प्लॉट

Kirk draws a court martial in the negligent death of a crewman.

After encountering a severe ion storm, the Enterprise visits Star Base 11 for repairs. While there, Kirk files a report about the death of crewman and former friend LCDR Finney, who was taking scientific readings in an externally mounted instrument pod before Kirk needed to jettison it for the safety of the ship. However, the computer log shows that Kirk jettisoned the pod before there was a danger, thereby revealing the captain's willful perjury and culpable negligence in crewman Finney's death. Or so it would seem.—Tony-B4

Captain Kirk finds himself facing a court-martial following the death of crewman Lt. Cmdr. Ben Finney. He and Finney had once been good friends since meeting at the academy, even though Kirk later was the man who reported him once while on watch. Kirk also meets a lost love, Lt. Areel Shaw, who, it turns out, will be the prosecuting officer. She recommends he retain the somewhat eccentric Samuel T. Cogley as his attorney, a man who eschews computers in favor of books. The evidence against Kirk is damning and clearly shows his actions caused Finney's death. It is Mr. Spock's ability to beat the computer at chess that provides the solution to the mystery.—garykmcd

But as he in the office of a Commodore Stone on Earth, after a very tough journey through an ion storm, where his records officer, Benjamin Finney (Richard Webb), was lost when the recording pod was jettisoned after the red alert flashed (a necessary rule), a very young girl runs up to him screaming. "You killed my father." she screams. This is the daughter of Ben Finney. Her name is Jamie (Alice Rawlings), and her hair is in braids and she is crying. The Commodore arrests Kirk after he ascertains from the computer logs that Kirk jettisoned the pod before going to red alert.

Kirk knew Finney as an instructor at the academy. They were both assigned to the same ship, when Finney made a mistake, which Kirk found and corrected, and saved the ship, which otherwise would have blown. Finney was reprimanded and demoted. During the storm, Kirk had assigned Finney to the pod, as it was his turn. Kirk went first to yellow and then to red alert. Finney couldn't return in time and Kirk jettisoned the pod. But the computer recording shows that Kirk was still on Yellow alert.

Kirk meets an old romantic friend, Areel Shaw (Joan Marshall). Areel works here at the Starbase as an ensign-lawyer. Kirk still likes her, but now he has a ship and she is a lawyer, so they only meet to kiss sometimes and talk. Areel is the prosecuting attorney on Kirk's case The trial begins. There is a panel of four judges. The main judge is African and the other three are Indian, Caucasian and a female. Areel Shaw is at the prosecution table. Kirk sits at the defense table with Sam Cogley, an eccentric man who relies on books, not computers, for his knowledge of the case. Areel calls Dr. McCoy. She says "Doctor, would you consider yourself an expert in space psychology?" McCoy says "I suppose so." "Suppose, hypothetically, that crewman A resented Captain B, and showed it. Wouldn't Captain B begin to hate Crewman A back?" McCoy agrees

Then Areel calls Mr Spock. Spock states that it is impossible for Kirk to jettison the pod without the red alert. He states that the computer is wrong. Now Cogley looks straight into Kirk's eyes. "Captain Kirk, you recall jettisoning the pod during the ion storm." Kirk says "I do." Cogley continues "Do you swear that you jettisoned the pod after and not before the red alert?" Kirk looks directly at Cogley. "It was after the red alert." Areel looks sad. "It gives me no pleasure to do this your honor, but will the computer record please be played. The taped record is played on the view-screen. There is a closeup on Kirk's control panel on his Captain's chair. The alert light is yellow, not red. Then his finger ejects the pod. Kirk look amazed at the screen. "But that's not the way it happened."

Spock is confused. He transports quickly to the ship and plays several quick games of three dimensional chess with the computer, then beams back down. The trial is ending. Areel Shaw says "That is the prosecution's case, your honor.". Suddenly, Spock bursts into the courtroom and rushes to Cogley and whispers to him. Cogley states that The greatest documents which have formed all the laws since the beginning of time. The Bible, the Codes of Hammurabi and Justinian, the Constitution of the United States, the Fundamental Declarations of the Martian Colonies, the Codes of Alpha III. Can you condemn a man based on a computer record?" "What would you have us do, Mr. Cogley?" Cogley say loudly "I want to question the prime witness against my client. The computer."

Now it is several minutes later, the crew of the ship has been beamed down, and only the four judges, Areel, Cogley, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the transporter chief are aboard. McCoy uses a white-sound masking device to block the sounds of the heartbeats of those on the bridge, which are thumping on the loudspeaker. Meanwhile, Cogley questions Spock. "Mr. Spock, you beamed up to the ship during the trial. Why?" Spock responds "I could not believe the Captain would act out of spite or malice. I wanted to check the computer. I played several games of 3-D chess." "What was the result?' Cogley asks. "I won all the games. This is impossible. The computer's program must have been altered."

Cogley asks "Who would have the knowledge to effect such a change?" Spock replies calmly "Myself, or the records officer." "And at the moment, you have no records officer." Spock says "True. Until the accident, the records officer was Benjamin Finney. By now, McCoy has masked all the heartbeats. Cogley says "Now mask the heartbeat of the transporter chief on the transporter deck. It is done. There is still one heartbeat, pulsing, over the loudspeaker. The black judge listens and it dawns on him "Finney!"

Kirk and Spock go below decks to find Finney. He had faked his own death to discredit Kirk. He always held secret hatred for Kirk since his younger days when Kirk logged an error Finney had made on another ship. They find him in the engine room, looking like a madman, holding a phaser pistol. "You found me, but it's too late, I've shut off your engines. The Enterprise will crash into the planet, you'll all die." Kirk says "Including your daughter Jasmie. She's been beamed aboard." Finney screams "WHY would you do that!!" He is knocked unconscious by Spock. And he babbles the pieces of the engine he removed. They are saved.

Kirk and Areel are standing together now on the bridge before the Enterprise is leaving for its next mission. She tells him Cogley is defending Finney, and she hopes he'll win. THen she gives a sweet smile and asks Kirk "Do you think it would cause a breach of discipline if a lowly ensign 'kissed' a Captain on the bridge of his ship?" Kirk says "Let's find out." He kisses her romantically. Spock raises an eyebrow, as usual.