The Enterprise finally reached the starbase. Sid, carefully locked in his cage, was carried onto the transporter platform by Doctor McCoy and one of the security officers. Captain Kirk, Spock, and Chekov were also going to accompany the sloth to the starbase.

"Release me!" Sid cried, beating his stick against the walls of the cage. "I demand to be released!"

"I'm really getting tired of that phrase," McCoy muttered.

"All right, Scotty, energize," Captain Kirk said, once again displaying his amazing talent for ignoring the doctor's comments.

Scotty beamed them over to the starbase, where they were met by Admiral Ortix, who had spoke with them earlier.

"Ah, yes, the specimen!" the Admiral exclaimed happily. He knelt down to look into Sid's cage, which was carried by Chekov and a security officer. "Hello, there," the Admiral said to the sloth.

Sid stared back at the Admiral. "Who are you?" the sloth demanded. "Are you the ruler of the kidnapper-people?"

"No. I am Admiral Ortix," the Admiral replied.

"And I am Sid. The Sid. The almighty Sid," Sid said.

Admiral Orix stood up. "It speaks?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course I speak!" Sid cried, sounding offended. "I am, in fact, a highly intelligent species."

"Yes, you always know what to do to get on everyone's nerves," McCoy said.

The Admiral gave the sloth a wary look. "Well..." he said, somewhat hesitantly. "Let's get the, ah, specimen into the examining room, shall we?"

They brought Sid's cage into a small room and set it down on an examining table. Admiral Ortix closed the door behind them. "Well now," he said, sitting down at a computer. "Before we let the specimen out of its cage, what can you tell me about it?"

"Well..." McCoy began. "It never shuts up, for one."

"Oh really?" the Admiral asked, intruiged. "What does it talk about?"

"I don't know. I've learned to block out its mindless babbling."

The Admiral just nodded slowly, typing something into the computer, his expression thoughtful. "What about its eating habits?"

"It doesn't seem to be particularly picky," Captain Kirk said in all seriousness.

"Yes," McCoy agreed. "It does seem to eat anything."

The Admiral began typing again. Then he stood up. "I'm going to bring my science officers in here to examine the specimen. Just a minute."

He left.

Captain Kirk and Dr.McCoy looked at each other.

"Do you suppose he means to let that thing out of the cage?" McCoy asked.

The Captain shrugged. "Seems that way."

"Captain," Spock cut in. "Don't you think it would be wise to give the Admiral a fair warning before allowing him to release this specimen, given its reputation for excessive destructive behavior?"

The Captain and the doctor looked at each other again. McCoy grinned. "I won't tell if you won't."

The Captain nodded. "Everyone must make his own discoveries."

"But Captain--" Spock began.

"Spock, if I have to order you not to say anything, I will."

"Yes, Captain," Spock relented.

"Though I guess I would kind of hate to think about what that sloth might do to the starbase..." The Captain shrugged.

Admiral Ortix returned, followed by his science officers. "All right," he said. "Let's have a look at that specimen." He walked over to the cage. "How does this open?"

"The little clasp on the side," McCoy supplied.

"Ah, yes. Thank you." The Admiral opened the cage.

Right on cue, Sid rocketed out of the cage. "Weeeeeee! I'm freeeeeeeeee!" he cried gleefully, shooting across the floor, waving his stick.

The science officers dove to try and catch thefleeing sloth, but missed. Sid escaped from the room, squealing and whooping with joy.

Admiral Ortix stared at the empty cage, stunned. "Does it... always do that?"

"Oh, occasionally," Captain Kirk said. "He's just... curious. Likes to... to..."

"Explore," Spock supplied.

"That's right. It likes to explore."

"Where do you think it'll go?" the Admiral asked.

"Anywhere, everywhere, some place you didn't even know existed. He's not to hard to find. You just have to follow his... trail."