Line #14 Recap/StarTrekS3E8ForTheWorldIsHollowAndIHaveTouchedTheSky


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sideboobnomore.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:"It's about damn time I get the chance to get some!"]]
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4	'''Original air date:''' November 8, 1968
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6	The ''Enterprise'' is attacked by what appears to be a normal asteroid, but what turns out to be a cleverly disguised [[GenerationShips generation ship]] called the ''Yonada''. The ship is on a [[ColonyDrop collision course]] for a Federation planet with a population of 4 billion. As the PowerTrio beam over, they discover a people from a long-dead civilization. The people still believe that they are on the planet, which was destroyed when their sun went nova, and anyone who learns the truth is killed by the Oracle, actually the main computer of the ship. [=McCoy=], who has been diagnosed with a rare, incurable disease that will kill him in a year, begins to fall in love with one of the women of ''Yonada'', and decides to join the ship in exchange for Kirk and Spock's lives when they're caught trying to figure out a way to divert the ship from its course. [=McCoy=] himself finds out the way to divert the course, but the trio must fight the Oracle every step of the way to do so. As they do, they consult the civilization's database, which also has the cure to [=McCoy's=] condition.
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8	"For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" is the longest title of any ''Franchise/StarTrek'' episode. Amazingly, they actually pull off a fairly well-executed TitleDrop.
9	----
10	!!For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Tropes:
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12	* AgonyBeam: The Instrument of Obedience, a subcutaneous implant placed in a person's head, can inflict horrible, even lethal, pain on them when they violate any rule set down by the Oracle.
13	* AliensSpeakingEnglish: The Fabrini have their own written language that was considered dead. (Though conveniently enough, Spock can read it. Presumably Fabrini artifacts were found on other planets, otherwise how would he even know the asteroid people ''were'' Fabrini.) It's never explained how the Fabrini can speak English, being cut off from any outsiders for centuries.
14	* AllThereInTheManual: The novelization of this episode explains why the ship went off course: Yonada included native animal life to sell the illusion of a normal planet, including insects; a wasps' nest set up shop in one of the attitude control engines. In the episode proper, you can see Spock massaging his finger after being stung when he comes back from fixing the engine issue.
15	* CityInABottle: Yonada. The entire "world" is really a massive generation ship, on which everyone has forgotten this fact. If anyone finds out, then the Oracle (its resident supercomputer AI who's worshiped as a god) will kill them.
16	* ConvertingForLove: Bones agrees to submit to the Oracle in order to marry Natira.
17	* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Oracle might be a brutal tyrant, but it is very insistent that the "Instruments of Obedience" only be implanted with Bones' full consent.
18	* EverybodyWasKungFuFighting: Spock can be seen karate-chopping a guard during the melee, but another grabs his arms before he can be nerve-pinched.
19	* FourthDateMarriage: Fourth date? Try no date! Bones points out to Natira that they barely know each other, but he needs little convincing to marry her.
20	* FriendshipMoment:
21	** When Spock is told Bones is dying, his reaction is simply to arch an eyebrow and allow his hand to linger on Bones' arm a little longer than need be after helping him up. Coming from TheSpock, this may as well be a tearful embrace.
22	** Also, when [=McCoy=] is being cured of xenopolycythemia, Kirk reacts to [=McCoy=]'s intense pain by touching his friend's arm.
23	* GirlOfTheWeek: Natira. Nah, she and Bones don't settle into HappilyEverAfter. Their ending is closer to Rick and Elsa from ''Film/{{Casablanca}}''. Well, they'll always have Yonada. (Although there's a line left in that suggests this isn't the end of their relationship... see Trivia.)
24	* HandGagging: Jim silencing Natira when she calls for her guards.
25	* HesDeadJim: Bones gives a blunt, "He's dead" after checking the Old Man's pulse.
26	* HighPriest: Natira is this for the Yonadans, heading their religion. She alone, plus her husband, is allowed to view the Book of the People, their holy text.
27	* HisNameIs: Bones collapses in agony from his implant before he can reveal where the manual is.
28	* HollowWorld: The asteroid/generation ship Yonada.
29	* HumanAliens: The Fabrini look identical to Humans. Nobody comments on this.
30	* IdiotBall:
31	** The Oracle tries to cook the Enterprise trio to death rather than immobilise or stun them with its force field.
32	** By keeping the population in ignorance, the Oracle can't adapt to an easily-repaired fault in its circuitry.
33	* IChooseToStay: Even after finding the truth, Natira chooses to stay on Yonada and lead her people to their Promised Land, rather than roam the universe with [=McCoy=].
34	* JerkassGods: Kirk gives the Oracle the standard "[[WeComeInPeace We come as friends]]" line. The Oracle responds, "Then learn what it is to be our enemy" and gives them a severe electric shock for no reason other than a show of power.
35	* KeeperOfForbiddenKnowledge: Natira guards a book that [[ReadTheFreakingManual explains everything]]. Reading it is blasphemy. Just looking at it is an honor reserved only for the High Priestess and her husband.
36	* KneelBeforeZod: Our heroes don't object as the context is obviously religious.
37	* LargeHam: Jim...uses excessive...pauses...and gestures...when trying to...convince Natira...of the truth!
38	* LoveAtFirstSight: An insight into the brain of Bones: "OK, I'm gonna be dead in a year, but I'm still gonna protect my friends with my bare hands! So get ready for a knuckle...whoa! Check out the babe in the barely there toga!" Natira falls for our curmudgeonly doctor fairly quickly.
39	* MeaningfulName: The Creators of Yonada belonged to a race called the Fabrini. The Latin word "fabri" can be translated as "makers" or "creators".
40	* OrionDrive: Yonada is constructed out of a hollowed-out iron asteroid, propelled using "Orion class nuclear pulse engines" in which fission bombs were detonated in shafts. It appeared to have been traveling for about 10,000 years, and had traveled about 30 light years on its own power.
41	* OurDoorsAreDifferent
42	** The lift cylinders to the UndergroundCity slide upwards.
43	** Natira waves her hands over the writing on the door to the Oracle, causing it to open. Spock knows the language and just copies the gesture.
44	* PathOfInspiration: The ideals of worship of the Oracle revolve around truth and obedience. Well, turns out more of the latter than the former.
45	* PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: Bones begs Natira not to have Spock and Kirk executed for blasphemy. She rather casually agrees for the sake of their future marriage.
46	* PlanetSpaceship: One 200 miles in diameter.
47	* PopulationControl: The Oracle chooses everyone's mate for them, to insure their social harmony, except the High Priestess. She is the only one allowed to choose for herself. It presumably also controls how many are born too, preventing any overpopulation in the ship's limited space.
48	* PrimeDirective: Spock points out that revealing the truth about their 'world' would violate this, but Kirk points out that it can hardly be more devastating an effect than letting them ColonyDrop an inhabited planet (not to mention being destroyed by Starfleet to prevent this happening).
49	* ReligionIsWrong: The people of the spaceship Yonada have forgotten they're in a spaceship and are ruled by an unforgiving Oracle that can deal out instant, painful death should anyone disobey. The Oracle is also a computer, this time defeated when its [[HighPriest head Priestess]] turns against it after [=McCoy=] convinces her she's wrong through ThePowerOfLove and common sense.
50	* RestrainingBolt: The "Instruments of Obedience" are subcutaneous chips that cause unbearable pain whenever anyone tries to learn or reveal the truth about Yonada.
51	* SacredScripture: The Book of the People, which contains all knowledge on the Fabrini. Only the High Priestess plus their husband is allowed to view it. Anyone else trying to will be killed by the Oracle. It turns out to just be a manual on how their world ship's computer (the Oracle) works.
52	* SecretlyDying: Dr. [=McCoy=] learns that he's suffering from a disease called xenopolycythemia which will kill him in one year. When he tells Kirk about it he asks him to keep it to himself so he'll be most effective in his job in the time left.
53	* SecretUndergroundPassage: The door to the MasterComputer room is revealed to be behind the Oracle.
54	* StatusQuoIsGod: The cure for [=McCoy=]'s illness is conveniently stumbled upon shortly before the episode ends.
55	* ThatsAnOrder
56	** Kirk point-blank orders Bones to come back to the Enterprise with them. [[IChooseToStay He calmly refuses.]]
57	** Kirk is ordered by Starfleet to move onto his next assignment, implying that Starfleet will destroy the asteroid if it doesn't change course.
58	* ThatsNoMoon: A giant asteroid turns out to be a worldship for an almost-long dead civilization. In a twist, none of the inhabitants know they are on a worldship until the Enterprise crew tells them.
59	* TheTheocracy: Yonadan society is run by the Oracle, a computer whom they believe is a god, and their High Priestess.
60	* TitleDrop
61	-->'''Kirk:''' Why is it forbidden?
62	-->'''Old Man:''' I am not sure. ''(wince at sudden pain in his head)'' But things are not as they teach us. For the world is hollow, and I have touched the sky! ''([[YouKnowTooMuch collapses in agony]])''
63	* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: To ensure the populace remains passive and stable until they reach their new world, the Oracle controls everybody with implanted surveillance/punishment devices, PopulationControl (the High Priestess is the only one with the right to choose her own mate), and total ignorance of their true condition.
64	* TheWallAroundTheWorld: The whole world of Yonada is an asteroid. Presumably for [[CabinFever psychological reasons]], the population are kept in ignorance of this.
65	* WeCanRuleTogether: A non-villainous version, as Natira wants Bones to rule alongside her as her consort.
66	* WeNeedADistraction: Kirk tells Bones to keep Natira busy while he and Spock snoop around. It works a bit too well.
67	* YouFool
68	-->'''Natira:''' Fools. You think we are children? You think you can do as you please, commit whatever offence amuses you?

Context Recap / StarTrekS3E8ForTheWorldIsHollowAndIHaveTouchedTheSky