A transporter malfunction divides Captain Kirk into two people—one gentle, one mean and fierce.
Summary[]
While the USS Enterprise crew, along with Captain Kirk, are surveying the planet Alfa 177, geological technician Fisher slips down a rock, cutting his hand. Also, his uniform is smeared with a yellowish magnetic ore. He beams back to the Enterprise for treatment. During the transporter cycle, Scotty detects a malfunction in the device. Fisher is eventually beamed aboard and reports to sickbay, but the transporter appears to still be working correctly. Then, Captain Kirk beams up from the planet. He apparently materializes normally. When the transporter room is empty, another person materializes - another Kirk!. He has been split into two beings. The first Kirk to materialize blended all of Kirk's positive qualities - compassion, love, tenderness. The second Kirk blended all of Kirk's negative qualities - hostility, lust, violence.
Before the transporter malfunction is discovered, the evil Kirk roams the ship, demands Saurian brandy from McCoy, and attempts to rape Yeoman Rand. The evil Kirk is eventually captured, but during the process he damages the transporter.
Eventually, Kirk acknowledges that his negative qualities are part of him and make him a successful captain. But as he weakens, and begins to lose the ability to make decisions, he realizes that he needs his negative qualities to function as Captain - neither part can survive without the other.
Meanwhile, Sulu and the rest of the landing party are struggling to surive on the planet, as the temperatures continue to drop.
Finally, Scotty repairs all the damages to the transporter and Kirk's two halves are re-integrated. Feeling confident again as captain, he gives the orders to beam up the landing party, saving them from freezing.
References[]
Characters[]
Episode characters[]
- Robert Abrams • Alfa 177 canine • John Farrell • Edward Fisher • James (USS Enterprise) • James T. Kirk • Ryan Leslie • Leonard McCoy • Janice Rand • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Wilson (USS Enterprise) • unnamed 2260s USS Enterprise personnel
Novelization characters[]
- John Farrell • Edward Fisher • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Janice Rand • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Wilson (USS Enterprise)
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Other references[]
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- A sequel to this episode was featured in the Star Trek: The New Voyages short story, "Ni Var".
Adaptations[]
Images[]
Video releases[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous episode: Mudd's Women |
TOS episode produced | Next episode: The Man Trap |
| Previous episode: The Naked Time |
TOS episode aired | Next episode: Mudd's Women |
| Previous story: Spock's Brain |
Star Trek 8
|
Next story: Catspaw |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Mudd's Women |
Next Adventure: The Man Trap | |
| Previous Adventure: Mudd's Women |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) (2264 to 2270) |
Next Adventure: The Man Trap |
Translations[]
- 1973
- German : Der Doppelgänger, translated by Rosemarie Hammer. (Williams)
- 1979
- Italian : Il nemico dentro di noi, translated by Giuseppe Scarpa. (Arnoldo Mondadori Editore)
- 1979
- Japanese : 二人のカーク, translated by Hiroshi Saito. (Hayakawa Bunko)
External link[]
- "The Enemy Within" article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- The Enemy Within (Star Trek) article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.