|
Cover Blurb:
A planetful of doomed children - playing their deadliest game!
Synopsis
The Enterprise arrives at the Zeta Centauri system, seeking class "M"
planets for study. Uhura receives an emergency transmission from the planet
Argylus 13, but she is unable to make contact with the source. Reviewing the
ship's records, Kirk and Spock discover that the planet has an atmosphere
comparable to Earth, and is rated 17 on the industrial scale - indicating a
highly advanced civilization. The two beam down to the planet to investigate,
along with Mr. Scott, Mr. Sulu and Nurse Chapel.
The landing party arrives on the surface and find themselves in the
midst of a large group of medieval knights! "Look at those costumes"
Sulu exclaims, "I feel like a pawn in a chess game!" Kirk tries his
phaser on the knights using both "neural impact" and "heat blast"
settings, without effect. The landing party is quickly taken prisoner by the
unspeaking warriors, and their weapons are confiscated. The knights then lead
the party on horseback to an oddly shaped castle nearby. "It looks like a
doll house!" Kirk says. "I'm beginning to feel like a character out
of 'Babes in Toyland'!"
The landing party is brought inside the castle, before a young, blonde
headed young man sitting on a throne. "Welcome, men of the Enterprise!"
he says. "You know who we are!" exclaims Kirk. "Then it was you
who sent the distress signal?" "Not personally" the young man
replies, "but it was done at my command. I am called Simon, and I am the
ruler here! Now I suppose you're wondering why you were led here. I shall
attempt to explain. Argylus is a very advanced civilization. In fact, the
children of Argylus have fully matured intellects at the age of three! But
seven years ago, Argylus was stricken by a great plague which killed all the
elders; an unknown virus struck all over the age of thirteen!"
"Thus the children evolved a civilization of their own" Simon
continues. "Mentally we were quite capable of it, of course, but we could
find no cure for the virus! Even now our life span is no more than 13 years!"
Simon tells Captain Kirk that he lured the Enterprise to Argylus to help find
that cure. "You have already been infected!" he says. "The
incubation period is five days! If by the end of that time you have not found a
cure - you will die!" At Kirk's request, Simon does agree to let the
landing party have their equipment back so they can communicate with the ship.
On board the Enterprise, Dr. McCoy researches the virus symptoms, and
locates an antidote. It is a rare herb called "Genitum Lars", that
the ship does not carry on board. He runs a search through the computer, and
discovers that the nearest planet with Genitum Lars is Ominnus, but the planet
is located on the other end of the galaxy! He radios the news to the Captain
and the rest of the landing party, telling them that Ominnus is a two-day
journey each way. "If anything should delay you, Doctor, you're going to
lose a captain, a chief engineer, and a good nurse!" Kirk says. He orders
Spock to take the Enterprise to Ominnus at high speed to get the antidote.
Meanwhile, the landing party visits the medical research facility on the planet.
King Simon introduces Kirk to Dr. Roy (another child), head of the
research center. Dr. Roy agrees to assist Nurse Chapel in trying to devise an
antidote themselves, in case the Enterprise is unable to return on time. Scotty
is impressed with the Argylans, and their technology. "No matter how
advanced they are" Kirk reminds him, "we mustn't forget we're dealing
with kids!" Later, Nurse Chapel is able to devise the formula for a
serum to combat the virus. One compound that it requires is not available on
the planet, however, and she is unable to produce it. "Then we'd better
hope Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock return in time!" she tells the Captain.
Meanwhile aboard the Enterprise, Spock orders the ship to increase speed
to warp 8. McCoy warns him that at that speed, the field mechanism may not be
able to compensate for the strain. "We'll have to risk it Doctor"
Spock answers. "The lives of the Captain and three crewmen are at stake!"
Just then, a large meteor appears on a collision course with the ship! Spock
explains that at such extremely high speed, the power of the deflectors is
weakened, and cannot ward the object off course. He quickly orders the ship to
warp 6, slowing it directly in the path of the asteroid! His tactic pays off,
and the asteroid is diverted by the deflector screens. The ship continues on
toward Ominnus.
On Argylus, the landing party is experimenting with possible remedies in
the castle, when a group of boys wearing hooded robes bursts into the room. "So!"
the leader says, "Our messengers were right! King Simon has captured a
group of outlanders! Bind them securely, squires! King Simon would keep the
cure for his own tribe, but Warlord Yago will see that you all benefit from it!"
The landing party is taken prisoner and led away across a desert, along with
Simon, who has been captured as well. When they arrive at the palace of the
Warlord Yago, they are thrown in the castle dungeon. "I don't understand
why we were abducted in the first place!" Kirk exclaims after their captors
have departed. "When the adults died, the surviving children split into
two camps, each with a separate ruler" Simon explains. "There were
ideological differences between the two tribes and relations were strained, but
until now, Yago and I had always been able to resolve our differences
peacefully!" At that moment, a guard informs them through the cell bars
that unless they deliver an antidote to Yago within three days, they will be
executed!
When the Enterprise arrives at Ominnus, Spock and McCoy beam down to the surface to get the Genitum Lars herb. They are collecting the small plants
(which look quite like radishes) when a group of club-carrying cavemen come upon
them. "The ugly ones steal from the sacred garden!" shouts the
leader, and orders the others to attack. "What are we going to do?"
asks McCoy. "The Federation forbids us to interfere with the natural
development of a civilization, so we can't use modern weapons against them!"
Spock solves the dilemma by taking a nearby stick of wood, and using it to
soundly thrash the attacking cavemen, without injuring them. The remaining
natives run away in fear. The two men gather the herbs, and then the Enterprise
returns to Argylus.
On the planet surface, the landing party passes the time in their cell.
Christine tells the others of a verse she read many years ago that went: "Backward,
turn backward, o time in your flight. Make me a child again just for tonight!"
Then a group of child guards arrives to take the them to their execution.
Kirk orders the others to make a break for it, and they grab the childrens'
weapons. Another group of children led by Yago appears, carrying guns. Kirk is
forced to shoot them before they fire at him. They aren't even wounded! Kirk
is shocked. "Why not?" says Yago, "These rifles fire only
harmless rays of light! It was merely a game; an elaborate charade set up for
my own amusement. Simon believes that a cure for our disease may be found! I
harbor no such hopes. I know that we are all merely waiting to die, so I create
these little games to make the waiting more bearable!" The landing party
realizes that they are not prisoners after all!
Kirk and the others travel back to Simon's castle, and retrieve their
phasers and communicators. Kirk calls the ship, and McCoy beams down
immediately with the antidote. After everyone is cured, Kirk says good-bye to
King Simon. "We'll leave the remaining serum with you" he says, "and
I'll see that the Federation ships larger quantities for future use!" "Thank
you Captain" answers Simon. "I owe you even more than my life for you
have proved to me and to Yago that there will always be a reason for hope!"
As the ship leaves orbit, Kirk makes an entry in his personal log: "Star
date 18:32.9. Our mission on Argylus complete, we have set out for points
undetermined, yet my thoughts are back with the children. Their civilization
shows promise and I suspect that soon the child shall truly be father to the
man!"
(Summary by Mark Lookabaugh)
|
STAR TREK is a Registered Trademark of Paramount Pictures
Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Gold Key is a registered trademark
of Western Publishing Corp.
|
|
The Enterprise arrives at the Zeta Centauri system, seeking class "M"
planets for study. Uhura receives an emergency transmission from the planet
Argylus 13, but she is unable to make contact with the source. Reviewing the
ship's records, Kirk and Spock discover that the planet has an atmosphere
comparable to Earth, and is rated 17 on the industrial scale - indicating a
highly advanced civilization. The two beam down to the planet to investigate,
along with Mr. Scott, Mr. Sulu and Nurse Chapel.
