The Augments

"The Augments" is the name of the 82nd episode from the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is the sixth episode from the fourth season of the series, initially airing on November 12, 2004. The episode is the conclusion of a three episode arc involving the "Augments," following "Borderland" and "Cold Station 12."

"The Augments" involves the return of Brent Spiner (Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation) as the criminal mastermind Dr. Arik Soong, an ancestor of Noonien Soong, the scientist who created Data.

Plot

Dr. Soong talks of taking the Augments to an region of space flooded with radiation from supernova remnants, which he refers to as the "Briar Patch". It contains several habitable planets they could settle, and they would be difficult to locate within the clouds of radiation. However, Malik vocally dissents against what he sees as a cowardly plan.

Soong begins working on a way to remove the aggression from the unborn Augments. Malik leads a mutiny and removes Soong from power. Soong escapes to help the Enterprise crew with the help of Persis. The crew tries to stop the Augments, and Commander T'Pol confronts Commander Tucker. Malik stabs Persis for helping Soong escape and continues with his plan to attack a Klingon colony planet. Malik's scans of the colony reveal three population centers which he plans to attack with a torpedo armed with bioweapons stolen from Cold Station 12.

Enterprise manages to destroy the torpedo seconds after it was launched and proceeds to disable the Klingon Bird of Prey after Soong tells Archer where the stolen warship is most vulnerable. Malik prefers to die rather than be captured and proceeds to overload the dilithium matrix of his ship, destroying it. Malik, however, transports himself onto the Enterprise unnoticed in an attempt to kill Soong for betraying the Augments. Archer manages to kill Malik before he can complete his mission. Soong is taken to the brig and told that none of his work during his time in prison has been destroyed and is stored in a secure location for potential future use. Soong doubts that will ever happen.

Soong begins to ponder artificial lifeforms given that he now believes humanity cannot be perfected, as he told Archer, and begins work.

External links

• The Augments at the Internet Movie Database
• "The Augments" at TV.com
• The Augments at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• The Augments at StarTrek.com