FADE IN:
INT. CRONOSIAN SHIP – CORRIDOR
Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Sulu shake their guns frantically.
SULU
Captain! These weapons on the walls!
KIRK
(a command)
Arm yourselves.
They throw down their phasers. Sulu siezes a thin rapier; Spock, a broadsword; McCoy, a net and trident; Kirk, a shortsword. As they grab these weapons the androids leap upon them and they swing into battle. Mr. Sulu forgets himself and begins leaping about zealously, a swashbuckler at heart, so engrossed in his fighting that he shouts like a karate expert in an attack. McCoy hurls the net over one android, then Kirk smashes the back of its neck with the butt of his sword, putting that one out of commission. Spock is dueling with an android – parrying, thrusting, and dodging. As the android makes a lunge, Spock side-steps, and the android's sword tip strikes the wall and is braced there for an instant. Spock quickly smashes his sword down on it, breaking the android's sword in two. Sulu is dashing about, dueling off two or more androids at a time, smiling fiercely, and shouting wildly. He overcomes all his opponents with thrusts to the body. McCoy nets another android, pulls it down to a bent over position, and promptly drives its head into the wall by giving the android a hard shove in the posterior with his knee. One android is pinning Kirk against a wall, forcing his sword against Kirk's and pushing it toward Kirk's neck. Kirk is trying to push him off, but the android's sword comes closer and closer. Spock comes up from behind and tries his Vulcan neck pinch on the android, with no result whatsoever. The android, as if aware somehow of what Spock was doing, swings an arm back to knock Spock away, and he succeeds. But while the android is caught off-balance doing this, Kirk frees one arm and uses a judo throw to slam the android to the floor and put him out of commission. When there are only about six or seven androids left standing out of the initial force of approximately fifteen, Argos' voice calls out again.
ARGOS' VOICE (o.s. / reverb)
Fall back!
The androids suddenly stand at attention, pivot, and march away. Kirk, Sulu, and McCoy stand grasping for breath, while Spock isn't even breathing hard. Sulu is smiling fiercely, proud and victorious, exhilarated.
KIRK
(dumbfounded)
They left…retreated. They could have overpowered us in another few minutes…defeated us. But…they…left. Why?
Three beats, then Spock looks at Mr. Sulu.
SPOCK
(critically)
Mr. Sulu. I see no advantage in employing a verbal outburst to combat our adversaries.
SULU
(explaining)
It's an ancient oriental fighting tactic, Mr. Spock…by exhaling rapidly in a shout, you coordinate your whole body into a single, powerful thrust. Also strikes terror into your opponent…throws him off guard.
SPOCK
That might be true…if our opponents had been humanoid.
The others draw closer to Spock, searching his face.
McCOY
(challenging, refuting)
If? Now look, Spock, I don't know what you're talking about, but there's blood on our swords, and those men stayed down when we knocked them down. Now if that doesn't qualify them as humans I don't –
Spock squats, goes over androids with his tri-corder, examining them and pointing out things as he explains.
SPOCK
(interrupts)
Machines, Doctor. Cleverly constructed…programmed to act exactly like humans in every way. When we cut their plastic skin, our swords pierced submerged packets which released a red fluid. When we struck them, the force of the blow was transmitted to sensory circuits which sent an immobilization signal to their computer brain.
Spock stands up
KIRK
Then the reason your Vulcan neck pinch didn't work…is because these…androids…don't have nerve masses, and their sensory circuits aren't as sensitive or as close to the skin surface as humans'.
SPOCK
Essentially, Captain.
Kirk massages a bruise, almost annoyed they didn't know about this before the fight.
KIRK
Yes… We'll remember that in any future encounters.
SULU
I don't understand, Captain. Why all this? Androids that bleed…purposely constructed with the same weaknesses as human beings. These weapons…on the walls…almost as if provided especially for us…
McCOY
This whole set-up seems to have been built mainly for dramatic effect…as though we were actors performing on a stage. Why?
KIRK
Your guess is as good as mine, Doctor, I –
SPOCK
(interrupts, observing tri-corder)
Captain. Picking up life form readings.
KIRK
(anxiously)
Joanna, an…whatever or whoever is with her?
SPOCK
Affirmative.
Spock looks up, points down corridor, in the direction the androids came from.
SPOCK
Emanating from that direction. Also picking up the energy beam which is rendering our hand phasers useless.
A beat.
McCOY
Well, are we just going to stand here?
KIRK
(quickly)
Let's go.
They all follow Spock, who leads the way up to the corner around which had come the attacking androids. Here they turn, and continue walking down that corridor. They speak as they walk; Spock occasionally glances at his tri-corder.
SPOCK
We stand virtually unarmed…at the mercy of a being who possesses the power to render a starship completely immobile. We are as mosquitoes against a lion. I fail to see what we can possibly hope to accomplish.
McCOY
(irritated)
We've come for Joanna, Spock. Just don't forget that.
Spock slows down; he doesn't want to pass the origin point.
SPOCK
Signals growing stronger, Captain.
KIRK
Prepare yourselves.
Spock slows down further, almost pacing off the distance.
SPOCK
…increasing…
Spock stops, looks up, down, from ceiling to floor, from right to left, probing with the tri-corder.
SPOCK
Tricorder indicates that this is the point of origin.
KIRK
(doubtful)
Here?
McCOY
(irritated)
That's just great, Spock. A solid wall. Now how do we –
SPOCK
(annoyed)
Your impatience is not making our task any easier, Doctor.
Spock inspects further with the tri-corder, turning dials. He looks at the wall, then to Kirk.
SPOCK
(critically)
The human eye is a most…unreliable organ. This is indeed the entrance to a chamber beyond.
McCoy whips out his arm as he speaks, and it penetrates the wall as if it were not there, causing him to break off suddenly in the middle of his sentence, shocked.
McCOY
(irritated)
What do you propose to do, Spock? Just walk right thr–
SPOCK
(victoriously)
Precisely, Doctor, precisely. This is merely a three dimensional projection.
KIRK
(almost mimicking McCoy)
Well…are we…just going to stand here?
They walk through the wall section here.
CUT TO ARGOS' CHAMBER – INT. – ON WALL –
They emerge in a large, high ceilinged room, circular, with an arching ceiling. The walls are fantastically tiled in weird, mosaic designs. The floor is highly polished. On the walls are mounted all types of strange, sinister looking weapons, many of the "pistol" type, resting on "gun racks." The general impression of the entire setting is that of luxury, but gothic hardness, and a forboding sense of evil hovering about. Seated on a large, decorated throne, resting on a platform with marble steps leading up to it, sits Argos, a tall, dark, sinister looking man with high cheekbones sloping to long, narrow chin. His eyes are almond shaped, almost always aquinting, he looks cruel, is very muscular and very villainous looking. He is a barbarian, a space pirate, yet he is "sophisticated" in his own way. His manner is swaggering, cruel, and fearsome. He is dressed in a black leather outfit, tight fitting, shiny gold areas such as his cuffs, collar, and borders of his clothing striped in a glittering spangled material. Adjacent to him stands Joanna.
ARGOS
(smoothly, smiling sinisterly, his fingertips meeting each other in a "praying" position)
Greetings, Captain Kirk. You won't need those anymore.
Argos presses a stud on the arm of his throne and all their weapons disappear instantly. McCoy sees Joanna, she sees him. They rush toward each other.
McCOY
(anxiously)
Joanna!
JOANNA
(relieved, anxious)
Father!
They grasp each other in their arms, clinging to each other. Joanna sobs on McCoy's shoulder. He pats her, caresses, comforts her, almost unable to believe it's really her. He repeats her name over and over, as if it were sacred.
McCOY
Joanna…Joanna…Joanna…
JOANNA
(sobbing)
Oh – (choke) – I'm so glad you've come…so glad…so good to see someone I know…after this…this nightmare.
ARGOS
(sarcastic)
Oh, how touching!
McCoy grasps her shoulders, pushes her away a bit, looks into her tear-streaked face.
McCOY
(searching)
What has he done to you?
(threatening)
If he's harmed you in any way…
Joanna sniffs, tries to bear up, brush tears away.
JOANNA
He…he's done nothing to me.
She bursts into a sobbing scream, as if a horrible memory enters her mind.
JOANNA
But the others!
She buries her head in McCoy's shoulder and presses close for security. Kirk, Spock, and Sulu walk slowly toward McCoy and Joanna. They stop a few feet from the two.
KIRK
(soothing, trying to get her to talk)
The others…what happened to the others…the rest of the crew?
JOANNA
(hysterical sobbing)
Killed…all of them…horribly killed.
McCOY
(comforting, concerned about her condition)
Easy…easy. Start from the beginning. Tell us how it happened.
Joanna slowly regains her composure, but she still trembles.
JOANNA
We were transporting colonists and supplies to Zena 5…a routine mission…when we picked up a distress signal.
ARGOS
(reveling in his evil genius)
A signal sent by me.
KIRK
(ignoring him)
You came here, and then?
JOANNA
We were lured in…trapped…powerless…and then…and then...
She gasps, screaming and crying, half turns and points at Argos.
KIRK
(skeptical)
But there haven't been any reports of space piracy for over a hundred years…
Argos suddenly becomes angry. Kirk has branded him as an extinct creature, and this annoys him. He slams the arm of his throne with his fist.
ARGOS
(furious)
That's just it! That damned Federation of yours…unified all the colonies. Hundreds of thousands of them…settlements in space from mother planets scattered throughout the galaxy…all efficiently organized, controlled, and protected! Why, I'd no sooner corner my quarry, and radio signals would bring every patrol vessel in the surrounding quadrents down to me!
He speaks sadly, knowing an existence which was once almost paradise for him is now only a thing of the past.
ARGOS
Since you made it impossible for me to go after a prize vessel myself, I decided to…let them come to me. Escaping from my last venture, my sensory instruments were damaged and I couldn't tell where I was going.
(asking for sympathy)
For years, Kirk, years! Hurtling through the infinite vastness of space, flying blind…not knowing where I was going…and sometimes, not even caring. I piloted my small craft…Alone!
KIRK
(leading him on)
So, you…stumbled across this place. But what about the weeds? How did you –
ARGOS
(bristling with pride)
Before my power was completely gone, I managed to board a larger vessel, and from there found a way to almost completely…control the weeds.
SPOCK
(anxious to find out)
Please explain…
ARGOS
(mockingly smiling)
That is my secret, Mr. Spock, and I intend to keep it that way.
Spock raises an eyebrow, almost as dismayed at having been caught being curious as not finding out the information he wanted.
KIRK
All right. So you stayed here?
ARGOS
Yes. From within this…spider web…I can investigate anything that gets trapped here…explore…plunder at my leisure! I have no reason to leave.
KIRK
This ship…why did you choose this ship…out of all the others.
ARGOS
I'm a pirate, Kirk. I've got the blood of buccaneers from centuries past running in my veins. The Cronosians knew how to combine science, and heritage…a truly admirable culture. This ship…
He holds his arms up, waves them around in a "behold" motion.
ARGOS
(looking around)
This ship has atmosphere…it has mood…gothic…barbaric…only in surroundings such as these am I truly at home.
SULU
You said you lure ships in here…use fake distress calls to get them inside the cloud, then steal from them. What good is the cargo they carry if you never leave to spend any of it?
ARGOS
Mr. Sulu…being a collector yourself, I should think you would understand me. I gathered all the weapons and computers from the dead ships floating out there…brought them into this one ship. Probes, destructo rays of all kinds…conversion devices…missiles…transporters…power generators… And, it might interest you to know, an infinite variety of small arms…from the primitive broadsword, to hand weapons which surpass even your phaser in destructive potential. All this…knowledge…weaponry…at my fingertips. I have the power to destroy a fleet of starships!
Argos leans forward, looking hard at Kirk, sneering.
ARGOS
Do you know what that means, Captain?
Kirk looks away, then back, afraid to admit it.
KIRK
(barely whispers)
It means…that you could begin a one-man conquest of the entire galaxy.
SULU
(skeptical)
How could one man –
ARGOS
(threatening)
You fail to realize my full potential! From the stores of ships I capture, I've collected an unlimited supply of raw materials. I've got a factory complex that can turn out hundreds of android warriors by the hour. I'll command an invincible army of supermen!
(a beat. Shrewdly)
And the best part about it is – robots simply do what they are told, without question. I'll never have to fear mutiny!
Argos begins to laugh softly but sinisterly.
SPOCK
That still does not explain two things. Why build those special androids, synthetically giving them the same graphic qualities as real humans –
KIRK
(demands)
And what happened to the crews of the ships you captured?
Two beats as Argos contemplates.
ARGOS
(almost sadly)
There's only one flaw in this method of piracy…it loses the old bloody flavor of a good fight before claiming the prize. I found I was missing too much when I simply liquidated the crews without a struggle, and, feeling a need for some – ah – diversion now and then, I –
KIRK
(quickly, angry)
You murdered them.
ARGOS
(indignant)
Murder?! I gave them as fair a chance as any!
SPOCK
Men against machines? There can be only one outcome.
SULU
(almost insulting)
Men get tired – machines don't. Anyone with a grain of honor wouldn't call that fair.
Argos' pride is stung, he leaps up from his chair, angry, shouting.
ARGOS
(blustering)
Silence! All of you!
Argos threatens, his face is cruel.
ARGOS
I could destroy you at the press of a button. I could have destroyed you long ago.
KIRK
(demands, impatient)
Why didn't you, then? Why let us go on living? What are you saving us for? What do you want from us?
Argo walks down the steps from his throne, slowly, confidently, a sneering smile on his face. He plants his feet firmly in front of Kirk, draws close to him, looks him in the eye.
ARGOS
(a soft, slow, threat)
I want your ship, Captain. I want you!
Kirk looks at him hard, realizing the dangerous position they're in, realizing that Argos isn't making an empty threat.
FADE OUT.
