- This article is about the inhabitants of Beta III. You may be looking for the inhabitants of Peliar Zel Beta.
Betans were the humanoid culture that were the inhabitants of the planet Beta III, known for their devotion to a controlling computer entity named Landru. (TOS episode & Star Trek 9 novelization: The Return of the Archons; TOS comic adaptation: "The Red Hour"; TOS - The Return of the Archons comics: "Part 1", "Part 2")
- In the Kelvin timeline, it was revealed that the Betans were descendants of 22nd century Human colonists and the Landru computer was built by a Human named Cornelius Landru, but the prime reality showed them to be a pre-existing culture existing on the planet for at least 6,000 years from the time of the Betan Landru. Since the Kelvin alternate reality should have run more-or-less parallel to the prime timeline with a later divergence point, the contradiction probably has some explanation. Possibly Cornelius Landru's insanity caused him to fabricate some or all of the account and/or adopt the pre-existing Landru's name and identity, or some other time travel scenario caused the change in the history supplanting the Betan Landru. It is also possible that aspects of Cornelius Landru's fabricated history also existed in the prime timeline, meaning the Betan Landru might not have existed as described, and this unreliable narration went undetected. Some of these scenarios lend themselves to the belief that prime reality Betans are an offshoot of the Human species, and some do not.
History and specifics[]
Landru.
Ancient legend of Landru[]
According to accounts uncovered by the 2260s Federation visit to Beta III, prior to 3800 BCE, the Betans were involved in a large-scale global war which threatened to destroy them as a race. In order to bring peace to his people, it was said that a Betan philosopher named Landru built a sophisticated computer — also named Landru — which "absorbed" members of Betan society, allowing their actions and emotions to be controlled by the computer. Once Landru's influence had spread over the planet, war, disease, crime, fear, and conflict had been eliminated. Landru led this new society — now referred to as "the Body" — through a group called Elders, and enforced its rules through Lawgivers. The tranquility of Betan society was interrupted only by the "Festival", a regular twelve-hour period of destruction and debauchery which began at the "Red Hour".
Archon visit[]
In the year 2167, Beta III was visited by the Daedalus-class Federation starship, USS Archon, conducting a survey mission. The Starfleet ship was brought down by Landru and its crew all either killed or absorbed.
23rd century[]
Enterprise visit[]
A century later, the USS Enterprise was dispatched to Beta III to ascertain the fate of the Archon. Sulu and O'Neill were absorbed by lawgivers, and a second landing party was sent to investigate. Bilar was the first Betan they met, as he approached the landing party visiting the Betan city. He was initially quite friendly, although his demeanor seemed a bit odd to the Starfleet officers. Bilar suggested that if the team were travelers from the valley, they could probably stay at Reger's house, referring to an inn nearby. Bilar asked Tula, Reger's daughter, if there were accommodations available. A large clock tower showed that red hour was approaching, and, while they were conversing, the hour was struck, and the Festival began. Bilar and Tula went mad, and the insanity spread to all passersby.
- If interpreting the Betan civilization as separate from Human origins, the cultural contamination by the Archon visit was severe, as the clock was of Earth style with Arabic numerals.
Christopher Lindstrom reported to Reger that Reger's daughter had been caught up in the mêlée, expressing concern in the face of her being assaulted by Bilar. Reger only responded that it was "the way of Landru". Later, Lindstrom pointed Bilar out as the man who had assaulted Tula, but Reger disregarded the accusation, as he believed that Bilar had not truly been at fault.
The Enterprise crew were likewise confronted by Landru and threatened with absorption. But Captain James T. Kirk was able to deactivate the Landru computer by convincing it that it had destroyed the very society it was supposed to protect, thereby creating a paradox in its programming.
With Landru's influence negated, Captain Kirk left Ensign Christopher Lindstrom and a team of sociologists behind to help guide the Betans in their new freedom. (TOS episode & Star Trek 9 novelization: The Return of the Archons)
Starfleet Corps of Engineers[]
Additionally, the Corps of Engineers sent the USS Lovell to help bring Beta III's necessary automated systems back on line; Enterprise chief engineer Montgomery Scott also remained on Beta III to assist them. (SCE - Foundations eBook: Foundations, Book Two)
24th century[]
By the late 24th century, the Betans were considered by Starfleet to be a legacy civilization. Largely forgotten in the century that has passed, Landru became operational again and persuaded the Betans to return to worshiping it and resume red hour purging. In 2380, Captain Carol Freeman and Commander Jack Ransom of the USS Cerritos intervened and remind the Betans not to listen to Landru, and had spent a morning reiterating Captain Kirk's original message to the local population. Simultaneously, Ensigns Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler beamed down to the planet to distribute art supplies to children to promote creative thought. (LD episode: "No Small Parts")
Betan staffs were considered collectors items. (DS9 novel: Cardassian Imps)
Alternate realities[]
Kelvin timeline[]
The USS Archon.
In the Kelvin timeline, Betans were revealed to be Human descendants of the survived crew from the USS Archon. Cornelius Landru, the head of Starfleet's Advanced Research Division in 2167, had been sent to establish one of the first deep space colonies on Beta III that would be regulated by Landru's technology to make the colony thrive.
In reality, Landru's technology was to control the colonists and make Landru a god himself. The Archon and it's crew then tried to stop him but failed when his technology pulled the Archon from the sky. The surviving crew on the ground were then left without means to contact Starfleet.
In 2259 the crew of the USS Enterprise liberated the Betans by disconnecting Landru from the planet. (TOS - The Return of the Archons comics: "Part 1", "Part 2")
Mirror universe[]
In the "mirror universe", the Andorian Imperial Guard conquered Beta III in 2155 on behalf of the Terran Empire. General Thy'lek Shran described the Betans as "little more than sheep." (ENT - Mirror Universe novel: Age of the Empress)
- It is unclear what role, if any, Landru played in the history of this mirror Beta III.
Betans[]
| This article or subsection has an associated category. | Betans |
|---|
Appendices[]
Connections[]
References[]
External links[]
- Betan article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.