Bynar The Bynars were a race of humanoid s native to the planet Bynaus in the Beta Magellan system . Physiology . The Bynars were shorter in height than most humanoid s and were gender less . They had lilac skin and enlarged skull s . Each Bynar had a patch of dark purple hair on both sides of their neck and asymmetrical ear s . Their most definitive characteristic was that they were interconnected with a master computer on Bynaus . ( ) When a Bynar was born , a surgeon removed the child ' s parietal lobe and replaced it with a synaptic processor . ( ) Bynars always worked and lived in pairs . There was a great degree of physical symmetry between each Bynar couple . For instance , each Bynar ' s pair of ears matched those of their partner , but were on the opposite sides of the head . Their typical clothing was also consistent in such a way . Because the Bynars were so interconnected with the master computer , their language and thought patterns became as close to binary code as possible . They could speak English , usually finishing each other ' s sentences . For example : The Bynars ' primary language was a high - frequency sound , unintelligible to Human s , though the Bynars used it when they spoke to each other . Every Bynar was equipped with a buffer , which they carried at their waist , to manage this rate of information transfer and had a small metallic component on one side of their head . Each of these mechanisms had a red light which blinked on and off when the Bynars were communicating between one another . Each of the Bynars had the component on the opposite side of the head from their partner , yet another aspect of their symmetry when grouped . History . The development of the Bynar ability to constantly receive information but to store it , via their buffers , until it was necessary happened over a long period of time . ( ) By 2153 , the Bynars had adopted their practice of replacing each of their newborns ' parietal lobes with a synaptic processor . Doctor Phlox saw the procedure performed when he encountered the Bynars in the Beta Magellan system . In 2153 , he remarked that the procedure had been " very impressive " and indirectly likened the Bynar way of life to , unknown at the time , a benign form of the Borg Collective . ( ) In the 24th century , Starfleet employed Bynars to perform computer upgrades on its starship s . A team of four Bynars was assigned to Starbase 74 , under the supervision of Commander Orfil Quinteros . He appreciated the swiftness with which they carried out tasks . The Bynars discovered that , although the extreme integration of technology into their society had tremendous benefits , it also had a few disadvantages . Due to the fact that an electromagnetic pulse from a supernova in their star system was due to knock out their planet ary computer in 2364 , the Bynars were left with only one choice : to temporarily deactivate the computer and transfer all the stored information , until after the pulse had passed . The Bynars opted not to request that Starfleet assist in resolving the situation . This was because the Bynars realized that their appeal might be rejected and believed that their need for help was too great to risk such an outcome . Instead , since the had the only mobile computer large enough to handle all the information from the planetary computer , the team of four Bynars stationed at Starbase 74 commandeered the vessel , during a computer refit . ( ) Appendices . Background information . Robert Lewin , who co - wrote with Maurice Hurley , devised the concept of the Bynars while contemplating binary numbers in computers , thinking , " " Maybe there are individuals who are binary , composed of binary cells and work as a pair . " " He later recalled , " " Their strange way of finishing each other ' s thoughts , their whole unique attitude , the planet they came from , all that had to be worked out . " " ( " " # 191 ) As originally conceived , the Bynars were a race of creatures which did not talk but had another means of communicating amongst themselves . ( " " , p . 58 ) The physical " look " of the Bynars also had to be given much thought . They were imagined , even from their inception , as small . ( " " , p . 58 ) They were scripted as " pale , frail people with translucent skin . " The Bynars were thereafter collaboratively designed by Michael Westmore and Andrew Probert . The coloration of their skin was influenced by Westmore . " " At that time we had painted everything [ alien ] every color we could think , but we hadn ' t used purple yet , " " Westmore explained , " " and they became my lavender alien race for the week . " " ( ) Probert illustrated concept artwork for the Bynars , which he dated , and later recollected , " " I think I was asked to do the Bynars ; I was certainly asked to do their equipment . The concept was that they were co - dependent . I think Michael suggested that their bodies would actually develop toward each other , which would give them a real asymmetrical look to their heads , which was something we hadn ' t seen before . He liked the ears that I put on them , but he did something different with the hair . " " ( ) Even though the creative staff wanted the Bynars to be small , the use of children would have required bringing teachers in and raised concerns about the number of hours the children could work each day . ( " " , pp . 58 - 59 ) Like the Talosian s from episodes as well as and , women were cast to play the supposedly unisex aliens . They were petite and very young . ( " " , p . 108 ) One condition for casting the women who played Bynars was that they seem to have an appealing , childlike aura . ( " " , p . 59 ) The women were all dancers whose voice track was mechanically lowered in pitch . ( " " 3rd ed . , p . 48 ) The makeup for the Bynars consisted of a large appliance for the head , which was similar to a bald cap or a bathing cap . As well as covering the head , the prosthetic came over the bridge of the wearer ' s nose , cheekbones and the back of their neck . All the head appliances were cast from the same mold . Each piece consequently had to be trimmed to fit whichever actress it was meant for . Because of this , the join line to the skin had to be hidden , which is why the purple hair on the sides of their necks was added . ( " " , pp . 108 & 110 ) The small mechanisms on the sides of the Bynars ' heads were illustrated by Andrew Probert , in his concept art for the species , and went on to be made by Michael Westmore ' s son , Michael Westmore , Jr . . ( ) The devices were essentially simple flashing lights . They were wired to a battery pack mounted on the actresses ' waists and were controlled by the performers themselves . ( " " , p . 108 ) The Bynar speech was originally designed to be subtitled . ( " " 3rd ed . , p . 48 ) The depiction of the Bynars in " 11001001 " was considered to have been very successfully executed . Maurice Hurley commented , " " [ They ] were just wonderful science fiction creations ; that they dealt in this binary language and had their little buffers . [ Michael ] Westmore did some wonderful work on that . " " ( " " , p . 163 ) Westmore himself agreed the aliens " turned out very well , " believing the light purplish color of Bynar skin " blended nicely with the neutral look of the costumes . " ( " " , p . 59 ) Director Paul Lynch remarked , " " [ They ] were great . Nobody seemed to know they were four very small girls we found . It was also interesting that they all talked in that kind of connective fashion . " " ( " " , p . 163 ) Likewise , Robert Lewin cited the way the Bynars talked " together at the same time " as a highlight of the episode . ( " " # 191 ) Patrick Stewart opined , " " I was very fond of the Bynars – maybe it was their pretty dancers ' bodies – and wished that we had met them more than once . " " ( " " , p . 9 ) Jonathan Frakes wondered , " " Why haven ' t they returned ? " " and went to say , " " That was a very well conceived idea . They should have them as a regular on the ship to fix the engines or whatever the hell they do . " " ( " " , p . 163 ) While beginning work on TNG Season 6 , Westmore offered , " " I think we can do more with them if they ever return . " " ( " " , p . 59 ) Though the Bynars are referenced in , the episode ' s final - draft script included no mention of them . This was due to the fact that the scene involving the dialogue about the Bynars ( a scene with Phlox and Malcolm Reed in the armory aboard ) , was written in after the episode was filmed . ( " Regeneration " audio commentary , ENT Season 2 Blu - ray ) On the set of , married writing partners Judith and Garfield Reeves - Stevens had the collective nickname " the Bynars . " ( audio commentary , ENT Season 4 Blu - ray ) Apocrypha . Outside of the canon of " Star Trek " , a team of Bynars ( 110 and 111 ) was assigned to the USS " da Vinci " in the " " series . When 111 was killed , the remaining solo Bynar , 110 , became known as , a regular in that series . In the novel " " , two Bynar children were on a shuttlecraft of the , commanded by Lt . Thomas Riker and piloted by Ensign Shelzane , when the shuttle was hijacked by Maquis posing as DMZ refugees .