunes will grow, with maybe entire species as immunes, this would make the infected easy prey for an aggressor.  Perry gets annoyed and leaves.  

As the one space battle rages, Scotty comes up with a plan that will earn him glory and humiliate the Klingons.  Feigning helplessness, as the Klingon ship goes in for the kill, Scotty lowers the shields and beams right on to the Klingon bridge.  They are now all infected with the nice virus and can no longer act aggressively without passing out.  This allows Scott to walk around their ship with the Klingons being able to do anything.  Scotty takes the new sensor-cloaking device so Starfleet can develop countermeasures and beams right back.

Enterprise under attack!

Kirk, Spock, and McCoy find the hideout of the immunes.  McCoy is able to knock one out—because in his head giving a hypo is treating not attacking so the nice virus can’t stop him—now with some of his DNA he can get back to the ship and try to develop a cure.  Uhura and Davis, having escaped from their confinement join up with the three other officers.  McCoy, Uhura, and Davis head back up to the Enterprise, with Davis providing an additional doctor brain to help find a cure.  

The narrative suddenly shifts, and we get the point of view of Rus, we learn from him there is a third group besides the Villagers and the Immune.  These people are immune but choose to keep their emotions under control and the fact that they can use violence a secret as they continue to live among the villagers.  A life with family and predictability is preferred to that of a raider.

Kirk and Spock explore the underground facility more and they discover the chamber that contains the ancient wheezing body of the real Captain Perry.  He has been hooked to this machine for most of the last three centuries.  The Perry they have been in conflict with is a composite of the original Perry and the ship’s computer.  The fake Perry shows up and armed with a phaser he uses this to blackmail Spock.  Perry threatens to kill Kirk unless Spock allows him to assimilate Spock’s mind into the machine, giving him access to Spock’s intelligence and reasoning.  Since they can’t go on offense Spock chooses to comply. This turns out to be a mistake for the fake Perry for once he has Spock hooked up to machine, Spock’s essence reaches out to the essence of the real Perry. 

Now Perry decides to kill Kirk, but he is stopped by Rus, who has now entered the room.  Attacked both internally and externally the fake Perry crumbles.  Spock is restored and the real Perry has now died after centuries of agony being hooked to the machine.  Returning to the ship, Kirk finds McCoy who is singing the praises of Davis for having cracked the cure.

Having been cured, Kirk beams onto the Klingon ship to tell Karol what a loser he thinks he is, and that his brother was way better Klingon. Kirk leaves and the Klingon Priest informs the Commander of the High Command’s decision to remove him for his disastrous failure.

The Federation is going to send professional help to the people of Perry’s Planet now that they are cured of the nice virus.   

Additional thoughts: At first this story reminded me a little of the first Star Trek novel Mission to Horatius, with the human colony ships that set up societies outside the Federation, all of which took a bizarre twist.  This book also shows what Star Trek novels can really do.  It’s a self-contained story where the crew encounters an alien civilization—even though its human—they go on adventure and at the end of the story all the main characters are back on the ship where they started.  However, unlike a traditional episode the omniscience narrator allows the reader to get inside the heads of the crew in a way live action could not.  An example would be Scotty’s internal monologue as he defeated the Klingons using the nice virus. 

It is also interesting that this is the first work published after the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, not counting the novelization.  The author probably had no idea what the movie was to be about when writing this, but it does show that fans were still interested in stories from that original five-year mission.  Another interesting aspect about this version is how it is the first to show us some of the warrior culture that classic series only hinted about.  Especially the concept of the “blood oath” that Klingons may swear to partake in to avenge a lost relation. 

I thought it was interesting the Kirk and the Enterprise were hurt because of Kirk’s reputation. The Enterprise is limping and running on fumes, while the crew are all about to collapse with exhaustion.  Starfleet knows about this but doesn’t care, because they have an important mission, and they want their best man on the job.  In worked out in this case, it was good to have Kirk and his crew here, but really Starfleet had to rethink its priorities.  On the face of it this was a small colony of humans thinking about joining the Federation, why do they need the Enterprise?  Given these original mission parameters this hardly justifies pulling a starship that was in desperate need of a tune up.   The Enterprise will never get a break at this rate, as Starfleet can’t tell the difference between a critical and non-critical assignment.  Kirk should have told the Commodore that he was in a ship not broken, so he should do it himself.  

So, the local villagers on Perry’s Planet have their scarves to identify what area of expertise their jobs are assigned.  The leadership wears gold and the scientists wear blue.  That seems very familiar.  It is interesting, separated culturally for 300 years different groups of humans came up with the same uniform color codes.  The Villagers appear at first like they will be great for the Federation: they are peaceful devoid of all conflict, and they don’t use money.  We’re still a few years and movies away from that becoming a Federation trait. (I say breaking my rule of never mentioning future Star Trek in my reviews.  This is the only exception I promise.)

Then there is the Immune culture.  Those who were the Immunes found themselves as outcasts for their ability to use violence.  They are forced to live outside the village but in a short time found themselves with the advantage of being able to go on offence and the Villagers can’t do anything about it.  If they want to eat something they steal food from a Villager, they want a coat, they take one off a Villager, and if they want sex, they rape a Villager.  The Villagers can’t defend themselves, can’t remember attacks on them, and can’t even see attacks on others.  To the Immunes the Villagers have become just objects for use.  The only exception to this is the Immunes who are able to hide themselves within the Villagers by suppressing their emotions.

Perry wanting to plug Spock into the system reminded me a lot “Spock’s Brain.” The only difference here is Spock told Perry right up front how stupid and dangerous his plan is.  Like the last time once Spock is in the system, he is able to turn the tables on his captor.   Captain Perry also reminded me of Landru from “The Return of the Archons.”  Like before, a computer program was created by an inventor to help their people.  However, that program assumed the creator’s identity and decided to directly rule the people under its ideas of a perfect society.  In both cases there was a section of society that was immune and could resist the directive.  The only difference is Fake Perry kept the real Perry alive, and Landru had figured out how to use a controlled release to get rid of bottled-up emotions.

Remember Landru!

McCoy was able to knock out an Immune with a hypo because he said that he views it as medical treatment and not an offensive attack.  I was wondering the whole time if you could somehow trick the virus into doing what you wanted it to do. My idea was to program the computer so that when you wanted to fire weapons you would see little hearts and sunflowers as opposed to phasers and photon torpedoes.  Therefore, you wouldn’t be going on offense you would be spreading love.

The best part of this book was Scotty getting his win over the Klingons.  Scotty might not want to be a captain, but he was a great one here. Using the virus against the Klingons was brilliant.  I thought that might be possible, but I thought it would require a surrender first, Scotty did in the middle of the fight.  He makes sure the shields are down before he beams over, and when he does Scotty the Klingons new weapon with him.

Should it be canon: Yes, I think this would a good one for Star Trek canon.  It is a complete story that doesn’t play into or contradict anything else in the franchise. 

Cover Art: The cover features both Kirk and Scotty’s faces looking forward.  The images imposed on top of another image of what I am assuming is the Klingon ship’s bridge or maybe it’s an underground laboratory.  So that is either Perry or Karol looking on the viewscreen.

Final Grade: Final Grade 4 of 5

THE MOTION PICTURE, THE BOOK

 

Name: The Motion Picture

Author: Gene Roddenberry

Publication Date: 12/1979

Publisher: Pocket Books (Star Trek #1)

Page Number: 252

Historian’s Note:  NA

Cast of Characters:  Rear Admiral James T. Kirk       Captain Willard Decker           Commander Spock              Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”       Lieutenant Commander Hikaru Sulu              Lieutenant Commander Nyota Uhura              Lieutenant Kyle                Lieutenant Radly Marcus             Dr. Christine Chapel          Lieutenant Pavel Chekov         Lieutenant Ilia        Lieutenant Janice Rand             Ensign Chavez                    Lieutenant Cleary         Commander Branch            Chief Petty Officer DiFalco             Chief Petty Officer Ross           Lieutenant  Commander Sonak      Grand Master T’Sai   Fleet Admiral Heihachiro Nogura                 Vice Admiral  Lori Ciana 

Starships and/or Starbases: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, Epsilon Nine, Space-drydock, IKS Amar, two unnamed Klingon K't'inga-class, Surak VS-5047-61192259584-5, various unnamed shuttlecraft

Planets:  Earth and Vulcan

My Spoiler filled summary and review: Since this is a review of the book version to the movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture, there is no need to provide a summary of the story as I already did that in my last review.  So, I am just going to focus on the differences between the book and the movie.

1)      The opening scene with the Klingons was actually seen by Kirk in his head.  This is because all high-ranking Starfleet officers have computer chips put into their head for instant communication.  It’s not perfect as they still have to check in for details.

Kirk is seeing this too!

2)      In the movie Kirk says to Sonak that his meeting with Nogura was going to last for a few minutes.  This gave the impression that the decision to swap Kirk in for Decker was already made, decided by higher ups, and Kirk simply agreed with it.  In the book, Kirk maneuvers his way in taking Decker’s command away from him.  This confirms Decker’s statements about Kirk.

Kirk a little more ruthless in the book!

3)      The dialogue is slightly different in most conversations.  Sometimes changing the meaning of the conversation while other times it is simply a character’s line being swapped with another’s. 

4)      The other officer killed in the transporter accident was Vice Admiral Lori Ciana.  She was Kirk’s CO and sometimes girlfriend.  She was coming aboard to join the crew with her own “temporary grade reduction.”

5)      We learn some details that we couldn’t know from the movie.  Ilia’s “vow of celibacy” is explained that Deltan sex is too much for humans who aren’t prepared so they take celibacy oaths to protect the lives of the crew.  We also learn that Kirk was told of the modification to run the phasers through the engines.  He had objected to it when it was made, and he thought the engineers had listened to him, turns out they didn’t, and he never checked.  It also shows that Scotty and Decker were working on an override.

Sorry Decker, no action for you!

6)      Ilia is not the only person to be taken by the V’ger energy probe, a security officer is taking as well.  Decker’s reaction is different, instead of getting mad at Kirk he orders communications to send life support information for Deltans and to let the unknown aliens (they hadn’t heard the V’ger name yet) that they have taken a lifeform.

7)      V’ger is spelled Vejer.

8)      Decker has sex with the Fake Ilia which causes the Ilia personality to come forth in the robot, then V’ger takes back control.   However, the robot still wants to hang around Decker.  Later Decker’s internal monologue states he would like to have sex with her again.

On second thought

9)      There is an entire chapter donated to V’ger’s point of view.

10)   The final confrontation when we learn that V’ger is Voyager 6 is more drawn out.  In this case they refer to V6 having been lost in the time stream and not some black hole.  The personality of Ilia reemerges and helps the landing party.  There is more discussion before Decker sacrifices himself.     

11)   Kirk denies Starfleet’s request for a debriefing so he can fly the Enterprise around. 

I am not going home I am too busy flying!

 

Additional thoughts: Something I forgot to mention in my review of the film.  It stated that Kirk’s job at Starfleet Command was Chief of Operations.  That must be a very different job in Starfleet than in the US Navy.  In the Navy, it is the post of the highest admiral.  While in Starfleet it seems to be a minor administrative post. 

                Now the book was an interesting take on these events, especially how it allowed us to get into the heads of some of the characters.  Although I felt it fell short in some parts as well.

                The most famous thing this book is known for is the first acknowledgement of the “Sprik” rumors.  Anyone who has read my other reviews know I take Spirk with a grain of salt and “live and let live attitude.”  I find the concept to be ridiculous but harmless especially if a gave a corner of the fandom joy.  It appears that Roddenberry decided to try to kill the rumor with this passage.

"I was never aware of this lovers rumor, although I have been told that Spock encountered it several times. Apparently he had always dismissed it with his characteristic lifting of his right eyebrow which usually connoted some combination of surprise, disbelief, and/or annoyance. As for myself, although I have no moral or other objections to physical love in any of its many Earthly, alien, and mixed forms, I have always found my best gratification in that creature woman. Also, I would dislike being thought of as so foolish that I would select a love partner who came into sexual heat only once every seven years." (pg.22)

                However, this didn’t affect that he wanted.  For the fans who wanted to believe in it the simply say the word “gratification” as the euphemism for sex.  “I have always found my best sex with women.” As opposed to the euphemism being the three words “my best gratification.” “I have always found sex with women.” Lesson being if you want to make point, it is best to be clear.

Spock would probably agree that clarity was best 

                The funny thing I find the most important level in the novelization is the fact that senior Starfleet officers all have these data chips implanted into their heads so they can have instant access to knowledge.  However, it still works imperfectly, and they still have to check in.  That makes me question things I have seen on screen a lot more than the Spock line.   

                Decker pulling Ilia’s personality out of the robot probe by having sex with her was interesting and certainly not in the movie.  The really funny part was in the chapter from V’ger’s point of view.  V’ger was confused by why the Decker-unit was “attacking” the probe, and when V’ger went to reassert control, to its surprise the Decker-unit kept “attacking.”  

                I commented on my review of the film that there should have been more made into the Decker/Kirk relationship, particularly involving the fate of Decker’s father in “The Doomsday Machine.”  Well, the book flops on this.  It acknowledges that Captain Decker is the son of Commodore Decker, but that is it.  It is never important; it is just randomly stated offhand in one paragraph.  You could remove the line and it doesn’t take way from what is being said at all.

Dad should have had greater influence on son's story.

In the end the book is a fun add-on but not much else.

Should it be canon: I prefer to think of what we saw on screen as the canon version of events and the book is just a clever “what if?”.

Cover Art: The cover is the same as the movie poster.

Final Grade: Final Grade 3 of 5

THE CHANGLING PART 2

 

Film Title:  The Motion Picture

Air Date: 12/7/1979

Written by Alan Dean Foster and Harold Livingston

Directed by Robert Wise

Cast: William Shatner as Rear Admiral James T. Kirk    Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock             DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones”              Stephen Collins as Captain Willard Decker     James Doohan  as Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty”        George Takei  as Lieutenant  Commander Hikaru Sulu              Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Commander Nyota Uhura          Majel Barrett as Dr. Christine Chapel          Walter Koenig as Lieutenant Pavel Chekov      Persis Khambatta as Lieutenant Ilia        Grace Lee Whitney as Lieutenant Janice Rand           Michael Rougas as  Lieutenant Cleary       David Gautreaux as Commander Branch              Marcy Lafferty as Chief Petty Officer DiFalco          Terrence O'Connor as Chief Petty Officer Ross           Jon Rashad Kamal as Lieutenant  Commander Sonak                            Roger Aaron Brown as unnamed  Epsilon Technician       Gary Faga as unnamed Airlock Technician               Michele Billy Povill as unnamed Lieutenant         Howard Itzkowitz as unnamed Ensign                 John Gowans as unnamed Crewman                 Jeri McBride as unnamed Crewman          Ralph Brannen as unnamed Crewman           Ralph Byers as unnamed Crewman                                Paula Crist as unnamed Crewman             Iva Lane as unnamed Crewman             Franklyn Seales as unnamed Crewman          Momo Yashima as unnamed Crewman            Joshua Gallegos as unnamed Crewman         Junero Jennings as unnamed Crewman             Sayra Hummel as unnamed Crewman                  Leslie C. Howard as unnamed Yeoman              Lisa Chess as unnamed Yeoman              Mark Lenard as the unnamed Klingon Captain                                  Jimmie Booth as unnamed Klingon Crewman                       Joel Kramer as unnamed Klingon Crewman                           Bill McIntosh as unnamed Klingon Crewman               Dave Moordigian as unnamed Klingon Crewman         Tom Morga as unnamed Klingon Crewman        Tony Rocco as unnamed Klingon Crewman                  Joel Shultz as unnamed Klingon Crewman            Craig Thomas as unnamed Klingon Crewman              Edna Glover as unnamed Grand Master T’Sai      Norman Stuart as unnamed Vulcan Master          Paul Weber as unnamed Vulcan Master Doug Hale as the Enterprise Computer (voice)

Ships and Space Stations: USS Enterprise NCC-1701, Epsilon Nine, Space-drydock, IKS Amar, two unnamed Klingon K't'inga-class, Surak VS-5047-61192259584-5, various unnamed shuttlecraft

Planets: Earth and Vulcan

My Spoiler filled summary and review: After the opening credits, the movie begins with three Klingon K’t’inga class cruisers.  The view is treated with what will be the new Klingon musical theme through the soundtrack.  The Klingons themselves have moved on from their proto-human like look from the classic series and animated series to their true traditional look. It’s a good thing too, otherwise we would be asking why there is both a Klingon commander and a Romulan commander who look just like Spock’s dad.  The Klingons’ activity is being monitored by a nearby Starfleet station, Episode Nine, who observe the Klingon ships heading to a giant space cloud.  They try to fire weapons at the cloud only to have the cloud quickly destroy them.  So, despite their new look, they played the old Klingon role of being fodder for whatever new villain or entity is making an appearance.   

The Klingons

On Vulcan, Spock is about to complete the ceremony of Kolinahr, the purging of all emotion. Spock then backs out at the last minute. This is the Vulcan equivalent of dumping at the altar.  That has happened to Spock as well, but this is Kolinahr, not pon farr so there are no hurt feelings.  The masters let Spock know his destiny is elsewhere.  On Earth Admiral Kirk makes his first live action appearance in ten years.  We see him talk briefly to Spock’s successor as science officer of the Enterprise.  Kirk has a mission that means the Enterprise needs to be ready soon, because despite the fact that they are on Earth, capital homeworld of the Federation, they only have one ship that had just completed a years-long retrofit.

Spock fails need the Enterprise

Kirk beams up to the space station and has Scotty bring him in a short-range shuttle to the space dry dock.  Here the Enterprise is finishing up its retrofit that its new Captain and Scotty had been preforming in order to take her out on the ship’s next five-year mission.  At this point we begin the episode of Extreme Home Maker Over: Starship Edition.  As Scotty slowly and with pride takes the Admiral on a ride around the exterior of the ship.  He shows Kirk, and the viewer all the changes.  Kirk comes aboard and heads to the bridge.  The bridge has also been done over.  The new bridge comes with the best command chair ever. Kirk is immediately greeted by his former bridge crew; they are all excited to have him back. Although some feel a little sad for Decker.  

Kirk confronts Decker, he tells him point blank that, he, Kirk, is taking over the ship with Decker receiving a temporary grade reduction and job as Executive Officer.  When Decker asks why Kirk notes his experience. When Decker points out the ship’s changes Kirk simply reminds him that it is why he will continue as the ship’s first officer. This will cause drama through the rest of the movie, but it will not be truly explored in the way that it should have been.  I will talk more about that in my additional thoughts section.  Immediately, however, there is an alarm from the transporter room.  Lt. Janice Rand, in her first appearance since “The Conscience of the King,” now the transporter chief, is having a horrible time.  A transporter accident has put the lives of two officers in flux, one of which is the science officer.  This ends with both officers dying.  Since Kirk can’t get a new Vulcan to act as science officer, he forces Decker into double duty. 

Kirk returning 

Kirk hosts a crew meeting where he explains the danger they will be going into and the threat that it poses to Earth.  The transporter gets fixed, and ship welcomes two more crew members. The first is Lt. Ilia who is bald, beautiful, and has a prior relationship with Decker.   For some reason, the new navigator needs to announce to everyone on the bridge that she has taken a “vow of celibacy.”  A bit presumptuous if you ask me, but Kirk lets it slide.   The second person is none other than our famous Dr. McCoy, “drafted” out of retirement using an old reactivation clause. McCoy, being himself complains about everything including needing a new head nurse that Chaple is a doctor, the new sickbay, and Kirk particularly his relationship to Decker. 

These two have some history

With the threat looming Kirk needs to take this old girl with her new look out for spin. After all the giant space cloud isn’t slowing down.  And it is at this moment that we get the most exciting part of the movie.  As the ship warps out it creates a worm hole that makes everybody’s vision blurry, and their speech is slowed. If that were all it would be funny, but a giant asteroid has also got caught in the wormhole and it’s headed right toward the ship. The helm is offline so they can’t evade.  Kirk orders it to be destroyed with phasers but Decker countermands him and orders the ship instead to fire photon torpedoes.  The explosion destroying the asteroid also causes the wormhole goes away and everything returns to normal. Later Kirk demands to know why Decker countermanded him. Decker calmly explained that in order to increase phaser power the phasers now run through the engines if the engines are offline the phaser might not work.  Kirk realizes he was right and lets him go.  McCoy then chews Kirk’s butt for his beef with Decker. 

Nevertheless, they are stuck in the middle of space until they solve their warp engines problem. Fortunately, a long-range shuttle craft comes out of nowhere. The shuttlecraft contains Mr. Spock who is here to solve all their problems.  He offers his services as chief science officer and Kirk orders his commission re-instated.  Although Spock has done them a great service fixing the engines.  It appears Spock’s time on Vulcan has dampened his social skills a bit.  McCoy even thinks Spock’s mental connection to the cloud creature might present a security risk.

Back to save the day!

The Enterprise gets to the energy barrier and is scanned. They do nothing in response.  Spock’s reading suggests that it is very powerful. However, Spock’s mental powers come in use that the creature wonders why they have not replied. Bolts of lightning fly through the warp core and into the ship’s systems injuring several including Chekov, who gives out that classic Chekov scream. Spock patterns a code from the signals being sent to transmit a message.  The lighting attack stops, Spock suggests they proceed, Decker says he finds that an unwarranted risk, but won’t explain to Kirk what he means by it.

As they move into the cloud they come across a massive ship. Uhura explains they can’t send anything out.  For their signals are just reflected back at them.  The ship is suddenly boarded by a beam of energy that Chekov thinks might be part of their crew. The energy thing moves along the bridge when it suddenly focuses on Lt. Ilia. It zaps and disappears with her.  Which causes Decker to cry out about how he defines “unwarranted.”  It turns out they don’t have to miss Ilia for very long.  Because a replacement Ilia is suddenly transported aboard.  This new Ilia is a probe for what she calls V'ger.  V'ger is that entity in the center of the cloud. This probe was created so V’ger can understand the Enterprise and its carbon-based units and see how they can be used to help V’ger with its mission.  The mission is to find the creator. For some reason V’ger thinks that its creator can be found on Earth.  Given that the probe has all of Ilia’s memories and experiences they decide that Decker will be the best one to work with her. 

Decker and the Fake Ilia

While Decker is off charming the robot, Spock has decided to take matter into his own hands.  He steals a suit and jet pack and decides to attempt to enter V’ger’s vessel solo.  He has quite a bit of success when he gets in there, he encounters images that he concludes a V’ger’s memories, including an image of what he assumes must be V’ger’s homeworld: a planet of all machines.  Spock finds the real Ilia stuck in the machine.  He attempts to mind meld with her, but he is given intense feedback by V’ger forcing him back.  Back on the Enterprise, Kirk figured out what Spock was doing and decided to rescue him.  He is there just in the nick of time and Spock is brought back to sick bay.  There Spock confides to Kirk that for all of V’ger’s knowledge it does understand basic emotions and bonds of brotherhood.  Nevertheless, it still seeks its creator.

Despite all its technology it is noted that V’ger was also trying to communicate to Earth in old radio waves. Without a reception V’ger concludes that the carbon-based life forms on the planet had somehow prevented the creator from reaching out to V’ger.  So, it sends these energy bolts and has them hover above the Earth ready to eradicate humanity.  When they determine that V’ger doesn’t consider corporal base life true life McCoy becomes the first to realize that V’ger is under the opinion that its creator is an artificial intelligence like itself.  This causes Decker to quote that we all create God in our own image.

Spock finds Ilea

Spock suggests a different strategy.  V’ger is a child and therefore should be treated like a child.  Kirk announces to fake Ilea that they know why the creator hasn’t responded and she demands they disclose the information.  Kirk orders to clear the bridge making V’ger cause the ship to rumble.  Kirk points out that if they are destroyed their knowledge goes with them.  Fake Ilea says V’ger will comply providing they turn over the information. Kirk then tells her that the message must be given to V’ger directly not to his probe. This is smart move for Kirk who is buying time to allow him to figure out the best way to get V’ger to commit suicide.  V’ger’s vessel opens its entrance allowing the Enterprise to penetrate its interior.  Chekov notes that as they enter an oxygen atmosphere forms inside the vessel that would allow humans to survive.  Kirk organizes a landing party consisting of himself, Decker, Spock, McCoy, and Fake Ilia.

The team exits the Enterprise manually, not through a transporter, they take a nice long jog to find V’ger. When they get there, they discover something very familiar about the main V’ger body.  It looks just like the old Voyager space probe.  Kirk goes to the crude covered name plate that says “V_ _ _ _ GER _” He scrapes away some of the crude and reveals the name of Voyager 6.  NASA had sent this into space almost three hundred years prior. 

At that point Kirk realizes that it has happened again.  Humans send a device out into space, it runs into some alien technology that ends up changing it, and it decides it needs to find its creator, and is willing entire star systems to get what it wants.  Last time Kirk talked the Nomad device into suicide, if he wanted to do that again, he would have to be more creative.  Kirk appeals to V’ger that “we are the creator.”  Fake Ilia disputes this but Kirk says he can prove it and he contacts Uhura, and she gives him the old radio code.  However, V’ger fries its own circuits.  Because it wants THE creator to show up so V’ger can bond with the creator and become one.  Doing so would give access to imagination and possibly other plains of existence.  Decker sees this and realizes the possibilities.  Understanding that he has only seconds to act before Kirk, as Bane of All Artificial Intelligence, talks V’ger into suicide.  Decker reroutes V’gers circuits claiming he can enter the codes manually.  When the other three try to warn him off, Decker says to Kirk that he wants this as much as Kirk wanted the Enterprise.  With that energy surrounds Decker.  Fake Ilia joins him (and maybe her connection to real Ilia makes her less fake).  The two of them embrace and energy starts to envelop everything.  Kirk, Spock, and McCoy hightail it back to the ship and all of what was V’ger, including the cloud, enveloped in energy and disappears.  Leaving only the USS Enterprise.

The Last One Standing

Back up on the bridge the three officers wonder if they have not just experienced the birth of a whole new life form.  McCoy jokes that it had been a long time since he had delivered a baby, but he hopes that they have given this one a good start.  When putting together the casualties list Kirk lists Captain Decker and Lt. Ilia as “missing.” 

Time for final thoughts

Scotty reports to Spock that they are all set to drop him off at Vulcan, but Spock says there is no need as he will be staying.  The Enterprise has completed its refit, the crew has been reunited, and with Captain Decker missing that leaves the old captain, James T. Kirk, opportunity to continue command.  It’s time for the next five-year mission.    

Additional thoughts: As a kid I disliked The Motion Picture.  Of all the classic Star Trek films it was by far my least favorite.  Although the refitted Enterprise looked cool, I had a hard time with the slow story and the ridiculous looking uniforms.  I mean why put the famous starship crew of all time in pajamas and what was that Walkman-thing they were wearing on their stomachs?  Over the years, however, I have come to appreciate what they were trying to do.  Star Trek after all is more than one thing.  Some great Star Trek is an epic space battle between two or more ships, other times it can be exploring a strange new world, an amazing time travel adventure, or we can meet a new type of life.  This movie is about one of the more sci-fi aspects of Star Trek, complete with stunning visuals.  The movie in many ways feels like an extended episode: a multiact structure with Captain’s Logs giving us updates every step of the way.  It’s important to remember that those watching in December 1979, this was the first time they were able to see this crew live action in ten years.  It must have been something special. 

The Klingons looking good!

Unfortunately, the plot wasn’t so special.  It’s “the Changeling” now bigger, better, and brighter.  This isn’t a unique criticism, every fan notices this.  So, I am not going to dwell on it too much more or risk being a type of hypocrite. On a lighter note, I do find it hilarious that they spent so much remaking the Klingons to look like the true kickass antagonists they were always meant to be, only to have them be slapped away almost without effort by something that turned out to be human space garbage.

Thinking of you again!

I realize Kirk had a great time serving with Spock but developing a strong desire to only have Vulcan science officers some type of new bigotry.  I “must have a Vulcan” seems weird for a franchise that emerged out of the 1960s, a decade that demanded an end to racial preferences.  Also, why does Decker have to do double duty?  There is no one else on the ship capable of serving as chief science officer out of a 430 person crew?  Not even in the science department?  Maybe Kirk is seeing everything through his Spock googles. Although when Spock does arrive, he so Kolinahred out that it must have been a reminder to Kirk not to view the past with too much nostalgia as the it might taint the memory. 

Everybody happy to see Spock, but Spock

With the exception of Kirk’s Admiral uniform, I don’t know why anyone thought these new uniforms looked good.  In preparing for one’s big ten-year live action return, one should want to look a feel their best.  Instead, they look like they all got invited to a pajama party, where they had to bring their own Walkman. The Enterprise, however, did get to look her best.  Already beautiful, she got to produce the best episode of Extreme Home Makeover ever.  Everything about the ship was perfect.

"I'm sexy, and I know it!"

One big disappointment was the Decker/Kirk relationship.  This should have been a great drama, it is set up to be, but instead we get muted drama.  The rival captains are placed against each other, but this never leads to anything.  To make matters worse is it is considered canon that Will Decker is the son of Matt Decker from “The Doomsday Machine.” Not only should this be a major part of their story, but it is not even mentioned.  When you think about the Kirk/Decker situation it makes sense from Starfleet’s side.  A planetary-ending level threat of unknown origin is on its way. The only ship you have has a captain who has never commanded a ship out of space dock and has spent the last two years remodeling that vessel. The last captain is nearby and has a record of defeating threats like this. Why not put the old one back and charge and have the new one be first officer for a tour since he knows the remodel. However, their personalities are going to clash. Kirk, which the movie shows, really wants his old job back. Decker, after getting over the initial shock seems totally cool with the loss of status. I think this should have been played up more. Imagine being Decker you spend two years fixing up this ship to take it out. Then you lose the command because a threat arrives and Starfleet doesn’t trust you to deal with it, but they will let be second-in-command to the captain we do trust. Also then add in the family history his father went after a similar threat years ago.  He lost everything.  His life, his ship, and his crew were all gone.  Jim Kirk went against the same threat and came away the winner, and now Starfleet wants to preemptively make the Decker/Kirk swap.

“I am taking over center seat, Will” Kirk.

“You’re what?” asked Decker.

“I am replacing you as Captain of the Enterprise.  You’ll stay on as Executive Officer, temporary grade reduction to commander.”

“May I ask why?” Decker

“My experience.  There is a very dangerous threat that can destroy multiple starships and potentially devore solar systems.  Now having gone toe to toe against Nomad, the gigantic single-cell organism, not to mention the Doomsday Machine…”

“And they don’t trust a Decker to deal with anything resembling a Doomsday Machine, do they?” Decker walks off in anger.

They could have done a lot with that.

Although it could have used more drama, the Kirk/Decker arrangement is actually shown to work.  Decker’s knowledge of the ship saves them from the asteroid in that wormhole. Nevertheless, Kirk’s experience gets them through the mission.  Throughout the film Decker displays an overwhelming amount of caution worthy of General George McClellan from the US Civil War.  Decker isn’t alone, a lot of the crew feel that way.  In fact, Kirk is almost the only person on the entire crew who understands the magnitude of the threat that V’ger makes to Earth.  The movie is already slow moving but it is amazing that the crew has such a lack of urgency considering the threat to the homeworld of most of them.  If Decker had been left in command, they never would have penetrated the cloud and Earth’s population would have been wiped out.  Good job, Captain Kirk.

Unlikely pair

              This year I am teaching 8^th grade science, and we’re doing astronomy this last month.  So, a lot of this is fresh to me.  The Voyager series stopped after Two. It’s probably this movie’s fault. NASA probably saw the movie and was like “Let’s stop building these Voyager series they might come back and try to kill us.”  Also, at their max speed it would be 80,000 years for one of them to reach the nearest solar system.  So, getting lost in a black hole to be found by alien robots was probably the most unrealistic part of the movie. (The finding a black hole part, not the alien robots.)

Voyager 2

It's too bad we never get to see any of the five-year mission that went on after The Motion Picture.  Oh, well that is why the Pocket Book Series was written. 

FINAL GRADE 3 of 5