- For other uses, see Cassandra.
"Cassandra" was the second of 13 regular episode scripts prepared for the abortive development of the television series Star Trek: Phase II. Although the episode went unproduced, a detailed synopsis was published in the reference work Phase II: The Lost Series.
In this story, in the Phase II continuity, a cute little animal sparked the threat of planetary civil war.
Publisher's description[]
- Story Introduction
- Both "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "A Piece of the Action" are longtime family favorites, and this story about a clumsy yeoman and a tiny, trouble-causing creature might easily have joined their ranks.
Summary[]
A peace conference resolves centuries-long feuding between humanoid species Breet and Manlikt of the planet Manlikt. The USS Enterprise ferries Manlikt foreign minister Hibchiba back from the conference, then brings him to the surface via a shuttlecraft. Once back on the hangar deck, the shuttle is being cleaned by Yeoman Myra Kart when she finds a large egg. She picks it up, clumsily drops it, then puts the cracked egg in a bag and leaves it in sickbay with Leonard McCoy and Christine Chapel.
Shortly afterward, the doctors witnesses the egg hatch. They are stunned to see a little creature named Cassandra emerge and state in a deep voice, "Oh, my, if you aren't just the cutest little old bug..." When Kart returns a few minutes later, she spots the animal, cuddles it, and said, "Oh, my, if you aren't just the cutest little old bug..." The animal replies, "How come you never smile?" Kart brings Cassandra to the recreation room, where she overhears a crewman comment to Xon, "How come you never smile?"
Meanwhile, the Manlikt government becomes distraught — their most sacred object, an oracle, has disappeared. It was located near the landing site of the shuttle, and a Breet agent was discovered nearby. Manlikt threatens to destroy the planet with a doomsday bomb if the object is not returned within six hours. As Xon returns to the bridge, Kirk orders the ship to yellow alert and Willard Decker widens the ship's orbit. The Breet government proclaims its innocence, but nonetheless prepares its military, perhaps to strike first. Nyota Uhura hails Hibchiba, who describes the missing object as a large egg. Xon deduces that it must have been hidden in the shuttle by the Breet agent. When Kirk broadcasts a ship-wide alert about the egg, Kart reports to the bridge and tells him everything that had happened.
McCoy and Chapel bring the animal to the bridge. Hibchiba is elated to see Cassandra on his viewscreen. He says he will personally retrieve it after settling the diplomatic situation with the Breet. Kirk asks Kart to take Cassandra below, which she interprets to mean to Montgomery Scott in engineering. When three representatives from the foreign minister's office signal to say they will bring back Cassandra, Pavel Chekov thinks it is a prudent security measure and Kirk approves it. Kart and Cassandra are in the transporter room when Scott beams up the three Manlikts. Scott asks her to turn up the corridor lights, but she hits the intruder control circuits by mistake, trapping the representatives and spraying them with water jets. The water blasts away disguises, exposing then as Breet agents. Cassandra exclaims, "People of Manlikt, this is a historical, nay, an epochal moment." Xon explains to Kirk, based on earlier observations, that they will hear this statement in four minutes and forty seconds.
Hibchiba awards Kart with a gold medal for exposing the Breet spies. Kirk promotes Kart for the good she's done, then demotes her for the chaos she's caused. Xon expresses compassion for Kart, stating that, despite her failings, she neither broke regulations nor repeated a mistake. McCoy appreciates Xon's efforts on her behalf. Xon replies, "Compassion is a lot easier than smiling".
References[]
Characters[]
- Cassandra • Christine Chapel • Pavel Chekov • Willard Decker • Hibchiba • Ilia • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Myra Kart • Montgomery Scott • Nyota Uhura • Xon
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and technology[]
- bomb • communications • communicator • intercom • transporter • viewscreen
Ranks and titles[]
- chief engineer • captain • crew member • doctor • Federation Starfleet ranks (2270s) • first officer • foreign minister • guard • rank • security officer • spy • Starfleet ranks • yeoman
Other references[]
- animal • atmosphere • beam • bird • bridge • brig • bug • century • condition yellow • compassion • conference • demerit • egg • engineering • glass • gold • hour • kilometer • lifeform • logic • meter • minute • orbit • peace • poker • recreation room • Starfleet General Orders and Regulations • Sacred Monitor • second • sickbay • sports and games • Starfleet regulations • steel • time • treaty • water
Appendices[]
Background[]
- Other clumsy characters like Myra Kart include Karla (Tizarin), Ivar Sorensen (Human), and T'Vau (Vulcan), though none were Starfleet officers serving aboard a Federation starship.
- The summary does not explain how Cassandra got its name. The animal is physically described as small, cute, bird-like (because it hatched from an egg), and a bug.
Related stories[]
- TOS comic: "The Brain Shockers" – In 2264, Yeoman Pandora Trask inadvertently released disembodied Vulcan furies from a storage room.
- TOS episode & Star Trek 3 novelization: The Trouble with Tribbles – In 2267, cute, little, furry tribbles became a nuisance aboard the Enterprise.
- TOS comic: "Planet of the Dead" – Cute, little, furry beavos drained life energy.
- TOS - Star Trek: The Manga - Uchu comic: "Bandi" – In 2268, a teddy-bear-like, empathic Bandi-bear radiated intense emotions.
- TOS audiobook: Passage to Moauv – In 2268, a pet waul projected emotions of panic.
Connections[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous episode: Tomorrow and the Stars |
Star Trek: Phase II episodes | Next episode: Kitumba, Part 1 |
| Previous story: Amok Time |
Stories by: Theodore Sturgeon |
Next story: The Joy Machine |
External links[]
- Cassandra (Phase II) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Cassandra review at Eruditorum Press.