# Origin of the Borg **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717 "2002-09-20T02:56:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/21 "2002-09-22T04:27:43Z")
> [@](#): > > FWIW, I like to think that the Borg originally were flesh & bone humanoids that collected knowledge. As their explorations spread further from their homeworld, they developed cybernetic implants to store the knowledge that accumulated over the long voyages. As their technology advanced, the implants became more sophisticated and the species became obsessed with efficiency. They reasoned that the most efficient way to accumulate knowledge is to assimilate the beings that hold the knowledge. This doesn’t explain why they became a collective conciousness. Of course that could have been part of the efficiency process. Since Nemesis is the last Next Generation movie (supposedly), maybe the next one could be an explanation of the history of the Borg. It would be a great opportunity to break the odd-numbered spell and could set a precedent for ST movies to break out of the mold and do new things completely unaffiliated with the TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/22 "2002-09-22T07:00:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daniel \* > \*\*Didn’t Lore once take control of an outcast Borg colony (like one led by Hugh)? Whatever happened to those guys? \*\* Oh, yes, those guys. Just ignore them, otherwise the whole Seven of Nine regaining her Memory thing doesn’t work. In fact, when humans show up in the delta quadrent as former borg assimilated at Wolf 359, just ignore that there was only one ship then that was destroyed as well, so it is impossible for them to suddenly be in the Delta quadrent. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/23 "2002-09-23T18:20:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*As a skew question… > > Am I the only one who thought the concept of a borg ‘queen’ made them **less** menacing and not more? The fact that they were this huge collective scared the crap out of me. Now that there’s someone in ‘charge’ (so to speak) it becomes much less alien and more indentifiable. \*\* Absolutely. Before they were an unstoppable force. Now they’re just aliens with a bigger stick, but ships named Enterprise have been kicking the ass of folks like that for 100 years already. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/24 "2002-09-29T02:11:20Z")
I’m starting to think the Borg should be dropped by Star Trek. The whole idea is going downhill. Berman and Braga should let it go while it’s still good. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/25 "2002-09-29T03:30:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\* > > there was only one ship then that was destroyed as well, so it is impossible for them to suddenly be in the Delta quadrent. \*\* Enlighten me, Oh Green One. There aren’t more Borg ships with trans-warp conduits? ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/26 "2002-09-29T03:42:45Z")
There was just that one that came to earth in BOBW, with no mentions of others. All people who were assimilated should have been on that one ship. (and from the pounding the fleet got in Emissary, it looks like no one was assimilated). Maybe the borg ship had a sphere that flew out, beamed up some people from the lifeboats, and then flew back, without the Enterprise detecting it or Sisko seeing it, but why sent a ship to conquor a planet if there wasn’t room on the ship to handle converting 15 billion people to Borgness? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/27 "2002-09-29T03:58:16Z")
Because the planet becomes Borg. In the film Data detects a zillion life forms on Earth, “All Borg”. I figured there were a bunch of ships zipping around in trans warp conduits assimilating humans from ships, colonies…Hey, they got a colony in one of the NG episodes; lifted the whole thing off the planet, if I recall. Gad, I hate being a geek… ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/28 "2002-09-29T04:02:28Z")
Wait, wolf 359 was in the series(Best of both worlds 2, and shown in the begining of DS9’s pilot), the borg earth was in first contact. The borg MO is one ship both times. They’d have to build transwarp stations, which would slow them down (but that would explain how the Enterprise-D caught up with them in Best of Both worlds…) Dang it!!! stupid inconsistancies that can be eliminated with a one line sentance!!! ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/29 "2002-09-29T05:18:57Z")
Um, the Borg _won_ at Wolf 359 - the Enterprise came upon all those destroyed starships, remember? So yes, there were assimilated humans from the conflict. And who’s to say there was only one cube? The Enterprise got there too late. Now, the one that made it to Earth, yes, they got that one, but there could have been others. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/30 "2002-09-29T12:48:59Z")
And time changed in First Contact; humans became aware of the Borg in the 21st century. Hey, that means…uh oh. That explains why 7 0f 9 parents knew about them. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/31 "2002-09-29T20:19:50Z")
I too, wouldn’t be completely surprised with the revelation of a V’Ger-Borg connection. But, with **Jonathan Chance** and **Tars Tarkas** ’s thoughts: I think a cold, massive, faceless entity is much more scarier than an organization with a defined leader. Just think of _SkyNet_ from the _Terminator_ movies (which, FYI, scare me worse than Communists). But I did have a question: You never see a non-humanoid Borg. If they’ve traveled all the way from the Delta Quadrant, wouldn’t you expect to see some more species assimilated? Tripler Just my $0.02 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717/32 "2002-09-29T20:34:40Z")
Species physically incapable of servicing the collective will not be assimilated. Their existence will be terminated by forcing them to watch I Love Lucy reruns. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-borg/128717.md?page=1)