Original subtitles

Personal log, stardate 301 3.1 .

l find it hard to believe the events of the past 24 hours,

or the plea of Mr Spock, standing general court martial.

How do you plead to unlawfully taking command of this starship?

Guilty.

Of sabotaging computers of the vessel and locking it on course for Talos lV?

Guilty.

And of forcibly attempting to transport Captain Pike there?

Guilty.

Why? Why does Spock want to take to that forbidden world his former captain?

Mutilated by a recent space disaster, now a shell of a man,

unable to speak or move.

The only answer Spock would give was on the screen.

How he could do this, he refused to explain.

But there before our eyes, actual images from 1 3 years ago

of Pike when he commanded this vessel.

Of Spock in those days,

and of how the Enterprise became the first and only starship to visit Talos lV.

They had received a distress signal from that planet

and discovered, still alive after many years, survivors of a missing vessel,

only to find it was all an illusion.

No survivors. No encampment.

lt was all a trap set by a race of beings

who could make a man see anything they wished him to see.

Captain Pike was gone, a prisoner for some unknown purpose.

- The images we are seeing... - Are coming from Talos lV.

You're aware of the orders regarding any contact with Talos lV.

You have deliberately invited the death penalty.

Do you know what you're doing? Have you lost your mind?

Please. Don't stop me. Don't let him stop me.

lt's your career and Captain Pike's life.

You must see the rest of the transmission.

Space - the final frontier.

These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.

lts five-year mission, to explore strange new worlds,

to seek out new life and new civilisations,

to boldly go where no man has gone before.

The court martial of Mr Spock has been convened in closed session.

Despite all we can do, images continue to be transmitted to us from Talos lV.

Starfleet has ordered no contact with Talos lV. They made no exceptions.

You have no choice, sir. l'm sorry.

The keeper has taken over control of our screen. Do you understand, sir?

As you saw, Captain Pike was knocked out and captured by the Talosians.

Can you hear me?

My name is Christopher Pike.

Commander of the Enterprise from the other end of this galaxy.

Our intentions are peaceful. Can you understand me?

The intelligence of the specimen is shockingly limited.

This is no surprise. His vessel was baited easily with a simulated message.

As you can read in its thoughts,

it is now suspecting that the survivors were an illusion we placed in their minds.

You're not speaking yet l hear you.

Note the confusion as it reads our thought transmissions.

All right. Telepathy. You can read my mind, l can read yours.

lf you want my ship to consider capturing me...

You'll now see the primitive fear-threat reaction.

The specimen is about to boast of his strength, weaponry, and so on.

Next, frustrated into a need to display physical prowess,

the creature will throw himself against the transparency.

lf you were in here wouldn't you test the strength of these walls, too?

There's a way out of any cage and l'll find it.

Despite frustration, it is more adaptable than specimens from other planets.

We can soon begin the experiment.

lnhabitants of this planet must live underground.

Probably manufacture food down there.

Our tests indicate the planet's surface

without more vegetation is simply too barren to support life.

- So we thought we saw survivors? - Exactly.

An illusion placed in our minds by the planet's inhabitants.

lt was a perfect illusion. They had us seeing just what we wanted to see.

Human beings who'd survived with dignity and bravery,

entirely logical, right down to the tattered clothing, everything.

Now, let's be sure we understand the danger of this.

lnhabitants of this planet can read minds,

create illusions out of a person's thoughts, memories,

even out of a person's own desires.

lllusions just as real as this table top and just as impossible to ignore.

lt's Captain Pike they've got. He needs help.

lf we start buzzing about down there, we'll find their mental power is so great

they could swat this ship like a fly.

That entry stood up against lasers,

but we can transmit the ship's power against it.

Engineering deck will rig to transmit ship's power. We'll try blasting through.

Thousands of us are already probing the creature's thoughts.

We find excellent memory capacity.

l read strongly a recent death struggle in which it fought to protect its life.

We will begin with this,

giving the specimen something more interesting to protect.

Come on. We must hide ourselves.

Come, come.

Hurry. lt's deserted. There will be weapons and perhaps food.

- This is Rigel Vll. - Please. We must hide ourselves.

l was in a cage, a cell, in some kind of a zoo. l must still be there.

Come on!

They've used the memory of somewhere l've been.

The killer!

lt's starting just as it happened two weeks ago.

Except for you.

A brilliant deduction by Captain Pike.

He was in his cell, but knowing that couldn't help him.

The delusions controlled him.

And could make him live any place, anytime, any situation they wished.

He would see, taste, suffer,

with the same reality as you sitting there.

Longer hair, different dress, but it is you, the one the survivors call Vina.

Or the image of Vina, but why you again?

Why didn't they create a different girl?

- lf you attack while it's not looking... - But it's only a dream.

You have to kill him as you did here before.

l won't do it. l'm not an animal performing for its supper.

lt doesn't matter what you call this. You'll feel it.

You'll feel every moment of what happens to you.

lt's over.

Why have they stopped the images?

Because they know Pike is fatigued. We can reconvene later.

- They care about the captain? - They want him back alive, sir.

- l demand to know why. - lf you'll be patient, the answers...

You're forgetting you're on trial. You will answer questions put to you.

My answer would be quite unbelievable.

l regret we'll have to wait and see it there.

Personal log, stardate 301 3.2.

Reconvening court martial of Mr Spock.

And the strangest trial evidence ever heard aboard a starship.

From the planet now only one hour ahead of us,

the story of Captain Pike's imprisonment there.

- Why are you here? - To please you.

- Are you real? - As real as you wish.

No. No, that's not any answer.

l've never met you. l've never even imagined you.

Perhaps they made me out of dreams you've forgotten.

And dressed you in the fabric they wear?

l can wear whatever you wish. Be anything you wish.

So they see how their specimen performs?

They want to see how l react?

Don't you have a dream, something you've always wanted very badly?

Do they do more than just watch me? Do they...feel with me, too?

You can have whatever dream you want.

l can become anything. Any woman you've ever imagined.

You can have anything you want in the whole universe.

Let me...please you.

Yes. Yes, you can please me. You can tell me about them.

Can l keep them from probing my mind, using my thoughts against me?

Does that frighten you? Does that mean there is a way?

You're a fool.

Since you're not real, there's no point in continuing this conversation.

- All circuits engaged. - Standing by, Number One.

Take cover.

Ten...nine...eight... seven...six...five...

four...three...two...one...

lncrease to full power.

Can you give us any more?

Our circuits are heating. We'll have to cease.

Disengage.

That knoll should have been sheared off.

Maybe it was. That's what l tried to explain in the briefing room.

The illusory power is so great, we can't be sure of anything we do,

or anything we see.

Perhaps if you asked me some questions, l could answer.

How far can they control my mind?

lf l tell you, then will you pick some dream you've had and let me live it?

Perhaps.

- They can't make you do anything. - But they try to trick me.

And they can punish you when you're not cooperative.

Did they ever live on the surface of this planet?

- Why did they go underground? - War. Thousands of centuries ago.

- That's why it's so barren? - The planet's just able to support life.

They found life limited and concentrated on developing their mental power.

But they found it's a trap, like a narcotic.

Because when dreams become more important than reality,

you give up travel, building, creating.

You even forget how to repair the machines left behind by your ancestors.

You just live and re-live other lives left behind in the thought records.

Probing the minds of specimens like me.

You're better than a theatre. They create an illusion,

watch you react, feel your emotions.

They have a collection of specimens,

descendants of life brought back from all over this part of the galaxy.

Which means they had to have more than one of each animal.

- Please. - They'll need a pair of humans.

- Where will they get the Earth woman? - You said if l answered...

l bargained with something that doesn't exist.

You said you weren't real, remember?

l'm a woman.

As real and as human as you are.

We're like Adam and Eve.

lf we could...

Please don't punish me again!

An Earth woman? Then you were captured as breeding stock.

Why? Just to maintain a supply of zoo specimens?

Much more, Captain.

The vial contains a nourishing protein complex.

The keeper's communicating with his animals?

lf the form and the colour is not appealing,

it can appear as any food you wish to visualise.

- And if l prefer... - To starve?

You overlook the unpleasant alternative of punishment.

From a fable you once heard in childhood.

You will now consume the nourishment.

Why not just put irresistible hunger in my mind?

You can't, can you? You do have limitations, don't you?

lf you continue to disobey, from deeper in your mind,

there are things even more unpleasant.

- That's very interesting. - Now to the female.

Weren't you reading my mind then?

As you've conjectured, a vessel did crash on our planet,

but with only a single survivor.

Back to the first subject. All l wanted was to get my hands round your neck.

We repaired the survivor's injuries, and found the species interesting.

Do primitive thoughts put up a block?

lt became necessary to attract a mate.

All right, let's talk about the girl.

You seem to be going out of your way to make me feel protective.

This is necessary in order to perpetuate the species.

lt seems more important to you now that l begin to accept her, like her.

We wish our specimens to be happy.

Assuming that's a lie, why would you want me attracted to her?

So l'll feel love in a husband-wife relationship?

That'd be necessary only if you intend to build a family group or a community.

- With the female properly conditioned. - You mean properly punished.

Why don't you punish me?

First, an emotional protectiveness.

Now, one of sympathy.

Excellent.

Want some coffee, dear?

l left the Thermos hooked to my saddle.

Tango!

You old devil, you.

l'm sorry. l don't have any...

They think of everything, don't they?

- ls it good to be home? - They read our minds very well.

Home. Anything else l want if l cooperate. ls that it?

lt turned out to be a lovely day, didn't it?

You're home. You can stay if you want.

But we're not here. We're in a menagerie, a cage.

- No! - l can't help us if you don't help me.

You told me they used delusions as a narcotic.

They couldn't repair the machines left by their ancestors.

They want to build a colony of slaves?

Stop it! Don't you care what they'll do to us?

ln my cage, it seemed for a minute that our keeper couldn't read my thoughts.

Do emotions like hate, keeping hate in your mind, block off our minds?

Yes. They can't read through primitive emotions.

But you can't keep it up for long enough. l've tried.

They keep at you and at you year after year, tricking and punishing.

They've won. They own me.

- You must hate me for that. - No, l don't hate you.

l can guess what it was like.

That's not enough. Don't you see?

They read my thoughts, my feelings.

My dreams of what would be the perfect man.

That's why they picked you.

l can't help but love you.

They expect you to feel the same way.

lf they can read my mind, they know l'm attracted to you.

l was from the very first moment l saw you in the survivor's camp.

You were like a wild little animal.

l see why none of this has worked for you.

You've been home and fighting on Rigel...

That's not new to you either.

A person's strongest dreams are about what he can't do.

Yes. A ship's captain, always having to be so formal,

so decent, honest and proper.

You must wonder what it would be like to forget all that.

Nice place you have here.

Vina?

That's Vina again, as the green Orion slave girl?

They're like animals. Vicious, seductive.

They say no human male can resist them.

Strange evidence from the past.

The Talosians, planning to breed human slaves,

tempted Pike with the woman they held in captivity.

As she appeared to him in many forms, each more exciting than the last,

Pike was beginning to weaken.

Suppose you had all of space to choose from.

And this was only one small sample.

Wouldn't you say it was worth a man's soul?

Now you all know the situation,

we're hoping to transport down inside the community.

lf our readings are an illusion also,

one could find oneself materialised inside solid rock.

Nothing will be said if any volunteer wants to back out.

The women!

Captain!

Captain...

No, let me finish!

- But we were a party of six. - We were the only ones transported.

lt's not fair. You don't need them.

- They don't work. - They were fully charged when we left.

lt's dead. l can't make a signal. What is it?

Don't say anything.

l'm filling my mind with pictures of beating their misshapen heads to pulp.

Thoughts so primitive they black out everything else.

- l'm filling my mind with hate. - How long can you block thoughts?

A few minutes? An hour? How can that help?

Leave him alone.

He doesn't need you. He picked me.

Picked her. For what? l don't understand.

Now there's a fine choice for intelligent offspring.

Offspring? As in children?

Offspring as in he's Adam. ls that it?

You're no better. They'd have more luck crossing him with a computer.

Shall we do a little time computation?

There was a Vina listed on the expedition as an adult.

Now, adding 1 8 years to your age then...

lt's not fair. l did what you asked.

Since you resist the present specimen, you now have a selection.

l'll break out of this zoo somehow and get to you.

ls your blood red like ours? l'm going to find out.

Each of the two new specimens has qualities in her favour.

Number One has the superior mind and would produce intelligent children.

All l want to do is get my hands on you.

Can you read these thoughts? lmages of hate, killing?

The other new arrival has considered you unreachable

but now is realising this has changed.

The factors in her favour are youth and strength

plus unusually strong female drives.

You'll find my thoughts more interesting,

thoughts so primitive you can't understand.

Emotions so...

Wrong thinking is punishable.

Right thinking will be as quickly rewarded.

You will find it an effective combination.

- Captain. - No, don't help me.

l have to concentrate. They can't read through hate.

- Now you hold still or l'll... - Don't. They don't mean to be evil.

l've had samples of how good they are.

You stop this illusion or l'll twist your head off.

All right.

You try one more illusion and l'll break your neck.

Your ship...

Release me...or we'll destroy it.

He's not bluffing. They can make your crew work the wrong controls

or push a button to destroy your ship.

l'm going to gamble you're too intelligent to kill for no reason.

On the other hand, l've got a reason.

l'll bet you've created an illusion this laser is empty.

lt blasted a hole in that window and you won't let us see it.

Want me to test my theory on you?

Captain!

- The Talosians have deserted you. - Gentlemen, a moment, please.

Well, Mr Spock?

- May l have your verdict? - Signal you want them to wait.

Captain, please. lt's your life now. At least a chance for life.

You keep talking about life. A chance for life.

How? As a prisoner, caged, a zoo specimen?

- Living illusions to amuse his keepers? - No. There's more to it. Watch.

Guilty. Yes or no, Captain?

Yes.

l must also vote guilty as charged.

And you, Captain?

Guilty. As charged.

Bridge to Commander.

- Mendez here. - We're entering orbit Talos lV.

Talos controls the vessel now, as they did 1 3 years ago.

You've asked me why. You'll see the answer now.

- Make contact, Number One. - They kept us from seeing this, too.

We cut through and never knew it.

Captain?

As you see, your attempt to escape accomplished nothing.

l want to contact our ship.

You are now on the surface, where we wished you to be.

With the female of your choice, you will now begin carefully guided lives.

- And start by burying you? - That is your choice.

To help you reclaim the planet's surface,

our gardens will furnish a variety of plant life.

Look, l'll make a deal with you.

You and your life for the lives of these two Earth women.

Prove our ship is all right, send these two back,

and l'll stay with Vina.

lt's wrong to create a race of humans to live as slaves.

ls this a deception? Do you intend to destroy yourselves?

- What is that? - The weapon is building up an overload.

You still have time to get underground.

Well, go on!

Just to show you how primitive humans are, Talosian, you go with her.

lf you all think it's this important, then l can't go either.

lf they have one human being, they might try again.

Wait.

Their method of storing records is crude and time-consuming.

Are you prepared to assimilate it?

We had not believed this possible.

The customs and history of your race show a unique hatred of captivity.

Even when it's pleasant and benevolent, you prefer death.

This makes you too violent and dangerous a species for our needs.

He means that they can't use you. You're free to go back to the ship.

And that's it.

No apologies. You've captured one of us, threatened all of us.

Your unsuitability has condemned the Talosian race to eventual death.

ls this not sufficient?

No other specimen has shown your adaptability. You were our last hope.

But wouldn't some form of trade... mutual cooperation...

Your race would learn our power of illusion and destroy itself, too.

Captain, we have transporter control now.

Let's get back to the ship.

l can't. l can't go with you.

lt came on. We can't shut the power off.

- Mr Spock here. - All power has come on.

The helm is answering to control.

The captain?

- You see why l can't go with you. - This is the female's true appearance.

They found me in the wreckage, dying.

Lump of flesh.

They rebuilt me. Everything works.

But they had never seen a human.

They had no guide for putting me back together.

lt was necessary to convince you her desire to stay is an honest one.

- Give her back her illusion of beauty. - And more.

The system is coming on again.

- What's happened to Vina? - lsn't she coming?

No.

No, and l agreed with her reasons.

- Prepare for a hyperdrive. - All decks show ready, sir.

Engage.

Commodore, don't you think that...

What you now seem to hear are my thought transmissions.

The Commodore was never aboard your vessel.

His presence there and in the shuttlecraft was an illusion.

Mr Spock had related to us your strength of will.

lt was thought the fiction of a court martial

would divert you from too soon regaining control of your vessel.

Captain Pike is welcome to spend the rest of his life with us

unfettered by his physical body.

The decision is yours and his.

Even if regulations are explicit, you could have come to me and explained.

Asked you to face the death penalty, too?

One of us was enough, Captain.

Message from Starbase 1 1 , sir. ''Received images from Talos lV.

''ln view of historic importance of Captain Pike in space exploration,

''General Order 7 prohibiting contact Talos lV is suspended this occasion.

''No action contemplated against Spock. Proceed as you think best.

''Signed Mendez J.l., Commodore, Starbase 1 1 .''

Chris, do you want to go there?

Mr Spock, would you take Captain Pike to the transporter room?

See him off.

Thank you, sir.

For both of us.

When you're finished, please come and see me. l want to talk to you.

This tendency you've been showing lately towards flagrant emotionalism...

l see no reason to insult me. l believe l've been logical about the whole affair.

Captain Kirk.

Captain Pike has an illusion and you have reality.

May you find your way as pleasant.