Platonian

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Platonian
Four Letter Code	PLAT
Federation Status	Hostile
Planet of Origin	Sahndara
Encountered	TOS: Plato's Stepchildren
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	C
List of Named Platonians
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By order of Starfleet Medical Avoid All Contact Authorized Personnel Only

"We are as unto gods. As much your superior as you are above a single celled amoeba."

a Platonian statement of fact as they see it.

The Platonians are a species of extremely long lived humanoids who have developed extremely powerful psychokinetic abilities due to the presence of a substance called kironide in their food.

Some of them also refer to themselves as Plato’s Children.

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: Boran Mintara Sector (coordinates B24-0002-1302)
• Proper Name: Platorun system
• Star: It orbits a class F (Yellow-White) star
• Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 39 million km
• Companions: It is the 3rd of 11 planets in the system
• Moons: it has 2 moons.

Home World

• Proper Name: Platonius
• Diameter: 17,498 km (10,873 miles)
• Gravity: 0.90 standard gravity with a density of 3.6
• Axial Tilt: 3.1%, with no seasonal changes
• Orbital Period: 381 days
• Rotational Period: 25.2 hours
• Classification: M
• Surface Water: 38%
• Atmosphere: 0.93% is a standard pressure with 71% nitrogen, 27% oxygen, 2% trace chemicals
• Climate: Only a narrow band 250 miles wide near the equator is actually hospitable with a temperate climate and plenty of vegetation.
• Terrain: Most of the rest of the world is rocky or mountainous with little water and few plants.
• Population: Less than 100

History

Originally native to the planet Sahndara they were forced to flee it when their star exploded around 400 BC. A group of thirty-eight refugees managed to escape and traveled to Earth where they settled during the time of Plato. It was during this time that they met, learned from and patterned their lives after the teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato. As a result of this they now call themselves the Platonians or Plato's Children.

Sometime after Plato had died the settlers moved on to another planet, a class M world they named Platonius. Here they continued to follow the teachings of Plato, but they soon discovered that they had developed psychokinetic powers, attributed to the planet's kironide-rich food. This added to their incredibly long life spans seems to have been the basis for a slow twisting of their original beliefs and attitudes. By 2268 they had morally become a faint shadow of their former selves.

At this time their leader Parmen was in danger of losing his life due to an infection to his leg that they were incapable of treating. They managed to send an SOS and the USS Enterprise responded. Dr. McCoy was able to treat the injury and save Parmen’s life but they wanted him to remain as they did not have anyone trained in the medical arts.

When Captain James T. Kirk declined to allow this the landing party was tortured in an effort to convince them to remain. Dr. McCoy was able to discover the source of their abilities and gave the away team highly concentrated injections of kironide. This allowed them to fight back and escape. They took Alexander, a dwarf who did not possess any ESP abilities with them.

Star Fleet under the direction of the Federation established a quarantine zone around their world soon after. Since then there has been no recorded contact between members of the Federation and the Platonians and while there have been a few minor glitches with the scanning and sensor platforms built into the quarantine zone, no evidence has been found to indicate that they have established contact with anyone else.

Government

They described their colony as a principality, but their government was set up on the most powerful psionic, in this case Parmen being supreme. Considering that each Platonian's ability appeared to attuned to a different frequency, which made combining their powers impossible, Parmen's authority was unchallenged.

Description

In all ways they appear to be typical humans and even dress, act and talk like ancient Greeks from the planet Earth.

Physiology

As with most intelligent humanoid species they have a very complex system with specialized organs, and unique hormones, chemicals and enzymes. They are typical humanoids with most of the physical, mental and biological medical problems that seem to plague most humanoids. However they also have incredibly long lives with a typical life span of 3 to 4 thousand years.

Psychology

While they once observed and lived their lives according to the teachings and beliefs of the ancient Earth philosopher Plato they have changed with time. This may be due to their incredibly long lives or due to the influence of the kironide in their system. Regardless of the cause most of them have developed a rather nasty streak and have no problem using their abilities to torture or control anyone who comes within range of their abilities.

ESP

Due to the fact that they eat kironide-rich foods they have developed incredibly powerful psychokinetic abilities. These abilities allow them to control the actions of those around them who are weaker in ability or who lack any kind of defense. It also allows them to move and control objects and to a lesser extent the elements like fire, water, earth and air.

Religion

They do not have any true religion but do have a perverse reverence for Plato and Socrates, two Greek philosophers from ancient Earth. This comes from the time that they lived on Earth and studied under them.

Mythology

While they do not believe in or have any myths of their own they did record and bring with them the various different tales and myths that were known to the ancient Greeks of 400 BC to 25 BC approximately.

Society

Due to the limited number of individuals living on the planet they have a single small village built along the classic Greek style of 400 BC Earth. It is well designed, spacious with fountains, stone paved streets and well cared for gardens and fields.

Culture

They have adopted the same appreciation for various types of artistic expression that they were exposed to while living on Earth in Greece between 400 BC and 25 BC approximately. In many ways this aspect of their society has remained completely stagnant over the following 2,000 plus years.

Customs

They have very few customs but in many ways they continue to act, appear and conduct themselves like ancient Greeks from Earth between 400 BC and 25 BC approximately. In many ways this aspect of their society has remained completely stagnant over the following 2,000 plus years.

Technology

With their incredibly powerful psychokinetic abilities they have no need for or any real use for any advanced technology.

Economy

They are 100% completely self-sufficient and are content to be that way. They have no interest in anything except their own personal pleasure and they really have no need for anything else.

Military

They have no military and with their incredibly powerful psychokinetic abilities they really do not need any. Each and every single one of them is more than capable of defending themselves from just about any conceivable threat.

The Federation established a quarantine zone around their world. This zone includes numerous warning beacons, defensive satellites and advanced sensor, scanning platforms.

Federation Intelligence Files

Alexander of Platonius

Alexander was a one-time resident of Platonius who later served as a Federation ambassador for over one hundred years. Although the Platonians were generally Human-sized, Alexander was a dwarf who served as a slave to the rest of the Platonians.

In 2268, the USS Enterprise arrived at Platonius. Some members of the crew were taken prisoner, but they eventually escaped and took Alexander with them. Alexander eventually began serving as a Federation ambassador—a position he held for over one hundred years prior to visiting S'ti'ach'aas as a representative of the Federation. His size (roughly the same size as a S'ti'ach) as well as his wisdom and sensitivity were pivotal in convincing the S'ti'ach that they could participate in the Federation as equals.

Parmen

Parmen was a Platonian male, born circa 34 BC, who served as leader of the Platonians. Like other Platonians, Parmen possessed psychokinetic powers and used them to amuse himself by torturing others, and making them do his bidding.

Parmen was close to death in 2268, after a leg wound had become infected. Philana, Parmen's wife, became concerned and contacted the USS Enterprise to ask for urgent medical treatment for her husband. The Enterprise responded and Dr. Leonard McCoy was able to heal Parmen's wounds. Unfortunately, Parmen realized that the Platonians needed a doctor and tried for force McCoy to remain behind. When McCoy refused, Parmen tortured the rest of the landing party, forcing them all to remain.

Thankfully, McCoy was able to determine that the Platonians received their great mental powers from a substance in their food, known as kironide. McCoy then injected the Enterprise crew with kironide, and they began to exhibit great mental powers, which helped them defend themselves from Parmen and his people.

Philana

Philana was a Platonian female, born circa 32 BC, who was married to Parmen, leader of the Platonians.

In 2269, Philana requested medical aid from the USS Enterprise when her husband was dying from a leg wound. The Enterprise thankfully responded, and Dr. Leonard McCoy was able to save Parmen's life.

Sources

Both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta were used as references as well as the following TV episode, TOS: Plato's Stepchildren.

Also used were the following written works; the TOS novel: The Rings of Time and the TTN novel: Orion's Hounds.

SDC

This file was updated and approved by the SDC on 3 April 2015.

Content from this article may have
come partially, or entirely from
 Memory Alpha

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