Year Four , Issue 6 Summary . The USS " Pasteur " was reported missing 11 months ago . The " Enterprise " has discovered hull fragments consistent with a Federation science ship and Spock ' s early investigation has revealed that it was hit with a high - intensity ion particle beam . Spock also notes that there is only one habitable planet in the system and that would be where any survivors might be found . As Captain Kirk prepares to join the away team , Lieutenant O ' Hara , an archaeologist , approaches him and asks to join the mission as her brother Matthew was the captain of the " Pasteur " . The party beams down to the surface to find themselves near a pool of clean water . As McCoy scans the pool , a strange sound is heard , and all four members of the away team collapse into unconsciousness . On board the " Enterprise " , Spock asks Scotty to fix the shields to protect against similar weapons to those that appear to have destroyed the " Pasteur " . He detected an energy spike not long before Kirk and the away team missed their check in with the ship . Scotty notes that the shields are not designed to withstand the kind of blast that hit the " Pasteur " , but that he ' ll make it happen . On the planet , the away team awakes in what appears to be a decontamination chamber with nasty headaches . A being that looks like a matronly nanny robot appears in front of them and apologizes for the inconvenience , but that they had to ensure the group ' s cleanliness before allowing them into the merchandise warehouse . The robot introduces itself as Avatar and apologizes for removing their weapons and communicators due to the fact that they could not be decontaminated . It continues , informing them that it is alone on the planet and that it ships the merchandise , mostly tools for agrarian and industrial worlds in the sector . Mallard sneaks out during the conversation and finds their weapons and communicators but as he reaches for them , he is zapped from behind , killing him . Kirk demands to know what the merchandise is when O ' Hara discovers a window into what appears to be a baby nursery . Avatar declares that this is the merchandise of which it speaks . On the " Enterprise " , the shields deflect an ion beam , just as Spock predicted . He has beamed down to the surface with a small security team . While there , he attempts to replicate the energy spike which he believes to be a transporter beam . Inside the complex , Avatar tells Kirk that the populace of the planet became infertile and died off more than a thousand years prior . McCoy checks the children and discovers that their DNA is a patchwork of species including some Human DNA . Avatar notes that due to a dwindling supply of material , it was necessary to find alternate sources . O ' Hara opens the door to the nursery and Avatar aims its hand at her , telling her that she cannot enter as she has not been prepared and that it was hoping to harvest their materials and that they must now be destroyed . As it fires , Kirk pushes it , forcing it to shoot wildly . Kirk and Avatar battle while O ' Hara enters the nursery and picks up a baby that shares her brother ' s eye colors , one blue and one brown eye . As O ' Hara prepares to escape with the child , Avatar seals them in and prepares to harvest the three Humans . Just as Avatar is about to fire , it is shot from behind by a young woman . Avatar yells out the name " Adan " , and when McCoy asks about it , Avatar prepares to attack him , trying to protect the child . Avatar unseals the complex and asks them to take Adan with them , as the planet may have finally found its legacy . At that time , Spock and his team enter the complex . Kirk fills them in and tells them that there are survivors . . . in a way . The " Enterprise " sets out for Pacifica to drop off all of the surviving children , and O ' Hara notes that the ruins there are an archaeologist ' s dream . As she leaves the bridge , McCoy notes that motherhood agrees with her . Kirk asks Spock why he knew to recalibrate the shields . Spock notes that as his first officer , indigenous populations have attacked the " Enterprise " 33 times , 84 % of them after Kirk failed to make a scheduled check - in . Memorable quotes . " " Someone ' s been a bad boy . " " " " We do not " keep " merchandise . It is forbidden . But I have been shipping the product for so long , I became curious about its possibilities . " " " " You missed all the fun , Spock . As usual . " " " " I would not call " endangering " the crew of the " Enterprise " fun , Doctor . " " " " I was being sarcastic . " " " " I think you ' re confusing sarcasm with irony . It ' s a common – " " " " In the time I ' ve served as your first officer , an indigenous population has attacked the " Enterprise " 33 times . " " " " My record ' s " that " good ? " " " " Of those attacks , 84 perfect occurred " after " you failed to make scheduled check - ins from the surface . " " " " I ' ll try to do better . " " " " He ' s a doctor , " not " a linguist . " " " " That would be " ironic " . " "