"The Paradise Syndrome" by Margaret Armen
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy appear on a beautiful planet (which just happens to be just like Earth). They're there to deflect an asteroid from it that would destroy it. They find a large alien obelisk with some form of writing on it. It's resistant to scans. Checking out the people of the area, they see "American Indians," "a mixture of Navajo, Mohican, and Delaware." Out of sight of the others, Kirk falls through a trap door into the obelisk, where he is knocked out by an energy charge. Spock and McCoy search for him but can't find him and need to leave to get to where they can deflect the asteroid.
This makes me wonder if someone on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. writing staff was a Trekkie:
MCCOY: Typical human reaction to an idyllic natural setting. Back in the twentieth century, we referred to it as the Tahiti Syndrome. It's particularly common to over-pressured leader types, like starship captains.
Kirk wakes up with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As he stumbles out of the obelisk, two women approach. They kneel, but Miramanee, the Tribal Priestess, isn't afraid and goes up to Kirk. They think he's a God. Kirk is brought before Elder Goro and Medicine Chief Salish, who want proof he's a God. A young boy who was drowning is brought in and Salish claims him dead. But Kirk performs CPR and saves the boy, which gets him declared Medicine Chief. We find out later that Miramanee was promised in marriage to Salish, but now that he's no longer Medicine Chief, she is to marry Kirk. Salish asks if she would otherwise choose him and she wisely doesn't answer. Salish, having lost his fiancée and his job, really hates Kirk.
Spock is pushing the engines, annoying Scotty, but when they get to the asteroid, they don't have enough power to deflect it. They later try cutting it like a diamond, but fail there too and damage the warp drive. It will take almost 2 months on impulse power to get back to the planet, with the asteroid right behind them.
Kirk finds out that The Wise Ones brought these people to the planet a long time ago, and left the obelisk in the care of the Medicine Chiefs to help when "the sky darkens." However, Salish's father died without telling his son the secret of the obelisk.
I love Miramanee trying to figure out how to get Kirk's uniform off.
KIRK: All I can tell you is that I'm happy and peaceful here. I'm not sure, but I think I've never felt that way before.
Salish attacks Kirk, trying to stop the wedding and fails. Kirk (or Kirok as they call him) marries Miramanee. I think this is the only time he married, except for the short-term arrangement in the novel of TMP. Kirk has dreams of people he feels he should be with, but is otherwise happy. As time passes, and Kirk's hair and sideburns get shaggy, Miramanee tells him she's pregnant. Shatner's expression of joy and wonder is just beautiful.
I loved Kirk coming up with irrigation and the lamp.
Strong winds blow and the sky darkens. Miramanee, Goro, and Salish tell Kirk it's time to get to the temple and be godly.
Spock partially deciphers the markings on the obelisk. It is an asteroid deflector built by the "Preservers", an ancient race that resettled various endangered humanoid populations on other planets in order to ensure their survival. Spock surmises that the deflector has malfunctioned, not knowing that no one on the planet now knows how to operate it.
Kirk can't get into the temple/obelisk. Salish is thrilled and gets the people riled up into a mob that starts throwing stones and Kirk. Miramanee joins him and they both get stoned. Spock and McCoy beam down, which scatters the mob. McCoy starts taking care of Kirk. Spock uses Vulcan "mind fusion" to get Kirk's memory back. Kirk manages to open the temple by repeating the words he said just before he fell into it before. Spock manages to activate the deflector with moments left.
Sadly, Miramanee sustained internal injuries and is dying. Kirk stays with her until the end. I actually teared up a bit. He really loved her. And, just like Edith, she dies.
A bit better than I remembered. Shatner and Sabrina Scharf sell the romance and happiness well. Miramanee is smart, fun, and brave. It's not the greatest episode (Shatner goes a bit over the top with his "I AM KIROK" bit at the end) but it's perfectly watchable and the Spock/McCoy bits are good, as is Scotty moaning over his "wee bairns."
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