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The U.S.S. Enterprise arrives at planet M-113 to deliver supplies to Dr.
Robert Crater and his wife, Nancy, whom Doctor Leonard McCoy was once
romantically involved with. The Craters have been on M-113 for five years
conducting an archeological survey of the planet's ruins. They are the only
known inhabitants of the planet.
Crater tells Kirk that the only thing they need are salt tablets. Otherwise,
they want to be left alone. Kirk debates this, insisting they must need other
supplies and must at least allow McCoy to give them physicals. While this is
happening, Darnell, one of Kirk's landing party, meets a beautiful young woman
and wanders off with her.
When Kirk goes looking for the young man, he finds him dead, his body scarred
with suction cup shaped marks. The Captain orders the Craters to beam aboard the
U.S.S. Enterprise. On ship, Dr. McCoy is amazed at how little Nancy has
changed since he last saw her, several years earlier. Her close proximity on
board the starship begins to reawaken old feelings for the doctor that somewhat
shadow any suspicions of her that he might normally have had.
However, the woman McCoy sees as Nancy Crater is a shape-shifting creature,
the last survivor of M-113, and can literally appear as a different being to
each person 'she' meets. By reaching into their minds and drawing on their
memories, the creature can lull her potential victims into a false sense of
security before she kills them.
The problem facing the M-113 creature is the need for sodium chloride ...
salt. Without it, the being will die and its home planet is running out. The
rest of its race died due to this shortage, and this final survivor formed a
symbiotic relationship with Professor Crater. Crater provided the M-113 creature
with the needed salt and the creature in turn gave the professor companionship
... something he had craved since the salt creature murdered his wife, the real
Nancy Crater, for her body's salt.
Let loose on board the U.S.S. Enterprise, the M-113 creature begins
killing members of the crew, first luring them by posing as someone they know
and trust, then draining their bodies of their precious salt. Finally, the
creature kills Crater and changes into Nancy Crater, nearly killing McCoy. Kirk
and Spock, who have figured out the creature's secret, rush to the doctor's
quarters and convince him that this is not the real Nancy. In an emotionally
painful move, McCoy kills the creature, saving himself and the U.S.S.
Enterprise crew.
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