The Enterprise is delivering vital medical supplies to some or other space colony. It is such an important mission, Commissioner Ferris has been assigned to oversee the delivery and complain about stuff to Kirk.
Things are going swimmingly until they pass by a big green splotch in space, as if a giant has sneezed into a starfield. Kirk can’t resist sending some of his crew in for a better look, much to the annoyance of the Commissioner. However, they have five days to get the supplies to the colony, and the journey should only take three. Plenty of time for space-sneeze investigation.
The shuttle (Galileo) investigating the space-sneeze is piloted by Spock with Scotty, Bones, three random blokes and a space girl (hence the title The Galileo Seven). However, due to radioactive green splotch energy, the shuttle crashes into the only planet in the entire nebula capable of sustaining life. Phew, that was lucky! Unfortunately, however, the same energy that made them crash, also prevents the Enterprise’s sensors from detecting the shuttle’s exact location.
On the planet, McCoy asks Spock how he’s going to cope being the highest ranking officer. Spock, of course, answers that he will make logical decisions, and boy oh boy does he go for it with gusto!
Scotty discovers that there isn’t enough fuel on the shuttle for it to be able to take off with all seven crew members. Three would have to be left behind. How will Spock choose? Eeny meeny miney mo… Spock, Scotty, McCoy and the space girl live, three unknown forgettable men die. Problem solved. However, the tried and tested ‘keep the named crew members’ method isn’t logical enough for Spock.
Before Spock can logically figure out who should live, they hear noises from outside and two crew members go to investigate. One is speared in the back. Fatally. At least it makes Spock’s decision a little easier.
With limited time, Spock faces with the choice of whether to bury the body of the fallen crewman or whether to repair the ship that will save the rest of their lives. He opts for repairing the ship. That seems logical to me, and I’m not even Vulcan. Frankly, given the limited supplies, burial wouldn’t be an option when crewman kebabs could be on the menu.
Then there’s the issue over how to deal with the hairy apes which are threatening to kill them. Spock orders the crew to fire warning shots to frighten them away, not kill them. This very much goes against the feeling of the landing party who would enjoy nothing more than mounting an ape-head on the front of the Galileo as a trophy.
Scotty comes up with a solution to the Galileo’s empty fuel tank. By draining the phasers power into the shuttle’s fuel cells, they’ll have enough power to take off. Spock sees it as their only chance and agrees to it, effectively leaving them defenceless. Hmm… call that plan B, Mr Spock?
When a second crewman is killed by an ape creature, the party are angry at Spock for firing warning shots instead of killing the monkey men. Nobody seems happy about the prospect of a second helping of crewman kebab.
While all this is going on, the Commissioner repeatedly bothers Kirk about making their medical supply delivery. He doesn’t give a tinker’s cuss about the lives of the stranded shuttle crew – he just wants the meds. What could be driving the Commissioner to be so heartless? Has anyone considered that the Commissioner might be keeping the drugs for his own personal consumption? Either way, after a lot of badgering, Kirk is forced to leave the area. Defiantly, he leaves at warp factor: walking pace.
Meanwhile on the planet’s surface, a hairy ape throws rocks at the shuttle. It’s time to go. They have to leave behind every ounce of excess weight. It all counts. Logically, the crew should leave their clothes behind. However, this doesn’t occur to Spock.
In a dramatic conclusion, the shuttle blasts into the sky, with the crew aware it can only fly for 45 minutes. Spock does the only logical thing he can think of: panic! He jettisons all their fuel into the atmosphere, creating a green streak in the sky. Luckily, the Enterprise spots it and beams the crew aboard. Phew! It’s all over.
Kirk orders the ship to complete the medical supply delivery. I wonder how many lives would have been saved if the delivery had arrived two days earlier?
Cast:
William Shatner as James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy as Spock
DeForest Kelley as Leonard H. McCoy
James Doohan as Montgomery Scott
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
George Takei as Hikaru Sulu
Guest Cast:
Don Marshall as Lt. Boma
John Crawford as High Commissioner Ferris
Peter Marko as Lt. Gaetano
Phyllis Douglas as Yeoman Mears
Reese Vaughn as Lieutenant Latimer
Grant Woods as Lt. Commander Kelowitz
Buck Maffei as Creature
David L. Ross as Transporter Chief
Creative Staff:
Director: Robert Gist
Teleplay By: Oliver Crawford and S. Bar-David
Story By: Oliver Crawford
Official Episode Guide
