What do you make of it?
It appears to be a probe from an intelligence unknown to us.
Transmit "peace" and "hello" in all known languages.
- Get me Starfleet Command. - Ready, Captain.
This is U.S.S. Saratoga patrolling sector five, neutral zone.
We're tracking a probe headed for the Terran solar system.
Attempts to communicate have been negative.
Continue tracking, we will advise.
Roger, Starfleet.
Six, five, four, three, two, one...
Hold the image. Hold!
Behold the quintessential devil in these matters: James T. Kirk.
He murdered a Klingon crew and stole their vessel.
But here is the real plot.
While we negotiated peace, Kirk was developing the Genesis torpedo.
It was conceived by Kirk's son, and tested by the Admiral himself.
This energy created what is called, euphemistically, the Genesis Planet.
A base from which to launch the annihilation of the Klingon people.
We demand the extradition of Kirk. We demand justice.
Klingon justice is a unique point of view.
Genesis was perfectly named. The creation of life, not death.
The Klingons shed the first blood, attempting to possess its secrets.
Vulcans are the intellectual puppets of this Federation.
Klingons destroyed U.S.S. Grissom. Your men killed Kirk's son.
- Do you deny these events? - We deny nothing.
- We must preserve our race. - By committing murder?
Silence!
There will be no further outbursts from the floor.
I have come to speak on behalf of the accused.
Personal bias. His son was saved by Kirk.
Mr. Ambassador, the Council's deliberations are over.
Kirk goes unpunished?
Admiral Kirk has been charged with violating Starfleet regulations.
Starfleet regulations? That's outrageous!
Remember this well: There shall be no peace as long as Kirk lives.
Captain's log, stardate 8390.
Three months of Vulcan exile.
Dr. McCoy decided upon a name for our captured Klingon vessel.
Like the mutineers of 500 years ago, we, too, have a hard choice to make.
Dr. McCoy, Mr. Scott, Uhura, Chekov, Sulu...
Aye, sir.
The commander and the crew of the late Starship Enterprise
have voted to return to Earth,
to face the consequences of their actions in the rescue of Capt. Spock.
Thank you all. Repair stations, please.
Mr. Scott, how soon can we be underway?
One more day. Damage control is easy.
Reading Klingon is hard.
It's bad enough to be court-martialed,
but to have to go home in this Klingon flea trap...
This flea trap has a cloaking device that cost us a lot.
Computer, resume testing.
T'plana-Hath, matron of Vulcan philosophy.
What is the molecular formula of aluminum sulphite crystal?
Queen takes knight, rook takes queen, pawn takes rook. Checkmate.
Correct.
The universal atmospheric compensator.
- Identify object. - Klingon mummification glyph.
What historic event took place on Earth in 1987?
- What is Kiri-Kin-Tha's first law? - Nothing unreal exists.
Adjust this sine wave so that antineutrons can pass through it.
What is Gadolinium?
How do you feel?
- I do not understand the question. - What is it, Spock?
- I do not understand, Mother. - You're half human.
- The computer knows that. - The question is irrelevant.
The retraining of your mind has been in the Vulcan way.
You may not understand feelings... but as my son, you have them.
As you wish, since you deem them of value.
- But I cannot wait here to find them... - Why? Where must you go?
I must go to Earth, to offer testimony.
- You do this for friendship. - I do it because I was there.
Spock... Does the good of the many outweigh the good of the one?
I would accept that as an axiom.
Then you stand here alive because of a mistake
made by your flawed, feeling, human friends.
They have sacrificed their futures because they believed
that the good of the one, you, was more important to them.
- Humans make illogical decisions. - They do indeed.
Here it comes now.
- What's causing that? - A powerful amplification wave.
- Can we isolate the wave? - No, it's impacting on our systems.
Yellow alert. Shields up. Reduce closing speed.
- Thrusters have been neutralized. - Emergency thrusters.
No response.
Emergency lights.
- Damage report? - Systems down. Reserve power only.
Starfleet Command, this is Saratoga. Can you hear me?
Come in, please.
Thank you, sir.
- Status report, Admiral. - Not good, Mr. President.
The probe is heading for us, damaging everything in its path.
The Klingons have lost two vessels.
Two starships and three smaller vessels have been neutralized.
- Neutralized? How? - We don't know.
Get me the Yorktown.
Emergency channel 0130. Code red.
Since contact with the alien probe, all attempts to regain power have failed.
It's using forms of energy we do not understand.
- Can you protect us? - We're launching everything.
We are trying to deploy a makeshift solar sail
to generate enough power to keep us alive.
- Systems report. - Communications systems all ready.
Communications officer, as ready as she'll ever be.
Guidance has a functional interface with the Federation memory bank.
Weapons systems and cloaking device are operational.
I'm impressed.
We're in an enemy vessel. I did not wish to be shot down.
Engine room, report.
We're ready. The dilithium sequencer is now a little less primitive.
And I've replaced the Klingon food packs.
- They were giving me a sour stomach. - Is that what it was?
Prepare for departure. Everybody not going to Earth had better get off.
- Saavik... this is goodbye. - Yes, Admiral.
Thank you.
Sir, I have not had the opportunity to tell you about your son.
David died most bravely. He saved Spock.
He saved us all. I thought you should know.
Good day, Capt. Spock. May your journey be free of incident.
Live long and prosper, Lieutenant.
Permission to come aboard, Admiral.
Jim, Spock. Don't you remember?
It would not be proper to refer to you as Jim while you're in command.
Also, I must apologize for my attire. I seem to have misplaced my uniform.
Station.
- Is this a good idea? - What?
Him, back at his post like nothing happened.
He's not exactly working on all thrusters.
- It'll come back to him. - Are you sure?
That's what I thought.
Mr. Sulu, take us home.
Thrusters functional.
One quarter impulse power.
Space dock, this is Starfleet. Launch all vessels.
Space dock doors are inoperative. All systems are non-functional.
Starfleet, this is space dock. We have lost all internal power.
Estimating planet Earth, 1.6 hours at present speed.
Continue on course. Any sign of Federation escort?
No, sir, and no Federation vessels on patrol.
That's odd. Uhura, what's on the com channels?
Very active. Multi-phasic transmissions. Almost a gibberish.
Let me see if I can sort it out.
Hi. Busy?
Uhura is busy. I am monitoring.
It sure is nice to have your Katra back in your head, and not mine.
I may have carried your soul, but I sure couldn't fill your shoes.
My shoes?
Forget it.
Perhaps we could cover a little philosophical ground.
Life, death, life. Things of that nature.
I've not yet reviewed the philosophical disciplines.
Come on. You really have gone where no man has gone before.
- Tell me what it felt like. - We have no frame of reference.
- You're joking. - A joke is a humorous story.
I have to die to discuss your insights on death?
I'm receiving a number of distress calls.
I don't doubt it.
Juneau, Alaska. Clouds increasing to 95%.
Tokyo, total cloud coverage.
Leningrad has lost all electrical power.
Cloud coverage 100%. Temperature decreasing rapidly.
- What is Earth's total cloud coverage? - 78.6%.
Starfleet emergency. Red alert. Switch to planetary power reserves.
Even with all planetary reserves we cannot survive without the sun.
I'm well aware of that.
Ambassador Sarek, I'm afraid you're trapped here with us.
There's no way we can answer this probe.
It's difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Perhaps you should transmit a planetary distress signal...
...while we still have time.
- Admiral? - What is it?
Overlapping distress calls and a message from the Federation.
This is the President of the United Federation of Planets.
Do not approach Earth.
The transmissions of an orbiting probe are critically damaging this planet.
It is ionizing our atmosphere. All power sources have failed.
Earth-orbiting starships are powerless. The probe is vaporizing our oceans.
We cannot survive unless a way can be found to respond to the probe.
Further communications may not be possible.
Save your energy. Save yourselves.
Avoid the planet Earth at all costs. Farewell.
Let's hear the probe's transmission.
Yes, sir. On speakers.
- What do you make of that? - Most unusual.
An unknown form of energy of great power and intelligence,
unaware that its transmissions are disruptive.
I find it illogical that its intentions be hostile.
You think this is its way of saying, "Hi, there!" to Earth?
Only human arrogance would assume the message must be meant for man.
You're suggesting the transmission is meant for a life form other than man?
It is a possibility. The President did say it was directed at Earth's oceans.
Can you modify the signals accounting for density, temperature and salinity.
I can try, sir.
I think I have it.
This is what it would sound like underwater?
Fascinating.
If my suspicion is correct, there can be no response to this message.
- Where are you going? - To test my theory.
- Bones, you stay here. - No way, I want to keep an eye on him.
As suspected, the transmissions are the songs sung by whales.
- Whales? - Specifically, humpback whales.
That's crazy. Who would send a probe to talk to a whale?
Whales were on Earth far earlier than man.
10 million years earlier. Humpbacks were heavily hunted.
They died out in the 21st century.
The alien probe could be here to determine why they lost contact.
Could the humpback's answer to this call be simulated?
The sounds, but not the language. We would be responding in gibberish.
- Can the species be found elsewhere? - Humpbacks were indigenous to Earth.
Then we have no choice. We must destroy the probe.
To attempt to do so would be futile.
We can't just turn away. There must be an alternative.
There is one possibility. We could attempt to find some whales.
You just said there aren't any, except on Earth of the past.
In that case... Wait just a damn minute.
Spock, start your computations for time warp.
Bones, come with me.
We need that power to keep medical facilities functioning.
All underground storage systems have been shut down.
- How long is this bay? - About 60 feet.
- Can you enclose it to hold water? - Are you planning to take a swim?
- Off the deep end. - We've got to find some humpbacks.
- Humpbacked people? - Whales.
45-50 feet long, about 40 tons each.
You're going to try time travel in this rust bucket?
You'd have to slingshot around the sun to pick up enough speed.
- Would you prefer to do nothing? - I prefer common sense.
We go back in time, find some whales, then bring them forward in time,
and hope to hell they tell this probe to clear off?
- That's crazy! - You have a better idea?
- Computation is in progress. - Uhura, get me Starfleet Command.
I'm picking up a faint transmission from Admiral Kirk.
On screen.
Starfleet Command, this is Admiral James T. Kirk.
We have intercepted and analyzed the call of the probe.
Go to reserve power.
It is our opinion that only the extinct humpback whale
can give a proper response to the probe.
Stabilize. Emergency reserve.
We are going to attempt time travel.
We are computing our trajectory at this time.
Get him back!
Ready to engage computer.
- What's our target in time? - Late 20th century.
I've had to programme some of the variables from memory.
- What are the variables? - Availability of fuel. Mass of the vessel.
Probable location of whales. In this case, the Pacific Basin.
- You programmed that from memory? - I have.
- "Angels and ministers defend us." - "Hamlet", act 1, scene IV.
No doubt about your memory. Prepare for warp speed.
- Shields, Mr. Chekov. - Shields.
May fortune favor the foolish.
Warp speed, Mr. Sulu.
Warp 2.
- Warp 3. - Steady as she goes.
Warp 4.
Warp 5.
Warp 6.
Warp 7.
- Warp 8. - Heat shields at maximum.
Warp 9!
- 9.2, 9.3... - We need breakaway speed.
9.5, 9.6, 9.7...
9.8...
Now!
I should never have left him.
Jim, where are we?
You're talking about the end of everybody on Earth.
Mr. Sulu...
Mr. Sulu.
- Aye, sir. - What is our condition?
- The breaking thrusters have fired. - Picture, please.
Earth... But when? Spock?
Judging by atmospheric pollution, the latter half of the 20th century.
- Well done, Spock. - We may be visible to them.
Quite right. Engage cloaking device.
- Crossing the terminator into night. - The west coast of North America.
- I am receiving whale song. - Put them on speakers.
This is strange.
The song is coming directly from San Francisco.
From the city? That doesn't make sense.
We have a serious problem.
It's these Klingon crystals. The time travel drained them.
- They're decrystalizing. - Give me a round figure.
24 hours, staying cloaked. After that we're visible and dead in the water.
We haven't the power to break out of Earth's gravity or get home.
We can't stop now. Can't we recrystalize the dilithium?
We can't even do that in the 23rd century.
Admiral, there may be a 20th century possibility.
I recall there was a dubious flirtation with nuclear fission reactors.
They resulted in toxic side-effects and were replaced in the fusion era.
But at this time, we may be able to find some.
- But you said they were toxic. - We collect only high-energy photons.
These photons would recrystalize the dilithium structure... theoretically.
- Where would we find these reactors? - They were used in naval vessels.
San Francisco. I was born there.
It doesn't look all that different.
- Set us down in Golden Gate Park. - Aye, sir. Descending.
Uhura and Chekov are assigned the uranium problem.
Dr. McCoy, Mr. Scott and Mr. Sulu will convert us a whale tank.
Oh, joy!
Capt. Spock and I will attempt to trace these whale songs.
Be very careful, this is terra incognita.
Many of their customs will take us by surprise.
None of these people have ever seen an extraterrestrial.
This is a primitive and paranoid culture.
Take a phaser and a communicator.
Radio silence except in emergencies. Remove your rank insignia.
Any questions? All right.
Let's do our job and get out of here. Our own world is waiting for us.
- Commence landing procedure. - Aye, sir.
Were you two fighting again? I thought you made up.
- Why are you two always fighting? - I like the way she fights.
I told her I wasn't spending $60 on a damn toaster oven.
- What did she say to that? - Well...
What the hell was that?
- Did you see that? - No, and neither did you.
- Bearing to the whales? - 283 degrees, 15.2 kilometers.
Everybody remember where we parked.
Watch where you're going, dumb-ass!
Double dumb-ass on you!
- It's a miracle our race survived. - They're still using money.
Spock. The rest of you stay here.
Break up, you look like a cadet review.
18th century American. Quite valuable.
- You do want to part with them? - How much will you give me?
- Those were a gift from Dr. McCoy. - And they will be again.
- How much? - The lenses aren't intact.
- I'll give you $100. - Is that a lot?
That's all there is. Don't splurge.
All set? Good hunting.
Thanks to your restored memory, and a little bit of good luck,
we're walking around San Francisco looking for humpback whales.
- How will you solve this problem? - Simple logic will suffice.
I will make use of this map.
I have the distance and bearing from Uhura.
283.7 degrees...
We'll find what we're looking for at the Cetacean Institute in Sausalito.
- How do you know this? - Simple logic.
What does "exact change" mean?
How do we convert this tank?
- If I had transparent aluminum... - You're years too early for that.
- Let's find their equivalent. - But where?
- Did you find it? - Yes, now we need directions.
Excuse me, can you direct me to the naval base in Alameda?
It's where they keep the nuclear vessels.
Nuclear vessels.
- Excuse us... - We are looking for nuclear vessels.
Can you tell me where the naval base is in Alameda?
Hello, we are looking for the nuclear vessels in Alameda.
- Can you help us? - Where is the Alameda naval base?
- Where are the nuclear vessels? - Across the bay in Alameda.
That's what I said, Alameda.
Excuse me.
Excuse me, would you mind stopping that noise?
Excuse me, would you mind stopping that damn noise?
- Admiral, may I ask you a question? - Don't call me Admiral.
You used to call me Jim. What's your question?
Your use of language has altered since our arrival.
It is currently laced with more colorful metaphors.
- "Double dumb-ass on you." - The profanity?
That's the way they talk. Nobody pays any attention unless you swear.
- Look at the literature of the period. - For example?
The works of Jacqueline Susann. The novels of Harold Robbins.
"The Giants".
The next showing of "The World of Whales" begins in five minutes.
Here I go.
Good morning, I'm your guide this morning. I'm Dr. Gillian Taylor.
I'm assistant director of the Maritime Cetacean Institute.
The Cetacean Institute is the only museum devoted to whales.
We have a great deal to offer,
but that is small compared to what we don't know about whales.
One commonly held misconception is that whales are fish.
They're not. They're mammals like you and me.
Warm blooded, breathing air and producing milk to nurse their young.
- Do whales attack people? - No.
Most whales don't have teeth, they have a gum-like tissue
that strains tiny shrimp for food, and that is the limit of their hostility.
Unfortunately, their principal enemy is far more aggressive.
- You mean man? - To put it mildly.
Men have always harvested whales for a variety of purposes,
most of which can be synthesized.
100 years ago, using hand-thrown harpoons, man did plenty of damage.
But that is nothing compared to what he has achieved in this century.
Mankind has hunted whales to the brink of extinction.
Virtually gone is the blue whale, the largest creature on Earth.
Despite all attempts to ban whaling, there are still countries and pirates
currently engaged in the slaughter of these creatures.
Humpback whales, once numerous, now number about 10,000 specimens.
Those that are taken are no longer fully grown.
In addition, many of the female whales are killed with their unborn calves.
To hunt a species to extinction is not logical.
Whoever said the human race was logical?
If you'll follow me, I'll introduce you to the institute's pride and joy.
This is the largest seawater tank in the world.
It contains the only two humpback whales in captivity.
They are mature humpbacks weighing 45,000 pounds each.
They wandered into San Francisco Bay as calves and were brought here.
We call them George and Gracie.
It's perfect. A male and female in a tank.
We can beam them up together.
Beautiful, aren't they? And extremely intelligent.
If you'll follow me, please.
Despite all they're teaching us, we have to return them to the open sea.
We simply don't have enough money to feed them two tons of shrimp a day.
- How soon? - Soon.
It's too bad, because they're really quite friendly.
I've grown quite attached to them.
Now here's a much better way to see George and Gracie. Underwater.
What you're hearing is recorded whale song, sung by the male.
He'll sing anywhere from 6 to 30 minutes.
In the ocean, other whales will pick up the song and pass it on.
The songs change every year. We don't know their purpose.
Are they a navigational signal?
Are they part of the mating ritual?
Or is it pure communication beyond our comprehension?
Frankly, we just don't know.
Maybe he's singing to that man.
What the hell?! Excuse me, wait right here.
Excuse me, please.
- What were you doing in there? - Yes, speak up.
- Attempting the hell to communicate. - You have no right to be here!
You heard the lady.
If we assumed that these whales are ours to do with as we please,
we would be as guilty as those who caused their extinction.
I want you guys out of here before I call the cops.
We were only trying to help.
Your friend was messing up my whales.
They like you, but they are not the hell your whales.
- I suppose they told you that. - The hell they did.
Right.
Spock, about those colorful metaphors we discussed.
Don't use them any more. You haven't quite got the knack of it.
And another thing, it's not always necessary to tell the truth.
- I cannot tell a lie. - I don't mean lie.
But you could exaggerate. You've done it before.
- Can't you remember? - The hell I can't.
- What else did you learn? - Their species is unhappy with man.
- Are they going to help us? - I communicated our intentions.
It's all right. I know. They didn't mean any harm.
- I heard there was some excitement. - Just a couple of kooks.
- How are you doing? - I'm fine.
Don't tell me fish stories, I've known you too long.
Bob, it's tearing me apart.
I feel the same, but we're stuck between a rock and a hard place.
If we keep them here or let them go, we're still risking their lives.
I know.
They're not human beings. Their intelligence is...
My compassion is not limited to my estimation of one's intelligence.
- Team leader, this is team two. - I have the co-ordinates of the reactor.
- Kirk here. - We have found the nuclear vessel.
- Well done. - Admiral, it is the Enterprise.
Understood. What's your plan?
We will beam in tonight and collect the photons. No one will know.
Understood and approved.
Kirk out.
There she is. If we play our cards right, we can find out about the whales.
- How will playing cards help? - It's Robin Hood and Friar Tuck.
- Where are you fellas heading? - Back to San Francisco.
You came all this way just for a swim?
- I won't try to explain. - I'll buy that.
- What about him? - He's harmless.
Back in the 60s, he was part of the free-speech movement at Berkeley.
- He did a little too much LDS. - LDS?
I'll give you a lift. I have a notorious weakness for hard-luck cases.
- We don't want to be any trouble. - You've already been that. Come on.
Thank you very much.
Don't try anything. I've got a tire iron right where I can get at it.
- So, you were at Berkeley? - I was not.
- Memory problems, too. - Where are you from?
- Iowa. - A landlubber.
What the hell were you guys really trying to do back there?
Was it some kind of macho thing? I really hate that macho stuff.
- Can I ask you a question? - Go ahead.
What's going to happen when you release the whales?
- They'll have to take their chances. - What does that mean exactly?
They'll be at risk from whale hunters just like all other humpbacks.
What did you mean with all that stuff about extinction?
He meant what you said on the tour, that humpbacks may well disappear.
That's not what he said, farmboy.
"We would be as guilty as those who caused," past tense, "their extinction."
I have a photographic memory. I see words.
Are you sure it isn't time for a colorful metaphor?
Are you some dipshit army guy trying to teach whales to retrieve torpedoes?
- No dipshit. - Good, I'd have let you off here.
Gracie is pregnant.
Who are you? Don't jerk me around. How do you know that?
We can't tell you that. Let me finish.
We're not in the military and we intend no harm to the whales.
We may be able to help you in ways you couldn't possibly imagine.
- Or believe, I'll bet. - Very likely.
- You're not catching us at our best. - That much is certain.
I think we'd all be a lot happier discussing this over dinner.
What do you say?
Do you guys like Italian?
- No. - Yes.
Yes, I love Italian... and so do you.
Professor Scott, I'm Dr. Nichols, plant manager.
I'm terribly sorry. There's been an awful mix-up.
I was never told about your visit.
I tried to clear things up. I explained that you'd come from Edinburgh
to study Plexicorp's manufacturing, but they don't know anything about it.
Don't know anything about it?
- I've come millions of miles. - Thousands!
I was invited on an inspection. I demand to see the owners.
Dr. Nichols has offered to take us around the plant personally.
- He has? - With pleasure.
- That's different. - Gregory.
- May my assistant join us? - Of course.
Don't bury yourself in the part.
Hi. A good-looking ship. Huey 204, isn't it?
- Right on, do you fly? - Here and there.
I flew something similar in my Academy days.
- Then this must be old stuff to you. - Yes...
But interesting. Can I ask you a few questions?