Crystalline Entity
The Crystalline Entity is a powerful, spaceborne creature, characterized by a crystalline structure that resembles a large snowflake. It has warp speed travel capability, a formidable size, and the ability to consume all life on a planet or starship. Its origin was somewhere in Delta Quadrant.
The Entity, to the best of Federation knowledge, functions as a giant electromagnetic collector, and needs constant power, as it converts organic matter into energy. Once the Entity feeds off of a planet, that world's natural resources were completely stripped. No life would be able to grow for many years. Everything, including vegetation and bacteria, was completely converted. "Bitrious" matter was usually deposited in the Entity's wake, as were elevated levels of hydrocarbons, lanthanides, and nitrates. The Entity was unable to penetrate rock lined with both kelbonite and fistrium. Both metals needed to be present in order to refract the Entity's absorption power. The shields of a Galaxy Class starship were also impervious to the Entity.
Dr. Kila Marr was one of the Federation's foremost experts on the Crystalline Entity, studying at least twelve attack sites.
Known History
- 2336: The Entity approached and attacked planet Omicron Theta, stripping all living material from the entire colony and killing many inhabitants. Hands of people were able to get away, including colony residents
Dr. Noonian Soong and his wife. It was later revealed that Soong type android Lore was responsible for leading the entity to the planet, in order to aid in a planned escape.
- 2364: Lore was recovered and revived by the USS Enterprise, and immediately tried to feed the crew and the ship to the Entity. However, the ship's shields were impenetrable to the create, and the android was
beamed into space as punishment. The Entity, unable to feed, moved on.
- 2368: Crystalline Entity destroyed a colony on Melona IV. Luckily, most of the colonists survived due to taking shelter in a cave lined with elements kelbonite and fistrium.
- 2368: Entity intercepted and killed freighter crew of "Kallisko".
- 2421: USS Philadelphia encountered an infant Crystalline Entity about to hatch on the planet Jateran. The Tholians arrive and eventually lead the newly-born creature away from Federation space.
Theorized Biology
To the best of Federation knowledge, the Entity functions as an electromagnetic collector, and requires constant power in order to survive. Converting organic matter into energy to feed, if the Entity feeds off of a planet, that planet is unable to sustain life for years after the attack. Matter that scientists call "Bitrium" is often left as reside after the Entity feeds, as well as elevated levels of hydrocarbons (similar to gasoline), lanthanides (metallic chemical elements), and nitrates (common components of fertilizers and explosives).
It has been documented that the Entity is unable to penetrate rock when both elements kelbonite and fistrium are present. It appears that these elements, when together, are able to refract the Entity's absorption power. The shields used on a Galaxy Class starship are also successfully defensive against the Entity.
Communication
It is unknown how the android Lore communicates with the Entity, especially across subspace.
The Enterprise was able to get its attention by emitting graviton pulses at a rate of 10 per second, learning that lower pulse rates had no effect. In response, the creature approached the starship, replying with a series of graviton pulses that the Enterprise crew interpreted as meaningful, but could not de-code. Unfortunately, increasing the graviton pulse rate resulted in resonance, which destroyed the Entity.
Whether or not the Tholians can communicate with Crystalline Entities is unknown, but they worship the being and protect it from others. Why Entities do not feed on Tholians on their ships is unknown.
