This article is about neural parasites found on Deneva in the 23rd century. You may be looking for the bluegill neural parasites.

The blastoneurons were a type of neural parasites, a dangerous lifeform of undetermined origin.

These lifeforms are sometimes referred to as Denevan neural parasites. This is a misnomer as they did not originate on Deneva, but the name persists as there was a prominent outbreak there.

History and specifics[]

The blastoneurons were roughly disc shaped, and anatomically resembled a single large brain cell. They were capable of individual flight, but most commonly attached themselves to humanoid hosts, via a "stinger" which tapped into the nervous system—for example, through the spinal cord. This allowed control over the host, though it also caused severe pain and madness.

These parasites were believed to have traveled from the Beta Portolan system to Levinius V, then Theta Cygni XII, and in the year 2265, Ingraham B. By 2267 they had reached Deneva, where they were encountered by the crew of the Federation starship USS Enterprise. The crew of that ship discovered that the parasites, which were impervious to most environmental factors including high temperature and radiation, were vulnerable to high-intensity visible and ultraviolet light, and were able to eradicate them by placing a series of UV light-producing satellites in Denevan orbit. (TOS episode: "Operation -- Annihilate!")

In 2270, Na'kuhl extremists from the 29th century released Denevan neural parasites on Deep Space Station K-13. Admiral Isaac Garrett dispatched a ship that uncovered the Na'kuhl interference. Working with Commander Montgomery Scott and K-13's medical officer T'Met, the station was bathed in UV light, disrupting the parasites. Unfortunately, the station was lost anyway when the damaged Na'kuhl Daemosh-class timeship opened a time portal that stranded K-13 elsewhen. (STO - Agents of Yesterday mission: "Painful Omens")

Alternate realities[]

In the Kelvin timeline, the blastoneurons had taken on a more gelatinous form, pink in color, and primarily encased the cranium of a victim. In this timeline, the creatures reached Deneva in 2258. (TOS - Operation: Annihilate comic: "Part 1")

Presumably, the organisms experienced a different evolutionary spread in the alternate reality that accounted for their different physical attributes.

Gallery[]

Victims[]

• Helena Albrecht
• Aurelan Kirk
• George Samuel Kirk, Jr.
• Peter Kirk
• Spock
• Spock (Kelvin timeline)

Appendices[]

Background[]

• The blastoneurons were only given their proper name in ST reference: Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual. Other sources since, The Star Trek Encyclopedia for one, have been under different editors and publishers and use the less specific disambiguated name "Denevan neural parasites". The name is exceptional since all sources are agreed that the blastoneurons are not native to Deneva itself. The Medical Reference Manual gives a possible origin location for them as "Large Magellanic Cloud?" But this has never been confirmed.
• Information about the blastoneuron was displayed by the computer in Keiko O'Brien's schoolroom on Deep Space 9 in DS9 episode: "A Man Alone" and "The Nagus". A graphic of the neural parasite was also displayed in the infirmary aboard Deep Space 9 in DS9 episodes: "Babel", "The Passenger", "Vortex", "Dramatis Personae", "Duet")

References[]

• TOS episode: "Operation -- Annihilate!"
• TOS - Star Trek 2 novelization: Operation—Annihilate!
• TOS - Operation: Annihilate comics: "Part 1", "Part 2"
• ST reference: Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual
• ST reference: The Star Trek Encyclopedia
• DS9 episode: "A Man Alone"
• DS9 episode: "The Nagus"
• DS9 episode: "Babel"
• DS9 episode: "The Passenger"
• DS9 episode: "Vortex"
• DS9 episode: "Dramatis Personae"
• DS9 episode: "Duet"
• STO - Agents of Yesterday mission: "Painful Omens"

External links[]

• Blastoneuron article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
• Denevan Neural Parasite article at Star Trek Online Wiki.