Curious. I'm seeing images
of planets. Moons. Stars.
Whole galaxies stored, recorded.
It may be a representation
of V'Ger's entire journey.
But who or what are we dealing with?
The Epsilon lX station,
stored here with every detail.
Captain, I am now quite convinced
that all of this is V'Ger.
That we are inside a living machine.
Ilia!
The sensor... must contain
some special meaning.
I must try to mind-meld with it.
(yells)
Spock!
Spock!
Spock!
Now scanning pons area.
Spinal nerve fibre connection.
Indications
of some neurological trauma.
The power pouring through that
mind-meld must have been staggering.
- Spock.
- Jim.
- I should have known.
- Were you right? About V'Ger?
A life form of its own.
A conscious, living entity.
(Dr Chapel) A living machine?
It considers the Enterprise
a living machine.
I saw V'Ger's planet.
A planet populated
by living machines.
Unbelievable technology.
V'Ger has knowledge
that spans this universe.
And yet, with all its pure logic,...
..V'Ger is barren. Cold.
No mystery.
No beauty.
I should have... known...
Known? Known what?
Spock!
What should you have known?
What should you have known?
Jim...
This simple feeling...
..is beyond V'Ger's comprehension.
No meaning. No hope.
Jim...
No answers.
It's asking questions.
"ls this... all that I am?"
"ls there nothing more?"
(Uhura) Bridge to Captain.
Kirk here.
A faint signal from Starfleet, sir.
Intruder cloud has been located
on the monitors for 27 minutes.
Cloud dissipating rapidly
as it approaches.
Starfleet reports velocity
is slowed to subwarp speed.
We are three minutes
from Earth orbit.
I'll be right there.
I need Spock on the bridge.
(Dr Chapel) Dalaphaline, five ccs.
(Uhura) Starfleet is sending
this tactical on V'Ger's position.
V'Ger is transmitting a signal.
Jim!
From V'Ger.
V'Ger signals the Creator.
Spock?
A simple binary code,
transmitted by carrier-wave signal.
Radio.
Radio?
Jim, V'Ger expects an answer.
An answer? I don't know the question.
(Ilia)
The Creator has not responded.
All planetary defence systems
have just gone inoperative.
Starfleet says
the devices are proceeding
to equidistant positions
orbiting the planet!
The same things that hit us.
They are hundreds of times
more powerful.
From those positions, they could
devastate the entire planet.
Why?
The Creator has not answered.
The carbon-unit infestation
is to be removed from the planet.
- Why?
- You infest Enterprise.
You interfere with the Creator
in the same manner.
Carbon units are not an infestation.
They are... a natural function
of the Creator's planet.
- They are living things.
- They are not true life forms.
Only the Creator and other
similar life forms are true.
Similar life forms.
Jim, V'Ger is saying its Creator
is a machine.
Machine!
Captain.
V'Ger is a child.
I suggest you treat it as such.
- A child?
- Yes, Captain. A child.
Evolving, learning, searching.
- lnstinctively needing.
- Needing what?
Spock! This child is about to wipe
out every living thing on Earth!
What do you suggest we do? Spank it?
It knows only that it needs,
Commander.
But, like so many of us,
it does not know what.
The carbon units know why
the Creator has not responded.
Disclose the information.
Not until V'Ger withdraws the devices
orbiting the third planet.
Captain!
I'm losing Starfleet!
Interference from V'Ger.
Kirk unit, disclose the information.
Why has the Creator not responded?
No.
(rumbling)
Secure all stations.
Clear the bridge.
(crashing)
Clear the bridge, Captain?
That was the order. Clear the bridge.
Your child is having a tantrum,
Mr Spock.
V'Ger requires the information.
Bridge! Secure all stations.
Move out.
Jim, what the hell
kind of strategy is this?
Ship's functions going to automatic.
If V'Ger destroys the Enterprise,
the information will be destroyed.
It is illogical to withhold
required information.
Kirk unit!
Kirk unit!