Showing posts with label Horta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horta. Show all posts

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Horta Creature

The creature seen here was the main star attraction in the episode " Devil in the Dark" in Star Trek The Original Series. The "Horta" was a creature of deep passion from the depths of converging caverns on Janus VI She was a protector, capable of striking in a flash with lightening stealth, melting all and everything that was in her path.

She was also a highly intelligent lifeform, suffering from great pain and tormented with memories of sorrow and loss. The Horta is a remarkable, durable creature of the caves and readied herself to exact punishment on those who were ruining her childrens future. One by one, the miners of Janus VI started to die.

Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures
"Devil In The Dark"
Alpha Memory


This episode is filled with interesting characters, ranging from a panic stricken guard whose left abandoned in the caves on watch to a blunt, tense, almost angry Administrative Head /Chief Engineer fed up of watching his men dieing. This is a great episode. Tensions and emotions are running high because people are fearing for their lives.

Emotional outbursts are commonplace with even the logical Mr Spock having a few for himself, over Kirks safety. This is a charged exciting storyline that just sweeps you up and takes the viewer on a trip of discovery along with Kirk, Spock and the rest of the baffled miners. There is a mystery here to be solved and no one has any answers, which is why the USS Enterprise 1701 is called to the rescue!


Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures
"Devil In The Dark"
Alpha Memory


Spock is fascinated by the object on the Chief Installations Managers desk and picks it up. Theres a curious expression on his face. He asks the chief

"Mr Vandeburg, What is this?"
"Its a silicone nodule, theres a million of them down there of no commercial value." comes the reply, rather bluntly.

"But a geological oddity to say the least. " says Spock examining the nodule closely in his hands. "Pure silicone?" enquires Spock calmly
"A few trace elements, look we didn't call you here so you could collect rocks"




Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures
"Devil In The Dark"
Memory Alpha




Vandeburgs appalled by Spocks carry on and is now looking at Kirk. Clearly, his nerves are on edge and Spock so far, hasn't done anything to inspire the chief. Theres an almost amused look on the captains face. If the Janus VI crisis wasn't so serious, these two, Spock and Vandeburg would be funny.- Kirk sees the need to lower Chief Vandeburg's blood pressure.

"Thankyou Mr Vandeburg, we'll need your complete cooperation"
"You'll have it, Just find that creature or whatever it is, I've got a quota to meet!" Vandeburg leaves the room.

Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures
"Devil In The Dark"
Memory Alpha



Kirk is determined to end the bloodshed and find the creature. He reminds the security detachment that they are:

" dealing with a silicone creature from the deep rocks"
So much is unknown about the "Horta" at this stage.
Kirk is harsh. He has to be. The security guards are standing to attention.

"You will proceed from level to level" - searching for the creature " and remember 50 people have died, I want no more deaths"
"Except the bloody thing" blurts out Chief Engineer unhappily.
Captain James T. Kirk continues,

"So it is wounded and twice as dangerous, stay in pairs, if you see it, concentrate your phaser fire at what appears to be its head. Concentrate it, maintain it. It is definitely resistant, if it can be hurt, it can be killed.

Administrative Head and Chief Engineer of the mining facility. Mr Vanderburg.
"When that creature appears men die"
" I don't know what this butchering monster is, but I know what its doing"
"Except that bloody thing"
"I'm concerned with my people here Kirk, they're being murdered, now you find that monster and kill it!"
Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures
"Devil In The Dark" Memory Alpha



Human activity mattered little to the Horta until that faithful day of heartbreaking discovery. There was a lasting peace on the Horta Homeworld for thousands of years. So why did the Horta resort to murder? She was the mother of her race, left behind to care for her unhatched little ones on Janus VI.

The Horta came from a time when thousands of her kind lived. Every 50000 years, all but one Horta passes on, who cared for the next generation hatchlings. This natural environment underground was their nursery "chamber of the ages" which until recently had been undisturbed for millenniums.

One day as the silicone caretaker went about her business, disaster struck. The sound of equipment could be heard, which her finely tuned senses picked up on. Panic stricken and engulfed with feelings of Hortadread for the welfare of her little ones safety, the Mother Horta rushed to the Chamber of the Ages.

Smashed eggs could be seen in the cave. The murderers had left. The Peace on Janus VI was over.

I hope you enjoyed reading. Live Long and Prosper!


Spock and Kirk discover a newly cut tunnel in the last two minutes after the Horta fled after their first encounter.
Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures
"Devil In The Dark"
Memory Alpha

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