Original subtitles

Check the circuit.

All operating, sir.

Can't be the screen, then.

Definitely something out there, Captain,

headed this way.

Could be these meteorites.

No, it's something else.

There's still something out there.

lt's coming at speed of light.

Collision course.

The meteorite beam has not deflected it, Captain.

Evasive maneuvers, sir?

Steady as we go.

lt'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.

l have a fix.

lt 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.

lt 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.

1 1 planets.

Number four seems to be

Class-M.

Oxygen atmosphere.

Then they could still be alive, even after 18 years.

lf they survived the crash.

We aren't going to go to be certain?

Not without any indication of survivors, no.

Continue on to the Vega colony

and take care of our own sick and injured first.

You have the helm.

Maintain present course.

Yes, sir.

Boyce here.

Stop by my cabin, Doctor.

What's that?

l didn't say there's anything wrong with me.

l 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.

l'd like to log the ship's Doctor's opinion, too.

Oh, l concur with yours, definitely.

Well, good; l'm glad you do.

'Cause we're going to stop first at the Vega colony

and replace anybody who needs hospitalization.

And also...

What the devil are you putting in there, ice?

Who wants a warm martini?

What makes you think l 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 Vll?

Shouldn't it be?

My own Yeoman and two others dead, seven injured.

Was there anything you personally

could have done to prevent it?

Oh, l should have smelled trouble

when l saw the swords and the armor.

lnstead of that, l 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

expect yourself.

And now you're tired, and...

You bet l'm tired.

You bet.

l'm tired of being responsible for 203 lives,

and l'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, l-l've had it, Phil.

To the point of finally taking my advice-- a rest leave?

To the point of considering resigning.

And do what?

Well, for one thing, go home.

Nice little town with 50 miles of park land around it.

Remember l told you l had two horses,

and we used to take some food

and ride out all day.

Oh, that sounds exciting.

You ride out with a picnic lunch every day.

l said that's one place l might go.

Or l... l could go into business on Regulus

or on the Orion colony.

You, an Orion trader,

dealing in green animal women slaves?

The point is that 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 two kinds of customers--

the living and the dying.

Mr. Spock here.

We're intercepting a follow-up message, sir.

There are crash survivors on Talos.

''1 1 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 7.

Course computed and on the screen.

All decks have acknowledged, sir.

Engage.

On course, sir.

-Yeoman! -Yes, sir?

l thought l told you that when l'm on the Bridge, l...

But you wanted the reports by 0500.

lt's 0500 now, sir.

Oh, l... l see.

Thank you.

She's replacing your former Yeoman, sir.

Well, she does a good job, all right.

lt's just that l 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 reading shows an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, sir.

Heavy with inert elements, but well within safety limits.

Gravity?

Zero point nine of Earth.

Captain, reflections, sir,

from the planet's surface.

As l 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

here covering us.

Of course, sir.

There's 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 lnstitute.

ls 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.

Well, 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 l permission to send out scouting

and scientific parties now?

That's affirmative on...

You appear to be healthy and intelligent, Captain.

A prime specimen.

l 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.

lf they can, uh, spare you a moment,

l'd like to make my medical report.

l 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.

l... l don't understand.

You will.

You're a perfect choice.

Captain!

Spock here.

Landing party, come in.

There is no survivor's 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 a stellar group at the other end of this galaxy.

Our intentions are peaceful.

Can you understand me?

lt appears, Magistrate, that the intelligence

of the specimen is shockingly limited.

This is no surprise,

since his vessel was baited here

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 l can hear you.

You will note the confusion

as it reads our thought transmissions.

All right then, telepathy.

You can read my mind; l 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.

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 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.

lt was a perfect illusion.

They had us seeing just what we wanted to see:

human beings who'd 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 is just as real and solid as this tabletop

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 out how Earth people are put together,

or it could be something more.

Then why aren't we doing anything?

Now, 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.

lf 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.

lt'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.

l 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. lt's deserted.

There'll 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 reached into my mind

and taken the memory of somewhere l've been.

The killer!

lt'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...

...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 jailers l won't go along with it.

l'm not an animal performing for its supper.

lt doesn't matter what you call this.

You'll feel it. That's 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, too.

Careful!

lt's over.

Why are you here?

To please you.

Are you real?

As real as you wish.

No, no.

No, that's not any answer.

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

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

What, and dress you

in the same metal fabric they wear?

Well, l have to wear something... don't l?

Or l can wear whatever you wish... be anything you wish.

So they can see how their specimen performs?

They want to see how l react-- is that it?

Don't you have a-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.

l can become anything,

any woman you've... 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.

ls there any way l 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.

And 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.

lncrease 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.

lt's what l tried to explain

in the Briefing Room.

Their power of illusion is so great,

we can't be sure of anything we do,

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 with you?

Perhaps.

Th-They can't actually make you

do anything you don't want to.

But they try to trick me with their illusions.

And, uh, 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 did 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.

Or else probing the minds of zoo specimens like me.

You're better than a 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 l answered your questions...

But that was a bargain

with something that didn'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...

Oh, don't, please,

don't punish me!

The vial contains a nourishing protein complex.

ls the Keeper actually communicating

with one of his animals?

lf the form and the color is not appealing,

it can appear as any food you wish to visualize.

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?

'Cause 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.

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.

Now let's stay on the first subject.

All l 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?

lt 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.

lt seems more important to you now

that l 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 l'll feel love in 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!

l'm the one who's not cooperating.

Why don't you punish me?

First, an emotional protectiveness.

Now, one of sympathy.

Excellent.

Do you 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 sug...

Well, they think of everything, don't they?

Hey, the coffee.

ls it good to be home?

They read our minds very well.

Home.

Anything else l want, if l cooperate, is that it?

Have you forgotten my headaches, darling?

l get them when you talk strangely like this.

Look, l'm sorry they punish you, but we can't let them...

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

lt's funny--

just about 24 hours ago l was telling the ship's Doctor

how much l wanted something

not very different from what we have here.

An escape from reality-- life with no frustrations,

no responsibilities.

And now that l have it, l understand the Doctor's answer.

l hope you're hungry.

These little white sandwiches are your mother's recipe

for chicken-tuna.

Because you either live life, bruises, skinned knees and all,

or you turn your back on it and start dying.

The Doctor's going to be happy about one part of it at least,

he said l needed a rest.

Well, this is a lovely place to rest.

Yeah, l used to ride through here when l was a kid.

Not as pretty as some of the park land

around the big cities, but...

That's Mojave, that's where l 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.

ls 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.

Well, 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 a desert.

Just blowing sand and cactus.

But we're not here, neither of us.

We're in a menagerie, a cage.

No!

l can't help either one of us

if you won't give me a chance.

You told me once they used illusions as a narcotic.

They couldn't even repair the machines

left by their ancestors.

ls that why they want us, to build a colony of slaves?

Stop! 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.

l've tried.

They keep at you and at you, year after year,

tricking and punishing, and they won.

They own me.

l know you must hate me for that.

Oh, no, l don't hate you.

l 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,

and that's why they picked you.

l can't help but love you,

and they expect you to feel the same way.

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

l was from the very first moment l saw you

in the survivor's camp.

A curious species.

They have fantasies they hide even from themselves.

l'm beginning to see

why none of this has worked for you.

You've been home, and, uh, 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.

lt 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.

lf 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.

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... don't say anything.

l'm filling my mind with a picture

of beating their huge, misshapen heads to pulp!

But so primitive they black out everything else.

l'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?

l don't understand.

Now, there is a fine choice for intelligent offspring.

Offspring?

As in children?

Offspring, as in, he's Adam.

ls 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...

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 gonna 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 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 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 ugl...

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.

Address the inner craft.

Open, sir.

This is the acting Captain speaking.

We've no choice now but to consider the safety

of this vessel and the remainder of the crew.

We're leaving.

All decks prepare for hyperdrive.

Time warp factor...

Mr. Spock, the ship's controls have gone dead.

Engine Room!

Open.

Mr. Spock here.

Switch to rockets-- we're blasting out.

All systems are out, Bridge. We got nothing.

There's nothing.

Every system aboard is fading out.

Hold still or l'll...

Now, you hold still

or l'll break your....

Don't hurt him. They don't mean to be evil.

l've had some samples of how good they are.

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

All right.

Now, you try one more illusion or you try anything at all,

l'll break your neck.

Your ship.

Release me or we'll destroy it.

Nothing.

Without the batteries we lose gravitation. Oxygen.

The computers!

l can't shut it off.

lt's running through our library.

Tapes, micro records, everything.

lt doesn't make sense.

Could be we waited too long.

They're collecting all the information

stored on this flight.

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.

l'm going to gamble you're too intelligent

to kill for no reason at all.

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

l'm willing to bet you've created an illusion

this laser is empty.

l think it just blasted a hole in that window

and you're keeping us from seeing it.

You want me to test my theory out 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.

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 zoological 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.

Since our lifespan is many times yours,

we have time to evolve you into a society trained

to serve as artisans, technicians...

Do you understand what l'm saying?

You give me proof that our ship is all right,

send these two back, and l'll stay with Vina.

lt's wrong to create a whole 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;

a forced-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.

lf, if you all think

it's this important,

then... l can't go either.

l 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 and 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.

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 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.

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.

lt 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?

lsn't she coming with us?

No. No, and l agreed with her reasons.

Hold on a minute.

Oh, l feel fine, just fine.

Yeah, you look 100% better.

You recommended a rest,

a change of pace, didn't you?

Mm-hmm.

l've even been home.

Does that make you happy?

Yeoman!

Yes, sir.

l thought l told you

that when l'm on the Bridge, l...

Oh, oh, yes, the, uh, reports.

Thank you.

Sir, l 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 ship's doctors are dirty old men.

What are we running here, a cadet ship, Number One?

Are we ready or not?

All decks are ready, sir.

Engage.