Star Trek: Discovery revealed the five scientists who hid clues to the Progenitors’ treasure, and they all have links to Star Trek’s legacy.
Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 6 – “Whistlespeak”
Summary
- Star Trek: Discovery season 5 creates a treasure hunt with moral and ethical lessons for Captain Burnham.
- Hidden clues from the Progenitors’ treasure left by a team of scientists challenge the USS Discovery crew’s respect and compassion.
- The final clue from Betazoid scientist Marina Derex may teach empathy from whoever possesses the galaxy’s greatest treasure.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 revealed the identities of the 24th century scientists who hid the clues to the ancient treasure of the Progenitors, and here are the dots that Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery have connected and what they mean. Written by Kenneth Lin and Brandon Schultz and directed by Chris Byrne, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, “Whistlespeak”, contains a huge breakthrough as Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) reveals the identities of the scientists to Captain Burnham. The names of the scientists were purged from United Federation of Planets databases in the 24th century to protect the Progenitors’ treasure.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is a sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6’s “The Chase”, which introduced the ancient humanoids who seeded the galaxy and created humanoid life billions of years ago. In the 24th century, the Progenitors’ wondrous but dangerous technology was found by a team of scientists assembled in secret by the President of the United Federation of Planets. There were originally six scientists who found the Progenitors’ treasure, but one died horribly when they tried to activate it. The remaining five scientists hid the technology and left various secret clues behind that came with moral and ethical lessons in the hopes that only someone truly worthy would find the greatest treasure in the known galaxy.
| Progenitors Scientist Team | Species | Clue Hidden Location |
|---|---|---|
| Vellek | Romulan | Lyrek |
| Jinaal Bix | Trill | Trill |
| Carmen Cho | Terran | ISS Enterprise |
| Hitoroshi Kreel | Denubulan | Halem’no |
| Marina Derex | Betazoid | ??? |
| Unnamed Scientist | Unknown | Deceased |
5 Doctor Vellek
Romulan scientist hid his clue on Lyrek
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 retconned Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman) as one of the Romulan scientists who first learned about the Progenitors along with Cardassians, Klingons, and Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “The Chase.” Vellek kept a detailed diary of his findings about the Progenitors, which led to the first clue to the Progenitors’ treasure. Vellek hid his clue on Lyrek, a necropolis planet heavily guarded by deadly ancient technology.
Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis) arrived on Lyrek first but left empty-handed.
On their final away mission together as USS Discovery crew mates, Captain Michael Bunham and Captain Saru (Doug Jones) survived the necropolis planet and acquired the first clue beneath a burial structure. What Burnham and Saru learned on Lyrek was the importance of cultural context as they strove to maintain the ancient grave site despite weapons trying to kill them. Since the Progenitors created countless different species, the lesson is respect for other cultures, which Burnham and Saru proved they possess.
4 Jinaal Bix
Joined Trill scientist hid his clue on Trill
Dr. Vellek’s clue led the USS Discovery to Trill in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, “Jinaal”. Trill scientist Jinaal Bix hid his clue on his homeworld, and his symbiont is miraculously still alive. Temporarily joining with and possessing Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), Jinaal led Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) into a canyon near the Caves of Mak’ala, which were the nesting grounds of huge creatures who can cloak called itronoks. It was a test by Jinaal to see how Burnham and Book would deal with the itronoks.
Jinaal was suitably impressed at the compassion shown by Burnham and Booker.
Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker proved their respect for lifeforms other than themselves. Rather than kill the itronoks, Michael and Book realized the itronoks were merely protecting their young. Even after Booker was injured by the creatures, he and Burnham found a non-violent solution. Jinaal was suitably impressed at the compassion shown by Burnham and Booker and willingly surrendered his clue, confident that the USS Discovery would treat other lifeforms with respect if they find the Progenitors’ treasure.
The experience of bonding with Jinaal through the Trill zhian’tara left Dr. Hugh Culber with a new sense of spirituality.
3 Carmen Cho
Terran scientist hid her clue on ISS Enterprise
Jinaal’s clue leads the USS Discovery to the Tzenkethi system where a wormhole leading to interdimensional space is hidden. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, “Mirrors”, Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker entered interdimensional space and found the derelict ISS Enterprise from the Mirror Universe, where the third clue was hidden and found by Moll and L’ak. Burnham and Book eventually acquired the clue and piloted the ISS Enterprise into Star Trek’s Prime Universe, although Moll and L’ak escaped.
The third clue was a vial of distilled water hidden by Dr. Carmen Cho, who was a member of the Terran Empire and the junior Science Officer of the ISS Enterprise. Cho was among the refugees who fled the Mirror Universe aboard the Enterprise and escaped to the Prime Universe. Cho joined Starfleet, became a branch Admiral and one of the Progenitors’ science team, and returned to the ISS Enterprise to hide her clue. The lesson Burnham learned was to have the courage to overcome impossible odds to shape your future for the better.
When assembled, the five clues will create a map to the Progenitors’ treasure. Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) learned that replicating the clue pieces doesn’t work, and it has to be the real thing.
2 Hitoroshi Kreel
Denobulan scientist hid his clue on Halem’no
The fourth clue, a vial of distilled water, pointed to Dr. Hitoroshi Kreel, a Denobulan scientist, who hid his clue on the planet Halem’no. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, “Whistlespeak”, Captain Burnham and Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) infiltrate Halem’no’s pre-warp civilization to gain access to the disguised, artificial weather tower where the Denobulan Dr. Kreel stashed his clue. Tilly ultimately learns that Kreel’s clue is located in the fifth of five weather towers built by the Denobulans to bring rain to the arid planet.
4 of the 5 Denobulan weather towers failed over time, and the remaining Halem’nites created a religion of sacrificing themselves to their gods so that it might rain.
Clue number 4 had a metal card attached with a Betazoid inscription, pointing to the final scientist and clue. In their time living among the Halem’nites, Burnham and Tilly realized the lesson was what a massive responsibility technology is, and that whoever wields the Progenitors’ power to create life (and possibly resurrect the dead) has to be extremely careful how they use it.
Dr. Vellek and Jinaal Bix are the only scientists who ‘appear’ in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (so far), and the remaining scientists (so far) are only spoken of.
1 Marina Derex
Betazoid scientist hid the final clue yet to be found
Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, “Erigah,” takes a detour from the treasure hunt to deal with the captured Moll and L’ak. This means a short break before the USS Discovery pursues the final clue hidden by Betazoid scientist Marina Derex. Commander Paul Stamets was still analyzing Dr. Kreel’s fourth clue from Halem’no at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, “Whistlespeak,” so it’s unclear where Captain Burnham’s final stop for the fifth and final clue will be, or what lesson will accompany it.
Perhaps the lesson Captain Burnham must learn from the final clue is empathy, either for others or for oneself.
The fact that Dr. Marina Derex is Betazoid may be a clue unto itself. The Betazoids are known for their empathic abilities, especially Star Trek‘s most famous Betazoid, Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The name Marina Derex seems to be a direct nod to the beloved actress who plays Deanna Troi. Perhaps the lesson Captain Burnham must learn from the final clue is empathy, either for others or for oneself, in order to find the Progenitors’ treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.
