"The Terratin Incident" was the 11th episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series in the show's first season, aired during the week of 17 November 1973. The episode was written by Paul SchneiderMA, directed by Hal SutherlandMA and novelized in Log Four by Alan Dean Foster.
Description[]
- VHS teaser
- Investigating a mysterious radio transmission, the USS Enterprise is bathed in a strange light and all organic matter (including the crew) begins to shrink.
Summary[]
Episode log entries[]
- Captain's log, stardate 5577.3.
- We are approaching the remains of the burnt out supernova Arachna. Requested update survey will begin with measurements of its radiation and volume expansion.
- Captain's log, stardate 5577.5.
- Our limited power attempt to escape the planet's gravity has failed. Undefined wave bombardment continues, resulting in a contraction of our bodies, or an expansion of the ship, by a factor of point three.
- Captain's log, stardate 5577.7.
- We will lose effective control of this vessel at the point when we've become approximately one centimeter tall. At the present rate, we will reach this less-than-fingernail length in 32 minutes.
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- There is one last measure we can take to try and stop the bombardment of the lethal spiroid wave. There must be some intelligence behind it. I'm going to attempt direct communication by beaming down to the planet's surface. We have no reason to expect success, but our height is little more than 2" and even this action will be beyond us in 15 minutes time.
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- The Lilliputian city is to be taken to Verdanis and relocated on a fertile and well-watered plain. Then we'll be able to call the Terratin incident closed.
Novelization log entries[]
- Captain's log, stardate 5525.3.
- We are approaching the remains of the supernova Arachna. Initial close-in visual observation correlates with advance telescopic probe-pictures. We are moving deeper into the nebular region at standard observation speed. Location survey will commence, as requested, with extensive measurements of expansion rate and radiation levels. Certain new types of radiation have already been detected. At present they existed in minute amounts and constitute no danger to either ship or mission. Engineer Scott is taking precautions.
- Captain's log, stardate 5525.4.
- Our attempt to escape this world's gravity on limited power has failed after the ship's dilithium supplies have been wiped out. We are currently in a low but stable elliptical orbit. Main engines and circuitry are one hundred percent incapacitated. Unidentified radiation bombardment continues, resulting in either a contraction of our bodies or an expansion of the ship by a factor of three.
References[]
Characters[]
Episode characters[]
- Arex Na Eth • Briel • Christine Chapel • Frank Gabler • Ross Johnson • James T. Kirk • John Kyle • Massachi • Leonard McCoy • Nikkatsu • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Mendant of the Terratins • gossamer mouse • halo fish
Novelization characters[]
- Arex Na Eth • Briel • Christine Chapel • Davis • Frank Gabler • Ross Johnson • James T. Kirk • John Kyle • Lefebre • Massachi • Leonard McCoy • M'turr • Nikkatsu • Montgomery Scott • Ann Sepopoa • Solinski • Spock • Stewart • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Yang • Mendant of the Terratins
- Referenced only
- Lemuel Gulliver
Starships and vehicles[]
Episode starships and vehicles[]
Novelization starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser)
- Referenced only
- Federation cruiser • Klingon starship • colony ship
Locations[]
Episode locations[]
- Arachna • Cephenes system (Terratin • Terra 10)
- Referenced only
- Libra • Starbase 23 • Verdanis
Novelization locations[]
- Arachna • Terratin (Terra 10)
- Referenced only
- Crab Nebula • Federation-Klingon Neutral Zone • Libra IV • Sol system (Ceres • Earth (Loch Lomond • Zion Canyon) • Mars (Nix Olympia) • Starbase 23 • Triangulum Cluster • Verdanis system (Verdanis)
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
- Federation • High Council • Knight Smiths of Libra IV • Starfleet (Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Medical)
Science and classification[]
- astrophysics • biology • coordinates • dilithium recrystalization • economics • hydroponics • impulse • Intersat code • mayday • radio mirage
Technology and weapons[]
- aquarium • auralite • bone-knitting laser • camera • cargo transporter • chronometer • communications • communicator • compaction beam • computer • crowbar • deflector shield • dilithium reaction chamber • electrical cable • intercom • laser • microscope • library computer • life support • medscanner • microscope • microtape • nacelle • phaser • phaser bank • pliers • power cell • radiation shield • radio telescope • sensor drone • shield • splint • starship • stylus • subspace radio • transporter • turbolift • viewscreen • warp drive • welder • wrench
Lifeforms[]
- algae • angelfish • animal • coral • elephant • humanoid • flea • fungi • gossamer mouse • halo fish • horse • rodent • sequoia • tadpole
Materials and substances[]
- coffee • cream • darjeeling tea • DNA • duralloy • gas • glass • loganberry jam • magma • metal • muffin • nutmeg • opal • quartz • styrene • sugar • surgical thread • xenylon
Ranks and titles[]
- captain • chief engineer • commander • communications officer • doctor • ensign • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • geologist • helmsman • historian • lieutenant • mandant • navigator • nurse • physicist • policeman • rank • science officer • Starfleet ranks • sub-lieutenant • surgeon • teacher • technician • theologian • yeoman
Other references[]
- alert status (red alert) • amphitheater • antimatter • assignment patch • asteroid • atmosphere • boot • bridge • cabin • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2269 • cargo hold • cave • city • civilization • clothing • colony • cosmos • credit • dilithium crystal • electromagnetism • engineering • English language • factory • farm • Federation protectorate • galactic barrier • galaxy • government • headache • hour • kilometer • laboratory • lava • library • light year • log entry • medical school • mess hall • mining • minute • mountain climbing • nation-state • nebula • nova • ocean • orbit • ore • pants • park • plant • quartermaster • quarters • races and cultures • radiation • rank • recreation room • sand • science • second • sessica • shuttle bay • sickbay • space • spiroid epsilon radiation • stadium • standard orbit • Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Valor • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • sun • supernova • swimming • synaptic study center • time • title • transporter pad • transporter room • tunic • uniform • universe • volcano • weapon • year
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS comic: "Dwarf Planet" – In 2266, the Enterprise visited a colony with miniature humanoid Kujalans, whose condition was similarly caused by radiation exposure.
- TOS comic: "The Unchartered World" – Kirk and Spock shrank to about three feet tall while exposed to the atmosphere of the planet Noriga. They had to breathe the air aboard the Enterprise for a few days to return to normal.
- TOS movie: The Voyage Home – Facing a similar dilithium quandary in 2286, Montgomery Scott was successful in performing dilithium recrystalization by exposing the crystals to radiation from a nuclear submarine.
Background[]
- Kirk described Terra 10 as a "Lilliputian city" in his log entry, which was a reference to the tiny city visited during Lemuel Gulliver's travels. Gulliver himself was referenced in the novelization.
- The episode's radiation was given a name, spiroid epsilon radiation, in TOS - Crucible novel: The Fire and the Rose.
- In the episode, Frank Gabler and Montgomery Scott stood on the console while three officers pulled wires. In the novelization, John Kyle stood on the console while Scott, Gabler, and Spock joined the three officers, who were identified as Johnson, Massachi and Nikkatsu.
- Arachna was spelled Arachnae in the novelization.
Novelization[]
- Kirk drank his coffee with cream and sugar.
- Terra 10 was described as being the size of an average room aboard the Enterprise, with the tallest spires being about three feet tall. John Kyle beamed the city aboard using a cargo transporter near the shuttle bay, along with 1.5 meters worth of the planet's bedrock, so as to include the city's gimbal-support structure. In the episode, however, the city was depicted as small enough to fit on a transporter pad in the main transporter room.
- Regular-sized dilithium was said to exist on the surface due to the planet's natural radiation not being strong enough to trigger shrinkage. Terra 10's crystals were said to be only large enough to power the transporters. After the crew returned to the ship, Kirk sent down a mining team to get normal-sized crystals.
- The novelization clarified that, while trapped on the bridge, Kirk opened the turbolift using one of Nyota Uhura's hairpins, while Hikaru Sulu's splint was fashioned out of several belts and two small metal strips.
- It also explained why the Enterprise transporter was able to return Kirk to normal height, whereas the Terratin transporter did not do the same for the bridge crew. The ship's transporter referenced Kirk's stored bio-patterns.
- McCoy lamented not having had time to spend with Terra 10 surgeons and speculated on the benefits of conducting surgery from within the patient's body while wearing a diving suit. That was likely a reference to the science fiction film Fantastic Voyage, which was based on a story co-written by Jerome BixbyMA about a team miniaturized to do brain surgery. The film was novelized by Isaac Asimov for Bantam Books in 1966. (Fantastic Voyage article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous episode: The Jihad |
TAS episode produced | Next episode: The Eye of the Beholder |
| Previous episode: The Time Trap |
TAS episode aired | Next episode: The Ambergris Element |
| Previous story: first story |
Log Four
|
Next story: The Time Trap |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: The Magicks of Megas-Tu |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next Adventure: The Time Trap |
| Previous Adventure: The Magicks of Megas-Tu |
Next Adventure: The Time Trap | |
Translations[]
- 1993
- German : Zwischenfall auf Terratin, translated by Hermann Martlreiter. (Goldmann)
- 1994
- Romanian : Incidentul Terratin, translated by Dora Sandolache. (Editura Cristian)
External links[]
- "The Terratin Incident" article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- The Terratin Incident article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- The Terratin Incident article by Keith R.A. DeCandido at Tor Books.
- The Terratin Incident article at TrekToday.
- The Terratin Incident discussion at the SF Debris blog.
- The Terratin Incident discussion at the Mission Log podcast.
- The Terratin Incident discussion at the Saturday Morning Trek podcast.