Star Trek (TV Series)

The Doomsday Machine (1967)

William Windom: Commodore Decker

Photos 

Quotes 

• Capt. Kirk : Mr. Spock, relieve Commodore Decker immediately. That's a direct order.

  Matt Decker : You can't relieve me and you know it, according to regulations...

  Capt. Kirk : BLAST REGULATIONS! Mr. Spock, I order you to assume command on my personal authority as Captain of the Enterprise.

  Mr. Spock : Commodore Decker, you are relieved of command.

  Matt Decker : I don't recognize your authority to relieve me.

  Mr. Spock : You may file a formal protest with Starfleet Command, assuming we survive to reach a Starbase, but you are relieved. Commodore, I do not wish to place you under arrest.

  Matt Decker : You wouldn't dare.

  [Mr. Spock signals two security guards who immediately step forward at his command] 

  Matt Decker : You're bluffing.

  Mr. Spock : Vulcans never bluff.

  Matt Decker : [sadly]  No. No, I don't suppose that they do. Very well, Mr. Spock, the bridge is yours.

• Matt Decker : [9:57]  They say there's no devil, Jim, but there is, right out of Hell. I saw it!

  Capt. Kirk : Matt, where's your crew?

  Matt Decker : On the third planet.

  Capt. Kirk : There IS no third planet!

  Matt Decker : [anguished]  Don't you think I know that? There was, but not anymore! They called me; they BEGGED me for help, four hundred of them! I couldn't... I-I couldn't...

  [begins sobbing] 

• [Decker has taken a shuttlecraft] 

  Mr. Spock : Commodore, I must insist that you return to the ship.

  Matt Decker : You said it yourself, Spock - There is no way to blast through the hull of that machine, so... I'm gonna take this thing right down its throat.

  Capt. Kirk : This is Kirk. Matt, you'll be killed!

  Matt Decker : I've been prepared for death ever since I... ever since I killed my crew.

  Capt. Kirk : No one expects you to die for an error in judgment!

  Matt Decker : [final words]  A commander is responsible for the lives of his crew, and for their deaths. Well... I should have died with mine.

• Matt Decker : That thing must be destroyed!

  Mr. Spock : You tried to destroy it once before, Commodore. The result was a wrecked ship and a dead crew.

• Matt Decker : Enterprise to Kirk, Commodore Decker speaking.

  Capt. Kirk : Matt? What's going on? Give me Mr. Spock.

  Matt Decker : I'm in command here, Jim.

  Capt. Kirk : What happened to Spock?

  Matt Decker : Nothing. I assumed command, according to regulations, since your first officer was reluctant to take aggressive action against...

  Capt. Kirk : You mean YOU'RE the lunatic who's responsible for almost destroying my ship?

  Matt Decker : You are speaking to a SENIOR OFFICER, Kirk.

  Capt. Kirk : Get me Spock.

  Matt Decker : I told you I am in command here, according to every rule in the book, CAPTAIN. If you have anything to say at all, you will say it to ME.

  Capt. Kirk : There's only one thing I want to say to YOU, COMMODORE: GET MY SHIP OUT OF THERE.

• Matt Decker : Captain's Log: Stardate 4202.1 Exceptionally heavy subspace interference still prevents our contacting Starfleet to inform them of the destroyed solar systems we have encountered. We are now entering system L-374, Science Officer Masada reports the fourth planet seems to be breaking up. We are going to investigate.

• Dr. McCoy : You can't let him do this, Spock.

  Matt Decker : Doctor, you are out of line.

  Dr. McCoy : Well, so are you.

  [pause] 

  Dr. McCoy : Sir.

• Matt Decker : Well, it's... it's miles long, with a... with a maw that could swallow a dozen starships! It destroys planets. Chops them into rubble.

• Mr. Spock : It's closing fast on the Constellation.

  Sulu : Standing by, sir.

  Mr. Spock : Commodore, I suggest...

  Matt Decker : Kirk pulled us out of there by distracting it. Now it's our turn. Fire phasers.

  [the Enterprise fires upon the planet-killer, causing it to release the Constellation] 

  Matt Decker : Did it! Hard about! Give me some distance.

  [the Enterprise veers sharply to the left, away from the planet-killer] 

• Mr. Spock : We're being pulled inside, Commodore. You must veer off.

  Matt Decker : Maintain phaser fire, helmsman.

  Mr. Spock : We've lost warp power. If we don't break the tractor beam within sixty seconds, we never will.

  Matt Decker : But don't you understand? We've got to destroy it!

  Mr. Spock : That, sir, is illogical. It is suicide. Attempted suicide would be proof that you are psychologically unfit for command. If you don't veer off, I shall relieve you on that basis.