10 Huge Revelations From Star Trek: Khan
3. They Weren't Alone On Ceti Alpha V
When Khan, McGivers, and the rest of the crew of the Botany Bay were deposited on Ceti Alpha V, they were alone, save for the local wildlife. While that came with its own set of challenges, the destruction of Ceti Alpha VI offered both an ecological disaster and a meeting of minds with a new group.
The El Boreans, a telepathic race, crashed on Ceti Alpha V, having inadvertently caused the destruction of the other planet. Delmonda, their leader, quickly established contact with Khan - telepathically ensuring that the augment knew they meant no harm, but were certainly capable of it.
The El Boreans had been chased from their own world in a similar fashion to Khan and his people. They were searching for like-minded people, though they were left wanting. They were linked to each other in what they called a Pandem, a hive-mind of individuals. Through this, they shared thoughts, hopes, fears, joy, and pain.
Delmonda and Khan struggled to meet each other on the same playing field, the former seeking peaceful coexistence, while the latter sought to dominate. Had Khan allowed himself to trust, there may have been a chance for a functioning colony, or even a genuine attempt at salvation.
Instead, Khan elects to deceive Delmonda at almost every turn, up to and including the attempted rescue mission and escape. The El Boreans, in their guilt for Ceti Alpha V's situation, pledge to create a craft capable of helping four individuals get off-world, then begin a search for a rescue mission. Khan co-opts this plan, intent only on saving his daughter Kali and himself.
Khan may once have had capacity to think of the greater good but his treatment of Delmonda, and the El Boreans overall, proved just how far he had fallen by that time.