Albatross ( episode ) Following a mission to the planet Dramia , Dr . McCoy is held prisoner , accused of mass genocide caused by a deadly plague committed nineteen years earlier during a previous expedition . When the " Enterprise " attempts to investigate , it too becomes infected . Summary . On the surface of Dramia , the Supreme Prefect thanks Captain Kirk and the Federation for their assistance . Kirk signals Scott for a beam out with his communicator when Commander Demos , the Dramian head of security , informs the landing party that he has a warrant in order for the arrest and trial of Dr . Leonard McCoy , chief medical officer of the " Enterprise " . Demos claims that nineteen years earlier , McCoy headed a mass inoculation program for a Saurian virus on Dramia II , but after he departed a massive plague ravaged the planet virtually wiping out the entire population . Kirk argues for McCoy but Demos says , " " The trial will tell , captain . " " Kirk , in the Hall of Justice and aware of the swift Dramian justice system , worries about McCoy ' s future in the hands of the " kangaroo court . " Kirk is adamant that McCoy would not harm other beings but the doctor thinks that the plague may have been his fault . Kirk doesn ' t buy it so he and Spock begin an investigation into the plague . Spock finds some records of the plague that states it is of unknown origin and characterized by a change in the coloring of skin pigmentation , debilitation and death . Certain species have a natural immunity , most notably Vulcan s . They realize they must go to Dramia II to draw some conclusions . ETA at the planet is four hours , however , en route they are pursued by a Dramen patrol ship . Kirk surmises that it is Demos following them and asks Sulu to " inadvertently " leave the hangar doors open so Demos can " sneak " aboard . The " Enterprise " entraps the Dramian ship in the shuttlebay and Demos orders Kirk to report his actions to the Federation . Kirk says he can ' t because they ' re out of communication range . Demos tells Kirk he will contact the Federation himself but Kirk tells him that he can ' t because his ship is impound ed . He is a stowaway , after all . So Demos must accompany them . " " I have been tricked ! " " , Demos says . When the ship passes through the orbit ing aurora , radiation levels are intense but non - lethal . Kirk figures that is good because it is now safe to beam down to the planet . On the surface of the planet , Kirk , Spock , and Demos find a man living among the ruins , who attacks Kirk and then breaks down crying . He was away from the planet when the plague struck and returned home to find his homeworld ravaged by the virus . In his grief , he and others like him chose to stay . There were no actual survivors of the plague . Another Dramian , named Kol - Tai , appears and claims that " he " is a survivor - McCoy saved his life when he treated him for the Saurian virus . He adds that a man who saves lives does not also kill . Kol - Tai agrees to testify of McCoy ' s behalf , but the crew must return to Dramia I quickly or it will be too late . Kirk orders warp six and Scott replies from engineering , " " I ' ll pour on the coals , captain . " " en route , Kol - Tai turns blue in sickbay , signaling he has the plague and has brought it on board the " Enterprise " . Kirk insists that he be saved , not because he can exonerate McCoy , but because they place a value on all life . Noting Demos ' startled reaction , Kirk asks , " " Does that shock you , commander ? " " Demos is shocked , but it is at the color of Kirk ' s skin – he is also turning blue . The entire crew is infected , except an immune Spock , so Kirk turns command over to him . That order is to self - destruct the ship if everyone on board has perished , in order to protect others from contracting the virus . Kirk insists they must get McCoy to find an antidote , but the Supreme Prefect thinks Spock is pulling an elaborate trick . Spock ' s only option is to illegally break McCoy out of prison . On the ship , McCoy discovers he is innocent and the aurora is the cause of the plague . By using blood samples from the infected , McCoy cures the plague with antibodies created to fight the Saurian virus and he shares the information with the Dramians . The Dramians agree to forget about the unorthodox manner of McCoy ' s " release " , and Kirk will forget about their " stowaway " . When Spock scolds McCoy in the transporter room for forgetting to dispense vitamins to the " Enterprise " crew , McCoy points out what they ' ve just been through . Spock tells him " " Hippocrates would not approved of such lame excuses , " " and Bones begs Kirk , " " Jim , if I ' m ever in jail again don ' t send that Vulcan to release me . Just let me rot ! " " Kirk has a good laugh over this . Memorable quotes . " " Is this some kind of joke ? ! " " " " The wanton slaughter of hundreds of people is " not " a joke , captain . " " " " I have been tricked ! " " " " Spock , have you and Jim gone out of your minds ? Why , this is a jailbreak . " " " " Doctor . . . just come with me please . " " " " No , Spock . It ' s illegal , that ' s what it is . Besides , I must stand trial , I have to find out ! " " " " Doctor , you WILL stand trial . You WILL find out . After you find an antidote for the plague which is about to kill everyone aboard the " Enterprise " . " " " " Plague , why didn ' t you tell me ? " " " " You wouldn ' t give me a chance . You realize doctor , if you go , and fail to find an antidote , you too will die . " " " " I ' m a doctor , Spock . . . a doctor . Get us beamed aboard ! " " " " Blast it Spock , work harder . They ' re in the terminal stage ! " " " " Bones . . . that ' s it . Aurora . . . changing . . . color . " " " " Jim ! Aurora , what . . . Spock , feed in the data without mentioning the color change symptoms . " " " " That ' s it doctor . The color change symptoms were misleading the computer . " " " " Because they were caused by an aurora ! " " " " . . . and I ' m ready to get back to some of that monotonous , ol ' routine sickbay work " " " " Including , I would hope some of that " monotonous , ol ' " dispensing of the regular vitamin rations to the crew . " " " " What is that supposed to mean ? " " " " Well , you have been derelict in your duties , of late , doctor . " " " " Spock , you know as well as I do what we ' ve all just been through . " " " " Hippocrates would not have approved of lame excuses , doctor . " " Links and references . References . 2251 ; antibody ; antidote ; arrest ; ; " Bones " ; cave dweller ; ceremony ; coal ; debilitation ; Demos ' patrol ship ; door ; Dramia ; Dramia II ; Dramia II plague ; Dramian ; Dramen ; Dramen energy weapon ; Dramen patrol ship ; Dramen star system ; Earth ; Earthling ; Federation ; flower ; force field ; force field activator ; General Order 6 ; Hall of Justice ; hangar ; Hippocrates ; historical records ; immunity ; impound ; interstellar medicine ; jailbreak ; joke ; kangaroo court ; mass - inoculation program ; medical assistance program ; meteor shower ; plague ; pretrial investigation ; quarantine ; radiation ; radiation report ; Saurian virus ; self - destruct ; shuttlebay ; skin pigmentation ; starbase ; Starfleet ; stowaway ; subspace communication ; Supreme Prefect ; trial ; vitamin ration ; Vulcan ; warrant ; witness