were developed as one of three new alien species that could be used as recurring antagonists; the other two were the Kazon and the Sikarians. The Vidiians and the Kazon would be featured in later episodes, while the appearance of the Sikarians was restricted to the episode "Prime Factors". Through a collaboration with science consultant André Bormanis, the producers established the Phage as a bacteriophage. During a behind-the-scenes feature included on the DVD release of the show's second season, Bormanis explained that the writers and producers paid close attention to imagining a virus that could believably almost exterminate an entire species. Both Piller and Braga responded positively to Taylor's concept of the Vidiians. Piller viewed the idea of "an alien culture who are a civilized people who are forced to do uncivilized things in order to survive" as a compelling plot point. Braga agreed with Piller's assessment, saying: "Very rarely do you stumble on something that has real resonance." Freelance writer Skye Dent, who had helped with the original development of the Vidiians, felt that pride characterized the alien species. She explained: "[E]ven though they knew what they were doing was wrong in terms of the actual action, they were very confident that because they were culturally superior, they were totally justified in killing people and taking their organs". Design and casting The series' make-up supervisor Michael Westmore was heavily involved in the creation of the Vidiians' look. Taylor worked closely with Westmore to ensure that the Vidiians bore no resemblance to previous alien species featured in the Star Trek franchise. According to Westmore, the script for the episode "Phage" called for the species to appear like "a race of people whose skin and organs were rotting". The series' make-up supervisors based the Vidiians' design on patchwork quilts, specifically in the way their bodies were composed of various harvested body parts and organs along with their own decomposing skin. Created as a mask covering the entirety of the actor's head, the prosthetic make-up includes pieces from other alien species, such as Talaxians and the Kazon, to represent the Vidiians' long history of taking organs from humanoids in multiple areas of the Delta Quadrant. Along with the mask, actors portraying Vidiians would wear contact lenses and dentures. Robert Beltran said he felt uncomfortable while acting in the facial mask during the filming of the disguised Chakotay in "Faces". He described the