commander sonak.  !
you've received your appointment as enterprise science officer?
why aren't you on board?
here at starfleet? the enterprise is in final preparation to leave dock.
twelve! i'm on my way to a meeting with admiral nogura which will not last more than three minutes. report to me on the enterprise in one hour.
i intend to be there following that meeting. report to me. one hour!
why aren't the enterprise transporters in operation, mister scott?
see that it is. take me over, please.
mr. scott, there's an alien object with unbelievable destructive power less than three days away from this planet.
 the only starship in interception range is the enterprise! ready, or not, she launches in twelve hours!
two and a half years as chief of starfleet operations may have made me a little stale, mr. scott -- but i wouldn't exactly consider myself 'untried.'
they gave her back to me, scotty.
i think i can find my way, ensign.
bridge!
i appreciate the welcome; i wish the circumstances were less critical. epsilon nine is monitoring the intruder; keep a channel open to them. where is captain decker?
mr chekov, assemble the crew on the rec deck at 0400 hours. i want to show them what we're facing.
will, let's go over here and talk.
i'm taking over the center seat. i'm sorry, will.
i'm replacing you as captain of the enterprise.
you'll stay aboard as executive officer.  a temporary grade reduction to commander.
yes.
my experience -- five years out there dealing with unknowns like this -- my familiarity with the enterprise, this crew.
that's why you're staying aboard. i'm sorry, will.
report to the bridge, commander. immediately.
starfleet, boost your matter gain; we need more signal!
oh, my god!
starfleet, do you have them?
starfleet.  kirk. please.  express my condolences to their families. commander sonak's can be reached through the vulcan embassy. there was nothing you could have done, rand. it wasn't your fault.
turboshaft eight?
we'll have to replace commander sonak. i'd still like a vulcan there, if possible.
you are, mister decker. i'm afraid you'll have to double as science officer.
that's all we know about it; except that it's now 2.2 days from earth. enterprise is the only federation starship that stands in its way.
we assume there is a vessel of some type at the heart of the cloud. our orders are to intercept, investigate; and take whatever action is necessary.  and possible. . we can only hope that the life form aboard that vessel reasons as we do.
put it on the viewer here!
external view!
viewer off.
pre-launch countdown will commence in forty minutes.
rely we are holding position awaiting final crew replacements.
and there are no finer navigators in starfleet, commander.
welcome aboard, lieutenant.
our exec and science officer.
and in you, too, lieutenant.
by all means.
oh? i'll see that he beams up!
yeoman, what was the problem down there?
thank you, yeoman starfleet , this is captain kirk. the officer is to be beamed up immediately!
well, for a man who swore he'd never return to starfleet.
they didn't!
bones, there's a 'thing' out there --
-- headed this way. i need you.
bones, i need you badly.
all decks, this is the captain. prepare or immediate departure.
maneuvering thrusters, mister sulu.
hold station.
thrusters ahead, mister sulu. take us out.
impulse power, mr sulu. ahead warp point-five.
departure angle on viewer.
viewer ahead.
captain's log, stardate 7412.6. 2.7 hours from launch.
 in order to intercept the intruder at the earliest possible time, we must now risk engaging warp drive while still within the solar system.
well, bones, do the new medical facilities meet with your approval?
programming ready?
mister decker; every minute brings that object nearer earth! engineering! stand by for warp drive.
engineer, we need warp speed now!
warp drive, mr scott.
ahead warp one, mr sulu.
mr. decker --
wormhole!.  get us back on impulse power! full reverse!
forcefields up full! put object on viewer!
time to impact?
mr. chekov, stand by on the phasers!
warp drive as soon as possible, mr. scott.
that object out there is less than two days from earth, mister scott. we've got to intercept while it still is out there!
mr. decker, i'd like to see you in my quarters. you have the conn, mr. sulu.
explanation, mr. decker: why was my phaser order countermanded?
then you acted properly, of course.
you saved the ship.
stop competing with me, decker!
granted.
i trust you will.  nursemaid me through these difficulties, mister?
then i won't keep you from your duties any longer, commander. yes, doctor?
get out of here, bones.
make your point, doctor.
i intend to keep her, is that what you're saying, doctor?
viewer on.
for what purpose?
very well, mr. chekov, see to it. viewer off.
your.  opinion has been noted, doctor. is there anything further?
spock! spock, where. how?
if our executive officer has no objections?
mister chekov, log mister spock's starfleet commission reactivated; list him as science officer; both effective immediately.
mister spock, welcome aboard!
captain's log. stardate 7413.4. thanks to mr. spock's timely arrival - and assistance.
 we have the engines rebalanced into full warp capacity. repair time less than three hours.
 which means we will now be able to intercept intruder while still more than a day from earth.
sit down, please.
i want him here. sit down!
you've reported that you felt strong thought emotions. a group of minds from a space vessel? could you make out any plan, anything to do with earth?
also -- there was nothing in your report about why you're here.
i inquired about you -- learned you were studying with the masters.
and whatever you sensed out here.
let it drop, bones. you are my science officer -- i'll expect an immediate report on anything further you learn or sense from here on.
i know this has been painful, spock. for me too. thank you.
full mag on viewer!
linguacode?
do not return scan, mr. spock! it may be misinterpreted as hostility!
negative, we'll take no prov- ocative action.
no.  .  that could also be misinter- preted as hostile, mr. decker. cloud composition, mr. spock?
mr decker.
mr. decker, i will not provoke an attack, if that order isn't clear to you.
i stand corrected mr. decker. navigator, lay in a conic section flight path into the cloud center; bring us parallel to whatever we find in there.
communicated with us how?
forcefields now! deflectors up full!
engineering.  what's happening to our forcefields?!
mr. spock?
transmit, mr. spock! now!
any reply from them?
spock, have you sensed anything else?
our.  'insignificance'?
but they understood our messages; they broke off the attack.
tactical plot on viewer.
opinion, mister. spock?
mr. decker.  ?
that thing is twenty hours from earth. we know nothing about it yet.
how do you define unwarranted, mister?!
viewer, standard ahead.
mr. sulu, steady as she goes.
no vessel could generate a powerfield of this magnitude.
evaluation, mister spock?
transmit image of the alien to starfleet; advise we are attempting further communication.
reduce magnification. factor 4, mr. sulu.
adjust parallel course, navigator. bring us in to one hundred kilometers distance.
hold relative position here.
no one interfere! it doesn't seem interested in us -- only the ship!
computer off!
it's running our records! starfleet strength, earth defenses.
forcefields, full remaining strength! total reserve!
get someone up here to take the navigator's station! engineering.  full emergency power!
delay that order, scotty! disengage all main drive systems!
they could have many ways of destroying things, mr. decker.
viewer ahead.
maneuvering thrusters, mr. sulu; ahead one third. full sensor scan, mr. spock; they can't expect us not to look them over now!
hold station!
have you been able to analyze any of this?
have a security team meet me at deck four main elevator!
take the conn, mr. decker: hold present position.  spock.
who is'v'ger'?
is v'ger the captain of the alien vessel?
where is lt. ilia?
why does v'ger travel to the third planet of the solar system directly ahead?
find the creator? what creator? whose!? what does v'ger want of the 'creator'.  ?
who is v'ger?
the examination is a normal function.
they had a pattern to follow.
ilia's memory, her feelings of loyalty, friendship, obedience.  might all be there.
commander, we're locked in an alien vessel, six hours from earth orbit, our only contact with our captors is the probe. if we can control it, persuade it, use it in some way.
the decker-unit can assist you with much greater efficiency.
carry on with your assignment, mr. decker.
spock? concerned about his chances?
captain's log. stardate 7414.1. our best estimates place us some four hours from earth. no significant ilia memory patterns within the alien probe. this remains our only means of contact with our captor.
damn!
spock! get a fix on his position!
 i don't want him stopped, bones; i want him to lead me to whatever's out there!
then he'll have still led me to it, won't he?
i have him in sight.
bridge!
bridge, cancel rescue teams. spock, what in the hell are you doing out here!
answers to what, spock? our dilemma -- or your personal one?
and these 'sensor-swarms' collect that data, carry it here.
klingons.  our epsilon 9 station .  and ilia!! they seem to be more than just images.
if this is their ship's data banks, where is the crew? or is their entire ship automated?
spock.
spock, if you're right, its mind may be enormous.
were you right? spock? v'ger is a living machine?
and it considers the enterprise a living machine: that's why the probe refers to our ship as an entity.
know what, spock? what?
what should you have known?
what answers?
i'll be right there.  i need spock on the bridge.
a machine planet? sending a machine to earth looking for its creator?
'to find the creator,' the probe said. find god?
mr. chekov, commander decker's present location?
i want to make a ship's announcement. but it's to be heard only in engineering.
this is the captain speaking. it appears that the alien ship.  v'ger.  is not a manned vessel.
high mag, mr. sulu!
why?!
why?!
the carbon-units are not responsible for that.
v'ger! if we are lesser beings, we are still, like you, living. and because we are alive, we -- like you -- wish to survive. you must not destroy --
child!?
the carbon--units-know-why-the creator-has-not-responded.
not until v'ger withdraws the devices orbiting the third planet.
no. secure all stations. clear the bridge.
that was the order, mr. sulu: clear the bridge.
bridge secure all stations! move out!
if v'ger destroys the enterprise, the information v'ger requires will also be destroyed.
because v'ger is going to destroy all the carbon units on the third planet.
the information will not be disclosed.
then v'ger must withdraw its orbiting devices.
the orbiting devices would be controlled from the point, then?
the carbon units' information cannot be disclosed to v'ger's probe.  only to v'ger directly.
the question is, mr. decker, is there a next move.
resume duty stations, mr. decker.
well, mr. decker, it seems my bluff is being called.
mr. chekov, when do those devices activate?
engineering.
mr. scott, be prepared to execute starfleet order two zero zero five.
spock.  spock.
mr. spock -- i think.
not for us?
there is no alternative.
'is this all that i am? is there nothing more?
engineering.  status, mr. scott?
thank you, scotty. stand by.
mr. scott.  on my next signal.
the point.
, if we do not provide v'ger with certain information, we won't have twenty-two seconds; the plan must be implemented upon arrival.
no!
mr. scott.
mr. scott.  we're holding off; there may be a chance.  spock, bones.
mr. decker.  i will contact you every five minutes. otherwise.  inform mr. scott immediately.
mr. sulu, you have the conn.
v'ger plans to literally meld to reduce both itself and the creator to patterns.
our data is being prepared.
we will answer and present proof of our answer when it is ready!
v'ger, we will bring the creator to you! here!
there's no way to know. v'ger expected it to be a machine -- some single entity. all of us here may be reduced into patterns.
commander.
kirk here.
stand by. transmit it on my orders.
enterprise.  transmit.
enterprise, are you transmitting?
confirm code and transmitting frequency.
capture god! in order to retrieve v'ger's data, the creator has to physically come here!.
enterprise, i want that signal again. transmit!
spock, we were its answer!
 and the 'foolish' emotions which drive us?
ignore that signal. shall we give the enterprise a proper shakedown, mr. scott?
ahead warp one, mr. sulu.
out there. thataway.