This is a beautiful death scene. I love the shared dialogue. Spock is trapped inside an engine room. He and Kirk are separated by thick plastic walls.
Kirk, “Spock.”
Spock, “Ship... out of danger?”
Kirk, “Yes.”
Spock, “Don't grieve, Admiral. It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh...”
Kirk, “...the needs of the few.”
Spock, “...Or the one. I never took the Kobayashi Maru test until now. What do you think of my solution?”
Kirk, “Spock...“
Spock, “I have been and always shall be your friend.
[Holds up his hand in the Vulcan salute] Live long and prosper.”
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
The Kobayashi Maru Test is a role-playing game that Captains in Starfleet need to go through in order to achieve their rank. The test presents a no-win situation and is meant to show captains that difficult decisions need to be made and sometimes life gives you a no-win situation.
Only one person in the entire history of Starfleet has ever beaten the odds and passed the test. Kirk reprogrammed the computers so that he would be able to make a decision where the ship did not get obliterated during the demonstration. When asked about cheating, Kirk simply states that he doesn’t believe in the no-win situation. Neither do I. This back-story makes the above exchange even more meaningful.
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