Re: Klingon Question.

Jason M. Collins wrote in message ... >You must also note that from the series TOS to the movies, the Klingons >grew to be more and more like the NextGen Klingons. And even Worf looks >alot more "Klingon" by the final episodes of NextGen and by DS9 than >Encounter at Farpoint. We all know it is advanced character development >and better makeup techniques, but one could argue for a genetic mutation >that began shortly after the TOS season ended, and reached full fruition >by NextGen. (Worf later grew his hair out.) I guess this would be a good time to repost this thing. Andre Bormanis is the science consultant on the Trek shows (similar to the Okuda-Sternbach technical advisor position), and therefore, his ideas are as official as anything Mike Okuda speculates on in the Encyclopedia. After all, nearly everyone accepts Okuda's speculation because he works on the show, so why shouldn't they accept Andre's? In Andre's new book, "Star Trek Science Logs," he theorizes that the Klingons look different because of a "supersoldier" program to create a warrior class. Now, at first glance, this theory has several holes in it. Specifically, it doesn't explain Kor, Koloth, Kang, and Kahless, who appeared as both "smooth" and "bumpy" Klingons in different series. So, I created this to make a semi-canon explanation, based on the thoughts of Star Trek's own science consultant... ***Differences in Klingon Appearance Explained*** Originally, the Klingon race was much like humans. There was a diversity in skin and hair tones (though they tended towards the dark) as well as a variety of sub-cultures. Around the age of 35 or 40, Klingons began to develop the a series of bony ridges on their foreheads. The ridges were considered to be a sign of honor and wisdom, for in ancient times it was rare for a warrior to even reach the age of 50. By the time one was 50 years old, the ridges were fully developed. In the early part of the 23rd Century, the leaders of the Empire experimented greatly with genetic engineering. Their ultimate goal was the development of a "super soldier," which basically amounted to a Warrior Caste. The Warriors were stronger and more cunning than their creators. Among their other distinctions was the unique feature of being born with their wisdom ridges already developed. Unfortunately, in their effort to create a ruthless killing machine, the creators also endowed the Warriors with very little in the way of remorse, and a substantial sexual appetite. The result was genocide. Literally billions of natural Klingons were slaughtered, beginning in the late 2260s. Warriors interbred with the original race, producing mixed offspring. The Empire was plunged into chaos during the 2270s. Finally, in the 2280s, the two groups of Klingons began to reconcile. Their one common ground was the worship of Kahless, and through his disciples, the Dahar Masters, the way of honor saved the Klingon race from extinction. However, the damage was done. Nearly all of the original race was dead, and most who survived were women carrying half-Warrior children. With their new code of honor firmly in place by 2300, the Warriors realized just how dishonorable they had been to attack not only their creators, but their own flesh and blood in a pointless conflict. As such, there exists a great deal of embarrassment and even denial regarding the subject well into the 2370s. Direct questions and comments to either alt.startrek.klingon or rmcrey@flash.net, whichever you prefer. -McReynolds