Star Trek (TV Series)

The Man Trap (1966)

Alfred Ryder: Prof. Robert Crater

Photos 

Quotes 

• Captain James T. Kirk : Your wife, Professor, where is she?

  Professor Robert Crater : She... was the last of her kind.

  Captain James T. Kirk : The last of her kind?

  Professor Robert Crater : The last of its kind. Earth history, remember? Like the passenger pigeon, or... the buffalo.

  [...] 

  Mr. Spock : The Earth buffalo. What about it?

  Professor Robert Crater : Once there were millions of them - prairies black with them. One herd covered three whole states, and when they moved, they were like thunder.

  Mr. Spock : And now they're gone. Is that what you mean?

  Professor Robert Crater : [nods]  Like the creatures here. Once there were millions of them. Now there's one left. Nancy understood.

  Mr. Spock : Always in the past tense.

  Captain James T. Kirk : Where is your wife? Where is she now?

  Professor Robert Crater : Dead. Buried up on a hill. It killed her.

  Captain James T. Kirk : When?

  Professor Robert Crater : Oh, a year... or was it two?

• Professor Robert Crater : It's the... last one. The buffalo. There is no difference.

  Captain James T. Kirk : There's one, Professor. Your creature is killing my people!

• Professor Robert Crater : I loved Nancy very much. Few women like my Nancy. She lives in my dreams, she walks and sings in my dreams.

  Captain James T. Kirk : And it becomes Nancy for you.

  Professor Robert Crater : Not because of tricks, it doesn't trick me. It needs love, as much as it needs salt. When it killed Nancy, I almost destroyed it, but... it isn't just a beast. It is intelligent, and the last of its kind.

  Captain James T. Kirk : You bleed too much, Crater. You're too pure and noble. You saving the last of its kind or has this become Crater's private heaven, here on this planet? This thing becomes wife, lover, best friend, wise man, fool, idol, slave. Isn't a bad life to have everyone in the universe at your beck and call, and you win all the arguments.

• Uhura : I've checked every face on this vessel. It was not a crewman I saw.

  Captain James T. Kirk : Yeoman Rand, how long was this "Green" with you?

  Yeoman Janice Rand : As long as he... it thought it could get to the salt in my tray, sir.

  Captain James T. Kirk : Mr. Spock?

  Mr. Spock : Supplies of salt have been set out as bait at all decks and engineering levels, Captain. However, no one or nothing has approached them as yet.

  Captain James T. Kirk : Dr. McCoy?

  Dr. McCoy : Yes?

  Captain James T. Kirk : Medical department report, Doctor.

  Dr. McCoy : Oh. Well, we could offer it salt without tricks. There's no reason for it to attack us.

  Mr. Spock : Your attitude is laudable, Doctor, but your reasoning is reckless.

  Professor Robert Crater : The creature is not dangerous when fed.

  Dr. McCoy : No, it's simply trying to survive by using its natural ability to take other forms.

  Professor Robert Crater : The way the chameleon uses its protective coloring, an ability retained no doubt from its primitive state, the way we have retained our incisor teeth. They were once fangs. Certain of our muscles were designed for chase. It uses its ability the way we would use our muscles and teeth if necessary to stay alive.

  Dr. McCoy : And like us, it's an intelligent animal. It's, uh... there's no need to hunt it down.

  Mr. Spock : A very interesting hypothesis, Doctor.

• Captain James T. Kirk : Professor Crater, I'm Captain Kirk. This is...

  Professor Robert Crater : The heroic captain and the intrepid doctor cross interstellar space to preserve our health. Oh, your sense of duty is overwhelming. Now, will you please go back where you came from and tell whoever issues your orders to leave me and my wife alone? We need additional salt against the heat. Aside from that, we're doing very well, thank you.

  Dr. McCoy : I'm pleased to hear you're doing well, but I'm required to confirm that fact.

  Professor Robert Crater : Doubtless, the good surgeon will enjoy prodding and poking us with his arcane machinery. Go away. We don't want you.

  Dr. McCoy : What you want is unimportant right now. What you will get is what is required by the book.

  Captain James T. Kirk : Quote, all research personnel on alien planets are required to have their health certified by a starship surgeon at one-year intervals. Like it or not, Professor, as commander of the starship, I'm required...

  Professor Robert Crater : To show your gold braid to everyone. You love it, don't you?

  Captain James T. Kirk : He's all yours, Plum; Dr. McCoy.

• Captain James T. Kirk : Something we don't understand killed one of my men. It could prove to be a danger to you and Mrs. Crater, too.

  Professor Robert Crater : We've been here for almost five years. If there were anything hostile here, we would know about it, wouldn't we?

  Captain James T. Kirk : Bones, tell the professor what the autopsy revealed.

  Dr. McCoy : Our crewman died of salt depletion. Sudden total loss of it. Medically impossible by any standards.

  Captain James T. Kirk : And by coincidence, you and Mrs. Crater requested salt tablets.

• Captain James T. Kirk : One of the missions of the Enterprise is to protect human life in places like this. I'm gonna have to ask you and Mrs. Crater to stay aboard my ship until we find out what killed that crewman.

  Professor Robert Crater : But you can't do that.

  Captain James T. Kirk : But I can, Professor.

  Professor Robert Crater : You mustn't do it. It'll interfere with our work.

  Captain James T. Kirk : How? You've been here five years. Will a couple of days make a difference?

• Captain James T. Kirk : Crater, we don't know who or what we're looking for. We need your help, and now.

  Professor Robert Crater : I demanded. I even begged that you get off my planet.

  Captain James T. Kirk : Can you recognize this thing when you see it?

  [Crater doesn't respond] 

  Captain James T. Kirk : Professor, I'll forego charges up to this point. But this creature's aboard my ship, and I'll have it or I'll have your skin or both. Now, where is it?