In the Star Trek pilot episode The Cage, Number One serves as second-in-command aboard the Enterprise. After Captain Pike is kidnapped by the Talosians, she finds herself responsible for the safety of the Enterprise and her crew. When the sensors detect the location of an underground community, she knows the landing party runs the risk of materializing inside solid rock. But she could hardly expect that the coordinates were actually for Pike’s cell, or that the Talosians would only allow herself and the yeoman to beam down. Most surprising of all had to be the revelation that the Talosians planned to breed a community of humans with Pike playing the role of Adam, and that if she played her cards right, she might be Eve.
While surprised, she is not deeply shaken by this development. Remember how, in the ship’s briefing room, when one bridge officer insisted that Pike was in danger and must be rescued immediately, she did not rebuke him for making such an unsubstantiated assertion? Nor was she swayed by Dr. Phil and Mr. Spock’s fears of how the Talosians might use their superior mental powers against the ship, should a rescue be attempted. She merely assessed her options, then ordered they pursue the most feasible course. Later, when the laser cannon failed to grant them access to the Talosian underground, she ignored Dr. Phil’s “I told you so” advice, and continued looking for ways to rescue Pike. Unlike her captain, she does not react with anger at this new manipulation of the Talosians. Neither does she worry that command of the Enterprise has passed onto Mr. Spock, an officer who, despite how he strives to live his life accordingly to logic, still fears to act against the Talosians. Instead, she immerses herself in the present situation, and acts in the dependable manner which Pike has grown to rely upon.
The Talosian leader’s offer to Pike, that he might choose her as his life-mate, is not worth her contemplation. While Pike values her as his “most experienced officer”, his comments earlier on the bridge could only affirm what experience has taught her: that he does not see her as desirable. She might fantasize about a life with him, but just like Pike’s erotic dreams of green animal slave women, a driven, experienced officer know the fallacy of mistaking dreams for reality. Furthermore, Number One possesses an elevated position in the bridge crew. Pike’s earlier comments about women on the bridge, and the relative lack of female crew of high rank aboard the Enterprise, suggests that she has had to work hard to achieve her present position. Even if the Talosians could somehow “make” Pike love her, why should she desire a life with a man “made” to love her by their alien captors? So unlike Vena and Pike’s yeoman, Number One remains focused upon her goal of rescuing Pike.
“Shall we do a little time computation?” she asks Vena. “There was a Vena listed on that flight as an adult crew-member,” she says in reference to the ship that crash-landed on Talos 4. “Now adding eighteen years to your age then....” Finishing that thought could have been a mistake, but the Talosian leader’s entrance saves her from committing it. Number One recognizes this, and guards her future thoughts and words accordingly. She alone in the cell is capable of seeing the situation as it is, rather than how she would like it to be. Thus, she alone in the cage remains centered, holds her cards to her chest, and calmly waits for the appropriate opportunity to act.
While surprised, she is not deeply shaken by this development. Remember how, in the ship’s briefing room, when one bridge officer insisted that Pike was in danger and must be rescued immediately, she did not rebuke him for making such an unsubstantiated assertion? Nor was she swayed by Dr. Phil and Mr. Spock’s fears of how the Talosians might use their superior mental powers against the ship, should a rescue be attempted. She merely assessed her options, then ordered they pursue the most feasible course. Later, when the laser cannon failed to grant them access to the Talosian underground, she ignored Dr. Phil’s “I told you so” advice, and continued looking for ways to rescue Pike. Unlike her captain, she does not react with anger at this new manipulation of the Talosians. Neither does she worry that command of the Enterprise has passed onto Mr. Spock, an officer who, despite how he strives to live his life accordingly to logic, still fears to act against the Talosians. Instead, she immerses herself in the present situation, and acts in the dependable manner which Pike has grown to rely upon.
The Talosian leader’s offer to Pike, that he might choose her as his life-mate, is not worth her contemplation. While Pike values her as his “most experienced officer”, his comments earlier on the bridge could only affirm what experience has taught her: that he does not see her as desirable. She might fantasize about a life with him, but just like Pike’s erotic dreams of green animal slave women, a driven, experienced officer know the fallacy of mistaking dreams for reality. Furthermore, Number One possesses an elevated position in the bridge crew. Pike’s earlier comments about women on the bridge, and the relative lack of female crew of high rank aboard the Enterprise, suggests that she has had to work hard to achieve her present position. Even if the Talosians could somehow “make” Pike love her, why should she desire a life with a man “made” to love her by their alien captors? So unlike Vena and Pike’s yeoman, Number One remains focused upon her goal of rescuing Pike.
“Shall we do a little time computation?” she asks Vena. “There was a Vena listed on that flight as an adult crew-member,” she says in reference to the ship that crash-landed on Talos 4. “Now adding eighteen years to your age then....” Finishing that thought could have been a mistake, but the Talosian leader’s entrance saves her from committing it. Number One recognizes this, and guards her future thoughts and words accordingly. She alone in the cell is capable of seeing the situation as it is, rather than how she would like it to be. Thus, she alone in the cage remains centered, holds her cards to her chest, and calmly waits for the appropriate opportunity to act.
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