Shore Leave

Bridge

Enterprise is orbiting a very green planet, and a young female Yeoman is getting a signature from the Captain.

Anything from the landing party.

They should be sending up a report momentarily, Captain. Kirk stretches and groans Something wrong.

A kink in my back. behind his back the Yeoman starts to massage it that is it. A little higher, please. Push. Push hard. Dig it in there, Mister

Spock steps forward and Kirk realises who is massaging his lower back

Thank you, Yeoman. that is sufficient.

You need sleep, Captain. If it is not out of line

I have enough of that from Doctor McCoy, Yeoman. Thank you.

Doctor McCoy is correct, Captain. After what this ship has been through in the last three months, there is not a crewman aboard who is not in need of rest. Myself excepted, of course.

Have Doctor McCoy report channeled to my quarters, Lieutenant.

Aye, aye, Captain.

Planet surface

Beautiful, beautiful. No animals, no people, no worries. Just what the doctor ordered. Right, Doctor.

I could not have prescribed better. We are one weary ship.

Do you think the Captain will authorise shore leave here.

Depending upon my report and that of the other scouting parties. You know, you have to see this place to believe it. it is like something out of Alice in Wonderland. The Captain has to come down.

he would like it.

He needs it. you have got your problems, I have got mine. he is got ours, plus his, plus four hundred and thirty other people. Where are you going.

To get some cellstructure records. A blade of grass, a bush, a tree, a flower petal. With these, we can tell the whole planet biology.

As Sulu crouches down behind some pampas grass, McCoy turns and looks straight at a white rabbit in a check jacket, yellow waistcoat, and looking at a gold pocketwatch.

Oh, my paws and whiskers. I will be late.

It heads off down a hole. Then a young girl comes running up, wearing a blue dress with a white apron.

Excuse me, sir. Have you seen a rather large white rabbit with a yellow waistcoat and white gloves here about.

Wordlessly, McCoy points in the direction the rabbit went. The girl curtseys nicely

Thank you very much.

She runs off after the rabbit

Sulu.

What is it. what is the matter.

Did you see them.

See what. I do not see anything. What is it, Doc.

Kirk quarters

The Captain is dictating his log in the presence of Yeoman Tonia Barrows

captain log. We are orbiting an uninhabited planet in the Omicron Delta region. A planet remarkably like Earth, or how we remember Earth to be. Parklike, beautiful, green, flowers, trees, green lawn, quiet and restful. Almost too good to be true.

Sir, I do not see your name in any of the shore parties.

I may be tired, Yeoman, but I am not falling apart. Dismissed.

Aye, aye, sir.

She leaves, and Spock enters

Mister Spock, we are beaming down the starboard section first. Which section would you like to go with.

Not necessary in my case, Captain. On my planet, to rest is to rest, to cease using energy. To me, it is quite illogical to run up and down on green grass using energy instead of saving it.

Intercom whistles

Kirk here.

Doctor McCoy calling from the planet, Captain.

Yes. Open a channel, Uhura.

Aye, aye, sir.

Captain, are you beaming down.

Kirk quarters

I had not planned to, Bones. Why.

Well, either our scouting probes and detectors are malfunctioning, and all us scouts careless and beautyintoxicated, or I must report myself unfit for duty.

Kirk quarters

Explain.

On this supposedly uninhabited planet, I just saw a large rabbit

Kirk quarters

Pull a gold watch from his vest and claim that he was late.

that is pretty good. I got one for you. The rabbit was followed by a little blonde girl, right.

As a matter of fact, yes.

Kirk quarters

And they disappeared through a hole in a hedge.

All right, Doctor, I will take your report under consideration. Captain out. that is a McCoy pill, with a little mystery sugarcoating. He wants to get me down there. I am afraid I will not swallow it.

Very well, Captain. Something I did come to discuss.

Yes, Mister Spock, what is it.

I picked this up from Doctor McCoy log. We have a crewmember aboard who showing signs of stress and fatigue. Reaction time down nine to twelve percent, associational reading norm minus three.

that is much too low a rating.

he is becoming irritable and quarrelsome, yet he refuses to take rest and rehabilitation. Now, He has that right, but we have found

A crewman right ends where the safety of the ship begins. That man will go a shore on my orders. what is his name.

James Kirk. Enjoy yourself, Captain. it is an interesting planet. you will find it quite pleasant. Very much like your Earth.

Planet surface

An establishing shot of a landscape

Scouts have detected no animals, artefacts, or force fields of any kind. Only peace, sunshine, and good air. you will have no problems.

But as these words are spoken, a rock raises itself to reveal a classic westernstyle six shooter gun.

Elsewhere, a man and a woman are taking scans of the vegetation

the woman Does it always have to be work with you. There so much loveliness.

You will not find all this so lovely if our report for the Captain is not ready when he asks for it, which should not be long.

Kirk and Barrows beam down

Rodriguez, Teller, everything all right.

Yes, sir. we have completed the specimen survey.

Good. That should be sufficient. Beam it up to Mister Spock when you are ready, and start enjoying yourselves.

Thank you, sir. And sir, I think you will find Doctor McCoy and Mister Sulu that way.

Thank you.

Walking along

Restful. After what we have been through, it is hard to believe a place this beautiful exists.

It is beautiful. So lovely, and restful. I mean, affirmative, Captain.

McCoy. McCoy.

Over here. Over here.

They meet up by the lake

Bones, know any good rabbit jokes lately.

As a matter of fact, I do, but this is not one of them. Look at this. a pair of large tracks in the soil I saw what I saw, or maybe I hallucinated it, but I want you to take a look and tell me what you think about it.

Footprints. Could be a rabbit. It would have to be an unusual creature to make this size tracks. What about Mister Sulu. Will he confirm what you saw.

Negative. He was examining the flora at the time.

Bridge, this is the Captain.

Where is Mister Sulu.

Collecting specimens.

Bridge.

Has the first shore party beamed down yet.

Negative, Captain. they are just about to start.

Get this message to all shore parties. Stand by. No one is to leave the ship.

Aye, aye, sir.

you are cancelling the shore leave on account of this, Jim.

you are the doctor, Doctor. Can you explain this.

Well, no.

Neither can I. I admit it looks harmless. It probably is harmless. But before I bring my people down here, I want proof it is harmless.

They hear a gunshot. Kirk draws his phaser and they head off in the direction of the shot. More are fired.

Woodland path

They find Sulu target practising

What do you think you are doing.

Target shooting, Captain. is not it a beauty. have not got anything like this in my collection.

Where did you get it, Mister Sulu.

I found it. I know it is a crazy coincidence, but I have always wanted one like this. Found it lying right over there. An oldtime police special, and in beautiful condition. has not been one like this made in a couple of centuries.

holding out his hand for the offending weapon Mister Sulu.

handing it over It fires lead pellets propelled by expanding gases from a chemical explosion.

I will hang on to it. The fresh air seems to have made you triggerhappy.

Doctor McCoy rabbit, sir. He must have gone through here.

Are you sure our instruments did not show any animal life on this planet.

Absolutely. No birds, no mammals, no insects, nothing. I am certain our readings were not off.

I would like to believe this is an elaborate gag, but. Yeoman Barrows, you accompany Mister Sulu. Find out where those tracks came from. Doctor, you come with me back to the glade. I would like another look at that area.

As they head back, an aerial comes up in front of our point of view and follows them.

This is turning out to be one very unusual shore leave.

Well, it could have been worse.

How.

You could have seen the rabbit.

what is the matter, Bones, you getting a persecution complex.

Well, yeah, I am beginning to feel a little bit picked on, if that is what you mean.

I know the feeling very well. I had it at the Academy. An upper classman there. One practical joke after another, and always on me. My own personal devil. A guy by the name of Finnegan.

And you being the very serious young

Serious. I will make a confession, Bones. I was absolutely grim, which delighted Finnegan no end. he is the kind of guy to put a bowl of cold soup in your bed or a bucket of water propped on a halfopen door. You never knew where he would strike next. More tracks. Looks like your rabbit came from over there.

A girl footprints. The young blonde girl I saw chasing it.

Yes. You follow the rabbit. I will backtrack the girl. I will meet you around the other side of the hill.

Good. I have got a personal grudge against that rabbit, Jim.

They split up, and then suddenly there a young man leaning against a tree trunk

in a dreadful codIrish accent Jim.

Finnegan. I cannot believe it.

You never know when I am going to strike, huh, Jim. hits him on the jaw How this. Come on, come on. it is me, Finnegan. All right, Jimmy boy. maniacal laughter Go ahead, lay one on me. that is what you always wanted, is not it. Come on. Come on.

All right, let try that one again. Go.

He just lays hands on Finnegan for a good fight, when they hear screams. Kirk runs off to investigate

Go. Any excuse, Jim baby. Run away. Run away. Run away.

Along the path, he meets McCoy

What was it.

Yeoman Barrows.

They arrive on the scene to find Tonia disheveled, her uniform torn, hugging a tree

What happened.

I do not know. I mean I do know. I was following the tracks, and there he was.

Who was.

Him.

Barrows, give me a report.

He had a cloak, sir, and a dagger with jewels on it.

Are you sure you are not imagining all this.

Captain, I know it sounds incredible, but I did not imagine it any more than I imagined he did this.

Sounds like Don Juan.

Yes. Yes. It was so sort of story book walking around here, and I was thinking, all a girl needs is Don Juan. Just day dreaming, the way you would about someone you would like to meet.

Mister Sulu was with you. Where is he now.

He ran after him.

Stay with her, Doctor.

He heads off in the direction she indicates

Mister Sulu. Sulu.

An aerial comes up from a rock and monitors him as he runs along the path

Mister Sulu. Sulu.

Rocky outcrop

The Captain runs across a barren piece of ground towards a rocky outcrop, which suddenly gains palms and banana plants when he gets there.

Sulu.

He picks an orange flower, and becomes wistful. And there she is, blonde and lovely, her dress half white, half black and roses.

Ruth. Ruth.

Jim, darling, it is me. It is Ruth.

She kisses him

captain log. Stardate Investigation of this increasingly unusual planet continues, and we are seeing things that cannot possibly exist, yet they are undeniably real.

Rocky outcrop

into communicator McCoy, do you read me. Ruth. Ruth, how can it be you. How could you possibly be here. You have not aged. it is been fifteen years.

It does not matter. None of that matters.

His communicator beeps

Kirk here.

Did you find Mister Sulu, Captain.

What.

Did you find Mister Sulu.

No, but I am sure he is all right.

Sir. Are you all right.

Yes, I am fine.

Rodriguez to Captain Kirk.

Yes, Mister Rodriguez.

Captain, a while ago, I saw well, birds, a whole flock of them.

do not you like birds, Mister Rodriguez.

I like them fine, sir, but all our surveys showed

Then offhand I would say our instruments are defective. There are indeed lifeforms on this planet.

Sir, our surveys could not have been that wrong.

Mister Rodriguez, have the search parties rendezvous at the glade. I would like some answers to all this.

Aye, aye, sir.

You have to go.

I do not want to.

you will see me again if you want to.

You have not told me. You have not told me

Do what you have to do, and I will be waiting.

Ruth.

communicator beeps

Kirk here.

Captain.

Yes, Mister Spock.

Bridge

I am getting strange readings from the planet surface, Captain. Some sort of power field down there.

Rocky outcrop

Specify.

A highly sophisticated type of energy draining our power and increasing, beginning to affect our communications.

Can you pinpoint the source.

Bridge

Could be coming from beneath the planet surface. Patterns indicate some sort of industrial activity.

Rocky outcrop

Keep me posted, Mister Spock. we will continue our investigation down here. Captain out.

He walks off

Woodland path

Meanwhile, back at the tree where Tonia met Don Juan, something is monitoring them. The couple go walking arm in arm through the tropical plants.

Feeling better.

A little, but I would not want to be alone here.

it is a beautiful place. A little strange, I will admit.

that is just it. it is almost too beautiful. I was thinking, even before my tunic was torn, that in a place like this a girl should be, oh let see now, a girl should be dressed like a fairytale princess, with lots of floaty stuff and a tall hat with a veil.

I see what you mean, but then you would have whole armies of Don Juans to fight off. And me, too.

Is that a promise, Doctor.

He takes her hands in his, and they gaze into each others eyes for a long second. Then she spots her dream clothing hanging on some shrubs

Oh, Doctor, they are lovely. Look at me, Doctor. A lady to be protected and fought for. A princess of the blood royale.

You are all of those things and many more. they will look even lovelier with you wearing them.

Doctor, I am afraid.

Now, look, I do not know how or why, but the dress is here. I would like to see you in it. Why do not you put it on.

All right, but you stay right there. do not peek.

My dear girl, I am a doctor. When I peek, it is in the line of duty.

he turns his back on her, and his communicator beeps

Calling Doctor McCoy.

McCoy here. I cannot read you very well. Is this Rodriguez.

This is all the volume I can get on this thing. cannot read you well, either. captain orders. Rendezvous at that glade where he first found you.

Right. What the devil wrong with communications. Esteban. Esteban.

But Esteban and Teller have problems of their own a tiger has them trapped

Doctor. Doctor. Doctor McCoy.

The tiger gets bored and leaves. Tonia emerges from her changing room looking lovely, and happy in her Disney fantasy creation.

Bridge

you are the science officer, Mister Spock. I want some answers.

Rocky outcrop

First there was McCoy Alice in Wonderland where there was supposedly no animal life. And Sulu gun where there no refined metal detected. Rodriguez birds. And then my, well, the two people I saw.

Bridge

Any chance these could be hallucinations.

Rocky outcrop

One hallucination flattened me with a clout on the jaw.

Bridge

The other.

That sounds like a painful reality.

Rocky outcrop

Yes.

There must be some logical explanation.

Bridge

Your signal is very weak. Can you turn up your gain.

I am already on maximum.

Captain, shall I beam down an armed party.

Rocky outcrop

Negative. Our people here are armed with phasers. Besides, there yet to be any real danger. he sees geese flying overhead Captain out.

Cliff face

Sulu walks along by a cliff face, a hatch opens in the ground and out comes a Samurai to attack him. Sulu phaser does not work and he is forced to dodge the long, sharp sword

Rocky outcrop

McCoy. McCoy, do you read me. Kirk to McCoy. Come in.

Sulu comes running over the rocks towards him

Captain, take cover. There a Samurai after me.

A what.

I mean, there was. no one is chasing him now Captain, you have got to believe me.

I do. I have met some interesting personalities myself. Have you seen any of the others while I have been gone.

Got a call a few minutes ago. Rodriguez. Said you were rendezvousing back at the glade.

I hope he got through to everybody. Communications are almost out.

that is not all. So my phaser.

Kirk checks his own weapon nothing Yeah. we would better get to the glade.

Yes, sir. sound of a transporter beam Look. Someone beaming down from the bridge.

Trying to. Something obstructing it. finally the familiar shape fully materialises Mister Spock, my orders were no one was to leave the ship.

Necessary, Captain. Unable to contact you by communicator, and the transporter is useless to us now. As I told you before, there an unusual power field down here. it is soaking up all the energy at the source. I calculated the rate of its growth, and reasoned that I just might be able to transport one more person.

Good. We can use your help.

we are stranded down here, Captain.

Until we can find out what this is all about.

There no one here.

This is where the Captain said to rendezvous. makes Tonia stand with her back to a tree I swear I heard someone moving around.

do not talk like that.

A princess should not be afraid, not with a brave knight to protect her.

Rocky outcrop

The trio hear the snarl of a big cat

That way. Spread out. Let find it.

A knight in armour on a black horse has appeared, and is coming towards them.

These things cannot be real. Hallucinations cannot harm us. Go back to where you were.

Kirk and Spock arrive on the scene. The knight lowers his lance, charges, and runs McCoy through. Tonia screams. Spock draws his phaser, and Kirk the gun he confiscated from Sulu. He shoots the knight from his horse, then they run to McCoy.

he is dead.

captain log, supplemental. All contact with the Enterprise has been lost. we are trapped here. Our ship surgeon, my personal friend, is dead. we are certain now that whatever we are facing is terribly real.

it is my fault. It never would have happened. it is my fault.

No.

It is, it is. I am to blame.

Yeoman. we are in trouble. I need every crewman alert and thinking.

Aye, aye, sir.

at the knight body Captain. Captain.

Kirk goes over

you would better have a look at this, sir. the knight is a plastic dummy I do not understand.

Neither do I, Mister Sulu, but before we leave this planet, I will.

it is like a dummy, Captain. It could not be alive.

Tricorder.

Still operating, sir.

Mister Spock. Spock and Sulu swap places, handing over the tricorder What do you make of that.

This is not human skin tissue, Captain. It more closely resembles the cellular casting we use for wound repairs. Much finer, of course.

I want an exact judgment, Mister Spock.

This is definitely a mechanical contrivance. It has the same basic cell structure as the plants here, even the trees, the grass.

Are you saying this is a plant, Mister Spock.

I am saying that these are all multicellular castings. The plants, the animals, the people. they are all being manufactured.

By who. And why. And why these particular things.

All we know for certain is that they act exactly like the real thing. Just as pleasant or just as deadly.

There a buzzing sound in the air, and a plane flies overhead

Woodland path

What is it.

Of all the crazy things. Remember what I was telling you a while ago, about the early wars and funny air vehicles they used. that is one of them.

Can it hurt us.

Not unless it makes a strafing run.

A what.

The way they used to attack people on the ground. the plane descends Come on.

They run along the path, as a second plane joins the first, straight into a clump of trees. Angela falls to the ground having hit the tree.

Angela.

Everyone has been watching the air show, then Sulu notices...

Captain.

McCoy body.

he is gone. Dragged off.

The black knight, too.

Spock.

At this point, Captain, my analysis may not sound very scientific.

McCoy death is a scientific fact.

There is one slight possibility, very slim, but nevertheless. Captain, what were your thoughts just before you encountered the people you described.

I was, I was thinking about the Academy. My days

Hey, Jim baby. I see you brought out reinforcements. Ha. Well, I am waiting for you, Jimmy boy.

Finnegan. Finnegan. what is been happening to my people.

Finnegan laughs and runs off

Take Sulu. Find McCoy body. This man is my problem.

Captain, wait.

that is an order, Mister Spock.

He runs off after Finnegan

Here I am. Run.

Rocky outcrop

Jim. Find me. cannot you see me. Come and get me. Here I am. Come on. You never could find your head with both hands. Like it used to be, Jimmy. Remember. finally Kirk catches up to him, because he is lounging on a ledge Hey, Jim

I want some answers.

Coming up.

He jumps on Kirk and they have a fight. Finnegan knocks Kirk down

Get up. Get up. Get up. Always fight fair, do not you. True officer and gentleman, you. You stupid underclassman. I have got the edge. I am still twenty years old. Look at you. you are an old man.

The fight resumes, and Kirk punches Finnegan till he falls down a rocky slope and ends up writhing in pain

I cannot move me leg. I cannot feel me leg. My back is broken. you have broken me back.

Can you feel that.

He gets kicked to the ground

Can you feel that, now. Kirk passes out Sleep sweet, Jimmy boy. Sleep as long as you like. Sleep forever, Jim boy. Forever and forever.

A little later, Kirk regains consciousness

will not you ever learn, Jim boy. You never could take me, you know.

Finnegan. One thing

Sure. Name it.

Answers.

Earn them.

He throws dirt in Kirk face and the exchange of punches resumes until they are both too tired to continue.

Not bad. Kind of makes up for things, huh, Jim.

A lot of things. what is been happening to my people.

I never answer questions from plebes, Jimmy boy.

I am not a plebe. This is today, fifteen years later. What are you doing here.

I am being exactly what you expect me to be, Jimmy boy.

Kirk lands the final haymaker that knocks Finnegan out cold

Did you enjoy it, Captain.

Yes, I enjoyed it. After all these years. realisation dawns I did enjoy it. The one thing I wanted to do after all these years was to beat the tar out of Finnegan.

Which supports a theory I have been formulating.

That we are all meeting people and things that we happen to be thinking about at the moment.

Yes. Somehow our thoughts are read, these things are quickly manufactured and provided for us.

Dangerous if we happen to be thinking about

Yes. We must all control our thoughts.

Difficult.

The force field we encountered is obviously underground, manufacturing these things. Passages lead to the surface. Just for example, when Rodriguez thought of a tiger

Spock.

The tiger is behind them, the chain around it is neck tethering it to the spot clearly visible

we have got to get back to the landing party and warn them.

They start to run back to the glade. The aircraft strafe them, Kirk elbows the Samurai out of his way

Tonia has changed back into her uniform when Don Juan sneaks up behind her and grabs her, warding off Sulu and Rodriquez with his sword

Sulu, Rodriguez, Barrows. Front and centre.

Don Juan runs off

Sir.

do not ask any questions, Sulu. Face front, everyone. do not talk. do not breathe. do not think. you are at attention. Concentrate on that and only that. Concentrate.

Captain.

A smiling greyhaired man in a long green robe walks up to Kirk

Who are you.

I am the caretaker of this place, Captain Kirk.

You know my name.

But of course. Lieutenant Rodriguez, Lieutenant Sulu, Yeoman Barrows and Mister Spock. we have just discovered you do not understand all this. These experiences were intended to amuse you.

Amuse. that is your word for what we have been through.

But none of this is permanent. Here you have to only imagine your fondest wishes, either old ones you wish to relive or new ones, anything at all. Battle, fear, love, triumph. Anything that pleases you can be made to happen.

The term is amusement park.

Of course.

An old Earth name for a place where people could go to see and do all sorts of fascinating things.

This entire planet was constructed for our race of people to come and play.

Play. As advanced as you obviously are, and you still play.

Yes, play, Mister Sulu. The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play.

Exactly, Captain. How very perceptive of you.

But that still does not explain the death of my ship surgeon.

Possibly because no one has died, Jim. Strolls in with a lovely girl on each arm I was taken below the surface for some rather remarkable repairs. it is amazing. they have got a factory complex down there you would not believe. They can build or do anything immediately.

not amused And how do you explain them.

Oh. Them. Well I, er, I was thinking about a little cabaret I know on Rigel Two, and, er, there were these two girls in the chorus line. And well, here they are. Well after all, I am on shore leave.

And so am l.

Oh, yes. So you are. Well, girls, I suppose you can turn something up.

The cabaret girls go to Sulu and Spock.

We regret that some of you have been made uncomfortable.

You say your people built all this. Who are you. What planet are you from.

My impression is that your race is not yet ready to understand us, Captain.

I tend to agree.

a communicator beeps

Kirk here.

This is the bridge, Captain. Our power systems have just come back in. Do you require assistance.

No, everything is in order, Lieutenant. Stand by.

However.

Aye, aye, sir.

If you would use the proper caution, this amusement planet of ours could be an ideal place for your people to enjoy themselves, if you wish.

it is what the doctor ordered, Jim.

Lieutenant.

Sir.

Commence transporting shore leave parties. Tell them to prepare for the best shore leave they have ever had. Kirk out.

handing the girl over to Sulu Captain, I will go back aboard ship and take over. With all due respect to the young lady, I have already had as much shore leave as I care for.

No, Mister Spock. I will go. You. then he sees Ruth walking towards the group On the other hand, I will stay for a day or two.

Bridge

Did you enjoy your rest, gentlemen.

Yes, we did, Mister Spock. I think we did.

Indeed we did, Mister Spock.

Most illogical.

Ahead warp factor one, Mister Sulu.