 The Genesis planet became a doomed experiment partly for dramatic reasons ; having a time limit for the characters to save Spock added tension . Nimoy was also interested in scientific ethics — how quickly can science move and what are the dangers of that movement . University of Houston professor Dr. John Hansen notes that while Spock 's sacrifice in The Wrath of Khan is the " archetype of reason and rationality manifesting the archetype of human virtue , " a selfless and freely @-@ made choice , the death of Valkris ( who has learned too much about the Genesis Device ) in The Search for Spock is far different : the Klingon willingly accepts her death for the " common good " as determined by the state , relinquishing her liberty and life . Hansen contends that the issues of personal liberty and the exploitation of technology , in this case Genesis , are " intertwined " . The Genesis Device was intended as a liberating technology , creating life from lifelessness , but in the Klingon view it is a tool for dominion ( contrasting the contemporary views of how technology can promote or constrain liberty ) . 
