KIRK
Iowa?
EDITH
(dead serious)
Further away than that.
KIRK
“When night proceeds to fall, all men become strangers…”
EDITH
It’s true. Who said it, I don’t recognize it.
KIRK
Wellman 9. An obscure poet. Someday people will call his work the most beautiful ever known in the galaxy.
EDITH
That’s a lot of territory.
KIRK
There’s a lot of territory out there.
EDITH
Now you sound like what I tell my people on the street corners.
KIRK
What you say is true.
(beat)
Ouch, it’s my own fault.
EDITH
We could always get them stretched.
Kirk’s face goes through changes. She has said something very important, but we don’t know what. He pulls her close, buries his head in her bosom, and she strokes his hair as we
LAP-DISSOLVE TO:
77 KIRK & SPOCK—LIMBO SHOT
against blackness. Why? Because this conversation is as much inside their natures as out in the world. And played in CLOSE 2-SHOT without recourse to sets or distractions, it will illuminate their characters more cleanly.
SPOCK
You are my Captain. It is not proper that I express such opinions.
KIRK
If I’m wrong I want to know.
SPOCK
That is my opinion.
KIRK
Why? It’s necessary to be near her…we can’t possibly know the precise moment Beckwith will find her.
SPOCK
You argue illogically, Captain. I do not think Beckwith is what keeps you so near this woman.
KIRK
You’re wrong.
SPOCK
I do not think so, Captain.
KIRK
(rather annoyed)
Since when did you become a telepath?
SPOCK
Empathy is not telepathy. I can feel it coming off you in waves…you are getting involved.
KIRK
I just want to find Beckwith.
SPOCK
Captain, fooling me is simple. Just give me the order, I will change my opinion.
KIRK
(a bit sadly)
But…we talk, Mr. Spock. We sit and we talk about…everything.
SPOCK
She is a fine person.
KIRK
Listen: I’ve been on the move since I was old enough to ship on as wiper in one of the old chemical-fuel rockets. It’s been time, Mr. Spock; a lot of time.
SPOCK
(understandingly)
And the women you have known have been casual liaisons, in the port cities and the pleasure planets. It is that way for every spacer, Captain.
(beat)
I am a Vulcan, not a neuter. I understand very well.
KIRK
But this is something else, Spock! Total communication. I’ve never known anything like this with anyone!
(beat)
She knows, Spock. She understands— everything!
SPOCK
It can be a foolish thing, Captain. We are only phantoms here, things lost from a future that may not even exist again. We have not even been born yet. Lost things set down on an alien shore, Captain.
KIRK
Why? Why does it have to end here—?
SPOCK
You can not change the past without changing the future…
They are speaking faster now, almost atop one another’s words.
KIRK
Why can’t I bring her back with me? She isn’t important here, the way she feels, the goodness, the things she believes for the world, they aren’t ready for it—
SPOCK
(suddenly)
She is going to die!
There is a shocked moment of silence.
SPOCK (CONT’D.)
(softer)
I was able to repair the tricorder. Not well, but sufficiently to learn she will die.
KIRK
(in shock)
No…
SPOCK
Captain, she has to die.
(continues, softer)
The Guardian told us. We had insufficient codification to interpret the metaphors. But I have been resonating the words again in my mind.
KIRK
No.
SPOCK
(recites)
“He will seek that which must die, and give it life. Stop him.”
KIRK
I don’t believe that…they didn’t mean that at all. How could her death alter the course of history?
SPOCK
In a million ways. If she lived, she might give birth to a child who would become a dictator…
KIRK
That’s all extrapolation, none of it real. You’re guessing…
SPOCK
…in a few years this planet will have a war, a great war. What if her philosophy spread, and it kept America out of the war for a mere two years longer…and in that time Germany perfected its atomic weapons? The outcome of the war would be reversed.
KIRK
That’s insanity.
SPOCK
History, Captain. There are spools of records on the Enterprise. I have played them all…. What I suggest is just one logical extrapolation.
(beat)
She has to die; history and time demand it.
KIRK
I don’t want to think about it. Leave me alone.
SPOCK
I will leave you alone, Captain—
(beat)
but time will not.
Their IMAGES BEGIN TO FADE into the blackness, like a light being turned slowly down, dimmer and dimmer, till all we see is the tormented face of Jim Kirk, in the mid-f.g.
FRAME TO BLACK.
78 EXT. NEW YORK STREET—NIGHT
BLACK FRAME becomes the back of Kirk, as he walks AWAY FROM CAMERA hand-in-hand with Edith Keeler. Street dressed for a Saturday night, people out on the sidewalk, cars passing, women leaning out of upstairs windows calling their kids to come in, men sitting on stoops talking, the activity, the life of the city, consistent with the image of the times. CAMERA GOES WITH THEM. As they pass a series of shops, we begin to HEAR MUSIC from one of them, a jaunty tune of the times, played on a raggy piano, being sung by one of those girls who sang from sheet-music in the Thirties. She is singing “Please.”
Please, lend your little ear to my pleas.
Lend a ray of cheer to my pleas.
Tell me that you love me, too.
Please let me hold you tight in my arms.
I could find delight in your charms.
Ev’ry night my whole life through.•
• Copyright © 1932 by Famous Music Corp.
As they pass the down-below-street-level music shop, Edith stops, turns and cocks her head to one side. CAMERA IN CLOSE. She smiles, rocks to the music. Kirk grins.
EDITH
Let’s go down for a minute, Jim. We have time before I speak, and I love this song.
79 2-SHOT—KIRK & EDITH
CAMERA PULLS BACK SLIGHTLY as Kirk nods agreement. Edith starts down the wrought iron stairs to the shop as Jim walks behind her. CAMERA BACK to give us FULL SHOT now. Edith slips. She starts to fall, Jim Kirk reaches out to catch her as CAMERA ZOOMS IN on his hand. Just before he could catch her arm, his hand closes, spastically.
80 FULL SHOT—ANOTHER ANGLE
as she falls down the stairs. CAMERA ZOOMS IN on Kirk’s face. He let her fall. He remembered what he was there for. CAMERA ZOOMS BACK out and for a beat we think Edith may have died. But we see she is merely lying there bruised. CAMERA ZOOMS IN AGAIN on her face, as she looks at Jim with his clenched hand still extended. She seems to know he let her fall, and a confused hurt expression crosses her face. CAMERA OUT AGAIN and Kirk rushes down to her, helps her up.
KIRK
(means it)
Are you all right?
EDITH
(slowly, mixed up)
Yes…I’m all right…Jim…
CAMERA HOLDS on their faces as Kirk turns away slightly and we see the torment in his expression…and the confusion on Edith’s face.
DISSOLVE TO:
81 EXT. NEW YORK STREET—SAME SCENE AS 47—DAY
the street with the CCC Camp shop and the bread line shop, now minus the lamppost Kirk vaporized with the phaser. But there is nothing happening in front of the two shops. The cars and trucks still roll, but very few people on the sidewalks. Kirk and Spock in XTREME F.G. MOVE INTO FRAME from opposite sides, looking at each other, then turn to stare at the street opposite. They form the left and right sides of the FRAME with the sliver of scene between them.
SPOCK
My computations could be wrong.
KIRK
Let’s hope not.
SPOCK
Where is Miss Keeler?
KIRK
At the Free Milk Kitchen. She’ll be out of the way for at least two hours.
As they stand there waiting, a large stake-bed TRUCK filled with barrels thunders past. We NOTE the truck in this SHOT.
KIRK (CONT’D.)
Edith told me that’s the bootleg beer wagon.
SPOCK
“Bootleg?”
KIRK
They’re in something called “The Great Depression.” They’re also undergoing something called “The Great Prohibition.”
SPOCK
Trucks like that are prohibited?
KIRK
Sometimes, Mr. Spock, your tendency to take things literally is a pain in the fundament.
SPOCK
But you said…
KIRK
No, not the truck, what it’s carrying, what’s in those barrels. Beer. An alcoholic beverage. Liquor is prohibited.
SPOCK
Ah yes, I remember the spools mentioning this “great experi—”
(suddenly)
There!
They BACK OUT OF FRAME so we have a FULL SHOT of the street opposite, and CAMERA MOVES IN so we see the brick wall and a sudden shimmering (NOT THE TRANSPORTER MATERIALIZATION EFFECT—ANOTHER) as Beckwith abruptly becomes substantial, standing there looking around, trying to get oriented, still wearing his Enterprise garb. Then Kirk and Spock dash INTO FRAME from XTREME CLOSEUP so the FRAME IS BLACK for a beat as they race away from us.
82 REVERSE ANGLE—PAST BECKWITH—HIS POV
as he looks across the street and sees Spock and Kirk coming for him. He recognizes them instantly and turns first one way, then another, to run—but he doesn’t know which way. Spock gets across the street, but as Kirk moves to follow, just a beat behind him, another huge bootleg beer truck in the caravan rumbles down the street, and Kirk is cut off. Spock reaches Beckwith, who falls back against the brick wall, and raises a booted foot. He catches Spock in the stomach with the foot, and hurls him back. Then Beckwith rushes OUT OF FRAME RIGHT as the truck passes and Kirk reaches Spock. He helps him up. CAMERA ANGLE NARROWER now.
KIRK
Which way?
SPOCK
Toward the Milk Kitchen…
They tense, and race off down the street as we
DISSOLVE TO:
83 INT. TENEMENT—SAME AS 74—DAY
on the vestibule door, as it opens, and Kirk brings Edith Keeler in behind him. He is rushing her, holding her by the arm.
EDITH
Jim…what is this?
KIRK
You shouldn’t be out there alone.
She pulls away, stands her ground. She’s wearing the cape with the sunburst, but a different dress of the period.
EDITH
What in the world are you talking about? You come dashing into the Milk Kitchen and practically abscond with me! Now, Jim, I’ve got responsi—
Kirk moves to her, takes her lovely face in his hands, and if we are ever to see the inner man, James Kirk, this is the moment. Gathered here in his hands is everything that means anything to him. Kirk is deeply in love.
KIRK
Edith, do you trust me?
EDITH
Jim…I…
KIRK
No, please, do you trust me?
EDITH
(looks down demurely)
I trust you…and I love you, Jim.
A stricture of pain/pleasure crosses his face. She does not see it. He tilts her face up and stares at her for a long moment, then kisses her. She clings to him. After a long beat they move apart a bit and CAMERA COMES CLOSER.
KIRK
Edith…
EDITH
Do you love me, Jim? It’s the first time for me, so I don’t know.
KIRK
Very much. More than anyone I’ve ever known. You’ve become very important to me. You can’t know how important…
EDITH
And you’re afraid, Jim, what is it?
KIRK
It’s nothing, I just want you to be—
He can’t finish. She stares at him, with wonder.
84 ANOTHER ANGLE—FEATURING STAIRWELL
as Mr. Spock appears. He is carrying a burlap parcel. It contains the phaser, but we don’t know it. He stops on the stairs. Kirk looks at him, and draws away from Edith. She looks, sees only a Chinese laborer. Spock watches them with silent understanding, then moves down the stairs and past them. He goes out.
KIRK
You’d better go upstairs. Please trust me…I know you want to go back to the mission to work, but if you would…please, go upstairs, get some rest, an hour of sleep…please. I have to go out for a while, but I’ll be right back.
EDITH
(deeply troubled)
Jim, if it’s something you’ve done…some trouble…
KIRK
Nothing, Edith. I’ll be right back. I promise. Just stay in your room…and keep the door locked.
EDITH
Please tell me, Jim!
He moves to the front door, opens it, starts to go.
EDITH (CONT’D.)
(softly)
I love you, James Kirk.
CAMERA ON KIRK as he pauses, without turning, hearing her words. Then his jaw muscles tighten, and he goes out the door. HOLD ON HER staring after him.
85 EXT. STREET—ANGLE ON ALLEY—DAY
as Kirk passes, sees Spock waiting, the burlap wrapped package still in his arms. He moves into the alley as CAMERA GOES WITH him. Spock is looking at him with a silent condemnation.
KIRK
Mr. Spock…you can’t know how it is with her…
He stops. A silent bit of character flow. He knows how Spock feels about all this. But he can’t defend himself.
SPOCK
Are they still alive in the Transporter Chamber, Captain?
KIRK
You don’t understand. You’re not—
SPOCK
I am not what, Captain? A human, subject to the pains and pleasures of love? No, that is true. I am merely part human; and I am merely concerned with saving the lives of the ones who trusted us to save them.
KIRK
I can’t let her die! I can’t.
SPOCK
Then Beckwith wins. Time is changed.
Spock starts past him. Kirk grabs his arm. The package slips out of Spock’s grasp, falls, and the phaser is revealed.
KIRK
You can’t use that on Beckwith. We have to bring him back ali—
He stops, his eyes widen.
KIRK (CONT’D.)
(almost a whisper)
It wasn’t for Beckwith, was it, Mr. Spock?
Spock stares at him. They stand there across a sudden abyss of conflicting interests. Spock says nothing. He gathers up the phaser, rewraps it and leaves the alley. CAMERA HOLDS on Kirk’s expression of growing helplessness. He turns away abruptly as we
SMASH-CUT TO:
86 BACK STREET—DEAD NIGH
T—ESTABLISHING
as Mr. Spock slips through shadows. There is a rustle of cloth behind him. He carries the phaser now. He turns suddenly, and Beckwith is there. The scuffle is only a moment in duration, with the two of them wrestling among wooden crates and cans of refuse. Spock falls, Beckwith grabs the phaser and dashes off with it. Spock follows as CAMERA IN ARRIFLEX GOES WITH. Beckwith snaps off a shot, and Spock dives sideways to escape the lethal blast.
87 ON SPOCK
as he looks up from sidewalk and HEARS the SOUND of FOOTSTEPS RUNNING AWAY in the darkness. HOLD on his fixed expression which says time is growing deathly, inescapably short.
FADE OUT.
END ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
88 EXT. NEW YORK STREET—EVENING—ESTABLISHING
CLOSE ON a hand-lettered placard that reads: