Gideon

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			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Gideon
Four Letter Code	GDEO
Federation Status	Member
Planet of Origin	Gideon in the Mutara Sector
Encountered	by the USS Enterprise (TOS: The Mark of Gideon)
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	N
List of Named Gideons
Full ILI Gallery • Permitted Species Gallery

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: Coordinates 3.57S 2.35E (54.5, 42.7, -242.9)
• Proper Name: Delta Dorado system
• Star: Type A star
• Distance from Star:
• Companions: At least 8 planets
• Moons: 1

Home World

• Proper Name: Gideon
  • Other names: Delta Dorado VII
• Diameter: 15,900 kilometers
• Gravity: 1.12 standard gravity
• Axial Tilt:
• Orbital Period:
• Rotational Period: 31 hours
• Classification: M
• Surface Water: 5%
• Atmosphere: Thick class M terrestrial atmosphere - germ free
• Climate: Warm temperate climate
• Terrain:
• Population:

History

By 2268, 500 billion humanoids were living on a single Class M world.

The Federation Bureau of Planetary Treaties tried for years to send Federation ambassadors to Gideon in an attempt to persuade them to join the United Federation of Planets - Gideon finally consented to the request in 2268. The reports submitted by Gideon to the Federation described environmental, physical, and cultural conditions that indicated that the planet was a literal paradise. This was, in part, due to the planet's germ-free atmosphere, which – combined with their love of life – lead to the inhabitants' ability to regenerate their bodies and increase their life spans.

With the absence of disease, the birthrate far exceeded the planet's death rate. Death only occurred when an individual's body could no longer regenerate itself. By the mid-23rd century, the population explosion on Gideon inevitably saturated the planet to a point of being a living mass of individuals. To keep this fact secret, the planet had screens placed around it so as to prevent ships from scanning the surface. They also made the specific request that no scan attempts were to be made by orbiting vessels.

When a Starfleet vessel arrived to conduct negotiations, the Gideon Council wished only to allow a single Federation representative to visit the planet: James T. Kirk. The Gideon Council, aware that Kirk was a carrier for Vegan choriomeningitis, chose him in a radical attempt to solve their overpopulation problem. Ultimately, Kirk was used as a means to introduce the disease, on a voluntary basis, to the planet's population. This was done in an attempt to introduce death back into their society and to end their malaise caused by overpopulation. Within 10 years of initial infection only 9 billion inhabitants remained. The population stabilized at this level.

Society

The Gideons had, centuries ago, managed to cure virtually all of the diseases on their planet and extend their lives. This lead to the most unprecedented overpopulation in history, with life-spans of over 300 years and a social taboo against birth control.

References

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