In Thy Image " In Thy Image " was a script for the pilot " " episode , written by Harold Livingston . It was based on a story treatment by Alan Dean Foster , although the treatment itself was based on a story idea by Gene Roddenberry entitled " Robot ' s Return " . ( ) Synopsis . The basic plot concept of " In Thy Image " was that a huge unknown object crossed the universe , looking for its creator on Earth . In the meantime , the has been extensively refitted and is waiting re - launch under the command of Captain Wah Chan , with James T . Kirk awaiting promotion to admiral . However , the alien spaceship destroys three Klingon battleships , and is found to be on a direct course for Earth . With the " Enterprise " being the only starship that might be able to destroy the alien ship ( if it were required ) and Wah Chan stuck on the other side of the Federation , Kirk is given command of the ship for what he assumes will be one final mission . He finds some familiar faces on board , namely Scotty , Sulu , Chekov , and Uhura , and three new ones in the shape of Willard Decker , Ilia and the new science officer , Ronak . However , Ronak dies when the transporter malfunctions as he is being beamed aboard the ship , requiring his late replacement by Xon , a Vulcan who is incredibly gifted academically , but has little experience of active duty . Shortly after the " Enterprise " deploys , the USS " Aswan " , which has been monitoring the alien ship , is suddenly destroyed without provocation , increasing the urgency of the mission . Soon , the " Enterprise " confronts the alien ship and it invades the " Enterprise " with many small robots , designed to learn about the ship and it ' s inhabitants . One probe , a small pearl like device , is clearly intrigued by humans . Chekov names it " Tasha " after a pearl his aunt Tasha wore . It begins to communicates and examines the humans , but also gets the " Enterprise " library computer to begin talking to the alien ship directly . After Xon smashes the computer to stop the communication , Tasha disappears taking Ilia with it . Soon after , Tasha returns as a lifelike android of Ilia , so that the alien ship may even better understand humanoid life . Tasha reveals its master to be named " Ve - jur " and that it is on it ' s way to Earth to complete its mission . Kirk , accompanied by Xon , Decker , the robot Ilia , and Tasha , manages to infiltrate the core of the ship , where it is revealed that Ve - jur is in fact " Voyager 18 " ; the final space probe launched by Earth before World War III . Upon arriving at the planet , Ve - jur emits an energy field that burns out all of the planetary defense systems , and prepares to eradicate all life on the planet with neutron bombs so that it can free its creator from the humans it believes is repressing it . Kirk tells the probe that humans are , in fact , its creator . And he ' ll prove it by beaming Tasha down to Earth to experience humanity first hand , then going to Starfleet ' s archives to show actual proof of the Voyager Program and NASA . On Earth , he has her meet a child , walks her along a beach and introduces her to flowers . Her curiosity is shattered , though when Tasha interprets a boat being piloted by humans as " enslaving " machine life . Kirk decides to take her to the Starfleet Archives . Tasha is shown documentaries on the creation of the Voyager probes , however , Tasha and Ve - jur reject the proof as they are all re - creations of the events that happened hundreds of years ago . Finding a film reel from the 20th Century about the Voyager program , he attempts to show the film to her , but the film disintegrates as it ' s shown . Kirk attempts to reason with her , and Tasha begins to become emotional knowing the destruction of all she sees is at hand . The neutron bombs disappear . Tasha has told Ve - jur she has seen undeniable proof of its creation to keep it from destroying the life she ' s seen in the last few minutes . Ve - jur accepts her word , and Decker , aboard the " Enterprise " , suggests a mutual partnership where they can learn from each other . Ve - jur says it can learn nothing from lower life forms and heads out of the Solar System . With that , Kirk , Xon , and Decker are beamed back onto the " Enterprise " , as is the real Ilia . The robotic Tasha appears as well , but inert and dead . Kirk implies that her returning to the ship , instead of to Ve - jur , is what she wanted . The Enterprise is contacted by Starfleet and told that the recent adventure will be considered the " Enterprise ' s " shakedown cruise . Kirk orders Scotty to leave orbit on their new five year mission . Another story element featured was the " Enterprise " being reconstructed and relaunched , which had been included in earlier premises for unproduced " Star Trek " films such as " " and " The God Thing " , the latter of which served as a precursor to this one , with multiple similarities between them ( despite technically being different projects ) . " In Thy Image " was rewritten to become the screenplay for .