Later, on the Enterprise, alone in his stateroom, Kirk receives a visit from Spock, and between them we see a depth of friendship that explains now how a man of deep feeling could be so close to an alien of cold logic. Kirk is felled by sadness, and Spock seems to understand. For the Captain, there is something irretrievably lost, but Spock makes sense when he says, “No woman was ever loved as much, Jim. Because no woman was ever offered the universe for love.”

And Kirk understands. FADE OUT on the stars once more. The stars, like Kirk’s love, eternal.

THE END

Prologue

PROLOGUE

FADE IN:

1 ESTABLISHING SHOT—ANGLE IN SPACE

The USS ENTERPRISE hanging in mid-foreground over a strange, silvery planet under a wan and dying red sun. CAMERA MOVES IN on ship and OVER this (and subsequent pantomime shots), we HEAR the VOICE of KIRK:

KIRK’S VOICE (OVER)

Ship’s Log: star-date 3134.6. Our chronometers still run backward. We have followed the radiation to its planet-source here at the Rim of the Galaxy, but something else is happening…

(beat)

When we left Earth, each of the 450 crewmembers of the Enterprise was checked out stable. But it’s been two years—so much stress on them. We have continuous psych-probes, but we know some have been altered. Even some who may have gone sour: we can’t know till the flaw shows up. And by then, it’s too late…much too late…

While VOICE OVER carries, CAMERA MOVES IN on Enterprise smoothly till we

RAPID LAP-DISSOLVE TO:

2 INT. ENTERPRISE—BECKWITH’S CABIN—XTREME CLOSEUP

on a small, isometrically-shaped metal container as it is opened by a hand. VOICE OVER is heard (after beat) as we HOLD CLOSE on the lid of the box, opening with tambour doors, so the interior of the box rises and a strange DULL LIGHT FLOODS the FRAME. As the container opens, the black velvet interior slides up to reveal possibly half a dozen glowing jewels. They are faceted solids, but not stone; more like a hardened jelly that burns pulsing with an inner light: gold, blue, crimson. As KIRK’S VOICE OVER ends we hear:

LEBEQUE’S VOICE O.S.

(trembling)

Beckwith, stop it! Give me one!

CAMERA PULLS BACK to MED. 2-SHOT showing LT/JG LeBEQUE, a French-Canadian with a strong face—a face now beaded with sweat, a face in torment—and another officer, RICHARD BECKWITH, a man whose face shows intelligence and…something else. Cunning, perhaps, or even subdued cruelty. Beckwith holds the pulsing Jewels in their container. He smiles unpleasantly as LeBeque stares transfixed by the Jewels. Beckwith, without moving, taunts him with them.

BECKWITH

(conversationally)

Jewels of Sound. So expensive, so illegal. You want me to give you a dream-narcotic they’ve banned all through the Galaxy? Tsk-tsk, Lieutenant, how far you’ve fallen.

LEBEQUE

I won’t beg, Beckwith.

BECKWITH