- Act XVI - [Spock, McCoy, Scotty and Uhura approach the 'Little Bighorn' for boarding. Chief O'Brien just gets out from the Runabout] O'Brien : I've finished checking all systems, Sir, and they all seem to be in perfect condition. McCoy : Very well! Gentlemen, let's go! [They all say goodbye to O'Brien and board the 'Little Bighorn'. The door is closed, and the camera switches to the inside of the Runabout] McCoy : Well, Spock, you'll be our navigator. Uhura, you can take your post at the Communications Station. Scotty, take care of the engines. Spock : And I assume you'll take the place of the Captain. McCoy : Why, yes! I'm not only a Doctor, I'm an Admiral, remember? [They all take their places] McCoy : Well, Spock, set course to the Veridian System at maximum warp. Scotty, I want all the power you can give me. [The ship leaves the Station and heads to the Veridian System at maximum warp] McCoy : How long will it take us to get there, Spock? Spock : At our present speed, 2 hours and 4 minutes. And now that we are on the way, Doctor, could you tell us your plan? McCoy : But it's easy! We get there, slingshot 2 months to the past, and rescue Jim right before he dies! Spock : And then? McCoy : What do you mean, 'and then'? We simply get back to our time! Spock : You mean to bring Captain Kirk to the 24th Century, when History says he died during the Enterprise-B's maiden trip? McCoy : Well, yes! History will have to change! Spock : Doctor, are you conscious that by altering History we are risking the very existence of the Universe as we know it? McCoy : What do you exactly mean? Spock : Two Captains of the Enterprise cannot coexist in the 24th Century. The whole Universe is not big enough for both. This could start a civil war among the Trekkies! McCoy : Oh, don't bother me with such nuisances - our current priority is to rescue Jim at any cost! [The ship keeps traveling at maximum warp, and for two complete hours, we get a view from the camera following it. Then...] Spock : Doctor, we are arriving at the Veridian System. McCoy : OK, Spock, prepare for the slingshot. Did you finish all your calculations? Spock : Of course, Doctor. We are now ready for the slingshot. McCoy : OK. Scotty, give me all the power you have! We must approach warp 10 as much as we can! Everybody be prepared for the slingshot! Scotty : Count with it, Doctor! [The 'Little Bighorn' slingshots around the Veridian star. The ship is shaken by the effort. At last...] McCoy : Is everybody OK? Uhura : So it seems to me. Scotty? Scotty : Yeah, I'm well. McCoy : And you, Spock? Spock : Omitting the fact that I still feel a bit uncomfortable with what we are about to do - yes, I think I am, as you say, OK. McCoy : Did we do it? Are we in the right time and place? Spock : Well, according to the sensors, we are still in the Veridian System. I also pick up the debris of what seems the hull of a Galaxy-Class starship and a smaller debris not far away, and an energy ribbon which might be the entrance to that Nexus you were speaking about. McCoy : Scan the surface of the planets - we must be sure this is the right time. Spock : There are two M-Class planets, namely Veridian III and IV. On Veridian IV there seems to be a huge pre-industrial society. On Veridian III, the sensors detect only the crashed saucer section of what might be the Enterprise-D and a metallic structure on the top of a mountain, with three humanoid lifeforms on it. McCoy : Those must be them! Jim, Picard, and that madman of Soran! Let's land as close to them as possible without being seen! [The Runabout heads to Veridian III and enters the atmosphere. We see the repetition of the scenes in which Kirk and Picard try to stop Soran, until the scene in which the platform collapses with Kirk on it, falling to the pit. Suddenly, Spock arises from below with jet-boots on and saves Kirk from hitting the ground] Kirk : Spock! Where do you come from? [Unfortunately, a falling rock hits Kirk on his head, leaving him unconscious] - Act XVII - [Kirk lies unconscious on the ground. Bones is examining him with a tricorder. Spock, Scotty and Uhura stand behind and watch] Spock : Well, Doctor? McCoy : Well, it seems that, except for that rock hitting him in the head, he's fine. I'll awaken him. [He applies a hipospray at Kirk's arm. Soon, Kirk regains his consciousness] Kirk : Oh, my head! Where am I? McCoy : Jim! How are you? Kirk : Jim? Who's Jim? McCoy : That's you, Jim! Kirk : You say I'm Jim? McCoy : Yes, you're Captain James T. Kirk, UFP, retired! Kirk : No, I'm Sergeant T.J. Hooker, L.C.P.D., active! You're mistaking me for someone else! McCoy : Angels and ministers of grace, defend us! The hit has make him lose his marbles! Kirk : You haven't answered me. Where am I? Spock : We are still on Veridian III, Captain. Kirk : Veridian? I think this is not inside my district! You've kidnapped a police officer! This is a serious crime! McCoy : [To Spock] Spock, I think in this case, logic demands another hit in order to restore him to his original condition. Spock : I must agree with you this time, Doctor. Proceed. [Bones takes a rock from the ground and hits Kirk on the head] Kirk : Ouch! Bones! Why are you hitting me? Spock! Where do you come from? Scotty! Uhura! What's happened? McCoy : Spock rescued you when you were falling, Jim. Just in time! Kirk : Now I remember! This is Veridian III... I was helping Picard to stop Soran... Did we succeed? [At this very moment, there is an explosion at the top of the mountain] Kirk : It seems we did... I've made the difference... but I thought I was going to die! Are you sure we're not all dead an this is Heaven? Or maybe I've re-entered that Nexus an all this is an illusion! McCoy : That's no illusion, Jim - we're all alive and this is Veridian III, in the 24th century. Scotty : Yeah, we're all still alive. We only had to make a little 2-month slingshot in order to save you. Kirk : Spock! Where did you get those boots from? Spock : They're the only useful thing I've kept from STV. Kirk : I suppose you came here in a starship, am I wrong? Scotty : Of course we did, Captain! It's neither as beauty nor as good as the Enterprise, but it can carry us anywhere! Kirk : Then what are we expecting, men? Let's go back to Earth! [He stands up, assisted by Bones. They begin to walk in the direction of the Runabout] Kirk : And what's that ship's name, eh? McCoy : Believe me, Jim - you won't like to know it, so better don't ask. [Meanwhile, not far away, Picard gets to the base of the mountain and searches for Kirk among the rests of the platform. He doesn't find any trace, since Spock rescued him in the air] Picard : Maybe I dreamed all this about Captain Kirk? I think it's time to begin thinking about my retirement... or to stop drinking so much Earl Grey tea. If I say anything, they'll think I'm mad. My God! I'm talking to myself! [Meanwhile, aboard the 'Little Bighorn'...] McCoy : Jim, I've brought you something. [He handles Kirk a parcel] Kirk : Let me see. [He opens the parcel] The Enterprise's logs! I've been missing them! Thanks, Bones. McCoy : Being a senior Admiral has some advantages... you have access to all kind of records. Spock : Captain, I suggest we take off before the rescue party arrives in order to help the survivors of the Enterprise-D. They must not see us here. Kirk : Very well, Spock. Let's go back to Earth! Spock : May I suggest you that we first do a slingshot? The only safe time would be just two months after now, just after we slingshot back to this time. Kirk : I see your point. Well, everybody prepare for the slingshot around the Veridian star! Spock, execute the necessary calculations. Spock : I already anticipated that, Captain. I've finished the calculations and programmed the resulting data into the ship's navigational computer. We can slingshot any time you want. Kirk : Well, then fasten your seatbelts! Let's go! [The ship takes off and heads towards the Veridian star, then slingshots around it. Once again, the ship is shaken by the effort. Finally, the slingshot is over] Kirk : Everyone OK? Well, then let's head home! Sector 0,0,1. Maximum warp! Let's see what this ship can do... [The ship enters maximum warp en route to Earth...] - Act XVIII - [The 'Little Bighorn' is finally approaching the Solar System without trouble] McCoy : There it is! Oh, Earth... Kirk : Mr. Scott, take us out of warp. Scotty : Of course, Sir! [As Scotty tries take the ship out of warp, there's an explosion at the star- board nacelle] Scotty : Captain, there's a failure in the starboard engine! I can't try to take the ship out of warp, or we'll be blown apart! Kirk : Try to compensate it! Scotty : I'm trying, Captain, but the engine doesn't respond! Kirk : Spock! Any suggestions? Spock : Not any one, Captain. I think we are doomed. McCoy : What happened to that brilliant analytical Vulcan mind of yours, Spock? Spock : I guess it spent too much time inside your body, Doctor. Kirk : But surely there HAS to be a way! Spock : I think there is an infinitesimal probability. Kirk : Whatever it is, do it! Spock : I'll use the gravitational fields of Jupiter and the Sun in order to make a double slingshot, which I hope will take us out of warp without destroying us. The ship's energy should be decreased by the effort to a extent that the warp drives will stop working. However, the probabilities of success are just of... Kirk : Just DO it before it's too late! [As Spock executes the double slingshot maneuver, the ship is shaken and effectively taken out of warp] Kirk : Status? Spock : It worked, Captain. We are at 1/2 impulse now. Scotty : Captain, we'll have to land if you want the engines repaired. Kirk : Don't bother, Scotty. Spock, set course towards the Earth. [Spock obeys. Suddenly, Uhura interrupts Kirk] Uhura : Captain, I've been monitoring Starfleet's frequencies... I haven't been able to pick any transmission. Kirk : What? Try again! There must be any communications activity... Uhura : There are some transmission in the lower radio bands... but these frequencies haven't been used for centuries! Spock : Captain, my scans of the Earth's atmosphere confirm this. From the CO2 concentration on the atmosphere and the degree of pollution, I can infere that we are near the middle of the 20th century. The double slingshot may have caused this travel back through time. Kirk : Well, but we have to land. Set course to the Pacific Ocean - it is most unlikely that we meet someone there. [The Runabout enters the Earth's atmosphere just above the Pacific. Suddenly, there is a crashing sound and the Runabout is shaken] Kirk : What the hell was that? Spock : It seems we've collided with an airplane at high altitude. The plane is going down. Its crew has abandoned it in parachutes. It seems the pilot is still inside - unconscious. McCoy : We can't let him die! If it had not been for us, the plane would not have collided! Kirk : Scotty, is the transporter operational? Scotty : It's fully functional, Sir - it hasn't been affected. Kirk : Beam the pilot aboard! Spock : That will lower our power reserves to a critical point. Kirk : Do it, Scotty! [The airplane's pilot is beamed aboard. Bones rushes to him.] McCoy : He's dead, Jim! Wait! Oh, I still can't handle this new tricorders properly... Now let's see... He'll live, Jim. He has some minor contusions, but nothing serious. Should I turn him conscious? Kirk : He should be able to tell us something about the present time. Make it so! [McCoy loads the hipospray with more bourbon and applies it to the pilot's arm. He begins to awaken] Pilot : Oh, my head! Where am I? Who are you? Kirk : You're aboard a top-secret experimental airplane. Tell me, which is the current situation? Pilot : Well, I was flying my B-17 on a raid against the Japs, and then suddenly there was an unexpected crash. I ordered the crew to bail out, and then I tried to maneuver the plane. I think I then fell unconscious... Spock : It seems we are in the middle of World War II, Captain. Pilot : Of course we are! Where have you been? Kirk : Well, let's land on that island below. Mr. Scott, have your tools handy for the repairs. Pilot : Aren't you going to tell me anything more? Spock : Sorry, but we cannot inform you of any details concerning our mission. It could have undesired effects on the course of the events. [The 'Little Bighorn' lands on a little island in the middle of the Pacific. If you take a close look at it, this is the same one that some years later would be named "Gilligan's Island"]