The Ageless One

The Ageless One, or UK comic strips, fourteenth story arc, was the 14th story in the UK comic strips series. It was released in six parts in 1970 within issues of TV21 Weekly. In this story, James T. Kirk and Spock became trapped in the 33rd century.

Publisher's description

 * Teaser summary, July 11, 1970:
 * Beaming down to investigate the surface of an unknown planet in the Omega galaxy, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock found themselves kidnapped in an utterly incredible way. Through the genius of Palnak, the sinister “Collector” whose museum housed all manner of plant and life form, they were transported a thousand years forward in time!

Summary
Discovering an unexplored planet, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) launched a probe into orbit, only to have it vibrate and mysteriously disappear. James T. Kirk and Spock beamed down to investigate, only to encounter sonic vibrations which knocked them to the ground. When the air calmed and they recovered, a large domed structure stood before them. Unable to contact the ship, they approached the entrance of the building, only to be seized by grappler arms and tossed into an enormous hall full of biological specimens, museum exhibits. A blue squid-like being approached on a hovering disc. Suspecting that they might become the newest additions to the museum, Kirk activated his universal translator and diplomatically introduced himself.

Kirk and Spock had time-traveled into the 33rd century. The non-humanoid being, Palnak, claimed to be ageless, having built the museum five hundred years earlier on the planet. The Enterprise was visible on a monitor screen, and Palnak said that if the ship remained in orbit for a thousand years they would receive Kirk’s communicator signal. With a small control device, Palnak paralyzed Kirk and Spock, then carried them further into the museum.

Aboard the Enterprise, Nyota Uhura picked up a ghostly signal, an image from inside the museum, which the computer identified as coming from the 33rd century. Hikaru Sulu realized that the landing party had time-traveled, and Montgomery Scott prepared a rescue operation.

Palnak began processing Kirk and Spock, compelling the paralyzed officers to provide information on their life histories. Palnak initiated a process to numb them before killing and preserving them, but was distracted when a monitor showed two shuttlecraft approaching the surface in the 23rd century. Realizing he’d left his screen on, allowing two-way transmission into the past which could be traced, Palnak became excited at the prospect of adding the shuttles and their crews to his collection. He moved off to control the time-slip effect, leaving Kirk and Spock unattended. Their paralysis wore off, and they sneaked into the control room behind Palnak, able to watch as he manipulated the equipment to bring the shuttles forward in time.

As soon as Scott arrived in the 33rd century, he hailed Kirk, but Kirk’s beeping communicator unfortunately alerted Palnek to their presence. Kirk and Spock retreated into the museum gallery and spotted a showcase containing a pair of bipedal armored soldiers. They broke the exhibit glass and stole the rifles. Defensive rays shot out near them. Palnak ordered them to stop or they would be killed. Kirk warned Scott about the grapplers by the museum entrance, and Scott’s rescue party blew the entrance apart with phaser rifles. Kirk shot and destroyed Palnak’s control device, and it fled into the museum, claiming it’d rather blow up the museum than be defeated. The Starfleet officers fled, but first Spock ran to the time-slip equipment and activated it, triggering the sonic vibration effect that returned the shuttles and officers to the 23rd century.

Characters

 * James T. Kirk • Palnak • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura

Starships and vehicles

 * USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) • Galileo • Unnamed Class F shuttlecraft

Locations

 * Unnamed planet • Palnak's museum

Earth • Sol System

Races and cultures

 * Human • Vulcan

States and organizations

 * Starfleet Command

Science and technology

 * communicator • computer • hover platform • invisibility • Palnak's weapon • probe • phaser • questing missile • rifle • time-slip • transporter • universal translator

Ranks and titles

 * captain • chief engineer • skipper

Other references

 * atmosphere • gravity • moon

Chronology

 * c. 2266
 * Kirk and Spock beamed down to the planet containing Palnak's museum


 * 28th century
 * Palnak's museum was first built


 * 33rd century
 * Palnak brought Kirk, Spock, two shuttlecraft and a rescue party forward in time

Production history

 * The magazine TV21 & Joe 90 was renamed TV21 Weekly as of issue #39. This was the first Star Trek story printed in that title, and was published over six weekly issues.


 * 1970
 * June
 * 20th, pages 1-2 published in TV21 Weekly #39.
 * 27th, pages 3-4 published in TV21 Weekly #40.
 * July
 * 4th, pages 5-6 published in TV21 Weekly #41.
 * 11th, pages 7-9 published in TV21 Weekly #42.
 * 18th, pages 10-12 published in TV21 Weekly #43.
 * 25th, pages 13-15 published in TV21 Weekly #44.

Background

 * The location where the Enterprise explored was called the Omega galaxy.
 * 16 rescue officers, counting Scott, were seen disembarking from two shuttlecraft, using exits on the starboard side. Another officer was seen emerging from a roof hatch.
 * A stegosaurus was seen among the preserved life in the museum.
 * Kirk and Uhura wore red shirts. Spock, Scott, Sulu and the rescue squad all wore blue shirts.

Related stories

 * – 27th century Vorgons time traveled to the 24th century to steal the Tox Uthat.
 * – Time traveling collectors
 * – Kivas Fajo kidnapped Data to be the focal point of a prized collection of unique objects.
 * – The pocket universe museum held a vast collection of antiques.