Post by magicmuggle01 on Feb 1, 2019 12:39:30 GMT
A routine visit to the Tantalus Penal Colony proves dangerous for Kirk and an Enterprise psychiatrist.
Summary
The USS Enterprise is on a routine cargo drop to the Tantalus Penal Colony on the planet Tantalus V, beaming down cylinders containing infra-sensory drugs and other supplies. Lieutenant Berkley, in charge of the transporter, tries to beam the cargo down, but is having trouble doing so. Captain Kirk enters the transporter room seeing this and jokingly chides Berkley over the fact that the colony has not yet deactivated its security force field. After contacting the colony, it does so and the cargo is beamed down. The colony sends up a large case to the Enterprise, which is research supplies for the Central Bureau of Penology at Stockholm. After Kirk and Berkley leave, the case opens slowly, revealing a man, clearly mentally ill. He carefully makes his way towards the distracted assistant transporter operator, knocking him out.
Act One
On the bridge, Kirk talks to Dr. McCoy, telling him that he wishes he could have had the time to meet Dr. Tristan Adams, and asks McCoy if he has visited a penal colony since they have started following his theories. "A cage is a cage, Jim," he remarks. Kirk tells McCoy he is behind the times, as the captain considers them to be more like resorts now. Just then, the Tantalus Penal Colony hails the Enterprise, informing the starship that an inmate is missing, and possibly hid in the case they had sent up. They also inform them that the missing patient is a potentially violent case.
Meanwhile, the mysterious stowaway has taken the transporter operator's operations red utility uniform and makes his way out into the Enterprise's corridors. He is immediately spotted by Fields, who alerts the bridge through an intercom that he is on deck fourteen. Spock reports that deck fourteen is being closed off and a search is in progress.
Security is then alerted to the stowaway and he surprises one of the guards looking for him, overpowers him, and takes his phaser. He then heads to the bridge where he easily dispatches the bridge guard and then reveals his name is Simon Van Gelder and he demands asylum from Kirk. After he is incapacitated by Spock using a Vulcan nerve pinch, he is captured and restrained in sickbay. Later, Kirk attempts to get answers out of Van Gelder, but he seems to struggle enormously when he tries to confirm his name and that he was a director at the Tantalus colony. McCoy then has him sedated with a hypospray. Later on the bridge, Spock determines that Van Gelder is indeed a former associate of Tantalus administrator Dr. Tristan Adams, assigned to the colony only six months prior.
Required by regulations as quoted by McCoy to investigate Van Gelder's injury, Kirk decides to visit the penal colony with someone who has psychiatric experience.
Act Two
"I wouldn't recommend it for
weak hearts."
The Enterprise has returned to Tantalus V and assumed standard orbit. Kirk enters the transporter room with Spock and is surprised to discover that he is beaming down to Tantalus V with Doctor Helen Noel, a psychiatrist with whom he's been previously acquainted. In the transporter room, she tries to remind Kirk about their previous encounter, but he cuts her off. After Kirk and Noel take a very fast turbolift down to the colony, Adams meets with the two immediately after the doors open shares a toast in his office with them. Just then, Lethe, an emotionally detached former patient at the colony and now therapist enters. "I love my work," she says unenthusiastically. Adams raises his glass to Kirk and Noel for the toast. "To all mankind. May we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that – that we cannot fill them with love and warmth."
The entry to the penal colony
Later, walking through the corridors of the colony, Dr. Adams informs Kirk and Noel that Van Gelder injured his mind by testing an experimental therapy device on himself, the neural neutralizer. Adams shows the device in operation on a patient, but says that it is of limited therapeutic value.
On board the Enterprise, Spock and Dr. McCoy continue to investigate Van Gelder, whose ravings are difficult to decipher. However, at one point, Van Gelder claims Dr. Adams will destroy "like death".
Act Three
Spock performs a mind meld on
Dr. Simon Van Gelder
In sickbay, Spock decides to employ an ancient technique, the Vulcan mind meld, to learn the truth that Van Gelder cannot speak aloud. Although Spock had never previously performed a mind meld on a Human, the procedure meets with some success. He learns that Adams has been experimenting on various individuals, including Van Gelder, using the neural neutralizer.
Dr. Adams shows Kirk and Noel
the neural neutralizer.
At the colony, Kirk and Noel investigate the neural neutralizer privately. Kirk wants first-hand experience with the device. After Noel provides assurance that an experiment can be done safely with her supervision, Kirk sits in the treatment chair. Using a very low setting, she suggests to Kirk that he is hungry. A few seconds later, unaware of the suggestion, Kirk does in fact suggest they find a kitchen to raid. Then, at Kirk's request, Noel begins with a more elaborate suggestion; that Kirk and Noel went back to Kirk's quarters for a romantic evening after a meeting at the previous year's science labs Christmas party, which didn't really occur. Suddenly, Adams surprises them, has his assistant Eli immobilize Noel, and begins using the device to condition Kirk, including the suggestion that he is desperately in love with Noel, and using very high settings that are obviously causing Kirk great distress.
Act Four
Fighting off the suggestions placed in his mind by Adams, Kirk dispatches Noel through the air conditioning ducts, in the hope she can find the power controls and deactivate the security force field. That field protects the facility, and prevents transporters from operating in it. After crawling through the duct, Noel manages to locate the power control room for the colony. She takes care of the guard in the power control room and deactivates the field long enough for Kirk to escape the torture, and Spock and a security force to beam down and secure the colony.
In an ironic twist, Dr. Adams dies of exposure to the neural neutralizer after Kirk knocks him unconscious and leaves him near it when Spock restored the power. However, Dr. Noel notes that the neutralizer was not on high enough to kill Adams. Kirk says that he died because he was alone, his mind emptied by it, "without even a tormentor for company." Dr. Van Gelder is cured, and resumes his responsibilities at the colony. He also dismantles and destroys the neural neutralizer equipment. Before the Enterprise heads away from Tantalus V at warp factor 1, McCoy says, "It's hard to believe that a man could die of loneliness." Kirk tells him, "Not when you've sat in that room." He then instructs Spock to break orbit and proceed ahead at warp factor one, the speed of light, without specifying a heading.
Log entries
"Captain's log, stardate 2715.1. Exchanged cargo with penal colony on Tantalus 5, have departed without going ashore."
"Captain's log, stardate 2715.2. Standard orbit… planet: Tantalus 5… mission: routine investigation and report as per ship's surgeon medical log. As for my last entry, it seems that I will get to meet Dr. Adams at last, however I would prefer other circumstances."
"Enterprise log, first officer Spock acting captain. I must now use an ancient Vulcan technique to probe into Van Gelder's tortured mind."
Memorable quotes
"A cage is a cage, Jim."
- McCoy, on penal colonies
"Interesting. Your Earth people glorify organized violence for forty centuries, but you imprison those who employ it privately."
- Spock, to McCoy
"Where there is no emotion, there is no motive for violence."
- Spock, to McCoy
"It appears we may have an inmate of yours aboard the ship."
"Transporter crewman found unconscious, captain. Cargo case open and empty."
"Make that definite, doctor. He's aboard."
- Kirk and Uhura confirm that Van Gelder is on board the Enterprise to Adams
"I want asylum."
"At gunpoint?"
- Van Gelder and Kirk, as Van Gelder storms into the bridge
"You smart, button-pushing brass hat! Wash your hands of it! Is that your system?"
- Van Gelder to Kirk, in sickbay
"May we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that, that we cannot fill them with love and warmth."
- Adams, toasting with Kirk and Noel
"One of the advantages of being a captain, doctor, is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it."
- Kirk, to Noel
"You begin to feel a strange euphoria. Your body floats."
- Spock, performing his first mind-meld on a Human
"I have no desire to damage my brain. Can this be handled with reasonable safety – yes or no?"
- Kirk, to Helen Noel on the neural neutralizer
"It's hard to believe that a man could die of loneliness."
"Not when you've sat in that room."
- McCoy and Kirk, on the death of Doctor Adams
Summary
The USS Enterprise is on a routine cargo drop to the Tantalus Penal Colony on the planet Tantalus V, beaming down cylinders containing infra-sensory drugs and other supplies. Lieutenant Berkley, in charge of the transporter, tries to beam the cargo down, but is having trouble doing so. Captain Kirk enters the transporter room seeing this and jokingly chides Berkley over the fact that the colony has not yet deactivated its security force field. After contacting the colony, it does so and the cargo is beamed down. The colony sends up a large case to the Enterprise, which is research supplies for the Central Bureau of Penology at Stockholm. After Kirk and Berkley leave, the case opens slowly, revealing a man, clearly mentally ill. He carefully makes his way towards the distracted assistant transporter operator, knocking him out.
Act One
On the bridge, Kirk talks to Dr. McCoy, telling him that he wishes he could have had the time to meet Dr. Tristan Adams, and asks McCoy if he has visited a penal colony since they have started following his theories. "A cage is a cage, Jim," he remarks. Kirk tells McCoy he is behind the times, as the captain considers them to be more like resorts now. Just then, the Tantalus Penal Colony hails the Enterprise, informing the starship that an inmate is missing, and possibly hid in the case they had sent up. They also inform them that the missing patient is a potentially violent case.
Meanwhile, the mysterious stowaway has taken the transporter operator's operations red utility uniform and makes his way out into the Enterprise's corridors. He is immediately spotted by Fields, who alerts the bridge through an intercom that he is on deck fourteen. Spock reports that deck fourteen is being closed off and a search is in progress.
Security is then alerted to the stowaway and he surprises one of the guards looking for him, overpowers him, and takes his phaser. He then heads to the bridge where he easily dispatches the bridge guard and then reveals his name is Simon Van Gelder and he demands asylum from Kirk. After he is incapacitated by Spock using a Vulcan nerve pinch, he is captured and restrained in sickbay. Later, Kirk attempts to get answers out of Van Gelder, but he seems to struggle enormously when he tries to confirm his name and that he was a director at the Tantalus colony. McCoy then has him sedated with a hypospray. Later on the bridge, Spock determines that Van Gelder is indeed a former associate of Tantalus administrator Dr. Tristan Adams, assigned to the colony only six months prior.
Required by regulations as quoted by McCoy to investigate Van Gelder's injury, Kirk decides to visit the penal colony with someone who has psychiatric experience.
Act Two
"I wouldn't recommend it for
weak hearts."
The Enterprise has returned to Tantalus V and assumed standard orbit. Kirk enters the transporter room with Spock and is surprised to discover that he is beaming down to Tantalus V with Doctor Helen Noel, a psychiatrist with whom he's been previously acquainted. In the transporter room, she tries to remind Kirk about their previous encounter, but he cuts her off. After Kirk and Noel take a very fast turbolift down to the colony, Adams meets with the two immediately after the doors open shares a toast in his office with them. Just then, Lethe, an emotionally detached former patient at the colony and now therapist enters. "I love my work," she says unenthusiastically. Adams raises his glass to Kirk and Noel for the toast. "To all mankind. May we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that – that we cannot fill them with love and warmth."
The entry to the penal colony
Later, walking through the corridors of the colony, Dr. Adams informs Kirk and Noel that Van Gelder injured his mind by testing an experimental therapy device on himself, the neural neutralizer. Adams shows the device in operation on a patient, but says that it is of limited therapeutic value.
On board the Enterprise, Spock and Dr. McCoy continue to investigate Van Gelder, whose ravings are difficult to decipher. However, at one point, Van Gelder claims Dr. Adams will destroy "like death".
Act Three
Spock performs a mind meld on
Dr. Simon Van Gelder
In sickbay, Spock decides to employ an ancient technique, the Vulcan mind meld, to learn the truth that Van Gelder cannot speak aloud. Although Spock had never previously performed a mind meld on a Human, the procedure meets with some success. He learns that Adams has been experimenting on various individuals, including Van Gelder, using the neural neutralizer.
Dr. Adams shows Kirk and Noel
the neural neutralizer.
At the colony, Kirk and Noel investigate the neural neutralizer privately. Kirk wants first-hand experience with the device. After Noel provides assurance that an experiment can be done safely with her supervision, Kirk sits in the treatment chair. Using a very low setting, she suggests to Kirk that he is hungry. A few seconds later, unaware of the suggestion, Kirk does in fact suggest they find a kitchen to raid. Then, at Kirk's request, Noel begins with a more elaborate suggestion; that Kirk and Noel went back to Kirk's quarters for a romantic evening after a meeting at the previous year's science labs Christmas party, which didn't really occur. Suddenly, Adams surprises them, has his assistant Eli immobilize Noel, and begins using the device to condition Kirk, including the suggestion that he is desperately in love with Noel, and using very high settings that are obviously causing Kirk great distress.
Act Four
Fighting off the suggestions placed in his mind by Adams, Kirk dispatches Noel through the air conditioning ducts, in the hope she can find the power controls and deactivate the security force field. That field protects the facility, and prevents transporters from operating in it. After crawling through the duct, Noel manages to locate the power control room for the colony. She takes care of the guard in the power control room and deactivates the field long enough for Kirk to escape the torture, and Spock and a security force to beam down and secure the colony.
In an ironic twist, Dr. Adams dies of exposure to the neural neutralizer after Kirk knocks him unconscious and leaves him near it when Spock restored the power. However, Dr. Noel notes that the neutralizer was not on high enough to kill Adams. Kirk says that he died because he was alone, his mind emptied by it, "without even a tormentor for company." Dr. Van Gelder is cured, and resumes his responsibilities at the colony. He also dismantles and destroys the neural neutralizer equipment. Before the Enterprise heads away from Tantalus V at warp factor 1, McCoy says, "It's hard to believe that a man could die of loneliness." Kirk tells him, "Not when you've sat in that room." He then instructs Spock to break orbit and proceed ahead at warp factor one, the speed of light, without specifying a heading.
Log entries
"Captain's log, stardate 2715.1. Exchanged cargo with penal colony on Tantalus 5, have departed without going ashore."
"Captain's log, stardate 2715.2. Standard orbit… planet: Tantalus 5… mission: routine investigation and report as per ship's surgeon medical log. As for my last entry, it seems that I will get to meet Dr. Adams at last, however I would prefer other circumstances."
"Enterprise log, first officer Spock acting captain. I must now use an ancient Vulcan technique to probe into Van Gelder's tortured mind."
Memorable quotes
"A cage is a cage, Jim."
- McCoy, on penal colonies
"Interesting. Your Earth people glorify organized violence for forty centuries, but you imprison those who employ it privately."
- Spock, to McCoy
"Where there is no emotion, there is no motive for violence."
- Spock, to McCoy
"It appears we may have an inmate of yours aboard the ship."
"Transporter crewman found unconscious, captain. Cargo case open and empty."
"Make that definite, doctor. He's aboard."
- Kirk and Uhura confirm that Van Gelder is on board the Enterprise to Adams
"I want asylum."
"At gunpoint?"
- Van Gelder and Kirk, as Van Gelder storms into the bridge
"You smart, button-pushing brass hat! Wash your hands of it! Is that your system?"
- Van Gelder to Kirk, in sickbay
"May we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that, that we cannot fill them with love and warmth."
- Adams, toasting with Kirk and Noel
"One of the advantages of being a captain, doctor, is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it."
- Kirk, to Noel
"You begin to feel a strange euphoria. Your body floats."
- Spock, performing his first mind-meld on a Human
"I have no desire to damage my brain. Can this be handled with reasonable safety – yes or no?"
- Kirk, to Helen Noel on the neural neutralizer
"It's hard to believe that a man could die of loneliness."
"Not when you've sat in that room."
- McCoy and Kirk, on the death of Doctor Adams
