A heavily battered USS Enterprise heads for the Vega colony Starbase
for replacements and hospitalization, when it picks up an old-style distress signal from the SS
Columbia, reported lost in the Talos star-system more than eighteen years ago. Number One
reports that the message could be authentic, however, Captain Pike is unsure. He informs Number
One to remain on-course to the Vega colony as the colony is more important than an old-style
distress call. He shall reconsider once their is more evidence.
The captain retires to quarters and soon orders his
doctor up. Once the doctor arrives, the captain shares a drink with him and tells him that he
may consider retirement, as he is tired of giving orders and making judgments. He lost a Yeomen
and several people on their last mission and he hasn't fully recovered from that ordeal. He
considers retiring to Earth on Mojave, Texas to spend time with his horses. Mr. Spock soon
intervenes saying that they have received further message from the planet and that there were
indeed survivors from the crashed SS Columbia.
Upon arrival on the bridge, Pike gets rest of the
message, and upon authentication of the message, orders Number One to set a course for the
Talos star-system at Warp Seven. Once the Enterprise arrives at Talos VI, Pike forms a landing
party of six and beams down to the surface. There they soon find a group of survivors, old men
from the downed SS Columbia. The landing party doesn't realize, however, that underground
beings with large foreheads are watching them on a monitor. They are the Talosians. Soon, Vina
is informed by the Talosians to lure the captain away and show him the secrets of her youth.
However, this is a ruse to lure and capture the captain, as the Talosians make themselves
present among the crew and captures the captain using a toxic gas. The old-men disappear as does
Vina. The captain is taken underground and the landing-party's weapons are no match for the
entrance to the underground.
------
Captain Pike wakes up from his conscious and finds himself in a
cage. He realizes that there are other cage's in the room and other specimen's captured
throughout the galaxy. Captain Pike soon tries to find a way out of this cage, however, he is
blocked off from a transparent window that is unbreakable. Soon, the Talosians enter and
explain to Captain Pike that he has been chosen for an experiment. Captain Pike tells them that
he doesn't take too kindly in being kidnapped for their own personal amusement. The Talosians
depart saying they will now begin their experiment.
Soon, Captain Pike is taken from the cage to Rigel
VII, during the last mission. He finds Vina, the girl from the planet again, who plays the
victim, while Pike plays the ultimate reluctant hero. The captain finds the Talosian
intelligent as they have pulled a forbidden memory from the captain's mind. The captain must,
however, re-enact this hallucination, else watch him or the girl die. Upon killing the alien on
Rigel VII, the captain is taken back to his cell, where reality once again return to normal. The
Talosians have been watching him all along, but they leave once the captain returns to his
normal state.
On board the Enterprise, Spock and Number One go
over the captain's situation. Dr. Boyce's only concern is that the illusions that the Talosians
could be so real that what they do down there, may not be the true interpretation of their
actions. But everyone agrees that they should do whatever it takes to rescue their captain.
Soon, Number One decides it best if they rigged the ship's power to the away-team phaser-array
on the planet, which should destroy the Talosians fortress.
Back in the cage, Captain Pike continue to look for
ways out of the cage, not realizing that a Talosian have entered the prison level. Soon, that
Talosian enters Pike's cage via an opening at the bottom of the cage, but Pike misses the
opportunity for an easy escape. The Talosian have delivered Pike a vial with a liquid in it,
and soon another Talosian approaches the cage and orders Pike to consume the nourishment. Pike
resists the temptation, only to find himself punished for disobeying orders. Soon, he rams at
the Talosian and the Talosian, startled, takes a step back. Pike realizes that he has an edge
with which to combat the telepathic Talosian, as they cannot read through primitive minds. The
Talosian departs, saying that they will continue their experiments.
Back on the surface of Talos IV, Number One and an
away-team prepare to cut through the Talosian fortress. They rig the ship's phaser to the
away-team laser machine. Heeding Dr. Boyce's advice that what they do may be their true
interpretation, Number One proceeds. The machine is activated and they watch as they fire at
the fortress. The fortress withstands the laser beam and the away-team has to cut power before
it short circuits their systems. Dr. Boyce's opinions were right. They could have cut through
the fortress, but they won't know for sure as the illusion is so great that they can't block it.
------
Back in the cage, Captain Pike tries to get a closer understanding
of the Talosians. He asks Vina if they have any weaknesses, and Pike's presumptions about
Talosians was right. They can't read through hatred and primitive thoughts, but she warns him
that he won't be able to keep up with it.
Soon, Pike and Vina is sent to the plush country
side of Texas, another memory that the Talosian has dug up. Vena wants Pike to cooperate with
her just this once, but in order for him to do so, she must answer some of his questions. Pike
wants to know how he can defeat the Talosians mind reading and learns that they cannot read
through primitive thoughts, just as he suspected. But, Vena warns that he cannot keep up with
it, as his mind will break down.
When Pike continues to ignore cooperation, the
Talosians take him to the Orion's, where he is confronted by the Orion Slave girl, who also
represents Vena. When Pike can't take any more of this he leaves, but he returns to the cage
along with Vena.
On board the Enterprise, Number One and a landing
party prepare to rescue Captain Pike from the Talosians capture. Dr. Boyce once again points
out that they may not be beaming down to the correct coordinates, due to the Talosians
hallucination. With that message understood, the landing party steps onto the transporter
platform to be beamed down. The transport is under way, however, only Number One and Yeoman
Colt are beamed down. Spock is outrageous.
Soon, Number One and Yeoman Colt beam down into the
cage with Captain Pike. Pike is surprised to see them, and Number One tells them that there was
a landing party that was meant to beam down with them. Soon, Pike grabs hold of their phasers,
and shoots at the cage. Nothing happens, as suspected. The power cells have been completely
drained. The Talosians explain that the two women were brought here so that Pike can choose
between either Vena or these two ladies. It's up to Pike, and when Pike refuses, the Talosians
punish them more. The Talosian soon read through the two women's minds, and causes some
embarrassment for Yeoman Colt, who, the Talosians explain, has been trying to get her hands on
the Captain Pike but feels let down because of their age difference. They describe Number One
as being a walking calculator, which is her greatest weaknesses. The Talosians soon let them
rest.
------
While Captain Pike and the others rest, one of the Talosians enter
the cage and try to grab the weapons that Pike has dropped in anger. Pike sees this opportunity
and grabs the Keeper, and threatens her. The Keeper keeps changing form and Pike warns her that
should she try any more tricks, he will break her neck. Afraid, the Keeper complies, and resumes
her normal form. Under Pike's capture, Pike once again tries valiantly to use his phaser with no
luck. He then points the weapon at the Keeper's head, stating that their efforts are in vein by
testing the weapon on the Keeper's head. The Keeper soon reveals that they did indeed blast
through the cage, but refrained the crew from seeing this. The crew soon make their way out of
the cage.
The crew makes it to the surface and claims
victory. Number One is surprised at the condition of the Talosian fortress. She suggests that
the Talosians kept them from seeing this too. Pike grabs Number One's communicator to get in
touch with the ship, but the communicator does not work.
On board the Enterprise, all ship functions
overheat. They have virtually no control over the ship.
Other Talosians come up to the surface and soon the
Keeper explains that they were trying to build a new race after the SS Columbia crashlanded and
destroyed their world. They found only one survivor Vena, and kept her alive and young just as
she looks today. Pike informs her that they will take Vena along and wants to get back to the
ship. Number One soon overloads the phaser, prepared to die along with the Talosians. The other
Talosians inform the Keeper that the humans will not be an ideal choice for the mating
experiment, as they fear capture and are far too primitive for their likes.
On board the Enterprise, the systems come back
online, and soon the two women are transported, while Pike still remains on the surface.
The Talosians soon show Pike what Vena really looks
like and Pike understands now why she can't get off the planet. Pike soon say he'll remain
behind if they restore Vena's beauty and the Talosians, including a mirror image of himself.
Pike is satisfied.
Soon, the transporters come back online, and
Captain Pike beam back onboard the Enterprise. Number One queries him about Vena and Pike agree
that its best for her to remain down on that planet. He soon heads for the bridge and sets
course for the Vega colony, to replace equipment and missing crewmen.
