- Capt. Kirk: [in a recorded message] Bones, Spock. Since you are playing this tape, we will assume that I am dead, that the tactical situation is critical, and both of you are locked in mortal combat. It means, Spock, that you have control of the ship and are probably making the most difficult decisions of your career. I can offer only one small piece of advice, for whatever it's worth: use every scrap of knowledge and logic you have to save the ship, but temper your judgment with intuitive insight. I believe you have those qualities, but if you can't find them in yourself, seek out McCoy. Ask his advice. And if you find it sound, take it. Bones - you've heard what I've just told Spock. Help him if you can. But remember, he *is* the Captain. His decisions must be followed without question. You might find that he is capable of human insight and human error. They are most difficult to defend. But you will find that he is deserving of the same loyalty and confidence each of you... have given me. Take care.
- Mr. Spock: [about theragen being a deadly Klingon nerve gas] If I remember correctly, it caused fatality only when used in pure form.
- Dr. McCoy: That's right. And in this derivative, mixed with alcohol, it merely deadens certain nerve inputs to the brain.
- Scott: Oh, well, any decent brand o' Scotch'll do that.
- Dr. McCoy: Oh? Well, one good slug of this, and you could hit a man with phaser stun and he'd never feel it, or even know it.
- Scott: Does it make a good mix with Scotch?
- Dr. McCoy: It should.
- Scott: [heading out with the beaker of theragen derivative] I'll let ya know.
- Mr. Spock: [at being fired upon after an hour and fifty-three minutes] The renowned Tholian punctuality.
- Capt. Kirk: I had a whole universe to myself after the Defiant was thrown out. There was absolutely no one else in it. I must say I prefer a crowded universe much better.
- [speaking over communicators aboard the USS Defiant]
- Dr. McCoy: What the devil!
- Capt. Kirk: Bones, what is it? - Bones, what is it? Answer me! - Answer me!
- Dr. McCoy: Jim, this ship is dissolving. My hand just passed through a man and a table.
- Chekov: I don't understand what's so special about this region of space.
- Mr. Spock: Picture it this way, Mr. Chekov: we exist in a universe which co-exists with a multitude of others in the same physical space. At certain brief periods of time, an area of their space overlaps an area of ours. That is the time of interphase, during which we can connect with the Defiant's universe.
- Uhura: Mr. Spock? We WILL be able to retrieve the Captain at that time... won't we?
- Mr. Spock: Yes. However, the dimensional structure of each universe is totally dissimilar. Any use of power disturbs it. If we are not extremely careful, we shall lose the Captain, and become trapped ourselves.
- Dr. McCoy: I must admit, I don't understand you, Spock. But I just can't believe that you would want Jim's command. But you must know that if you get us out of this situation, they'll pin a medal on your chest and give you command of the Enterprise.
- Mr. Spock: Doctor, I AM in command of the Enterprise.
- Dr. McCoy: I would like to remedy that situation.
- Mr. Spock: If you believe I have acted irregularly, then relieve me of duty. That is your prerogative as Medical Officer of this ship.
- Capt. Kirk: How'd you two get along without me?
- Dr. McCoy: Oh, we managed. Er, Mr. Spock gave the orders and I found the answers.
- Capt. Kirk: Good. Then, no-no problems between you?
- Mr. Spock: None worth reporting, Captain.
- Capt. Kirk: Try me.
- Mr. Spock: Mmm, only such minor disturbances as are inevitable when Humans are involved.
- Capt. Kirk: Which Humans, Mr. Spock?
- Dr. McCoy: What he means's that when Humans become involved with Vulcans, Jim.
- Capt. Kirk: Well, I hope my last orders were helpful in solving any problems that you don't feel worth reporting.
- Mr. Spock: Orders, Captain?
- Dr. McCoy: What orders are you referring to, Jim?
- Capt. Kirk: M-my last orders. The-the last orders that I left for both of... for both of you... The last taped orders!
- Dr. McCoy: Oh, those orders! Well, there, there wasn't time. We never had a chance to listen to them.
- Mr. Spock: No. You see, the crisis was upon us and then passed so quickly, Captain, that we, er...
- Capt. Kirk: Good. Good. Well, I hope we won't have... similar opportunities to test those orders, which you never heard.
- Capt. Kirk: Bones, can you tell me what they all died of?
- Dr. McCoy: I'd say these people killed each other.
- Capt. Kirk: They *what*?
- Dr. McCoy: You heard correctly, Jim, these people killed each other.
- Capt. Kirk: Could... mental disease have infected all of the crew?
- Dr. McCoy: According to the ship's log, the medical surgeon down here didn't even know what was going on.
- Mr. Spock: The Enterprise is responding to a distress signal from one of our ships and is currently engaged in rescue operations. Do you wish to assist us?
- Cmdr. Loskene: I find no evidence of a disabled ship. My instruments indicate that ours are the only two vessels in this area.
- Mr. Spock: The other ship is interspatially trapped. It should reappear in one hour and fifty-three minutes. We request you stand by until then.
- Cmdr. Loskene: Very well, Enterprise. In the interest of interstellar amity, we will wait precisely one hour and fifty-three minutes. But be correct. We do not tolerate deceit.
- Chekov: Captain. Visual detection of an object dead ahead.
- Capt. Kirk: How about it, Spock?
- Mr. Spock: Fascinating.
- Dr. McCoy: Even Scotty's being affected. If Scotty goes under, that's the finish of whatever chance we have of getting the Enterprise out of here.
- Mr. Spock: [conducting Kirk's memorial service] A few hours ago, the Captain elected to remain on board the Defiant, so that three members of this crew would have the best chance of returning safely to the Enterprise. His concern was not only for them, but for all the members of the crew of this ship. You all know the sequence of events. We were fired upon by the Tholian ship. At that time, Captain Kirk may have been alive. I deemed it necessary to return the Tholian fire for the safety of the Enterprise. The Tholian ship has been disabled. But as a result of the battle, we must accept the fact that Captain Kirk is no longer alive. -... - I shall not attempt to voice the quality of respect and admiration which Captain Kirk commanded. Each of you must evaluate the loss in the privacy of your own thoughts.
- Dr. McCoy: The Captain left a message tape. It was his order that it be reviewed by both of us, should he ever be declared dead. You have just declared Jim dead.
- Mr. Spock: It will wait for a more suitable moment, Doctor.
- Dr. McCoy: Why? Are you afraid it'll change your present status?
- Mr. Spock: The mental and physical state of this crew are your responsibility, Doctor. At the moment, THEY are your top priority.
- Dr. McCoy: The Captain's last order is top priority, and you will honor that order, before you take over!
- Mr. Spock: I have confidence that you will soon isolate the cause, Doctor, and prevent any further spread of the affliction.
- Dr. McCoy: The disease is not transmitted by the men, Mr. Spock. The cause is the area of space we're in. It's affecting the whole crew. The molecular structure of the brain tissues in the central nervous system are distorting, and the madness that affected the Defiant's crew will soon happen to the Enterprise.
- Dr. McCoy: [about Kirk] He was a hero in every sense of the word, yet his life was sacrificed for nothing. The one thing that would have given his death meaning is the safety of the Enterprise. Now you've made that impossible, Mr. Spock.
- Mr. Spock: [regarding the Tholian filaments] There is no analog to this structure in Federation technology. It is, however, an energy field. And if the Tholians are successful in completing this structure before we have completed our repairs, we shall not see home again.
- Dr. McCoy: What did you have to gain by fighting the Tholians? You could have assured yourself of a captaincy by leaving the area. But you chose to stay. Why?
- Mr. Spock: I need not explain my rationale to you, or to any other member of this crew. There is a margin of variation in any experiment. While there was a chance, I was bound, legally and morally, to ascertain the Captain's status.
- Dr. McCoy: You mean, to be sure if he was dead. Well, you made certain of that.
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