Borg Assimilation

[@EdricLysharae]

You know your species sucks when The Borg say, "Thanks, but no thanks."

[@Majima_Nowhere]

"The worst insult to an enemy is to be ignored" -Some krogan I think

[@Terminator484]

"You have been marked for termination, for you are not worthy of assimilation."

[@AMLCOrey]

Funny they are so much into having mankind to be part of their collective. When they traveled back in time in Star Trek : First contact and saw the planet in 2063 (allegedly after a nuclear world war), realistically they must have been shocked and realized that was a stupid move and thinking of the cost-gain calculation, they would have been sad to sacrifice a full cube with drones in order to get the planet full with humans that they actually would not need as our species means a possible corruption of their collective mind with ideas like "I give a fuck" or "I just throw litter into nature" or "let's be racist, homophobic, violent, egoistic or sexually perverted today" or "I want a super-size meal at McDonald's right now". Ok, that would not fit into the Star Trek universe, but as Quark stated in the episode "Little green Men" of DS9, underneath the shiny surface, mankind is still as violent, bigot and rotten as in 1947. So the Borg would actually bank upon assimilating a superior or further developed species to find out their frailties are still part of the package. It would not make sense to assimilate mankind in the past, for their new-age-behaviour came up much later and they would skip the process of that development.

[@AMLCOrey]

We must not forget that we have had collective societies in the socialist countries on earth. We lived only 20 minutes away from the iron curtain in Germany, so we had the commies right at the doorstep. Their states were intended to work perfectly and harmonically with individuals being part of a collective to possess and to organize itself bottom-up following top-down directives and eventually being able to function in a society without leadership, but communism expected a different type of human. Someone who is peaceful, interested in education and to develop further one's skills, knowledge and experiences, who is able to share, who is able to shape synergies, able to self-organize and to put the needs and well-being of the collective over individual wishes and needs. Communist countries failed due to bureaucracy on one hand and due to humans cheating on the system on the other hand. So the Borg would definitely have to become more afraid of us than the other way around, I guess.

[@EdricLysharae]

@@AMLCOrey, it's implied that humanity's development curve is *far* faster than most other civilizations. Nog also noted in the same episode how much the human species had accomplished in a few centuries compared to their own. Those passions, when channelled properly, means humanity is always pushing itself right to its limits. In many ways, Earth is a Socialist's paradise by the 24th century. Roddenberry made the argument that we could advance beyond our more baser impulses when our baser needs were consistently met. But yes, humanity, at its core, has not gotten better, but rather what got better was our social system for supporting each other.

[@Jawmax]

You skipped one situational step, when assimilating a child or even an infant they artificially aged in maturation chambers in for most is a fraction of the time of the normal life span. Those assimilated as babies would only have known the collective and while freeing them is possible it as we've seen with Seven leads to a much longer and hard road to recovery.

[@Jawmax]

@Snake Plisken Yes but at very young age, she is the closest cannon example we have. Except maybe...Hue? He never showed any signs of recovering any memories after becoming an individual. Thanks for making me think, now I have a new head-cannon!

[@bellyjelly0812]

@@Jawmax oh now that'd be a really cool fanfic

[@antguy3195]

We are the Borg, resistance is futile. We will add your biological distinctiveness to our own, even though we've already added the rest of your species to the collective.

[@linechaay6430]

​@@Jawmax pp p p pfp pp p]]p90

[@KimPossibleShockwave]

@@Jawmax In a Voyager episode, we see an assimilated baby in an incubator. It dies, IIRC, which distresses the unfinished, juvenile drones. It makes you wonder if they assimilated a pregnant woman, and since the gestation process was at a certain point to warrant continued maturation instead of just termination (remember, for the Borg it's all about effort/reward), beamed the fetus into a maturation chamber. If that's the case, how many drones were created from literal unborn babies? How many pregnant, assimilated women had their children borg-borted because, to the hive mind, it wasn't worth letting the fetus develop? Talk about fringe-horror. At least with Seven she had some taste of being an individual before being assimilated, even if she was five or so. Picard also expanded on her assimilation somewhat, as she mentioned she could remember "tasting heavy metals" after being caught, injected by tubules, and brought on the Cube (remember, conscious but a puppet at this point). The "conscious but a zombie" effect is also seen in First Contact, where we see injected crew members from the failed assault being guided by drones to be "finished off" -- one injected, a woman, actually looks at Picard blankly as she's guided past.

[@occultatumquaestio5226]

The Borg assimilation process was and still is one of the most disturbing ways to go in Sci-Fi. To lose one's individual sense of self is a terrifying prospect worse even than death. It is fortunate that in this form of assimilation, the process has known ways to be reversible. Not many others have that.

[@NostalgiaBrit]

I think Cybermen "upgrading" me would be a scarier way to go!

[@thunderbird0024]

The pods from Invasion of the Body Snatchers. There is no coming back from that.

[@mrbuck5059]

Lol. You don't know Warhammer 40k. Alot worse happens in that Sci fi horror universe. Worse than Event Horizon even.

[@aiosquadron]

The Flood : Hello there.

[@adminadmin8992]

Being as a host for System Lord (Stargate) is much much worse. You would be traped in living nightmare. You can see, feel everything but you can't control your body.

[@Unobtanium1010]

I gotta say there's one exceedingly important field where we PC gamers already outclass the Borg in, that sweet RGB lighting!

[@Majima_Nowhere]

Yeah, we got over the lime green phase like 10 years ago. Borg need to step it up.

[@viper13178]

HAhahaha

[@ns0557212]

We will assimilate this RGB as soon as we find you. Also in picard we have picked up the color : BLUE. Fear us! Assimilate or die!

[@Unobtanium1010]

@@ns0557212 So, an Intel and Nvidia combo.

[@TamiyaRyouko]

This is why we are trying to assimilate the human species we need RGB lighting

[@LoreReloaded]

I'm a simple man.. I see a Certifiably ingame upload.. I watch

[@michaelrobb9542]

Ditto with your channel bud.

[@quyquan3221]

I always wanted to know what would happen if the Borg assimilated a joined Trill.

[@Dseagles14]

The symbiote would probably also be assimilated so the Borg would gain the knowledge of the symbiote as well

[@Justicemace]

Now I'm going to be thinking about that all day, thanks

[@dr4d1s]

Look at you asking the real questions!

[@christopherg2347]

First they would assimilate a Trill. Then access to the trills mind and body would reveal the symbiont. The symbiont would propably resit information access via the hosts mind, so the nanoprobes would set on assimilating the symbiont directly. After all the symbionts memory has been downloaded, I would guess the borg terminate the symbiont: - unlike the Bluegills, Goa'uld or similar SciFi symbionts, the Trill symbiont provides no improoved physical abilities - It's function as information carrier is redundant. The borg hivemind already does something similar, just much more efficient - unless the symbionts neural pathways or biology are somehow suiteable for repurposing, it is just a datastorage to crack open - and then recycle

[@ericstaples7220]

The Borg would probably terminate the symbiote without absorbing its memories. The Borg really isn't interested in collecting memories.

[@Numba003]

The Borg, particularly in their earliest appearances, will always be one of the most ominous baddies in all of sci-fi, and videos like this one make it easy to see partly why lol. Excellent video as always! Stay well out there everybody, and God bless you friends. :)

[@Craznar]

"Persistence is futile" - underrated comment.

[@iamdmc]

thanks, I started that :P

[@bobsradio6025]

There is a T-shirt available on Amazon that says "Resistance is not futile, it is Voltage divided by Current." I know that is true, because it is Ohm's Law.

[@edwardpate6128]

Voyager definitely got into some of the more gruesome aspects of the assimilation chamber showing amputated limbs and eyeballs removed.

[@nobodyyouknow1065]

When Picard said “Don’t let them touch you!” in First Contact I started to wonder what it would be like if Borg tech was all covered in nanites. Voyager sort of played with the idea at least with that futuristic drone One’s origin.

[@ericstaples7220]

That sounds good, but I don't think it works for the analogy. The Borg don't represent a disease, they represent a collectivist ideology. An ideology has to manually infect peoples minds.

[@thanqualthehighseer]

Most borg technology seems to have multiple booby traps built into it so keeping a distance isn't a bad idea.

[@diablorojo3887]

@@ericstaples7220 But... snif snif... ideology is a type of disease, if you understand what i mean snif snif

[@donovanulrich348]

Yeah i mean like Why would anyone put nanites that respond to high frequency signals. In a shot and force that upon people, i mean thats just wrong Covert 19 ~sponsored by *Bill Gates & Sprint TMobile* We are the Borg Vaccination is mandatory We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own Resistance is illegal Hold out your arm and prepare for assimilation Fuck you, fuck your shot Fuck your 1 world order Id rater die then risk my humanity or morality. Anyone thinking different already lost theirs

[@theomnissiah-9120]

I feel like if they can get there blood in/on you they could probably corrupt you

[@Janoha17]

You would think the Borg would want to keep their environments on the colder side to help increase their computing speeds and better preserve the organic components.

[@treasurehunter3744]

It's possible that the borg processors require elevated temperatures due to the materials that are common, or that it's an adaptation to organic creatures attempting to board their ships and use combat against them. To tire them out early.

[@lucky-segfault]

Modern server farms generally run fine at 50-60C, and most biological processes can happen faster at higher temperatures

[@scottmantooth8785]

*there would be a tricky balance between optimal processing speeds and how organic tissue reacts to extremes in temperature and environments...i'm assuming that borg related/assimilated materials would have near zero impedance in relation to or with the transfer of power currents and that organic cell regeneration would also be a constant factor especially at tissue to technology contact points such as neurosynaptic conductivity...*

[@ericstaples7220]

They probably do keep their environments cold and then their computers exhaust heats them back up.

[@patrickmccurry1563]

Or that higher temperatures than human preference is optimal on average partly, because no cube has just human drones. Many of the classic species come from hotter worlds after all.

[@arinanales8305]

I always hear people say that the Dominion is the strongest villain in Star Trek but I’ve always thought it was the borg. There’s just an existential horror with assimilation and an exponentially growth in their strength and tech

[@wilmagregg3131]

the dominion are more classical strong a advance empire that simply wishes to conquer and controll all threw force subversion and coersion. while the borg are ironically more like a force of nature slow near unstopable and ever encroaching with max effieceny.

[@voidhound5170]

Borg is and always will be ultimate enemy

[@carnotantonioromero3024]

@@wilmagregg3131 I agree. The Borg esp when first introduced seemed like a completely impersonal and implacable force -- something akin to Space Kudzu or a rising sea level, if you know what I mean. It wasn't even clear how you engaged with it, much less defeated it. Once they added the concept of the Queen that got much more hazy.

[@martinfunk4855]

sadly the kollektive never did a full scale attack on fedoeration

[@GP4L]

NO ITS HELLING Species 8472!!!!!!

[@occ4l]

"...microscopic shards of self-propelling metal surf your circulatory system." Mega magical mouthful mate.

[@cmdrtianyilin8107]

I did my master's thesis on leaderless management and eventually came into conclusion that, Borg style collective management would work to a certain degree. Most Air Traffic Management system is the closest thing to a functional Borg Collective where ATC perform similar duty to a Borg Queen.

[@MandoMTL]

Isn't management predicated on leadership? That sounds like an oxymoron. 😂

[@protoborg]

@@MandoMTL No it isn't.

[@cmdrtianyilin8107]

@@MandoMTL Not exactly. Leadership in a traditional sense is what/who issues commands to achieve a certain sets of goals. Self management is like a swarm intelligence, like a beehive or an ant colony. If a swarm of "workers" are being "programmed" to achieve a certain sets of goals and pass on the goals to the next point where the results of the goals are being processed, it will become a self managed system. There is just nobody to command that swarm of workers. The system itself manages instead of a leader. It's called "emergence." So, it is very possible to be a true gestalt intelligence, given that the entire situation or "environment" around us manages us.

[@AbandonedVoid]

Decentralization could be a ticket to a non-hierarchical utopia of true equality

[@kaidenshepard8446]

The assimilation of a starship and literally changing its structure etc, so had me wondering whether this kind of technique could also be incorporated into the programmable matter technology of the future in trek, I have no idea why i think this but the way it is described, yes it is a slow process, and that was on the NX-01 with limited activated drones that went on to assimilate a human team and other aliens as well I think from that particular episode and the unarmed ship increased in size and even had weapons systems on it when encountered, so heavens knows how fast the process is in the 32nd century.

[@samiamrg7]

I feel like the logical conclusion of this is ships just becoming flying clouds of pure energy or nanomachines that spontaneously form into whatever they want or need at a given moment.

[@broganfreeman8958]

@@samiamrg7 How scary would that be! Scatters around phasers & torpedoes (even as they explode), then reform & penetrate a vessel, reforming ship and crew in moments! ...utilising transphasic tech... now there's a rabbit hole filled with sighs and woe!

[@Malkiore1]

You Know I realize that the writers did not have a Queen in mind and I understand Picard views his assimilation as a horror but when you look at what happen to him from this point in time and the fact the Queen chose him as her equal. I have come to see that out of all the people we have seen assimilated then when viewing Picards one sees that the Borg were very gentle when it came to adding him to the Collective. I mean they worked on him slowly and did not hack any limbs or remove his eye and he even had his own area where he was laid down and worked on. Even using the nano probes was injected at a later time changing his color. Indeed every time we saw Picard he changed more into a Borg but we have seen the Borg just decimate a body by slamming nano probes into the blood stream and hacking off an arm then removing an eye with devices holding the victim in place. Though I know the writers did not have a Queen in mind at the time of this 2 part episode the hints of her are very easy to work in. Like I said before that if a Queen did want Picard as her equal then treating his assimilation with a gentle hand can be seen by her. Also their is a scene where Data gains access to the Borgs collective conscience. He then begins to say "The Borg group conscience is divided into sub commands. Necessary to carry out all group functions. Communications, Defense, Navigations. They are all controlled by a route command implanted..." Then something snaps control of Locutus to awake and begin to fight back and stop Data from probing any further,. One can see with ease that this could have been the Queen stopping Data from learning of her or probing any further. This can also be scene as her first taking a real notice of Data and why she pursued him and not Picard when she got the chance to get up and close to him in First Contact. One would love to see this as fact but like I have mention. The writers obviously had no idea of even having a Queen by this point in the story. Still I have always found it interesting.

[@RickySpanish12344]

Well we never even saw them destroying body parts until later. Picard had an arm piece that went over his hand and was fully functional.... The movie had people's arm cut off, and replaced with mechanical parts. I think this was meant to give a better visual representation for what also happens to the person's mind. How cold, and unfeeling the Borg are. I prefer the original Borg with no Queen. She made them feel flawed to me. She added individuality which was considered a weakness to the Borg... Before the Queen they were all one, no individuality... She added a weakness to them, a weakness that shouldn't have existed. She made them relatable, and they weren't supposed to be. She had a personality and the Borg was supposed to be more like a cyborg virus that could not be reasoned with, or negotiated with. No feeling, no remorse...

[@Malkiore1]

@@RickySpanish12344 Yea a lot of people feel this way and I understand it. I myself felt this way when someone told me the Borg had a Queen before I went to see the movie but after seeing her I was very much into the idea. However their were scenes in Voyager I did not like when it came to the Queen. The way she spoke to the Borg as if commanding them when the Unimatrix Zero 2 parter came about. That just would not happen. That entire 2 part episode made me almost hate the Queen again. However Alice Krige portrayal of her just was so enchanting. I believe that is why they brought her in to play the part of the Queen in Endgame. Plus seeing Seven Of 9 turn into a type of Borg Queen in Star Trek Picard was awesome. I do hope they explore more of the Borg and give us some answers like of their origin and maybe a decent explanation of how the Borg and their Queen actual work.

[@donovanulrich348]

It would be impossible to infect the Borg without writing a Queen or center point I dont like it ether But they wanted to infect the hive mind So the wrote a queen Do you really think Borg are forced to share information to the collective? Or the collective would only take in safely processed information to share with the rest of the drones? Cuz i dont think the hive mind of the Borg works like everyone assumes The Borg are independent, co dependent drones They are individually acting, in the interest of the whole So why would the whole, willingly replicate information or otherwise That was destroying a drone? If your hand has gangrene and you cant fix it, you cut it off to prevent spread Why leave the Borg attached to affect the body? Makes no sense Unless there is a center point that has to process information So lets write a queen Again, bullshit So i dont think of Trek after TNG XD

[@carnotantonioromero3024]

Well, I think that "cautious" path to assimilation was related to the plan to use him as an emissary/interface to the Federation civilizations for assimilation. Just making him a random drone wouldn't do, he'd have to at some level still be Picard.

[@pwnmeisterage]

Locutus was meant to be the "consort" of the Queen. A peer, of sorts, but not at all an equal. She might have many "consorts". She might have one of each species encountered. She might "demote" them to common drones after their species are fully assimilated and their intended function is complete.

[@timjerrom7173]

Nice one, now I want to replay the entire Borg Storyline in STO... Thank you x

[@BNuts]

The resemblance of Heisenberg's factory in _RE8_ to the interior of a Borg Cube was, I thought, uncanny and chilling. Even his soldiers resemble Borg.

[@Kitsula]

Ah yea Borg Assimilation a nightmarish experience that produces lasting trauma, or if you're Janeway something to casually inflict on your senior officers and yourself as part of a "plan" to access the central plexus of a cube.

[@kaitlyn__L]

She’s so casual about it at the end too. “Still a bit sore from getting those spinal clamps removed”, like what?

[@KingoftheJuice18]

Remember, they were given drugs to prevent loss of identity...I guess it's the ultimate undercover operation.

[@bellyjelly0812]

I like Janeway but that is pretty strange. Picard would NEVER do something like that.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@KingoftheJuice18 so you remember all of the horrific surgeries even better! Hooray!

[@KingoftheJuice18]

@@bellyjelly0812 You don't think Picard sent people to their very possible torture or death? To take one moving example, remember the episode where the young Bajoran ensign was sent to pose as a Cardassian prisoner in order to help the latter get home after delivering vital info to the Federation? As the Cardassian himself said, "I didn't realize she'd be so young...." (What do you mean I'm crying--you're crying!)

[@BennyLlama39]

I just thought of something... how many would-be drones die mid-assimilation, through shock, medical issues, and whatnot?

[@Interitus1]

I would assume very few. If their assimilation methods led to too many people dying while being assimilated, they would need to change tactics. The nanoprobes probably help the brain/heart during the assimilation process.

[@TheSuperRatt]

It really wouldn't matter. The Borg know how to 'reanimate' people who have died recently. If the target died in the assimilation process, the nanoprobes would just keep on working as they were programmed to. Eventually the completed drone would be resuscitated. Death is not a viable escape from the Borg.

[@andresnexuschamarra6991]

You could theorize that the assimilation process as a technology evolved and was improved upon having a high mortality rate early on in their history and becoming more and more effective over time as new technologies and medical databases are assimilated, by the time they meet the federation the process might be highly optimized.

[@DanteCorwyn]

I'd figure many wouldn't, since assimilation would probably turn off the brain's pain receptors, and the would-be drone wouldn't really be conscious, so death by shock wouldn't be an issue.

[@guitarmansegovia]

@@TheSuperRattI think of Picard’s original conversation with the Hive before they turned him into Locutus: P: “we would rather die.” B: “death is irrelevant.”

[@CharlieCookeActor]

I remember the first time I saw First Contact, I was four, and my grandad spent the whole time whispering that the Borg would come for me. I didn't sleep for three months.

[@commiecomrade2644]

Damn what an asshole!

[@ptonpc]

Your grandad is very sensible :D I saw it at a premiere. We were all dressed to the nines. Gawd I feel old now.

[@CharlieCookeActor]

@@ptonpcNah he was an asshole.

[@KingoftheJuice18]

That's really hard to believe coming from a grandfather. Sounds like he was mentally disturbed. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

[@ptonpc]

@@CharlieCookeActorSorry to hear that. Some people really are like slinkies.

[@THATGuy5654]

I feel like if I were to redesign the Borg now, I would make their ships seem techno-organic as well. Imagine if, after assimilating a species with certain useful biological features, they applied those same features to a ship. They absorb a Vulcan, and soon they're able to use some part of their brain's formation to improve the computing of their ship computers. That feels even creepier to me.

[@aiosquadron]

=That one flood infested ship from Halo 2 flashback= No.

[@MandoMTL]

They probably would have decimated species 8472.

[@bellyjelly0812]

Frankly I think the Borg ship was first designed purely for a sort of shock factor. After all a cube is as different as possible from a warbird or battle cruiser. It makes it feel way more alien than anything the federation had seen before. Way more computery looking, for lack of a better word

[@Bacxaber]

A borg etherian would be terrifying.

[@danieljackson1272]

Can't remember which cell or episode it was, one of the characters made a joke that went, if the Borg assimilated a Vulcan, would anyone be able to tell the difference?

[@augiegirl1]

When within the assimilation process does the neuroprocessor become active? I assume, since it's a physical piece of technology, it needs to be built & doesn't instantly appear; however, it must happen FAIRLY early since Ensign Lynch already had one when Picard killed him on the holodeck.

[@ericstaples7220]

It could be he nanites built it within their bodies, because the newly infected drones seem obedient when being led by normal drones to the location of their upgrading. Although, it could be that the nanites just shut down their freewill and don't connect them to the hive-mind, only making them malleable to suggestion until they can be upgraded with a neural link.

[@mrichar9]

The Borg have 6 pack abs. Perfection

[@MagnanimousEntropy]

Even though Voyager somewhat diminished them, the Borg remain one of the most disturbing and frightening races in science fiction. I remember watching First Contact for the first time and being genuinely scared. Granted i was very young at the time but even to this day i still get chills watching that movie.

[@aiosquadron]

It's one of the scariest thing, definitely up there with the Reapers from mass effect and the flood from halo. You can see what they gave in common themselves.

[@MagnanimousEntropy]

@@aiosquadron Indeed. Of all three i am not sure which one is worse. Truly terrifying.

[@thundercrrp9931]

I'm very glad that Voyager explored them more and made them slightly less terrifying in that way as I now don't have nightmares after I watch a borg episode

[@Filthy_Larry]

Anything after the next generation isn’t cannon.

[@MagnanimousEntropy]

@@Filthy_Larry I feel the same about all the garbage churned out by Kutzman and Abrams, so i understand where you are coming from.

[@SumBrennus]

We have been Rick. Liking, subscribing and sharing are mandatory. You will comply. Resistance is futile.

[@commiecomrade2644]

This is hilarious. I wish all of the vids ended this way

[@roseherbalist830]

The Borg, ignoring the loss of free will, seem an ideal manner of life. An ever-growing mind searching for perfection? Honestly, I don't think I'd much mind. Never alone, yet never among others. A bizzare combination.

[@Transilvanian90]

The loss of free will is an intrinsic part of such a collective. But it's good to know where you stand lol

[@sir_chris]

The borg are quite courteous in that they announce their intentions first hand. May I ask, has there been any species that actually voluntarily gave up to the borg and let themselves get assimilated? Some thing like, assimilation is the better option, so we surrender?

[@thundercrrp9931]

I feel like if the Vidians examined their situation objectively they would find assimilation to be the better option but unfortunately they don't seem to have come into contact with the borg yet. Not to mention there are plenty of Vidians who refuse to be objective

[@asvarien]

@@thundercrrp9931 Don't forget, the Vidiian phage was cured by the Think-Tank. So if the Borg came along after they'd just been liberated from that hell I think they'd probably fight back pretty hard.

[@thundercrrp9931]

@@asvarien Fair point, but assuming they examined their situation objectively before they were cured

[@BlueCourtingBooks]

@@thundercrrp9931 That's if the Borg would even want to assimilate a diseased and dying species.

[@thundercrrp9931]

@@BlueCourtingBooks True

[@stevearmstrong9213]

When the Borg assimilated the El Aurians, did they end up having to disconnect all those drones from the hive. There must have been thousands of new Borg just sitting around listening to all the voices in their heads.

[@masterridley8593]

Could have resulted in a veritable feedback loop of sorts.

[@KingoftheJuice18]

Don't follow you: when you're disconnected from the hive, you don't hear the voices anymore. That's what disconnection is.

[@chrispekel5709]

​@@KingoftheJuice18 el aurians can mind read

[@IceWolfLoki]

I suspect the El Aurians were targeted for assimilation because their listening skills could bring order to chaos.

[@seancondon5572]

0:55 - there's no such thing as Kazon technology. The Kazon stole their tech from the Trabe, remember?

[@MandoMTL]

"Das razisss"

[@moguldamongrel3054]

Long live the Terran Empire! Who needs to make tech when you can bash someone over the head for theirs. BAAAM BAAAM CAVEMAN Well until you meet a superior force that you can't beat into submission lmao.

[@zirconia21]

Borg: Y'all got any more of thems greebles?

[@snowts]

and also dramatic fashion lighting

[@danieljackson1272]

In Star Trek Voyager: Dark Frontier part 2 it had seven of nine with the queen as a prisoner, watching helplessly as the Borg fought some random alien world's ships, beat them, and showed the subsequent assimilation process much more in-depth than had previously been seen. That species had weapons that could penetrate the Borg shields but they adapted of course. Seven of nine was ordered to assist in the assimilation process but instead she helped four of the captured aliens escape in a small ship. The queen was going to have it destroyed but seven pleaded with her to let it go and she did.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

Ive always wondered what the Borg would do if they met a Pakled ship. Would they even bother assimilating them? They certainly wouldnt bother with their technology.

[@derekbootle8316]

The Pakled would assimilate the Borg. To go fast.

[@Janoha17]

@@derekbootle8316 The Pakled Dreadnoughts in Lower Decks look to be using Borg systems to combine the pieces they salvage. (And Borg Tractor Beams)

[@amiscellaneoushuman3516]

I suspect that they would assimilated the Pakleds, if only to gain resources and drones. As far as I'm aware the intelligence of the individual being assimilated doesn't effect the intelligence of the resulting drone or the Collective, so there wouldn't be any risk of stupidifying the Borg by assimilating Pakleds.

[@midniteoyl8913]

We are Borg! We are not stupid. We are strong!

[@DanteCorwyn]

I read somewhere that typically they don't, since as you say their technology is pathetic. But in a short story, some Borg found some Pakleds and ignored them, then doubled-back and assimilated them cause they had suffered some losses and needed raw materials and drones.

[@AncestorEmpire1]

Disney: STOP CALLING US THE BORG! Me: well then stop acting like them

[@That80sGuy1972]

That's not fair... to the Borg. The Borg actually tries to self-improve via assimilation. Disney ruins via absorption and does it for profit. Also, the Borg are a bit more imaginative despite Disney having "Imagineers"... and the Borg are not imaginative. Did you giggle, groan, smile or rage? I was shooting for a humor reaction via my snark but I often miss.

[@AncestorEmpire1]

@@That80sGuy1972 it depends on which era if Borg collective we’re speaking of. I would agree if we’re speaking TNG Borg, but first contact and voyager Borg were nerfed down in those films/tv series. Humor is good.

[@That80sGuy1972]

@@AncestorEmpire1 I agree. The Borg were complete badasses before that moment you spoke about. In a science fiction game I used to run (mothballed now), I created a culture that cloned the Borg with my flavoring. I was still running the game when my players, after watching those shows, assumed that my version of them were watered down the same way... they lost several ships they spent real-world years of gaming getting and upgrading. We rewound to a point in time were that game session never happened... every player and all their gear was wiped out in one assumption. They went back to playing smart after that metaphorical "restart from a previous save" point. Also, thanks for finding my snark funny!

[@AncestorEmpire1]

@@That80sGuy1972 nice. I found it entertaining

[@That80sGuy1972]

@@AncestorEmpire1 I like you. When my people come and exterminate humanity, you will live with your loved ones in one of our zoos in comfort that wealthy people on Earth generally envy. I made you smile again, didn't I?

[@I-Am-Blue]

Question if the Borg assimilated Picard, why did they not fix his Heart and Disease

[@Chuthulhu123]

I always wondered that myself

[@I-Am-Blue]

@@Chuthulhu123 I mean really, it seems like the Borg would either replace Picard's heart with a cloned heart or an implant and easily rewire his brain to fix his Irumodic Syndrome

[@janedoe4929]

Bad writing.

[@dragonsword7370]

His heart was already artificial. Probably seemed decent enough to keep if supported by the borg nanites? As for good disease it would probably not flare up while being a borg?

[@captindo]

@@janedoe4929 beat me to it lol

[@nielsmichiels1939]

_"Borg assimilation is a horror"_ Meanwhile every guy/woman with a robot fetish _"YES PLEASE :) "_

[@animemanXLK]

the one part that shocked me was that assimilated borg drones are actually fully concious and when they cut off limbs and removes eyes to install implants they use no pain supressors whatsoever. Like Seven said having her occular implant fitted was one of the most painful experiences of her life.

[@KingoftheJuice18]

Borg are basically Nazis, and Nazis conducted "medical" experiments like that on people.

[@cgraham6]

The Borg always reminded me very much of the Strogg from the video game Quake. Especially as they're depicted in Quake 4. There's a 'Stroggification' scene in that game where your character is captured and goes through the process of becoming a Strogg, having limbs removed and replaced. All while fully conscious.

[@chrispekel5709]

​@@KingoftheJuice18 not really, Nazis are extremely hierarchical. Also, they don't do experiments - they know exactly what they're doing due to their immense knowledge. They're nothing like anything seen on earth, and that is what made them fascinating

[@captaindog7368]

Borg to me are literally the most terrifying thing in the star trek

[@LerrySanders]

I wish there was a modern Star Trek game where you could play as the Borg. Something where you go out and conquer planets and can play as ground drones and assimilate people. Come across a star base or small colonie on a planet, beam down a couple drones, assimilate people, get more drones you can controls till you take it over. Always was bummed out there werent any games you could play as them.

[@ericstaples7220]

You can do that in real life. Just join the communist party.

[@OverlordMalarkey]

You know what would be amazing? A game which everything you do is assimilate as the Borg, whenever its an RPG, shooter, strategy, turn base. You design your own drone you play as and you can customize everyone you assimilate or your own Borg ship - a cube, sphere, diamond, interceptor, obelix or many other cannon/non cannon ship designs

[@ddg79]

Imagine being the kazon, so useless even the borg won't use you for spare parts.

[@littlekong7685]

I read an, interesting, novel regarding the Borg once. In it they explained how individualized the drones can become. Some have their lower extremities removed and are placed in switcher banks as living fixed control nodes. Others have only microscopic inspection lenses and nano scale repair tools for continuous maintenance of systems, repairing structural fatigue points for their entire existence. Yet others have only Macro lenses, literally unable to see anything close up so they can function as living scanner tools to view and repair distant points on their cavernous ships. In emergencies drones are utilized as living parts for repair, maybe plugging in to act as a link in an EPS conduit system, frying the organics, but allowing the mechanical components to act as a temporary link. Yet others might simply be organ or biological farm banks for use in other biological components, like one species might have an especially thermally conductive blood, so the drone is outfitted with blood growth components, and kept at the most limited level of biological function to more efficiently extract the blood for use in mechanics. Continuing the theme forwards, I could see old drones being stripped for parts, while still living, to repair more stable drones. Having their functionality reduced until they are limited to use as either purely mechanical interlink components or as frontline fodder whose destruction will not be considered a waste. I could see an old drone surgically extracting their own cortical implants (fatally) so another drone can then insert them into a newly assimilated drone. Biological components removed, or from failed assimilation targets would most likely be repurposed as a liquid food source for drones, or as parts for yet other drones.

[@aiosquadron]

The Flood style. Like old drones are repurposed.

[@tech83studio38]

Tuvok -"Lieutenant you have been given a sub-vocal processor !" B'elanna " I'm alright I can live with it .."

[@KingoftheJuice18]

Yes, but didn't he mean a "sub-standard vocal processor"? I wonder if he said that line as written.

[@AntiBunnyStudio]

I think the most disturbing thing is something implied by 7 of 9's perspective on having been Borg for so long. The Borg seek perfection. What they do to the body they see as an improvement. What they do to the mind they see as shutting out noise and giving purpose. When the Borg assimilate someone they really think they're doing them a favor. When evil is done and the villain convinces themselves "it's for their own good," there's almost no reasoning with them, because they'll always tell themselves that you'll understand when it's done.

[@ChrisParlett]

Thank goodness Jean Luc avoided ever being turned into a machine again.

[@leopolddienstknecht7931]

I don't think that was the reason for his trauma. To me it seemed to be the loss of individuality and the downright mind rape. Visually it is the visible and very painful implants. The golem body is literally a copy that probably has no difference to feel for Picard.

[@ChrisParlett]

@@leopolddienstknecht7931 I'm inclined to agree with you.

[@Monni95]

In Picard, Jean Luc was turned into a machine after his biological death.

[@ChrisParlett]

@@Monni95 I know. That was the joke 🥳

[@Elyseon]

That abomination of a show seems to be all about tearing Picard down.

[@sadellja6468]

Since I saw the Borg I wished to be assimilated to see and feel the Collective. I thought that there were no pain, because the nano probes would deactivate the pain centres. But after the video I think I have to deactivate them myself xD

[@DanteCorwyn]

I remember a scene in Dark Nemesis where 7 rescues some people about to be assimilated, and they're just standing there in a room where their friend is having implants bolted on him. They pump up the body horror with screams off-camera and said friend is missing an arm, but it seems weird that these people are left seemingly untouched. Surely they should have had at least nanoprobes in their body to start the assimilation process? And the screams, why? Again, surely if the people are getting assimilated and having surgery performed on them, they should either be passive due to nanoprobes, or unconscious so they don't die due to shock.

[@Monni95]

I would assume the nanobots repurpose iron from hemoglobin and use stored fat to create petrochemical compounds used for electric insulation. Blood stream can contain also other metals or minerals than iron, but I'm not familiar enough to list them all.

[@retluoc]

Yes, as far as I understand it's a 2-stage process. The first is the initial injection of nanoprobes, then they apply bionic implants either over the body or they amputate body parts and outright replace the appendage.

[@roundbrick4890]

FINALLY!!!!

[@masterSageHarpuia]

So now are you going to cover the painful assimilation process of the flood from the halo series?

[@chrispekel5709]

I could never get my head around how it feels to be in the collective - if individuality is lost then you're just feel like you're the only borg that exists, right?

[@KyleClements]

I love the Borg! It's a shame that pesky Federation is always foiling their plans to spread perfection across the galaxy.

[@brettcooper3893]

Meddling kids.

[@cmdrtianyilin8107]

Ah, yes. An immortal race of hive mind, assimilating everything in their path. We've dismissed that claim.

[@aiosquadron]

@@cmdrtianyilin8107 Ah yes, "Dismissing that claim", something you ise to ignore a statement, we have dismissed that claim.

[@luthermcgee3767]

Pretty darn good explanation.

[@whirledpeaz5758]

Resistance is Futile only when Ohms < .1

[@dragonson72]

Someone else that remembers tech school

[@N1ght_Breaker]

"you can't get rid of me that easily" Sounds just like exactly how borg would interact with the federation, so that comment is VERY fitting lol

[@hallowsdavid92]

I wish there was a visual video in all it's horror of the borg assimilation scared out of my mind

[@mikeshriver4282]

In the episode of Star Trek Enterprise called Regeneration it would have been interesting to see if the Borg would have assimilated Porthos Captain Archer's prized Beagle. it would have been interesting to see porthos become a Borg drone. In the novel "The Return" I do believe there were Borg drone dogs.

[@bellyjelly0812]

Why would it be useful to assimilate a dog? Is it like some super smart dog? Haven't watched enterprise

[@paladinboyd1228]

@@bellyjelly0812, Small fast drones that could hunt down survivors?

[@drunkrdm]

"levity in a dark subject... yay" still just sounds like Friday...

[@Charhills]

Could we also have a video on their history and where they came from, if you haven't already done this

[@masterofmythology]

Is there any canon source for the origin of the Borg?

[@Rayman1971]

My headcanon is that the assimilated vessel is the "core" of a Borg cube, with so much added, there are only hints of whatever the vessel used to be...

[@homeopathicfossil-fuels4789]

The nanomachines are likely similar to proteins and prions rather than what they are illustrated as, likely painless beyond the puncture of the needle. Probably quite of a trip having a thousand voices enter your head though.

[@michaelrobb9542]

I wonder if the Borg could assimilate a Changeling.

[@Dseagles14]

No they couldn't

[@lukasperuzovic1429]

They can assimilate the Jem'Hadar and Vorta, assimilate any useful technology and destroy the rest

[@quyquan3221]

I think Odo was solid once.

[@ericstaples7220]

@@quyquan3221 Yeah, but thats because changlings took away his ability to shapeshift. Maybe they just put a mental block on him, preventing him from shapeshifting.

[@lichslayer0045]

There was a story arc in the novels. About that But No the Borg at the moment cannot Assimilate a changeling. something in their morphogenic Matrix made it impossible for the nanites to work in the novel. all it did was made the changeling very sick they were able to expel the borg Nites.

[@billberndtson]

Great video as always, CI 😁

[@kevinwestrom4775]

I wish it was possible for the Borg to cross universes in a cross-franchise matchup, going up against a Stargate Pegasus galaxy Wraith Hive ship, or a Star Wars Imperial Super Star Destroyer, or a Cylon BaseStar, etc; to gain access to the computers of the other universe's ships, communications network, and assimilate outward from there.

[@chrispekel5709]

Anything is possible in fiction, the only barriers are the rights and licences

[@moonbaby6134]

I quite liked the lore where the victim has an almost drug induced feeling of euphoria, making the victim feel wonderful and that it doesn’t want the assimilation to stop.

[@seancondon5572]

I do have to wonder if we have the tech to make nanoprobes. I mean, we can make CPUs with a process down to 5 nanometers. And these things need to be about the size of a red blood cell, which are 6 to 8 microns. We can fit a million transistors in that square area with current processes.

[@krisgonynor689]

I wonder ... if instead of sending drones over to another ship, why not just use the transporters and lock onto the crew and beam nanoprobes directly into their bloodstream. The Borg could assimilate the entire crew in seconds that way. Same for the ship, beam nanoprobes into the computer cores or any type of computer interface and the would have a direct link into the ships mainframe. I'd think the computational power of a Borg cube could defeat any type of firewall the Federation or anyone else could come up with. If need be, they could link to other cubes or even the entire collective - finding such an advanced computer system that one Borg Cube could not take down would make it very desirable to the Collective to gain such computer technology. Just knock out a ships shields or adapt to them, beam the nanotech in, and assimilation is completed in minutes, with no drones lost.

[@oddata1476]

There is one other thing the Borg also assimilate non space faring civilizations such as colonies that don’t have starships most people think they scoop the machine elements off the planet. But I think the Borg drop drones on the planet to assimilate the people then the new Borg assimilate the colony site turning it in to a sphere or cube which leaves the planet and goes to the collective.

[@timsmith345]

Just because.... How many drones would it take to start the conversion of the Deathstar into a Borg ship? And then would that ship attack and convert the crew to create drones?

[@Wynters01]

It would be interesting if the way to counter the assimilation process is to inject the crew with "anti-assimilation" nanobots. Have something in the blood that immediately fights the Borg nanobots.

[@hggs4466]

The body horror of the Borg is quite tame compared to other science fiction assimilation like equivalents

[@rigelcummins1460]

I was wondering if there is any alpha or beta content in which the Borg assimilate any non-humanoid species.

[@patrickmccurry1563]

I think there is a reference to how they can't even begin to assimilate the horta for kind of obvious reasons. lol

[@thomasjoychild4962]

There's a novel in which they assimilate the dogs at a federation outpost as well as the people. It's called The Return.

[@gman6608]

Can someone list all the names of music used in this video, I am curious.

[@KimPossibleShockwave]

Another step missed is that, according to Seven in Picard, they inject heavy metals to help the nanoprobes create rudimentary implants -- she remembers "tasting them" as she was aboard the Cube that assimilated her and her family. More fringe horror: In First Contact, you see Starfleet officers waiting in line with vacant expressions on their faces, some being guided by full drones. They were conscious but unable to do anything as they were essentially vivisected and mutilated. In that Voyager episode, we see people looking on in horror (and screaming in terror) as their world was taken and assimilated -- given they were staring on in horror and looking at Seven with defeated eyes, it's unlikely they'd all been injected with nanoprobes. But what's worse? What happens to pregnant women who are assimilated? If the fetus is still just a clump of cells, it's likely "borg-borted", but if they're at a certain stage in development? It's likely the Collective sees more value/reward for effort in their being brought to term in maturation chambers than the effort of their being removed. They're likely beamed directly from the womb into a chamber.

[@ericmadsen7470]

Certifiably Ingame What would happen if Khan and his genetically engineered brothers and sisters were assimilated into the Borg collective and what would happen?

[@aiosquadron]

May god help us all. We'd be done for.

[@bellyjelly0812]

Super Soldier Borgs??? That'd be sick

[@1959Edsel]

Yoda of Borg I am. Assimilated, you will be. Futile, resistance is.

[@dazlovescarter]

The Borg are one of the best bad guys in sci fi history, i love them and would whole heartedly volunteer to be assimiated. i mean who wouldnt? well prob most but they are so cool. to be linked to a collective mind, regenerate, to work as one mind. i love how the ships that are assimalted become the ships we love ie the Artic One ship was revealed to have been slowly becoming a Sphere ship, if it was possible to become Borg and i was freed from the collective i would not want any of my Borg removed. its what makes you unique as no 2 Borg are the same (except for the twin kids). in a way we are not far off becoming Borg with technology and implants, sooner than we might think we will all have cortical nodes and linked together. dont resist, become one with The Borg, resistance is futile

[@millabasset1710]

The Borg I believe are misunderstood, they merely seek perfection and try to harmonize the universe with a collective unity.

[@JeffreySquires]

What about a Borg assimilating a Founder (Changling)?

[@360entertainment2]

Soooo kind of a weird question. The Federation has had access to Borg Nanoprobes for quite sometime and have figured out more than once how to reprogram them. What is stopping them from reprogramming some drones to use against the borg and possibly insert a computer virus into their network?

[@dominic4072]

I always wondered the same thing! Its a pretty sure bet that Section31 has some borg drones specimens locked up somewhere studying them.

[@kevinwilliams7143]

A moral center stops them. They may be the bane of the galaxy but they're still protected under the Charter as an intelligent life form. Admiral Necheyev tried this once and was met by moral outrage from Picard. Long story short, mortal enemies are still protected by the rules of engagement.

[@jondonnelly3]

I, for one, welcome our new Borg overlords.

[@chuckselvage3157]

I like how they gave the name Locutus to Picard instead of a designation like 7/9.

[@Losteoin]

Can you compare the Borg to the Cybermen?

[@mickeefreeman2898]

I have been injected with nano prob's too detroy my H.I.V. ,since the first injection.. I feel different....please help me. .i am frightened.

[@M3PH11]

3:05 the nanobots themselve wouldn;t be that bad. It's the machinery they build and attach to organs and the bits that burst out of the skin that would really suck

[@awgates85]

Also what would happen to a Q trapped or born in a mortal form, not that the Continuum would allow it, it is an interesting thought.

[@CristySFM1234]

hey i was wondering if you do a cultural index on the combine from half life?

[@soulreaver1983]

Outstanding video thanks

[@edovetube]

I want to see Borg vs. Cybermen vs. Necrons. That would be a great fight.

[@brandonwenzel2844]

They actually did a Star Trek/Dr Who crossover comic a number of years back. And it delt with the Cybermen and Borg basically intermingling.

[@Terminator484]

Necrons win. Absolutely no contest. Even if the Borg and Cybermen and Daleks were all allies, and only a few tomb worlds woke up to fight them, Necrons still steamroll them easily. Every faction in WH40k is crazy OP... but being extremely powerful is an essential prerequisite just to *exist* in that setting. If you aren't around the Kardashev 2.5 level, you stand zero chance of even getting noticed in 40k. Even a "small" faction in 40k is larger than Trek's Federation... and the Necrons literally have the technology to enslave & destroy star-eating gods on par with the Q.

[@edovetube]

@@Terminator484 I was thinking of the Borg adapting to and assimilating the technology of the Necron. They wouldn't be able to conquer a full strength tomb world . A dynasty would annihilate them. But a skirmish would be interesting on how the Borg would adapt their evolution.

[@CrazyHorseTheSiouxW4rrior]

what about the Borg vinculum you haven't mentioned that

[@maddslothii2532]

If the Borg encountered Jar Jar Binks would they ignore the Gungans or send every cube they have to ensure their eradication?

[@KOSMOS1701A]

old TNG borg looked so janky with their costumes, i'm super glad they got a makeover for later series, it makes them look more frightening as well.

[@Unclebarry94]

I used to always think so too but recently I’ve found myself also quite liking the og tng designs

[@companymen42]

The Flood of Star Trek, except The Flood process of assimilation can’t be reversed.

[@aiosquadron]

Technically, Borg can't be reversed. If a drone is compromised it will self destruct. Unpess you find a way to isolate that.

[@aledwalters8977]

can you explain the cybermen from doctor who

[@davidkelly4210]

Ah, the Borg. If terminators and zombies were combined.

[@MrTBSC]

... like WH 40 k Necrons?

[@lordrevanxd3590]

Please do lore of HK-47

[@Jch79]

Can the borg assimilate a Changeling? If it all starts on a cellular level, would it matter if what they were able to inject were even close to humanoid?

[@vickiweber4718]

I'm wondering the same thing

[@DevilDoghz]

"Borg? Sounds Swedish." ~ Lily Sloane(Alfre Woodard).

[@The_Str4nger]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B6rn_Borg_(swimmer)

[@ericstaples7220]

Underrated comment.

[@darrylmasters5032]

was it species 8429 gave them a kicking? question being if Borg meet a species above them, its a lose for the borg

[@KingoftheJuice18]

It's 8472.