![]() ![]() Throughout the encounter, it had repeatedly asserted its identity as Landru, but in the end it made a final plea to a man six millennia dead, imploring its creator for help. ![]() It expended so much computing power attempting to resolve this paradox that it began to withdraw its influence from even its lawgivers. In asking what Landru had done to do justice to the full potential of every individual of the Body, Kirk forced the machine to confront a truth it had avoided for 6,000 years: by reserving creativity to itself, it was destroying the Body – it had become the evil against which it was charged to protect the Body. Spock realized that it might be possible to reach it by questioning the value of its leadership. It believed their deaths, and the deaths of all who had seen them or knew of their existence, were necessary to cleanse the memory of the Body. Landru threatened Kirk and Spock with obliteration, likening them to a strong infection. They confronted Landru in the Hall of Audiences, confirming what they had earlier guessed: that Landru was not a living being, but a machine. ![]() Several members were absorbed before assistance from Marplon, a member of the underground, helped Kirk and Spock escape. ![]() This landing party also quickly ran into trouble and was captured by Landru. Lieutenants Sulu and O'Neil were dispatched to the surface and were quickly discovered and absorbed, forcing Captain James T. In 2267, the Enterprise arrived at Beta III, seeking to learn the fate of the Archon. The fate of the Archon remained a mystery for a hundred years. As the Archon's orbit decayed, her crew fled to the surface, where many were absorbed, and many others killed. The specific sequence of events remains unclear, but from information supplied by the underground, it can be concluded that some event caused Landru to attack the Archon, possibly with the same heat beams it later used against the USS Enterprise. In 2167, the Archon visited Beta III and encountered Landru. Landru preferred to absorb its enemies, killing only when it believed it had no choice. Lawgivers carried staffs with which they could absorb individuals who were not part of the Body, or in extremis, kill. When Landru was forced to devote most of its power to solving a paradox, it withdrew its direct influence from its lawgivers, causing them to panic. These brown-robed individuals were under extremely deep control they lacked all volition except what Landru supplied. To enforce its will, Landru maintained an army of lawgivers. Landru viewed the Body as analogous to the body of a living being it referred collectively to the memory of the body, and to outsiders as "infection". Absorbed individuals were referred to collectively as the Body. Within the parameters of Landru's guidelines, referred to as the Directives, the individual had some free will. Once absorbed, a living being's individuality and free will were largely subordinated to the instructions and ideas supplied telepathically by Landru. To meet Landru's goals, his machine was given the ability to control the attitude and conduct of individuals, through a process called absorption. This could be seen even in members of the underground who sought freedom and actively opposed Landru's will. The passing years of peaceful rule had inculcated in the people a kind of reflexive worship of Landru. Since Landru was hidden behind a solid wall, it is likely that its builder intended this even millennia later, some of the citizens of Beta III believed the Landru who ruled their world was the same one who saved it so many centuries ago, and none realized it was a machine. Its subjects were oblivious to the fact that they were ruled by a computer. It established totalitarian rule over Beta III for about 6,000 years, managing the affairs of each individual and striving to meet the ambitious goals its builder set it. Landru was built powerful enough to manage the affairs of an entire planetary population. The computer was equipped with a holographic projector that could display a 3-dimensional image of Landru. Fred Tatasciore Landru was an advanced computer-machine built and programmed by its namesake Landru, the leader of the Betans, in the distant past. ![]()
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