"The Changeling" Line-by-Line

UHURA: Aye, sir. All hailing frequencies open.

 

Kirk: To unidentified vessel: This is Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. We are on a peaceful mission. We mean no harm to you or any life forms. Please communicate with us. Any further readings, Mister Spock?

 

Spock: Computing now, Captain. Weight, five hundred kilograms. Shape, roughly cylindrical. Length, a fraction over one metre.

 

Kirk: Five hundred kilos and only one meter long?

 

Scotty: What kind of intelligent creatures can exist in a thing that small?

 

SPOCK: Intelligence does not necessarily require bulk, Mister Scott.

 

UHURA: Captain, we're getting a signal from the spacecraft.

 

(Nice timing!)

KIRK: Put it on audio, Lieutenant.

 

Uhura: Yes, sir. It's impossible to get it any clearer, sir.

 

KIRK: Analysis sector. Have them study and decode it.

 

UHURA: Analysis sector, channel one, main computer. Decode.

 

SPOCK: Captain, this message is a sort of binary. Extremely sophisticated, compressed, carrying several channels at once.

 

KIRK: Can you decode it?

 

SPOCK: No clue as yet, Captain. A moment. Transmission speed has stepped down. Much slower. Seems to be a single binary.

 

UHURA: It's mathematical. Yes, one symbol. The symbol repeat. Sir, that isn't in the Starfleet code. It's an old-style interplanetary code.

 

SPOCK: Fascinating.

 

KIRK: Repeat what? The message I sent?

 

SPOCK: It would seem so, Captain.

 

KIRK: This is Captain James Kirk of the USS Enterprise. We are on a peaceful mission in this part of the galaxy. We have no hostile intentions. We request identity.

 

UHURA: It's another signal now, sir.