The Genesis Planet was the result of Project Genesis in 2285. The Class Q planet was created from gaseous matter inside the Mutara Nebula following the detonation of the Genesis Device inside the nebula by Khan Noonien Singh. (TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptations: The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock)
History[]
Shortly after the planet formed, the photon torpedo containing the body of Captain Spock was fired into space over the planet. Although Admiral Kirk intended the burial launch to cause the torpedo to burn up in the atmosphere, Saavik programmed the course to allow for a soft landing, out of sentimentality. When the tube was discovered, the conversation on the investigating science vessel Grissom theorized the soft landing could have been due to the planet's gravitational fields being in a state of flux. Soon afterwards, the Genesis wave regenerated Spock's cells. At the time, the planet was a lush, vibrant world with all manner of weather conditions within a few hours walk of each other.
Because of the controversy created by Project Genesis, the planet was declared off limits to all but a science team sent by Starfleet. The USS Grissom was sent to investigate the planet. Scans revealed the unique nature of the planet's weather, Spock's tube, and the presence of an animal life form, which should not have been there.
Saavik and David Marcus beamed down to investigate the life form readings. They discovered that Spock's tube was covered in microbes that had grown to a very large size. Opening the tube, they found that it was empty except for his burial robe. Soon, they heard a scream in the distance.
Walking for several hours, they came across a region of the planet which was covered in snow, and found a young regenerated Spock who was perhaps 8 to 10 human years old. However none of Spock's personality or memories were present. Saavik reported her findings to the Grissom, and requested permission to beam the Vulcan on board. Moments later a Klingon Bird of Prey uncloaked, and destroyed the Grissom.
It soon became obvious that not only was Spock aging rapidly, but so was the planet itself. Saavik realized the planet was not what the Genesis Team expected or hoped for, and confronted David about the planet. David Marcus admitted that he had used protomatter in the construction of the Genesis Device - a substance so unstable that most ethical scientists eschewed its use. He said that as the planet aged, Spock would get older, and that it would only be a matter of time until Spock and the planet died.
They were soon all captured by Kruge and the crew of the Klingon ship. At about the same time the USS Enterprise arrived. Because there was only five people on a ship normally manned by over 400 people, the mostly automated control systems, set up by Mr. Scott, on the Enterprise overloaded in the middle of battle with the Klingon ship. Kruge was able to take advantage of this, and disabled the Enterprise with a single shot. After Kruge had David Marcus killed, Kirk agreed to surrender the Enterprise. But he set the auto-destruct device before beaming down to Genesis. One minute later the Enterprise exploded, taking most of the Klingon crew with her.
On the surface of Genesis, Commander Hikaru Sulu discovered that the planet's core was unstable. As they rushed to rescue Saavik and Spock, the planet's condition deteriorated rapidly. Kruge beamed down to confront Kirk, and beamed everyone else except Spock back to his ship. As the planet fell apart, Kirk and Kruge fought on the surface of the planet. Kruge died when he fell from a cliff into a sea of lava. At that moment, Kirk discovered that Spock had reached the same age he had just before his death. Kirk had himself and Spock transported from the Genesis Planet surface. Kirk and his crew escaped on the Klingon ship as the Genesis Planet exploded. (TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Search for Spock)
Aftermath[]
After they were safely away, Kirk ordered his crew to take them to Vulcan. Saavik expressed her belief that the remains of the Genesis planet would someday form another planet. Upon arriving on Vulcan, Spock's katra was successfully reunited with his regenerated body. (TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Search for Spock)
Two years later, following the Cetacean Probe affair, Kirk recovered the remains of Marla McGivers from Ceti Alpha V. Kirk had McGivers cremated, and took her ashes to the remains of the Genesis Planet, where he had them beamed into the debris field so that she could be with her husband for all eternity. (TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Voyage Home, TOS novel: To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh)
By 2366, its history and controversy was popular to Starfleet Academy cadets. Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher kept a holodeck program, based on all the declassified info he could obtain, of the planet. With the exception of the evolved microbes, it was complete with the Mark VI photon torpedo landing site, surface tremors and Spock's shouts in the distance. A modified version of the Genesis Planet environment holodeck program was used for the wedding ceremonies of the Tizarin Sehra and Kerin. (TNG novel: Q-in-Law)
Starfleet analysis[]
Starfleet later conducted an analysis that concluded that the planet was unstable and died because of the nature in which the device was used. The device was meant to explode on the surface of a dead planet - and the resulting Genesis Wave would have been able to concentrate on rebuilding the planet. Starfleet concluded that if the Genesis device had been used in its intended manner that even though protomatter was used the planet would have been quite stable.
However, the prototype exploded on board a starship, which was in a nebula of diffuse and highly charged gaseous particles. Not only did the Genesis Device have to create the planet itself, but the rest of the star system as well, complete with a G-type star. After building a star system, the Genesis Wave did not have sufficient energy to complete the building of the Genesis Planet. Also, the device created nearby gas giants, which created additional gravitational stress on the planet. (TNG novel: The Genesis Wave, Book 2)
Connections[]
| Planets visited by starships named USS Grissom | |
|---|---|
| USS Grissom (NCC-638, Oberth-class) | Genesis Planet |
| USS Grissom (NCC-42857, Excelsior-class) | Beta Agni II • Anzibar II • Anzibar IV • Ricktor Prime |
External links[]
- Genesis Planet article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.