Surata IV

Surata IV is a fictional planet featured in the Star Trek multimedia franchise. It was shown on the 1980s TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation and appeared in the season two finale, "Shades of Gray".

Description
Surata IV was an uninhabited class-M world and the fourth planet in the Surata star system. Most of its surface environs consisted of thick, teeming jungles and swamplands. The flora and fauna of the planet possessed an animalistic predatory aggressive nature and would attack larger life forms. One unidentified form of plant life possessed thorns that would introduced a virulant virus into the bloodstream of a warm-blooded organism. It would also absorb nutrients from its target, enabling it to grow.

History
In the year 2365 on Stardate: 42976.1, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D was stationed in orbit around this unexplored world. Captain Jean-Luc Picard sent down an away team consisting of Commander William T. Riker and Lieutenant Geordi La Forge to survey the swampy environment. Commander Riker was stung by a thorn from some alien vegetation, which introduced an extremely aggressive lifeform into his bloodstream. Doctor Katherine Pulaski examined him and had him immediately beamed up to Sick Bay.