Federation Outpost Database - Outpost, Tarchannen III

	History:
	Tarchannen III. Class-M planet. Site of a Federation outpost. Tarchannen II was home to an unsual life-form that reproduced by planting a starnd of DNA into a host body. The DNA starnd would eventually take over the body, causing it to metamorphose into a nonsentient reptilian humanoid. It is believed that all 49 members of the Tarchannen outpost suffered this fate in 2362 when contact was lost with the outpost. The U.S.S. Victory, dispatched to investigate the outpost, sent an away team to the planet. Five years later, all five members of the away team were irresistibly compelled to return to the planet, apparently part of the metamorphosis process. Three members of the away team completed the metamorphosis and were irretrievably lost. The process was identified by Dr. Beverly Crusher in time to save former Victory away team members Geordy La Forge and Susanna Leijten from the same fate. Enterprise-D Captain Picard ordered warning beacons placed araund Tarchannen III so the planet would not be revisited. TNG "Identity Crisis" The transformed versions of the Tarchannen III creatures were played by popular Los Angeles area radio personalities Mark and Brian, who called themselves the Lizard Creatures from Hell. Star Trek Encyclopedia II

	Federation Database - Tarchannen / Tarchannen III