Post by magicmuggle01 on Oct 15, 2018 9:16:58 GMT
A group of Kzinti divert the shuttle Copernicus and retrieve a newly discovered Slaver weapon.
Summary
"First officer's log, stardate 4187.3. The Enterprise shuttlecraft Copernicus is en route to Starbase 25 with an important cargo, a Slaver stasis box discovered by archaeologists on the planet Kzin. These stasis boxes are the most remarkable thing the Slavers ever produced – time stands still inside a Stasis box. A billion years means nothing in there."
The boxes were used to carry valuables, scientific instruments, weapons and data. When the Copernicus passes Beta Lyrae the stasis box suddenly glows, indicating a second box is hidden somewhere in that system. Spock remarks, "Stasis boxes and their content are the only remnant of the species which ruled most of the galaxy a billion years ago. Their effect on science has been incalculable. In one was found a flying belt which was the key to the artificial gravity field used by starships. Another box contained a disruptor bomb with the pin pulled. As a result all stasis boxes are now under the jurisdiction of Starfleet and only certain key specialists handle them. The boxes are rare, potentially dangerous, and we seem to have found a second one."
Uhura, Spock, and Sulu
The shuttle lands on an ice planet. Spock, Sulu, and Uhura exit the shuttle's aft airlock wearing life support belts. Unfortunately for them, hostile Kzinti lie nearby in ambush with an empty stasis box. The team are captured in a police web by a group of Kzinti and taken aboard their vessel. Spock tells the others that the lean, bedraggled one is a mind-reader. He tells Sulu that the Kzinti won't read his mind because Vulcans are herbivorous pacifists and Uhura a mere female. The Kzinti are meat eaters and if Sulu senses one trying to read his mind, he should think of eating raw vegetables. Spock advises Uhura to try to look harmless because Kzinti females are dumb animals. In an emergency they may forget a Human female is an intelligent creature, giving them a chance to escape. At first, Uhura is irritated by this, telling Spock "Thanks. Thanks a lot!" Spock then reminds Uhura that while he does indeed value her intelligence, they may have a better chance at escape if the Kzinti thinks she has none. Uhura understands Spock's instructions and quietly agrees.
Their captors are led by Chuft-Captain, who commands the Traitor's Claw. Their archaeologists had found an empty stasis box, but discovered it was a good way to draw others there. In the opened box they find a picture of a Slaver, some fresh meat, and a weapon created by the Slavers.
"First officer's log, supplemental. The Kzinti now possess a weapon potentially deadly to the entire galaxy. The extent of its power remains to be seen."
The Kzinti return to the surface to test the weapon. They run through settings similar or inferior to present technology. One setting disengages the police web, giving the team a chance to flee; in the process, Spock kicks Chuft-Captain in his ribs, recovers the weapon from him and runs away, but Uhura is stunned and recaptured by the Kzinti. Sulu and Spock regroup some distance from the ship, in the shadow of an outcropping of rock and ice. Spock explains that his striking Chuft-Captain was a calculated move, dishonoring the Kzin and preventing him from calling for help. Sulu tells Spock he believes the weapon belonged to a spy. Spock is initially skeptical that even someone with Sulu's knowledge of weaponry could make such a determination so quickly, but agrees upon hearing his explanation – only one of the various settings, a relatively weak laser, would be of any real use to a common soldier – and concludes that, therefore, it should also have a self-destruct setting. Before he can find it, Chuft-Captain hails them wanting to trade Uhura's life for the weapon. He also wants to engage in combat with Spock to regain his honor. Spock estimates his chances of defeating the Kzin are low, and Sulu refuses on Spock's behalf through his communicator. As Spock tries another setting, the weapon releases a giant energy beam creating an enormous explosion far away. Sulu exclaims, "We can't give them THAT!" Spock observes, "Fascinating. No world in the Federation has produced anything so powerful. Almost beyond theoretical limits. Total conversion of matter to energy at a distance." Sulu remarks, "If the Kzinti had that, the whole galaxy would be their dinner table!" The shock wave from the explosion knocks Spock and Sulu off their feet, and the Kzinti quickly recapture them and the weapon.
The Kzinti find another mode for the weapon, a "reasoning computer", a remarkable achievement for hand-held equipment. It gives few details of its origin and abilities, alluding to long-ago war. The weapon says that unless it is supplied with "certain code words" it will answer no further questions. Chuft-Captain demands the total-conversion beam, but Spock observes that the setting the computer gives him is not the same as the one he and Sulu observed earlier. As the Kzinti go outside to test the weapon, leaving the prisoners alone in the web, Spock explains his reasoning to Uhura. Awakened after an indeterminate time and surrounded by beings that do not know its proper protocols, it has decided to self-destruct to keep vital tactical information from falling into enemy hands. The Slaver weapon detonates, killing the Kzinti in a massive (but conventional) explosion. Standing on the rim of the crater left in the ice, Sulu laments the loss of a fine museum piece, but Spock observes that it never could be one, as it was far too dangerous to remain in one.
The Enterprise crew resume their journey in the Copernicus. Spock observes how an artifact of an ancient war almost ignited a new one for possession of it, and Uhura jokes that the Kzinti might never get over their superstition about "haunted" weapons.
Memorable quotes
"Mr. Spock, if it takes a stasis box to find another stasis box, how did anyone ever find the first one?
"As with a number of discoveries, purely by accident, lieutenant."
- Sulu and Spock
"Lieutenant Uhura, this may be crucial – in the presence of the Kzinti, do not say anything, do not do anything startling – try to look harmless."
"Any special reason?"
"Are you forgetting Kzinti females are dumb animals? In an emergency, the Kzinti may forget a Human female is an intelligent creature."
(Indignant)"Thanks – thanks a lot!"
"Lieutenant, I value your intelligence, but we may be able to seize an opportunity to escape if the Kzinti believe you have none."
(Understanding)"Yes, sir."
- Spock and Uhura
"Captain, he is too alien! He makes me taste yellow root munched between flat teeth!"
"Be glad if you need not read the Vulcan's mind."
- Kzin Telepath and Chuft-Captain
"What of the picture?"
"The Human, Sulu, believes it to be Slaver."
"So do I. It would have made a worthy enemy."
- Chuft-Captain and Kzin Telepath
"I have the weapon."
"They've got Uhura – and subspace radio. They can call for help from the Kzin planet if they think the weapon's worth it."
"No...they can not – or, rather, will not."
"Why?"
"Because I kicked Chuft-Captain. Consider. Chuft-Captain has been attacked by an herbivorous pacifist, an eater of leaves and roots, one who traditionally does not fight. And the ultimate insult, I left him alive. Chuft-Captain's honor is at stake. He must seek personal revenge before he can call for help."
"That gives us some time. You did plan it that way?"
"Of course."
- Spock and Sulu
"I have a feeling, Mr. Spock. This weapon must have belonged to a spy – an espionage agent."
"I acknowledge your expertise in the field of weapons, Mr. Sulu, but I do not see how you can determine probable ownership."
"Well, here – look at it. All these settings – we don't know a common Slaver soldier couldn't handle them, but as a weapon, only the laser is effective. The others aren't necessary for the line soldier's one purpose: to destroy the enemy."
"Assuming it's a spy weapon, then, the Slavers would have wanted to keep it a secret. If so, it is logical to assume that it has a self-destruct setting too."
"But we've seen all the phases."
"Perhaps not. There is the null setting. It seems to do nothing – but why should it be there?"
- Sulu and Spock
"We have the female prisoner as hostage. You have something we want. We will trade her life for the Slaver weapon."
- Chuft-Captain
"I compute the odds of my defeating Chuft-Captain in combat at sixteen to one against."
"Offer refused."
"They think very little of you."
"Wrong, they don't think much of YOU."
- Spock, Sulu, Chuft-Captain, and Uhura
"The Kzinti have legends of weapons haunted by their owners."
"Could it be a voice-activated mechanism?"
"No. It appears to be conversing with them. A reasoning computer that small!"
- Spock and Uhura
"How long has it been since you were turned off?"
"I do not know. When I am off I have no sense of passing time."
"What is the last thing you remember?"
"We were on a mission. I may not tell you of it unless you know certain code words."
- Chuft-Captain and The Slaver Weapon
"We can't let them have that weapon!"
"They are not about to get it, lieutenant."
"Why not?"
"Assume you are a Slaver war computer. You've been turned off – you do not know for how long – but when you were turned off, there was a war on. Now you are awakened by aliens you never saw before. They do not know any of the military passwords. They ask you so many questions, it is obvious they know little about you. Your owner is nowhere about. What would you think?"
"I'd think I'd been captured by the enemy, or an enemy at least."
"And when they asked you how to find your most powerful weapon setting, what would you give them?"
(Chuft-Captain pulls the trigger, and the question is answered in an explosive manner)
- Uhura, Spock, and Sulu
"No sign of the weapon, of course... it would've looked nice in some museum..."
"It never would've reached a museum, lieutenant. There was too much power in that one setting – if not the Kzinti, the Klingons or some other species would've tried to possess it."
- Sulu and Spock, after the weapon self-destructs
Summary
"First officer's log, stardate 4187.3. The Enterprise shuttlecraft Copernicus is en route to Starbase 25 with an important cargo, a Slaver stasis box discovered by archaeologists on the planet Kzin. These stasis boxes are the most remarkable thing the Slavers ever produced – time stands still inside a Stasis box. A billion years means nothing in there."
The boxes were used to carry valuables, scientific instruments, weapons and data. When the Copernicus passes Beta Lyrae the stasis box suddenly glows, indicating a second box is hidden somewhere in that system. Spock remarks, "Stasis boxes and their content are the only remnant of the species which ruled most of the galaxy a billion years ago. Their effect on science has been incalculable. In one was found a flying belt which was the key to the artificial gravity field used by starships. Another box contained a disruptor bomb with the pin pulled. As a result all stasis boxes are now under the jurisdiction of Starfleet and only certain key specialists handle them. The boxes are rare, potentially dangerous, and we seem to have found a second one."
Uhura, Spock, and Sulu
The shuttle lands on an ice planet. Spock, Sulu, and Uhura exit the shuttle's aft airlock wearing life support belts. Unfortunately for them, hostile Kzinti lie nearby in ambush with an empty stasis box. The team are captured in a police web by a group of Kzinti and taken aboard their vessel. Spock tells the others that the lean, bedraggled one is a mind-reader. He tells Sulu that the Kzinti won't read his mind because Vulcans are herbivorous pacifists and Uhura a mere female. The Kzinti are meat eaters and if Sulu senses one trying to read his mind, he should think of eating raw vegetables. Spock advises Uhura to try to look harmless because Kzinti females are dumb animals. In an emergency they may forget a Human female is an intelligent creature, giving them a chance to escape. At first, Uhura is irritated by this, telling Spock "Thanks. Thanks a lot!" Spock then reminds Uhura that while he does indeed value her intelligence, they may have a better chance at escape if the Kzinti thinks she has none. Uhura understands Spock's instructions and quietly agrees.
Their captors are led by Chuft-Captain, who commands the Traitor's Claw. Their archaeologists had found an empty stasis box, but discovered it was a good way to draw others there. In the opened box they find a picture of a Slaver, some fresh meat, and a weapon created by the Slavers.
"First officer's log, supplemental. The Kzinti now possess a weapon potentially deadly to the entire galaxy. The extent of its power remains to be seen."
The Kzinti return to the surface to test the weapon. They run through settings similar or inferior to present technology. One setting disengages the police web, giving the team a chance to flee; in the process, Spock kicks Chuft-Captain in his ribs, recovers the weapon from him and runs away, but Uhura is stunned and recaptured by the Kzinti. Sulu and Spock regroup some distance from the ship, in the shadow of an outcropping of rock and ice. Spock explains that his striking Chuft-Captain was a calculated move, dishonoring the Kzin and preventing him from calling for help. Sulu tells Spock he believes the weapon belonged to a spy. Spock is initially skeptical that even someone with Sulu's knowledge of weaponry could make such a determination so quickly, but agrees upon hearing his explanation – only one of the various settings, a relatively weak laser, would be of any real use to a common soldier – and concludes that, therefore, it should also have a self-destruct setting. Before he can find it, Chuft-Captain hails them wanting to trade Uhura's life for the weapon. He also wants to engage in combat with Spock to regain his honor. Spock estimates his chances of defeating the Kzin are low, and Sulu refuses on Spock's behalf through his communicator. As Spock tries another setting, the weapon releases a giant energy beam creating an enormous explosion far away. Sulu exclaims, "We can't give them THAT!" Spock observes, "Fascinating. No world in the Federation has produced anything so powerful. Almost beyond theoretical limits. Total conversion of matter to energy at a distance." Sulu remarks, "If the Kzinti had that, the whole galaxy would be their dinner table!" The shock wave from the explosion knocks Spock and Sulu off their feet, and the Kzinti quickly recapture them and the weapon.
The Kzinti find another mode for the weapon, a "reasoning computer", a remarkable achievement for hand-held equipment. It gives few details of its origin and abilities, alluding to long-ago war. The weapon says that unless it is supplied with "certain code words" it will answer no further questions. Chuft-Captain demands the total-conversion beam, but Spock observes that the setting the computer gives him is not the same as the one he and Sulu observed earlier. As the Kzinti go outside to test the weapon, leaving the prisoners alone in the web, Spock explains his reasoning to Uhura. Awakened after an indeterminate time and surrounded by beings that do not know its proper protocols, it has decided to self-destruct to keep vital tactical information from falling into enemy hands. The Slaver weapon detonates, killing the Kzinti in a massive (but conventional) explosion. Standing on the rim of the crater left in the ice, Sulu laments the loss of a fine museum piece, but Spock observes that it never could be one, as it was far too dangerous to remain in one.
The Enterprise crew resume their journey in the Copernicus. Spock observes how an artifact of an ancient war almost ignited a new one for possession of it, and Uhura jokes that the Kzinti might never get over their superstition about "haunted" weapons.
Memorable quotes
"Mr. Spock, if it takes a stasis box to find another stasis box, how did anyone ever find the first one?
"As with a number of discoveries, purely by accident, lieutenant."
- Sulu and Spock
"Lieutenant Uhura, this may be crucial – in the presence of the Kzinti, do not say anything, do not do anything startling – try to look harmless."
"Any special reason?"
"Are you forgetting Kzinti females are dumb animals? In an emergency, the Kzinti may forget a Human female is an intelligent creature."
(Indignant)"Thanks – thanks a lot!"
"Lieutenant, I value your intelligence, but we may be able to seize an opportunity to escape if the Kzinti believe you have none."
(Understanding)"Yes, sir."
- Spock and Uhura
"Captain, he is too alien! He makes me taste yellow root munched between flat teeth!"
"Be glad if you need not read the Vulcan's mind."
- Kzin Telepath and Chuft-Captain
"What of the picture?"
"The Human, Sulu, believes it to be Slaver."
"So do I. It would have made a worthy enemy."
- Chuft-Captain and Kzin Telepath
"I have the weapon."
"They've got Uhura – and subspace radio. They can call for help from the Kzin planet if they think the weapon's worth it."
"No...they can not – or, rather, will not."
"Why?"
"Because I kicked Chuft-Captain. Consider. Chuft-Captain has been attacked by an herbivorous pacifist, an eater of leaves and roots, one who traditionally does not fight. And the ultimate insult, I left him alive. Chuft-Captain's honor is at stake. He must seek personal revenge before he can call for help."
"That gives us some time. You did plan it that way?"
"Of course."
- Spock and Sulu
"I have a feeling, Mr. Spock. This weapon must have belonged to a spy – an espionage agent."
"I acknowledge your expertise in the field of weapons, Mr. Sulu, but I do not see how you can determine probable ownership."
"Well, here – look at it. All these settings – we don't know a common Slaver soldier couldn't handle them, but as a weapon, only the laser is effective. The others aren't necessary for the line soldier's one purpose: to destroy the enemy."
"Assuming it's a spy weapon, then, the Slavers would have wanted to keep it a secret. If so, it is logical to assume that it has a self-destruct setting too."
"But we've seen all the phases."
"Perhaps not. There is the null setting. It seems to do nothing – but why should it be there?"
- Sulu and Spock
"We have the female prisoner as hostage. You have something we want. We will trade her life for the Slaver weapon."
- Chuft-Captain
"I compute the odds of my defeating Chuft-Captain in combat at sixteen to one against."
"Offer refused."
"They think very little of you."
"Wrong, they don't think much of YOU."
- Spock, Sulu, Chuft-Captain, and Uhura
"The Kzinti have legends of weapons haunted by their owners."
"Could it be a voice-activated mechanism?"
"No. It appears to be conversing with them. A reasoning computer that small!"
- Spock and Uhura
"How long has it been since you were turned off?"
"I do not know. When I am off I have no sense of passing time."
"What is the last thing you remember?"
"We were on a mission. I may not tell you of it unless you know certain code words."
- Chuft-Captain and The Slaver Weapon
"We can't let them have that weapon!"
"They are not about to get it, lieutenant."
"Why not?"
"Assume you are a Slaver war computer. You've been turned off – you do not know for how long – but when you were turned off, there was a war on. Now you are awakened by aliens you never saw before. They do not know any of the military passwords. They ask you so many questions, it is obvious they know little about you. Your owner is nowhere about. What would you think?"
"I'd think I'd been captured by the enemy, or an enemy at least."
"And when they asked you how to find your most powerful weapon setting, what would you give them?"
(Chuft-Captain pulls the trigger, and the question is answered in an explosive manner)
- Uhura, Spock, and Sulu
"No sign of the weapon, of course... it would've looked nice in some museum..."
"It never would've reached a museum, lieutenant. There was too much power in that one setting – if not the Kzinti, the Klingons or some other species would've tried to possess it."
- Sulu and Spock, after the weapon self-destructs
