Talosians were once a warp-capable, technologically advanced culture but a nuclear holocaust left their planet virtually uninhabitable and killed most of the species. The survivors of the nuclear war congregated in underground dwellings, where they became dependent on their mental ability to create stunningly real illusions, an ability that had been developed by their ancestors. As their mental powers grew, they lost the ability to use the technology left behind by their ancestors. The Talosians found that life using illusion was addictive, almost like a Human developing a physical and psychological dependence on narcotics. They became bored with the content of the illusions which they had. Their dependence upon these illusions for mental stimuli caused the Talosians to begin capturing travelers to use as the living basis for their illusions.In 2254, the Talosians captured USS Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike and attempted to use him to rebuild their civilization. The Talosians hoped that Pike would be attracted to Vina and would wish to remain on Talos IV. Thousands of the Talosians probed Pike's thoughts, discovering he had "excellent memory capacity." However, after assimilating the records of the Enterprise, the Talosians learned that Humans have a "unique hatred of captivity;" even when made as pleasant as possible, Humans prefer death. This made Humans unsuitable to the Talosians for breeding stock, and Pike and his crew were released.The Talosians refused Pike's offer of trade and mutual understanding, claiming that Humans would use their powers of illusion to their own destruction. Instinct: Capture travelers to use as the living basis for their illusions

• Create Illusions
• Test humanoids
• Need breeding stock for slave race