Medusan

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Medusan
Four Letter Code	MEDU
Federation Status	Member
Planet of Origin	Medusa Prime
Encountered	TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?"
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	O
List of Named Medusans
Full ILI Gallery • Permitted Species Gallery

"There is glory and wonder in the appreciation of true artistic genius."

a Medusan proverb.

The Medusans are a species of unusual non-corporeal electromagnetic life forms that have to be viewed using special devices or the sight will destroy your mind. They are considered to be the oldest living species and the most powerful ESP species within the Federation.

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: ??? Sector (coordinates A27-0002-1300??)
• Proper Name: Xi Hydrae system
• Star: It orbits a binary class A (White) and F (Yellow/White) stars
• Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 37 million km and 49 million km
• Companions: It is the 4th of 9 planets in the system
• Moons: it has 2 moons and a small dust ring.

Home World

• Proper Name: Medusa Prime (also known as Xi Hydrae IV, Visalayan and Medusa)
• Diameter: 14,??? km (10,318 miles)
• Gravity: 0.86 standard gravity with a density of 3.6
• Axial Tilt: 3.3%, with no seasonal changes
• Orbital Period: 504 days
• Rotational Period: 18.5 hours
• Classification: B
• Surface Water: 43%
• Atmosphere: 0.98% is a standard pressure with 74% nitrogen, 26% oxygen, 2% trace chemicals
• Climate: Mainly ablistering hot world with toxic gases in the atmosphere.
• Terrain: No vegetation, merely barren, rocky ground.
• Population: Just over 1 billion

History

At a distant point in their history, the Medusans were known to have been a corporeal Humanoid species until they reached a point where they evolved beyond their physical form. This current appearance/form of the species was achieved approximately 600,000 years ago.

Around 150,000 years ago, the Medusans were known to have engaged in space exploration. Contact with later era Humanoid races led to such species suffering from severe psychological damage or even permanent brain damage as well as madness. Thus, to avoid accidental exposure, the Medusans seldom left their home system and even when they did it was under the strictest of conditions.

Contact between them and the Federation was extremely limited. Despite this being the case, it was known that they eventually joined the United Federation of Planets where they held the position as one of the oldest species within their ranks by the 23rd century.

It was known that in the 24th century that Galaxy class starships possessed an Interactive Navigational Control System for use by Medusan Specialists who were stationed on the ship. Several Medusan navigators once visited Deep Space 9, where they were entertained by Quark.

In 2268, the USS Enterprise conveyed the Medusans' ambassador to the Federation, Kollos, along with Miranda Jones, to a rendezvous with a Medusan vessel following an unspecified diplomatic mission, and a short diversion through the galactic barrier. Jones had originally intended to mind-link with Kollos once the two had reached the Medusan vessel, which was bound for the Medusan homeworld; however, circumstances forced the link to be established aboard the Enterprise.

Government

Most experts agree that their form of government has obviously been influenced by their unusual non-corporeal electromagnetic life forms. As a result every single one of them can participate and discuss any issue being considered by them. Also every single one of them has the right to vote on any issue or consideration being debated by them as a collective whole.

Description

While non-corporeal, Medusans still have a physical form, which when viewed by humanoids, is so utterly hideous that the sight of a Medusan renders any Human mad. Vulcans are capable of viewing Medusans, but only with the use of a specially filtered visor. As long as Medusans are kept in special shielded containers, they can coexist with humanoids. For those with telepathic capabilities, the ordered Medusan mind is said to be remarkably beautiful.

Physiology

They are known as a race of highly intelligent nonphysical beings that are composed of electromagnetic energy.

Should it be necessary, a Medusan was capable of travelling onboard a Federation starship though this required them to be within highly specialized electromagnetic containers. There was a great deal of danger in such cases as whilst their mental thoughts were sublime, their physical appearance was so hideous to humanoid eyes that they drove a subject insane.

Psychology

Special viewers were required by individuals who sought to see a Medusan outside their protective containers as they filtered out the dangerous frequencies from the eye lids thus lessening the potential damage.

ESP Ability

The Medusans have demonstrated highly advanced scientific capabilities and had telepathic powers that were more advanced than any other race within the United Federation of Planets.

Religion

Even though they have been members of the Federation for a while there is still no data available in regards to this aspect of their civilization. Most experts agree that this may be proof that they have long since evolved past needing any.

Mythology

Even though they have been members of the Federation for a while there is still no data available in regards to this aspect of their civilization. Most experts agree that this may be proof that they have long since evolved past needing any.

Society

They have an extremely ordered society with no known or recorded social unrest, crime or other anti-social issues. However since they do not require physical structures in which to live as they are a non-corporeal electromagnetic form of life, they had to have some constructed in a small area for the very rare times when they received visitors.

Culture

They were noted as having a distinct form of beauty and were delighted by the many forms of art available to them since their entry into the Federation.

Customs

Even though they have been members of the Federation for a while there is still no data available in regards to this aspect of their civilization. Most experts agree that this may be proof that they have long since evolved past needing any.

Technology

Their knowledge of physics and mathematics is among the most advanced within the Federation. Beyond that they are more advanced than any other species in the federation when it comes to most of their technology, however it is all designed for use by non-corporeal beings and is useless to most other species.

Economy

Due to their unique electromagnetic composition this species of non-corporeal energy being do not require anything from anyone. However they love art of all kinds and use the funds they earn as a people to purchase various types of art to be shipped back to their home world for all of their people to enjoy.

Military

Medusan vessel

This type of starship in operation in the 23rd century and it shared some commonalities with Federation starship designs. The vessel functioned under the authority of the Medusans and they were equipped with specialized feeding chambers.

Federation Intelligence Files

The Medusans are renowned for their navigational abilities. Medusans were permitted to serve in Starfleet as emergency navigators on board Galaxy-class starships. Such Medusans were honorary lieutenant commanders and had special quarters off of an emergency navigation center, which kept them isolated from the rest of the crew.

In 2268, the USS Enterprise was assigned the mission of transporting Ambassador Kollos to his home.

The Medusans were noted as expert starship navigators and had developed interstellar navigation into a fine art which was attributed to their unique sensory system. One theory suggested that the race were capable of electromagnetically identifying as well as locking onto guide stars, even those that were beyond deep sensor range.

Xi Hydrae

Xi Hydrae is a binary star system located near the Romulan Star Empire, visible from Earth in the Hydra constellation. Xi Hydrae is the home of planet Xi Hydrae IV, more commonly known as Visalayan, homeworld of the Medusans.

Korgan

Commodore Korgan was a Medusan Starfleet Officer who was selected to become one of the Travelers.

Korgan was one of only twelve active Medusans in Starfleet as of the late 2370s. He chose an assignment on Earth as he discovered on his first training voyage in Starfleet that warp travel made him violently ill.

Korgan was the lead prosecuting attorney in the court-martial of Jean-Luc Picard, after seeing through Wesley Crusher's disguise during the court martial and his assistance of clearing Picard's name, Wesley Crusher chose Korgan as his apprentice.

This training period kept Wesley extremely busy, but he was able to make time to attend the wedding of William T. Riker and Deanna Troi on Earth.

Sources

Both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta were used as references as well as the following TV episode, TOS: Is There in Truth No Beauty?

Also used were the following written sources, TOS novel: Spectre, DS9 - Millennium novel: Inferno and the ST novel: A Time for War, A Time for Peace. As well as the ST references: Star Charts and ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation (p. 60).

The following sources were also examined, the FASA RPG module: The Federation, FASA RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual, Last Unicorn RPG module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook and the TOS video game: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Strategic Command.

Origin of the name

The Medusans were named for the Greek mythological character of Medusa whose appearance was so hideous that anyone who laid eyes on her was turned to stone.

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