Blastoneuron parasite

• Appearance: Massive single-cellular beings resembling neuron cells
• Incredibly resistant to most forms of harm (TOS: "Operation: Annihilate!")
  • No sign of effect from nearly all forms of energy or radiation (TOS: "Operation: Annihilate!")
  • Notably vulnerable to ultraviolet light, resulting in near-immediate death (TOS: "Operation: Annihilate!")
• Individuals interconnected with one another in massive, potentially interstellar or intergalactic network (TOS: "Operation: Annihilate!")
• Able to attack nervous systems of humanoid beings so as to enforce obedience with demands through extreme pain (TOS: "Operation: Annihilate!")
  • Individuals sting target to attack (TOS: "Operation: Annihilate!")
    • Stinger begins to rapidly grow along target's nervous system, intertwining with it so as to manipulate sensation of pain, communicate with host (TOS: "Operation: Annihilate!")
  • Infection eventually leads to insanity, potentially death (TOS: "Operation: Annihilate!")
  • Past invasions have generally resulted in planetary extinction of dominant humanoid species (TOS: "Operation: Annihilate!")
    • Known past sites of attacks include Beta Portolan system, Levinius V, Theta Cygni XII, Ingraham B, Deneva
• Later research suggested possible origin in Large Magellanic Cloud (DS9: "The Nagus")