The Cage ( episode ) While investigating a distress call from Talos IV , Captain Christopher Pike of the starship " Enterprise " is captured and tested by beings who can project powerfully realistic illusions . ( " Original pilot " ) Summary . The year is 2254 – eleven years before Captain Kirk ' s five - year mission commanding the . Two weeks after a battle on Rigel VII that left seven crewmembers injured and took the life of three " Enterprise " crewmen , including Captain Christopher Pike ' s yeoman , the ship encounters a space distortion on a collision course , according to helmsman José Tyler . It turns out to be an old radio distress signal , " keyed to cause interference and attract attention . " The crew says it was sent eighteen years earlier from the Talos star group , but first officer Number One notes they have no Earth colonies or vessels that far out . Pike declines to investigate without any indication of survivors but proceeds to the Vega colony to care for the crew ' s own injuries . Pike calls the " Enterprise " s chief medical officer , Dr . Boyce , to his quarters but Boyce instead fixes Pike a martini to induce Pike to talk about the battle on Rigel VII . Pike has been thinking of resigning , burdened with making lethal decisions , but Boyce counsels against it . The science officer Spock interrupts on the intercom that a follow - up message from Talos IV indicates there are eleven survivors . Pike returns to the bridge and orders the ship to Talos , at " time warp , factor seven . " He encounters a comely young woman , J . M . Colt . The ship ' s first officer , a woman named Number One , says Colt is the captain ' s replacement yeoman . Pike expresses discomfort with " a woman on the bridge , " assuring Number One that she is an exception , as she ' s " " different , of course . " " Pike leads a landing party to the surface of Talos IV and finds the makeshift campsite of a disheveled group of male scientist s from the crashed survey ship . The scientists identify themselves as an expedition of the American Continent Institute and Lieutenant Jose Tyler describes technological advances while they have been marooned , particularly in the time barrier being broken . A beautiful young woman approaches them . She is Vina , born almost as the group crash - landed on the planet . Vina strangely tells Pike he is a " prime specimen " – as three alien s with huge , pulsating heads watch the landing party through a viewing screen . Boyce provides his medical report to Pike and reports that the survivors are in good health , " almost too good . " The scientist Theodore Haskins offers to show Pike their " secret , " and Vina leads him away from the others . Vina suddenly vanishes , along with the scientists and their camp . Talosian s render Pike unconscious and abduct him through a doorway in the rock . The landing party fires laser pistol s at the door to no avail and Spock advises the ship via his communicator that this " " is all some sort of trap . We ' ve lost the captain . Do you read ? " " Pike wakes up without his jacket , communicator , and laser , inside an underground cell with a transparent wall , through which he sees several creatures of different species in nearby cells . Several Talosians arrive and make callous scientific observations about him , which he perceives not through sound but telepathy . They note that Pike is more adaptable to his new surroundings and prepare to begin " the experiment . " The Talosians intend to make Pike experience illusions based on his memories , in order to interest him in Vina . The first illusion returns Pike to Rigel VII , with the new task of saving Vina . Pike is not interested in participating , telling Vina he is " " not an animal performing for its supper , " " but he is interested in learning the parameters of the illusions and of his captivity . Nevertheless , he manages to survive the illusory attack from the Kalar and is returned , with Vina , to his cell . He learns from Vina that the Talosians have severely weakened their world and themselves by reliance on their telepathic powers . They want Captain Pike and Vina as breeding stock for a new , stronger race to repopulate the barren surface of the planet . The Talosians punish Vina for revealing this information to Pike . The Talosians provide him with a vial of liquid nourishment and insist that he consume it , even offering to make it appear as any food he wishes . Pike proposes to starve himself instead , which results in the Keeper punishing him with an illusion of being surrounded by scorching flame and threatens to punish him more severely for continued disobedience . Pike appears to relent by consuming the liquid , but then displays another outburst of attempting to break through the containment , unexpectedly startling the Keeper . Pike realizes that the Keeper was unable to read his mind during his outburst of anger and tries to inquire more as to why this is . The Keeper , still unable to probe Pike ' s mind , attempts then to distract Pike by changing the subject to Vina . Pike relents again , and the Keeper reveals that Vina was the sole survivor of the " Columbia " crash and confirms what she inadvertently revealed previously – that Pike and Vina were being kept to propagate Humanity and repopulate Talos IV . The conversation ends with Pike demanding that the Talosians punish him instead of her , since he is the one being uncooperative , which the Keeper regards as an excellent development in their relationship . The next illusion is a pleasant picnic just outside Pike ' s hometown of Mojave , with Vina attempting to entice Pike with the familiar setting , but with Pike still resisting , knowing that all of it is just a mere illusion . Vina then realizes that scenarios with which Pike is already familiar have not been successful in enticing him to cooperate , and surmises that he might be more easily swayed by a forbidden fantasy . The Talosians next tempt Pike by making Vina appear as a dancing Orion slave girl . The " Enterprise " tries without success to channel the starship ' s power to the surface to blast a way to Pike . Then Spock locates the Talosians ' power generator and prepares a landing party . However , only the females ( Number One and Yeoman Colt ) are the only ones transported , as the Talosians seek to give Pike a choice of mates ; and their weapons and communicators appear not to work . Vina resents the competition ; Number One says records indicate Vina cannot be as young as she appears . As the rescue attempts have failed , Spock orders the " Enterprise " to leave orbit , but the Talosians immobilize it and scan its records , convincing Spock that the ship ' s utility to the Talosians is at an end and that they will now " swat . . . this fly . " Pike determines that any strong emotions keep the Talosians from controlling his mind and uses this to his advantage . While Pike feigns sleep , the Talosian magistrate tries to recover the female officers ' lasers from the cage . Pike seizes the magistrate and ignores the illusions . He reasons that the malfunction of the lasers was itself an illusion and uses the laser pistol to compel the magistrate to stop deceiving him . He now sees that they had blasted away the wall of the cage on their first attempt . He escapes with the women to the surface and sees that the blasting operation on the door had also succeeded , despite an illusion made to appear otherwise . But the communicators still don ' t work , and the Talosian says that the original goal was to put the group on the surface . Pike offers himself as a captive for the freedom of the others and the " Enterprise " , but Number One begins a " force - chamber " overload of her laser pistol , intending to destroy herself and her shipmates to thwart the Talosians ' plans . She tells the Talosian magistrate that it is wrong to create a whole race of Human s to live as slaves . The magistrate ' s aides arrive , presenting the summary of the ship ' s records . The records have shown that Humans possess a " unique hatred of captivity , " even when pleasant , making them too dangerous for the Talosians ' needs . The magistrate does not apologize for the imposition but concedes that they will now become extinct . Pike asks if commerce or cooperation might not restore the planet , but the magistrate replies that Humans would learn the Talosians ' power of illusion and destroy themselves , just as the Talosians did . The crew members are free to go , but Vina says she cannot join them . After the others transport aboard , the Talosians show Pike Vina ' s true appearance : underneath the Talosian illusions , she is badly deformed from the crash of the " Columbia " . They were able to make it so that she could remain alive , but could not restore her appearance . The Talosians agree to take care of Vina and they provide her with an illusory Captain Pike to keep her company . Pike returns to the bridge , reassuring Dr . Boyce that he is completely refreshed for work , and waving off a query from Yeoman Colt about whom he would have chosen as a mate , as well as accusing the doctor of being a " dirty old man " for inquiring into the meaning of Colt ' s remark . The " Enterprise " departs . Memorable quotes . " " Check the circuit . " " " " All operating , sir . " " " " It can ' t be the screen then . " " " " Records show the Talos star group has never been explored . Solar system similar to Earth ; eleven planets . Number four seems to be . . . class M . Oxygen atmosphere . " " " " Then they could still be alive even after eighteen years . " " " " If they survived the crash . " " " " Sometimes a man ' ll tell his bartender things he ' ll never tell his doctor . " " " " Chris , you set standards for yourself no one could meet . You treat everyone on board like a Human being except yourself . " " " " 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 . " " " " 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 . " " " " We both get the same two kinds of customers . The living and the dying . " " " " It ' s just that I can ' t get used to having a woman on the bridge . " " " " No offense , lieutenant . You ' re different , of course . " " " " You appear to be healthy and intelligent , captain . Prime specimen . " " " " There ' s a way out of any cage , and I ' ll find it ! " " " " But they found it ' s a trap . Like a narcotic . Because when dreams become more important than reality , you give up travel , building , creating . " " " " I ' m a woman as real and as Human as you are . We ' re like Adam and Eve . " " " " No , please ! Don ' t punish me ! " " " " You overlook the unpleasant alternative of punishment . " " " " You either live life – bruises , skinned knees and all – or you turn your back on it and start dying . " " " " But we ' re not here . Neither of us . We ' re in a menagerie , a cage ! " " " " A curious species . They have fantasies they hide even from themselves . " " " " A person ' s strongest dreams are about what he can ' t do . " " " " Can you believe it ? Actually " like " being taken advantage of ! " " " " The women ! " " " " Since you resist the present specimen , you now have a selection . Each of these two new specimens has qualities in her favor . " " " " Although she seems to lack emotion , this is largely a pretense . She often has fantasies involving you . " " " " The factors in her favor are youth and strength , plus unusually strong female drives . " " " " Wrong thinking is punishable . Right thinking will be as quickly rewarded . You will find it an effective combination . " " " " With the female of your choice , you will now begin carefully guided lives . " " " " Start by burying you ? " " " " That is your choice . " " " " It ' s wrong to create a race of Humans to keep as slaves . " " " " 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 . " " " " No other specimen has shown your adaptability . You were our last hope . " " " " She has an illusion and you have reality . May you find your way as pleasant . " " " " Who would have been Eve ? " " " " Yeoman ! " " " " Eve ? As in Adam ? " " " " As in all ship ' s 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 ! " " " No other production staff received on - screen credit for this episode . " Links and references . 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