Arik Soong

Arik Soong was a brilliant doctor of genetics in the 22nd century. He believed that Humanity's abandonment of genetic engineering after the Eugenics Wars was a mistake and hoped to show that genetically engineered Humans would not necessarily become tyrants like Khan Noonien Singh. He argued that the source of the problem wasn't the technology, but Humanity's own inability to use it wisely.
== History ==
Soong was a descendant of Adam Soong, a 21st century geneticist and engineer who had funded Project Khan. ()
Soong's mother was a chemist by occupation. ()
Soong was the senior medical director at Cold Station 12 in the 2130s. While there, he stole a group of Augment embryos. He later made some improvements on the embryos, and subsequently traded for goods and supplies with the Orion Syndicate so he could provide for his "children," whom he raised on Trialas IV. Soong was captured ten years later in 2144, and imprisoned in San Francisco, where, on occasion, he attempted to escape. Once he programmed a PADD to open every security door in the prison and made it as far as Sausalito.
In 2154, Dr. Soong was "recruited" by Captain Jonathan Archer of to help capture his children, who had hijacked a and killed its crew. When Archer arrived at his detainment cell, Soong demonstrated his genius. Among the reams of stacked paper on the floor and those pages pinned to the walls of his prison, all regarding DNA sequences, he highlighted research on modification of the T-cell that would cure Sharat Syndrome as well as work toward a five percent increase to the Human visual spectrum. Soong explained he was not allowed standard record-keeping equipment, due to the previous incident with the PADD. Apparently, he would make such astounding discoveries in genetic engineering only to have the papers destroyed by the guards. 
When Enterprise was attacked by Orion Interceptors, the Orions abducted nine of Enterprises crewmembers, including Commander T'Pol. The crewmembers were taken to Verex III, to an Orion processing station where they were auctioned off as slaves. Soong was able to lead the starship to Verex III, where he used an old authorization code so Archer could enter the auction area. He helped Archer in freeing the prisoners by deactivating their neurolytic restraints. During the chaos that followed the freeing of the crewmembers, Soong attempted to escape by deactivating a subdermal transponder he had implanted in himself, but he was eventually recaptured by Archer. 
When the Augments came to talk to Enterprise, the Augment Malik took Archer hostage as the rest of the Augments broke into Enterprises brig and released Soong. Soong escaped Archer's custody and began his work with the Augments once again. () Soong led the Augments to Cold Station 12, which held about 1,800 Augment embryos left over from the Eugenics Wars. He gave orders to the Augments that the capture of the station and freeing of the embryos was to be done without any killing. 
Although Soong was considered a father to the Augments, he and Malik, the leader of the Augments, did not see eye-to-eye concerning the use of force. When Malik killed one of the station's personnel to get the codes to open the embryo chamber, Soong was shocked. () Soong's relationship with Malik became increasingly hostile, and Malik began to question Soong's leadership. Soong found out that the Augments intended to fire torpedoes loaded with pathogens stolen from Cold Station 12 at a Klingon colony, which they hoped would start a war between the Klingons and Humans. Conversely, Malik was upset to discover that Soong had decided to manipulate the DNA of the embryos to make them less violent. Malik removed Soong from command and had him confined to quarters.
With the help of Persis, another one of the Augments, Soong left the ship in an escape pod and was retrieved by Enterprise. Not wishing to see his children commit mass murder, he assisted Captain Archer in stopping the Augments. Afterward, Malik destroyed the Bird-of-Prey, but not before covertly beaming aboard Enterprise and attempting to kill Soong. Archer managed to shoot Malik through the torso with a particle rifle.
Soong was returned to prison to serve out his sentence and gave up his work with genetics, of which his hand-written paperwork, Archer told him, had actually been stored for posterity. He decided instead to embark on other studies, this time concentrating on artificial life, although he expected that there would not be any tangible results of his research until at least two or three generations in the future. ()
In late 2154, the Klingons encountered a crisis when they attempted to create Klingon Augments by using Augment DNA left over from an Augment attack on, and destruction of, the stolen Klingon Bird-of-Prey. A plan to kidnap Soong was abandoned when the Klingons discovered that he was too heavily guarded. ()
In the mid-24th century, Dal R'El, a Human Augment hybrid, was created as the handiwork of Arik Soong's protégés through a process known as artificial hybrid speciation. Dr. Jago, a geneticist, initially described Dal as a "beautiful specimen." However, after she discovered the source of his origins, she declared that, in her opinion, his construction was "sloppy work" and that "it was a miracle [he could] talk." ()
== Appendices ==
=== Appearances ===
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=== Background information ===
Arik Soong was played by Brent Spiner, best known for playing Data on . Comments by production staff (and the casting of Spiner) indicate that Arik Soong was intended to be the great-grandfather of Noonien Soong, Data's creator (also played by Spiner). This is supported by Arik Soong's comment about cybernetics, when he said that developing an artificial lifeform "might take a generation or two." While Arik Soong writes his notes, it can be observed that he is left-handed, just like his great-grandson, and his android creations.
This character was originally to have been Colonel Green, who first appeared in . Manny Coto explained, "Rick Berman mentioned that Brent Spiner was interested in doing the show so we reconfigured that character for Brent Spiner." The fact that Soong's character arc was extremely similar to the character of Green represented a problem for Coto, as he thoroughly wanted to somehow bring Green into , an objective he was ultimately able to achieve by making Green's part in the series a minor one. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 37, No. 2, p. 36)
The first name "Arik" is taken from "Borderland" and "Cold Station 12" scripts. In all three episodes in which he appears, Soong is only referred to by his surname. Arik would officially be established as his first name in the episode .
For a in the teaser of , the episode's final draft script directed that Arik Soong was to look "some fifteen years younger than we have seen him – hair darker, etc."
=== Continuity ===
Arik Soong was actually correct in believing that not all genetically engineered Humans would turn out like Khan Noonien Singh. A good example of this theory was Dr. Julian Bashir, who was also genetically engineered.
Soong laid the groundwork for his descendant Dr. Noonien Soong to create the Soong-type androids, including Data. Noonien's son Altan Soong ended up working with Bruce Maddox to create the Coppelius androids, using salvaged neurons from Data.
Ironically, the intended goals of Soong's second field of study was also eventually outlawed by the Federation in 2385, in the aftermath of the Attack on Mars, though it was subsequently lifted in 2399.
 implies that Soong had inherited his interest in the Augments from his ancestor Adam Soong who had funded Project Khan and appeared to take a new interest in it following his failure to interfere with the Europa Mission in 2024.
=== Apocrypha ===
In the Star Trek: Typhon Pact novel Paths of Disharmony, the works of Arik Soong were secretly reopened as part of the Federation initiative to resolve the ongoing procreation crisis suffered by the Andorian people.
Arik Soong's mirror universe appears in the novella "Age of the Empress".
=== External link ===
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