Star Trek: Moontrap

Star Trek: Moontrap is a movie. A part of Star Trek: The Original Series, this movie is a reimagining of Moontrap.

Prologue
On July 20, 1969, during the last phase of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon, a robotic eye emerges from the lunar soil and takes notice of the landing module as it takes off. The eye buries itself again.

Act One
Three centuries later, in the year 2273, at the Presidio campus of Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, California on Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk arrives in air tram 3. As he steps out, he sees Commander Sonak, a Vulcan science officer who is joining the Enterprise crew and was recommended for the position by Kirk himself. Kirk is assigned to the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-A, under command of Captain Will Decker and the successor of the original. Kirk is bothered as to why Sonak is not on board yet. Sonak explains that Captain Decker wanted him to complete his science briefing at Starfleet Headquarters before departing. The Enterprise-A is now under final preparations to leave drydock on its maiden voyage, which would take at least twelve hours. Kirk tells Sonak to report to him on the Enterprise-A in one hour – he has a short meeting with Admiral Nogura and is intent on being on the Enterprise-A at that time.

Following the meeting, Kirk transports to an orbital office complex of the San Francisco Fleet Yards and meets Commander Montgomery Scott, chief engineer of the original Enterprise. Scott expresses his concern about the tight departure time. After the two men enter a travel pod and the doors seal shut, Kirk explains that Dr. Emery Bronson has discovered that a new star named Bellus and its sole planet, Zyra, beyond the solar system in the direction of Scorpio, with the moon Titan 37. Scott says that the refit, a process that took eighteen months, can't be finished in twelve hours and tries to convince him that the Enterprise needs more work done as well as a shakedown cruise. Kirk firmly insists that the Enterprise-A is ready for her maiden voyage and they are leaving, ready or not, in twelve hours. Scott activates the travel pod's thrusters and they begin the journey over to the Earth Spacedock in orbit that houses the new Enterprise.

Scott tells Kirk that the crew hasn't had near enough transition time with all the new equipment and that the engines haven't even been tested at warp power, not to mention that they have an untried captain Jason Grant in command. Kirk tells Scott that two and a half years as the Chief of Starfleet Operations may have made him a little stale, but that he wouldn't exactly consider himself untried. Kirk then tells a surprised Scott that Starfleet has given him his new command of the Enterprise-A. Scott comments that he doubts it was so easy with Admiral Nogura, and Kirk tells him he's right. While sharing a laugh with Kirk, Scott remarks, "Any man who can manage such a feat I wouldna dare disappoint. She'll launch on time, sir... and she'll be ready," and gently puts his hand on the admiral's arm. They arrive at the Enterprise-A held within the mammoth spacedock, and Scott gives Kirk a brief tour of the new exterior of the new ship.

Upon docking with the ship and entering the Enterprise's cargo bay, Scott is immediately called to engineering. Kirk takes a turbolift up to the bridge, and upon arrival, is informed by Lieutenant Commander Uhura that Starfleet has just transferred command from Captain Decker over to him, and she, along with several other crewmembers including Sulu and Chekov, step forward excitedly to greet Kirk, who appreciates the welcome but wishes it were under more pleasant circumstances. Kirk asks the computer where Decker is. The computer informs that Decker is in engineering. Kirk makes his way to the new engine room and pauses to look at Enterprise's heart the warp core before taking the lift down to where Captain Decker is busy assisting Scott with launch preparations. After Kirk takes him aside to talk, informing him about Helmsman McKenna has lungworm and Hawkins was unable to distinguish Romulan language, Decker becomes visibly upset when Kirk tells him that he is assuming command. Decker will remain on the ship as executive officer and will receive a temporary demotion to commander.

In the briefing room, as Kirk briefs the assembled crew on the first mission, they receive a personal message from Yorktown, the Federation's newest and most advanced starbase in orbit around Zyra. While reading the communiqué, Decker says that two classes of people exist on Zyra: the very wealthy, who live on a huge and luxurious Stanford torus-style space station called Elysium, and the poor who live on Zyra. While residents on Zyra are policed by ruthless robots, Elysium's citizens live in comfort and regularly use bed-sized medical devices called Med-Bays to keep them free of disease and injury. Kirk informs the crew that the pre-launch countdown will begin in forty minutes and the assembled crew leaves to attend to their duties.

Later on the bridge, Lieutenant Ilia, the Enterprise-A's Deltan navigator, arrives. Decker is happy to see her, as they developed a romantic relationship when he was assigned to her home planet Delta IV several years earlier. Ilia is curious about Decker's reduction in rank and Kirk interrupts and tells her about Decker being the executive officer. Decker tells her, with slight sarcasm, that Captain Kirk has the utmost confidence in him. Ilia tells Kirk that her oath of celibacy is on record and asks permission to assume her duties. Uhura tells Kirk that one of the last six crew members to arrive is refusing to beam up. Kirk goes to the transporter room to ensure that the person is beamed up.

When told by a yeoman that the crew member insisted on them beaming up first, "said something about first "seeing how it scrambled our molecules,"" Kirk tells Starfleet to beam the officer aboard. Dr. McCoy, dressed in civilian attire and wearing a thick beard, materializes on the transporter platform. McCoy is angry that his Starfleet commission was reactivated. He realizes that Kirk is responsible for the draft. His attitude changes, however, when Kirk says he desperately needs him. McCoy leaves to check out the new sickbay, grumbling about all the new changes on the Enterprise-A.

The Enterprise leaves spacedock and heads for the Moon.

Act Two

 * "Captain's log, stardate 7412.6. 1.8 hours from launch. Our destination is Planet Zyra, the only satellite of the star Bellus in the Scorpio constellation. My orders are to make peace treaty between Elysium and Earth. Meanwhile. I'm becoming better acquainted with my new command - the second starship USS Enterprise. I'm still somewhat in awe of its new design and was virtually identical to her predecessor. As for my crew, we are short in several key positions, most notably a first officer, but I'm informed that a highly experienced man, Commander Spock, will be come to aboard."

Kirk orders Chekov to make a ship-wide mission broadcast. Chekov announces that the crew's orders are to end a long-running feud between Elysium and Earth, whose residents want Elysian technology to cure their illnesses. A clean-shaven Dr. McCoy arrives on the bridge and complains that the new sickbay is now nothing but a "damned computer center." Suddenly, the radar contacts something approaching fast. The Enterprise-A encounters a same derelict spaceship that is going to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up. The away team leave the ship to investigate. There are hieroglifics on the outside walls of the ship. There is a hole on the outer layer of the ship. The team see a corridor.

Kirk, Decker, McCoy and Chekov inspect the ship's bridge. The ship appears to be off-line. Chekov and Scott attempt to transfer power to the ship, but end up shorting out its circuits. They apply a power inverter to the ship to try and extract the logs from it. After an adjustment fails, Kirk suggests doing the opposite of the previous procedure, and the power comes back online. Decker examines the still-functioning old-style equipment. Suddenly, an alarm sounds. Someone is trying to beam over to the ancient ship, but its transporter is malfunctioning. McCoy informs Kirk that there is a red line on the transporter. Kirk and Scott promptly race over to the transporter room. Chekov is frantically trying to tell Transporter chief Janice Rand to abort the transport, but it is too late. Commander Sonak and a female officer are beaming in, but their bodies aren't re-forming properly in the transporter beam. The female officer screams horrifically, and then their bodies disappear. Rand tells them that they have died. With tears beginning to form in his eyes, Kirk tells Uhura to express his sympathies to their families. He mentions that Sonak's can be reached through the Vulcan embassy. "There was nothing you could have done, Rand," Kirk tells the upset transporter operator, "it wasn't your fault." Kirk discovers a reddish-brown pod and a mummified human corpse. Both things are brought in the Enterprise's cargo bay, where it is found that they originated on the Moon some 14,000 years ago.

The long-ranged shuttle approaches the Enterprise from behind, and the top portion of it detaches and docks at an airlock just behind the bridge. The crew is waiting by the airlock doors with a security officer and is surprised to see Spock come aboard. Spock tells Kirk that he is aware of the first mission and knows about the transporter accident. He offers his services as the science officer. Spock tells Kirk that with his permission, he will join the away team and examine an ancient ruins on the Moon.

The Galileo flies out from the Enterprise's shuttlebay and lands on the Moon. The away team takes a moon car out and Kirk has fun with driving it at high speed around the local terrain. Their moon car gets stuck in the sand. The team crawls to a soft steep and they find an alien base. They approach it in their car and see a green light on top. Buried in the sand, Spock finds a human-like skeleton, so they carry phasers with them. Inside the alien base, there are many more skeletons. They think it's a kind of ceremony hall. Decker is momentarily baffled by a door that requires a handprint to open. They open the door with a human-hand touchscreen. Everything lights up. They find a cryogenized woman in a rudimentary fashion in suspended animation who wakes up. She steals Chekov's phaser and tries to shoot them, but Kirk takes off his helmet and tells her that they are human. She identifies herself as Mera. Mera holds onto the bracelet in one of the skeletons. Kirk, knowing that she doesn't know English, tells Chekov to help Mera. Mera uses its own alien spacesuit to leave the place.

The Galileo lifts back off toward the Enterprise. The Enterprise leaves the Moon and heads into the solar system at impulse. Kirk gives the order to Sulu: "Let's see what she's got!" With a flash, the Enterprise engages her warp drive on its way to Zyra.


 * "Captain's log, stardate 7413.4. The Enterprise is on its way to Elysium at Zyra. Mera, the last ancient astronaut, begins to learn to speak English. One day, she will be a new second officer."

Chekov is helping Mera to learn English and feeding her in the mess hall. He shows her pictures of previous ships that were named Enterprise in the recreation deck. Kirk and McCoy are observing them covertly on a monitor from his quarters. Mera's grasp of English is not too good, but she's learning. Chekov and Mera were in Chekov's quarters, they kiss each other, and they make love.

The Enterprise arrives at Starbase Yorktown, an extensive deep space colony containing a large city in orbit around Zyra. Both a pod and a mummified human corpse are brought to the Federation colony on Zyra. Barnes says that they can't open the container without destroying it because it's made of a strange alloy. Shortly thereafter, the unattended pod comes to life, and a kind of metallic octopus appears. It smashes a mirror with its sounds and it makes the computers work under its domain. It looks as though they are feeding them information. The corpse looks like a human, and the place of origin is the Moon. The alien octopus gets hold of some metallic instruments and uses them to give itself some arms, building itself a cybernetic body with parts from the lab and pieces of the ancient corpse.

Meanwhile, when a caravan of illegal immigrants from Zyra attempts to reach Elysium and its Med-Bays, Elysian Secretary of Defense Jessica Delacourt orders vicious sleeper agent M. Kruger to shoot down the shuttles. While two of the shuttles are shot down in space, killing everyone on board, the third shuttle evades the missiles. Once on Elysium, however, everyone on board is either killed or deported. Disapproving of her methods, Elysian President Patel reprimands her and threatens to fire her unless she tones down her actions. Regarded as a loose cannon, Kruger is dismissed from service. Delacourt, vowing to protect Elysium and her own power, bargains with Armadyne's CEO John Carlyle to write a program that can override Elysium's central computer and make her President. Carlyle creates the program in his office on Zyra and uploads it to the microtape for safekeeping. Commodore Paris informs that there had been murder on an ice mining operation on Titan 37 century ago. She placed Titan 37 under an indefinite quarantine. Mera reveals the name of the killer cyborgs — the Kaalium.

Spock determines that the sentient electrical energy beamed from the Space Station Mir took over Akademik Vladislav Volkov, a Russian research vessel, and the Kaalium transferred a energy source to their ship three centuries ago. The alien (credited as The Intelligence) suddenly contacts Elysium. It tells them it is "aware", the mastermind of the Kaalium and sees mankind as a "virus" which it plans to use as "spare parts" by taking over Elysium's computer core. Mera realizes that the Intelligence and the Kaalium plan to wipe out the human race on both Elysium and Zyra. An assistant enters the lab and sees the corpse missing from the isolation room. She calls security, but the alien robot kills her and then leaves. A lieutenant and two soldiers arrive to the lab and find the assistant. They run after the robot, and they have it cornered, but Barnes wants to send a friendly message to it. It shoots Barnes on his arm, so Barnes tells everybody to shoot. The robot is unharmed, and it sends electric rays to kill people. Chekov crawls through the air shaft and finally shoots it on its head: the Kaalium robot falls to pieces. Mera signs a recruiting paperwork.

Act Three
Back aboard the Enterprise, Decker suggests having a search and destroy mission on Titan 37, which Kirk accepts. Mera, having learned to speak English, now dressed in the Starfleet uniform, beams aboard the Enterprise with Chekov and becomes the second officer as she receives a promotion to lieutenant junior grade. Decker tells Mera to obey the captain's order. She goes on to say "Aye, Captain Kirk." Kirk formally welcomes Mera on board the Enterprise and shakes her hand.

The Enterprise orbits Titan 37 and the Kirk and Max Da Costa's teams go to the mining platform on the shuttlecraft on a search-and-destroy mission with Mera wearing her own spacesuit. They discovered that the Kaalium ship resting on the lunar surface some distance away, which looks as though it's leaving. The team survives the attack of a spider Kaalium, despite the immediate death of Kruger's team. In subsequent attacks by the Kaalium, Chief Engineer Olson immolates himself to destroy the mining platform and the robot attackers with a series of explosives. The team's escape attempt failed when the Kaalium shoot down the shuttlecraft, forcing the team to crash-land. Kirk, Spock, Chekov and Mera are taken prisoner, and the Kaalium head to Zyra.

Spock frees himself, Kirk and Chekov and rescues Mera from certain death at the hands of a cyborg. In the meantime, the Enterprise intercepts the approaching alien ship to attack the Kaalium before it reaches Elysium. Kirk, Spock, Chekov and Mera look for the control room and find the Apollo 13 and the four missing shuttlecrafts Yorktown sent to investigate, which have been adapted into the alien machinery. Kirk supposes the shuttlecrafts were the last pieces of equipment that the Kaalium needed to complete their ship. Spock works a experiment in "transwarp beaming" in the shuttlecraft. Kruger arrives and threatens Mera, planning to steal the program for himself to rule Elysium and take command of the Enterprise. The Battle of Zyra takes the Enterprise and the Kaalium ship to the close proximity to Bellus. The Kaalium ship suffers heavy damage and begins to plummet toward Bellus. As the team are attacked by a giant robot (piloted by the Intelligence), it kills Kruger by hurling him through a breach in the hull to his death at Bellus. Spock completes the experiment in "transwarp beaming". Kirk, Spock, Chekov and Mera transwarp beam back to the Enterprise just as the Kaalium ship falls into Bellus and is destroyed along with the Kaalium crew and the Intelligence, causing the sentient electricity to disperse in the star.

Once back on Elysium, the team beams in the main data center where Spock activates the program. Elysium's computer core reboots and registers every Zyra resident included the last ancient astronaut as an Elysian citizen. A Med-Bay heals Mera's injures and, since a massive number of new citizens on Zyra are now recognized by Elysium's main computer as being in need of medical treatment, a fleet of medical ships are automatically dispatched to Zyra to begin their work.


 * "Captain's log, stardate 7414.2. With the Kaalium exterminated, the agreement for the treatment of the people of Zyra has been completed per my instructions."

The following day, the Enterprise departs Yorktown following the battle.

With the Kaalium threat averted and the Elysian mission over, the crew settles in. Uhura tells Kirk that Starfleet is requesting the ship's damage and injury reports and vessel status. Kirk lists Sonak, Dr. Puri and Olson as killed in action. Vessel status is fully operational. Mera explains that she was chosen to carry "the warning". She says that she initially didn't want to do that, but that she wanted to stay and fight instead of being put to sleep in that box. But that was her duty, so she did it. Chekov tells Mera that she does not have to worry anymore, that it is over and hugs her. She goes on to say that she's happy to be with Chekov.

When Ilia asks for a heading, Mera simply says "Out there, that-away." Kirk tells Sulu to proceed ahead at warp factor one.

With that, the Enterprise flies overhead and engages warp drive on its way to the new mission of exploration and discovery.

Log entries

 * "Captain's log, stardate 7412.6. 1.8 hours from launch. Our destination is Planet Zyra, the only satellite of the star Bellus in the Scorpio constellation. My orders are to make peace treaty between Elysium and Earth. Meanwhile. I'm becoming better acquainted with my new command - the second starship USS Enterprise. I'm still somewhat in awe of its new design and was virtually identical to her predecessor. As for my crew, we are short in several key positions, most notably a first officer, but I'm informed that a highly experienced man, Commander Spock, will be come to aboard."
 * "Captain's log, stardate 7413.4. The Enterprise is on its way to Elysium at Zyra. Mera, the last ancient astronaut, begins to learn to speak English. One day, she will be a new second officer."
 * "Captain's log, stardate 7414.2. With the Kaalium exterminated, the agreement for the treatment of the people of Zyra has been completed per my instructions."

Memorable quotes
"Admiral, we have just spent eighteen months redesigning and refitting the Enterprise. How in the name of hell do they expect me to have her ready in twelve hours?!"
 * - Scott, to Kirk

"I know, Mister Scott. The star Bellus and the planet Zyra with the moon Titan 37 are 30 light-years from Earth. The new starship named the Enterprise-A. Ready, or not, she launches in twelve hours."
 * - Kirk

"This is my first time on the second Starship Enterprise, Scotty."
 * - Kirk, heading to the Enterprise-A in a travel pod

"He wanted a new ship, he got her."

"And Captain Decker? He's been with the ship every minute of her refitting."

"Ensign, the possibilities of our returning from this mission in one piece may have just doubled."
 * - Sulu, alien ensign, and Uhura, regarding Kirk replacing Decker as captain of the Enterprise

"I'm replacing you as captain of the Enterprise-A. You'll stay on as executive officer, temporary grade reduction to commander."

"You personally are assuming command?"

"Yeah."

"May I ask why?"

"My experience. Five years out there, dealing with unknowns like aliens. My familiarity with the Enterprise, this crew."
 * - Kirk and Decker, on gaining captaincy of the Enterprise-A

"Admiral, this is a totally new Enterprise-A. You don't know her a tenth as well as I do."

"That's why you're staying aboard. I'm sorry, Will."

"No, sir. I don't think you're sorry. Not one damn bit. I remember when you recommended me for this command. You told me how envious you were, and how you hoped you'd be given a new starship command. Well, sir, it looks like you found a way."

"Report to the bridge, commander. Immediately."

"Aye, sir."
 * - Decker and Kirk, on the new Enterprise-A

"Just a moment, captain, sir. I'll explain what happened. Your revered Admiral Nogura invoked a little known, seldom used reserve activation clause! In simpler language, captain, they drafted me!"
 * - McCoy to Kirk, on returning to Starfleet

"Well, Jim, I hear Chapel's an MD now. Well, I'm gonna need a top nurse, not a doctor who'll argue every little diagnosis with me! And they've probably redesigned the whole sickbay, too! I know engineers. They love to change things!"
 * - McCoy, on the new Enterprise

"Thrusters ahead, Mr. Sulu. Take us out!"
 * - Kirk ordering the Enterprise-A out of spacedock

"Ancient astronauts. Even the name sounds prehistory."
 * - Chekov

"Well, Bones, do the new medical facilities meet with your approval?"

"They do not. It's like working in a damn computer center!"
 * - Kirk and McCoy

"Captain, what we got back didn't live long. Fortunately."
 * - Rand to Kirk, after the transporter malfunction at a derelict spaceship

"Mera. Mera"
 * - Mera, identifying herself

"Fascinating! The Enterprise-A had its maiden voyage to Bellus and Zyra."
 * - Mera

"Mera, you now become a second officer, I'm promoting you to lieutenant junior grade."
 * - Kirk promotes Lt. Mera second officer

"Aye, Captain Kirk."

""Welcome to the Enterprise, Lieutenant Mera."
 * - Kirk, giving Mera a proper welcome

"Species is destructive, invasive, noxious, harmful to the whole. What species? Man... You are virus."
 * - Virus Alien

"Dr. Puri, report."

"It's Dr. McCoy. Puri was on Elysium. He's dead, Decker."
 * - Decker and McCoy

"List them as killed in action."
 * - Kirk to Uhura, on Sonak, Dr. Puri and Olson

"Jim, when I was chosen to carry the warning, I said no. I wanted to stay. Maybe even to die."

"I know."

"But it was my duty. But it is all over now, and I'm glad to be with Chekov."
 * - Mera and Kirk

"Heading?"

"Out there. Thataway!"
 * - Ilia and Mera

"Let's see what's out there. Engage."
 * - Kirk

Cast

 * William Shatner as Admiral/Captain James T. Kirk
 * Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock
 * DeForest Kelley as Commander Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
 * James Doohan as Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
 * Nichelle Nichols as Commander Nyota Uhura
 * George Takei as Commander Hikaru Sulu
 * Walter Koenig as Commander Pavel Chekov, Captain Jason Grant
 * Majel Barrett as Nurse Christine Chapel
 * Grace Lee Whitney as Chief Janice Rand
 * Leigh Lombardi as Lieutenant Mera
 * Persis Khambatta as Lieutenant Ilia
 * Stephen Collins as Captain/Commander Will Decker
 * Jon Rashad Kamal as Lt. Commander Sonak
 * Joseph Gatt as 0718
 * Greg Ellis as Olson
 * Oz Perkins as Hawkins
 * Bruce Campbell as Commander Ray Tanner
 * Robert Kurcz as Koreman
 * John J. Saunders as Barnes
 * Reavir Graham as Haskell
 * Tom Case as Lieutenant Beck

Trivia

 * This movie is a prequel to the Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
 * The star Bellus and the planet Zyra made their appearances in Star Trek series from the 1951 movie When Worlds Collide.
 * Titan 37 also appeared from the film Supernova.
 * A mess hall aboard the Enterprise-A was similar to the mess hall of Voyager (and the Bellerophon) with a series of food synthesizer. The door to the mess hall had a same sound as the refitted Enterprise doors.
 * The briefing room aboard the Enterprise-A was also similar to the briefing room of the Voyager. The briefing room's innermost wall featured drawings that comprised a a memorial of ships named Enterprise, including a sailing ship, the first aircraft carrier, the second aircraft carrier, the orbiter, the spacescraft, the Enterprise NX-01 and the USS Enterprise.

Transcripts

 * Star Trek: Moontrap/Transcripts