"Here's the report on Pollux V, captain." "This entire system has been almost the same." "A strange lack of intelligent life on the planets." "It bucks the percentages." "Bucks them." "Well, carry out the standard procedures on Pollux IV." "Aye, sir." "Lieutenant, you look a bit tired this morning." "Well, I was up all night working on this report." "In that case, there's nothing like a wee bit of coffee to get you back in shape." " Join me, Carolyn?" " All right, Scotty." "Just let me give this to Mr. Spock." "Bones, could you get that excited over a cup of coffee?" "Even from here, I can tell his pulse rate's up." "Gentlemen." "Come along, my dear." "I'm not sure I like that, Jim." "Why, Bones?" "Scotty's a good man." "And he thinks he's the right man for her, but I'm not sure she thinks he's the right man." "On the other hand, she's a woman." "All woman." "One day, she'll find the right man." "Off she'll go, out of the service." "I like to think of it not so much as losing an officer as gaining..." "Come along." "Actually, I'm losing an officer." "Entering standard orbit around Pollux IV, sir." " Cartographic details." "Stand by." " Standing by, sir." "Preliminary reports, Mr. Spock." "Pollux IV." "Class-M type planet." "Oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere." "Sensors indicate no life forms." "Approximate age:" "Four billion years." "Judged:" "No reason for contact." "In all respects, quite ordinary, captain." "Cartographic sections, implement standard orders." "All cartographic scanners, full automatic." "Captain." "What in the name of?" " Analysis, Mr. Spock." " Momentarily." "Am I seeing things?" "Not unless I am too." "Captain, that thing's a giant hand." "What is it, Mr. Spock?" "Is it a hand?" "Negative, captain." "Not living tissue." "A trick, then." "A projection?" "Not a projection, sir." "A field of energy." " Hard about." " Hard about." "We can't seem to get away from it." "It's almost as if it means to grab us." " Reverse all engines." " All engines, reverse." "We're dead still, captain." "Helm doesn't answer." "We can't move." "Space, the final frontier." "These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise." "Its five-year mission:" "To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no man has gone before." "Captain's log, stardate 3468.1." "While approaching Pollux IV, a planet in the Beta Geminorum system, the Enterprise has been stopped in space by an unknown force of some kind." "Lieutenant, relay our position and circumstances to Starbase 12 immediately." " Aye, aye, sir." " Mr. Sulu." "Try rocking the ship." "Full impulse power, forward and back." "Aye, aye, sir." "Damage report coming in, captain." "Situation under control." "Minor damage, Stations 3, 7 and 19." "Sickbay reports five minor injuries." "All being treated." "Thank you." " Mr. Sulu?" " Applying thrust, sir." "No results, captain." "We're stuck tight." "Mr. Spock." "Status?" "The ship is almost completely encircled by the field." "It resembles a conventional force field, but on unusual wavelengths." "Despite its appearance, that of a human appendage, it is definitely not living tissue." "It is energy." "Thank you." "Mr. Sulu." "Our forward tractor beams, adjust to repel." "Aye, aye, sir." " Standing by." " Activate." "Ineffective, captain." "There doesn't seem to be anything to push against." "Captain, a most curious development on Scanner 57." "Let's all take a look at it, Mr. Spock." "Screen on, captain." "Activity on Hailing Channel 3, sir." "Put it on audio, lieutenant." "The aeons have passed, and what has been written has come about." "You are most welcome, my beloved children." "Your places await you." " Response frequency, lieutenant." " Calculated." "Channel open, sir." "You have left your plains and valleys and made this bold venture." "So it was in the beginning." "You have made me proud." "Now you can rest." "This is Captain James T. Kirk, commanding the USS Enterprise." " Please identify yourself." " We shall remember together." "We shall drink the sacramental wine." "There shall be the music of the pipes." "The long wait has ended." "Are you responsible for stopping the ship?" "Yes," "I caused the wind to withdraw from your sails." "Give it back, then we'll talk." "It has been 5,000 years." "Have you learned no patience in that time?" "I don't know who or what you are." "But I must warn you, we have the power to defend ourselves." "If you value your safety, release this ship." "You have the same fire." "How like your fathers you are." "Agamemnon, Hector, Odysseus..." "Never mind the history lesson, release the ship." "You will obey me, lest I close my hand... thus." "External pressure building up, captain." "Eight hundred gsc and climbing." "Compensate." "One thousand gsc and climbing." "It's becoming critical, captain." "We can't handle it." "All right, whatever you're doing, turn it off." "You win." "Pressure's gone, captain." "Space-normal on hull." "That was your first lesson." "Remember it." "Captain Kirk, I invite you and your officers to join me." "But do not bring that one, the one with the pointed ears." "He is much like Pan, and Pan always bored me." "No sad faces." "This is a time to rejoice, not to fear." "You are returning home." "Let your hearts prepare to sing." "Let's go, Bones." " You in good voice?" " You sure it's wise, Jim?" "If we don't accept his invitation, we'll have a crushed eggshell where this ship used to be." "Verbose, isn't he?" "Insulted, Spock?" "Insults are effective only where emotion is present." "Good." "We'll tackle him together." "We already know the questions." "You're the best man to find the answers." "Tricorders." " What am I doing down here, doctor?" " You're the AA officer, aren't you?" "Archaeology, anthropology, ancient civilisations?" "Correct." "Well, we're going to need help in all those areas." "Come on." "My children, long have I waited for this moment." "The memories you bring of your lush and beautiful Earth." "Green fields and blue skies, the simple shepherds and their flocks." "You know of Earth?" "You've been there?" "Once I stretched out my hand and Earth trembled, and I breathed upon it and spring returned." "You mentioned Agamemnon, Hector, Odysseus." "How do you know about them?" "Search your most distant memories." "Those of the thousands of years past, and I am there." "Your fathers knew me, and your fathers' fathers." "I am Apollo." " And I am the czar of all the Russias." " Mr. Chekov." "I'm sorry, captain." "I never met a god before." " And you haven't yet." "Readings?" " Simple humanoid, captain." "Evidently not so simple." "Earth mother of the most beautiful of women in the universe." "That, at least, has not changed." "I am pleased." "Yes, my children." "Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, a gallant band of travelers." "We knew your Earth well 5,000 of your years ago." "All right, we're here at your invitation." "Would you mind telling us what you want without all the Olympian generalities?" "You will not leave this place." "Transporter Room." "Your transportation device no longer functions." "Enterprise, come in." "I will not permit that device to work either, captain." "What is it you want?" "You will worship me, as your fathers did before you." "If you wanna play god and call yourself Apollo, that's your business." " But you're no god to us, mister." " I said, you would worship me." " And you've got a lot to learn." " And so have you!" "Let the lesson begin." "Welcome to Olympus, Captain Kirk." "Mr. Spock, I can't contact the landing party." "All frequencies are jammed." " Try to break through." " Aye, sir." " Transporter and communications?" " Inefficient." "Mr. Sulu, rig all transmission circuits for maximum power generation." "Compute for reversal of polarity of the field around the ship." "Working, sir." "I want a complete sensor scan of the planet." " Aye, sir." " Locate all life forms." "I wanna know what's going on down there." "To coin a phrase, fascinating." "Analysis." "Lieutenant Palamas, what do you know about Apollo?" "Apollo, twin brother of Artemis, son of the god Zeus and Leto, a mortal." "He was the god of light and purity." "He was skilled in the bow and the lyre." "And this thing?" "Obviously, he has some knowledge of Earth." "His classical references and the appearance of all this." "I think the appearance of all this is for our benefit." "Bones?" "Well, I can't say much until I check out these readings." "He looks human, but of course that doesn't mean a thing." "Whatever he is, sir, he seems to control a remarkable technology." "Power is what he controls." "You can't do tricks like that without energy." "Fine, but what power?" "Where is it?" "Scout around with your tricorders." "Find the source of that power." " Bones." " Yeah?" "Bones, I wonder if 5,000 years ago..." " You have a theory?" " I have an idea." "What if he is really Apollo?" " What?" " Captain?" "I want from you that which is rightfully mine." "Your loyalty, your tribute and your worship." "May I ask what you offer in exchange for this worship?" "Life in paradise, as simple and as pleasureful as it was those thousands of years ago on that beautiful planet so far away." "Apollo we're willing to talk, but you'll find we don't bow to every creature who happens to have a bag of tricks." "Agamemnon was one such as you." "And Hercules." "Pride and arrogance." "They defied me until they felt my wrath." "I would like to point out that we are quite capable of some wrath ourselves." "I have 430 people on that ship up there." "No, you do not, captain." "They are mine." "To save, to cherish, or to destroy at my will." "But why?" "What you've said so far makes no sense at all." "How like Aphrodite and Athena." "The beauty, grace." "You seem wise for a woman." " What is your name?" " Lieutenant Palamas." "I mean your name." "Carolyn." "Carolyn." "Yes." "You are beautiful." "You would do Aphrodite credit." "I will tell you a thousand tales, stories of courage and love." "You will know what it is to be a goddess." "Leave her alone!" "You protest?" " You risk much." " And so do you." "Scotty." "Very impressive." "How'd you do it?" "I've grown weary of discussion and argument." "Captain, the phasers." "All the working parts are fused." "None of your toys will function." "Yes, you are a beauty." "But like Artemis, the bow arm should be bare." "Oh, it's beautiful." "Yes." " Come." " She's not going with you." "He shall learn the discipline of the temple." "So shall you all." "Come." "It's all right, captain." "I'll go." "Without fear." "She is fit indeed." "Bones, how is he?" "Stunned, but coming around." "I'm not sure it's wise to let her go off like that." "He would have been rather difficult to stop." "You saw how capricious he is." "Benevolent one minute, angry the next." "One wrong move from her and he could kill her." "Mr. Chekov, I think you'd better continue your investigation." "Aye, aye, sir." "Well, how do you feel, Scotty?" "I am tingling all over." " Did he take her with him?" " It would seem so." "Captain, we've got to stop him." "He wants her." " The way he looked at her..." " Mr. Scott!" "I understand your concern over her, but she volunteered to go with him." "Hopefully, to find out more." "She's doing her job." "I think it's about time you started doing yours." "We've got to find out the source of his power." "You've got a tricorder." "Use it, if you're able to." " I'm able, sir." " And one more thing." "I want no more unauthorized action against Apollo or whatever he is." " That's an order." " Aye, aye, sir." "Besides, you stiff-necked thistlehead, you could have gotten yourself killed." "Aye." " Scotty doesn't believe in gods." " Apollo's no god." "But he could have been taken for one, though, once." "Say 5,000 years ago, a highly sophisticated group of space travelers landed on Earth around the Mediterranean." "Yes." "To the simple shepherds and tribesmen of early Greece, creatures like that would have been gods." "Especially if they had the power to alter their form at will and command great energy." "In fact, they couldn't have been taken for anything else." "Ready to reverse polarity, Mr. Sulu?" "Computed and standing by to generate, sir." "Activate all units." "No good, Mr. Spock." "We didn't even faze it." " We're still locked tight." " Cut power, Mr. Sulu." "Lieutenant, we must restore communications with the landing party." "Well, I'm working, sir, but I can't do anything with this." "Well, I might be able to rig up a subspace bypass circuit." "Good, do so." "Sensor report, Mr. Kyle." "I've located the landing party, sir." "But one of them seems separated from the other four." "And Apollo?" "I've just picked up readings for our own people." "Mr. Spock, here's something." "There seems to be a radiated energy pulsation coming from the planet." " I don't know what it is, sir." " Origin?" "I can't seem to pinpoint it, sir." "I would suggest, Mr. Sulu, that if you cannot find out where the power source is, you should find out where it is not." "A simple process of elimination." "The whole planet, sir?" "Yes, sir, the whole planet." "It's lovely." "I've known other women, Daphne, Cassandra." "But none more beautiful than you." " Are you frightened of me?" " Frightened?" "No, I don't think so." "Of course, a girl doesn't go walking with a..." "A god?" "All right." "A god every day." "What happened to the others?" "Artemis, Hera?" "They returned to the cosmos on the wings of the wind." " You mean they died?" " No." "Not as you understand it." "We're immortal, we gods." "But the Earth changed." "Your fathers changed." "They turned away until we were only memories." "A god cannot survive as a memory." "We need love, admiration, worship, as you need food." "You really think you're a god?" "In a real sense, we were gods." "We had the power of life and death." "We could have struck out from Olympus and destroyed." "We have no wish to destroy." "So we came home again." "It was an empty place without worshippers." "But we had no strength to leave." "So we waited, all of us." "Through the long years." "But you said the others didn't die." "Even for a god, there's a point of no return." "Hera was first." "She stood in front of the temple and spread herself upon the wind." "Thinner and thinner, until only the wind remained." "But I knew you would come." "You striving, bickering, foolishly brave humans." "I knew you would come to the stars one day." "Of all the gods, I knew and I waited." "Waited for you to come and sit by my side." "I don't understand." "Even 5,000 years ago, the gods took mortals to them to love, to care for." "Like Zeus took Leto, my mother." "We were gods of passion, of love." "There is a repeated occurrence of registrations." "A regular pulsating pattern of radiated energy." "Unquestionably, an immensely powerful field of energy is being generated around here somewhere, but we're having difficulty focusing on it." "Apollo has no difficulty focusing." "He taps that energy, Mr. Scott." "Sir, some creatures can generate and control energy with no harm to themselves." "The electric eel on Earth, the giant dry-worm of Antos IV." " The fluffy..." " Not the whole encyclopaedia, Chekov." "The captain requires complete information." "Spock's contaminating this boy, Jim." "Are you suggesting that he," "Apollo, taps the flow of energy and channels it through his body?" "That would seem most likely, sir." "Mr. Chekov, I think you've earned your pay for the week." "But where is the source of that power?" "Number one on our list of things to do." "Is that all you have to offer?" "Yes, except my estimation for his physical condition." "In spite of Apollo's bag of tricks, he comes up essentially normal with just a few variations." "However, there's an extra organ in his chest I can't even make a guess about." " Bones, is it possible..?" " Jim." "Where's Lieutenant Palamas?" "She is no longer of any concern to you." "You bloodthirsty Saracen," " what have you done with her?" " Scotty!" "Scotty!" "Not good." "Severe shock." "All right, mister." "You wanted worshippers?" "You've got enemies." "You want us to bow down..." "You will learn discipline." "You will learn..." "Chekov, give me a hand." " Take care of Scotty." " Are you all right, captain?" " Where's Apollo?" " He disappeared again, like the cat in that Russian story." "Don't you mean the English story, the Cheshire cat?" " Cheshire?" "No, sir." "Minsk, perhaps..." " All right." "All right." "All right." "Sir, there is something I noticed." "Apollo looked very strange when he disappeared." "Tired or in pain." "I don't know if it means anything." "Very good, Mr. Chekov." "That might very well mean something." " How do you feel?" " I can't get my arm to move." "Some neural damage." " We've got to get out of here." " How?" "How?" "Let's assume that 5,000 years ago, creatures like our friend, Apollo, did indeed visit Earth, and formed the basis of the Greek classic myths." " It makes sense." " Most mythology has its basis in fact." "Now, if I remember my ancient legends, the gods, after expending energy, required rest, even as we humans." "And Apollo's gone." "After attacking you and Mr. Scott." "You think maybe he's off somewhere recharging his energy cells?" "Something like that." "Remember, he's keeping a force field on the ship and he's expending energy down here." "You said he looked pained and tired when he disappeared." "If we can wear him out, overwork him, that might do it." "The trouble with overworking him is that it can get us killed." "If we can provoke him so that he strikes one of us again, there's a chance that he'll be drained enough, the rest of us can jump him." " I still say it can get us killed." " Not all of us, Bones." "When he comes back, it's a chance we'll have to take." "Progress report." "I'm connecting the bypass circuit now, sir." "It should take another half hour." "Speed is essential, lieutenant." "Mr. Spock, I haven't done anything like this in years." "If it isn't done just right, I could blow the entire communications system." "It's very delicate work, sir." "I can think of no one better equipped to handle it, Miss Uhura." " Please proceed." " Yes, sir." "Right away." "Progress, Mr. Sulu?" "Sectors 1 through 25 charted and examined." "No chance at all of power originating in those areas." " Continue the search." " Aye, sir." "14B by 26 index." " Mr. Kyle?" " Yes, sir." "We're unable to break completely loose from this force field, but we might be able to punch some holes through it." " What for, sir?" " To shoot through." "It might also relieve Lieutenant Uhura's communications problem." "You'll take these equations to the nuclear electronics lab." "I want them to work on the problem of negating the force field in selected areas." "Now, it might be done by generating a strong pinpoint charge of M-rays on some of these selected wavelengths and tying them in with the combined output of all our engines." "Right away, sir." "Come here." "I know you're trying to escape me." "It's useless." "I know everything you do." "I tried to be compassionate toward your kind." "You know nothing about our kind, you know only our remote ancestors who trembled before your tricks." "Your tricks don't frighten us." "Neither do you." "We've come a long way in 5,000 years." "But you're still of the same nature." "I could sweep you out of existence with a wave of my hand and bring you back again." "I can give life or death." "What else does mankind demand of its gods?" "Mankind has no need for gods." "We find the one quite adequate." "We shall not debate, mortal." "I offer you eternal rest and happiness according to the ancient ways." "I ask little in return." "But what I ask for, I insist upon." "Approach me." "I said approach me!" "We're busy." "Look after the girl." "You will gather laurel leaves." "Light the ancient fires." "Kill a deer." "Make your sacrifices to me!" " Apollo has spoken!" " Go!" "Gather laurel leaves, you must be joking." "Kill a deer!" "That's the funniest thing I ever heard." "Kill a deer!" "That's the funniest thing I ever heard." "Go ahead!" " Stop." " Lieutenant, get back!" "You shall reap the rewards of your insolence!" " We're tired of your phoney fireworks." " Mortal, you have earned this!" " No, don't." " Lieutenant." "Lieutenant!" "A father doesn't destroy his children." "You said you were gentle and understanding." " Lieutenant!" " How can they worship you" " if you hurt them?" " Lieutenant." "Apollo, please." "You know so much of love." "Please don't hurt them." "Please." "I shall be lenient with you for her sake." "You will make plans to bring the rest of your people down." "Be sure your artisans bring tools." "You will need homes." "And you will supply the herds of sheep and the pipes we will play and the simple skins we'll wear for clothes?" "You will dismantle your ship for the supplies you need." "And I'll crush its empty hull." "I have been too patient." "I shall be patient no longer." "Captain, we've got to do something." "We were doing something until our brave lady stepped in and saved us." " Got any more good ideas, Jim?" " Yes, I have." "One more, and it depends on the lieutenant's loyalty." "If she fails us, we'd better get used to herding goats." "Fools." "I offer them more than they could know." "Not just a world, but all that makes it up." "Man thinks he's progressed." "They're wrong." "He's merely forgotten those things which gave life meaning." "You'll all be provided for, cared for, happy." "There is an order of things in this universe." "Your species has denied it." "I come to restore it." "And for you, because you have the sensitivity to understand," "I offer you more than your wildest dreams have ever imagined." "You'll become the mother of a new race of gods." "You'll inspire the universe." "All men will revere you, almost as a god yourself." "And I shall love you for time without end, worlds without end." "You shall complete me, and I you." "Kirk to Enterprise." "Come in." "Enterprise, come in." "Kirk to Enterprise, come in." " Kirk to..." " Carolyn!" " What's happened to her?" " Scotty, I'll find out." "Perhaps if I assisted..." " How old are you?" " Twenty-two, sir." "Then I'd better handle it." " You all right?" " Oh, yes, I'm all right." "I have a message for you." "Come over there." "Well?" "He wants us to live in peace." "He wants to provide for us." "He'll give us everything we ever wanted." "And he can do it too." "All right, you can come down from Mount Olympus now." "You've got work to do." " I don't understand." " He thrives on love, worship, attention." " Yes." " We can't give him that worship." "None of us can." "Especially you." "What?" "Spurn him." "Reject him." "You must." " You're special to him." " Yes." "I love him." "Lieutenant, all our lives, here and on the ship, depend on you." " No, not on me." " On you, lieutenant." "Reject him and we have a chance to save ourselves." "Accept him and you condemn all of us to slavery, nothing less than slavery." "We might never get help this far out." "Or perhaps the thought of spending an eternity bending knee and tending sheep appeals to you." "Oh, but you don't understand." "He's kind and he wants the best for us." "And he's so lonely." "What you ask would break his heart." "Now, how can I?" "Give me your hand." "Your hand." "Now, feel that." "Human flesh against human flesh." "We're the same." "We share the same history, the same heritage, the same lives." "We're tied together beyond any untying." "Man or woman, it makes no difference." "We're human." "We couldn't escape from each other if we wanted to." "That's how you do it." "By remembering who and what you are." "A bit of flesh and blood afloat in a universe without end." "And the only thing that's truly yours is the rest of humanity." "That's where our duty lies." "Do you understand me?" "Yes." "Yes, I understand." "He's calling me." "Lieutenant, you have your orders and your duty." "Yes, sir, my orders and my duty." "I think we can try it now, sir." "Enterprise to Captain Kirk." " Enterprise to Captain Kirk." "Come in." " Kirk here." "Spock here, captain." "We've pinpointed a power source on the planet's surface which seems to have something to do with the force field." "Is there a structure of some sort near you?" " There is, indeed, Mr. Spock." " The power emanates from there." "Very good." "How are you doing on the force field?" "We can negate sections of it, creating openings through which we can fire our phaser banks." "Well, that ought to do it." "Have Mr. Sulu lock all phaser banks onto the structure." "Fire on my order only and cut it fine." "We'll be standing nearby." "Captain," "I would recommend a discreet distance." "I'd love to oblige you, Mr. Spock, but we're not all together." "Besides we have Apollo to deal with." "If that structure is the source of his power," "I wanna know where he is when we attack it." "Kirk out." "Bones, do you think that mysterious organ in Apollo's chest has something to do with the transmission of energy?" "It doesn't serve any other purpose I know of." "Captain, we've got to wait until Carolyn comes back before we fire on the temple." "We don't know what would happen to her if he was suddenly attacked." " She might get killed." " Yes, I know." "I know, Scotty." "We'll wait." "I must say, Apollo, the way you ape human behaviour is remarkable." "But there are some other things I must know." "Your evolutionary patterns and your social development." "My what?" "I'm sure they're unique." "I've never encountered a specimen like you before." "I am Apollo." "I've chosen you." "But I'm sure that's very flattering, but I must get on with my work now." " Your work?" " I'm a scientist." "My particular speciality is ancient civilisations, relics and myths." "Why, surely you know I've only been studying you." "I don't believe it." "You love me." "Love you?" "Be logical." "I'm not some simple shepherdess you can awe." "Why, I could no more love you than I could love a new species of bacteria." "Carolyn, I forbid you to go." "I order you to stay." "Is that the secret of your power over women?" "The thunderbolts you throw?" "What the devil is that?" " Kirk here." " Spock, captain." "Sensors are picking up an atmospheric disturbance in your area." "Stand by your phasers, Mr. Spock." "Prepare to fire on my signal." "Kirk out." "We've got to go and find her." "We've gotta be here when he comes back." " But what if he doesn't?" "What if..?" " Scotty, just hold on." " No!" " Captain." "All right." "The temple is his power source." "Let's bring him back to it." "Get to cover." "Mr. Spock, fire those phasers." " Captain, you're too close." " Fire those phasers." "That's an order." "All phaser banks, fire." "No!" "Stop!" "Stop, I say!" " All phaser banks, maintain firing rate." " More power to the shields." "Stop!" "Scotty!" "Stop, I say!" "I command it!" " All banks, maintain firing rate." " Maintaining, sir." "Stop!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "I would have cherished you, cared for you." "I would have loved you as a father loves his children." "Did I ask so much?" "We've outgrown you." "You asked for something we can no longer give." "Carolyn," "I loved you." "I would have made a goddess of you." "I've shown you my open heart." "See what you've done to me." "Zeus," "Hermes, Hera," "Aphrodite, you were right." "Athena, you were right." "The time has passed." "There is no room for gods." "Forgive me, my old friends." "Take me." "Take me." " I wish we hadn't had to do this." " So do I." "They gave us so much." "The Greek civilisation, much of our culture and philosophy, came from the worship of those beings." "In a way, they began the golden age." "Would it have hurt us, I wonder, just to have gathered a few laurel leaves?"