Galor IV
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Primarily a research colony, Galor IV holds both pragmatic colonists and visionary experiments.
Galor, an F5 IV yellow-white subgiant star, has fourteen planets of the unusual range from rocky Class F worlds on the inner orbits through variously sized Class J and Class G worlds out towards the cometary halo. Starfleet maintains advanced listening posts and detection grids centered on Galor XIII, a Class K ammonia world near the edge of the system.
Galor IV's most noted inhabitant is Dr. Lonaria Helvren, a Centauran. She is one of the Federation's foremost experts on robotics and cybernetics. Most of her current research is devoted to studying Borg implant technology and finding ways to disable it.
Environment
Galor IV's environment is generally temperate, with seasonal and geographic variations, but is hotter and drier than Earth. It has a large tropical belt at its equator.
History
Starfleet charted the Galor system in the late 23rd century, using starcharts from a vanished civilization which later archaeologists believe to be a forerunner of the pre-Cardassian Hebitian civilization. The name "Galor" appeared on those charts, and the name stuck. Galor IV received a few colonists, but was mostly ignored until 2322, when its colonial government won the bid to become the planetary annex of the Daystrom Institute. The Institute's research needs had outstripped its resources elsewhere, and Galor IV proved to be an excellent location for an auxiliary facility. Starfleet has been increasing its presence in the Galor system ever since.
Civilization and Government
Galor IV has a population of a little less than a million, scattered in large robotized farms over the temperate central continent. The Planetary Annex sits at the center of a low tableland on that continent, and a smallish torn with a very "college town" atmosphere has grown up around it. Starfleet headquarters is on the Styles Station in geosynchronous orbit over the Annex. The population is roughly divided between the colonists, the scientists, and Starfleet, each group with its own government. A Federation Commissioner (a Bolian named Vohn) runs the colony with input from the farmers, the Daystrom Institute academics under Professor Serak run the Institute and its facilities, and Starfleet Admiral Anthony Haftel commands the Styles Station and the security personnel in the Annex. This triplicate government structure can cause friction, especially when interests clash. The colonists want trade and security, the Annex wants free rein for experimentation and no interference from anyone, and Starfleet wants to keep a lid on everything that happens on Galor IV.
In the early 2320's, when Galor IV was chosen as the planetary annex site of the Daystrom Institute, it was far from both the Klingon and Romulan Empires, deep in the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet considered the Galor sector a safe one for advanced and classified research - it was so far from Earth that it posed no threat to Sector 001, and was virtually impossible to enter covertly from Romulan space. Unfortunately, it turned out to be rather nearer to the Cardassian frontier than Starfleet really feels comfortable with, but so much work and research has gone into the Annex that moving it would be impractical. The Annex holds some of the most advanced cybernetics and robotics research facilities in the Federation and is one of the main Starfleet centers for research into Borg technology. It is the repository for all known files by Dr. Noonien Soong. Other programs of the Daystrom Institute, such as archaeology and computer science, also have major presences at the Galor IV annex.
Starfleet has clamped a heavy security regime onto the Annex, which causes a degree of friction with the civilian scientists and researchers on site. The Galorian colonists, on the other hand, approve of the increased Starfleet presence, since it brings increased trade and security to their world. Much of the Galor IV annex's research has been converted to military purposes over the last decade since the end of the Dominion War.
Doctor Ira Graves pursued much of his early research at the Annex, and taught Dr. Noonien Soong here as well. Dr. Soong’s well-publicized early failures to construct a positronic brain were done under the annex’s auspices, before he left with his wife to work in seclusion.
In 2361, Captain of Sciences Anthony Haftel was promoted to Admiral and made the Chief of Starfleet Cybernetics Research at the Daystrom Institute Annex on Galor IV. During this time, he also worked closely with Commander Bruce Maddox, then attached to Starfleet Academy, and recommended him as Chair of Robotics at the Daystrom Institute. It disturbed Haftel that Lieutenant Commander Data — the only successful Soong-type android — was not stationed at Galor IV. However, unlike Commander Maddox, he believed Data to be sentient and accepted he had the right to serve in Starfleet. However, when Data constructed a child — Lal — in 2366, Admiral Haftel used his authority as head of Starfleet Robotics Research to have Lal reassigned to the Galor IV facility, to help her develop and learn independently from Data. This was motivated both in a belief that the Daystrom Annex faculty had more expertise than Data in these matters, and out of the fear that having the only two Soong-type androids on a single starship was simply too dangerous, lest they both be destroyed by misadventure. Data, who considered Lal his child, resisted this action firmly, and had the support of his captain, Jean-Luc Picard, who made it clear he was willing to lose command of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D before letting a member of his crew have his child taken by the state. Tragically, this became moot when Lal suffered a fatal cascade failure and died. Admiral Haftel was significantly impressed by Data’s parental devotion, and, saddened at Lal’s loss, returned to the Daystrom Annex on Galor IV alone.
Fauna
Galor IV's tropical regions are home to several varieties of small primates. These monkeys have brilliantly colored fur which camouflages them against the bright flowers which many Galorian plants have. Because of their coloration and docile temperament, these creatures have become popular as pets through the Federation.
Reference(s)
- Cambias, James, et al. Planets of the UFP: A Guide to Federation Worlds, Last Unicorn Games, 1999. ISBN: 0671040065.