MONDO EXTRAS

Aboard the Klingon ship we saw earlier, the first officer intercepts the transmission informing the Klingon High Command that Kirk is en route to Nimbus III. The Klingon captain salivates over the idea of destroying Kirk in combat, and sets a course for Nimbus III. Mathra raises his hand: "Um, excuse me, but is this guy going to bother to ask permission from Klingon High Command to start a war with the Federation?"

Kirk attempts to record his captain's log into what looks like an answering machine, but it throws up on him, so he hands it off to his daughter the Yeoman Extra in frustration, just in time to receive information about the Nimbus hostages. Nothing of import is said here, other than the fact that General Korrd, the Klingon hostage, has "fallen out of favor" with the Klingon High Command, and Kirk hopes that "when they put [him] out to pasture," he hopes he fares better than Kordd. Shat, my man, you are out to pasture, and you ain't digesting the grass well. They all watch the hostage tape that shows the Romulan woman saying they're being treated well and their captor is humane and sincere. At that moment, the self-proclaimed leader of the Galactic Force of Light (a.k.a. the Laughing Vulcan) steps forward to say that he regrets these desperate actions, but he's desperate, and he would appreciate the dispatch of a starship posthaste to meet his demands. Spock looks concerned, examining the Laughing Vulcan's face on his personal-sized viewer. Kirk notes this and tells Spock he looks like he's seen a ghost. Spock says (enigmatically, of course) that perhaps he has. Kirk and Bones join Spock in some area other than the public bridge, and he gives them the sweet and lowdown. Upshot is, the Laughing Vulcan reminds him of an "exceptionally gifted" young Vulcan student who chose the revolutionary route of following the ways of the ancient Vulcans (seeking self-knowledge by embracing his emotions) and eschewing the not-as-ancient Surak teachings of logic. As a result, this young upstart, who was once predicted to take his place among the great bigwigs of Vulcan, was exiled. At this oh-so-interesting point of the plot twist, Kirk is hailed by the boatswain's whistle to return to the bridge; they're approaching Nimbus III. They receive a transmission from the planet demanding to know the Enterprise's intentions. Kirk, ever the quick thinker, tells Uhura to respond with static to make them think they're having problems. Yeah, it was clever when Chandler did it on Friends, but a starship in the 23rd century? Uhura continues with the tricky ruse by telling Paradise City to "boost" their power, because they aren't receiving them very well. Scotty reports that the transporters still aren't working (which might mean, in Glark's world, that the crew actually has to use the flushing toilets) so Kirk says they'll have to get the hostages out "the old-fashioned way."