Horta in Starfleet

[Kilana2]

I'm currently reading Devil's Bargain. I enjoy the appearance of the Horta and the opportunity to learn more about them.

At the time of the aforementioned novel there weren't obviously any Horta in Starfleet yet. I remember one or two other novels featuring the Horta (Devil in the Sky among others)

When did the first Horta join Starfleet?
How do they communicate?
What other facts are there about them?

Are there other Horta fans here?

Your input is much appreciated as well as additional information.

 

[Idran]

I don't remember enough examples to go into too much detail, but from what I remember, for communication they're shown to use an attached vocoder with built-in UT, something along the lines of what Chaka uses in Titan. I want to say it's actually physically attached to them? But I might be remembering wrong there.

 

[Kilana2]

I don't remember enough examples to go into too much detail, but from what I remember, for communication they're shown to use an attached vocoder with built-in UT, something along the lines of what Chaka uses in Titan. I want to say it's actually physically attached to them? But I might be remembering wrong there.

Now that you've mentioned it..... It's because in DB Scotty's still wondering how to communicate with them.

 

[Stevil2001]

Naraht in Duane's novels uses a vocoder. We see him in a number of Duane's novels, which usually take place post-The Motion Picture (though I'm not sure if all the ones Naraht is in do).

There's a whole Intrepid-class starship crewed by Horta in Dyson Sphere.

 

[Kilana2]

There's a whole Intrepid-class starship crewed by Horta in Dyson Sphere.

That's one of the old TNG still missing in my collection. I refrained from buying it because it appears to have a lot of technobabble.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

As the others have said, they tend to use vocorders. The Horta representative to the Federation Council, though, also communicates via a Betazoid aide, so that's apparently an option for Horta officials in the wider Federation (and maybe private citizens might hire a telepath too, at times?)

There was briefly a Horta crewmember aboard Titan - we never actually met it, it was mentioned only. I believe it left after the events of Destiny, to help in rebuilding.

 

[Sto-Vo-Kory]

There was a very theatrical (and memorable) Horta in Foul Deeds Will Rise by Greg Cox.

 

[Kilana2]

There was a very theatrical (and memorable) Horta in Foul Deeds Will Rise by Greg Cox.

I remember it well. Nice to see the Horta popping up once in a while.

 

[ryan123450]

While I accept that the Horta have been developed this way in the novels and comics, it always rubbed me the wrong way. I don't get the impression from the episode that the Horta were anything intelligent enough to serve in Starfleet. I would rather have left them that way.

 

[Christopher]

I don't get the impression from the episode that the Horta were anything intelligent enough to serve in Starfleet. I would rather have left them that way.

Err...

"In my brief contact with the creature's mind, I discovered it is a highly intelligent, extremely sophisticated animal."

"The Horta is intelligent, peaceful, mild."

"Captain, the Horta is a remarkably intelligent and sensitive creature, with impeccable taste."

Not to mention that the Horta was able to communicate in English after only the briefest telepathic contact with Spock; sure, its grammar was imperfect, but that's still amazing for a creature that doesn't even have the anatomy for phonetic speech (never mind the mystery about how it can be named "Horta," though). And we then hear the mother Horta's thoughts communicated through Spock, and it expresses some pretty sophisticated ideas.

So I'm surprised it's even possible to watch "The Devil in the Dark" and not come away with an understanding of the Hortas as exactly what they're described to be, a highly intelligent species. That's the impression I've always had from the episode, since long before Diane Duane put one in Starfleet.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

There's a whole Intrepid-class starship crewed by Horta in Dyson Sphere.

Did they fill the corridors with concrete or something?

 

[Idran]

There's a whole Intrepid-class starship crewed by Horta in Dyson Sphere.

Did they fill the corridors with concrete or something?

Literally yes, if I remember that book right. At least, I remember some book mentioning a Starfleet ship filled up for the sake of an all-Horta crew, and it seems more likely that it was that one than that there were two books with such a ship's crew.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Well I guess they wouldn't have to deal with visitors...

 

[Kilana2]

The Horta in DB have all nice names like Slider Dan, Crumblecake, Hot-John or Missile-in-Rock .

 

[JD]

Here's a picture of Naraht with his vocoder in the Diane Duane TOS DC comic, Double Blind Part 1.

 

[Stevil2001]

There's a whole Intrepid-class starship crewed by Horta in Dyson Sphere.

That's one of the old TNG still missing in my collection. I refrained from buying it because it appears to have a lot of technobabble.

It's not a great book, and it's probably not even a good one, but it is an interesting one. It's very well researched.

There's a whole Intrepid-class starship crewed by Horta in Dyson Sphere.

Did they fill the corridors with concrete or something?

Literally yes, if I remember that book right. At least, I remember some book mentioning a Starfleet ship filled up for the sake of an all-Horta crew, and it seems more likely that it was that one than that there were two books with such a ship's crew.

Yup, that's the book.

 

[Ithekro]

Naraht was fun. I used a Horta for the fiction I was writing in high school based on Naraht.

 

[fireproof78]

I'm glad someone mentioned Naraht. That was probably one of my favorite parts in one comic (that and the divergence of the Mirror Universe).

Yes, the Trek universe needs more Hortas, in my opinion.

 

[Kilana2]

After finishing DB, it's clear: some of the Horta apply for the Starfleet Academy. Jean-Luc could use more non-human crew members (broad hint)

 

[Christopher]

Someone should do a story where a Horta meets a Vorta. And then they find a portal to Vorta-Vor and become immortal. Sorta.