What happened to the Exocomps?

Question

In Star Trek, whatever happened to the exocomps?

An excomp, looking like a mostly black faceted spheroid with blinking lights, silver details and a pair of large red pyramidal feet, hovers in the air in front of a vertically-mounted console. A cylindrical device on its "front" is projecting a blue beam that is triggering patterns of lines in the display.

I recall that they were in an episode that showed them as sentient, but never saw them again.

Sent down the mines with all the leftover EMHs no doubt. – Paul D. Waite Mar 26 '21 at 18:24 — Paul D. Waite, Mar 26 '21 at 18:24

score 10 · Answer 1 · edited Mar 26 '21 at 16:12

Whilst the Exocomps aren't seen again in the TV show they do make an extensive appearance in the Trek Book Immortal Coil in which two exocomps (named Winken and Blinken) are key players in a plot to uncover an ancient artificial intelligence. The book states that their civilisation has joined the Federation as full members.

This was later backed up in the Star Trek: Online MMO game where they were described as being

"sentient members of the Federation"

...that were strongly aligned to Starfleet and available as members of your crew in both civilian and military modes.

Star Trek Online Exocomps

score 9 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 26 '21 at 16:31

9

Star Trek: Lower Decks (which is canon-ish) featured an Exocomp who was a member of Starfleet

answered Mar 26 '21 at 16:31

Machavity

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"a member of Starfleet" until he ran from the enemy and got left in interstellar space. – Valorum Mar 26 '21 at 16:34
I didn't want to make them look like the jerk they were – Machavity Mar 26 '21 at 16:39

score 4 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 26 '21 at 16:11

4

Source: "Exocomp", Memory Alpha

It would seem they were promptly forgotten. Too bad, as they are a reference to one of my all-time-favorite Anime, Dirty Pair.

There are other examples of strange things gaining intelligence in the ST universe, a list you can see here.

Some Highlights:

edited Mar 26 '21 at 16:11

DavidW

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answered Apr 20 '11 at 11:42

DampeS8N

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Not like there was really any sensible way to bring them back. What would they do, follow Data around like a puppy? – Xantec Apr 20 '11 at 15:27
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@Xantec: Come back in a later episode as a civilization. Merge with the Borg. Assimilate the dominion. Come back to fight the Federation as mounts for cybernetic changelings. – DampeS8N Apr 20 '11 at 16:49
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That was already done in ST:TMP :-) – Xantec Apr 20 '11 at 17:04
@Xantec: That was roughly as hilarious as what I said, yes. :) – DampeS8N Apr 20 '11 at 17:08
There are probably even more examples of things that should have been important in some way, but were promptly forgotten after the episode that featured them. – O. R. Mapper Oct 16 '16 at 16:25
Funny thing: "Microbrain" may have been the name given to the indigenous silicon-based life on Velara III (per the Memory Alpha article), but it was also an epithet invoked by Q toward Worf in TNG "Q Who" - "Growl for me, show me that you still care". – Anthony X Oct 16 '16 at 22:09

What happened to the Exocomps?

3 Answers3