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The Empath"The Empath" is a third season episode of , first broadcast December 6, 1968. It is episode #63, written by Joyce Muskat and directed by John Erman. Quick Overview: While visiting a doomed planet, the landing party is subject to torturous experiments to test an empathic race. On stardate 5121.5, the starship USS Enterprise arrives at Minara II to pick up research personnel. The mission is crucial since the Minaran star is close to going supernova. Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and Mr. Spock beam to the planet to locate the research team while the Enterprise waits in orbit. The landing team finds the research camp abandoned and the scientists missing. Meanwhile in orbit, the Enterprise is bombarded by intense solar radiation which is causing instrumentation failure, and threatening the lives of the crew. Mr. Scott orders the ship to break orbit while the landing party continues the search for the missing scientists on the planet. As the search continues, the landing party finds themselves teleported to an underground chamber, and there they find a young woman lying on a raised platform. The woman awakens but she appears to be mute and all attempts to verbally communicate with her are in vain. Dr. McCoy names the mystery woman "Gem". Soon, two silver-robed aliens appear, and identify themselves as Vians. Kirk approaches the beings but they repel the team back with a force field. Kirk is injured and knocked to the floor. The silent Gem then rushes to Kirk's side and uses a power to absorb Kirk's injuries, healing him instantly and revealing that she is a powerful empath. The Vians leave the chamber to prepare experiments upon their newly arrived subjects. Spock takes the opportunity to scan their "prison" for a way out. He locates a nearby area filled with sophisticated machinery and computer banks. Along with the equipment are several glass cylinders, two of which contain bodies in suspended animation. Signs on the cylinders identify the test subjects as "Linke" and "Ozaba", the missing research scientists. Three more cylinders next to them are empty but contain name plaques: "Kirk", "McCoy" and "Spock". The Vians appear again, and demand that one of the landing party offer themselves for their tests. Kirk volunteers and the Vians subject him to physical torture, then sends him back to the first chamber where Gem heals his wounds. Kirk has been so badly hurt that Gem expels almost all her power on him, and faints from the strain. Not satisfied with the results of the experiment, the aliens return and demand another test subject. Kirk tries to volunteer again, but McCoy had sedated him and he offers to be taken next. Meanwhile Spock manages to steal a teleportation device from the Vians. Spock and Kirk follow the aliens to their medical chamber and witness the brutality the beings are subjecting upon McCoy. Kirk and Spock try to stop the aliens but are again halted by a force field. The two are returned to the first chamber where Gem rests. McCoy is later returned with injuries worse than Kirk's and is near death. Gem is still too weak to help the doctor but struggles painfully with her remaining power to ease his suffering. The Vians return, and Kirk angrily demands an explanation for the tortures. The Vians explain that they aren't testing the landing party, but are in fact testing Gem. They claim they have the ability to save either Gem's people, or a second race of beings living in the system, from the impending supernova disaster. They are testing to see if Gem's empathic powers are valuable enough to spare their existence. If not, the Vians will spare the other race that is doomed to die. The aliens continue to observe Gem as she grows weaker, sacrificing her remaining energy to save McCoy's life. This leads them to determine that her powers are limited, and that her people will be the ones chosen to die. Kirk accuses the aliens of lacking the one thing that Gem is capable of: compassion. Meanwhile, Spock manages to break free of his force field and overpowers the two aliens. Kirk confiscates the devices used for controlling the force fields. At the same time, Gem struggles with all her power in one last attempt to save McCoy's life. In doing so, she collapses but McCoy is fully healed. Now, Gem lies on the floor, dying. The Vians watch as Kirk explains that Gem's compassion and selflessness is worth far greater than her empathic powers. The aliens consider the behavior and agree that Kirk's words have merit. The aliens restore Gem to health and agree her people will be the ones they spare. The aliens, along with Gem, teleport away, and Kirk and his team return to the Enterprise. External Links Empath, The
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