The Ultimate Computer (TOS episode)
Encyclopedia
"The Ultimate Computer" is a season two episode of Star Trek: The Original Series
, first broadcast on March 8, 1968 and repeated June 28, 1968. It is episode #53, production #53, written by D.C. Fontana, based on a story by Laurence N. Wolf, and directed by John Meredyth Lucas
.
Overview: A new computer designed to control the ship causes havoc aboard the Enterprise
.
4729.4, the Enterprise is summoned to a space station without explanation. Commodore Wesley, commanding officer of the Lexington, explains that the Enterprise will be a test vessel for a revolutionary tactical computer called the "M5 Multitronic System", designed by the brilliant Dr. Richard Daystrom. The M5 will handle all ship functions without human assistance. While Kirk and Dr. McCoy
are unhappy about the test, Mr. Spock is impressed with M5. Kirk learns that four earlier prototypes were unsuccessful, giving him further doubts.
At first M5 works well, performing ship functions more quickly and efficiently than a living crew. Later, M5 exhibits quirks such as turning off power and life support to unoccupied parts of the ship. It draws increased power for unknown reasons. Daystrom maintains M5 is working properly.
In a drill, M5 defends the Enterprise against mock attacks from starships Excalibur and Lexington. The Enterprise is declared the victor, prompting Commodore Wesley to call Kirk "Captain Dunsel". Spock explains the term is used by midshipmen at Starfleet Academy
to describe a part serving no useful purpose. Kirk is visibly shaken by this.
Soon after, M5 detects the Woden, an unmanned freighter that is not part of the test, and attacks with real weapons, destroying it. Kirk orders M5 taken offline, but Daystrom continues to believe M5 is working correctly, and refuses. Kirk tries to disconnect M5, but discovers it is protecting itself with a force field. Engineer Montgomery Scott
assigns Mr. Harper, a technician, to unplug the main connection, but the crewman is killed in the process. Spock and Scott desperately attempt a manual override, but they discover M5 has bypassed its power source and now draws energy directly from the ship's warp engines
. Daystrom persistently defends M5 and refuses to disconnect it.
Spock questions Daystrom on his computer design. Daystrom reveals he has programmed human engrams
into M5. Pressed further, Daystrom admits the engrams he used were his own, meaning M5 thinks similarly to Daystrom himself. With increased stress and anger, Daystrom appears unstable. M5 now shows similar instability. An attempt by the Enterprise crew to isolate M5 from the ship fails, as they are duped by a decoy.
Meanwhile the other ships in the test continue unaware of the problems with the Enterprise. Next follows a war game
against Federation
starships Lexington, Potemkin, Excalibur, and Hood. M5 detects the ships, but does not treat them as part of the trial, instead firing on them with live weapons. Daystrom states the M5 is programmed to preserve itself by any means. Although surprised by M5's actions, Daystrom simply views them as mistakes made by a learning "child". An angry Kirk asserts these "mistakes" are costing lives, and the computer must be shut down.
The crew watches as M5 pounds the other ships relentlessly. The Enterprise fires on the Lexington, killing 53, then completely cripples the Excalibur - killing all aboard her and leaving her to drift in space. From the Lexington, Commodore Wesley orders the remaining ships to destroy the Enterprise at all cost. Since M5 has disabled communications, Kirk is unable to explain what is happening. Kirk demands that Daystrom act, but the scientist will not accept M5 as another failure. He rambles about proving his worth and curses colleagues taking credit for his work. McCoy sees a psychotic episode
coming, and warns Kirk the scientist is becoming delusional.
Kirk has Daystrom taken to sickbay after Spock fells him with a Vulcan nerve pinch
. Kirk then talks to M5 to see whether he can persuade it to stop the attacks. The M5 acknowledges Kirk, who asks M5 what its purpose is. M5 responds "To save men from the dangerous activities of space exploration." Kirk rejoins that it just acted contrary to its purpose by killing people. M5 recognizes the penalty for murder is death, so it shuts itself down. In so doing, it cripples the Enterprise, setting the ship adrift.
The other Federation ships now close on the Enterprise to destroy it. While Scotty frantically attempts to regain control of the ship, Kirk decides to let the ship drift with shields down, hoping that Commodore Wesley will realize what the situation is aboard the Enterprise. The gamble pays off as the Commodore orders his ships to stand down at the last moment.
McCoy says that Daystrom will be committed to a rehabilitation center. Kirk explains that he knew that Bob Wesley would not fire, because he gambled on his humanity. McCoy pointedly comments that compassion is something computers lack. Spock responds that machines are more efficient than human beings: not better. He then dryly remarks that if McCoy's engrams were impressed in a computer, the resulting torrential flood of illogic would be most entertaining.
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, first broadcast on March 8, 1968 and repeated June 28, 1968. It is episode #53, production #53, written by D.C. Fontana, based on a story by Laurence N. Wolf, and directed by John Meredyth Lucas
John Meredyth Lucas
John Meredyth Lucas was an American writer, primarily for television.He was the son of screenwriter Bess Meredyth and writer/director Wilfred Lucas, and the adopted son of director Michael Curtiz.-Career:...
.
Overview: A new computer designed to control the ship causes havoc aboard the Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
.
Plot
On stardateStardate
A stardate is a date in the fictional system of time measurement developed for Star Trek, commonly heard at the beginning of a voiceover log entry such as "Captain's log, stardate 41153.7...
4729.4, the Enterprise is summoned to a space station without explanation. Commodore Wesley, commanding officer of the Lexington, explains that the Enterprise will be a test vessel for a revolutionary tactical computer called the "M5 Multitronic System", designed by the brilliant Dr. Richard Daystrom. The M5 will handle all ship functions without human assistance. While Kirk and Dr. McCoy
Leonard McCoy
Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
are unhappy about the test, Mr. Spock is impressed with M5. Kirk learns that four earlier prototypes were unsuccessful, giving him further doubts.
At first M5 works well, performing ship functions more quickly and efficiently than a living crew. Later, M5 exhibits quirks such as turning off power and life support to unoccupied parts of the ship. It draws increased power for unknown reasons. Daystrom maintains M5 is working properly.
In a drill, M5 defends the Enterprise against mock attacks from starships Excalibur and Lexington. The Enterprise is declared the victor, prompting Commodore Wesley to call Kirk "Captain Dunsel". Spock explains the term is used by midshipmen at Starfleet Academy
Starfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is where the future's recruits to Starfleet will be trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded...
to describe a part serving no useful purpose. Kirk is visibly shaken by this.
Soon after, M5 detects the Woden, an unmanned freighter that is not part of the test, and attacks with real weapons, destroying it. Kirk orders M5 taken offline, but Daystrom continues to believe M5 is working correctly, and refuses. Kirk tries to disconnect M5, but discovers it is protecting itself with a force field. Engineer Montgomery Scott
Montgomery Scott
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a Scottish engineer in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous...
assigns Mr. Harper, a technician, to unplug the main connection, but the crewman is killed in the process. Spock and Scott desperately attempt a manual override, but they discover M5 has bypassed its power source and now draws energy directly from the ship's warp engines
Warp drive (Star Trek)
Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time...
. Daystrom persistently defends M5 and refuses to disconnect it.
Spock questions Daystrom on his computer design. Daystrom reveals he has programmed human engrams
Engram (neuropsychology)
Engrams are a hypothetical means by which memory traces are stored as biophysical or biochemical changes in the brain in response to external stimuli....
into M5. Pressed further, Daystrom admits the engrams he used were his own, meaning M5 thinks similarly to Daystrom himself. With increased stress and anger, Daystrom appears unstable. M5 now shows similar instability. An attempt by the Enterprise crew to isolate M5 from the ship fails, as they are duped by a decoy.
Meanwhile the other ships in the test continue unaware of the problems with the Enterprise. Next follows a war game
Military simulation
Military simulations, also known informally as war games, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities. Many professional contemporary analysts object to the term wargames as this is generally taken to be referring to the civilian...
against Federation
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
starships Lexington, Potemkin, Excalibur, and Hood. M5 detects the ships, but does not treat them as part of the trial, instead firing on them with live weapons. Daystrom states the M5 is programmed to preserve itself by any means. Although surprised by M5's actions, Daystrom simply views them as mistakes made by a learning "child". An angry Kirk asserts these "mistakes" are costing lives, and the computer must be shut down.
The crew watches as M5 pounds the other ships relentlessly. The Enterprise fires on the Lexington, killing 53, then completely cripples the Excalibur - killing all aboard her and leaving her to drift in space. From the Lexington, Commodore Wesley orders the remaining ships to destroy the Enterprise at all cost. Since M5 has disabled communications, Kirk is unable to explain what is happening. Kirk demands that Daystrom act, but the scientist will not accept M5 as another failure. He rambles about proving his worth and curses colleagues taking credit for his work. McCoy sees a psychotic episode
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
coming, and warns Kirk the scientist is becoming delusional.
Kirk has Daystrom taken to sickbay after Spock fells him with a Vulcan nerve pinch
Vulcan nerve pinch
In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Vulcan nerve pinch is a technique used mainly by Vulcans to render unconsciousness by pinching a pressure point at the base of the victim’s neck...
. Kirk then talks to M5 to see whether he can persuade it to stop the attacks. The M5 acknowledges Kirk, who asks M5 what its purpose is. M5 responds "To save men from the dangerous activities of space exploration." Kirk rejoins that it just acted contrary to its purpose by killing people. M5 recognizes the penalty for murder is death, so it shuts itself down. In so doing, it cripples the Enterprise, setting the ship adrift.
The other Federation ships now close on the Enterprise to destroy it. While Scotty frantically attempts to regain control of the ship, Kirk decides to let the ship drift with shields down, hoping that Commodore Wesley will realize what the situation is aboard the Enterprise. The gamble pays off as the Commodore orders his ships to stand down at the last moment.
McCoy says that Daystrom will be committed to a rehabilitation center. Kirk explains that he knew that Bob Wesley would not fire, because he gambled on his humanity. McCoy pointedly comments that compassion is something computers lack. Spock responds that machines are more efficient than human beings: not better. He then dryly remarks that if McCoy's engrams were impressed in a computer, the resulting torrential flood of illogic would be most entertaining.
40th Anniversary remastering
This episode was remastered in 2006 and aired February 9, 2008 as part of the remastered Original Series. It was preceded a week earlier by the remastered "The Changeling" and followed two weeks later by the remastered "Operation: Annihilate!". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI animation of the USS Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:- The space station that the Enterprise arrives at has been redesigned. Originally it was a reuse of the model for Deep Space Station K7 seen in "The Trouble With Tribbles". The new station is of the same class as Starbase 47 from the Star Trek: VanguardStar Trek: VanguardStar Trek: Vanguard is a series of Star Trek books set during the time period of the original television series. At present six novels and one novella collection have been released.-Premise:...
novels published by Pocket BooksPocket BooksPocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
. - The planet Alpha Carinae II has been given a more realistic appearance.
- The supply ship Woden has been changed to look similar to the drone supply ships from the Star Trek: The Animated SeriesStar Trek: The Animated SeriesStar Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe following the events of Star Trek: The Original Series of the 1960s...
episode "More Tribbles, More TroublesMore Tribbles, More Troubles-Plot outline:While the USS Enterprise escorts two robot cargo ships carrying quintotriticale, a new seed grain, to famine stricken Sherman's Planet, it encounters a Klingon battlecruiser pursuing a Federation scout ship...
". It is likewise similar to the S.S. Antares model seen briefly in the remastered episode "Charlie X" Originally, the Woden was a reuse of the S.S. Botany Bay from the episode "Space Seed". - The other starships partaking in the battle simulation are Constitution Class like the Enterprise. However, each bears its own name and registration number, along with other subtle changes. The combat between the ships has been reanimated to establish more dramatic action sequences.
- The Lexington viewscreen, originally a reuse of the Enterprise viewscreen, has rounded edges to differentiate it from the Enterprise.
- The defensive beam projected by the M5 computer, originally appearing as a dark helix-like shape surrounded by a glow, has been changed to a solid glowing beam of energy, with a reflection on the Engineering-room deck.
- With a small crew complement, most of the ship's view ports are shown darkened on the exterior shots of the M-5 equipped–Enterprise.