- The Enterprise crew is being observed to evaluate their suitability to meet with advanced civilizations.
- Enterprise is on a mission to contact alien life forms, and on board as an independent observer is a member of a recently contacted Alien species Commander Ari Bn Bem (James Doohan), from Planet Pandro in Garo VII system. They are in orbit around planet Delta Theta III, a newly discovered Class M planet. A previous mission reported Aboriginal life forms and Enterprise is to investigate and report.
Bem decides to beam down with Kirk. Kirk is intrigued since Bem spent the last 6 missions in his cabin, and only now wants to "observe".. Kirk knows that the mission is dangerous, but Bem is adamant that he wants to beam down and observe the operations of the landing party. Once on the planet, Bem switches the communicators on Kirk and Spock with his own models. Uhura meanwhile picks up a sensory anomaly on the planet, which looks like a Statis field. it is far away at present, but is steadily expanding.
Meanwhile, as Bem finds readings of life forms, he runs ahead and allows himself to be captured by the Aboriginals (Bem is an advanced being and his body parts can easily dissociate from one another and then seamlessly come back together to make a complete whole). Uhura takes note of the expanding field and beams up Scott and Sulu, but she cant contact Kirk and Spock (who are separated from the main group, while chasing Bem). Kirk tries to contact the Enterprise, but cant.
They try to rescue Bem at nightfall, but are captured themselves. Bem is confronted by Kirk and Spock for switching their phasers and communicators and he readily admits and returns them. Bem demonstrates that he a colony creature and can disassemble at will. Kirk and Spock understand that Ben has allowed himself to be captured, so he can observe the aboriginals. But now the sensory anomaly has covered the entire continent and the Enterprise cannot get any readings at all from the surface. Kirk and Spock decide to escape and are confronted by the Aboriginals. As they prep to fire phaser, the Statis field paralyzes them and asks them not to harm its children. The Statis field admonishes Kirk saying that her children are not for the Federation to "test" and removes the phasers from their hands. In captivity, Bem admonishes Kirk for failing to deal with the situations thrown at him and dismembers himself to set himself free. Bem refuses to deal with inferior species such as the humans.
Spock and Kirk talk to the alien intelligence and apologize for their actions. They offer to leave the planet and not bother them. The alien sets them free and allows them to leave immediately, but Kirk wont leave without Bem. Kirk asks Scott to beam down with a security detail and he stuns the natives to free Bem. Bem is ashamed of his conduct and thinks he erred in judging Kirk and Spock. The alien intelligence is angry that Kirk is still here. But Kirk is resolute that he wont leave one of his own behind, as Bem is his responsibility. The alien intelligence agrees and consoles Bem not to commit suicide as his species is above revenge and asks him to learn from his error The entire landing party is allowed to leave. Kirk classifies the planet as in extreme quarantine, and no Federation vessel will ever approach it even in extreme circumstances.
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