Velara III

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Velara III is the third planet of Velara, a small white dwarf near the Pleiades Cluster that supports four planets. The first, second, and fourth worlds are all Class I barren rock bodies. Velara III is Class K and devoid of organic life. However, a startling discovery that has opened a new chapter in Federation science was made during an effort to terraform the planet.

Velara III harbors a planetwide habitation of a sophisticated crystalline life form. Millions of individual crystals make up a collective intelligence, much as individual chips, when combined through a communication medium, make up a computer. In the case of the Velara crystals, the connective medium is a thin layer of subsurface saline that covers much of the planet's surface and lies just beneath the sandy topsoil. These "microbrains" are also photoelectric and rely upon the light of Velara for life. The cadmium salts within the crystals may indicate that it is infrared light that feeds the creatures.

The terraforming colony on the planet has been withdrawn, and Velara III is now off limits to Federation personnel. However, the Federation hopes that the Velaran crystals will eventually seek contact.

Reference(s)

  • Johnson, Shane. Star Trek: The Worlds of the Federation, New York: Pocket Books, 1989. ISBN: 0-671-66989-3.