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A Taste of Armageddon (episode)

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This article is written
from the Real World
point of view
This article is written
from the Real World
point of view
"A Taste of Armageddon"
TOS, Episode 1x23
Production number: 6149-23
First aired: 23 February 1967
← 24th of 80 produced in TOS →
← 23rd of 80 released in TOS →
  {{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 80 released in TOS Remastered  
← 23rd of 726 released in all →
Teleplay By
Robert Hamner and Gene L. Coon

Story By
Robert Hamner

Directed By
Joseph Pevney
3192.1 (2267)
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On a diplomatic mission, the crew visit a planet that is waging a destructive war fought solely by computer simulation, but the casualties, including the crew of the USS Enterprise, are supposed to be real.

Contents

[edit] Summary

The USS Enterprise is en route to star cluster NGC 321 to open diplomatic relations with the civilization there. After several unacknowledged overtures, a message comes from the planet Eminiar VII, the principal planet of the cluster: code 710, stay away at all costs. Ambassador Robert Fox overrides Kirk's wish to honor the request, and orders him to take the Enterprise into the system.

Kirk's orders are clear: establish diplomatic relations at all costs. He, Spock, Yeoman Tamura, and two guards, Galloway and Osborne beam down; they are met by Mea 3 at the Division of Control, seat of the Eminian Union. There, Kirk learns that he is in grave danger. Mea takes him to the High Council, whose leader, Anan 7, rejects Kirk's diplomatic overture – because of the war. Anan reveals that Eminiar has been fighting a war with the third planet of the system, Vendikar, for almost 500 years. But despite a hit, right in the city, Kirk and his landing party can find no evidence of war. No explosions, no radiation, nothing that would suggest the damage he is assured is occurring.

Spock deduces the truth: the war is fought with computers. Casualties are calculated, and the victims have twenty-four hours to report to a disintegration station so their deaths may be recorded. This tidy solution preserves the civilization, despite the cost in lives. Kirk is incredulous that people would simply walk into disintegration machines; Anan assures him that his people have a high sense of duty. And then Anan tells Kirk that when the Enterprise entered orbit, it became a legitimate target, and it has been destroyed by a tricobalt satellite explosion. Like the victims on the surface, Kirk's crew has twenty-four hours to report for disintegration. Kirk and his party are imprisoned to ensure compliance.

Mea, herself declared a casualty, defends the system. She tells Kirk that if people don't report for disintegration, then Vendikar will be forced to launch real weapons, and Eminiar would be forced to retaliate, and both civilization and population would die.

The Eminians attempt trickery. Using a voice duplicator, Anan 7 tries to lure the crew to the surface. Scotty, suspicious, analyzes the message and discovers the duplicity. Meanwhile, on the surface, Spock employs trickery of his own: using a form of telepathy, he plants a suggestion in their jailer's mind. Thinking the Federation prisoners have escaped, he opens the door, and is quickly overpowered.

Moving about the Division of Control, the party encounters disintegration station 12, and destroys it. In response, Anan 7 institutes a full search, and orders the planetary defense batteries to open fire on the orbiting starship. Engineer Scott's caution proves most fortunate; the shields are able to turn aside the sneak attack.

Kirk realizes the only way he can save his ship and his crew is to put a stop to the fighting. To this end, he inveigles help from Mea 3. Meanwhile, Ambassador Fox attempts to salvage the situation. He contacts the planet, offering to have the ship lower its shields and to beam down personally to discuss the matter; Anan apparently agrees. However, this is a trick to enable the Eminians to destroy the ship and meet the terms of their treaty with Vendikar. Fortunately, Scott, with Dr. McCoy's support, bluntly refused Fox's order to have the ship stand down. He notes that the landing party is obviously being held prisoner, and the ship was just fired on without provocation. Fox threatens to have Scott court-martialed for insubordination and proceeds to the planet with his aide alone.

Anan retreats to his office to prepare. Kirk, hidden there, confronts him, demanding to speak with his ship. Anan is more interested in saving his world, and refuses to yield. But finally, Anan tells Kirk where the communicators can be found; Kirk, correctly suspecting trickery pushes Anan into the corridor ahead of him. But it is no good; the guards overpower him after a brief struggle.

Fox beams to the surface with his attache; they are escorted – but not to the council chamber. Instead, Anan and his guards herd them to a disintegraton station. Fortunately for the ambassador, Spock learns he has beamed down, and effects a rescue, destroying disintegration station 11 in the process. After the rescue, Fox admits that he has been dangerously mistaken about the situation and offers to help in the fighting.

Eminiar guards hold Kirk
Eminiar guards hold Kirk

With Kirk held in the council chamber, he learns that Eminiar is falling behind its quotas, and Vendikar accuses it of violating the treaty. Anan pleads with Kirk; if his crew doesn't report for disintegration, the civilizations on Eminiar and Vendikar will be destroyed in the very real war that will erupt. Kirk is unmoved. Anan opens a channel to the ship; Kirk takes advantage of the opportunity to request General Order 24 in two hours. Anan threatens the hostages' lives if the crew does not report immediately. Kirk informs Anan that his threats are academic, since in two hours, the Enterprise will destroy Eminiar.

Anan is at his wits' end; helpless, he faces certain abrogation of his planet's treaty responsibilities. Chance favors Kirk, who manages to overpower the guards and the council. Then, Kirk tells Anan his plan: to save his crew, he plans to end the war. To do so, he destroys the war computers. Those of Vendikar will assume Eminiar has broken the treaty, and will plan for real war. The next attacks, by both sides, will be very real. Or, they could change five hundred years of theoretical fighting, and make peace instead. Kirk tells Anan that if they contact Vendikar, they will quickly realize that they are just as horrified at the prospect of real war. Anan remembers that the communication link with Vendikar is still in existence, though unused for centuries. There might be a chance to save both planets if they put it to use. Fox offers to serve as a mediator between Eminiar and Vendikar, and Kirk leaves him behind to negotiate the peace.

[edit] Memorable quotes

"Sir, there is a multilegged creature crawling on your shoulder."

- Spock, before treating the guard to a Vulcan nerve pinch


(disgustedly) "Diplomats! The best diplomat I know is a fully activated phaser bank!"

- Scott


"Yeoman Tamura; you will stay here and prevent this young woman from immolating herself. Knock her down and sit on her if you have to."

- Spock


"Diplomacy, gentlemen, should be a job left to diplomats. You will, of course, immediately resume a peaceful status."
"No, sir -- I will not!"
"What did you say?"
"I'll not lower the screens; not until the captain tells me to."
"You are taking orders from me."
"Mr. Fox! They've faked a message from the captain, they've opened fire on us – now you expect us to trust them openly?"
"I want and expect you to comply with my lawful orders!"
"I understand, sir; but I'll not lower the screens."
"Your refusal has jeapordized the success of this mission! I could have you sent to a penal colony for this; my authority–"
"I know all about your authority, but the screens stay up!"
"Your name will figure prominently in my report to Federation Central!" (leaves)
"Well, Scotty – now you've done it!"
"Aye, the haggis is in the fire for sure. But I'll not lower my defenses on the word of that mealy-mouthed gentleman down below... not until I know what happened to the captain."

- Fox, Scott, and McCoy


"Ladies and gentlemen, please move quickly away from the chamber or you may be injured."
"What are you doing, Mr Spock?"
"Practicing a peculiar variety of diplomacy, sir."

- Spock and Fox, before Spock destroys a disintegration station.


"Millions of people horribly killed! Complete destruction of our culture, here yes and the culture on Vendikar. Disaster! Disease! Starvation! Horrible lingering death! Pain and anguish!"
"And that seems to frighten you?"

- Anan 7 and Kirk


"I've never been a soldier, Mr. Spock – but I learn very quickly."

- Ambassador Fox


"Are those five hundred people of yours more important than the hundreds of millions of innocent people on Eminiar and Vendikar? What kind of monster are you?!?
"I'm a barbarian. You said it yourself."

- Anan 7 and Captain Kirk


"Death, destruction, disease, horror... that's what war is all about, Anan. That's what makes it a thing to be avoided. But you've made it neat and painless - so neat and painless, you've had no reason to stop it, and you've had it for five hundred years. Since it seems to be the only way I can save my crew, my ship... I'm going to end it for you – one way or another."

- Kirk, on Eminiar and Vendikar's situation.


"I had assumed you needed help; I see I was wrong."
"No, I need the help; in there, Mr. Spock."

- Spock and Kirk, in the Eminian Council Room


"You realize what you've done!"
"Yes, I do. I've given you back the horrors of war. Vendikar will now assume that you have violated the treaty and are preparing to wage real war with real weapons. They'll want to do the same... only the next attack they launch will do more than count up numbers on a computer. They'll destroy your cities, devastate your planet. You, of course, will want to retaliate; if I were you, I'd start making bombs. Yes, councilman, you have a real war on your hands. You can either wage it with real weapons, or you might consider an alternative – put a stop to it! Make peace."
"There can be no peace! Don't you see – we've admitted it to ourselves! We're a killer species! It's the same with you - your General Order 24!"
"All, right - it's instinctive. But the instinct can be fought. We're human beings, with the blood of a million savage years on our hands. But we can stop it! We can admit we're killers, but we're not going to kill today. That's all it takes. Knowing that you're not going to kill... today. Call Vendikar; I think you'll find them just as horrified, shocked, as appalled as you are -- willing to do anything to avoid the alternative I've given you; peace or utter destruction. It's up to you."
"As a third party, interested only in peace, I would like to offer my services as mediator between you and Vendikar; I've had some small experience in such matters."
"There's a direct channel to Vendikar's High Council... it hasn't been used in centuries."
"Then it's long overdue."

- Anan 7, Kirk, and Ambassador Fox, after Eminiar's war computers are destroyed


"Captain, you almost make me believe in luck."
"Why, Mr. Spock – you almost make me believe in miracles."

- Spock and Kirk

[edit] Background Information

  • This episode includes the first use of the name "United Federation of Planets". "The Federation" had previously been mentioned in "Arena", but the organization's full name was first revealed in this episode.
However, Ambassador Fox refers to "Federation Central" when angrily warning Scott he will be reported for not dropping the screens.
  • George Takei (Sulu) does not appear in this episode.
  • Bantam Books published a series of novelizations called "foto-novels," which took photographic stills from actual episodes and arranged word balloons and text over them, to create a comic book formatted story. The fourth installment was an adaptation of this episode.
  • The computer banks on Eminiar VII are also used in Starbase Operations in "The Menagerie, Part I" and aboard the shuttlecraft in "The Immunity Syndrome". The necked viewscreens used on Eminiar VII are the same ones that appear on the ship in the two pilots and in Mendez's office in "The Menagerie".
  • The actor portraying Lieutenant Osborne is not credited in any sources. The Star Trek Concordance incorrectly credits regular extra Frank da Vinci in the role.
  • The statue seen in Anan's room is very similar to the statue on Scalos in "Wink of an Eye".
  • Another beautiful matte painting was created for this episode; unfortunately, it is the last painting in the series into which live actors were inserted. This matte of the Eminiar city was re-used as the backdrop of Scalos in the third season episode "Wink of an Eye".
  • According to David Gerrold, the computer tallies of war dead in this episode was a statement about Vietnam War deaths that began to be registered on nightly newscasts in 1967.
  • The sonic disruptors used in this episode would be slightly modified to become Klingon disruptors in "Errand of Mercy", and in other episodes featuring the Klingons ("Day of the Dove" and "Friday's Child"). The Romulans also used them in "The Enterprise Incident". The props' emitters were reworked for the Klingon/Romulan versions. The original Eminian emitters were reused on the large three-headed scanners used in Engineering, as seen in the episodes "The Doomsday Machine" and "The Ultimate Computer".
  • Anan 7's sash seems to be the same material as the Klingon vest.
  • The Eminian flip-top communicator was also re-used as a Klingon item. It became a Klingon communicator as seen in the episodes "Errand of Mercy" and "Elaan of Troyius".
  • This episode (and "The Naked Time") begins and ends with the same shot of the Enterprise.
  • Many years after this episode, in 2003, a Star Wars comic featured a planet called Vendikar Station, which might be a reference to the Vendikar planet in this episode.
  • Spock mentions the telepathic capabilities found "among Vulcanians." In "Mudd's Women", Harry Mudd referred to Spock as "part Vulcanian." Later episodes identified them as Vulcans.
  • The first woman and man who enter the disintegration machine and die can later be seen standing in the corridor near it as Kirk and Spock blast it with disruptors.
  • As a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Artillery, James Doohan was threatened with court martial for real for saying "No sir, I will not," to a visiting colonel when he realized a training exercise order would entail blowing the heads off some of his own men. Fortunately, his immediate superiors backed him up and, like his fictional character, he was eventually promoted to captain.

[edit] Production timeline

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Starring

[edit] Guest star

[edit] Co-starring

[edit] Featuring

And

[edit] Uncredited co-stars

[edit] References

1 million years ago; 18th century; 2217; 2247; Argona II; Code 710; disintegration station; Division of Control; Eminian High Council; Eminian Union; Eminiar-Vendikar War; Eminiar VII; fusion bomb; haggis; monkey wrench; orbital bombardment; Osborne; popinjay; General Order 24; NGC 321; penal colony; phaser bank; phaser number 1; Prime Directive; priority one; sonic disruptor; space detail; star cluster; star cruiser; subspace transmission unit; tricobalt satellite; Trova; Valiant, USS; Vendikar; Vendikar High Council; voice analyzer; voice duplicator; Vulcan mind meld

[edit] External links


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