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Golem

An incomplete golem

"How did you survive it?"
"I didn't."
"Right, the positronics. A new fully synth prototype body. I don't suppose you've got another one in my size, have you?
"
– Jack Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard, 2401 ("The Bounty")

A golem was a type of android constructed from organic material and designed to function more-or-less identically to the lifeform it was modeled after, including, optionally, the processes of aging and eventual death. It was invented by Doctor Altan Soong at Coppelius Station in 2399. In preparation for the event of his passing, Dr. Soong had intended to place his consciousness into the body of the golem through a mind transfer. He enlisted the aid of Dr. Agnes Jurati in the completion of this project. (PIC: "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1")

Before the brain death of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, his consciousness was transplanted into the golem Soong had prepared, at the cost of Soong not being able to use it himself. The only enhancement the golem provided Picard was a lack of the brain defect that had killed him; in all other respects, it was virtually identical to his Human body, since Soong knew Picard did not want to be immortal and would not want to have to adjust to any new superpowers at his advanced age. (PIC: "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2") Even as a golem, Picard retained a residual link to the Borg Collective which helped guide him while Picard was looking for his son. Picard was also able to link into the Collective by plugging a cable into his neck, something that appeared to cause him no lasting harm aside from the pain that Picard experienced while removing it. (PIC: "The Last Generation")

In an alternate timeline where a more xenophobic Earth had founded the Confederation of Earth, Picard's counterpart had still had his consciousness uploaded into a golem by 2401, having suffered fatal injuries at the hands of Gul Dukat. (PIC: "Penance")

Daystrom Android M-5-10 had a golem body, giving Data the ability to feel sensations such as pain for the first time after taking full control of the android body. (PIC: "Dominion", "Surrender")

The procedure of transferring a consciousness to a golem became known as the "Soong Method". However, the mind transfer procedure had a low success rate, leading to it being abandoned by the 32nd century. (DIS: "Anomaly (DIS)") In 3190, it was used to resurrect Gray Tal by transferring his consciousness into a golem after unjoining Gray from the Tal symbiont. (DIS: "Choose to Live")

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