Editing Spock's Brain (section)

==Plot==
The [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]] [[starship]]  ''[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]]'', under the command of Captain Kirk, encounters an alien ship, from which a mysterious woman beams onto the ''Enterprise'' bridge. She stuns the entire crew then examines each of them, taking particular interest in the [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|Vulcan]] First Officer Spock. When the crew awakens, Chief Medical Officer [[Leonard McCoy|Dr. McCoy]] finds Spock in [[sick bay]] with his brain surgically removed. Because of his unusual Vulcan physiology, Spock's body can be kept alive in this state, but for no more than twenty-four hours, giving Captain Kirk that much time to recover his stolen brain.

The ''Enterprise'' follows the alien ship's ion trail to the sixth planet of the [[Sigma Draconis]] system, a harsh world in the middle of an [[ice age]]. A band of male inhabitants attack the landing party, and a captured attacker warns Kirk about the "others", also known as "the givers of pain and delight". Kirk asks about the females of his kind, but is met only with bewilderment.

The landing party is joined by Dr. McCoy, accompanied by Spock's mobile body, controlled by a device McCoy has fashioned. The party travels deep underground and encounters a woman named Luma. When questioned, Luma shows the mentality of a child. Spock's voice is heard through a [[Communicator (Star Trek)|communicator]], but before the conversation goes further, Kirk and his party are captured. The party is brought before the leader of the women, Kara, the same woman who appeared on the ''Enterprise'' bridge. Kirk demands to know what they have done with Spock's brain, but Kara claims she does not understand what a brain is, exclaiming "Brain and brain! What is brain?"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Victoria |title=Trekette: Brain And Brain! What Is Brain?! |url=https://treknews.net/2011/04/12/trekette-brain-and-brain-what-is-brain/ |website=TrekNews |date=April 12, 2011 |publisher=TrekNews.net |access-date=December 7, 2020 |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415025802/https://treknews.net/2011/04/12/trekette-brain-and-brain-what-is-brain/ |url-status=live}}</ref> As they try to explain the function of a brain, she realizes that what they are seeking is the "Controller", on which the underground civilization is completely dependent.

The landing party escapes and follows Spock's signals to a control room where his brain has been placed. Kara tells them that the skills needed to remove a brain were provided by a machine called the "Teacher", and that knowledge so obtained lasts no more than three hours. McCoy decides to use the Teacher himself, and then quickly begins the procedure to restore Spock's brain. McCoy's new knowledge begins to fade before the operation is complete, but Spock provides assistance after McCoy reestablishes Spock's ability to speak.

Without their Controller, Kara fears for the women's existence, but Kirk assures her that the men and women can learn to survive together on the surface.  Much to McCoy's dismay, Spock recites a protracted history of the culture of Sigma Draconis VI.