In the fictional world ofStar Trek,there thrives a countless amount of diverse alien races and cultures, each with their own specific characteristics.The mind-reading Betazoidsplay a prominent role withinThe Next Generation,whilethe form-changing dictators the Foundersplayed a role as fearsome villains.
Many of these alien species return time and time again, as either friend or foe, within the many TV shows and movies. However, there are a few who appear fleetingly assingle-episode aliens who deserve more attention. Despite their brief tenures in the franchise, they remain intriguing for many viewers. The Voth are such a race, but they share a fairly unique character trait with humans that sets them aside from the rest. Who exactly are this race?
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The Voth made their one and only appearance in the memorableVoyagerepisode “Distant Origin.” Whilethe show in general has received a lot of criticism over the years,this episode stands out as a good one. The Voth are a reptilian species that the crew of the iconic USS Voyager stumbled across during their long voyage home from the Delta Quadrant. Due to their biology, they are a cold-blooded species, with scaly skin and an acute sense of smell. They can change their skin pigmentation to match their mood, much like some reptilians of today. They are also taller than humans, with three clawed hands, can enter a hibernation state to protect themselves from harm. Interestingly, they also have a biological defense/attack system. They can fire spikes from their forearms, which upon impact would paralyze their victims. They live within city-ships that travel through space, several kilometers long. Although they move around, their domain is primarily in the Delta Quadrant.
While this was the place they called home, it was not always this way. During the events of the episode, it was discovered through genetic testing that the Voth likely originated from the Alpha Quadrant. Not only this, but they shared a surprising similarity with humans: the same home world. While the franchise already established that all life in the galaxy came from one single origin, hencewhy the majority of aliens are humanoid, this link was (relatively speaking) much closer, the two species sharing a staggering 47 genetic markers.
Voyager’s holographic doctor speculated that the Voth evolved from what was known as the hadrosaur genus, a type of dinosaur who somehow managed to survive the cataclysmic mass extinction that wiped out the majority of the dinosaurs on Earth. Unknown to Earth history, these creatures continued to evolve, likely on a secluded landmass spectated from the rest of the planet, until they managed to get technologically advanced enough for intergalactic space travel. It’s likely, looking at the timeline forwarp capable species, that they were one of the first in space. They left Earth behind and eventually ended up in the Delta Quadrant.
Here they continued to evolve and change, their culture growing until the point they had forgotten their ancient roots in the Alpha Quadrant. Voth history is noted to have started around 20 million years ago. At this point they had already established themselves in their new quadrant home, so there was no written proof of this ancestral home. But thanks to the Doctor and a Voth theory called the ‘Distant origin theory,’ they were able to work out their origins.
However, this was not a revelation the Voth wanted to know about. For a long period of their history, scientific or technological advancement was highly restricted. Known as the ‘Ancient Doctrine,’ this decree had become integral to Voth culture and society, setting limitations on development. The theory of distant origin was already floating around Voth culture for a while, but it went against what the Doctrine stated about Voth being beings of the Delta Quadrant. As such, any attempts to prove this theory was heavily controlled and stopped by their governing body, the Ministry of Elders. When actual evidence was discovered in 2373 by a Voth named Forra Gegen, he was charged with heresy, and he andthe iconic USS Voyagerwere impounded.
Things all worked out in the end, somewhat. Gegen redacted his theory and the Voth continued on their merry ignorant ways, but the link between these two distant cousins was one that could have changed the franchise forever. Their very existence changes many thingsStar Trekhistorians knew about the evolution of humanity. The possibility that there might be other descendants of Earth in space somewhere could have opened up a plethora of new and exciting narrative story lines. With new shows constantly being added to canon, who knows? The Voth might return to reunite with (or forcefully take back) with their old home.
