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Synopsis:
The U.S.S.
Enterprise arrives at planet M-113 to deliver supplies to Dr.
Robert Crater and his wife, Nancy, whom Doctor Leonard McCoy was
once romantically involved with. The Craters have been on M-113
for five years conducting an archeological survey of the planet's
ruins. They are the only known inhabitants of the planet.
Crater tells
Kirk that the only thing they need are salt tablets. Otherwise,
they want to be left alone. Kirk debates this, insisting they must
need other supplies and must at least allow McCoy to give them
physicals. While this is happening, Darnell, one of Kirk's
landing party, meets a beautiful young woman and wanders off with
her.
When Kirk goes looking for
the young man, he finds him dead, his body scarred with suction
cup-shaped marks. The Captain orders the Craters to beam aboard
the U.S.S. Enterprise. On ship, Dr. McCoy is amazed at how little
Nancy has changed since he last saw her, several years earlier.
Her close proximity on board the starship begins to reawaken old
feelings for the doctor that somewhat shadow any suspicions of her
that he might normally have had.
However, the
woman McCoy sees as Nancy Crater is a shape-shifting creature, the
last survivor of M-113, and can literally appear as a different
being to each person
'she'
meets. By reaching into their minds and drawing on their memories,
the creature can lull her potential victims into a false sense of
security before she kills them.
The problem
facing the M-113 creature is the need for sodium chloride ...
salt. Without it, the being will die and its home planet is
running out. The rest of its race died due to this shortage, and
this final survivor formed a symbiotic relationship with Professor
Crater. Crater provided the M-113 creature with the needed salt
and the creature in turn gave the professor companionship ...
something he had craved since the salt creature murdered his wife,
the real Nancy Crater, for her body's
salt.
Let loose on board the
U.S.S. Enterprise, the M-113 creature begins killing members of
the crew, first luring them by posing as someone they know and
trust, then draining their bodies of their precious salt. Finally,
the creature kills Crater and changes into Nancy Crater, nearly
killing McCoy. Kirk and Spock, who have figured out the creature's
secret, rush to the doctor's quarters and convince him that this
is not the real Nancy. In an emotionally painful move, McCoy kills
the creature, saving himself and the U.S.S. Enterprise crew. |
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