Starfleet Intelligence briefing on the ngej (SPOILERS)
"ngej"is a Klingon term for "infected" - an unusual form of mRNA (messenger Ribose Nucleic Acid) that rewrites the DNA of other lifeforms to create a version of itself adapted to the local environment. The 'territorial holdings' of the ngej occupy the rim of the Beta Quadrant on the Beta/Delta border. What little we know is reproduced here.
Sources:
Star Trek: TNG Identity Crisis.
Star Trek: TNG Genesis.
Star Trek: VOY Scorpion.
Star Trek: VOY Scorpion pt2.
Star Trek: ENT Unexpected.
The Thing (1982)
The Thing (2011)
The Fly (1986)
The Fly 2 (1989)
HBO The Last of Us.
28 Days Later (2002).
28 Weeks Later (2007).
Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell (1948).
What is Life? by Paul Nurse (2021).
Life on the Edge by Jim Al-Khalili and Johnjoe McFadden (2014)
Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive by Carl Zimmer (2021).
Plight of the Living Dead: What Real-Life Zombies Reveal About Our World--and Ourselves by Matt Simon (2018).
The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar by Matt Simon (2016).
Introduction to Epigenetics (Learning Materials in Biosciences) by Renato Paro, Ueli Grossniklaus, Raffaella Santoro & Anton Wutz (2021).
Epigenetics: From DNA Methylation to Personalized Medicine by Nicholas Lucia (2023).
Epigenetics:: Brief And Concise Description Of The New Molecular Genetics by Heesum Heesum (2023).
The Epigenetics Revolution: How Modern Biology is Rewriting our Understanding of Genetics, Disease and Inheritance by Nessa Carey (2011).
Deep Life: The Hunt for the Hidden Biology of Earth, Mars, and Beyond by Tullis C. Onstott (2016).
The ngej are thought to be originally from either deep in the far Beta Quadrant or nearside Delta Quadrant. Intelligence indicates from the direction of their encroachment into the Beta Quadant that their direction of invasion is from the Delta Quadrant near the Delta/Beta border. Attempts at probing into ngej space have been met with ferocious attacks on Klingon planets and colonies - the fighting strength of the ngej. The ngej race achieved dominance in the universe through their biological superiority in the area of toxicity. All aspects of a ngej's biology is toxic: blood, sweat, tears - all are poisonous across the spectrum. The complexity of the poisons that a ngej comprises of gives thought to a creature that has been biologically engineered as well as naturally genetically pre-disposed to be as poisonous as possible.
The ngej appear to have the ability to alter their genetic and phenotype configurations; they are able to add poisonous spines that can be fired, they can also emit a fine poisonous mist up to a range of fifteen metres or so. ngej are already known to be able to squirt venom accurately over a distance of up to ten metres, envenomate with poisonous fangs, release poison over their skin as a waterproof wax to prevent themselves drying out and camoflage their skin with background colours. Their biological variations makes them hard to differentiate from uninfected members of the species using tricorders, and the cocktail of poisons makes combating a venomous attack difficult at best.
As the ngej themselves biologically appear to be all the weapon that they need, they do not appear to wear any sensors or weaponry systems. The range of vision a ngej depends on the host and can vary. The mRNA mutates the organism whose DNA is exposed to it, this creates a natural variety of ngej biology. With an Empireof different species like the Klingon Empire, this results in many new mutated ngej examples with variations of spines and venom delivery systems. Equally the means of delivering the mRNA to the victim DNA varies, to allow the greatest chance for the biological coding to be passed on to the next victim generation.
Lastly, there is no common ngej culture. This is due to a total lack of written or spoken language. According to the Klingons, there is no warning of an attack from the ngej and no attempt at dialogue is responded to. Starfleet Intelligence also notes that Klingons are not renowned for their 'dialogue'. Currently the ngej Contamination resides on the far side of the Klingon Empire, but with starships now exploring through the Nirophian Corridor an encounter with the ngej is to be anticipated.
Notes on the ngej for ST:TIY:
Little is known about this biological phenomenon that has somehow forged its own territory. My original plan was for this to be a poisonous amphibious species. I then had an idea for a different approach on the early hours of 30 January 2024; I thought of a lifeform that, for conservation of energy and adaptive purposes would rewite the DNA of it's victims to become evolved versions of the lifeform, in the mutated body of the host (whose individality would be erased and overwritten). This was a biological Borg crossed with The Thing or The Fly; it would retain the venomous protection, however it would be a very simple biological entity: messenger RNA or mRNA. This becomes a transmissable method of rewriting, for example, a Klingon into a porcupine-like extra armoured Klingon with pods that fire mRNA-tipped darts to procreate still further.
This is a simple form of life, yet it can conquer the strong, the intelligent and the brave with equal efficiency, rewriting them into the next generation of ngej. What Starfleet Intelligence may have originally thought was the ngej was based on an earlier form of life that had stumbled on the mRNA and been mutated, with their will rewritten to be ngej. Unlike the Borg, there is no Queen, no government, no common homeworld or culture; just the building blocks of life that rewrites the code for other life to become its own. There's nothing to negotiate with and no enemy to kill - just biology looking to reproduce in a way that is indiscriminate and efficient.
I wanted to have very different challenges for the Klingon Empire on each border. The Federation is the threat of a better ideal, of democracy and diplomacy which could undermine the Klingons. For the Romulan Star Empire it's a species that challenges the Klingons at their own game: conquest and dominance. The Gorn are like the Xenomorphs in the Alien movie franchise. The Kinshaya are religious extremists. The ngej are something very different: a biological threat to the Klingons that are more akin to an infectious pandemic than a species with a culture and nation.
