Project Genesis (Star Trek): Difference between revisions

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan#Plot

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-In the fictional [[Star Trek]] universe, Project Genesis was a process of rapidly [[terraforming]] worlds to make them suitable for settlement and food production. The idea of the Project Genesis was first introduced in [[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]. It was described as "life from lifelessness," and as Spock noted, it was perfectly named after the first book of the [[Bible]].
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-The Genesis Project was developed by a team of Federation scientists, led by Dr. Carol Marcus and her son Dr. David Marcus, working in an orbital laboratory in orbit around the Class D planetoid Regula.
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-==The Process==
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-Project Genesis used an energy matrix to rearrange matter at the molecular stage into life-giving matter of equal mass. This energy matrix was programmable so that the end result could be customized to current needs. When detonated, the energy matrix was designed to cover a dead planetary body and begin the transformation process.  Within minutes, the matrix would spread over the entire planet, rearranging the matter that it came across. Soon afterward, the planet would develop a habitable biosphere suitable for transplanting life forms.
-However, where life already existed, Genesis "would destroy such life, in favor of its new Matrix," giving it potential to be a terrible weapon.
-==History==
-The Genesis Project was first proposed to the Federation in the early 2280's. Over several years, the scientists developed a Genesis matrix and a three-stage test. The first stage was conducted in their laboratory in orbit around Regula.
-For the second stage, Starfleet engineers took 10 months to excavate a large cavern within Regula II. The scientists then released the Genesis matrix in to the cavern, and in within a day, a habitable biosphere developed within that cavern. As Carol Marcus later explained, the life forms "grew later, at a substantially accelerated rate."
-The third stage test was to be on a planetary scale. The Genesis team contracted with Starfleet to find a "completely lifeless" planet to conduct the test, and the starship ''Reliant'' was sent to scout. When they investigated Ceti Alpha VI, they encountered the exiled Khan Noonian Singh, who hijacked the ''Reliant'' and learned of the Genesis Project.
-After two battles with the ''Enterprise'', Khan was defeated and the ''Reliant'' about to be boarded. In a last act of vengenance, he set the Genesis torpedo to detonate. Thanks to a crew member's sacrifice, the Enterprise suddenly regained warp power and narrowly escaped. When the torpedo exploded, it destroyed the Reliant and began the Genesis project within the Nebula. Soon a main sequence (G-type) [[star]] formed, and a habitable planet formed in orbit around this star. A variety of plant life forms grew and spread across the surface.
-The planet ultimately proved to be unstable. David Marcus revealed in ''Star Trek III'' that he used protomatter -- a substance so dangerous unstable that scientific ethics eschews it -- as part of the matrix. Within a matter of weeks, the planet rapidly aged and died a violent death when it exploded. The Genesis Project was termed a failure, and future terraforming efforts were done using a slow, eventual process to transform a planet into a habitable world.
-By the time of The Next Generation, the future of the project was revealed through the "Genesis Wave" books. In this book, aliens had kidnapped Dr. Marcus, and tricked her into developing a Genesis matrix for them. The aliens then sent the wave crashing through the galaxy. By the time they were stopped, billions had died, and a large number of planets had been transformed.
-==An Evalulation of Genesis==
-In the original design, Genesis would have been used on a dead planetary body, and the wave would be able to concentrate on just rebuilding that world. However, when the torpedo was exploded, it was not used as designed. It was used in a nebula of highly charged gaseous particles. It was exploded inside a starship. The device was forced to not only create an entire planet, but it was also forced to create a star for this planet as well.
-In the "Genesis Wave" book, the idea was proposed that if Genesis was used in the manner intended, it would have created a stable planet, even with a protomatter based matrix. But because it wasn't used that way, it was postulated that the wave didn't have the energy to properly do the job. While not canon, it does offer a reasonable explanation of why the Genesis planet was so unstable.