The Corbomite Maneuver ( episode ) Exploring a distant region of space , the " Enterprise " is threatened by Balok , commander of a starship from the First Federation . Summary . Teaser . The is in its third day of making star maps of a region previously unexplored by the Federation . Spock is in command while Captain Kirk submits to a quarterly physical . Lieutenant Sulu announces contact with an object approaching the " Enterprise " at light speed . Evasive maneuvers and deflectors are ineffective . Spock sounds the alarm , then countermands it as the object begins to slow down . Chief navigator Lieutenant Dave Bailey reacts emotionally to the danger . When the " Enterprise " cannot steer around the object , Sulu declares red alert and calls Kirk to the bridge . Act One . In sickbay , Doctor McCoy continues Kirk ' s physical , writing his results down on a PADD though McCoy sees the red alert . Kirk scolds McCoy for not notifying him , but McCoy is pleased to have completed an examination on the usually unwilling Kirk . " " What am I , a doctor or a moon shuttle conductor ? If I jumped every time a light came on around here , I ' d end up talking to myself , " " McCoy says after Kirk leaves him alone in sickbay . On the bridge , Bailey interrupts Spock , then defends his emotional reaction earlier , noting that he has an adrenaline gland . Spock has a dry retort , asking Bailey if he has considered having it removed , and Sulu good - naturedly teases Bailey of the risks of " crossing brains " with Spock . The bridge crew analyzes the object as solid and of unknown composition , 107 meter s on each edge , and almost 11 , 000 metric ton s in mass . Scott cannot say what propels it or allows it to sense , and react to , the movements of the " Enterprise " . McCoy has no analysis of it either . Attempts to communicate with it fail . Bailey says , " " We ' ve got phaser weapons ; I vote we blast it . " " At that , Kirk gives him another reminder of how things work on the bridge , retorting dryly , " " I ' ll keep that in mind , Mr . Bailey . . . when this becomes a democracy . " " Eighteen hours later , the department heads assemble in the briefing room . Spock concludes that the object is either some kind of buoy – or " flypaper . " Kirk and Spock agree that " sticking around " would convey weakness . Bailey misinterprets the talk as an order to prepare phaser s and starts to issue an order to the phaser gun crew . When countermanded , he begins to defend his action . Kirk instead orders Bailey to plot a spiral course away from the object . The course is executed , at speeds increasing from 0 . 25 to warp factor 3 , but the object stays with the " Enterprise " , begins to emit lethal radiation , and closes with the ship . When it is within 51 meters , Kirk orders fire from the main phasers , with Bailey hesitating until Kirk repeats himself . The object is destroyed , but the " Enterprise " is rocked hard by the resulting shock wave . Act Two . Spock reports no other objects within sensor range , and believes that , if the ship continues forward , it will encounter the intelligence that sent the cube , intelligence probably both different and superior to their own . Kirk resolves to proceed , as contact with alien life is the mission . But he orders the phaser crew and engineering to conduct drills , calling their reaction to the attack too sluggish . Bailey supervises the drills . In the turbolift , McCoy questions the timing of Kirk ' s order , as the crew is tired ; and doubts Bailey ' s fitness as navigator , suggesting that Kirk promoted him too fast , possibly seeing something of himself in the young man . Bailey had , in fact , been slow to respond to orders during the crises , and Sulu covered for him . Bailey ' s emotionalism on the intercom during the drills , the doctor suggested , support his doubts as to Bailey ' s fitness to have been promoted so quickly , but Kirk brushes off these expressed doubts . Kirk and McCoy continue their conversation in Kirk ' s quarters over a drink . Spock reports a rating of 94 % on the last drill but Kirk presses them for 100 % . He faces two additional annoyances : the fact that McCoy has put him on a salad diet to lose weight , and that someone has assigned him an attractive female yeoman , Janice Rand , who had just delivered the salad . Kirk and McCoy pause to listen to the intercom , where Bailey orders a second drill . But Sulu countermands the order , as a new object is approaching . It is spherical and much larger than the first one : about a mile in diameter . Sulu reports " this is not a drill " and Kirk abandons his salad and heads for the bridge . As the object comes onto the viewscreen , Kirk cuts speed to warp 2 . A hard tractor beam grabs the " Enterprise " . The engines overload and Kirk orders a full stop and orders phaser crews to readiness . Kirk orders Bailey to decrease the main viewscreen magnification ; Sulu does so when Bailey doesn ' t hear him , or perhaps froze at his station . Kirk orders Uhura to open a hail ing frequency and starts to offer a greeting , but Bailey detects a message on the navigation beam . The message identifies the sphere as the " Fesarius " , the flagship of the First Federation , and the speaker as her commanding officer , Balok . Balok claims the " Enterprise " and her crew have shown their hostile intention by ignoring the cube ; a warning buoy and furthermore by destroying it , and says the " Fesarius " is now considering their " disposition . " When Kirk tries to explain to Balok , exceptionally powerful sensors invade all " Enterprise " systems . Balok refuses further communication from the " Enterprise " and says he will destroy her if she makes any move . When Kirk launches a recorder marker , Balok destroys it and declares that the " Enterprise " must be destroyed , giving the crew ten minutes to make death preparations , assuming they have " " a deity or deities . " " When McCoy tells Kirk that Balok ' s message was heard throughout the ship , Kirk addresses a calming and optimistic message to his crew . Kirk signals to the " Fesarius " that the " Enterprise " will " " return the way it came , " " but all engine and weapon power is drained . Spock , claiming curiosity , obtains a fearsome visual image of the face of Balok , who declares that the " Enterprise " cannot escape . Bailey , becoming more unnerved by the moment and the realization of certain death sinking in , launches into a tirade against the bridge officers for their apparent lack of concern or emotion at their impending destruction . Kirk orders him relieved of duty and for Dr . McCoy to escort him to his quarters . Kirk , not immune to gravity of the situation , pleads with Balok about their non - hostile intentions , but Balok ignores them . Act Three . With four minutes remaining to annihilation , Kirk asks Spock for options , but Spock says that sometimes , as in chess , when one is outmatched , the game is over . " " Checkmate , " " Spock finishes . Kirk balks at Spock ' s recommendation and the Vulcan nearly admits that he ' s sorry , but , quickly rephrases himself by saying he cannot think of a more logical alternative . McCoy uses the lull in activity to ask to record the incident with Bailey as fatigue , but Kirk rebuffs him . McCoy disagrees with Kirk , saying that the incident is a direct result of Kirk putting too much pressure on the young navigator and threatens to challenge Kirk ' s actions in his report , pointing out , " " I ' ll state that I warned you about Bailey ' s condition . Now that ' s no bluff ! " " Kirk angrily dares McCoy to try to bluff him , but , is suddenly struck by inspiration . Drawing not from chess , as Spock suggested , but rather poker , Kirk signals to Balok that a substance aboard all Starfleet vessels called corbomite , undocumented in any ship ' s memory bank s . As Kirk explains , the corbomite aboard the " Enterprise " creates a reverse reaction of any destructive energy that touches the ship , destroying the attacker . He further details that since Starfleet began using corbomite two centuries earlier , no attacking vessel has survived and dares Balok to open fire . With no apparent reaction from the " Fesarius " , it appears the bluff has failed . With seconds to live , Bailey returns to the bridge , calmer , and requests permission to resume his duties , which Kirk grants . Sulu counts down the final seconds to destruction , but , as the timer reaches zero , the " Fesarius " does not attack . The crew exhales , apparently safe , with even Spock admitting that the game of poker sounds rather interesting . However , Balok hails the " Enterprise " , and Kirk readies to either raise the bluff or call . Balok claims that the destruction of the " Enterprise " has been delayed , with the intent to relent in their destruction if they can have proof of the corbomite device . Kirk , his back to the wall , hails back that Balok ' s request has been denied and lets him sweat it out . A small pilot vessel emerges from the " Fesarius " , which disengages , as Balok announces that it has been decided that he shall direct the crew to a planet of the First Federation , where the crew will be interred and the " Enterprise " will be destroyed . He grabs the " Enterprise " with a tractor beam and declares that any attempt to escape or destroy his ship will result in the instant destruction of the Starfleet vessel . Act Four . With the " Enterprise " in tow , Kirk orders a right - angle course , shearing away from Balok , with the intent to tax his small ship ' s engines against the strain of the " Enterprise " s engines . The impulse engines are engaged , but quickly begin to overheat . Kirk orders more power applied . As the strain increases , the " Enterprise " begins to shudder , but Balok ' s ship begins to show signs of stress , as well . Mr . Spock warns that the engines are close to exploding , but Kirk is relentless and orders more thrust applied against the tractor beam . As the crew weathers the horrific ride , Bailey finally announces that they ' re breaking free . The " Enterprise " veers away from Balok , whose ship seemingly becomes disabled . Scott advises the captain that their engines need work badly , but , Spock warns that Balok has sent out a distress signal to the " Fesarius " . Uhura intercepts it , reading that his engines are down and his life support systems are failing . She determines that the signal is so weak , it ' s doubtful if the mothership could have heard it . Kirk orders an intercept course , with the intent to rescue Balok . Dr . McCoy is skeptical , but , Kirk proclaims that the mission of the " Enterprise " is to seek out alien life and that ' s what he intends to do , friendly or not . He orders McCoy and Bailey to accompany him on the landing party over , but also orders Mr . Spock to remain behind , just in case Balok is baiting a trap for them . The three transport to the escort ship ( stooping , as advised by Scott because of low ceilings aboard the alien ship ) where they find that the fearsome creature they had viewed is the head and torso of a puppet - dummy . The real Balok warmly welcomes them aboard , appearing as a small child . He offers them some tranya , a beverage , as a sign of goodwill . He explains that the puppet is simply an alter - ego he used in order to frighten the " Enterprise " , as he was attempting to determine their real intentions , believing that even their memory banks could have been deceptive . He also reveals he has no crew aboard ; controlling the entire " Fesarius " starship from his small pilot vessel . However , he laments on how lonely his voyages are , as he misses company and would welcome even an alien aboard for an exchange of information and cultures . Balok suggests one of Kirk ' s crew remain for a period of time . Bailey immediately volunteers and Kirk agrees , explaining that while Bailey might not represent the best of Starfleet , it would be an extraordinary learning experience for him and would allow Balok to learn more about Humans by learning about their fallibility . Balok laughs , amused by the notion and that he agrees with Kirk ' s rationale . Offering the trio a tour of his vessel , he also remarks how much alike he and Kirk are , as they are both very much proud of their ships . Memorable quotes . " " What am I , a doctor or a . . . moon - shuttle conductor ? Humph . . . if I jumped every time a light flashed around here , I ' d end up talking to myself . " " " " Raising my voice back there doesn ' t mean I was scared or couldn ' t do my job . It means I happen to have a Human thing called an adrenaline gland . " " " " It does sound most inconvenient , however . Have you considered having it removed ? " " " " You try to cross brains with Spock , he ' ll cut you to pieces every time . " " " " Beats me what makes it go . " " " " I ' ll buy speculation . " " " " I ' d sell it if I had any . How a solid cube can sense us , block us , move when we move – it beats me . That ' s my report . " " " " We ' ve got phaser weapons ; I vote we blast it . " " " " I ' ll keep that in mind , Mr . Bailey . . . when this becomes a democracy . " " " " Has it occurred to you that there ' s a certain . . . inefficiency in constantly questioning me on things you ' ve already made up your mind about ? " " " " It gives me emotional security . " " " " Aren ' t you the one that always says a little suffering is good for the soul ? " " " " No , I never say that . " " " " Dr . McCoy , I ' ve heard you say that man is ultimately superior to any mechanical device . " " " " No , I never said that either . " " " " I could have sworn I heard you say that . " " " " I ' ve already " got " a female to worry about . Her name ' s the " Enterprise " . " " " " Hailing frequencies open , sir . " " " " We ' ve only got eight minutes left ! " " " " Seven minutes and forty five seconds . " " " " He ' s doing a countdown ! ! " " " " Are you all out of your minds ? ! ? End of watch ? ! ? IT ' S THE END OF EVERYTHING ! ! ! What are you , robots ? ! ? Wound - up toy soldiers ? ! ? Don ' t you know when you ' re dying ? ! ? Watch and regulations and orders . . . what do they mean when . . . " " " " Bailey , you ' re relieved ! ! " " " " You have an annoying fascination for timepieces , Mr . Sulu . " " " " I have no time for you , your theories , your quaint philosophies . . . ! " " " " I intend to challenge your actions in my records . I ' ll state that I warned you about Bailey ' s condition . Now that ' s no bluff . " " " " Any time you can bluff " me " , doctor ! " " " " Not " chess " , Mr . Spock . Poker ! Do you know the game ? " " " " Death has little meaning to us . If it has none to you , then attack us now . We grow annoyed at your foolishness . " " " ( Spock shakes his head admiringly ) " " " However , it was well played . " " " " I regret not having learned more about this Balok . In some manner he was reminiscent of my father . " " " " Then may heaven have helped your mother . " " " " Quite the contrary . She considered herself a very fortunate Earth woman . " " " " A very interesting game , this poker . " " " " It " does " have advantages over chess . " " " " Love to teach it to you . " " " " Let " him " sweat for a change . " " " " You represent Earth ' s best , then ? " " " " No , sir , I ' m not . I ' ll make plenty of mistakes . " " " " But you ' d find out more about us that way . And I ' d get a better officer in return . " " " " Yes , we ' re very much alike , captain . Both proud of our ships . " " Background information . The bridge crew analyzes the " warning cube " as solid and of unknown composition , 107 meters on each edge , and almost 11 , 000 metric tons in mass . This would give the object roughly the same density as Radon gas at STP . Production timeline . Even the final draft of this script , dated 3 May 1966 , was quite different from the aired version : Remastered information . In the original version of this episode , when Sulu announces there is one minute left on the timer , the timer actually reads : " 2 : 02 . . . 2 : 01 . . . 1 : 00 ( the two - minute marker changes to one as the one - second marker changes to zero ) . . . 1 : 59 " . In the remastered version , this apparent error is corrected by the insertion of an entirely redesigned chronometer . Links and references . References . 21st century ; 2255 ; adrenaline gland ; Andromeda Galaxy ; Balok ' s cube ; Balok ' s pilot vessel ; battle stations ; bluff ; brain ; checkmate ; chess ; coffee ; condition alert ; ; corbomite ; deflector ; deity ; democracy ; diet ; diet card ; dietary salad ; directional beam ; doctor ; dummy ; Earth ; electromagnetic spectrum ; evasive maneuvers ; exercise table ; fatigue ; " Fesarius " ; First Federation ; flagship ; flypaper ; galley ; general alert ; gesture ; ; hail ; hand phaser ; intermix chamber ; lettuce ; life sciences ; light speed ; logic ; Messier 32 ; Messier 110 ; meter ; metric ton ; mile ; moon shuttle ; moon shuttle ; moon shuttle conductor ; mother ship ; navigation beam ; oxygen ; phaser gun crew ( aka phaser crew ) ; phaser station ; planet ; photograph ; poker ; puppet ; quarterly physical ; radiation ; reaction time ; recorder marker ; robot ; salad ; Sarek ; space buoy ; spectrograph ; star map ; star mapping ; sweat ; " " ; textbook ; timepiece ; toy soldier ; tractor beam ; tranya ; trespassing ; warning buoy ; weight Star chart references . Andromeda ; Aries ; Auriga ; ; Canis Major ; Canis Minor ; Cetus ; Columba ; Eridanus ; Fornax ; ; Lepus ; Lynx ; Monoceros ; ; Pisces ; Puppis ; ; Taurus Unused references . blood ; Carpi ; fish eggs ; grape s ; gymnasium ; honeycomb ; lead shot ; movie s ; Oriental s ; shorts ; Sino - Western trouble ; soup ; treadmill ; World War III ; wrist watch