- A landing party from the Enterprise is exposed to strange form of radiation which rapidly ages them.
- Rapid aging afflicts all six colonists on Gamma Hydra IV and five members of Kirk's six-man landing party - all but Chekov. With the Neutral Zone so close, suspicion falls on the Romulans testing a new weapon, but is it? With time running out, answers are elusive. As Kirk's memory progressively deteriorates, regulations necessitate a competency hearing no one wants - the outcome of which may eventually lead the Enterprise to its destruction with all aboard.—statmanjeff
- In The Deadly Years, Kirk encounters a figure from his past, the haunting Dr Wallace (Sarah Marshall), who wears her hair up and is dressed in a flowing but contained wispy dress with the roundness underneath barely concealed and perhaps visible. She had married a much older man instead of the youthful Kirk, and ironically, in this episode her attraction for him resurfaces. She is on-board the Enterprise to provide her expertise after Kirk and the Enterprise reach Gamma Hydra IV. She is a widow now.
Kirk was on a routine mission to resupply GAMMA Hydra IV and was forced to investigate as the message from Expedition leader Dr Johnson was disjointed and foggy. Commodore Stocker (Charles Drake) is on board on his way to Starbase 10. On a planet, the landing party encounters two scientists old and gray Robert Johnson (Felix Locher) & Mrs Elaine Jhonson (Laura Wood), and shriveling. How old are they? They are in their 20's. But how? The landing party all begin aging rapidly after the senior 20 year old die. Chekov is horrified to see a dead & shriveled body upon landing. Kirk returns with all survivors to the Enterprise. Spock reports that a comet passed by the planet recently.
Scotty develops Alzheimers, McCoy is crotchety, Spock is losing his ability to concentrate, Lt Galway (Beverly Washburn), who was somewhat pretty at the beginning, dies, and Kirk becomes a caricature & develops advanced Arthritis, an old man who can't remember the planet (Gamma Hydra) number or what orders he gave, and he resents like the devil the fact that Dr Wallace is being kind and loving to him. Chekov appears to be normal. McCoy says that the landing party is aging 30 yrs for each passing day. Wallace suggests some carbohydrate compounds that she and her husband developed to reverse the effect of aging on plant life.
Kirk shows advanced signs of aging and forgetfulness. Spock figures out that the planet passed through the tail of the comet and was bombarded with radiation at the very low end of the scale. It was undetected by normal sensors. Commodore Stocker repeatedly asks Kirk to proceed to Starbase 10, but Kirk refuses until he can find a solution to the aging problem. Spock is concerned about Kirk's deteriorating condition and Commodore Stocker encourages him to call for a Extraordinary Competency Hearing to relieve Kirk of his Command. Spock calls several witnesses that support his charge that Kirk is now incompetent for command due to his advanced age. Kirk accuses Spock of betraying him. Stocker assumes command and orders Sulu to proceed to Starbase 10, on a path directly through the neutral zone.
Is there any cure? Yes!! Kirk remembers that Chekov was scared on the planet and McCoy understands that adrenaline was key to countering the effect of radiation sickness in Chekov. The clue was that Chekov was not infected because he was frightened, and adrenaline was the key. It is manufactured and given out. Meanwhile Romulans attack the Enterprise in the Neutral zone and Stocker is frozen in face of action & death. Stocker wants to surrender. Kirk assumes command after the cure works. Kirk sends out a bluff message to Starfleet command on a frequency he knows that Romulans have cracked. He says that he is under Romulan attack and will execute the Corbomite device, which will kill all ROmulan ship in a 200K radius area and will render the space impassable for next 4 yrs. The Romulans withdraw and Kirk escapes with the Enterprise. In the end Dr Wallace still likes Kirk and now he likes her too, because she is beautiful and he does not feel ashamed. On to the next mission, and Lt Galway and Mr And Mrs Robert Johnson serve as reminders to stay away.
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