Description: ...Star Trek (TOS) The Original Series Production Script *THE ULTIMATE COMPUTER* From Season 2, Episode 24. This is a Final Draft, Dated December 5, 1967. Written by the LEGENDARY D.C. FONTANA, based on a story by LAURENCE N. WOLFE. Very rare to find an original D.C. Fontana written Star Trek script from the 60's! The original draft of this amazing story was given to Famed Novelist and Pulitzer Prize Recipient Ray Bradbury by Mathematician and Star Trek Fan Laurence Wolfe to give to Gene Roddenberry! This is an Original Numbered Production Script (Numbered 82) in very good condition. Shows light use with a few minor marks/mild creases from reading/handling and very light paper toning from age but contains no major flaws. Overall it's an excellent example of an original 50+ year old Star Trek script. Please check the pictures closely as they are part of the description and feel free to email me with any questions or to request more pictures. PLEASE NOTE: My scanner makes some things appear a little brighter than they actually are. The actual cover and pages are darker than my scanner shows. The cover is more of a dark red and the pages are lightly toned from age. Any shadows or substantial blurriness, particularly by the "hinged" area of the script that you see are also from the scanner and don't exist on the script unless specifically mentioned in the description. Star Trek: (TOS) The Original Series Episode: "The Ultimate Computer" A VERY COLLECTIBLE AND HARD TO FIND D.C. FONTANA AUTHORED EPISODE! ON TOP OF BEING SENIOR STORY EDITOR FOR SEASONS 1 & 2 OF THE ORIGINAL STAR TREK SERIES, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER FOR STAR TREK: THE NEW GENERATION AND LEAD PRODUCER/SHOWRUNNER FOR THE STAR TREK ANIMATED SERIES, D.C. FONTANA WROTE & SUCCESSFULLY FILMED (10) STAR TREK (TOS) EPISODES (MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE!), (5) STAR TREK:TNG EPISODES AND ALSO WROTE FOR STAR TREK:DEEP SPACE 9, STAR TREK:THE NEW VOYAGES AND THE STAR TREK ANIMATED SERIES. THIS AMAZING NOVELIST, SCRIPTWRITER, STORY EDITOR AND PRODUCER HAS BEEN INDUCTED TWICE TO THE AMERICAN SCREENWRITERS ASSOCIATION'S HALL OF FAME! "The Ultimate Computer" is the twenty-fourth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by D.C. Fontana (based on a story by Laurence N. Wolfe) and directed by John Meredyth Lucas, it was first broadcast on March 8, 1968. *In this episode, the crew of the Enterprise race to disable a rogue computer in total control of the ship. Season no. Season 2 Episode no. 24 Directed by John Meredyth Lucas Story by Laurence N. Wolfe Teleplay by D. C. Fontana Featured music Sol Kaplan & Fred Steiner Cinematography by Jerry Finnerman Production code 60353Original air date March 8, 1968 Guest appearance(s) Barry Russo as Commodore Robert Wesley William Marshall as Dr. Richard Daystrom Sean Morgan as Ensign Harper Frank da Vinci as Lt. Brent Eddie Paskey as Lt. Leslie William Blackburn as Lt. Hadley Roger Holloway asLt. Lemli Plot The Federation Starship Enterprise is summoned to a space station without explanation. Commodore Wesley (Barry Russo) explains that the Enterprise will be a test vessel for the M-5 Multitronic System, a revolutionary tactical and control computer designed by Dr. Richard Daystrom (William Marshall). The M-5 is to handle all ship functions without human assistance. While Science Officer Spock is impressed with M-5, Captain Kirk and Chief Medical Officer Dr. McCoy have doubts. The M-5 succeeds at its first tasks, performing ship functions more quickly and efficiently than a living crew. However, M-5 also exhibits unexpected behavior, such as turning off power and life support to unoccupied parts of the ship, and drawing increased power for unknown reasons; Daystrom maintains M-5 is working properly. In its first tactical drill, M-5 defends the Enterprise against mock attacks from Starships Excalibur and Lexington. The Enterprise is declared the victor, and Wesley jokingly refers to Kirk as "Captain Dunsel", employing a Starfleet Academy slang term for a part serving no useful purpose. Kirk is troubled by this. Some time later, M-5 detects the Woden, an unmanned freighter, and attacks with live torpedoes, destroying it. Kirk orders M-5 taken offline, but on attempting to do so, finds it protected by a powerful force field. Chief Engineer Scott orders Ensign Harper to disconnect its power source, but the M-5 creates a direct connection to the ship's warp engines, vaporizing Harper in the process. Spock and Scott attempt a manual override, but discover that the M-5 has rerouted all controls. Spock questions Daystrom on his computer design, and Daystrom reveals that he has imprinted human engrams onto M-5's circuits, creating what amounts to a human mind operating at the speed of a computer. Meanwhile, four of Enterprise's sister ships, Lexington, Potemkin, Excalibur, and Hood, approach to begin a new tactical drill. Since M-5 has disabled communications, Kirk is unable to warn M-5's targets. M-5 detects the ships, and attacks them with full-strength weapons. The crew watches helplessly as the Enterprise fires on the Lexington, killing 53, and then turns to the Excalibur, killing all aboard and leaving her adrift. Commodore Wesley assumes that Kirk himself is responsible for the attacks, and requests permission from Starfleet Command to destroy the Enterprise. Daystrom, having indicated that the engrams he used were his own, believes he can reason with the M-5, but his conversation with the unit quickly degenerates into a self-pitying lament over his own career disappointments. McCoy warns Kirk that he sees a psychotic episode coming, and as Daystrom begins loudly to proclaim his and his creation's invincibility, Spock subdues him with a Vulcan nerve pinch. Kirk then tries to persuade the M-5 to stop its attacks. The M-5 acknowledges Kirk, who asks M-5 what its purpose is. M-5 responds that its purpose is to protect lives. Kirk rejoins that it acted contrary to its purpose by murdering people. M-5 acknowledges that it has committed murder and must therefore die, and shuts itself down. In so doing, it also cripples the Enterprise. Having received permission to destroy Enterprise, the other Federation ships close in. Since Scott is unable to restore communications immediately, Kirk decides to allow the ship to drift with shields down, hoping that Commodore Wesley will realize that the threat has passed. The gamble pays off as the Commodore orders his ships to stand down at the last moment. Production and Reception Michelle Erica Green of Trek Today maintains that it is one of McCoy's best episodes and praises the episode for taking place entirely on the Enterprise. She states that the M-5 turns out to be one of Trek's best villains and that the analogies of computers taking over for humans is still powerful today. In 2011, this episode was noted by Forbes as one of the top ten episodes of the franchise that explores the implications of advanced technology, in particular the danger of A.I. In 2016, SyFy ranked guest star William Marshall's performance as Dr. Daystrom, as the 14th best guest star on the original series. This episode was also considered groundbreaking in the casting of an African American, William Marshall, as the genius inventor of the M-5 as well as, the duotronic circuit which was the basis of all Star Fleet computer systems. The original draft was given to Ray Bradbury by mathematician and Star Trek fan Laurence Wolfe to give to Gene Roddenberry. (Source: Wikipedia 2/2/2020).Please check the pictures closely as they are part of the description and feel free to email me with any questions. ...Unless requested/stated otherwise, for script sales inside the continental U.S. I like to ship scripts in a padded/bubble envelope sent by USPS Media Mail to save you money. I gladly combine shipping costs whenever possible. Outside of the U.S., it's Territories and U.S. Military Bases, please contact me for a quote.If you want it quicker, because the Star Trek Convention or GalaxyCon Live Event is coming up fast, send me an email after auction close and I can adjust the invoice to Priority or even Express Overnight Mail, whatever you choose. I've done it several times before and don't mind putting a rush order out for an important event. (Btw: I've had several of my favorite scripts signed by William Shatner by mailing them to a GalaxyCon Live Event, it works great and now I have an unbelievable collectables worth 10x what I aid for it!)Thanks for 👀 and please check out my other auctions for more scripts and amazing memorabilia including a limited edition, framed 24''x36" Moon Landing picture signed by Buzz Aldrin with COA from Score Board!
Price: 999.95 USD
Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
End Time: 2024-02-02T08:01:43.000Z
Shipping Cost: 5.95 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Season 2: Episode 24: Final Draft: December 5, 1967
Star Trek The Original Series: The Ultimate Computer
Modified Item: No
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Original/Reproduction: Original
Object Type: Script
Industry: Television
