Star Trek, LP Record [LP] Set, Four Exciting Stories, Power Records, 1976

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Star Trek, LP Record [LP] Set, Four Exciting Stories, Power Records, 1976

 Star Trek, LP Record of four exciting stories, as described on the album sleeve "Travel the Space Lanes with the crew of the Starship Enterprise as Captain Kirk pilots you through four all-new stories. Each action adventure written and recorded exclusively for this album," Power Records No. 8168, Peter Pan Records, 1976.  The art work on the album is in very good condition, I did play the record and there was one skip on the Stampede story, which may be fixable.

 According to the album sleeve, there are four stories on this LP, The Time Stealer, To Starve a Fleaver, The Logistics of Stampede, and A Mirror for Futility.  Researching these stories on Memory Alpha, I have included these summaries and their estimates on the story run times:

 Star Trek: Four Exciting Stories

Key Info

Specifics

Label

Power Records – 8168

Format:

Vinyl, LP

Country

US

Released

1976

Genre

Non-Music, Children's

Style

Story, Dialogue

 Track List

Side A

A Mirror For Futility - Alan Dean Foster

The Time Stealer -  Cary Bates, Neal Adamse

 Side B

The Logistics Of Stampede - Alan Dean Foster

To Starve A Fleaver

 Companies

Record Company – Peter Pan Records

Copyright © – Paramount Pictures Corporation

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Paramount Pictures Corporation

 Credits

Producer - Arthur Kolb

 Notes

Trademark of Paramount Pictures Corporation

 Barcode and Other Identifiers

Matrix / Runout (Side A etched runout variant 1): 8168-B̶

Matrix / Runout (Side B etched runout variant 1): 8168-A̶

1. The Time Stealer , run time of approx. 16 Minutes, Writers: Cary Bates & Neal Adams

 Summary

"Captain's log, stardate 6134.6 (2260s). The mysterious… time slow-down we're experiencing has affected… not only every crew member on board… but all the Enterprise's instruments and computer banks… it's as if… time itself were winding down… and us with it…"

 Spock reports that the time slowing phenomena began when the Enterprise came within three light years of the high-density energy field ahead. Captain Kirk orders Sulu to stop the engines and bring impulse power online. As they stop, Spock notes that the time slowing effect has ceased – "at least… things are getting  lower."

 Kirk orders the ship turned about to put at least ten light years between them and the strange distortion. Sulu notes that an alien vessel is approaching them from the starboard. Uhura tries to raise communications with them as the view screen shows the ship. It has an unfamiliar shape, but appears to be a warship. A hail arrives, and the voice introduces himself as Konrac and demands their surrender. The warship then fires on the Enterprise, causing some minimal damage.

 After a quick scan of the other ship, Spock notes that despite its size, there are only two life forms aboard. Kirk contacts Scotty and has them beam over the two beings to the Enterprise. When Spock and Kirk arrive at the transport dock, they discover Scotty slumped in a corner and Konrac on the attack. The only reason that Konrac cannot overcome Kirk is due to Kirk's advanced combat techniques, but they are fighting to a standstill. Spock sneaks up behind the other being, a man dressed in what appear to be wizard's robes, and uses the Vulcan nerve pinch to quickly subdue him. With that action, Konrac's strength vanishes, and Kirk is able to easily defeat him.

 In sickbay, Dr. McCoy explains that the wizard, Klee, actually is a wizard, and was using magic. As they discuss this, Sulu reports from the bridge that the time-slowdown area has moved. Konrac explains that the distortion is called a Gola and has its own orbit. He further explains that its orbit brings it in range of his planet on a regular basis, causing great problems. His civilization is as old as the Humans, but their development is still at the barbarian stages due to the time slowdown effects.

 "Captain's log, supplemental. Konrac and Klee were sincere. Their entire race was counting on them to wipe out the menace that had held their culture locked in a standstill for centuries. And now they had the help of a starship!"

 Kirk orders Chekov to fire phasers at the Gola, and even after three direct hits, no effect can be seen, just as with the photon torpedoes fired moments before. McCoy suggests that it is because the Gola is twisting time and avoiding the weapons of the Enterprise. At the same time, Spock notes that the Gola is now an enemy with intelligence, and it is approaching them directly. Klee and Spock huddle and discuss the situation. Between the two of them, they come up with a plan to attack its mind rather than its physical form.

 Klee began conjuring up mental images of his ancestors and storing them in the Enterprise computer banks. While he was doing so, Konrac tells Kirk about the origins of his culture, and that their oldest ancestors came from a planet called Earth. Before Kirk can inquire further, the Gola approaches even closer. Fortunately, Klee is prepared and launches his attack, but it is not enough. Klee and Konrac's culture is not old enough. Spock approaches the terminal and begins to glow with the same aura as Klee and added the history of the Vulcan people, millions of years all at once. The Gola is paralyzed with the shock. Spock tells Kirk that during the attack, he could feel the mind of the Gola. They put the sounds onto the speakers and it sounds like a crying baby. Spock notes that it is searching for its parent, the sun that spawned it.

 "Captain's log… stardate 6453.2. After using a long-range tractor beam to pull the Gola behind us for several days, we finally released it moments ago… as we orbited the star sun Spock's calculations had pinpointed as the parent. All of us watched the screen in eager anticipation…"

 The Gola is no longer a threat, and Konrac and Klee's world safe, and the two returned. Kirk tells Spock that something about the two still bothers him, and that they came from Earth originally, but that he knows of no records describing a culture vanishing from Earth at that time. Spock retorts, noting that he saw mental images of a sinking continent, and evacuations taking place aboard spaceships. He mentions the legend of Atlantis to which Kirk notes that he may have just solved one of the mysteries of Earth.

 Memorable quotes

"Enough! Enough! You have done the impossible! You have beaten me Captain Kirk!"

"Not so impossible actually. I simply applied a Vulcan nerve-pinch to your consort and caused him to pass out."

"Spock, I suppose I should say thank you, but I don't understand."

- Konrac, Spock, and Kirk

"I may just be an old country doctor myself… but I'd say the Gola was warping time all around him… makin' our phasers and photons detonate either in the past or future, instead of the here and now."

"I'm impressed doctor. For a mind of your caliber, that is an amazingly accurate assessment."

"Spock, you can take your Vulcan mind and–"

- McCoy and Spock, on why the ship's weapons have no effect

"Tell me, Captain, isn't there an old Earth legend about a civilization that sank beneath the sea… called Atlantis?"

"Atlantis! Mr. Spock, would you be surprised if you just solved one of the greatest mysteries on Earth of all time?"

"Surprised? Hardly, captain. Somewhat pleased, perhaps–"

"Spock, never mind…"

- Spock and Kirk, on discovering Klee and Konrac's origin

 Background information

• This is the only one of the stories set prior to Star Trek: The Motion Picture to feature Chekov.
• This story was sometimes accompanied by a comic book telling of the story (not in this auction, however).
• In the comic and on the LP sleeve, the barbarian character Konrac, as drawn, strongly resembles the then-current Marvel Comics rendition of Conan the Barbarian.
• This is one of the few stories to use narration, and the only one that Kirk narrates. It is also one of the few Peter Pan stories to begin in progress, with the Enterprise already in jeopardy.

 Characters

James T. Kirk

USS Enterprise's commanding officer, a Starfleet captain.

Spock

Half-Vulcan Enterprise XO and science officer, a Starfleet commander.

Leonard McCoy

Enterprise CMO, a Starfleet doctor with the rank of lieutenant commander.

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

Starfleet lieutenant commander serving as Enterprise chief engineer. In the comic, Scotty was pictured (in his 2270s commander's uniform, despite the fact that the story probably wasn't set during that era) on the photo cover of the second single release (#1514) of this story.

Uhura

Starfleet lieutenant serving as Enterprise communications officer.

Hikaru Sulu

Enterprise helmsman, a Starfleet lieutenant.

Pavel Chekov

Enterprise navigator, tactical officer and assistant science officer, a ensign.

Christine Chapel

Starfleet nurse assigned to the Enterprise. She had no mention in this story.

Janice Rand

Starfleet yeoman assigned to the Enterprise. She had no mention in this story.

 Others

Konrac

A barbarian warrior from a nearby planet.

Klee

A wizard descended from the original inhabitants of Atlantis, and consort to Konrac.

 References

Gola

The strange distortion that causes the time slowdown.

Atlantis

A mythical city on Earth, lost beneath the waves thousands of years ago.

2. To Starve a Fleaver, run time of approx. 15  Minutes Writer: Alan Dean Foster

 Summary

"Captain's log, stardate 5468.2 (2260s). A request has been received at Starfleet Headquarters from a recently contacted civilization – the system of Marpaplu – for accreditation as an associate member of the United Federation of Planets. The Enterprise has been ordered to Marpaplu to consider final processing of the Marpapluan application."

 Counselor Nice Housenik, ambassador from Marpaplu, beams up to the Enterprise to complete negotiations with Captain Kirk. Kirk leads the counselor on a tour of the bridge, and when Housenik asks about the controls on his command chair, Kirk starts a fit of uncontrolled laughter, and begins scratching himself. McCoy, Uhura and the others on the bridge follow suit, as does Montgomery Scott (who beamed Housenik aboard) and – eventually – most of the crew, save Spock.

 When McCoy leads the counselor to sickbay to examine him, he discovers hundreds of microscopic bugs on both the counselor's and his own skin. When shown the bugs, Housenik claims "they're only meegees", presuming everyone has a colony of the bugs on their person. When Spock relates that the opposite is normally true, and that meegees seem to be native only to Marpaplu, the counselor apologizes profusely and explains that they have a symbiotic relationship with the bugs, who feed on the happy thoughts and pleasant emotions of their hosts. They have had to come to this arrangement because the meegees cannot be destroyed without seriously damaging their host.

 Suddenly, a frustrated Scott enters sickbay to complain that his whole engineering crew has succumbed to the meegee attack, leaving them unable to tend his beloved engines. The situation has left Scott severely depressed, even to the point of tears. When McCoy notices that Scott isn't laughing or scratching, he takes a skin sample from the chief engineer, only to discover the meegees on Scott's body are dead. McCoy theorizes that strong negative emotions – such as Scott's frustration and sadness – can starve the meegees to death. Kirk makes a ship-wide announcement ordering the crew to think such sad thoughts so as to kill off the infestation. This leads Kirk to comment to McCoy that such an announcement was "the saddest order I've ever had to give", thus leading both officers to a depressed state. This quickly kills off the meegees, who are not used to such a concentration of negative emotions. Even Counselor Housenik's own colony of meegees seems to have died off.

 Eager to return to Marpaplu to regain a thriving colony of the bugs, Housnik asks if they can still complete the membership process. Kirk says they can, as long as a provision is put in place that Marpaplu be temporarily quarantined until a method is found to prevent the spread of meegees from the planet. Back on the bridge, McCoy comments that Spock seemingly did not succumb to the meegee attack – he didn't laugh or scratch at any time that he noticed. However, Uhura then comments that she heard Spock giggle earlier. When McCoy prods the Vulcan into giggling again, Spock claims he has never giggled and goes back to work, pushing the rest of the crew on the bridge into their own meegee-less bouts of giggles and laughter.

 Memorable quotes

"Humanoid alright, cap'n, but they're not verra big. I've got a ten-year-old cousin about that size..."

- Scott, after beaming up Counselor Housenik

"I am charmed beyond words, Uhura-she."
"Me too!"

- Housenik and Uhura, upon the Counselor being introduced to her

"C'mon, Spock! Giggle for us again!"

"Doctor McCoy, I do not, will not, and never have giggled. And now, if Lt. Uhura has had her fun, I have important work to attend to."

- McCoy and Spock, after Lt. Uhura insists she heard Spock giggle from the meegees

 Background information

• This story was not adapted into a comic book, but was released as a single LP with its own cover art depicting Counselor Housenik and the crew of the Enterprise on the ship's bridge (I have this Factory Sealed version on auction). As with the comic adaptations, this art did make the same error in character depiction of Lt. Uhura, who is shown as a blond Caucasian woman on the cover art (see above picture). It also presumably shows Spock laughing, which he never did in the story (unless you believe that Uhura heard him giggling).
• Also notable is the voice actor who played Sulu in the previous six stories is absent. The one short line Sulu has in the story is voiced by the same actor who voices Spock.
• In the story, Scott mentions he has a ten-year-old cousin who is of similar stature to Housenik. This may be an early – if unintentional – reference to Peter Preston.
• No explanation of what a Fleaver (from the story's title) refers to was ever given in the story. However, the story's title is obviously a play on the old adage, "starve a cold, feed a fever", and the fact that the meegees resemble microscopic fleas.
• Kirk refers to the Enterprise as a "Federation Cruiser".

 Characters

James T. Kirk

Enterprise captain.

Spock

Enterprise exec and science officer.

Leonard McCoy

Enterprise surgeon.

Montgomery Scott

Enterprise chief engineer.

Hikaru Sulu

Enterprise helmsman.

Uhura

Enterprise communications officer.

Counsellor Nice Housenik

Ambassador and representative of the Marpapluan peoples. Like all Marpapluans, he is short and has a very pleasant disposition. As depicted in the above-mentioned artwork, he has greenish-yellow skin, white hair and is balding.

 References

Starfleet Headquarters

Located on Earth in San Francisco, California.

Marpapluan system

Location of the home planets of the Marpapluans.

Meegees

Microscopic, quick-breeding, near-indestructible flea-like parasites that "feed" on pleasant emotions; can be killed by use of strong acid (which would also damage the host) or by the host giving off strong negative emotions (anger, frustration, sadness, etc.). Tend to cause an itch-like tickling of host if they sense a lack of nice emotions, thus trying to induce laughter and the emotions on which they feed. All Marpapluans carry a colony of meegees on their bodies, and can infest others with them if in close proximity for even a short time period.

 3. The Logistics of Stampede, approx run time of 15 minutes, Writer: Alan Dean Foster

 Summary

"Captain's log, stardate 5466.9. The Enterprise is in orbit around the outpost colony world of Ribol II, on orders from the Federation Agricultural Division, to try and find a solution to the destructive plague of Dranzers, which wipes out seventy to ninety percent of the grain crop every sixth year. A landing party of Doctor McCoy, First Officer Spock, and myself has beamed down to the Ribolian surface to survey the problem first hand. Mister Newt Henderson, of the Ribolian Settlers League, has taken us in hand."

 As they fly in an aircraft above a continent on Ribol II, Newt Henderson explains the Dranzer problem to Kirk, McCoy, and Spock. The Dranzers are beasts which normally live in the hilly grasslands of the west, but every six years, the Dranzer herd becomes massively overpopulated and stampedes east into the plains, trampling the majority of the Ribolian settlers' crops in the process. The settlers have managed to recover from the last such attack, but the Dranzers' numbers are once again growing, and another stampede is expected within six months. However, that estimate is optimistic, as the beasts' populations have already reached critical levels, and the stampede could effectively start at any time.

 Unfortunately, the Dranzers can't simply be eradicated, as the tall grass in the hills would take over the plains if not kept in check by the Dranzers' grazing. Nor will selective pruning work, as the settlers' last (and presumably, best) attempt – made three years ago – caused a premature stampede that destroyed much of their foothill croplands. Newt – complaining that Ribol has been petitioning Starfleet for help since the last stampede – demands that Kirk and crew help the Ribolians solve this problem; after all, they supply foodstuffs for many other Federation colonies, and they ARE taxpayers.

 Spock postulates a possible solution. He explains that for it to work, they must capture one of the largest Dranzers they can find. Apparently they do this, and Spock and McCoy beam to the Enterprise and get to work. Meanwhile, Kirk persuades Newt to – reluctantly – provide some of the Ribolians' high-speed ground vehicles.

 Spock and McCoy then beam down with a small container of liquid. As Spock begins to explain the plan, which involves distributing the liquid into the spray canisters on each vehicle, Henderson's assistant Ellie bursts in with information that the stampede has begun. There is no time to further explain the plan.

 Three "Control Groups" of the vehicles race out to the 2,000-kilometer-long front of the stampeding herd. They begin to release the liquid in the tanks, and the herd begins to follow the vehicles. As Kirk explains to Newt, the Dranzers follow the musky scent of the herd leaders, and McCoy has synthesized a highly-concentrated version of the Dranzer musk.

 After a day's worth of travel, they manage to lead the Dranzer stampede in a circle. The stampeding animals in the front of the herd will now follow the animals in the back of the herd, until they get exhausted and die. The crops are saved for another six years, and the normal number of surviving Dranzer will continue to kill the tall grass of the hills.

 Newt contacts Spock and thanks him on behalf of the colony for solving the problem. Spock, however warns Henderson that since they've altered the normal stampede path of the animals, their corpses – which helped fertilize the soil as they decomposed – would now have to be moved from the hill regions to the fields. Newt informs Spock that means moving some 100 million Dranzer bodies, which weigh about two tons apiece. He then turns to Kirk for further aid, but the captain reminds him that they have to help themselves as well, and suggests he coordinate the settlers to start moving the bodies once the stampede subsides, or the smell of all the decomposing bodies wafting down from the hills will be unbearable.

 Memorable quotes

"I fear that government is rarely run according to scientific principles."

- Spock

 "If this doesn't work, they're going to have to scrape us off the ground."

- McCoy, commenting on Spock's plan for controlling the dranzers.

 Background information

• Newt Henderson refers to paying taxes to the Federation.
• The Ribolians speak with a Norwegian accent.

 Characters

James T. Kirk

Enterprise captain.

Spock

Enterprise exec and science officer.

Leonard McCoy

Enterprise surgeon.

Landowner Newt Henderson

Representative of the Ribolian Settlers League.

Ellie

A Ribolian woman who brings news to Newt.

 References

Federation Agricultural Division

A department of the Federation.

Ribol II

An outpost colony world settled 12 years before stardate 5466.9.

Ribolian Settlers League

A group who's membership includes Newt Henderson.

Dranzer

An animal native to Ribol II, with long black hair and flat quadruple horns. They are about half the size of an Earth elephant, resemble a cross between a pig and a buffalo, and breed like rabbits. Dranzers have very poor eyesight, the herd leaders produce a musky odor which the others follow. They prefer to live in hilly grasslands.

Delatra family

Owners of a ranch in the northwest quadrant on Ribol II.

4. A Mirror for Futility , approx run time of 12 minutes, Writer: Alan Dean Foster

 Summary

"Captain's log, stardate 5470. The Enterprise is on routine patrol on the outer fringes of Federation territory facing the intergalactic gulf. We are preparing to terminate the patrol. Nothing unusual has been encountered. Log concluded."

 Near the end of the patrol, Mr. Sulu reports readings of extremely powerful radiation near the edge of their sensor range. Spock notes that it is unlike any natural phenomenon. Captain Kirk orders them to approach it and investigate when Sulu suggests that there are possibly two centers.

 As they approach it, they discover that there are two enormous starships, each at least sixty times the mass of the Enterprise, in combat with each other, using weapons that Spock cannot describe and communicating in languages that Uhura cannot decipher, even with the universal translator.

 Finally, one of the ships contacts the Enterprise, identifying itself as Red Worm of the Unified Dray Peoples. It does not recognize the Federation, and tells them that it assumes that they are neutral. Dr. McCoy tells Kirk to confirm that, but before Kirk can, they are contacted by the other vessel, introducing itself as Renderer, a warship of the Nax Empire. Kirk asks Spock if he can find information on either civilization. While he searches, both signals fade, and the two warships concentrate on attacking one another again.

 Spock reports that both civilizations can only be found in myth, and are both reported to have died out over 150,000 years ago. Kirk contacts both ships asking to speak to an officer, but both seem to be unmanned. Spock speculates that both are run by computer and have been engaging in such combat for 150 millennia. Unfortunately, the ships are on course to the heart of the Federation.

 Kirk contacts the two ships, suggesting they go elsewhere, but both take offense. Spock, McCoy, and Kirk discuss the situation, coming to the conclusion that they need to bluff the combatants. Kirk does so, threatening the arrival of thousands of Federation warships if they continue on their current course. As he sends the message, the Enterprise jumps to warp 8, just as the two ships fire on their previous position and move to pursue.

 The two vessels are now headed away from the Federation, but still in pursuit of the Enterprise as they continue to battle each other. The Enterprise slowly increases speed, pulling away from them, but neither of the two ships appear to notice, too involved with each other. The Enterprise sets course for Starbase 14, knowing that the two ships are so evenly matched that they will not likely cause any problems again in the future.

 Memorable quotes

"A trick! I see through you now! There is no such thing as a "United Federation of Planets." It was a low ploy of you, blashphemer, to attempt to fool me into assuming a weaker tactical position."

"You are quick, quick, evil monster! Did you truly think to trick me, me, with such a feeble lie! This United Federation, this tiny fabrication masquerading as an inhabited ship, is but a decoy, manufactured in your own perverted factories! You will pay for that. Die, social misfit!"
"I shall extinguish your noiseomness imperial vileness!"

- Red Worm and Renderer, during combat

 Background information

• This story was sometimes accompanied by a comic book telling of the story but not in this auction

 Characters

James T. Kirk

Enterprise captain.

Spock

Enterprise exec and science officer.

Leonard McCoy

Enterprise surgeon.

Montgomery Scott

Enterprise chief engineer.

Hikaru Sulu

Enterprise helmsman.

Uhura

Enterprise communications officer.

References

Starbase 14

A Federation Starbase.

Red Worm

333rd super-dreadnought spaceship built by the Unified Dray Peoples.

Renderer

A warship built by the Nax Empire.

Nax Empire and Unified Dray

Two civilizations that flourished over 150,000 years before, and enemies to one another..

  Note to Buyers:

I am selling hundreds of collectible Star Trek TOS items (LPs, records, press kits, movie posters, kites, paper goods, and etc.) and hundreds of vintage Star Trek books which has taken me nearly a year to organize, compile, grade, describe, and photograph so please see all my other Star Trek book auctions and collectible auctions. Nearly all of the book auction sales can be combined for economical shipping with a few exceptions (e.g., the early "numbered" Star Trek book auctions where I've already combined ~50 books together so those boxes are already pretty big and heavy so I have specifically excluded those very few auctions from a combined shipping option).

Please note that this combined shipping option is available for domestic US customers by simply waiting for me to gather your auction wins together and quote you a revised shipping cost.  Do not pay the automated eBay invoice if you buy more than one item, please allow me to combine your items and quote you an economical combined shipping price.   

Unfortunately eBay prohibits sellers from direct invoicing or combining shipping for international buyers; in fact, we aren't allowed to be involved in what they charge you.  If you buy more than one item as an international buyer, the eBay automated system mindlessly adds all the individual shipping costs up when, in fact, your items could have been combined for a shipping cost saving. If this happens to you, please message me and I have a way of remedying that situation. For domestic buyers, if you buy more than one item during any given week, do not pay the automated eBay invoice that is issued at the auction close, rather please wait for me to issue you a combined shipping invoice. Please note that given I am selling nearly 400 books, I will need the following day to work out how to combine your multiple auction wins. Luckily, nearly all these Star Trek books qualify for economical Media Mail shipping although I did provide on occasion either a First Class or Priority Mail shipping option if you need the items quickly. 

I have provided numerous photos of the books so please inspect those photos carefully for any issues before you make a purchase. I have attempted to grade the books using the ABE Books system and note any major flaws with the volumes. I have provided a lot of photos for you to examine to inspect the condition of any given item.    

I am also selling my entire historical geological reference library (also numbering in the hundreds), movie posters, and other interesting books in preparation for retirement so if you are interested, please see those auctions also. 

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