)
1982 - STAR TREK II: The Wrath of Khan
Writers: Harve Bennet and Jack B. Sowards
Dir.: Nicolas Meyer
Prod.: Robert Sallin
Music: James Horner
Captain Kirk : William Shatner
1st Officer, Commander Spock:
Leonard Nimoy
Dr. McCoy: De Forest Kelly
Commander Scott: James Doohan
Commander Uhura: Nichele Nichols
Commander Sulu: George Takei
Commander Chekov: Walter Koenig
Terrell: Paul Winfield
Sister Chapel: Majel Barett
Saavik: Kirstie Alley
Dr. Carol Marcus: Bibi Besch
David Marcus: Merritt Butrick
Khan Noonian Singh: Ricardo Montalban
8130.3
)
The Enterprise is on a training mission approaching
Gamma Hydra section 14, approaching the Neutral Zone.
)
In the captain's chair is Lieutenant Commander Saavik who orders to avoid the Neutral Zone.
In this moment a distress call comes in, from starship positioned in the Gammy Hydra
section 2 (in the Neutral Zone) with 300 people on board. Her name: Kobayashi Maru.
Lieutenant Saavik is aware of the danger but cannot risk 300 lives. In spite of Mr. Sulu's
warnings she orders to enter the zone. Spock informs: "We are now in violation of a
treaty, captain." "Standby transporter room," Saavik orders.
Now Mrs. Uhura reports that transmission
from the starship has ended. Another officer reports the approach of Klingon vessels:
)
The distress call has been a fake. Shields are ordered to be activated.
Evasive action,
too, but too late: The Klingon torpedoes hit the ship. With every blow members of the
crew go down.
)
Sitting in the middle of the bridge Saavik watches everybody dying, hears
all the damage reports and (self controlled) gives orders to abandon ship - ... as
the admiral comes in. "Klingons do not take prisoners," he informs Saavik. Fully aware
that this has been the Kobayashi Maru test, a no win situation, she wonders whether
this was a fair test for her abilities. Kirk makes her aware that a no win situation
is a situation any commander might face. "How we deal with death is at least as important
as how we deal with life, isn't it?" Kirk responds.
)
"Aren't you dead?"
)
Kirk meets Spock after the test and Spock (commenting the remark
with a raised eyebrow) wishes him the best for his birthday and, because Kirk likes
antiques, Spock presents him a book.
Later on McCoy comes in. His gift is a pair of
antique spectacles. McCoy suggests Kirk to get back the command of a starship. He knows
that Kirk is not happy with the duties of an admiral.
)
Meanwhile the starship "Reliance" under captain Terrell and first officer Chekov is searching for a planet without life forms. Dr. Marcus project "Genesis" is to be tested at a planet without any life. She and her son she has with Kirk, David, have developed a project to create vegetation where nothing has been before. Captain Terrell and Chekov found such a planet. While investigating the hot, stormy environment, they find an abandoned ship. Inside Chekov reads: "Botany Bay" and remembers what he had heard about Khan and the experiences his former crew had with the man who had set out to conquer anything coming his way. Chekov urges Terrell to leave the place. Too late: Khan and his people arrive back at their ship. They have been on this planet since 15 years. Once they have been left on a planet with a lot of vegetation to avoid Khan succeeding in conquering other peoples. By now this planet had been pushed out of its orbit and became a hostile place to survive on. Still Khan is filled with hate and wants to take revenge. First Khan shows them that the young of a creature living in the hot sand enters through the ears. It then enters the cerebral cortex and causes great pain. Then he places one of these young into the ear of each man.
)
On the Enterprise admiral Kirk examines the ship. He's welcomed by Spock and
Engeener Scott.
)
Kirk,
exhibiting a mockery by the book attitute, decides to start his inspection from
Engeenering. "You'll find it in perfect order," Scott says. "That
would be a pleasant surprise," Kirk says in turn. "See you on the
bridge, Admiral" Spock calls at Kirk's back. After the first inspection Saavik
is talking with Spock in Vulcan wondering that Kirk always surprises her expectations.
"What did you expect?" Spock asks. "He's so ... human," she says.
"Nobody is perfect"
Spock answers.
) |
) |
During the examination Spock suddenly asks Saavik whether she ever took out a
ship of the space dock and gives her the command over the ship while it leaves the dock.
Meanwhile Chekov informs Dr. Marcus that the Reliant is on her way to meet Dr. Marcus
to test Genesis on the planet. David, his mother and their crew are angry. This was
not planned. "Who gave the order?" David asks.
)
After a long hesitation Chekov answers:
"Admiral Kirk." On the Reliant Khan stands beside Chekov: "Well done" he says. He also
has cared for the possibility that Dr. Marcus will try to contact Kirk.
On the Enterprise, Spock wants Kirk to take over command. He knows this is what his friend
wants to do and declares that a senior officer should take over when they are on a real
mission. But Kirk does not want to take the command away from Spock. "You proceed from
a false assumption. I am a Vulcan; I have no ego to boost." "Logic clearly dictates:
The needs of the many outweigh the need of the few." Spock says.
"You are my superior officer and my friend. I have been and I always shall
be your friend."
Kirk assumes command since an emergency situation has risen. The training mission is
over; they are called to assist in the Genesis project. No contact can be established.
He had been contacted by Carol and heard "... to give up Genesis."
)
Then the
transmission had stopped. He could not answer the call.
)
After Spock's question what Genesis is about, Kirk calls Spock and McCoy to the conference
- room.
They learn that Genesis is capable of creating life where nothing has been before.
All are called on the bridge because the get signals from the Reliant. Khan and his crew
who have taken over the Reliant now encounter the Enterprise. Seeing the USS Reliant come
closer the Enterprise is attacked before they can raise the shields. Knowing his target
is heavily hit and on auxiliary power Khan makes visual contact. He wants Kirk to know
who has beaten him.
)
Kirk offers himself to get beamed over if Khan spares his crew.
)
This
Khan would accept if Kirk gave him Genesis. Kirk agrees - if he gets some time because
the computers are damaged. Meanwhile Spock and Kirk attempt to reach the Reliant's
combination code. While Khan waits for the transmission of the Genesis facts and he gets
his own shields coming down and shot by the Enterprise's phasers. Now the Reliant
withdraws and hides behind the planet, where Genesis was to be tested on.
On space lab Regular I they discover that Khan has been there before them. Locked up
in a closet they find Chekov and Terrell who tell them that their minds were under
control by the creatures Khan had put into their heads. Here Kirk meets Carol and
David who have been suffering under Khan's attack. Because David thinks Kirk is
responsible for all the torture and killed on Regula I he attacks him. Carol knows
he is not and calls David back. When Kirk hears David's name he realizes that he
nearly had beaten his son in self defense. But - as Terrell says – it comes worse:
Chekov and Tyrell point their phasers on them. Both are under the control of Khan
and report to "His Excellency".
Quickly David tries to attack Terrell, but Saavik
throws herself against him saving his life. Still the phaser beam hits another crew member.
Though being under Khan's control both cannot bring it over their heart to indeed
kill them by purpose. Terrell shoots himself and Chekov faints from the pain the
creature inside him causes now.
)
He goes down. With agony they see how the creature
emerges out of Chekov's ear with the help of Dr. McCoy.
Under the lead of Dr. Marcus all hide in the place on the planet Genesis, an
underground cave, where they have tested Genesis. The project has been taken by
Khan, but the first tests done here on the planet show splendorous vegetation.
Awed they admire Dr. Marcus' work, all the various plant, streams of water and
the atmosphere of Genesis while Kirk is waiting for Spock to handle Khan.
)
The
Enterprise has been orbiting the planet hiding from the Reliant position, which
is orbiting, too. While working on the repairs Spock calls in (knowing that their
conversation is overheard by Khan) and gives his "report" by "the book": No main
power before 6 days. Auxiliary power has temporarily failed; it will be restored
by two days. They cannot even beam them back on board.
In this waiting situation Saavik asks Kirk again how he has passed the impossible
task to solve: Kobayashi Maru. At another time Kirk had avoided to answer, now he
admits: "I reprogrammed the test so that it was possible to rescue the ship."
"He cheated" David summarizes. But Kirk prefers another way to put it: He has
"changed
the conditions of the test. I don't like to loose." "Then you have never faced death"
Saavik realizes. Kirk admits he does not believe in a no win situation.
)
Spock interrupts by intercom: They are ready to be beamed on board repairs
are done. Quickly recapturing the meaning "by the book" Saavik joins in the
group: "By the book!" Kirk confirms: "By the book; Day are hours, hours are
minutes." "No uncoded messages on an open channel" Saavik adds and confronts
Spock: "You lied."
)
Giving her an amazed look Spock answers:
"I exaggerated."
Still Khan has no idea about the real condition of the Enterprise. Though
auxilary power had been restored, warp is not possible. So the Reliant is
in a far better condition. For the shields won't work there, the nearby nebular
is the best place to provide even conditions. Torpedoes are ready to be used.
Due to Khan's hate and obsession they follow the Enterprise intro the nebular.
When Spock points out Khan's two dimensional thinking patterns to Kirk they make
a plan.
)
)
After a fight Khan's Reliant is badly destroyed.
)
He sees his people
around him die and still his hate wins over sadness: He activates Genesis.
Such a speedy evolution would cause the death of all life around the place
where Genesis has been initiated. It would cause his death, but the deaths
of all on the Enterprise, too.
By now Chekov is healed and resuming his position again. But the ship's
warp power is not working yet. When they monitor the initiation of the genesis
wave which will detonate in four minutes, all know: They'll be all dead if
there is no warp power in three minutes.
)
Spock concentrates and makes a decision. Unnoticed by the others he leaves
the bridge and enters the engine room.
)
He uses the
Vulcan nerve pinch to render the serving
lieutenant unconscious and is ready to enter the radiation room where the
warp engines have failed working. Heading towards the room Dr. McCoy can't
believe what Spock is up to and stands in his way: "No human can survive
the radiation in there!" "As you so often remarked, doctor, I am not human,"
Spock says and, because he as no time to discuss this, uses the Vulcan nerve
pinch on his friend.
)
Seeing his friend lying down Spock touches McCoy's forehead and calmly says:
"Remember!"
When Scotty sees him inside, he shouts out in agony.
Having to watch Spock
working in the radioactive room and knowing he will die, Scotty can do nothing for him.
The seconds pass while everybody on the bridge watches their fate coming nearer.
Watching the distance increasing to the Reliant – much too slowly.
In these moments Spock works on the Warp engines. He struggles amongst these
concentrated beams of radiation, but puts in a new device for the warp power.
As Sulu suddenly gets full readings he tells the captain and Kirk
orders full warp speed. The Enterprise escapes the deadly area in the last seconds.
"Scotty, well done." )
Kirk sends a message to the engine room.
"Jim, ... you better get down here." It's McCoy's sad voice. "Bones?" Jim's voice
sounds worried and he looks over to Spock's seat. An empty seat lets him expect
the worst. )
Kirk hurries down to the engine room and finds his friends in the
radiation section. "He is dead already," his friends tell him, trying to keep
him away. Through the transparent walls he can see Spock and calls out for him.
Blinded, still correcting his uniform to stay as dignified as ever, Spock comes
to the place he had heard his captain calling him. "Ship out of danger?" he wants
to know. "Yes." Kirk gasps.
"Don't grieve, captain." Spock manages to say
though he hardly can speak any more. "It's logical. )
The needs of the many
outweigh ..." "The needs of the few" Kirk finishes the sentence for him knowing
it had cost him all his strength to say the beginning, "... the one" Spock says ...
"I never took the Kobayashi Maru test" Spock says, "What do you think of my solution?"
Kirk can only say one word: "Spock ..." Spock cannot stand any more. Going down he confirms to Jim:
"I am and I
always shall be your friend. Live long and prosper."
They touch the transparent wall, both at the same spot, their hands forming
the Vulcan blessing.
And Spock dies. "No!" Kirk watches him helplessly.
)
Trying not to show his tears Captain Kirk holds the speech for his funeral.
With the sounds of bagpipes playing "Amazing grace" Spock's coffin is sent
to the planet where Genesis was tested.
In mourning Kirk sits in his room when his son visits him. He now is proud
to be Kirk's son and comforts his father: "He knew enough to tell Saavik
that how to face death is at least as important as how to face life. These
are good words."
En route to get the survivors of the Reliant on board of the Enterprise from
the planet where Khan and his people have been found Kirk is deep in thoughts:
"I keep wondering about the friend I leave behind. 'There are always possibilities',
Spock said ... and if Genesis is indeed life from death I must return to this
place again."
On the genesis planet the vegetation has already increased and spread all
over, growing quickly. In the middle of the greens Spock's coffin lies undamaged ...
)
Widescreen pictures courtesy of www.trek5.com
