Must admit, one the whole I thought it was rubbish, but one niggling question did stick with me.
What's the big deal about synthetic life? What does it even mean?
Frex, holograms in Star Trek have been shown to be sentient several times and are obviously synthetic but the Federation hasn't banned them. On the other hand we have Khan, the Augment, definitely sentient and synthetic, but the Federation has banned Augments.
The synths that attacked Mars weren't sentient, but were synthetic, so effectively sophisticated networked robots, and the Federation did ban them. Why would that ban apply to sentient synthetic life?
As for the Mass Effect-inspired overarcing plot, why would the Zhat Vash fear synthetic life so much when they're perfectly aware of Organians, Metrons, V'ger, the Whale Probe, the Q, Apollo himself, Tardigrades (OK, these were probably kept secret)?? Basically a Galaxy full of beings of immense, sometimes god-like power.
I think they were aiming for it being an irrational religion, which made sense, but it didn't make sense when their supposed secret cabal fielded a fleet of 218 Warbirds.
Seven of Nine though.
Lovely as ever! Oh, and beautiful main theme by Jean Russo!