Noonian Soong.

"Dr. Noonian Soong, my friend, happens to have been Earth's foremost robotics scientist."

– Geordi La Forge to Data, 2364 ("Datalore").



A young Noonian Soong

Doctor Noonian Soong, sometimes listed as Noonien Soong and nicknamed "Often Wrong", was one of the Federation's leading cyberneticists during the 24th century.

History

Soong was the creator of at least six Soong-type androids, Data, Lore, B-4 and a recreation of his wife Juliana, as well as two prototypes. He was the descendant of the 22nd century criminal geneticist Arik Soong, who started the work in cybernetics that his descendants, down to Noonian, continued. An associate of Ira Graves, as well as a star scientist of the Federation in his own right, Soong's early work was highly regarded and he promised breakthroughs on the positronic brain. After failing to deliver on his promises, the disgraced and utterly humiliated Soong disappeared. Traveling under an assumed name to the colony on Omicron Theta, he continued his research, unbeknownst to anyone but his neighbors. (ENT: "The Augments"; TNG: "Datalore", "Inheritance"; Star Trek Nemesis)

While living on Omicron Theta, Soong met and fell in love with Juliana O'Donnell and the pair married in secret on Mavala IV, keeping their relationship secret due to Juliana's mother's disapproval of her daughter's involvement with a much older man; their intention was to show her later that they could make their relationship work. Together, they perfected his design and built functional humanoid androids with advanced artificial intelligence. Each of the androids created by the Soongs represented an advancement and refinement of the potential for their creations. B-4 was a relatively primitive android, capable of only the most basic speech and motorization. Lore, the fourth attempt, displayed tremendous advances in cognitive abilities and interaction but had difficulty in adapting to ethical subroutines designed to facilitate interaction among Humans and was emotionally unstable. For this reason, he had Lore deactivated and began work on his fifth attempt, Data, who was the most successful. Despite lacking emotional ability and requiring a "learning" period, Data advanced further and more quickly than Dr. Soong had originally hoped.

In 2336, when the colony on Omicron Theta came under attack by the Crystalline Entity, Soong escaped with his fatally injured wife and was assumed dead while in fact he continued his research in secret at a new location. The inert body of Data and the disassembled body of Lore were left behind on the colony to be discovered years later by Starfleet. Soong knew Data had been rescued and followed his life in secret, but assumed that Lore had been left disassembled and inert. Some of the research that he did after the attack involved the creation of an upgrade chip to Data that would among other things give him the ability to experience the range of Human emotions previously unavailable to him. Because Soong thought Lore to be still abandoned in pieces on Omicron Theta he did not research how to correct the flaws in Lore's design or integrate the advancements he later made into Lore, which was his original intention.

Unable to let Juliana go, Noonian transferred his comatose wife's memories into an advanced android body before her passing. The Juliana-android, though still a Soong-type design, greatly advanced Soong's goal of replicating Human abilities in an android. The new android design was so perfect that she never realized she was not the original Juliana. When Soong began to become too caught up in his work, she later divorced Soong, moved away, and remarried. In a recorded message, Soong told their 'son' Data about his mother and that he always regretted putting his work before his wife, admitting that the 'original' Juliana would have also left him under the circumstances. (TNG: "Inheritance")

Soong was believed to have been killed on Omicron Theta, in the Crystalline Entity's attack, when this massacre was uncovered in 2364. Three years later, however, he was discovered to be alive and secluded in the jungle of Terlina III, where Soong and Juliana had fled after the attack and where he had continued his work to create a perfect emotion chip for his son Data. In an effort to bring Data to him so that he could install the emotion chip he activated a homing device that forced Data to hijack the USS Enterprise-D in order to travel to Terlina III. Unfortunately, the same homing signal also attracted Lore, who had been re-activated several years before, an event of which Soong was unaware. During this meeting with his 'sons', Soong admitted that he would have preferred Data to go into cybernetics like him rather than joining Starfleet, but nevertheless expressed compassion for both his 'sons', trying to convince them to reconcile despite the disastrous results of Lore and Data's first meeting, apologising to Lore for his inability to help Lore during their initial time on the colony in favor of working on Data instead. However, angered at the discovery that he and Data were not actually as different as he had initially believed, with the only difference being Data's greater ability to adapt to the ethical subroutines that Soong had given him, Lore eventually disabled Data in order to receive the emotion chip himself, and after it was installed attacked Soong, hastening his death. As Soong lay dying, Data assured him that he would remain to continue Soong's legacy, and, although briefly he commented that he would not be able to grieve for his creator, Soong's last words were to assure Data that he would mourn his death in his own way, dying shortly after Data called him 'Father' for the first time. (TNG: "Brothers")



A hologram of Dr. Soong

Despite Soong's death, this was not the last encounter Data had with his father. Dr. Soong implanted a subroutine into Data's base programming enabling Data to dream when he had achieved a certain level of development. The dream circuit was activated prematurely while conducting an experiment with Dr. Julian Bashir from Deep Space 9. Data's dreams included images of a young Noonian Soong as a blacksmith, forging a bird that represented Data himself. Data also encountered a holographic recording of Soong when he met his 'mother' for the first time; after he discovered that Juliana was an android 'duplicate' of the original, he discovered a memory chip that included a holographic recording of Soong he had created to explain the situation to anyone who learned what Juliana was. When Data activated the recording and identified himself, the Soong hologram admitted that he was grateful that Data was the one to find the message, noting that he had created a special program to explain the history of Data's mother to his 'son' in more detail than he would have provided if anyone else had activated the chip (TNG: "Birthright, Part I", "Inheritance").

According to the time-traveling Berlinghoff Rasmussen, very few records of Doctor Soong's work survived to the 26th century. However, as Rasmussen was actually a con-artist from the 22nd century, the veracity of many statements he made is in question. (TNG: "A Matter of Time").



Data's personnel file

Apocrypha

In Diane Duane's novel Dark Mirror, which takes place in the Mirror universe, Dr. Soong was executed as a political dissident, and, consequently, neither Data nor Lore was ever created.

In the short story "The Embrace of Cold Architects" by David R. George III (collected in the Star Trek: Myriad Universes anthology Shattered Light), Doctor Soong plays an important role when he is able to save his 'granddaughter', Lal, from suffering the cascade failure that killed her in the main universe when she follows her 'father' to Soong when he attempts to give Data the emotion chip (In this timeline her creation was delayed after Data missed a vital conference, resulting in Data constructing Lal several months later than he did in canon).



Via an extensive make-up process, Brent Spiner adopts his Noonian Soong persona

Doctor Soong returns in the novel Cold Equations: The Persistence of Memory, which reveals that he survived his death by transferring his mind into an android body far more Human in appearance than Data's. After his remaining 'children'- his three early prototypes, B-4, Lal, and Lore- are stolen by the Breen, he is able to rescue them with help from the Enterprise-E, but subsequently sacrifices himself to transfer Data's memories from B-4 into his own body, unable to complete the new body he had been attempting to construct due to the recent Borg invasion and the Breen's subsequent attack on his lab. This transfer results in Data acquiring all of Soong's memories and a new ability to use contractions (Although he still chooses not to use them out of habit).

Brothers (episode)

Data jeopardizes an emergency mission to save an ill child when he gets a signal from his creator.

Summary

Dr. Crusher is involved in a medical emergency as Willie Potts, a young child of the USS Enterprise-D, is infected by parasites from a cove palm that he ate during shore leave on Ogus II with his brother Jake. Willie ate the parasitic fruit after being tricked by Jake into thinking the former had killed Jake with a toy laser pistol. With his health rapidly declining, Willie has to be quarantined to protect the rest of the crew and to be stabilized before he can be transferred to Starbase 416 for immediate medical attention. In the observation lounge, the older Potts recounts the incident to Commander Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi, explaining that he frightened Willie for amusement, but that he did not intend serious harm.

En route to sickbay in the turbolift with Jake Potts, Lieutenant Commander Data begins to reassure Jake when he uncharacteristically stops in the middle of his sentence and redirects the turbolift to the bridge while no longer even acknowledging the boy's presence. He then drastically alters the course ordered and begins to commandeer the ship, first by removing the atmosphere from the main bridge. Under protest, the rest of the bridge staff evacuate to main engineering, giving Data enough time to very effectively establish himself as the sole commander of the ship (using a precise imitation of Picard's voice). He also blocks all of Captain Picard's attempts to regain control from engineering, which include aborting an attempt to regain control of the secondary hull via a saucer separation, and towing the saucer section with a tractor beam. Lieutenant Worf, Commander Riker, and crew member Casey reestablish life support on the bridge, and attempt to gain access to the bridge from deck 2, until Data activates a perimeter field charge which then blocks the only access point left.

Meanwhile, in sickbay, Doctor Crusher tends to Willie and keeps conversation with him. Counselor Troi and Jake enter to visit Willie, but he refuses to speak to or acknowledge his older sibling. Frustrated, Jake storms out.

On the bridge, Data discovers that the crew has managed to disable site-to-site transport, and then programs a series of force fields to enable him to get to transporter room 1. He enters an extremely complex security code, locking all functions that were previously transferred to the bridge. He then makes his way to the transporter room, using the force field series he programmed, traps the awaiting ambush within the transporter pad, re-enables the site-to-site transport, and beams down to his destination, the Class M planet Terlina III.

Once on the surface, Data travels through the thick jungle and enters an old cybernetics lab and is greeted by Dr. Noonian Soong, Data's creator, who reveals that it was he who controlled him and brought him to the planet by the use of a homing device implanted in Data's positronic brain. His combadge is not functional, but Soong assures him that his crew will arrive to take him back shortly and performs routine mechanical maintenance on the android. Data is puzzled that his creator is still alive, as he assumed he had been killed on Omicron Theta by the Crystalline Entity along with the other colonists; Soong explains that he escaped the powerful entity via a predetermined strategy, and that he is the sole survivor of the colony.

Back on board, Willie Potts still refuses to listen to Jake and on the bridge, the crew are still experiencing difficulty reestablishing control of the Enterprise, although the ship's sensors are functional. Lieutenant Worf is unable to locate Data, but his sensors detect a solitary Human lifeform on the surface of Terlina III. He also locates a vessel in orbit which appears to carry no lifeforms.

On Terlina III, Soong expresses disappointment in his son's choice in having entered Starfleet Academy, and inquires as to his reason, to which Data replies that he wanted to repay the people who first discovered him with dedication to service. Soong admits he would have preferred that Data follow in his footsteps and go into cybernetics instead. In the midst of their conversation, Lore enters the laboratory, brought to Terlina III via a Pakled trade ship and summoned inadvertently via the same homing device Data was intentionally. Data insists that Soong not trust his brother, as he betrayed both the colony to which Soong belonged and the Enterprise once before. However, Soong, blinded by his love for his older creation, condones and excuses Lore's deviant behavior, claiming him to be "far from the maniacal android [Data has] made him out to be."

Meanwhile, Captain Picard, Riker, Worf, Crusher, Troi, and Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge conference in the observation lounge about their current predicament. Full control still has not yet been established on board, and Willie Potts' time is running short.

Back on Terlina III, Soong laments Lore's deactivation on Omicron Theta and insists that it was necessary to prevent widespread harm, as the android was severely malfunctioning and frightened the colonists. However, Lore is extremely bitter toward Soong and Data for the events prior to and following his deactivation, as he was left inactive for years before Data discovered him on their home planet, and when Data thwarted his scheme to betray the Enterprise, was left drifting through space for nearly two years. Soong apologetically informs Lore that had he known he was reassembled, he would have spent time with him and repaired him. In response to a query about Lore's superiority, Soong explains to Data that he and Lore are nearly identical in construction, and that they differ only in programming. To Data's astonishment and Lore's ferment, this invalidates Lore's earlier assertion that Data is the imperfect and flawed model.

Revealing the purpose for Data's summoning, Soong presents to him the emotion chip, designed to allow him to experience a broad palette of emotional feelings as Lore can. Soong explains that the upgrade is intended solely for Data: However, as Soong rests, Lore incapacitates Data and switches his Starfleet uniform with him. Naturally thinking Lore to be Data, the doctor implants the chip in his older son, who reveals his true identity before fatally wounding Soong and making an expedient escape by beaming away.

An away team consisting of Worf, La Forge and Riker beams down to Terlina III. Locating the Human lifeform, the group enters Soong's laboratory, now in disarray thanks to Lore's assault. La Forge and Commander Riker discover Soong beneath a pile of lab equipment and debris, dying. Meanwhile, Worf finds an inactive Data behind another room, whom Riker reboots. The four attend to the doctor, who insists they leave him to die where he is most comfortable. Bidding farewell, Data assures his father that as long as he remains active, a part of Soong will be immortalized. With this in mind, Soong dies.

Once back on board the Enterprise, Data restores the command functions to the bridge, and the ship rushes back to Starbase 416 in time to restore Willie to full health. Data observes that the Potts brothers seem to have reconciled after their bitter dispute and Crusher tells him that They're brothers. Brothers forgive, a comment which, after recent events, gives Data pause.

Memorable quotes

"1 - 7 - 3 - 4 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 4 - 7 - 6 - Charlie - 3 - 2 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 7 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 4 - 3 - Tango - 7 - 3 - 2 - Victor - 7 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 7 - 8 - 8 - 8 - 7 - 3 - 2 - 4 - 7 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 7 - 6 - 4 - 3 - 7 - 6 - Lock."

- Data, entering a security code at breakneck speed using Picard's voice (so fast the computer could not keep up with him)

"I always loved that face..."

- Noonian Soong, upon seeing Data

"This is your lucky day, Data. You've found your long-lost father and he's alive."

- Noonian Soong

"I, uh... I never felt too comfortable... living anywhere without a... prearranged route of escape. I admit I, uh, I wouldn't have guessed I'd be running from a giant snowflake."

- Dr. Soong, after Data mentioned that there were no survivors from the Crystalline Entity's attack on the colony where Dr. Soong was residing previously.

"Why does a painter paint? Hmm? Why does a boxer box? You know what Michelangelo used to say? That the sculptures he made were already there before he started, hidden in the marble. All he needed to do was remove the unneeded bits. Wasn't quite that easy with you, Data. But the need to do it, my need to do it, was no different than Michelangelo's need."

- Dr. Soong

"The sons of the prophet
Were valiant and bold
And quite unaccustomed to fear
But of all the most reckless
Or so I am told
Was Abdul Abulbul Amir."

- Lore (singing)

"You'd be surprised, Data. Feelings do funny things. You may even learn to... understand your evil brother."

- Lore, after Soong reveals the emotion chip he had created for Data

"Often-Wrong's got a broken heart
Can't even tell his boys apart."

- Lore, to Dr. Soong

"Where's Data? You didn't fill Data with substandard parts, did you, old man? No. That honor was bestowed upon me. You owe me, old man. Not him. Me."

- Lore, to Dr. Soong

"There were brave men aplenty
All well known to fame
Who served in the ranks of the Czar ..."

- Lore (singing)

"I am not less perfect than Lore."

- Data, and later (mockingly) Lore

"Everybody dies Data... well, almost everybody."

- Dr. Soong, to Data, referring to Data's perceived quasi-immortality

"Looks like we have ourselves a... family reunion."

- Noonian Soong, after Lore appears to him and Data

"Goodbye, Data..."
"Goodbye... father."

- Dr. Soong, Data, calling his creator "father" for the first and only time

"Brothers forgive."

- Dr. Crusher, to Data

"The only way we knew we'd come out of warp was by looking out a window."

- Riker, reporting ship's status to Picard