The Time Trap ( episode ) The " Enterprise " becomes trapped in the Delta Triangle , an area of space where many starships have gone missing . To make matters worse , the ship also has to defend itself from the " Klothos , " a Klingon vessel commanded by Commander Kor . Summary . Upon entering the Delta Triangle the " Enterprise " begins to experience mass sensor failure and unreliability . The crew is soon attacked by a Klingon vessel and Kirk orders Sulu return phaser fire . During the fight , the Klingon ship suddenly disappears from the viewscreen and its disappearance cannot be attributed to the phaser fire or a cloak ing effect . Two more Klingon ships appear ready to destroy the " Enterprise " , without repercussion because it will look like they vanished in the triangle . When hailed by the Klingons , Kirk orders Lieutenant Sulu to head for the exact coordinates where the Klingon ship disappeared at warp eight . He orders Uhura to pipe the entire exchange back to Starfleet Command , although Uhura explains to the captain that the message will take three weeks to reach the nearest starbase . Klingon Commander Kuri orders Kirk to surrender or be destroyed . Kuri claims the " Enterprise " destroyed their sister ship . Kirk argues , then cuts Kuri off and says , " " Now , Mr . Sulu . " " They are chased and fired upon by the Klingons and are caught in an ion storm and drawn into a space - time warp . There , they find an interstellar Sargasso Sea , where a starship graveyard is discovered to hold ships from all over the galaxy . Kirk suspects they entered a window to another continuum . Spock determines some of the ships have been in the triangle for centuries , such as the " . " He also picks up life and energy readings . The Klingon ship fires a torpedo at the " Enterprise " , which fires phasers in response – but both salvos are neutralized . Just after Sulu provides Kirk with a report that their weapons caused no damage , Kirk is beamed away from the bridge . Spock raises his eyebrow . The two ship ' s captains , Kirk and Kor , have been brought to a trial by the inhabitants of this dimension , called Elysia . Their ruling council is made up of 123 races from across the universe and dates back over 1 , 000 years . During that time the races have learned to live together because they must . As a result , any act of violence is forbidden and will be dealt with swiftly and with utmost severity . The captains are responsible for the behavior of their crew s . The penalty they must suffer is total immobilization of both of their ships for a century . The leader , a Romulan named Xerius , explains that their small universe is a trap where time passes very slowly . No one has been able to escape from this area . Back aboard the " Enterprise " , when Kirk announces his determination to leave , Montgomery Scott says that they had better do so quickly , because the time warp is rapidly disintegrating the ship ' s dilithium crystal s and they have only four days left . The Klingons divert all their power to the " Klothos " engine s and try to leave but ultimately fail . Spock then gets an idea how they might escape . They must link the ship ' s warp and navigation . The two ships have to function as one ship . It requires cooperation by sharing warp power and personnel to reach the necessary speed to break through back to our universe . The Klingons agree but Spock , by touching them , learns that Kor , the Klingon captain , wants to destroy the " Enterprise " when they break free of the time warp by using a specially calibrated explosive device in the warp control panel . The " Enterprise " and Klingon crew celebrate their impending escape in one of the " Enterprise " s recreation room s , but a Klingon slips away to plant an explosive in the " Enterprise " s computer room after the " Klothos " s first officer Kaz gets into a fight with McCoy . Xerius neutralizes Kaz ' s disruptor that he aims at McCoy and brings Kirk , Kor , McCoy , and Kaz to their council . Xerius reminds them that violence is forbidden here and suggests placing the " Klothos " and its crew in suspended animation for a century . Kirk manages to convince them to let the Klingons go and Xerius releases Kor into Kirk ' s custody . The plot to destroy the " Enterprise " is uncovered by Magen while the two ships begin to make their escape , just before the " Enterprise " reaches warp 8 . Spock and Scott run down to the computer room , locate the explosive , and then Spock proceeds to eject the device from the ship . It explodes harmlessly in space . The two ships then leave the time warp and separate , with Kor claiming full credit for saving the two starship s . McCoy grumbles at this , calling Kor a scoundrel , but Kirk tells him it does not matter ; they are back among the stars of home . Memorable quotes . " " When the Federation investigates , we ' ll be recorded as just another mysterious starship disappearance . " " " " Are we in an alternate universe ? " " " " It is more aptly described as a pocket in the garment of time . " " " " A century ? ! ? We ' d all be dead by the end of it ! " " " " This small universe of ours is a curious trap . Time passes here , but very slowly . A century means nothing to us . Our council " appears " young , yet all are centuries old . " " " " What ' s wrong , Scotty ? " " " " It ' s our dilithium crystals , sir . They ' re deterioratin ' rapidly . " " " " But how ? " " " " I don ' t know , sir – maybe because of the time warp we went through , but we ' ve only four days at the most before power goes . " " " " Got any miracles in your computer , Spock ? " " " " Two new ships . In each , beings labor to solve the riddle . The riddle of the time trap escape . Escape . . . " " " " You have the device , Kaz ? " " " " By my calculations , the capsule will be triggered at the exact moment our dual ship reaches warp eight . Approximately three minutes after the time barrier is pierced and we have disengaged , the " Enterprise " will disintegrate . " " " " Excellent . Kali , you know what to do . Tonight , they entertain us . But the gift they will receive in return will be their destruction . " " " " Get away from her , Human ! This is " my " woman ! " " " " Now just a minute ! All I did was ask her to dance . She didn ' t have to say ' Yes ' . " " " " Elysia is , in many respects , a perfect society . But with all its virtues , it is not home . And home , with all its faults , is where we prefer to be . " " " " No ! The Klingons have hidden an explosive aboard the " Enterprise " . . . she will be destroyed ! " " Links and references . References . 13th century ; alternate universe ; Andorian s ; bluff ; " " ; " Bones " ; class 2 signal ; cloaking device ; computer room ; Delta Triangle ; dilithium ; dilithium vault ; drawing ; duty personnel ; Elysia ; Elysian Council Chamber ; Elysian Ruling Council ; ejection chute , explosive capsule ; Gorn ; Interpreter of Laws ; ion storm ; Klingon s ; Klingon battle cruiser ; Klingon Imperial Fleet ; ; Kuri ' s battle cruiser ; Kzin ; logic ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mouse trap ; Orion s ; ; psionic power s ; red alert ; riddle ; Romulan s ; S - 2 graf unit ; Sargasso Sea ; star century ; Tellarite s ; time barrier ; time trap ; time warp ; unnamed Alpha and Beta Quadrant starships ( 23rd century ) ; vertigo ; warp control panel ; warp drive ; water mask ; yellow alert Unreferenced material . Omega Cygni system , Organian Peace Treaty