[ PIKE’S CAGE ON TALOS IV ]

Pike awakens and looks down tenderly at Vina, stroking her hair.

VINA

[awakening]

I asked if you loved me,
You answered, in your way—

Through your desire, I was transformed. But what of mine?

If only you could truly want me…truly want to stay.

PIKE

My fears are phantoms, Vina.

But you…Vina, Vina becoming Vina,
You are real.

 

I don’t know love. But I know we are here.

And maybe this is where we will live our lives.

Just as Vina begins to glow with new happiness, the sound of the Enterprise's transporter beam is heard. A shaft of light descends. A phaser and a communicator materialize on the floor of the cage. Pike leaps to his feet and seizes the devices.

PIKE

A phaser...a communicator! The Enterprise succeeded in beaming them down to us!

Pike aims the weapon at the invisible cage wall and fires. Nothing happens. He tries the communicator.

PIKE

Enterprise! This is Captain Pike! Come in!

[flinching at the lack of response]

Dead! Useless! This cave is too deep. They didn’t survive transport through solid rock.

Pike throws them to the floor in disgust.

VINA

[Recalling her hopes of a moment earlier.]

If only…

[now with anger]

I asked if you loved me,
You answered…in your way…

[after a pause]

Wait!

[as she picks up the phaser]

It looks like nothing happened when Captain Pike fired this phaser, but I know better.

[to the unseen keeper]

Keeper! You’ve created the illusion that this phaser is empty. It actually just blasted a gaping hole in this cage. To prove it I’m turning it on myself. Either you…

A glow envelopes Vina, and she falls to the floor in pain,

Either you free Captain Pike at once or, I’ll fire!

Vina flips on the phaser. The phaser chirps and powers up, with a sound more ominous than the familiar “stun”. Vina’s pain and the torturing glow disappear as Pike rushes to Vina’s side, reaching for the phaser.

PIKE

Vina, I can’t let you do this!

Vina holds it to her chest, keeping it from him. The phaser steps up to a higher-energy sound, louder and more urgent.

FIRST TALOSIAN

[to the Keeper.]

Magistrate, the girl has become completely irrational!

KEEPER

Is this a deception, Vina? Do you really intend to destroy yourself?

VINA

[to the Keeper]

Allow Captain Pike to return to his ship!

[to Pike]

You can’t trust your senses, Chris. Close your eyes and empty your mind. You put a hole in this cage, and you can walk through it. Run!

[now more tenderly]

Go Christopher, I’m begging you. Go.

PIKE

Not unless you come with me!

KEEPER

[with uncharacteristic desperation]

Vina, you know your well-being is deeply important to us!

VINA

[fiercely]

Do not…pretend…that you act…in my interest.

KEEPER

You desired the Captain as a companion. We’ll provide for him. For all his needs …

VINA

He is free to choose me—to choose this illusion…or to be free of it…

FIRST TALOSIAN

[to the Keeper]

The more she loves him, the more she’s willing to let him go. What does this mean, magistrate?

After a pause, the force field of the cage is deactivated. Vina turns off the phaser. Vina quickly leads Pike to the planet’s surface. The metal door in the rock, which had seemed still intact to the crew, has been blasted away. On the surface they are joined by the Keeper and other Talosians.

KEEPER

Your crew went to great lengths to rescue you, Captain.

PIKE

Pike to Enterprise. Do you read me?

YOUNG SPOCK

[voice on intercom]

Spock here, Captain. We have you onscreen. The Transporter has locked onto your coordinates. We’re ready to beam you aboard.

PIKE

Wait, Spock! There are two of us.

[to Vina.]

You’re coming with me, aren’t you?

VINA

I … I can’t.

PIKE

But why not? Why would you stay?

VINA

You won’t understand, Chris. But … you still don’t know who I am.

The Keeper gestures toward Vina, who changes into a scarred and severely disfigured woman. Pike involuntarily staggers back, and then whirls around to face the Keeper in anger.

PIKE

What have you done to her?

KEEPER

Nothing, Captain. This is Vina. She was an infant aboard the S.S. Columbia when it landed over 18 years ago. Her parents, and all the crew, perished. She survived, but only barely.

VINA

They found me in the wreckage… burned and nearly dead. Somehow they saved me, but there was so much damage…Do you understand now? Do you see why I can’t go with you?

PIKE

…Keeper, you’ll give her back her illusion? Can she be whole?

Vina’s is slowly restored to youth and life.

KEEPER

She will seek freedom in her illusions, and you … in your reality. May your find your way, as she has, Captain Pike.

 

A shaft of light from the transporter beam envelops Pike, and he disappears. The world around Vina swells with a new abundance of light and color, flora and fauna, and her form soon resembles that of her appearance in Act I.

[COURTROOM]

Lights rise on the present-day Enterprise courtroom, though Vina and her former captors remain visible as the holovision dims.

TOR

[to Pike, with a feeling of revelation, and deep sympathy]

Christopher—she saved you!

Pike’s brain image swirls with deeper color than before, extending its warmth into neural regions previously left dark, and animating previously unfelt rhythms and tempos. He is affirming, for the first time, his new destiny, and his love.

KIRK

[turning to Commodore Tor]

Commodore Tor—I don’t know if this is even admissible as evidence, but if it were—

Commodore Tor vanishes. Kirk pivots toward Spock, then, confused, back and forth to Pike, Spock, and to Tor’s empty chair.

The Keeper, who a moment ago seemed only a holovision projection, is now aboard the Enterprise. Kirk rises from his chair at first in surprise, though he quickly grasps what the Keeper explains.

KEEPER

Greetings, Captain Kirk.

KIRK

The holovision, it’s…where is Commodore Tor?

KEEPER

We have taken control your perceptions Captain, for a short while. But we intended no harm. By now you know that Commodore Tor never boarded your vessel, and remains at her command on M-11.

KIRK

And my crew—

KEEPER

Control of your ship was never far out of reach, and so their minds, too, were…influenced…

KIRK

So this trial, all our deliberations—

KEEPER

The illusion of Commander Tor’s presence made the trial possible, which in turn kept your mind focused on Pike’s past, and diverted you from efforts that might have broken our control of the ship, or your minds.

KIRK

—And what of Spock’s evidence? All these games and illusions, a higher but the crime of mutiny is still very real.

KEEPER

We hope you will forgive our interference with Pike, Captain. But we will leave the Federation to its own judgments.

The Keeper vanishes.

KIRK

Spock…you might have…I mean you could have…even if regulations were explicit. Why couldn’t you have come and explained it to me?

SPOCK

And ask you to commit treason? One of us was enough, Jim.

Enter Uhura.

UHURA

Captain, Commodore Tor is hailing us from Starbase M-11.

The holovision now shows an image of Commodore Tor.

TOR

Captain Kirk? This is Commodore Tor. We’ve just received classified communication from Captain Pike. I don’t need to explain to you the seriousness of the crimes to which Spock has confessed.

KIRK

No, Zuna—ah, Commodore—no, it’s clear. But—

TOR

But Pike’s recovery is even more extraordinary. I can only hope that evidence of what the Talosians have done will justify a pardon. Captain Pike is requesting immediate retirement on Talos IV. Can you confirm?

KIRK

[after turning to Pike briefly]

Confirmed, Commodore.

TOR

Permission granted. Captain Pike, we wish you the best. Captain Kirk, the Federation High Court needs your testimony—

KIRK

Thank you, Commodore…with your permission, our first stop will be M-11. I need to…brief you…in person.

TOR

[enigmatically]

That would be…agreeable…Tor out.

Holovision darkens.

KIRK

Mr. Spock, one of these days we’re going to have to discuss this recent tendency of yours toward flagrant…emotionalism.

SPOCK

I see no reason to insult me, sir. I believe I’ve been quite logical throughout the whole affair.

KIRK

You may escort Captain Pike to the Transporter room, Mr. Spock.

Kirk stands and gives Pike a stiff military salute as attendants wheel Pike out the door, Spock right behind. Slowly Kirk turns to face the holovision.

KIRK

Mr. Spock, just one more thing.

SPOCK

Yes, Captain?

KIRK

These illusions—these charades—and even the holodeck’s simulations were—simulated?

SPOCK

That’s correct Captain. The Talosians have no record of Pike’s journey.

KIRK

And since Tor was an illusion, there’s no…visual record of…

SPOCK

Correct again, Captain. A scan of all security footage revealed no direct evidence of the illusion.

KIRK

And…did you happen to see any…indirect evidence?

SPOCK

I did, Captain.

Concealing impatience, Kirk gestures for Spock to continue.

You appeared to be…hugging yourself, sir.

KIRK

[under his breath]

That’s…appropriate.

SPOCK

I took the liberty of erasing it, sir.

KIRK

Excellent, Spock.

SCOTTY

[via intercom]

Reporting from the transporter room, Captain.

KIRK

I trust Pike is safely on the Talosian surface?

SCOTTY

Aye Captain. Holovision confirming now.

 

Spock and Kirk watch as Pike and Vina reunite on a ridge in Rural Montana.

[RURAL MONTANA]

As Pike and Vina converse, and Spock and Kirk return to other business.

PIKE

Take some tea, Vina. At this altitude dehydration will sneak up on you.

VINA

[smiling]

Thank you.

[pointing at the landscape]

Our cabin is just beyond that ridge?

PIKE

That’s right. We’ll be there with time to make a fire before sunset.

[COURTROOM]

KIRK

Scotty?

SCOTT’S VOICE

Aye, Captain.

KIRK

Have we…truly…regained control of the ship?

SCOTT’S VOICE

Aye, Captain, but I don’t know how we’re going to tell the difference—

KIRK

If can’t tell the difference, then I guess it doesn’t matter. Set a course for Starbase M-11, Scotty. Warp speed.

SCOTT’S VOICE

Aye, aye, Captain.

Kirk returns to his juror’s chair, lost in thought. The music swells.

[RURAL MONTANA]

PIKE

… As winter passes

And the sunlight in the valley

Melts the snow

 

I walk with you

In a body made only of senses

To leave a ruined cage behind

Exploring the farthest reaches

Of an inner universe.

VINA

Now we live among flowers, and mountain peaks

And boldly, in the reality

Of love.

 

Has no one known before to go

Where we will go?

To know infinity?

The holovision darkens.

THE END