The Daystom Institute is a separate entity to Starfleet, but intrinsically tied to that
organisation as part of the Federation.
Essentially it is a research and development division that stands apart from Starfleet
RnD.
I have a separate video exploring that here but this video is looking into the Daystrom
Station Vaults that are home to many projects from all over the galaxy.
We got a good inside look at the Station in Picard’s series 3 as well as a myriad of
its stored projects, hoarded away for study and kept secret.
Spoilers for that series will be in this video.
Section 31 had a large hand in acquiring these artefacts and technologies and at this stage
of the United Federation of Planets, 2401, it was considered a part of Starfleet Intelligence
and seems to no longer work outside of Starfleet’s jurisdiction.
Whether that means Section 31 is being reformed, held accountable, or Starfleet intelligence
has stooped to their level is a topic for another video.
Either way, Daystrom station is home to numerous projects that could be devastating in the
wrong hands, or paradigm changing if replicated successfully.
The station itself is not hidden, but it does count as a “Black Site” and is protected
by two Echelon Class Cruisers, the USS Sternbach NCC-97942 and the USS Cole NCC-97621.
These vessels were equipped with tracing weapons that are notable for leaving a marker suitable
for tracking a tagged target, although they may have simply been on patrol nearby, it
still stands to reason the Station would be protected by some guarding force.
However it is not the only defence, there is an artificial intelligence that protects
the station too known as the M-510 which itself is a marvel of design and a new addition to
the system over the last 2 years.
The system was basically a compilation of Noonien Soong’s research, continued by Altan
Soong although the project was incomplete.
It saw an amalgamation of previous Soong-type android minds, from Lal, Data, Lore, B4 and
even imprints of the Soong’s themselves placed into a Golem body, a synthetic shell
that closer resembled the human body than a general Soong-style frame.
This amalgam however did not fully incorporate its multiple profiles so effectively remained
unstable and inactive.
It was instead placed as the watchdog for the station where it was able to observe all
the comings and goings.
Internally the station’s narrow corridors were outfitted with full coverage of holographic
projectors and the safety’s could be disabled allowing for deadly force.
So with the security system itself being one of the most advanced minds ever created over
several generations of work, what else is contained within the vaults and labs of this
shady site?
Well, continuing the theme of synthetic developments, the Exo 3 android duplicator was a system
discovered in 2266 by the Enterprise and was created by the natives of that world.
It can duplicate an organic body, complete with mind and limited emotional range, as
an artificial one.
Such an implement would of course be of interest to Daystrom, which always pioneered AI research
and robotics.It was also far from the only such advanced artefact in this field they
possessed.
They also had an Arretan Android in one of their vaults.
These were created to house the minds of the surviving Arretans, a species from 600,000
years ago.
These androids were created with their assistance to house their forms after surviving the loss
of their civilization and never used.
Still this was an incredibly advanced species and I wonder just what the Federation has
learned from studying such an android.
The Station also has the habit of hoarding remains of interest it seems, for various
reasons.
Among the vaults are the biological remnants of a Sporocystian lifeform, likely the Nacene
known as the Caretaker as it was kept aboard the USS Voyager.
This being was immensely powerful in itself, could survive in subspace and was from another
galaxy altogether.
It could also be used to detect others of its kind.
There was also the remains of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, his human ones anyway after he perished
from Irumodic Syndrome in 2399.
While his mind was transferred to a new golem body, the original body was acquired by Section
31 for unknown reasons, but clearly to study some link they were aware of, that he was
not.
It was not the only Enterprise captain they had however.
They also had the battered remains of James T Kirk.
Kirk was buried atop a mound at Veridian 3 by Picard, who gave him as best a send off
as he could, but it appears his remains were recovered by “Project Phoenix”.
This project is a nod to a series of books where Kirk was indeed revived as the name
would suggest and even if it failed in the Prime Timeline, it looks like the idea was
attempted.
Who knows, maybe one day they would revive the Federation’s most famous captain.
They also had the remains of the Borg Queen that was killed by Data and Picard in the
Time travel incident of 2373 to 2063.
This was the first Queen encountered by the Federation, but not the last considering the
hive mind of the collective.
Borg technology is always a high priority for Starfleet considering its advanced nature
drawn from thousands of civilizations, as morbid as its acquisition was.
The remains of one of the most advanced cybernetic creatures is clearly a prize and not only
might yield results into the UFP’s own cyber programs, but also deliver possible insight
into how the Collective operates.
To this end, there is also a salvaged Borg Vinculum, from any number of Borg debris.
This device was the heart of a local hive mind on a Borg vessel and the hub of their
linked consciousness.
Once again, it is very advanced technology and trove of information on how the Borg work.
They are however rather dangerous and have numerous safeguards, especially around former
drones who are still susceptible to their calls and influence when active.
Of course, there are also the sort of advanced technologies that Starfleet does not want
anyone else to acquire for whatever reason, the sort of things you would expect to find
at such an institution.
There is the Thalaron Generator that was installed aboard the IRW Scimitar, which was an illegal
device.
Thalaron radiation is rather powerful and was used to power the entire Reman flagship
under the command of Praetor Shinzon in 2379, but such reactors are banned for their lethal
radiation that reduced any exposed to stone-like dust.
Such a reactor can easily double as a devastating weapon, so it was outlawed by several treaties,
but Shinzon did not exactly care.
Looks like the reactor was recovered post Star Trek Nemesis and sequestered away, considering
it was devised by Romulans, not the UFP, I suspect the UFP was looking for a defence.
Tenacious Talking of Devices that can be misused, there
was also a device labelled Genesis II.
This appears to be a successor to Carol Marcus’ Genesis Project, which could terraform an
entire planet in hours.
The project was highly classified and the subject of a Klingon operation as well as
the renegade Khan’s attack of vengeance and opportunity in 2285.
The initial prototype was consumed in the formation of the unstable Genesis Planet,
formed from the collapsed Mutara Nebula, but the project is clearly too valuable to be
simply left alone.
Over a century later however, we have yet to see this form of terraforming at play,
likely because it can also be used to overwrite an existing ecosystem with its runaway reformatting
of matter, therefore a planet-scale weapon.
I can understand the Federation not publicising such a device, even if they ever did use it.
There were also several archives of information from other cultures, notably the D’Arsay
Archive that contained collections of their mythology and history, now all that remains
of that civilization.
Aside from the untapped additions to history that these records hold, they are also rather
unintentionally dangerous as they have a habit of co opting Starfleet technology, such as
transporters and replicators, to modify and retell these events through transmuting the
surroundings.
As the archives themselves are as large as a station, I suspect these instead are digital
copies of the information, extracted from the probe, although much could be learned
from the D’Arsay technology in the fields of cyberwarfare or even terraforming.
Another archive was the Kataan Probe, this too contained the last memories and events
of an existing civilization from the planet Kataan, specifically the Ressik region.
This probe was launched with the lifetime memories of an individual called Kamin and
would impart the entire life story in first person to a compatible mind.
Such technology was something beyond current Federation levels, although similar experience
imparting devices have been encountered before.
This probe managed to convey its legacy to Jean-Luc Picard in 2368.
There was also the “Pup” probe.
This is an unusual one as the probe itself was possibly of Cytherian origin, according
to its description but was generally unremarkable aside from the living code inside of it.
The Pup program was rather basic and equated to a puppy by Miles O’brien, hence the name.
It ended up in the computer core of Deep Space 9, vacating the probe where it presumably
still resides to this day, playing with a backup folder of the station’s core and
in a symbiotic relationship with the system.
The living code is likely the more interesting aspect of this artefact, but with that being
embedded in another system, the probe that carried it looks to be the next best thing
to study.
There was also a Quantum Tunneling portal device that permitted the short range creation
of portals.
Originally designed as a form of transportation, it looks to have been constructed into a weaponised
prototype and since classified in the vault, understandably.
This device was stolen in 2401 however.
There is also a shipment of Kemocite which is a commonly traded, but illicit commodity,
It has a variety of applications, but historically has seen use as a weapon component in the
Xindi Sphere.
It also is unstable and can interact with warp fields to cause unintended time travel
and as such is regulated by the Federation.
Presumably its presence on Daystrom is for Starfleet to continue to attempt to master
this temperamental material.
There is also a series of explosive mines discovered in 2366 constructed by the Koinonians
that resulted in the death of Lieutenant Marla Aster.
These devices are left over from a civil war and Starfleet was not the intended target,
merely a casualty of a long ended conflict.
A tragedy for sure but compared to some of the items here, a fairly tame find.
There is also the confiscated probability device seen on DS9 in 2370.
These items seemingly altered the very laws of probability, which is a pretty crazy level
manipulation for such a small item.
Worryingly, the devices was easily replicable and while the copies were destroyed, it looks
like the original was seized by Starfleet for the reality bending influences it can
have when deployed en masse.
Considering this item is already copyable and its origin a mystery, it’s probably
one the largest issues in here.
Finally we have a genetically modified tribble, which seems to have been given tendrils and
teeth.
As if they were not bad enough, with their bottomless appetite and rapid reproduction
rate, carnivorous ones would be far worse.
Some mad scientist out there thought it a good idea to break the Federation’s terms
on genetic modification and create this monstrosity?
Glad it’s under lock and key.
Also there is a crate of self-sealing stem bolts.
Maybe they just need to know how they self seal?
Or just how useful they really are?
Truly a great mystery.
So, that is some of the shown contents inside the Daystrom station’s vaults.
All this gear is stored here to study and contain for various reasons but all of it
is important to Starfleet.
What do you think would be a galaxy changing item should it be released to the greater
galactic community?
I’ve been Ric, thanks for watching and I’ll see you next time for another lore video,
until then thanks again and goodbye!