Episode 46-A Piece of the Action

Trekking Through Compliance

In this episode of Trekking Through Compliance, we consider the episode A Piece of the Action, which aired on January 12, 1968, and occurred on Star Date 4598.1.

The Enterprise crew attempts to contact the inhabitants of planet Sigma Iotia II, whose inhabitants of Sigma Iotia II have built a culture around the book Chicago Mobs of the Twenties accidentally left behind a hundred years ago by the S.S. Horizon. At the Horizon’s visit, the noninterference directive was not in effect, so Kirk, McCoy, and Spock wondered what sort of “contamination” they would encounter. Upon arriving, they are held at gunpoint but are taken safely to the “Boss” after a machine gun attack by rival boss Krako.

There are a dozen or so Bosses across the planet, each controlling his territory. Krako, Boss of the southside territory, also wants heaters and instruction on how to use them and offers Kirk one-third of the proceeds of their use. The Bosses are impressed by a display of the Enterprise’s firepower and agree to Kirk’s planet unification, with Oxmyx as head Boss and Krako as his Lieutenant. Spock has reservations about leaving a criminal organization in charge and wonders how Kirk plans to collect a 40% cut every year.

As the Enterprise leaves, however, McCoy realizes he has left his communicator behind in Bella’s office. The communicator contains a transtator, the integral part found in all machinery found in the Enterprise, so the imitative Iotians will likely have made impressive technological progress the next time the Federation visits them.

Compliance Takeaways:

1. The written word still holds power.

2. Can you communicate in local vernacular?

3. How do you select your Board of Directors?

Resources

Excruciatingly Detailed Plot Summary by Eric W. Weisstein

MissionLogPodcast.com

Memory Alpha

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