" Check the circuit." " All operating, sir." "Can't be the screen, then." "Definitely something out there, Captain, headed this way." "Could be these meteoroids." "No." "It's something else." "There's still something out there." "Coming at speed of light." "Collision course." "The meteoroid beam has not deflected it." " Evasive maneuvers ?" " Steady as we go." "It's a radio wave, sir." "We're passing through an old-style distress signal." "They were keyed to cause interference and attract attention this way." "A ship in trouble making a forced landing, sir." " That's it." "No other message." " I have a fix." "It comes from the Talos Star Group." "We've no ships or Earth colonies that far out." "Their call letters check with a survey expedition" " S.S. Columbia." "Disappeared in that region approximately 18 years ago." "It would take that long for a radio beam to travel from there to here." "Records show the Talos group has never been explored." "Solar system similar to Earth." "Eleven planets." "Number four seems to be Class "M"" "Oxygen atmosphere." "They could still be alive even after 18 years." "If they survived the crash." "We aren't going to go to be certain ?" "Not without any indication of survivors, no." "We'll continue on to the Vega Colony... and take care of our own injured first." "You have the helm." "Maintain present course." "Yes, sir." " Boyce here." "Stop by my cabin, Doctor." "What's that ?" "I didn't say there was anything wrong with me." "I understand we picked up a distress signal." "That's right." "Unless we get anything more positive on it, it seems to me the condition of our own crew takes precedent." "I'd like to log the ship's doctor's opinion too." "Oh, I concur with yours, definitely." "Good." "I'm glad you do... because we're going to stop first at the Vega Colony... and replace anybody who needs hospitalization... and also" "What in the devil are you putting in there, ice ?" "Who wants a warm martini ?" "What makes you think I need one ?" "Sometimes a man will tell his bartender... things he'll never tell his doctor." "What's been on your mind, Chris, the fight on Rigel VII ?" "Shouldn't it be ?" "My only yeoman and two others dead." "Seven injured." "Was there anything you personally could have done to prevent it ?" "I should have smelled trouble when I saw the swords and the armor." "Instead, I let myself get trapped in that deserted fortress... and attacked by one of their warriors." "Chris, you set standards for yourself no one could meet." "You treat everyone on board like a human being except yourself." "Now you're tired, and you" "You bet I'm tired." "You bet." "I'm tired of being responsible for 203 lives." "I'm tired of deciding which mission is too risky and which isn't, and who's going on the landing party and who doesn't." "And who lives... and who dies." "Well, I've had it, Phil." "To the point of finally taking my advice of rest leave ?" "To the point of considering resigning." "And do what ?" "Well, for one thing, go home." "Nice little town... with 50 miles of parkland around it." "Remember I told you I had two horses ?" "We used to take some food and ride out all day." "That sounds exciting." "Ride out with a picnic lunch every day." "I said that's one place I might go, or I'd go into business on Regulus..." " or on the Orion Colony." " You, an Orion trader, dealing in green animal women slaves ?" "The point is this isn't the only life available." "There's a whole galaxy of things to choose from." "Not for you." "A man either lives life as it happens to him, meets it head on and licks it, or he turns his back on it... and starts to wither away." "Now you're beginning to talk like a doctor, Bartender." "Take your choice." "We both get the same kinds of customers" "The living and the dying." "Mister Spock here." "We're intercepting a follow-up message, sir." "There are crash survivors on Talos." ""Eleven survivors from crash." ""Gravity and oxygen within limits." "Food and water obtainable." "But unless--"" "The message faded at that point, sir." " Address inner craft." " System open." "This is the captain." "Our destination is the Talos Star Group." "Our time warp-- factor seven." "Course computed and on the screen." "All decks have acknowledged, sir." "Engage." "On course, sir." " Yeoman ?" " Yes, sir." "I thought I told you when I'm on the bridge" "That you wanted the reports by 0500." "It's 0500 now, sir." "Oh." "I see." "Thank you." "She's replacing your former yeoman, sir." "No, she does a good job, all right." "It's just that I can't get used to having a woman on the bridge." "No offense, Lieutenant." "You're different, of course." "We've settled into orbit, sir." "Geological lab report complete, Captain." " Preliminary lab survey ready, sir." " Spectrography ?" "Our readings shows an oxygen nitrogen atmosphere." "Heavy with inert elements, but well within safety limits." " Gravity ?" " 0.9 alert." "Captain ?" "Reflections, sir, from the planet's surface." "As I read it, they polarize out as rounded metal bits." "Could be parts of a spaceship hull." "Equip a landing party of six." "You feel up to it ?" " Yes, sir." " Yes, sir." "Sorry, Number One." "Little information on this planet." "We'll have to leave the ship's most experienced officer covering it." "Of course, sir." "No indication of problems down there, but let's not take any chances." "Yes, sir." "There's a canyon to the left." "We can set you down there completely unobserved." "Right." "Sir." "They're men." "They're humans." "Captain Christopher Pike." "United Spaceship Enterprise." "Dr. Theodore Haskins." "American Continent Institute." " Is Earth all right ?" " The same old Earth, and you'll see it very soon." "And you won't believe how fast you can get back." "The time barrier's been broken." "Our new ships can" "This is Vina." "Her parents are dead." "She was born almost as we crashed." " Enterprise." " Landing party, come in." "We'll begin transporting the survivors... and their effects up to you very shortly." "Quarters are being prepared, sir." "Have I permission to send out scouting and scientific parties now ?" "That's affirmative on" "You appear to be healthy and intelligent, Captain." "Prime specimen." "I didn't get that last message, Captain." "Uh, affirmative on request." "Landing party out." "You must forgive her choice of words, Captain." "She's lived her whole life with a collection of aging scientists." "If they can spare you a moment," "I'd like to make my medical report." "I think it's time to show the captain our secret." "Their health is excellent," " almost too good." " There's a reason for our condition, but we've had some doubt if Earth is ready to learn the secret." "Let the girl show you." "We'll accept your judgment." "You're tired, but don't worry." "You'll feel much better soon." "Don't you see it ?" "Here and here." "I don't understand." "You will." "You're a perfect choice." "Captain !" " Spock here." "Landing party, come in." "There is no survivors' encampment, Number One." "This is all some sort of trap." "We've lost the captain." "Do you read ?" "Can you hear me ?" "My name is Christopher Pike, commander of the space vehicle Enterprise... from the stellar group at the other end of this galaxy." "Our intentions are peaceful." "Can you understand me ?" "It appears, Magistrate, that the intelligence of the specimen is shockingly limited." "This is no surprise since his vessel... was baited so easily with a simulated message." "As you can read in its thoughts, it is only now beginning to suspect that the survivors and encampment... were a simple illusion we placed in their minds." "You're not speaking, yet I can hear you." "You will note the confusion as it reads our thought transmissions." "All right, then." "Telepathy." "You can read my mind." "I can read yours." "Now, unless you want my ship to consider... capturing me an unfriendly act" "You now see the primitive fear-threat reaction." "The specimen is about to boast of his strength, the weaponry of his vessel and so on." "Next... frustrated into a need to display physical prowess, the creature will throw himself against the transparency." "If you were in here... wouldn't you test the strength of these walls too ?" "There's a way out of any cage, and I'll find it." "Despite its frustration, the creature appears more adaptable... than our specimens from other planets." "We can soon begin the experiment." "The inhabitants of this planet must live deep underground." "Probably manufacture food and other needs down there." "Now, our tests indicate the planet's surface... without considerably more vegetation or some animals, simply too barren to support life." "So we just thought we saw survivors there, Mr. Spock." "Exactly." "An illusion, placed in our minds by this planet's inhabitants." "It was a perfect illusion." "They had us seeing Just what we wanted to see" "Humans beings who survived with dignity and bravery." "Everything entirely logical, right down to the building of the camp." "The tattered clothing, everything." "Now, let's be sure we understand the danger of this." "The inhabitants of this planet can read our minds." "They can create illusions out of a person's... own thoughts, memories and experiences." "Even out of a person's own desires." "The illusion's just as real and solid as this table top... and just as impossible to ignore." "Any estimate what they might want one of us for ?" "They may simply be studying the captain, to find how Earth people are put together, or it could be something more." "Why aren't we doing anything ?" "That entry may have stood up against hand lasers, but we can transmit the ship's power against it, enough to blast half a continent." "Look." "Brains three times the size of ours." "If we start buzzing about down there, we're liable to find their mental power is so great, they could reach out and swat this ship as though it were a fly." "It's Captain Pike they've got." "He needs help." "And he probably needs it fast." "Engineering deck will rig to transmit ship's power." "We'll try blasting through that metal." "Thousands of us are already probing... the creature's thoughts, Magistrate." "We find excellent memory capacity." "I read most 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 !" "It's deserted." "There'll be weapons and perhaps food." "This is Rigel VII." "Please !" "We must hide ourselves." "I was in a cage, a cell, in some kind of a zoo." " I must still be there." " Come on !" "They've reached into my mind... and taken the memory of somewhere I've been." " The killer !" "It's starting just as it happened two weeks ago." "Except for you." "Longer hair, different dress, but it is you." " The one the survivors called Vina." " [Growling]" "Or rather the image of Vina." "But why you again ?" "Why didn't they create a different girl ?" "Quick !" "If you attack while it's not looking" " But it's only a dream." "You have to kill him, as you did here before." "You can tell my jailors I won't go along with it." "I'm not an animal performing for its supper." "It doesn't matter what you call this." "You'll feel it." "That what matters." "You'll feel every moment of whatever happens to you." "Please !" "Don't you know what he'll do to us ?" "Why would an illusion be frightened ?" "Because that's the way you imagined me." "Who are you ?" "You act as if this were real to you." "Careful !" "It's over." "Why are you here ?" "To please you." "Are you real ?" " As real as you wish." " Oh, no." "No, that's not any answer." "I've never met you before, never even imagined you." "Perhaps they made me out of dreams you've forgotten." "And dressed you in the same metal fabric they wear ?" "Well, I have to wear something, don't I ?" "Or I can wear whatever you wish... or be anything you wish." "So they can see how their specimen performs ?" "They want to see how I react." "Is that it ?" "Don't you have a dream, something you've always wanted very badly ?" "Or do they do more than just watch me ?" "Do they feel with me too ?" "You can have whatever dream you want." "I 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." "Is there any way I can keep them from probing my mind... and from 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 not much point... in continuing this conversation, is there ?" "All circuits engaged, Mr. Spock." "Standing by, Number One." " Take cover." " Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." "Increase to full power." "Can you give us any more ?" "Our circuits are beginning to heat." "We'll have to cease power." "Disengage !" "The top of that knoll should've been sheared off the first second." "Maybe it was." "It's what I tried to explain in the briefing room." "Their power of illusion is so great, we can't be sure of anything we do or anything we see." "Perhaps... if you asked me some questions I could answer." "How far can they control my mind ?" "If I tell you, then will you pick some dream you've had... and let me live it with you ?" "Perhaps." "They can't actually make you do anything you don't want to do." "But they try to trick me with their illusions." "And they can punish you when you're not cooperative." "You'll find out about that." "Did they ever live on the surface of this planet ?" "Why do they go underground?" "War-- thousands of centuries ago." "That's why it's so barren up there ?" "The planet's only now becoming able to support life again." "So the Talosians who came underground found life limited here, and they 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 sit, living and reliving other lives... left behind in the thought record." "As in probing the minds of zoo specimens, like me." "You're better than the theater to them." "They create an illusion for you." "They watch you react, feel your emotions." "They have a whole collection of specimens, descendants of life brought back long ago... 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 too." "Where do they intend to get the earth woman ?" "You said that if I answered your questions" "But that was a bargain with something that didn't exist." "You said you weren't real, remember ?" "I'm a woman, as real and as human as you are." "We're like Adam and eve." "If we" "Don't, please !" "Don't punish me !" "The vial contains a nourishing protein complex." "Is the keeper actually communicating with one of his animals ?" "If the form and the color is not appealing, it can appear as any food you wish to visualize." " And if I 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 ?" "'Cause you can't, can you ?" "You do have limitations, don't you ?" "If you continue to disobey, from deeper in your mind, there are things even more unpleasant." " That's very interesting." " Now to the female." "You were startled." "Weren't you reading my mind then ?" "As you've conjectured, an Earth vessel did crash on our planet, but with only a single survivor." "Let's stay on the first subject." "All I wanted for that moment was to get my hands around your neck." "We repaired the survivor's injuries... and found the species interesting." "Do primitive thoughts put up a block you can't read through ?" "It became necessary to attract a mate." "All right, all right." "Let's talk about the girl." "You seem to be going out of your way... to make her attractive to make me feel protective." "This is necessary in order to perpetuate the species." "It seems more important to you now... that I begin to accept her and like her." "We wish our specimens to be happy in their new life." "Assuming that's a lie, why would you want me attracted to her ?" "So I'll feel love and a husband/wife relationship ?" "Well, that would be necessary only if you intend to build a family group... or perhaps a whole human community." "With the female now properly conditioned." "You mean properly punished !" "I'm the one who's not cooperating." "Why don't you punish me ?" "First an emotion of protectiveness, now one of sympathy." "Excellent." "Do you want some coffee, dear?" "I left the Thermos hooked to my saddle." "Tango !" "You old devil you !" "I'm sorry." "I don't have any su" "Well, they think of everything, don't they ?" "Hey!" "The coffee." "Is it good to be home ?" "They read our minds very well." "Home, anything else I want, if I cooperate." "Is that it ?" "Have you forgotten my headaches, darling ?" "I get them when you talk strangely like this." "I'm sorry they punish you, but we can't let them" "My, it turned out to be a lovely day, didn't it ?" "It's funny." "Just about 24 hours ago," "I was telling the ship's doctor how much I wanted something... not very different from what we have here." "An escape from reality, a life with no frustrations, no responsibilities." "And now that I have it, I understand the doctor's answer." "I hope you're hungry." "These little white sandwiches... are your mother's recipe for chicken tuna." "'Cause you either live life-- bruises, skinned knees and all-- or you turn your back on it and start dying." "Well, the doctor's going to be happy about one part of it at least" "He said I needed a rest." "Well, this is a lovely place to rest." "Yeah, I used to ride through here when I was a kid." "Not as pretty as some of the parks around the big cities, but" "That's Mojave." "That's where I was born." "That's supposed to be news to your wife ?" "You're home." "You can even stay if you want." "Wouldn't it be nice showing your children where you once played ?" "These headaches." "They'll be hereditary, you know." "Would you wish them on a child or a whole group of children ?" " That's foolish." " Is it ?" "Look, first they made me protect you, and then feel sympathy for you." "And now we have these familiar surroundings... and a comfortable husband/wife relationship." "They don't need all this for just passion." "What they're after is respect and mutual dependence." "They say in the olden days, all this was desert, blowing sand and cactus." "But we're not here, neither of us !" " We're in a menagerie, a cage." " No !" "I can't help either one of us if you won't give me a chance." "Now, you told me once they used illusions as a narcotic." "They couldn't even repair the machines left by their ancestors." "Is that why they want us, to build a colony of slaves ?" "Stop it !" "Don't you care what they'll do to us ?" "Back in my cage, it seemed for a couple of minutes... that our keeper couldn't read my thoughts." "Do emotions like hate-- keeping hate in your mind-- does that block off our mind from them ?" "Yes." "They can't read through primitive emotions." "But you can't keep it up for long enough." "I've tried." "They keep at you and at you, year after year, tricking and punishing." "And they won." "They own me." "I know you must hate me for that." "Oh, no, I don't hate you." "I can guess what it was like." "But 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." "I can't help but love you, and they expect you to feel the same way." "If they can read my mind, then they know I'm attracted to you." "I was from the first moment I saw you in the survivors' camp." "A curious species." "They have fantasies they hide even from themselves." "I'm beginning to see why none of this has worked for you." "You've been home and fighting, as 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 and honest and proper." "You must wonder what it would be like to forget all that." "Nice place you have here, Mr. Pike." "Vina." "Glistening green, almost like secret dreams... a bored ship captain might have." "Funny how they are on this planet-- actually like being taken advantage of." "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, we've located a magnetic field." "Seems to come from their underground generator." "But could that be an illusion too ?" "Well, you all know the situation." "We're hoping to transport down inside the Talosian community." "If our measurements and readings are an illusion also, one could find oneself materialized 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." "It's not fair." "You don't need them." "They don't work." "They were fully charged when we left." "It's dead." "I can't make a signal." " What is it ?" " Don't-Don't say anything." "I'm filling my mind with a picture... of beating their huge, misshapen heads to pulp !" "Thoughts so primitive, they black out everything else." "I'm filling my mind with hate !" "How long can you block your thoughts, a few minutes, an hour ?" " How can that help ?" " Leave him alone." "He doesn't need you." "He's already picked me." "Picked her ?" "For what ?" "I don't understand." "Now, there's a fine choice for intelligent offspring." "Offspring ?" "As in children ?" "Offspring as in he's Adam." "Is that it ?" "You're no better choice." "They'd have more luck crossing him with a computer." "Well, shall we do a little time computation ?" "There was a Vina listed on that expedition as an adult crewman." "Now, adding 18 years to your age then" "It's not fair !" "I did what you asked !" "Since you resist the present specimen, you now have a selection." "I'll break out of this zoo somehow and get to you." "Is your blood red like ours ?" "I'm going to find out." "Each of the two new specimens has qualities in her favor." "The female you call Number One has the superior mind... and would produce highly intelligent children." "Although she seems to lack emotion, this is largely a pretense." "She often has fantasies involving you." "All I want to do is get my hands on you." "Can you read these thoughts-- images of hate, killing ?" "The other new arrival has considered you unreachable, but now is realizing this has changed." "The factors in her favor 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." "I have to concentrate." "They can't read through hate." " Address inner craft." " Open, sir." "This is the acting captain speaking." "We have no choice now... but to consider the safety of this vessel and the remainder of the crew." "We're leaving." "All decks prepare for hyper drive." "Time warp factor." "Mr. Spock, the ship's controls have gone dead !" " Engine room, Mr. Spock here." " Open." "Switch to rockets." "We're blasting out." "All systems are out, bridge." "We've got nothing." "There's nothing." "Every system aboard is fading out !" "Hold still, or I'll-- Hold still, or I'll break" "Don't hurt them." "They don't mean to be evil." "I've had some samples of how good they are." "You stop this illusion, or I'll twist your head off !" "All right." "You try one more illusion, you try anything at all," "I'll break your neck." "Your ship." "Release me, or we'll destroy it." "Nothing." "If not for the batteries, we'd lose gravitation, oxygen." " The computers !" "I can't shut it off !" "It's running through our library." "Tapes, micro records, everything." "It doesn't make sense !" "Could be we've waited too long." "They're collecting all the information stored." "They've decided to swat us." "He's not bluffing, Captain." "With illusion, they can make your crew work the wrong controls... or push any button it takes to destroy your ship." "I'm gonna gamble you're too intelligent... to kill for your reason." "On the other hand, I've got a reason." "I'm willing to bet you've created an illusion this laser is empty." "I think it just blasted a hole in that window, and you're keeping us from seeing it." "You want me to test my theory on your head ?" "Captain !" "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." "I 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 guarded lives." "And start by burying you ?" "That is your choice." "To help you reclaim the planet's surface, our zoological gardens will furnish a variety of plant life." "I'll make a deal with you" "You and your life for the lives of these two earth women." "Since our life span is many times yours, we have time to evolve you... into a society trained to serve as artisans, technicians" "Do you understand what I'm saying ?" "You give me proof that our ship is all right, send these two back and I'll stay with Vina." "It's wrong to create a whole race of humans to live as slaves." "Is this a deception ?" "Do you intend to destroy yourselves ?" "What is that ?" "The weapon is building up an overload" "A force chamber explosion." "You still have time to get underground." "Well, go on !" "And just to show you how primitive humans are, Talosian, you go with her." "If-If you all think it's this important, then I can't go, either." "I suppose if they have one human being, they might try again." "Wait !" "Their method of storing records is crude... and consumed much time." "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 captured one of us, threatened all of us." "Your unsuitability has condemned the Talosian race to eventual death." "Is 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." "I can't." "I can't go with you." "Sir, it just came on." "We can't shut the power off." " Mr. Spock here." "All power has come on, Mr. Spock." "The helm is answering the control." "The captain." "You see why I can't go with you ?" "This is the female's true appearance." "They found me in the wreckage... dying, a lump of flesh." "They rebuilt me." "Everything works, but they had never seen a human." "They had no guide for putting me back together." "It was necessary to convince you... her desire to stay is an honest one." "You'll give her back her illusion of beauty ?" "And more." "She has an illusion, and you have reality." "May you find your way as pleasant." "Mr. Spock, the system is coming on again." " What's happened to Vina ?" " Isn't she coming with us ?" "No." "No, and I agreed with her reasons." " Hold on a minute." " No, I feel fine." "Just fine." "Yeah, you look 100% better." "You recommended a rest, and a change of pace, didn't you ?" " Mm-hmm." " I've even been home." "Does that make you happy ?" " Yeoman ?" " Yes, sir." "I thought I told you that when I'm on the bridge, l" "Oh." "Oh, yes, the-the reports." "Thank you." "Sir, I was wondering" "Just curious-- who would have been Eve ?" "Yeoman !" "You've delivered your report." "Yes, ma'am." "Yes, sir." "Eve, sir ?" "Yes, sir." "Eve as in Adam ?" "As in all ships' doctors are dirty old men." "What are we running here, a cadet ship, Number One ?" "Are we ready or not ?" " All decks show ready, sir." "Engage."