Fi'lakas was a semi-sentient organic machine that survived for thousands of years within the Vardan buildings of Varda III.
History and specifics[]
Lassfapans programmed Fi'lakas and other organic machines 25,000 to 40,000 years ago to serve as protectors and guardians. The machine's body was a pale-blue mush, but it could also form parts of itself into a humanoid shape or replicate a specific person for short periods for ease of communication, though these creations maintained an umbilical link to the main bluish mass. Fi'lakas possessed a rudimentary intelligence.
Following the extinction of its creators, Fi'lakas continued to function over the centuries, encountering explorers from many races, including Andorians, Argelians, Daarlin, Deltans, Klingons, Romulans, Vulcans and even a Thrix. One unusual visitor was a dolphin-like cetacean in a spacesuit filled with liquid. Fi'lakas caught and placed these visitors in stasis for their protection. It was able to communicate with them via a form of telepathy while they were unconscious.
In 2277, a distress call from archeologists on Varda III resulted in search parties beaming down from the USS Enterprise. One landing party discovered those in stasis and made first contact with Fi'lakas, who eventually allowed everyone to be released. (TOS - Plot-Your-Own Adventure Stories novella: Distress Call!)
- Based on reader choices, Fi'lakas either kept captives in wall niches or encased them in green gel-like masses. In some choices, it confessed that it was lonely, leading to James T. Kirk giving it a few kittens for company.