PANNING SHOT from Kirk’s immediate right, around the bowl of the plateau. Gray sky past the rock prominences, light and eerie mist that gives the entire area an ethereal look, niches up in the rock walls, boulders of the same bright substance here and there, on a higher peak—but still quite far-off—the city, glittering like a hyper-sensitive’s dream. And as the CAMERA PANS AROUND we see, for the first time, THE GUARDIANS OF FOREVER. The shot continues a beat and then CAMERA ZOOMS IN on them who, for that beat, had looked almost like part of the stone walls. But as CAMERA CLOSES in the ZOOM, we see they are men. But such men as have never before been seen:

The instant impression is age. Old, terribly old, as old as time itself, as old as the dying sun overhead. Nine feet tall, gray-silver in tone, shapeless beneath the long white robes that reach to the mist-laden ground. They seem incredibly tall, not merely because they are a motionless nine feet in height, but because of their hair which rises up like mitered headpieces, because of the beards that hang down from their silent and ancient faces. Though only their heads show, they seem almost religious in tone; there is a vast dignity, an immense holiness about them. They do not move ever, and for a beat we suspect they may be stone.

16 CLOSING SHOT—WITH KIRK

as he moves toward them. They wait and watch, silently. Spock moves in behind, then the others, fanning out. One of the crewmen hefts his phaser, but without seemingly seeing him, Kirk makes a gentle motion with his hand, to lower the weapon. They move closer. Finally, after many beats:

KIRK

(with wonder)

Who are you?

1ST GUARDIAN

(a voice of power)

We are the Guardians of Forever.

KIRK

You live in that city?

1ST GUARDIAN

Since before your sun burned hot in space. Before your race was born.

SPOCK

This place is dead, empty. Why do you stay?

1ST GUARDIAN

Only on this world do the million pulse-flows of time and space merge. Only here do the flux lines of Forever meet.

(beat)

Only here can exist the gateway to the past, where the Time Vortex of the Ancients can work. Only here.

(beat)

And we were set to watch the Time Vortex, so many hundreds of centuries ago that even we do not have clear memories of it.

KIRK

The gateway to the past? A time machine?

1ST GUARDIAN

Not a machine. A creation, a Vortex. Kirk is about to ask what they mean, but Spock—logical—cuts in.

17 ON SPOCK

SPOCK

Have you seen another man, dressed as we are?

1ST GUARDIAN

What we see has already been, or is yet to be. No. No other like you.

18 ROCKY NICHE—CLOSE PAST BECKWITH