The Brain Shockers

Vulcan furies overtake the Enterprise crew!

Summary

 * "Captain's log: Stardate 11:26.1 - We've established orbit around planet Pollux II - to investigate the strange disappearance of several spaceships in this vicinity recently..."

Spock reports that their orbit is good and that he is beginning a sensor probe of the surface. Dr. McCoy asks to speak with Captain Kirk about shore leave for some of the crew as it is liable to affect their work. Kirk notes that the Enterprise was just at Starbase 8 two weeks ago for the crew to rest. McCoy points out that Spock, Scott, Kirk, or the rest of the bridge crew haven't had a break though.

Yeoman Trask interrupts to ask Kirk to sign a requisition for Plastowels for the Rec Room. Kirk notes that she can find them on level 7. Spock reports that he has detected a small area of harnessed power on the planet's surface and that it is rising. He activates the force screen as they are about to be attacked. The blasts last several minutes, but damage is minor.

Down on level 7, Yeoman Trask was knocked down during the attack. She gets to her feet, and spots a door she's never noticed before, one that reads "Caution Do Not Open Off-Limits". She decides to check it to ensure that nothing was broken. She struggles to open the door, wondering why anyone would label a storeroom offlimits, when suddenly dark, unholy things rush out, knocking her unconscious.

On the bridge, Spock reports that no injuries have been reported, and begins to investigate precisely where the blasts came from. The strange things from level 7 have arrived on the bridge and vanish into the bodies of the Bridge crew. As Uhura attempts to contact the planet, Spock reports that every crewmember is A-OK, except for Yeoman Trask, who cannot be located. Kirk notes that she was on level 7, when Spock and Kirk share a glance before Kirk hurries down to that deck, hoping that he makes it in time.

He hurries down and finds Trask waking up and confused. He contacts Spock and informs him that they must tell McCoy everything as the room's contents are no longer a secret. They meet in Sickbay and Spock begins to tell McCoy about the planet Vulcan and the philosophy based on logic, rather than emotions, thousands of years before. The Vulcans perfected a method of removing those emotions and sealing them in bottles. Unfortunately, they discovered that it was dimming the souls, so destroyed the device and devoted themselves to teaching the value of logic instead. Those bottles survived, and the Enterprise was transferring some to a shrine on the planet Beta IV. The recent attack broke those bottles and loosed the emotions on the ship.

Kirk tells McCoy and Spock to search out the rampant emotions and bottle them back up, while he, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov beam down to the surface of Pollux II to find the source of the ray blasts. When they beam down, Kirk and Scotty find themselves alone. A voice speaks to them inside their heads, welcoming them to the planet. The two search for the rest of the landing party, noticing the oppressive silence. They come across Spock and McCoy. They report that they beamed down because they could not contact Kirk on the communicators. Spock also reports that the emotions are nowhere to be found on the Enterprise. Just then, they come across a large beast, but their phasers have no effect on it at all. Suddenly Spock panics and flees, just as the beast runs off in the other direction.


 * "Captain's log: Stardate 11:26.8 - While in orbit around the planet Pollux II, a surprise attack from the surface has accidentally released the bottled emotions of the Vulcan founders – and set them loose in the Enterprise. Upon beaming down to investigate the attack, first officer Spock has lost control of himself for the first time – and panicked!"

As Spock vanishes into the undergrowth, McCoy begins yelling after him, insulting him. Kirk tells him to be quiet, and when McCoy continues, punches him. Scotty begins to laugh hysterically at this action. Kirk begins to approach Scotty and all three grab their heads in pain. McCoy attributes it to overwork, and they set out to find Spock, wondering what has happened to the others.

In another part of the jungle, Spock wonders why his emotions got away from him and comes across a small domed machine. A small humanoid sits in a chair within and introduces himself telepathically as Malok. He tells Spock that he is immortal and that nobody has entered the dome in the last 5000 years and that he became bored with immortality and built the jungle maze so that he could capture passing starships and live their lives. Spock tells him that he cannot continue with his actions, and another large monster trudges out of the jungle. Once again, Spock panics and runs to the telepathic sounds of Malok's laughter. When he gets away, he stops and fights with his emotions, eventually prevailing over them.

He continues through the jungle, finding Scotty, McCoy, and Kirk. He leads them to the enclosure, but as they approach, they are overcome by Malok's telepathy. Spock notices that the other members of the landing party are there also, and pretends to act like he is also under the spell. At Malok's signal, all of the suppressed emotions rise to the surface and the crew begin to fight amongst themselves. As Malok absorbs the experiences, Spock runs around behind the dome and cuts his way through with a phaser. Inside, he changes the connections on some of the wires. A hum begins to build, becoming a scream, overpowering the crew, and forcing the emotions out.

The crew stirs and composes themselves and notice that Malok is going through a ranges of emotions. All of the escaped emotions have entered him and he is experiencing them over and over again. The landing party beam up to the Enterprise and discuss the solution, deciding that it is best to leave the emotions where they are rather than trying to take them onto the shrine at Beta IV.

Memorable Quotes
"Stop... stop!! Before it's too late!"

"If you open that door, you'll doom us all!"
 * - Kirk and Spock

"Level 7! Captain, that girl – it's possible she..."

"Don't say it, Spock! I'm going down there after her... I only pray I'm not too late!"
 * - Spock and Kirk, discussing Dorrie Trask

"In order to save you from Malok's spell, I was forced to drain the emotions from your bodies and into his dome– where they will stay for all time!"

"But what about the shrine [the Vulcans] built on Beta IV?"

"Really, Doctor – I'm surprised at you! The Vulcans are a logical race – and what more logical tribute could possibly be paid – than to put those emotions to a useful purpose?"

"Mr. Spock, sometimes you drive me mad!"
 * - Spock and McCoy, discussing Spock's solution

Background Information

 * This story would be reprinted in Enterprise Log 2 and a later reprint of that volume from the Star Trek: The Key Collection series.

Creators

 * Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
 * Writer: Len Wein
 * Artist: Alberto Giolitti
 * Cover Artist: George Wilson

Characters

 * James T. Kirk : Enterprise captain.
 * Spock : Vulcan Enterprise exec and science officer.
 * Leonard McCoy : Enterprise chief medical officer.
 * Montgomery Scott : Enterprise chief engineer.
 * Hikaru Sulu : Enterprise helmsman.
 * Yeoman Pandora "Dorrie" Trask : Enterprise crewman.
 * Malok : A small humanoid on Pollux II.