The latest promo for "Star Trek: Discovery" may have teased details of a Klingon subgroup called the Augments.
"Star Trek: Discovery" has been putting out short clips on social media sites like Twitter and Instagram to promote its premiere season. In a recent video clip for the "Star Trek" revival, T'Kuvma (Chris Obi), who is a leader among the Klingons, speaks intensely about his race.
"They are coming... atom by atom. They will silence us... cell by cell. Our souls shall become theirs. We must fight for one thing... above all... to remain... Klingon," he says.
"Star Trek" enthusiasts have speculated that T'Kuvma may have been referring to the Augments, a group of genetically engineered Klingons with human DNA modifications. When the leader says "atom by atom" and "cell by cell," these are biological building blocks or DNA which hint that the group that may be genetically related to the Klingons.
The clip ends with T'Kuvma saying that his race should remain Klingon, implying that there should be no atomic or cellular modification to their group with human or any other DNA cells.
The Augments first appeared in the "Star Trek: Enterprise" episodes titled "Affliction" and "Divergence." The subgroup was the result of several experiments to make Klingons appear more human. However, the genetic changes were considered a virus or an aberration even though they were introduced through experimentation.
The test subjects gained increased strength and intelligence, but they perished when their neural pathways degraded, thus declaring human modifications a virus.
It remains to be seen what threat T'Kuvma is referring to that the Klingons need to fight against for the salvation of their race. Also, whether or not the new series will borrow elements of the Augments storyline from "Star Trek: Enterprise."
"Star Trek: Discovery" will debut on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on CBS. The remaining episodes will then air on CBS All Access.
