Stardate 3156.2: The Enterprise arrives at Beta III to investigate the disappearance of the U.S.S. Archon which took place over 100 years ago. When Sulu's behavior dramatically changes after returning from an initial survey of the planet's culture, Kirk beams down with another landing party to investigate. They are met by a calm and courteous group of citizenry who suddenly change into a wild and violent mob at the beginning of what is known as Red Hour. The landing party seek cover in a nearby hotel but come under the suspicion of an older man who claims that the newcomers are not of the "body" and quickly summons the lawgivers to deal with them. Kirk, however, refuses to accompany the lawgivers and instead follows Reger, a native Betan who promises to protect the landing party from the will of Landru. Landru, Kirk learns, is the being who controls every aspect of a Betan society where all but a handful of people who resist are part of the collective conscious known as the body. Red Hour, it seems, is the only time that the citizens are allowed to be independent and vent their built-up emotions. Despite their attempt to hide, Landru imprisons the landing party until each of its members are brought into the body by the absorption chamber. Kirk and Spock are saved by another member of the resistance and are led to the hall where Landru resides. They discover that Landru is actually a computer which was programmed by the original Landru, a scientist who lived over 6000 years ago, to lead his people towards peaceful progress. The computer, however, was not programmed with Landru's wisdom and over the years has interpreted the original Landru's guidelines so rigidly that freedom and self-expression have been sacrificed for a controlled peace and harmony. Kirk argues that the computer, in it's attempt to carry out Landru's wishes, has harmed the society by not allowing freedom and individualistic expression. Landru cannot escape Kirk's argument and destroys itself leaving the Betans free to develop a more humanistic society.