Miri (Star Trek)

"Miri" is a first season episode of ', that was first broadcast October 27, 1966, and repeated June 29, 1967. It is episode #12, and was written by Adrian Spies and was directed by Vincent McEveety.

Related Topics:
October 27 - 1966 - June 29 - 1967 - Adrian Spies - Vincent McEveety

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Quick Overview: The Enterprise discovers an exact duplicate of Earth, where the only survivors of a deadly plague are the planet's children.

Related Topics:
Enterprise - Earth

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On stardate 2713.5, the starship USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, follows a old planetary distress call leading to a planet that looks exactly like Earth in every detail. The planet is believed to have been terraformed by the ancient Preservers, who transplanted humans there. The planet is given the designation FGC 347601 III, the third planet in the FGC 347601 system.

Related Topics:
Stardate - Starship - James T. Kirk - Preservers

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Kirk assembles a landing party consisting of himself, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, Yeoman Janice Rand, and two security personnel, to investigate this remarkable find. Upon their arrival, they find the planet is virtually a duplicate of Earth of the 1960s, but it all seems abandoned. As the team curiously inspects a tricycle, they are attacked by a ragged man who seems infected by a horrible disfiguring mutation, but shows incredible strength. The man suddenly seems to drop dead from the excitement. The security guards then spot another figure running into a building.

Related Topics:
Mr. Spock - Dr. McCoy - Janice Rand - 1960s

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The team chases the figure down, discovering that it's just a little girl, and she appears physically normal. She identifies herself as Miri, and when asked why she ran away from them, she tells them because they are "grups" (a play off "grown ups"), and the grups killed and hurt the children before they died. When asked where her family are, Miri tells them that she is an "Onlie", and her and her friends are the "only ones" left, all the adults turned to monsters and died.

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Soon the landing party start to notice painful blue sores are forming on their bodies, however Spock remains immune. Miri informs them that is how it all starts, and they will soon become like the others. The team explores an abandoned hospital and look for clues to the mysterious condition. They discover the disease seems to infect only those who have reached puberty. They also uncover that the disease was an accidental side effect in an experiment to prolong life, however it only worked on children, but when they become of age they soon die. Shockingly, they learn that the children are over 300 years old, having aged only one month's time every year.

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McCoy also discovers that once the disease starts, they only have 7 days to live. Even though Spock seems immune to the disease, McCoy believes he is still a carrier and could infect the Enterprise if he returns. Spock decides to stay regardless, and won't leave until he helps McCoy find a cure.

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Meanwhile, the rest of the hiding children, who do not trust these new grups, decide to meddle with their plans. Their leader, a boy named Jahn, steals the landing party's communicators, which renders McCoy's search for a cure nearly impossible without assistance from the Enterprise computers. Miri however, doesn't agree to the other kids mischief and stays near Captain Kirk, who she appears to have a crush on. However, when Yeoman Rand breaksdown for fear of her life, and Kirk takes her in his arms to comfort her, Miri gets jealous and runs away to scheme with her friends.

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The children devise a "foolie" prank and kidnap Rand, but Kirk arrives to rescue her. He confronts Miri and the others and tries to get it through their heads that none of this is a game. The children don't listen and continue to harass him, throwing things and playing ring-around-the-rosie, then finally running away. Kirk catches Miri, and tells her she and the others will eventually contract the disease just like the grups if they don't help him find a cure. In fact, he grabs Miri's arms and shows her the blue sores that are already forming on her skin.

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Upset, Miri goes back to the other children and shows Jahn her sores. He discovers even he has them, and the two become aware of their plight. They convince the other kids who look up to them that they have to return the communicators and listen to the grups.

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Kirk rounds up the children and returns to the hospital, but finds that McCoy, unable to accurately test his serum, has injected himself and collapsed to the floor. Soon however, his sores fade away. The serum is found to be safe and completely destroys the disease. After inoculating the landing party and the children, Kirk informs Starfleet to send teachers and advisors to the duplicate Earth, to help the children start their lives over again.

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