Leonard Nimoy: Mr. Spock

Spectre of the Gun

Mr. Spock

Capt. Kirk: In the late nineteenth century in Arizona, two factions fought for control of the town Tombstone. The Earps - Morgan, Virgil and Wyatt - who were the town marshals, along with Doc Holliday.
Spock: And the Clanton gang. On October 26th, they... had it out.
Chekov: Who won?
Capt. Kirk: The Clantons lost, Mr. Chekov.
Chekov: And we... are... the Clantons?

Melkotian Buoy: [voice] Aliens. You have encroached on the space of the Melkot. You will turn back immediately. This is the only warning you will receive.
Spock: Vulcan, Captain.
Capt. Kirk: English.
Chekov: It was Russian, sir. Every word.
Uhura: No, Captain, it was Swahili.
Capt. Kirk: Interesting. Telepathy.
Spock: Unquestionably. Most impressive.

Spock: It did not function. But it must function.
McCoy: Nothing could go wrong, Captain. It should work.
Spock: A scientific fact. But if the tranquillizer does not function, which is clearly impossible, then a radical alteration of our thought patterns must be in order.

[Kirk comes precariously close to a shoot-out with Morgan Earp]
Spock: Captain, since we have seen that death is the one reality in this situation, I seriously suggest you reseat yourself immediately, without moving a muscle of either hand. If I remember correctly, that would involve you in what was called 'the fast draw'. It initiated unfortunate events.

Spock: [mind-melding with McCoy] The bullets are unreal. Without body. They are illusions only. Shadows without substance. They will not pass through your body, for they do not exist.
McCoy: [in a trance] They do not exist.
Spock: [mind-melding with Kirk] Unreal. Appearances only. They are shadows. Illusions. Nothing but ghosts of reality. They are lies. Falsehoods. Specters without body. They are to be ignored.

[Chekov has been shot dead]
Spock: Gentlemen, there is one thing which requires the immediate attention of all of us. Specifically, our future.
Capt. Kirk: But not this minute, Spock. It takes us... a little longer.
Spock: I understand the feeling, Captain.
McCoy: You talk about another man's feelings. What do you feel, Spock?
Spock: My feelings are not subject for discussion, Doctor.
McCoy: Because there are no feelings to discuss!

[Kirk and his landing party find themselves in a strange environment]
Spock: Obviously, this represents the Melkotian's concept of an American frontier town, circa... 1880.
McCoy: It's just bits and pieces. It's incomplete.
Spock: Perhaps the Melkotians have insufficient data about this era.
Capt. Kirk: Or perhaps this is all they require to complete the pattern of our death.

Mr. Spock: The object is beginning to emit M-rays of a highly unstable nature, Captain.
Capt. Kirk: Lieutenant, sound red alert. Mr. Chekov, deflector shields on full.
Uhura: [background] All decks, red alert.
Chekov: Deflectors on full, sir.
Capt. Kirk: Gun crews, lock on target.
Mr. Spock: Energy output increasing beyond measurable levels, Captain.

Spock: Doctor, in your opinion, what killed Mr. Chekov?
McCoy: A piece of lead in his body.
Spock: Wrong. His mind killed him.
McCoy: Well, come on, Spock. If you've got the answer, tell us.
Spock: Physical reality is consistent with universal laws. Where the laws do not operate, there is no reality. All of this is unreal.
McCoy: What do you mean, unreal? I examined Chekov. He's dead.
Spock: But you made your examination under conditions which we cannot trust. We judge reality by the response of our senses. Once we are convinced of the reality of a given situation, we abide by its rules. We judge the bullets to be solid, the guns to be real. Therefore they can kill.

Spock: I prefer being a welcome guest, Captain, but there seems to be little choice.

Spock: [finishing in the construction of a gas grenade] These crude supplies we were forced to use worked quite well.
McCoy: I doubt that this combination of things was ever used for any purpose quite like this.
Spock: Perhaps they would've been if they'd had your ingenuity, Doctor.

Spock: The violence of your own heritage is to be the pattern for our execution.