Species 8472
| Base of operations | Fluidic space |
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Species 8472 is a fictional extraterrestrial race in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. They inhabit an extra-dimensional realm called "fluidic space". The multiplayer game Star Trek Online gives their proper name as Undine.
A designation given by the Borg (the species' name referred to by Star Trek Online as the Undine, though the Hirogen refer to them as 'Fluidians'), Species 8472 has a dense genetic structure, with each cell containing more than a hundred times the genetic material of a human cell because of their triple-helix DNA structure. On the cellular level, Species 8472's own somatic cells can become extremely virulent when in a foreign blood-stream, duplicating themselves rapidly. When a member of Species 8472 attacks a victim with its claws, some of the former's cells are left in the wound. These stray cells multiply, spreading through the victim's entire body, consuming it from the inside out while the victim remains conscious. Since the attacking cells employ the same advanced immune response as when inside the creature, they are able to resist conventional treatment methods. This system also makes them entirely immune to Borg assimilation.
Species 8472 is telepathic and in Star Trek: Voyager sends Kes and Tuvok telepathic messages.
Species 8472's anatomy is unique in that they possess three five-jointed, even-toed ungulate feet or hooves. They have cross-shaped pupils, and communicate exclusively through telepathy. They have tall, thin, skeletal bodies possessing little soft tissue, and appendages appear to be supported by sinuous strands of muscle. Their outward appearance is marked mainly by bony crests located on their chest and disproportionately large heads, giving them a generally gangly appearance. They have as many as five genders, each of which apparently occupies a different region of fluidic space. Species 8472 can also survive the unprotected rigors of normal space, and appears to not need to breathe an atmosphere, or even the organic fluid present in its own realm. Members of Species 8472 emit a biogenic field around their bodies which interferes with normal transporters and renders them partially invisible to sensors. It is one of the most biologically advanced corporeal species encountered in the Star Trek universe. However, while species like the Borg have reached the pinnacle of technological achievement through assimilation, Species 8472 has established dominance based on its biological superiority. Their powerful biology renders them immune to most Federation scanning technology and has prevented their assimilation by the Borg.
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