The Pirates of Orion ( episode ) While Spock lies ill , Orion pirates hijack the drug shipment desperately needed to save his life . ( " Season premiere " ) Summary . While underway , however , Spock loses consciousness on the bridge and is taken to sickbay . Spock has contracted the disease , which , because of their copper - based blood , is fatal to Vulcan s . The infection enters the bloodstream and encases the s so they cannot carry oxygen , resulting in suffocation . A synthesized drug can control the disease , but only naturally - occurring strobolin will cure it . The drug is found on only a few worlds in the galaxy , the closest of which , Beta Canopus , is four day s away at maximum warp speed . McCoy can slow it down with injections from a synthesized drug , but Spock only has two days before the disease builds up immunity to the drug . Then , by the end of the third day it will be irreversible . In a briefing room , Kirk informs Spock of the situation and tells him his duty time has been cut in half . When Spock protests , McCoy asserts , " " Doctor ' s orders . " " When Spock leaves Kirk says , " " It ' ll hurt seeing him like that . " " McCoy agrees adding , " " As much as it may seem at times that I can ' t stand that pointy - eared encyclopedia , I don ' t want to see that happen to him . " " On the " Huron " s bridge , Captain O ' Shea ' s freighter gets underway with the drug shipment . Without warning , they detect another vessel closing on them , of an Orion designation . They refuse to identify themselves or their purpose Spock is summoned to sickbay for another injection , but the synthesized treatments are losing effectiveness on maintaining his health . The " Huron " hail s the oncoming ship and Captain O ' Shea again asks them to state their registry and purpose . When they don ' t answer , O ' Shea sends out a distress signal to the " Enterprise " . The alien pirate craft then orders them to turn over their cargo of dilithium crystal s or be destroyed . On the " Enterprise " , Spock falls unconscious , the drug no longer effective . The " Enterprise " finds the " Huron " , disabled . Kirk beams over with Uhura , Scott , and Nurse Chapel . They find the " Huron " s crew unconscious , with Captain O ' Shea requiring surgery . Scott reports from the cargo hold that it is completely empty with its cargo missing . The landing party recovers the injured crew and beams back to the " Enterprise " . Spock now has only twenty hour s to live . The " Enterprise " sets out after the specific pattern of radioactive waste left by the intruder . They detect dilithium crystals in the cargo bay of a ship in a highly unstable asteroid field and the Orion vessel is fired upon by the " Enterprise " . The Orion captain hails the " Enterprise " , protesting the pursuit of his vessel , but refuses a search . Kirk attempts to negotiate for the strobolin in exchange for not mentioning the stolen dilithium crystals to Starfleet , but the Orions suspect a ruse . Kirk agrees to meet the Orion captain on an asteroid knowing that it might be a trap , but worth the risk for Spock ' s life . Kirk and the Orion beam down to the asteroid , both wearing life support belt s , to exchange the drug . Unknown to Kirk , the Orion arrives carrying a dilithium explosive set to disrupt the asteroid ' s molecular structure and destroy him , the asteroid , and both ships . The Orion captain gives his ultimatum , but Kirk wrests the device and the drug from him and captures him . Scotty beams the explosive to the " Enterprise " , disarms it , and then beams up both captains and forces the Orion to stand trial for piracy . His crew becomes prisoners , ending Orion ' s neutrality in pirate activities . With the medicine administered , Spock is saved , but McCoy wants him to admit that this time his green blood almost did him in . He just says he prefers his own physiology . McCoy laughs that he ' s just as stubborn as usual . Kirk says that everything is back to normal . Memorable quotes . " " Prepare to surrender your cargo or be destroyed . " " " " Blasted Vulcan , why can ' t you have red blood like any normal Human ? " " " " Underneath all the tricks , I might as well be practicing in the Middle Ages . " " " " If you really believed that Bones , you wouldn ' t still be a doctor after twenty - five years . " " " " Analysis , Mr . Sulu . " " " " Standard phaser s , sir , weak though . A diffused low quality beam . Our deflector s can stop them . " " " " I recognize the ship ' s markings captain . It ' s an Orion . " " " " Orion ' s neutrality has been in dispute ever since the affair regarding the Coridan planets and the Babel Conference of Stardate 3850 . 3 . Yesterday , a Federation freighter was attacked in this quadrant , its cargo hijacked . As the first alien ship encountered we require you to submit to search as per Babel Resolution A - 12 . Reply ! " " " " We have no Federation cargo aboard . Orions are not thieves . If you don ' t cease this harassment we will lodge a formal protest with your government ! " " " Enterprise " to Orion vessel . I have a proposal to make . If you do have the " Huron " s cargo there was some perishable drugs in it that we desperately need . " " " " What would these drugs be worth to you , if we had them ? " " " " You keep the dilithium shipment , no mention of the whole incident to Starfleet or in my log , plus an additional galactic standard weight container of dilithium as payment for the drug . " " " " We get what we want , plus our neutrality remains intact ? We will consider your offer . " " " " Orion ' s official neutrality comes before the ship or its crew . We can ' t take Kirk ' s word that he won ' t report this incident to Starfleet . " " " " The only way to avoid that is to destroy the " Enterprise " , and the only way to do that is to destroy ourselves , too . " " " " Spock , that green blood of yours may have saved you once , but this time it almost did you in ! You can ' t deny it ! ! " " Links and references . References . 2245 ; Academy of Science ; asteroid belt ; Babel Conference ; Babel Resolutions ; battery ; bedside manner ; Beta Canopus ; blood ; " Bones " ; choriocytosis ; copper - based blood ; ; debris ; dedication ceremony ; deflector s ; Deneb V ; dilithium ; doomsday bomb ; emergency battery power ; emergency beacon ; encyclopedia ; energy ; evasive maneuvers ; exploding mineral asteroids ; galactic standard weight ; ; ; immunity ; iron - based blood ; life support system ; Middle Ages ; Milky Way Galaxy ; neutrality ; ; Orion s ; Orion vessel ; oxygen ; phaser s ; pill ; pirate ; pneumonia ; poison ; ; radioactive waste ; registry ; remote control ; respirator ; self - destruct system ; solar day ; space junk ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; starship ; strobolin ; suicide ; Vulcan s ; yellow alert