The Trouble With Tribbles Part 27

KIRK.

Just incredibly proli.c.

CYRANO.

Precisely. And at six credits a head...that is, a body...it mounts up. I'm a businessman, after all.

(beat) Now, if you'll excuse me...

He rises-absentmindedly he hands Kirk the tribble.

KIRK.

You ought to sell a manual of instructions with these things.

CYRANO.

If I did, Captain...what would happen to the search for knowledge? Pardon me. I must be tending to my s.h.i.+p.27 As he does so, Baris and Darvin enter.

KIRK.

(under his breath) Oh, .ne.

DARVIN.

Go ahead, sir. Tell him.

BARIS.

Captain Kirk, I consider your security measures a disgrace. In my opinion, you have taken, this entire... very... important...project...far too lightly.

KIRK.

I regard the project as extremely important, Mr. Baris. It is you I regard lightly.

BARIS.

(beat; dangerous) I shall report fully to the proper authorities that you have given free and complete access to this station to a man who is quite probably a Klingon agent.

Kirk stares hard at him.

KIRK.

That is a very serious charge, Mr. Baris. To whom do you refer?

BASIS.

That man who just walked out of here. Cyrano Jones!

KIRK.

(amused) A Klingon agent?

BARIS.

You heard me.

KIRK.

Oh. I heard you all right.

SPOCK.

(to Baris) He just couldn't believe his ears.

KIRK.

(a pause, a take; then to Baris) What evidence do you have against Cyrano Jones?

Baris draws himself up to his full height...

BARIS.

My a.s.sistant here spent some time keeping Mr. Jones under surveillance. His actions have been...ah, most suspicious. I believe he was involved in that little altercation between your men and the- KIRK.

Go on. What else do you have?

DARVIN.

Captain, I checked his s.h.i.+p's log. He was within the Klingon sphere of in.uence less than four months ago.

BARIS.

The man is an independent scout. It's quite possible that he's also a Klingon spy.

Kirk glances at Spock.

SPOCK.

We have checked on the background of Mr. Jones. He is a licensed asteroid locater and prospector. He has never broken the law...at least not severely...and he has, for the past seven years, obtained a marginal living by engaging in the buying and selling of rare merchandise... including, unfortunately, tribbles.

BARIS.

He's after my grain! He's out to sabotage the entire project.

KIRK.

You have no proof of that.

DARVIN.

You can't deny he has disrupted this station!

KIRK.

People have disrupted s.p.a.ce Stations before without being Klingons...

(meaningful look at the two) They need only have some in.uence. Unfortunately disrupting a s.p.a.ce station is not an offense. If you'll excuse me... I have a s.h.i.+p to take care of...Mister Spock?28 Kirk starts to leave, realizes that he is still holding Cyrano's tribble. He shrugs, looks around and puts it in an ashtray or on a piece of sculpture-anywhere, just to get rid of it. They exit.

DISSOLVE TO:.

56 ENTERPRISE HANGING IN s.p.a.cE 56.

DISSOLVE TO:.

57 INT. RECREATION ROOM 57.

Kirk goes to a wall panel. Spock and Scott are also there.

KIRK.

...Chicken sandwich, coffee.

Almost immediately, the wall panel BEEPS. Kirk goes over to the wall. A panel slides open. He stares.

58 CLOSE ANGLE ON PANEL 58.

Kirk's sandwich is covered with tribbles, throbbing and purring.

59 ANGLE 59.

KIRK.

Mister Spock...

Spock approaches-he peers at it curiously.

SPOCK.

Most interesting...

Kirk reacts. Up till now, they have only been a nuisance-this scene should show that they are de.nitely out of hand.

KIRK.

Mister Spock, I want these creatures off my s.h.i.+p. I don't care if it takes every man we've got. I want them off!

Scott approaches, takes a look.29 SCOTT.

Aye, they've gotten into the machinery all right. They've probably gotten into all of the other food processors, too...

KIRK.

How?

SCOTT.

Probably through one of the air vents.

(points to a duct) SPOCK.

(alarmed) Captain, there are vents like that in the s.p.a.ce station...

KIRK.

And the storage compartments...

(stepping to a wall panel) This is Kirk. Contact Commander Lurry...and Nilz Baris. Have them meet us near the warehouse. We're beaming over.

Kirk and Spock exchange a glance. They run out of scene.

60 60.

thru OMITTED thru 65 65.

66 INT. TRANSPORTER ROOM 66.

Kirk and Spock enter, dash up the platform kicking tribbles out of the way.30 KIRK.

Energize.

67 ANGLE ON Console 67 as the crewman slides the lever upwards.

CUT TO:.

68 s.p.a.cE STATION CORRIDOR-STORAGE COMPARTMENT 68.

CLOSE on Kirk's and Spock's feet as they...and a half dozen tribbles... materialize. CAMERA ANGLE WIDENS as Lurry and Baris, but not Darvin, come running to meet them.

LURRY.

What's wrong?

KIRK.

(glancing around) Plenty-if what I think has happened, has happened.

Kirk turns to the storage compartment door. There are two guards standing by it. There are lots of tribbles in the corridor.