M-113 Creature
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| Fotiallians | |
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| Homeworld: | M-113 |
In the fictional Star Trek universe the M-113 Creature, also known as the "salt vampire", is the designation for the creature appearing in Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Man Trap".
The M-113 Creature was the last member of an indigenous sentient race called the Fotiallians[citation needed]. It was these creatures who established a civilization on the planet M-113.
The creatures were dependent on sodium chloride for survival, and required huge amounts of salt. It was believed that the planet, or one of its life forms, provided more than enough salt for them, however a massive climatic event changed all that, and the race died out.
The creatures are large, scaly humanoids, coated with stringy gray fur. Their face has a hideous appearance, with drooping yellow eyes and round lamprey-like mouth. Their fingers also end in suction cups and are what they seem to use to actually feed.
They apparently possess an amazing hypnotic telepathic ability to appear in any form they please, disguising themselves as the beings they encounter. They are evidently capable of presenting distinctly different appearances to several observers simultaneously, as well as drawing the appearance they present from the minds of those observing them.
They also possess the ability to induce a trance to immobilize their victims. They use this disguise to get in close to their prey, and then they revert to their natural appearance to feed. It is not known to what extent this is necessary, as the last survivor was observed apparently beginning to feed while presenting a human appearance. Their feeding then drains the salt from the victim's body.
The process has been observed to be excruciatingly painful to the victim, but as only one victim, James T. Kirk (one of only two known survivors of such an attack) has been observed to scream while being attacked, it is possible that the hypnotic ability can also mask the pain of the attack, or render the victim mute. This would imply that the last survivor of the species was in such a weakened state at the time of this final attack as to be incapable of utilizing these capabilities.
The creatures also appear to be somewhat resistant to the stun effect of phasers.
The only one to appear on screen was portrayed by actress Sharon Gimpel.
The costume of the M-113 creature later appeared in Trelane's castle in "The Squire of Gothos."
[edit] External links
M-113 creature article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
