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"The Deadly Years" was the 40th episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, the 11th episode of the show's second season, first aired on 17 8 December 1967. The episode was written by David P. HarmonMA and directed by Joseph PevneyMA. It was novelized in Star Trek 7 by James Blish and adapted as a fotonovel in 1978.

Description[]

Fotonovel introduction
Gamma Hydra IV is swept by a mysterious radiation. And Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scott are catapulted into a desperate race against time as they fight the rapid advance of aging, senility and death!
With command of the Enterprise torn from his grasp, Captain Kirk conceives a daring gamble to save the great starship and all on board from imminent annihilation…and halt the onslaught of… The Deadly Years.

Log entries[]

Log entries (episode)[]

Captain's log, stardate 3478.2.
On a routine mission to re-supply the experimental colony at Gamma Hydra IV, we discovered a most unusual phenomenon. Of the six members of the colony, none of whom were over 30, we found four had died and two were dying of old age.
Captain's log, stardate 3579.4.
Of the Enterprise personnel who beamed down to the planet's surface, Doctor McCoy, Engineer Scott, Mister Spock, Lieutenant Galway, and myself are all showing definite signs of aging. Only Ensign Chekov appears to be normal.

Log entries (fotonovel)[]

Captain's log, stardate 3478.2.
En route to Starbase 10, where our passenger, Commodore Stocker, will assume command of starbase operations. We are stopping at Gamma Hydra IV to deliver supplies and make the routine annual check of the science colony there.
Captain's log, stardate 3478.3.
On a routine mission to re-supply the experimental colony at Gamma Hydra IV, we discovered a most unusual phenomenon. Of the six members of the colony, none of whom were over 30, we found four had died and two were dying of old age. We have beamed those two aboard under Dr. McCoy's supervision.
Captain's log, stardate 3579.4.
Of the Enterprise personnel who beamed to the surface of Gamma Hydra IV, Doctor McCoy, Engineer Scott, Mister Spock, Lieutenant Galway, and myself are all showing definite signs of aging. Only Ensign Chekov appears to be normal.
Captain's log, stardate 3580.1.
Despite Commodore Stocker's courteously expressed impatience to assume command of Starbase 10, we are, on my order, remaining in orbit of Gamma Hydra IV until we isolate and counteract the cause of our affliction.

References[]

Characters[]

Episode characters[]

AlvinDoris AtkinsClifford Brent[1]Christine ChapelPavel ChekovArlene GalwayElaine JohnsonRobert JohnsonJames T. KirkRoger LemliRyan LeslieLeonard McCoyMontgomery ScottSpockGeorge StockerHikaru SuluNyota UhuraJanet WallaceUSS Enterprise computer
Referenced only
Theodore Wallace

Novelization characters[]

AlvinDoris AtkinsChristine ChapelPavel ChekovArlene GalwayElaine JohnsonRobert JohnsonJames T. KirkLeonard McCoyMontgomery ScottSpockGeorge StockerHikaru SuluNyota UhuraJanet Wallace
Referenced only
Theodore Wallace

Starships and vehicles[]

USS Enterprise (Constitution-class)

Locations[]

Gamma HydraGamma Hydra IIGamma Hydra IV

Races and cultures[]

HumanVulcan

Technology and weapons[]

starshipviewscreen

Materials and substances[]

atmospherebloodgasoxygen

States and organizations[]

FederationStarfleet

Ranks and titles[]

captaincommandercommanding officercommunications officerFederation Starfleet ranksFederation Starfleet ranks (2260s)first officerlieutenant commanderofficerscientistscience officer

Other references[]

anatomyarmbootclothingFederation membersfingerfive-year missiongovernmenthumanoidhyperaginglanguagelifeformlogicmattermemorynation-stateorbitpantsquadrantraces and culturesrankspacestarstardateStarfleet uniformStarfleet uniform (2260s)technologytitletunicuniformuniverseweapon

Appendices[]

Related media[]

Adaptations[]

Images[]

Episode images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

published order
Previous episode:
Mirror, Mirror
TOS episode produced Next episode:
I, Mudd
Previous episode:
Friday's Child
TOS episode aired Next episode:
Obsession
Previous story:
Metamorphosis
Star Trek 7
Blish7
Next story:
Elaan of Troyius
chronological order
Previous Adventure:
The Sorrows of Empire
Chapter 1
Memory Beta Chronology Next Adventure:
The Hollow Crown, Issue 1
Pages 12-22
Previous Adventure:
Mirror, Mirror
Pocket Next Adventure:
I, Mudd
Previous Adventure:
Mirror, Mirror
Voyages of the
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
(2264 to 2270)
Next Adventure:
I, Mudd


Translations[]
1972
German : Die tödlichen Jahre, translated by Hans Maeter. (Williams)
1974
Turkish : Ölümlü Yillar, translated by Reha Pinar. (Altın Kitaplar)
1978
Italian : La coda della cometa, translated by Delio Zinoni. (Arnoldo Mondadori Editore)
1979
Japanese : 老醜の時, translated by Haku Saito. (Hayakawa Bunko)

External link[]

  1. The character of Clifford Brent was not named in the episode but the same actor, wearing an officer's Starfleet uniform, was addressed as Brent in TOS episode: "The Naked Time". The same actor also played the character of Vinci.
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