i thought so! see.  the trans- porter sensor was not activated.
admiral kirk.  we're getting a top brass send off? she'll launch on schedule if we have to tow her out with our bare hands. right, scotty?
let me now when the back-up is in place.
all due respect, sir, i hope this isn't a starfleet pep talk; i'm just too busy.
you are what?
-- you, personally, are assuming command?
may i ask why?
admiral, this is an almost totally new enterprise. you don't know her a tenth as well as i do.
no, admiral. i don't think you are; not one damned bit. i remember when you recommended me for this command. you told me how envious you were, and if only you could find a way to get a starship command again. well, sir, it looks like you found a way.
none available, captain. there's no one in fact, who's fully rated on this design.
hello, ilia.
i was stationed on the lieutenant's home planet some years ago.
captain kirk has the utmost confidence in me.
mr. sulu, take lieutenant ilia in hand.
i now the captain meant no person- al insult.
captain, assuming we have full warp capability, accelerating to warp seven on leaving solar system will bring us to ip with the intruder in twenty point one hours.
program set for standard warp entry, captain.
 but i still recommend further simulation study.
negative control from inertial lag will continue 22 point five seconds before forward velocity slows to sub-light speed.
wormhole distortion has over- loaded main power systems!
delay that phaser order! arm photon torpedoes!
fire torpedoes!
we are at warp point eight. position report, navigator?
engineer.  report status there.
sir, the enterprise redesign increases phaser power by channeling it through the main engines. when they went into anti-matter imbalance, the phasers were automatically cut off.
thank you, sir. i'm sorry i embar- rassed you.
i'm aware of that, sir.
permission to speak freely, sir?
sir, you haven't logged a single star hour in two and a half years. that, plus your unfamiliarity with the ship's design -- in my opinion, sir, seriously jeopardizes our mission.
yes, sir, i'll do that.
no more than i expected not as difficult as this. i'm sorry.
if i'd seen you again, would you have been able to say it?
of course not. i'm aware of mister spock's qualifications.
recommend defensive posture, captain: screens and shields.
captain, we've seen what their weapons can do. shouldn't we take every possible precaution -- ?
captain, as your exec, it's my duty to point out alternatives.
that measures twelve power? ten thousands of starships couldn't generate that much.
signal medical alert, mister chekov!
transmitting!
they may have attacked only as a warning to us, captain. to keep away.
i advise caution, captain; we can't withstand another attack.
that's precisely the point, captain. we don't know it will do. moving into the cloud -- at this time, is an unwarranted gamble.
you asked my opinion, sir.
incredible dimensions, sir! .  i make it as seventy-eight kilometers in length.
don't interfere with it!
it's taken control of the computer!
we could have cut it off at the main computer.
this is how i define unwarranted!
the ship is under attack! man all defensive stations!
chief difalco to the bridge; on the double!
captain, suggest a maximum phaser strike directly at the beam might weaken it just enough for us to break free --
we don't know that, mr. spock. why are you opposed to trying?
why bring us inside? not to destroy us; they could have done that outside.
it's a programmed mechanism, mr. spock.
that probe in there -- in a different form now -- is the same thing that killed ilia!
aye, sir.
all these vessels were called "enterprise".
the carbon units use this area for recreation.  what type of recreation does the crew aboard your vessel enjoy?
ilia 'enjoyed' this game.  she nearly always won --
the crews of the previous enterprises were also carbon units. in what way is the life form in your vessel different?
yes.
what is enterprise's proper evolvement?
enterprise would be unable to function without carbon units.
what does that mean?
within you are memory patterns of a carbon unit. if i can help you revive these patterns; you could understand our functions better.
 when we met.
on delta.  remember?
ilia, help us make direct contact with v'ger.
then tell us who v'ger is; where he's from.  w need your help.
they want to make contact with v'ger.  ilia.
does v'ger object to the presence of the two carbon units?
you said v'ger's purpose was to find and join with the creator.
a machine! then it had to be programmed. by whom?
to join, and become one with the creator?
thank you, scotty.
v'ger is announcing that it has arrived, sir -- that it's ready to deliver the information it was programmed to collect.
it expects a return signal now, ordering it to transmit that information to the creator.
it seems we all imagine god in our own image.
of course: we all create god in our own image.
needing what?
ilia.  we can help v'ger find what it needs --
bridge to all decks,secure your stations.
all ship's functions going to automatic, captain.
forward motion, captain!
captain, what's the next move?
all personnel resume stations!
i'm afraid our hand is pretty weak, captain. but it's the only game in town.
mr. spock, what would v'ger need to fulfill itself?
captain, we can't be sure that our.  move.  will actually save earth.
we have twenty-one minutes. captain, we can still save v'ger.  and ourselves.
captain.  i'd like to go along.
we need only a few more minutes. believe me.
ilia, believe me.  the creator will appear!
and when v'ger melds? what will happen to you?
recording.
captain kirk!
the fault is here, sir, not in the transmission. the antenna leads have been disconnected. v'ger never intended to accept a transmitted signal.
and plug the signal directly into the circuitry at this.  .  point here, captain. it should pick up even a tricorder playback.
you got the enterprise, it's what you wanted. this is what i want. but, jim.  .  i'm the right choice for this mission.