1.6 Mudd's Women

==Overview-- The Enterprise is damaged while saving charlatan Harry Mudd and three stunningly beautiful women from a damaged spacecraft, and the women drive the men of the Enterprise to distraction.

Plot Summary
Stardate: 1329.8 Eve, Ruth, and Magda Eve, Ruth, and Magda

The Enterprise is in pursuit of an unknown vessel which refuses to communicate with them. The unknown ship tries to lose the Enterprise in an asteroid belt, but pushes itself too hard, overheating it's engines and losing power. In order to preserve the ship, Kirk extends the Enterprise's deflect screen over the ship, risking the overload of their own engines. Spock and Scotty manage to beam the crew of the disabled ship on-board before the ship is destroyed: Captain Leo Walsh, and three beautiful women. The women are so dazzling, that it takes several moments for Scotty and Bones to collect themselves and respond to Kirk, who orders them to bring the crew of the other ship to him.

Walsh and the women are brought to Kirk's cabin. When asked if the women are his crew, Walsh says that they aren't crew, but rather, cargo. Walsh tries to convince Kirk that he had no idea that the Enterprise was a Federation vessel and that was why he tried to evade them. Kirk doesn't believe the man, and has him confined to quarters.

However, the ship's problems do not stop there. Both Kirk and Spock notice that the women from the other ship have an almost mesmerizing effect on the male members of crew, to the point that they are distracted in their duties after seeing them. The Enterprise is also badly damaged from the efforts of saving the other ship: all but one lithium crystal is destroyed, and that crystal is damaged and will not last long. The crew's only choice is to set course for a mining facility 2 days away. Mudd's Record Mudd's Record

As they travel to the facility, Kirk brings Walsh up on charges. Using the computer as a lie detector, it is reveal that Walsh's name is really Harcourt Mudd, and that he has a long criminal history, and he says that he had recruited the women as wives for settlers on a colony. One of the women, Eve, says that they all agreed to their position. It is decided to hand Mudd over to the proper authorities as soon as possible. However, soon after the hearing, the last crystal fails, putting the entire ship reliant on battery power. As the crew leaves, Mudd revels in this turn of fate, telling the women that they can go to the lithium miners, who will be lonely and rich, and that when it is done, Mudd will be in a position to take command of the Enterprise. Ruth sets off the scanner Ruth sets off the scanner

As the ship limps towards the mining facility, Kirk is increasing worried about the effects of the women on the crew. One of the women, Ruth, visits McCoy in sickbay. Bones notices that the woman causes one of his medical scanners to act oddly. However, Ruth distracts, and asks about the health of the miners. Bones tells her that the 3 miners at the facility are in good health. With this information in hand, she exits, leaving Bones to wonder why she triggered the scanner. Eve tries to seduce Kirk Eve tries to seduce Kirk

Another of the women, Eve, is in Kirk's quarters when he returns. She claims she ducked in there because she had become nervous at how the men of the crew where looking at her. She tries to seduce Kirk, but as she resists, she suddenly gives up, saying despite what Mudd says, she just can't go through with it. She leaves, saying that she "hates this whole thing."

The final women, Magda, returns to Mudd's quarters, having gotten to use the communications to find out information on the miners. As Mudd, Magda, and Ruth plot on how they will take the ship and get the women down to the facility, Eve returns. She tells Mudd that she doesn't like him. However, she becomes ill, saying that "it must be near time."

The ship nears the mining facility, with the crew obviously distracted in their duties. Kirk and Bones try to decide what is it about the women that are distracting the crew, but they can't quite put their fingers on it. Meanwhile, one of the women manage to get a hold of a communicator, and Mudd makes contact with the facility. When they arrive, the Enterprise has only enough power to obtain a temporary orbit. Mudd gives Ruth and Magda the drug Mudd gives Ruth and Magda the drug

In Mudd's cabin, the women are transforming, becoming uglier. Magda and Ruth beg Mudd for pills to make them beautiful again, but Eve merely chides Mudd, saying that he will never find the pills, and that even if he does, they are a cheat. Mudd finds where he finds the pills, and Magda and Ruth take them eagerly. Eve resists the urge to take the pill, but Mudd convinces her to take one.

The miners are beamed onto the Enterprise, The miners are taken to Kirk, where they make a demand: in return for more lithium crystals, they want the Mudd and his women. Kirk refuses at first, but in time as the ship loses power, he has no choice but to give in to the demands. He and Spock accompany Mudd and women down to facility to get the crystals, but the miners blow them off, instead taking in the presence of the women. Magda and Ruth flirt openly with the miners, but Eve is more withdrawn, causing the three miners to feud over the other two. In the confusion, Eve flees into a windstorm followed by one of the miners. Kirk follows but can't find them. The miner decides to let Eve stay The miner decides to let Eve stay

Kirk returns to the Enterprise to use the scanners to search for her, but the storm is blocking their sensors, and is further drawing on their dwindling power supply. The miner who went after Eve finds her, and takes her to his quarters. Kirk takes Mudd with him, and when they arrive, Eve is already losing her looks. It turns out that Mudd has been using an illegal drug to keep the women beautiful. The miner, after getting to know Eve as her true self, gives up the crystals, and offers to let Eve stay with him, if she wants to. Mudd tries to convince Kirk to leave him on the planet, but Kirk takes him to stand trial. End End

With the women planet side, and new crystals powering the ship, the Enterprise departs, with Spock saying that he is glad that this annoyingly emotional problem is behind them.

Production Notes
The story of "Mudd's Women" were one of three submitted as the second pilot for the series, losing out to "Where No Man Has Gone Before."