Return to Talos! – "Door in the Cage" was the 61st issue of DC Comics's second monthly Star Trek series, published in July 1994. It was written by Steve Wilson and drawn by Rod Whigham and Arne Starr. The story explored what happened to Captain Christopher Pike 20 years after settling on Talos IV with Vina during the events of TOS episode: "The Menagerie".
Summary[]
Spock has traveled to Talos IV in order to offer Captain Christopher Pike, now 70 years old, the chance of a return to the Federation. Upon arriving, Spock unexpectedly meets a young boy who seems to recognize him. Captain Pike appears and identifies the boy as his son with Vina, Philip Pike. Pike and Vina invite Spock to dinner, and Spock observes that Pike, Vina, and Philip appear to be reclaiming the surface of Talos IV, cultivating vegetables, and beginning to overcome the ecological disaster of Talos IV. Given the danger of losing oneself in illusion, Spock is uncertain about the reality of the situation. His offer of medical help that would enable the family to leave Talos causes Pike and Vina to consider their situation, but they decide to stay.
When Spock is attacked by a le-matya, then three Klingon warriors, Number One, and then Pike himself, he realizes that Philip is real and trying to scare him off with illusions. Pike explains how he and Vina were able to have a son and Spock accepts their decision.
Spock returns to the Enterprise-A and recommends that Captain Pike be returned to Starfleet's active duty roster to serve as a contact specialist, and that Talos IV be considered for Federation membership.
Log Entries[]
- Personal log, Captain Spock, stardate 8684.2
- While the Enterprise delivers a diplomatic party to the conference facilities on Babel, I am under orders to visit Talos IV, a world unseen by outsiders for over twenty years. A world whose inhabitants possess such formidable mental powers that Federation law forbids any contact with them... under penalty of death.
My last visit to this world was direct violation of that law. I brought Fleet Captain Christopher Pike here to live his life out in comfort.
Paralyzed and disfigured by radiation, but with his mind fully intact, Pike could communicate only with a race of true telepaths with all hope of an active physical life gone, he could only find solace in the illusionary world which the Talosians are capable of crafting.
To my knowledge, he still lives here with Vina, a human woman whose existence, without the Talosians' aid, would be extremely difficult.
Captain Pike once fought to leave this world because he found a life of illusion empty. He returned because he had nothing else for which to live- I trust he still finds this life empty.
I have come to offer him the chance of a new life. - Personal log, supplemental
- The idea that the child, Philip, is real is unlikely.
Both of his alleged parents are, in their true states, severely disabled.
Further, Captain Pike's DNA would have been hopelessly damaged by the same radiation which ended his Starfleet career. Like this house in which I have been made welcome, Philip is logically the product of the Talosian power of illusion. Whether the Talosians are generating that illusion, or Captain Pike is doing so, so I have yet to determine.
Christopher Pike is a strong man. Despite temptations offered by the Talosians forty years ago, he rejected a life of captivity and illusion. His injuries cheated him of dreams of an active life, a wife, and a family. However, it is possible that his loss has depressed him to the degree that he has taken refuge in illusion once and fora all.
There is no doubt that the man I talked to tonight believes this house and his child are real.
I am left with one question, then. Am I seeing the Captain Pike I am seeing deranged? Or is, he too, a product of Talosian illusion? If so where is the real Captain Pike? - Captain's log, USS Enterprise-A, stardate 8685.7.
- Mr. Spock has returned to the Enterprise from his mission on Talos IV. His experiences there have surprised us all. Leave it to a man like Chris Pike to find purpose in such an unlikely place.
References[]
Characters[]
- James Tiberius Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Christopher Pike • Philip Pike • Spock • Vina
- Referenced only
- Number One • Talosian Magistrate • illusory Klingons
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise-A (Enterprise-subclass refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Heinlein (Type-4 shuttlecraft)
- Referenced only
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • class J starship • covered wagon • Talosian starship
Locations[]
- Talos IV
- Referenced only
- Babel • Earth (Starfleet Headquarters)
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
- Federation • Starfleet
- Referenced only
- Klingon Defense Force • Klingon Empire
Science and classification[]
- baffle plate • bionic implant • clone • d'k tahg • hallucinogen • Klingon disruptor pistol • laser pistol • mace • medicine • phaser • robot • shield • surgery • technology • type-2 phaser • video • wheelchair
Ranks and titles[]
- captain • captain • commander • commanding officer • contact specialist • first officer • fleet captain • magistrate • psychiatrist • slave • telepath
Other references[]
- 1870 • 20th century • animal • assignment patch • brain • bridge • captain's log, USS Enterprise-A, 2290 • cave • civilization • death penalty • decade • diplomacy • DNA • ecology • emotion (anger) • extinction • Federation law • food • fourth planet • galaxy • General Order 7 • government • hell • history • homeworld • honor • horse • house • humanoid • illusion • immortality • le-matya • lifeform • logic • mind meld • month • nation-state • personal log, Spock • planet • plant • races and cultures • radiation • rank • solar system • space • star • Starfleet uniform (2240s-2265) • Starfleet uniform (2278-2350s) • starship • telepathy • thousands of years ago • title • tree • universe • vegetable • wood • year
Appendices[]
Related stories[]
"The Cage" • "The Menagerie" • Burning Dreams
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
Published Order | ||
---|---|---|
Previous comic: #60: No Compromise, Part III |
DC Comics, second series | Next comic: #62: The Alone |
Previous story: A Little Man-to-Man Talk |
Stories by: Steven H. Wilson (as Steve Wilson) |
Next story: A Question of Loyalty |
Chronological Order | ||
Previous adventure: No Compromise, Part III |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Bait...and Switch |
External link[]
- Door in the Cage article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Star Trek Vol 2 61 article at DC Comics Database, the DC Comics wiki.