Act II, Scene 5: The Cage
[~3:30][ A CAGE ON TALOS IV ]
[Unrecorded:] Snarling, shrieking sounds of possibly alien origin come from nearby. Pike is staring up at a group of Talosians. Pike steps toward them but is repelled by a force field. He is evidently contained in an invisible cage.
PIKE
[0:11] Vina? Can you hear me?
[hearing no response, but slowly discovering a cage around him]
[0:19] Hello!
[regaining his senses]
[0:33] My name is Christopher Pike, co—
[interrupted by new sounds]
—commander of the USS Enterprise, from the far side of the galaxy.
[0:46] Our intentions are peaceful.
KEEPER
[telepathically]
[0:52] His vessel was lured here easily.
PIKE
[0:57] Can you understand me?
KEEPER
[1:00] He only now suspects that the survivors and their camp were an illusion.
PIKE
[1:05] You’re not speaking, yet I can hear you…
KEEPER
[1:11] And you will note he’s not yet accustomed to thought transmission.
PIKE
[1:17] All right then, telepathy. You can read my thoughts and I can read yours.
KEEPER
[1:28] …and now we’ll see the fear-threat response.
Pike prepares to hurl himself against the invisible wall that surrounds him.
[1:35] Next, frustrated into a need to display physical aggression, the creature will throw himself into the force field.
Pike hurls himself against the wall, to no avail, just as the Keeper completes his prediction.
PIKE
[1:46] If you were in here wouldn’t you test the strength of these walls, too?
KEEPER
[1:51] Despite the frustration you see, the species is adaptable—as we’ve learned from our other specimen.
PIKE
[2:02] If there’s a way out of this cage, I’ll find it!
KEEPER
[2:07] And—as you can tell from his thoughts—the male before us is filled with self-doubt.
FIRST TALOSIAN
[2:22] Keeper—he remembered a recent struggle, a fight for life and death…he lost members of his crew. We recreated it for him, allowing him to win instead.
[2:42] Why didn’t this produce the effect that we wanted?
The environment around the cage shifts, perhaps as though their invisible modes of engaging with their captive have changed, or their session has adjourned.
KEEPER
[2:49] Perhaps we’ll see it soon. There are more experiences waiting for him.
Act II, Scene 5b — Boyce: "We saw what we wanted to see."
[7:00—second draft]
[THE ENGINEERING DECK ON THE EARLY ENTERPRISE]
Chief Medical Officer Katherine Boyce, Lieutenant Sulu, and young Spock gather to confer with ship’s engineer Montgomery Scott.
YOUNG SPOCK
[0:05] We could not have anticipated such a perfect deception. This technology for illusion is unsurpassed by any civilization known to us.
YOUNG SULU
[0:22] I could understand a holograph—without physical contact. Or an induced hallucination, if they only had to trick one of you.
BOYCE
[pensively, head shaking]
[0:36] We saw what we wanted to see.
YOUNG SULU
[0:42] But a shared perspective? Even an experience of each other’s shared perspectives?
BOYCE
[0:51] All we know now is that they are persuasive. Persuasive enough to cast doubt over everything.
[1:04] If we lose our way, will they persuade us we’ve found it? If we fight them, how do we tell between winning, and just seeming to win? [1:24] If we rescue Pike, is he really free?
YOUNG SPOCK
[1:33] Surely we can trust our senses enough to know that the Captain is their captive. He needs our help now.
BOYCE
[1:49] Spock—their illusion was made of desire. Not only our private wishes, but how we wish to see each other in the world.
YOUNG SPOCK
[2:09] If you are right, Doctor, then they can also play on our fears.
Your powerful doubt may be part of their plan.
SCOTT
[2:35] Lieutenant—I’m getting a new reading. We now have Pike’s precise location underground. And he’s alive.
YOUNG SPOCK
[2:48] Computer, analyze the terrain around Captain Pike.
COMPUTER
[2:54—spoken lines not recorded] Igneous bedrock. Partial iron ore. Large cavern with titanium reinforcement, and breathable air, at 20 meters. Numerous other life forms.
YOUNG SCOTT
[2:59] It appears heavily guarded. And it’s not safe to beam him up through that much rock.
YOUNG SULU
[3:08] Could we try to beam a weapon to him?
YOUNG SCOTT
[3:13] I’d need some time to analyze the rock, and adjust our transport frequencies. It's not a sure thing, but it’s possible.
[3:34] We could also transmit the ship’s power through the photon canon...enough to blow away a continent.
BOYCE
[3:53] But Scott, they can influence what we perceive. For all we’d know we might be blasting away at the Enterprise.
YOUNG SPOCK
[4:09] If they’d wanted us to destroy ourselves, by now, the task would be accomplished. And time may be of the essence.
Spock rises, signaling an end to discussion. Sulu and Boyce turn toward the observation screen.
[spoken]
[4:29] Engineering deck will rig to transmit ship’s power to the canon and will fire on my command.
YOUNG SCOTT
[4:33] Garison, is the canon set to charge?
[SURFACE OF TALOS IV]
Lights rise to reveal Garison and other crew on the surface of Talos IV, with a large canon aimed at the rock face where Pike was abducted.
GARISON
[speaking into communicator]
[4:37] Aye aye Mr. Scott. Standing by.
YOUNG SCOTT
[4:41] All circuits engaged!
GARISON
[to crew]
[4:45] Take cover! 5-4-3-
Garison’s voice is less audible as the sounds of the engine whir higher; at “0”, the sound transforms and the upstage setting of Talos IV is awash in the bright light of explosions.
UHURA
[5:04] Commodore. Another message from Starfleet Command. Emergency code status 11.
[COURTROOM]
TOR
[5:13] Computer, cease projection. Kirk, we have been warned—
UHURA
[5:21] You have been ordered to assume command of the Enterprise immediately. Disable vessel if necessary, to prevent further transmissions from Talos IV.
KIRK
[to Spock]
[5:36] Transmissions…from Talos IV? Spock's evidence—
SPOCK
[5:41] —is coming from Talos IV, sir.
UHURA
[5:45] Furthermore, Captain Kirk is hereby relieved of his duty.
The visual transmission continues, the pyrotechnics of a laser canon visible upstage. All pause, as though in a state of shock, except Kirk, who approaches Spock, again searching his face for meaning.
TOR
[5:57] Security, confine Lieutenant Spock to the Courtroom under full surveillance, until the time of his sentencing.
Security guards seize Spock and move him toward the exit.
[6:12] Spock, your manipulation has come to and end.
SPOCK
[6:21] Captain… please… don’t try to stop me. Don’t let her stop me.
KIRK
[pausing, showing uncommon dismay]
[6:46] Take him out of my sight.
Exit security guards with Spock.
(END OF ACT II.)