Christopher Pike was captain of the Starship Enterprise NCC-1701, a Constitution-class vessel designated for a combined exploration and defense mission.
Talos V
In the Starfleet community, Pike was perhaps best known for a highly-controversial mission to the planet Talos V. Nothing is known about this world, and no ship has ever been permitted within proximity of the surrounding system. Starfleet Command has issued a General Order that this world is not to be approached - under penalty of death.
There are reports alluding to the possibility that a 22nd century survey vessel from Earth, the S.S. Columbia[?], had also taken a stellar survey in this region. However, the vessel was declared lost after communications suddenly ceased - as a result, there is no data available from this mission.
He served as captain for several years, before being promoted to Fleet Captain. Later in life, he was severely irradiated during a starship inspection, which ended his career and incapacited him. Shortly after this accident, he disappeared from the public eye, presumably to seek a quieter life away from his former assignment at Starbase 11.
- - -
The American author Kevin McFadden (born 1954) took that character's name as his penname.
wikipedia.org dumped 2003-03-17 with terodump