#08. Opinion

Carbon-based units. This cliche was born with the science-fiction genre.

Somewhere at this point I realized that I've read a very short version of this story before in an old soviet Star Trek novelization/fanfiction book. Because at this point I've already realized what does V'Ger mean.

"I am to record only normal functions of the carbon-based units"
"Medical scan IS a normal function!"
"You may proceed"

That was the only funny dialogue in the whole book. Star Trek is a general epic space fiction, isn't it. Not that the epicness makes it worse, but still.

#08. Summary

The Enterprise is dragged inside the core via a tractor beam. Ilia look-a-like appears onboard, but introduces herself as another probe of the entity. She calls it "V'Ger", informs the crew that they infest the starship and that V'Ger is heading towards the Earth to reunite with its Creator.

Kirk uses the fact that Decker and Ilia had a relationship going on in the past and assigns the X.O. to the probe. The probe wishes to learn more about the "carbon-based units" and insists on Decker's assistance. Meanwhile, Spock decides to research the Intruder from the inside and leaves the ship in a spacesuit equipped with thrusters. He tries to establish another contact with V'Ger but his request was denied in such a threatening way that Kirk had to head out in another suit and drag the half-conscious Spock back to the ship.

#08. Words

01. fastidious - привередливый
02. repentance - покаяние
03. susceptible - восприимчивый
04. guttersnipe - в данном случае что-то вроде "охочая до пошлостей"
05. paunch - живот
06. inflect - сгибать
07. complacence - самодовольство
08. reeling - наматывание
09. viscid - вязкий
10. abundant - обильный
11. perspicuous - понятный, четкий
12. corollary - заключение
13. innocuous - безобидный
14. exultant - торжествующий
15. lofty - отдаленный
16. consent - согласие
17. hieratic - священный
18. ponderous - громоздкий
19. unstintingly - щедро?
20. perceptible - постижимый

#07. Opinion

Wow, everything is as good in the book as it is long and boring in the movie. I'm not surprised. I don't think you are, either...

Wow, power cloud. Wow, green beam. Wow, Spock saves the day again (it's kind of his job in the series as well as here).

Also, (random) guard in the book - guess what - is missing from the movie. Actually, they made quite a big deal of this event in the novel. I was disappointed that it wasn't mentioned in the movie, like, AT ALL. But then again, the movie crew forgot about KIRK'S WIFE. And her demise. And Admiral Nogura was hardly paid attention to. So, yeah, well... They replaced it all with BORING panoramas. Find me one person who thinks panoramas are better than characters. Meh.

#07. Summary

The Enterprise reaches its destination, slowly advancing from the starboard side towards the alien, trying to match its speed. Kirk tries to hail the Intruder in all ways possible, but a green beam emerges from the cloud and seriously damages the vessel. Spock is messaged telepathically that the Intruder did in fact hail the Enterprise and is waiting for an answer. Using his science console, Spock finds out that the entity's messages are sent at such a rapid frequency that the scanners are unable to catch them. He sends a reply at the same frequency and the Intruder accepts it.

The starship submerges into the powerfield, heading to its core. The core itself appears to be a miraculous construction which looks like an organism but yet is completely mechanical. A plasmoid probe is sent by the entity onto the bridge of the Enterprise. A surprised guard takes aim at it and is immediately desintegrated. The probe then heads towards Ilia and disappears with her.

#07. Words

01. squat - сидение на корточках
02. latrine - latrine
03. brevity - сжатость, краткость
04. implore - упрашивать
05. candid - справедливый
06. desolation - опустошение
07. bleak - гнетущий, безрадостный
08. wintry - зимний, неприветливый
09. mast - плодокорм
10. obdurate - черствый
11. maudlin - сентиментальный
12. trank - транквилизатор?
13. amendment - поправка
14. splinter - осколок, обломок
15. solemn - священный, святой
16. jab - толчок, пинок
17. almond - миндаль
18. smock - спецовка
19. lavish - непринужденный
20. abide - выносить, терпеть

#06. Opinion

Spock is so back in black. Literally, since he didn't have time to switch his Vulcan clothes with the uniform when he arrived.

Acts like a douche. But it suits him well. It will probably suit him even more in the new movie, when he's going to be played by Sylar from Heroes.

Take that, Decker and Kirk, you're not badass enough to be compared with Spock.

Excuse me for the random blabber, there really is nothing I can talk about in this section besides Spock being awesome.

#06. Summary

Scotty, Enterprise chief engineer, is unable to fix the engines himself. Luckily for the mission, this is when a new science officer arrives on a shuttle, and that is, of course, Spock. Kirk and the crew are treated less than lukewarm, Spock was still angry at himself and his emotions, including friendship, for his failure at achieving Kolinahr. But, anyway, he helps Scotty fix the warp drives and the fully functional Enterprise continues its journey towards the mysterious cloud.

During the journey, Spock is once again contacted by the Intruder. He informs Kirk about these telepathic connections with this entity that is knowledge-hungry yet knows everything there is to know about this universe. That doesn't really help but seems important enough for Kirk.

#06. Words

01. grind - перемалывать
02. merit - заслуга
03. gentry - нетитулованное мелкопоместное дворянство
04. muster - осмотр
05. nonchalance - безразличие
06. ratty - жалкий
07. tinsely - показушно
08. benignly - доброжелательно
09. baleful - гибельный
10. incredulity - недоверчивость
11. banked - групповой
12. bereft - утративший
13. incisor - резец, передний зуб
14. intermittent - прерывистый
15. croon - низкий глухой звук
16. rowdy - хулиган
17. sleigh - салазки
18. maple - клен
19. feeble - хилый
20. lukewarm - тепловатый

#05. Opinion

This is official - Kirk is an egoistic douchebag. But at least he realizes that in time and fixes his attitude.

Star Trek physics are weird.

McCoy is great but gets too little screen-time. Or page-time, if talking about the novelization.

Once again the book is much more detailed than the boring movie.

#05. Summary

The U.S.S. Enterprise leaves the dock and sets the course to intercept the Intruder. While trying to gain Warp 1 speed (thus going into hyperspace), Enterprise loses its engines. The hyperspace wormhole, due to inaccurate warp drive tuning, becomes unstable and draws a large asteroid inside itself, sending it on a collision course with the space cruiser.

Kirk orders phaser weapons, the most destructive ones on the Enterprise, to be fired at the asteroid but Decker overrides his order by telling Chekov, the weaponry coordinator, to use missiles. After smashing the asteroid with missiles the ship succesfully leaves hyperspace. Decker, when asked about why he did not follow the captain's orders, explains to Kirk that the weapon systems have been rerouted through the engines to increase power output and thus went offline during the accident.

#05. Words

01. skittish - легкомысленный
02. indignation - негодование
03. trustee - доверительный собственник
04. virtue - целомудрие
05. belligerence - воинственность
06. complacently - самодовольно
07. flustering - суетиться, волноваться
08. reveille - подъем
09. smear - размытость
10. dab - прикосновение
11. slop - слякоть
12. unwavering - решительный
13. frisk - возня
14. ragged - зазубренный
15. mudflap - брызговик
16. spoor - отпечаток
17. lingering - медлительный
18. assent - одобрение
19. equanimity - невозмутимость
20. lubrication - смазка