Surmak Ren was a Bajoran male who was born on Bajor in 2319 to Surmak Hoek and Surmak Stimson. Surmak graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Bajor in 2342, genetic programming being his major field of study.
Following his graduation, Surmak was a member of the Akira Advanced Genetics Research Unit where he was recognized for his work in viral function studies. In 2351 he worked as an assistant to Dekon Elig, who created the aphasia virus booby trap.
Surmak was later suspected by Cardassian Intelligence of supporting various Bajoran terrorist groups including the Kohn-Ma. Surmak was later arrested when informants in the Higa Metar revealed that he was a secret member of that sect and was responsible for several disruptive acts committed by that sect. He was arrested several times in early 2356, but released for insufficient evidence. He was convicted of terrorist activity by the Cardassian Regional Court in 2357 on charges of terrorist activity stemming from the kidnapping of Gul Spumco. Later that year, he was imprisoned on Velos VII.
Surmak was later repatriated to Bajor on stardate 46302.8, where he became chief administrator of the Ilvian Medical Complex. That year, the aphasia virus, which had previously been planted on Terok Nor during the Occupation of Bajor, was inadvertently activated by the crew of Deep Space 9.
In order to save the crew, Major Kira Nerys contacted Surmak to inquire about an antidote. At first he was reluctant to help, but Kira kidnapped him and transported him onto the station. This caused him to become infected as well, thus forcing him to develop a cure. (DS9: "Babel")
Background information[]
Surmak Ren was played by Matthew Faison.
His name was an in-joke, a reference to Nickelodeon's animated show Ren and Stimpy. The authors of the Star Trek Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., p. 483 jokingly said, "The character was not named for anyone in Nickelodeon's animated series Ren and Stimpy. Heck, no."
His parents' names in his okudagram biography were other in-jokes/references to the show's main characters Ren Hoek and Stimpson "Stimpy" J. Cat.
According to the script, his family name was pronounced as "SIR-mak". [1]