A scene in the days of the Clipper ships; something typical of the period; reality!

It FADES OUT to be replaced by:

A scene of New York City in the time of the Depression, 1930-32.

(NOTE: At Director’s discretion, INTERCUTS of the Earthmen marveling at this demonstration may be inserted.)

23 PAST BECKWITH TO VORTEX

as he watches with as much rapt attention as Kirk and his patrol. But the cunning is there, the arched brow and the faintly smiling mouth. The animal has sensed an avenue of escape, as we HEAR KIRK SAY:

KIRK

Could we go back, any of us…say, to this time, 1930 of Old Earth?

Beckwith strains for the answer.

24 UP-ANGLE ON GUARDIANS

SHOT FROM TILT they look immense, rising up, almost Messianic in tone, something reverential as they speak about their religion—time.

1ST GUARDIAN

Yes, but it is not wise. Man and non-Man must live in their present or their future. But never in their past, save to learn lessons from it. Time can be dangerous. If passage back is effected, the voyager may add a new factor to the past, and thus change time, alter everything that happened from that point to the present…all through the universe.

25 SPOCK AND GUARDIANS PAST HIM

fascinated by the concepts, not the magic of it all.

SPOCK

Then time is not a constant. It is not

rigid?

1ST GUARDIAN

Time is elastic. It will revert to its original shape when changes are minor. But when the change is life or death—when the sum of intelligence alters the balance—then the change can become permanent…and terrible.

SPOCK

Like changing the flow of a river.

1ST GUARDIAN

A river, a wind, a flow, elastic. It makes no difference how you imagine it to yourself.

KIRK

How long has it been since anyone went—

1ST GUARDIAN

We do not go back. We guard. For one hundred thousand years no one has gone back.

SPOCK

(to Kirk)

Captain, I understand now why we can breathe here, and why our chronometers turned backwards.

The Time Vortex has been left set at 1930. While CAMERA DOES NOT dwell on it, whatever shot we enter, we should see the scene of the Depression back there, to remind us it’s on.

KIRK

They’ve created a zone of no-time here.

SPOCK

Within the sphere of influence of the Vortex, time does not move. All through the rest of the universe it flows at its normal rate, but here—

KIRK

(softly)

If they can control time, how much simpler it must be for them to control the atmosphere.

1ST GUARDIAN

There is wisdom that lesser species have not grasped. Perhaps you who call yourselves “men” will be next to guard all of time.

SPOCK

But if this is true…how old you are…if time does not move at its normal rate here…how long have you been here to get as old as you are…

26 FULL SHOT—THE SCENE—HAND-HELD