10 Times Streaming Era Star Trek Went Apocalyptic

3. Rogue AI Takes Control Of The Texas Class Ships - The Stars At Night

Star Trek Lower Decks The Stars At Night Admiral Buenamigo
CBS Media Ventures

Now it's Star Trek: Lower Decks' turn to deal with rogue AI programs, with this one being a fairly big mistake on one Vice-Admiral Buenamigo's part. The idea of automating the fleet has never truly gone well, despite the number of times it's been attempted. This latest example harkens back to Richard Daystrom's M-5 Computer, with similar results. 

Creating an entire class of ships, the Texas-class, and removing the need for a crew may seem good on paper, but when this was tested, the AI quickly went off the rails. The Texas-class ships, led by the Aledo, began an assault on Douglas Station, as well as the USS Van Citters, and then on the Cerritos itself. While the California-class vessel managed to lure those ships away from the station, it was quickly overpowered. 

It took the combined effort of every California-class ship in the fleet to defeat the Texas-class vessels, confusing, dividing, and eventually destroying them. Without this intervention, the Aledo could easily have made its way towards Earth, Spacedock, and the hub of organic life in Starfleet. 

Buenamigo's ambition ultimately cost him his life, as he became one of the first victims of his own invention. He may not be remembered with honour, as his legacy is now stained with the blood of those who died as a result of his experiments. 

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"