Vulcan there,
if possible.
None available, Captain.
In fact, there's no one
who's fully rated on this design.
You are, Mr. Decker.
I'm afraid you're going to have
to double as science officer.
That's all we know about it...
except that it is now
53.4 hours away from Earth.
Enterprise is the only Federation
starship that stands in its way.
Our orders are to intercept...
investigate and take
whatever action is necessary...
and possible.
Bridge to Captain.
Priority signal from Epsilon 9.
- Put it on viewer.
- On viewer, sir.
Enterprise, the cloud is definitely
a power field of some kind.
Measures-- My God--
over two AU's in diameter.
Must be something incredible
inside there generating it.
We're transmitting lingua code
friendship messages...
on all frequencies.
No response.
have a null reading
at the center of the cloud.
Definitely something inside there,
but scans are being reflected back.
- Some kind of power surge.
- Receiving an odd pattern now.
Enterprise, they could be mistaking
our scans as a hostile act.
They seem to be reactingto our scans, sir.
Deflectors, emergency full!
- We are under attack.
- External view.
Viewer off.
Prelaunch countdown
will commence in 40 minutes.
Transporter system fully repaired
and functioning normally, sir.
Dock signals clear, Captain.
Reply we are holding position,
awaiting final crew replacements.
Aye, sir.
Transporter personnel reports...
the navigator, Lieutenant Ilia--
She's already aboard
and en route to the bridge, sir.
She's Deltan, Captain.
Lieutenant Ilia
reporting for duty, sir.
Welcome aboard, Lieutenant.
- Hello, Ilia.
- Decker.
I was stationed on the lieutenant's
home planet some years ago.
Commander Decker?
Yes, our exec and science officer.
Captain Kirk has
the utmost confidence in me.
And in you, too, Lieutenant.
My oath of celibacy
is on record, Captain.
- May I assume my duties?
- By all means.
Starfleet reports our last six
crew members are ready to beam up...
but one of them is refusing
to step into the transporter.
Oh? I'll see to it
that he beams up.
Transporter room.
- Yeoman?
- Yes, sir?
- What was the problem down there?
- He insisted we go first, sir.
Said something about first seeing
how it scrambled our molecules.
Has a familiar ring, doesn't it?
Starfleet, this is Captain Kirk.
Beam that officer up now.
Well, for a man who swore
he'd never return to Starfleet--
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!
They didn't.
This was your idea.
This was your idea, wasn't it?
Bones, there's a thing out there.
Why is any object we don't
understand always called a thing?
Headed this way. I need you.
Damn it, Bones, I need you.
Badly!
Permission to come aboard.
Permission granted, sir.
Well, Jim,
I hear Chapel's an MD now.
Well, I'm going
to need a top nurse...
not a doctor who will argue
every little diagnosis with me.
And they probably redesigned
the whole sick bay too!
I know engineers.
They love to change things.
Dock control reports ready, sir.
- Helm ready, sir.
- Orbital departure on plot, sir.
Yard command signaling clear, sir.
- Maneuvering thrusters, Mr. Sulu.
- Maneuvering thrusters, sir.
Hold station.
Thrusters at station-keeping, sir.
Thrusters ahead, Mr. Sulu.
Take us out.
Intermix set, Bridge.
Impulse power at your discretion.
Impulse power, Mr. Sulu.
Ahead warp .5.
Departure angle on viewer.
Departure angle.
- Viewer ahead.
- Viewer ahead.
Captain 's Log.:
Stardate 7412. 6...
1.8hours from launch.
In order to intercept the intruder
at the earliest possible time...
we must now risk engaging warp drive
while still within the solar system.
Captain, assuming we have
full warp capability...
accelerating to warp 7
on leaving the solar system...
will bring us to IP