And The Children Shall Lead Line-by-Line

[May 20]

SPOCK: I stand corrected, Captain. Induced would be a more precise term. Induced by an outside force.

 

[CaptVader]

KIRK: Such as?

 

[Ghost of Christmas Future]

Spock: The release of bacteria. Or a helpless mental depression and a state of suicidal anxiety could have been chemically induced.

 

[CaptVader]

KIRK: What would make the children immune?

 

[May 20]

SPOCK: I do not know, but it is possible.

 

[Ghost of Christmas Future]

Kirk: Then the children would have been exempted by conscious design.

 

[Athena28]

SPOCK: A valid assumption, I would say.

 

[May 20]

KIRK: And their present behaviour explained by a fear of punishment.

 

[Ghost of Christmas Future]

Spock: Or the promise of reward.

 

[May 20]

KIRK: An attack by an unknown assailant on an uninhabited planet. This planet is uninhabited, Mister Spock, to the best of our information?

 

[Ghost of Christmas Future]

Spock: At present, yes. (his tricorder beeps) Odd.

 

[May 20]

KIRK: Getting a reading?

 

[CaptVader]

SPOCK: There seems to be some disturbance coming from that cave.

 

[May 20]

[Cave]

KIRK: Picking up any life-forms, Mister Spock?

 

[CaptVader]

SPOCK: Definitely not humanoid, Captain. Impossible to make any specific identification. The readings do not correlate with any known information.

 

[May 20]

KIRK: (shivers) Oh, that's strange. That's very strange. I'm getting a feeling of anxiety in this place. It doesn't sound very scientific, does it? But it's strongest right here.

 

[CaptVader]

SPOCK: I'm not aware of it, Captain.

 

[May 20]

KIRK: Maybe that's what's registering on your tricorder.

 

[Ghost of Christmas Future]

Spock: I am not familiar with anxiety, but I wasn't aware it could be registered on sensors.

 

[Athena28]

KIRK: No, of course. That's, that's me. That's me. But what's causing your tricorder to react?