Horta (Star Trek)

Star Trek race|if=
bgcolor=#ffffff
Name=Horta


Caption=Kirk faces off the Mother Horta in "The Devil in the Dark"
Planet=Janus VI
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Affiliation=None

In the fictional universe of "Star Trek", the Horta are a silicon-based species, introduced in the episode "The Devil in the Dark".

An intelligent species indigenous to the planet Janus VI, the Horta can comfortably live in the airless and dark subterranean environment. It can also secrete a powerful corrosive which allows the instant fashioning of tunnels for travel. It also has an unusual life cycle in that every 50,000 years, most of the species dies leaving one female to lay numerous eggs and care for the resulting young.

When the United Federation of Planets set up a mining colony, the Horta tolerated their presence until the miners inadvertently broke into the egg chamber and, being unaware of their nature, began destroying the eggs. In desperation, the Horta began killing and terrorizing the miners to save her children. The USS "Enterprise" was sent to investigate the problem and Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock led the hunt for the creature. Spock used the Vulcan Mind Meld to make contact with the creature and learned of her grievance. Once fully informed about the situation, Kirk brokered a mutually beneficial arrangement in which the miners treated the Hortas with respect while the creature helped them mine.

This episode is the source of the exclamation "I'm a doctor not a bricklayer!", uttered by Bones when Kirk orders him to attend to the injured Horta. McCoy successfully uses cement mortar as dressing for the Horta's wound.

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