One of Our Planets Is Missing

TAS Season 1 Episode 3
Air Date: September 22nd, 1974

Plot

The Enterprise observes a cloud in space that seems to engulf planets and destroys them. They see it change course and head towards a populated planet Mantilles. The Enterprise starts heading to Mantilles to warn them, but the cloud intercepts the Enterprise and pulls it in. Phasers have no effect, but an antimatter seems to keep parts of it at bay. Spock concludes that the cloud is alive.

They look at a map of the cloud's composition and find that it has pathways that could be part of it's digestive tract. They plot a course to the central core of the cloud. McCoy concludes that the core is equivalent with the small intestine and Spock notes that it is made of anti-matter, effectively meaning that it digests planets by combining anti-matter with the matter it consumes creating energy then making more anti-matter.

Scotty realizes that they could use the antimatter in the Enterprises reactor so they can use it to keep the Enterprises shields up. Spock concludes that the cloud has a brain. Kirk orders the Enterprise to head to the brain so they can destroy the creature using photon torpedoes. It is a moral dilemma, killing a creature or saving Mantilles.

The only way they can destroy the cloud though would be to use the ships self destruct mechanism. Spock tries to use the Enterprise as an antennae to communicate telepathically with the cloud. He succeeds to explain to the cloud that there are living creatures on planet it is approaching and that the cloud should not eat the planet and return to where it comes from.

Quotes

"You have time to save some people, Bob." - Kirk

"That won't be long enough either, but it'll have to do." - Wesley

"How are you going to choose?" - Kirk

"There is no choice, Jim. We'll save the children." - Wesley

"If this thing does have a stomach, we just might be able to give it enough indigestion to make it turn away from Mantilles." - Kirk

"Captain, I have completed the analysis of the target area. Unfortunately, the brain is so vast, our entire offensive armament will not assure its destruction. However, the brain could be completely destroyed if we convert the entire ship to energy, aimed at the brain's cortex, and expend the energy in one mortal strike." - Spock

"That sounds like you're telling us to blow up the ship." - McCoy

"I believe that is what I just said, Doctor." - Spock