TOS :: TrekCore

Episode Audio Caps

TREKCORE > TOS > EPISODES > THE BALANCE OF TERROR > Audio Clips

Below are high quality audio caps from this episode presented in mp3 format. Please let us know if we've missed a favorite quote of yours from this episode and we'll try and add it!


	(At the door, a young lady in gold uniform and a pretty head-dress takes Scott's arm and is escorted into the room, to the strains of 'Here Comes The Bride'. Kirk goes to the rostrum.) Kirk: "Since the days of the first wooden vessels, all shipmasters have had one happy privilege. That of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony. We are gathered here today with you, Angela Martine, and you, Robert Tomlinson, in the sight of your fellows, in accordance with our laws and our many beliefs so that you may pledge your..." Sulu (Over Comm): "Alert! Alert! All decks alert! Alert! Alert! Captain to the Bridge. All decks alert." Kirk: "Kirk here. " Spock (Over Comm): "Earth Outpost four reports they're under attack. A space vessel, identity unknown." Kirk: "Full ahead. All decks, condition red." Sulu (Over Comm): "All decks, condition red. All decks, condition red."

	Kirk: "Captain's Log, stardate 1709.2. Patrolling outposts guarding the neutral zone between planets Romulus and Remus and the rest of the galaxy, received emergency call from outpost 4. The U.S.S. Enterprise is moving to investigate and assist."

	Kirk: "Mister Spock, put this star sector on our screen. Now show our position. Signal this to all decks, Lieutenant." Uhura: "All decks standing by, sir." Kirk (Over Comm): "This is the Captain speaking. In our next action, we can risk neither miscalculation nor error by any man aboard. Listen carefully. Science Officer." Spock: "Referring to the map on your screens, you will note beyond the moving position of our vessel, a line of Earth outpost stations. Constructed on asteroids, they monitor the Neutral Zone established by treaty after the Earth-Romulan conflict a century ago. As you may recall from your histories, this conflict was fought, by our standards today, with primitive atomic weapons and in primitive space vessels which allowed no quarter, no captives. Nor was there even ship-to-ship visual communication. Therefore, no human, Romulan, or ally has ever seen the other. Earth believes the Romulans to be warlike, cruel, treacherous, and only the Romulans know what they think of Earth. The treaty, set by sub-space radio, established this Neutral Zone, entry into which by either side, would constitute an act of war. The treaty has been unbroken since that time. Captain." Kirk: "What you do not know and must be told is that my command orders on this subject are precise and inviolable. No act, no provocation will be considered sufficient reason to violate the zone. We may defend ourselves, but if necessary to avoid interspace war, both these outposts and this vessel will be considered expendable. Captain out."

	Stiles: "We know Outpost four has been attacked, sir, so if we intercept Romulans now..." Kirk: "After a whole century, what will a Romulan ship look like, Mister Stiles? I doubt they'll radio and identify themselves." Stiles: "You'll know, sir. They're painted like a giant bird-of-prey." Kirk: "I had no idea that history was your specialty." Stiles: "Family history. There was a Captain Stiles was in the space service then. Two Commanders and several junior officers. All lost in that war, sir." Kirk: "Their war, Mister Stiles. Not yours. Don't forget it." Stiles: "Yes, sir."

	Uhura: "Sir, regaining contact with Outpost four. Switching to speakers." Hansen (Over Comm): "Outpost four. Do you read me, Enterprise? This is Commander Hansen." Kirk: "Kirk here. We're minutes away, Hansen. What's your status?" Hansen: "Outposts two, three, and eight are gone. Unknown weapon. Completely destroyed, even though we were alerted. Had our deflector shield on maximum. Hit by enormous power. First attack blew our deflector shield. If they hit us again with our deflector shield gone. Do you read me, Enterprise?" Kirk: "Confirm what hit you, Hansen. What vessel? Identity?" Hansen: "Space vessel, only glimpse of." Kirk: "Can you locate the intruder for us?" Hansen: "Negative. It seems to have disappeared somehow. I have you on my screen now. Switching to visual." Kirk: "Tie us in." Uhura: "Tied in, sir." (The viewscreen shows a man in a wrecked room, surrounded by fires) Hansen (On Viewscreen): "Enterprise, can you see it? My command post here. We're a mile deep on an asteroid. Almost solid iron. And even through our deflectors, it did this. Can you see?" Kirk: "Affirmative. You're visual, Hansen. What do you have on the intruder?" Hansen: "No identification. No answer to our challenge. Only a glimpse of it. Then they fired something at us, some form of high-energy plasma. Fantastic power. And then the whole vessel disappeared. But it's out there somewhere. Our sensors show that much. Enterprise, something coming on our viewing screen, coming at us fast." Kirk: "Lock us onto your screen." Hansen: "Switching. Can you see it, Enterprise? Can you see it? It's becoming visible in the centre of my screen." (A ship appears from nowhere on the screen) Kirk: "Do you have phaser capacity? We're still out of range." Hansen: "Negative. Phasers gone. Weapons crew dead." Kirk: "Make a challenge. Warn that ship off." Uhura: "Trying to, sir. They don't acknowledge." (The alien ship fires a big red plasma ball, and the viewscreen switches to Hansen as the outpost is hit, then just bright light. Back to the attacking ship, which then vanishes.)

	Stiles: "Captain, may I respectfully remind the Captain what has happened? The Romulans have crossed the Neutral Zone, attacked our outposts, killed our men." Kirk: "Mister Stiles." Stiles: "Add to that the fact it was a sneak attack." Kirk: "Mister Stiles, are you questioning my orders?" Stiles: "Negative, sir. I'm pointing our that we could have Romulan spies aboard this ship." Sulu: "I agree, sir. Respectfully recommend all decks maintain security alert." Kirk: "Very well. All decks, security alert."

	Uhura: "Sounds like code, sir." Spock: "I have a fix on it, Captain. I believe I can lock on it, get a picture of their Bridge." Kirk: "Put it on the screen."

	Uhura: "Cryptography is working on it, sir." Stiles: "Give it to Spock." Kirk: "I didn't quite get that, Mister Stiles." Stiles: "Nothing, sir." Kirk: "Repeat it." Stiles: "I was suggesting that Mister Spock could probably translate it for you, sir." Kirk: "I assume you're complimenting Mister Spock on his ability to decode." Stiles: I'm not sure, sir. Kirk: "Well, here's one thing you can be sure of, Mister. Leave any bigotry in your quarters. There's no room for it on the Bridge. Do I make myself clear?" Stiles: "You do, sir."

	Commander: "We grow visible. Attend the cloaking system." Romulan: "It consumes much power, Commander. With no enemy to concern us." Commander: "That Earth outpost called to an Earth vessel. Now it follows us." Romulan: "Which neither retreats nor grows nearer. It turns as we turn. Commander, it is our judgment we run from a reflection." Commander: "Perhaps so, but my judgment prevails."

	Romulan: "Cloaking system on, sir." Commander: "It is good we approach the Neutral Zone. Not too soon for me to see the stars of home. I know they are following." Centurion: (an older man) "If an Earth ship, why does he not attack?" Commander: "First study the enemy, seek weakness. If I were their commander, that is what I would do." Decius: "My Commander sent for Decius." Commander: "A message was dispatched. You've broken the rule of silence." Decius: Only in code, Commander. To inform our Praetor of this glorious mission." Commander: "Your carelessness might have ended this glorious mission. You're reduced two steps in rank. Return to post." Centurion: "Take care, Commander. He has friends, and friends of his kind mean power. And power is danger." Commander: "Danger and I are old companions." Centurion: "We've seen a hundred campaigns together, and still I do not understand you." Commander: "I think you do. No need to tell you what happens when we reach home with proof of the Earthmen's weakness. And we will have proof. The Earth commander will follow. He must. When he attacks, we will destroy him. Our gift to the homeland, another war." Centurion: "If we are the strong, isn't this the signal for war?" Commander: Must it always be so? How many comrades have we lost in this way? Centurion: "Our portion, Commander, is obedience." Commander: "Obedience. Duty. Death and more death. Soon even enough for the Praetor's taste. Centurion, I find myself wishing for destruction before we can return. Worry not. Like you, I am too well-trained in my duty to permit it. Continue evasive manoeuvres. Now, back to the first course."

	Spock: "From the outpost's protective shield. Cast rodinium. This is the hardest substance known to our science." (He crushes it with his hand) Spock: "Lab theorises an enveloping energy plasma forcing an implosion." Kirk: "Comments?" Spock: "Obviously, their weaponry is superior to ours, and they have a practical invisibility screen." McCoy: "You're discussing tactics. Do you realise what this really comes down to? Millions and millions of lives hanging on what this vessel does." Spock: "Or on what this vessel fails to do, Doctor." Kirk: "Yes, well gentlemen, the question still remains. Can we engage them with a reasonable possibility of victory?" Scotty: "No question. Their power is simple impulse. Kirk: "Meaning we can outrun them?" Stiles: To be used in chasing them or retreating, sir?" Kirk: "Go ahead, Mister Styles. I called this session for opinions. Stiles: "We have to attack immediately." Kirk: "Explain." Stiles: "They're still on our side of the Neutral Zone. There would be no doubt they broke the treaty." Sulu: "Attack, without a visible target? How do we aim our phasers?" Stiles: "Aim with sensors. Not accurate, but if we blanket them..." Sulu: "And hope for a lucky shot before they zero in on us?" Stiles: "And if we don't? Once back, they'll report that we saw their weapons and ran." Sulu: And if they could report they destroyed us?" Stiles: "These are Romulans! You run away from them and you guarantee war. They'll be back. Not just one ship but with everything they've got. You know that, Mister Science Officer. You've the expert on these people, always left out that one point. Why? I'm very interested in why." Kirk: "Sit down, Mister." Spock: "I agree. Attack." Kirk: "Are you suggesting we fight to prevent a fight?" McCoy: "Based on what? Memories of a war over a century ago? On theories about a people we've never even met face to face?" Stiles: "We know what they look like." Spock: "Yes, indeed we do, Mister Stiles. And if Romulans are an offshoot of my Vulcan blood, and I think this likely, then attack becomes even more imperative." McCoy: "War is never imperative, Mister Spock." Spock: "It is for them, Doctor. Vulcan, like Earth, had its aggressive colonising period. Savage, even by Earth standards. And if Romulans retain this martial philosophy, then weakness is something we dare not show." Spock: "Do you want a galactic war on your conscience?" Kirk: "Captain to Bridge." Uhura (Over Comm): "This is Uhura, Captain." Kirk: "What's our position?" Uhura: "Course unchanged, sir. Estimating treaty boundary in twenty one minutes." Kirk: "Are you continuing to broadcast tactical reports?" Uhura: "Affirmative, Captain." Kirk: "And at this distance?" Uhura: "Approximately three hours before receiving a reply to our first message." Kirk: "Thank you, Lieutenant. Check our course ahead, Mister Spock." Spock: "A comet, magnitude seven, dead ahead, and the intruder changing course toward it." Kirk: "Comet Icarus four. Composition?" Spock: "Quite ordinary. An ionised mass, a trail of frozen vapour particles." Kirk: "And when an object passes through it, even an invisible object?" Spock: "It leaves a visible trail." Kirk: "Our chance, gentlemen. Prepare to attack. All hands, battle stations. I hope we won't need your services, Bones." McCoy: "Amen to that. We're taking a big gamble, Jim."

	Kirk: "The moment he begins entering the comet's tail, he becomes visible. End run, gentlemen. We'll swing around the other side and catch him."

	Commander: "How pleasing to the eye it is. Behold a marvel in the darkness." Centurion: "You spoke of entrapment." Commander: "Its many particles will obscure their sensing device, Centurion." Romulan: "We enter it, Commander." Commander: "Once fully obscured, we will turn suddenly back upon our adversary." Romulan: "At last the screen is clear, Commander." Commander: "Clear?" Romulan: "Our reflection no longer follows us." Commander: "Escape manoeuvre one, quickly!"

	Sulu: "Phaser overload. Control circuit burnout." (Spock goes under his station to put out the flames) Spock: "It'll take time to correct, sir." Sulu: "Captain, are they surrendering?" (The Romulan ship has become visible) Kirk: "Full astern! Emergency warp speed!" (A red plasma blast is heading towards them) Kirk: "Do we have emergency warp?" Sulu: "Full power, sir. It's still overtaking us. If we can get one phaser working, sir, one shot might detonate it." Kirk: "Navigation?" Stiles: "Estimate it'll overtake us in two minutes, sir." Kirk: "Phasers, Mister Spock?" Spock: "Impossible, Captain." Kirk: "Feed this to the space recorder and jettison immediately." Rand: "Captain, should I continue log entry?" Kirk: "Yeoman. Affirmative. Continue log entries." Rand: "Yes, sir." Sulu: "Ten seconds to impact. Captain, It's dissipating, sir." Stiles: "It must have a range limit." (Rand stands as close as humanly possible to Kirk) Sulu: "Five, four, three, two, one. Impact!"

	Romulan: "Commander, the reflection returns." Commander: "Activate our cloak." Romulan: "Commander, our fuel runs low." Commander: "Quickly!" Decius: "The Earth vessel? Impossible." Romulan: "It moves as we move." Commander: "Its commander is not one to repeat a mistake."

	Stiles: "We'll enter the Neutral Zone in one minute, Captain." McCoy: "Do we violate the treaty, Captain?" Spock: "They did, Doctor." McCoy: "Once inside, they can claim we did. A set-up. They want war, we furnish the provocation." Spock: "We're still on our side, Captain." Kirk: "Let's get them while we are. Before we enter the Neutral Zone. Full ahead, Mister Sulu. Maximum warp." Sulu: "Ahead, sir. Maximum." Kirk: "Phasers, stand by." Stiles: "Sir, at this distance?" Kirk: "We know their Achilles heel, Mister Stiles. Their weapon takes all their energy. They must become visible in order to launch it." Stiles: "A phaser hit at this distance would be the wildest stroke of luck." Kirk: "I'm aware of that, Mister Stiles. Are phasers ready?" Stiles: "Phasers show ready, sir."

	Kirk: "Lieutenant Uhura, inform Command base, In my opinion, no option. On my responsibility, we are proceeding into the Neutral Zone. Steady as we go, Mister Sulu. Continue firing."

	Decius: "Commander, they stay within range. I will tend to the centurion." Commander: "No need. The Centurion is dead." Decius: "Why don't we fire, Commander?" Commander: "No. No, he's shrewd, this starship commander. He tries to make us waste energy. He has estimated we have only enough. It is time. All debris into disposal tubes." Decius: "Yes, Commander." Commander: "The body of the Centurion, too. Forgive me, my old friend, but I must use all my experience now to get home."

	Spock: "Motion sensor signal stopped." Kirk: "Cease fire." Sulu: "Debris scatter ahead, sir. We've hit him." Spock: "Vessel wreckage. Metal moulds, conduit, plastoform and a body, Captain. However." Kirk: "However?" Spock: "Insufficient mass, sir." Kirk: "What?" Spock: "Simple debris. Not a vessel, a trick." Kirk: "Go to sensor probes." Spock: "Nothing, sir. No motion out there at all. We've lost them, Captain."

	Kirk: "Captain's log, Stardate 1709.6. We are at the Neutral Zone. Have lost contact with the intruder. No reaction on our motion sensors but believe the Romulan vessel to be somewhere close by; With all engines and systems shut down, the Enterprise is also playing the silent waiting game in hope of regaining contact."

	Decius: "Now twenty full cycles, Commander. Still no sign. I say he's been fooled. He must have gone on." Commander: "Shh. He is there, somewhere. I feel it."

	Kirk: "Captain's log, supplemental. Now motionless for nine hours, forty seven minutes."

	Kirk: "I wish I were on a long sea voyage somewhere. Not too much deck tennis, no frantic dancing, and no responsibility. Why me? I look around that Bridge, and I see the men waiting for me to make the next move. And Bones, what if I'm wrong? McCoy: "Captain, I..." Kirk: "No, I don't really expect an answer." McCoy: "But I've got one. Something I seldom say to a customer, Jim. In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, three million million galaxies like this. And in all of that, and perhaps more, only one of each of us. Don't destroy the one named Kirk."

	Kirk: "Power on. Reverse course. He'll try to slip under us." Sulu: "Lateral power, sir." Stiles: "Coming around, sir." Kirk: "Phasers, fire." Stiles: "Phasers, fire."

	Decius: "How, Commander. How?" Commander: "He's a sorcerer, that one. He reads the thoughts in my brain. Our fuel supply all but gone and he stays out of reach." Decius: "We are beaten. Can it be true? The Praetor's finest and proudest flagship beaten. Commander: "Perhaps we can yet save your Praetor's pride for him. More debris into the tubes. Decius, do we have the old-style nuclear warheads aboard?" Decius: "Yes Commander, but only for self-destruction." Commander: "Place one with the debris. Proximity fuse." Decius: "Yes, Commander. At once."

	Decius: "Still no sign of movement, Commander." Commander: "We've damaged ourselves. Our fuel reserve is gone." Decius: "And it is our duty to crush the Praetor's enemies." Commander: I do not trust their Captain. Decius: "We are in the Neutral Zone. They will not enter. If you refuse, permit me the glory of the kill, Commander." Commander: "We will attack, but on my order."

	Kirk: "Mister Sulu, prepare to move in on the Romulan vessel. Ship-to-ship, Uhura. Put this on the screen." Uhura: (still at the navigation station) "Hailing frequencies open, sir." (The viewscreen shows a wrecked room and just the Commander still on his feet) Kirk: "Captain. Standing by to beam your survivors aboard our ship. Prepare to abandon your vessel." Commander (On Viewscreen): "No. No, that is not our way. I regret that we meet in this way. You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend." Kirk: What purpose will it serve to die? Commander: "We are creatures of duty, Captain. I have lived my life by it. Just one more duty to perform." (He goes to the control console, turns a switch, and the whole ship explodes)

	Kirk: "Are you all right, Mister Spock?" Spock: Yes, very well, thank you, Captain. Kirk: And you, Stiles? Stiles: I'm alive, sir. But I wouldn't be. Mister Spock pulled me out of the phaser room. He saved my life. He risked his life after I Spock: I saved a trained navigator so he could return to duty. I am capable of no other feelings in such matters. Kirk: How many men did we lose, Bones? McCoy: "Only one. Tomlinson. The boy who was getting married this morning. His fianc�e is at the chapel." (Kirk turns to go, and Rand enters) RAND: "We finally received an answer from Command base, sir. They say they'll support whatever decision you have to make." (Kirk leaves)

	(Angela is kneeling in front of the altarpiece, crying, when Kirk enters. She gets up and hugs him.) Kirk: "It never makes any sense. We both have to know that there was a reason." Angela: "I'm all right."