By the light of a large lavender blue-screen, Kirk poses on a dais as he confers with a man in an orange tunic. Thunder and lightning from a Boris Karloff horror flick crash somewhere nearby. Orange Tunic tells Kirk, "We believe what you say, Captain, but our position has not altered. The Halkan Council cannot permit your Federation to mine dilithium crystals on our planet." Kirk tells him that their history will prove the Federation has a mission of peace, not war, but Orange Tunic tells him that that might be true now, but who knows what could happen in the future. If the dilithium taken from their planet were used to kill one person, it would violate the Halkans' unbroken history of total peace, and to prevent that, they would willingly die as a race. Oh, quit it with the Joan of Arc-ing; it's just a few measly crystals. Kirk respects Orange Tunic's ethics, and adds that he hopes to prove theirs to the Halkans.
More Karloff crashes. Kirk comms Enterprise and asks for a report on the magnetic storm. Spock reports that it's of the standard ion variety, very violent and unpredictable. Kirk tells them to get ready to beam him and the landing party aboard, then asks Orange Tunic when they can confer again. "The Council will meditate further. But do not be hopeful of any change," Orange Tunic tells him. Kirk is readying himself to beam up when Orange Tunic adds, "Captain, you do have the might to force the crystals from us, of course." Kirk turns to show the camera his best angle: "But we won't. Consider that!" Orange Tunic looks thoughtful. Kirk gives the transport order, and they de-materialize just as more fake thunder and lightening crashes.
Spock enters the transporter room and is told by the transporter chief that they're having trouble with the beam up. The away team's images almost solidify, but then faaaade and disappear. Shot of Enterprise above a stock red gobstopper planet. Green flashes of light. Wait! There's another Enterprise going the opposite direction over the red gobstopper! What can this all mean? The away team materializes on the transporter pad -- but hang on a moment, what are they wearing? Uhura seems to have lost the middle section of her uniform during transport and is now wearing just a red jog bra and matching mini-skirt with thigh-high black leather boots and a sparkly gold sash. Bones and Scotty got off lightly, sartorially speaking; their normal shirts are tastefully augmented by a few foreign insignias and patches, but they too are wearing gold sashes. But it's Kirk's ensemble that takes the cellular peptide cake: he's duded up in a sleeveless crossover gold top with brushed gold trim, foreign patches, and a gold sash. It's like the gold lamé machine swallowed a canister of sequins and then experienced explosive diarrhea all over him. Not noticing anything amiss with themselves, the away team steps off of the transporter pad. Kirk says, "Spock was right -- it was a rough trip." Kirk suddenly looks up and notices that Spock has a goatee! How long were they on that planet? The Vulcan Formerly Known As Spock and the transporter chief each pound twice with a clenched right fist on the left side of their upper chests and Heil their arms out, a la Sammy Sosa. Two door guards also do the Heil, Kirkler action. Finally, the away team looks down and notices their costume changes. Captain, I don't think we're in Kronos anymore. Have you ever noticed that whenever TOS had a alternate universe episode, someone always had to paste on a facial toupeé?