National Geographic Galactic Society
September 29th, 2378
?Synopsis of the Space-Borne Organisms known as ?Hellions??
Or, ?If Only Stars Received Child Support Income??
Authored by Dr. A.A. ?Atolm?
Documentary transcribed by Senior Study N.A. ?Reverend?
Numerous occasions and confrontations in the last 10 years have confirmed and elaborated upon graciously of the existence and basic knowledge of the space-borne organisms colloquially referred to as the Hellions? this name given to them after the colony of Tartarus V was destroyed by a group of infant Hellions; that name given to them understandably so by the colony?s few survivors... owing to lack of more information, and to the overall ?catchiness? of the name itself, a more scientific name has not been allocated currently. Possibly due to an internal leak from Starfleet Command, it became well-known that the U.S.S Pontiac and the U.S.S Titan had encountered that very same group of infant Hellions.
Several other sightings had occurred before and after this tragedy, until a specific location in the Omicron Segigius region had been pinpointed as a likely area to locate and observe these creatures, in 2368, by the United Federation of Planets, and the Nation Geographic Galactic Society was appointed solitary responsibility of said duty, in hopes that this beautiful, majestic, and deadly genus of creatures could be better understood.
From 2369 to just about present, we administered our most prized vessel, the U.S.S Cousteau, among others naturally, for these missions, and for the information we are finally able to present to you, much in part by Starfleet Command.
Since time began, our mouths have never really closed at the complexity, beauty, mystery, horror, and respect that Nature demonstrates to us as intelligent beings in regards to her creations, and the austere Hellions are a testament of these sentiments and much more.
Not without a degree of respect that could be translated into abject fear, we launched our first study beginning with our heaviest-shielded vessel into the Omicron Segigius expanse? home to the kind Thanian people, but also an area of two great planetary nebulae, beginning with Segigius Major, a white-hot G Class proto-star, one of the driving forces of that nebula. This particular area of Omicron Segigius was also the first best area we had for finding the Hellions in what seemed to be their natural habitat. This was the beginning of a great plethora of data and experiences, which lead us even into the Romulan Star Empire?s space and later not without the Borg encounter, which fortunately was a quiet one, due to a congenial grant by the Romulan Senate. As deadly as the Hellions can be, at least they were aggressive only because of food. A later study determined some interesting as well as surprising relationships these creatures hold with an previously unknown archaic spacefaring race of peoples, also relatively new to the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.
The Hellion organism in general is regarded as an invertebrate in design for many factors? seemingly sexless; they reproduce by the laying of eggs in the most fantastic of manners, often conjectured, finally proven. Their physical makeup and structure is segmented in fashion, having a very distinctive invertabrate appearance, and where we will begin in our tour of the Hellion and its amazing life cycle; which we hope will leave you as breathless and respectful as it has us.
It is still unknown as to how or where the Hellions evolved from, but it is certain that they are in fact actual space-borne species, and are easily one of the most advanced naturally-occurring life forms known at this time. Their design, behavior, and marvelous abilities led many early observers, many from the great Klingon Empire, to attempt to designate and differentiate them as one would with starships? smaller ones as Frigates, and largest ones as Dreadnaughts or even Battleships. Our continuing years of intense and careful study has verified this as otherwise. The Hellion begins to grow a great armor-like carapace once they graduate out of infancy- this carapace will be a mainstay forevermore in how they are identified as well as how healthy they are. Over time, the carapace changes as the Hellion mature through several developments, giving rise to the misconception that there are different classes of Hellions? when in fact they are merely physical designations of age and strength. Like the insects, the Hellion goes through several metamorphoses in its lifespan. It has been noted recently through collaborative efforts that each Hellion is apparently able to alter its own carapace at each stage, giving them a sense of individuality. This carapace grows over the soft inside body, and becoming a perfect extension of that body. Therefore the same Hellion will go through many varying stages of appearance in its great lifetime, but still retain a ?sense of self?, which assists a Hellion in its generally solitary existence. Hellions in general tend to display great amounts of territorialism, save for the occasional coupling or grouping, but these are often the results of territory disputes, or sharing of a food source, and in which case one begets the other.
As a space-borne life form, the Hellion must have its own internal combustion- to sustain body heat, as well as for movement. The Hellion has taken this need and expounded upon it almost further than our own starships can of this day. Unlike many other space-borne life forms, such as the Void Whale, the Hellion is a master of energy manipulation and extrapolation. To begin with, they are one of the few natural space creatures to move faster than light, at least upon command. Many other space-borne life forms can achieve a limited form of warp speeds, but only during a migration, or with much elaborate effort. Their sub-light navigation and travel seems to be of greater speed and dexterity than many other species as well.
It was observed, unfortunately by our own vessel directly as well, the Hellions are able to emit various bursts of channeled and focused energy, either funneled from their internal combustion ?heart?, or from a gullet of sorts. This energy is very similar to the long-patented PHASER beam weapon employed by Starfleet Command, and has also been known to channel similar emissions into a more destructive, coalesced projectile.
The Hellion, in any stage of growth and development, is a very large and relatively active organism. Driven by internal thermonuclear reactions, it is similar to terrestrial warm-blooded animals, in that it has a metabolism, and one of a high rate. It is no surprise that the reason they are attracted to energy sources, such as the Omicron Segigius area we first found a healthy one at, which contains warm, power-rich planetary nebulae. After several revisions as to what was thought to be a set diet, the Hellion is apparently able to absorb various forms of high-energy plasma, ionics, assorted other radiation, as well as high-energy matter as well. This intones and reflects direct observation that these organisms will consume just about anything. As the Hellion contains intelligence of which has not been fully documented, nor measured, but as it ages, its diet generally becomes more discriminatory. The Hellions who earned their races? name by attacking and destroying the Tartarus V colony, and its inhabitants, were in fact later found to be a group of youths, infants in fact, whose nesting area had quickly become barren due to a sudden formation of a quantum singularity, or a black hole. To address the rumor first off, adult Hellions have been known to feed on active starships, but cases observed both began with provocation form the starship; i.e., intrusion into its area of control, or in fact by attack from the vessel. Chiefly, they feed upon nebula gases, emanations from collapsing stars, and any other power sources they can come up with. The Hellions, with their capacity to manipulate and project destructive energies, are also fond of feeding upon other life forms, particularly the Void Whale. Almost with a vengeance, the Hellion will on occasion hunt down Void Whales, either singularly, or within herds which have passed into or near its territory? the same organism in which the infant Hellions were capable of being eaten by- another example Nature displays to us of the prey becoming the predator.
The senior Hellion in a still undetermined point in its life, at this point guessed as a personal choice, or most likely as it nears the end of its life, desires to reproduce itself. This aged or ailing Hellion typically finds a G or higher class star it is familiar with, usually within its area of control, as they are greatly territorial, and brings itself in a synchronous orbit with this star. This heavy star also needs to be in a state of decay, as such stars usually are producing larger amounts of exotic energy that is not found in lighter stars, and which aids the Hellion clutch in hatching, as well as growth. It is noted that the father along the star is in collapse, the quicker and healthier the Hellion spawn are, most likely due to the same reasons, of the exotic energy that fuels them.
The Hellion will actually pass into the lower levels of the star?s dwindling corona and drop on the surface, slowly searing their great carapace, and extending a strategically hidden proboscis, with which they drop their clutch of eggs into the star itself- where the eggs will grow and strengthen within their protected clutch sac. After absorption of enough star stuffs, the eggs will hatch, releasing a infant Hellion. In what was described by another Senior Student as a ??half-assed parenting job?, the Hellion will escort these infants through the processes of energy absorption, movement, elementary self-defense, and communications, whereby the aging or ailing Hellion will then abandon its young, to either travel in its remaining days, or to find a place to die.
As it seems more apparent over time, the Hellions have existed for many millenniums. Of the races we are familiar with, the Hydrans seem to be the first to have known of them. There existed, and may still, a religious cult of Hydrans called the Sunglider Cult, named for what is now known to be Hellion specimen that resided in, and over time, passed through their space. These cult members had accumulated much information on the ?Sunglider? Hellion, and apparently had differentiated specific ones, and eve given them names. For some reason, those Hellions that resided in Hydran space retained the same carapaces, not shedding and growing new ones as they aged, as would normal specimens. These cults are not recognized by Hydran Royalty, it may be added.
Information concerning a similar obsession, this time spanning an entire culture, only recently declassified, involves a race of interstellar nomads, called the Neophytes. The Neophytes are from an unknown region of space time, as the Hellions, and are true nomads, residing solely in their starships. Information that Starfleet Command was able to glean from poor first contact attempts are that the Neophytes are silicon-based life forms, and quite alien to much like we know of, and after collaboration with the National Geographic Galactic, are that the Neophytes and Hellions bear some slight similarities, physically. The Neophytes are new to this Quadrant, and claimed to have followed the Hellions for centuries, even eons, across galaxies themselves, and followed the Hellions to this galaxy. Neophytes too are an ancient and archaic race, having technology remotely similar to the Federation, but whose progress is apparently much slower than others, given the amount of time they have resided in their starships. Initial scans of their vessels determined some of the larger ones to be well over three hundred years old, some much older. Unbeknownst to or uncared for by the Hellions, they nonetheless have based much of their sociological and religious themes upon the great beasts, and have been known to attack vessels on several occasions for either directly attacking or merely just violating the space of Hellions.
The Neophytes declare themselves to be the protectors of the Hellions as a race, and maintain that the Hellions are divinity, or messengers of the divinity. After much careful analysis, it is hypothesized that there could be some amount of truth to their claims, as similar readings from encounter with residents of the ?Q Continuum? and those of Hellions show odd but unmistakable parallels. This, however, is merely conjecture.
As of January 23rd, 2379, National Geographic will take another look at the Hellions, and if so permitting, approach the Neophyte people to consider allowing us a deeper look at their culture and society. On this date, a special section of the National Geographic Galactic Society?s offices will devote a separate office to further study these deadly wonders of space.
We have found that however unusual, fascinating, or exciting these organisms the Hellions are, as well as the Neophytes, we urge extreme caution we entering space known to be occupied by these creatures. They are very territorial, very aggressive, and can be very dangerous- any and all sightings of them should be reported to your corresponding authorities, and the area should be vacated.
Topic: OT- Hellion Documentary.... fan fiction (Read 1141 times)