USF Species Databank: The Borg Collective

The Borg are a partially organic and partially cybernetic life form that appears to have originated in the Delta Quadrant. The Borg are joined together in a hive mind called The Collective. The Borg are technologically more advanced in most areas than the Federation. They have conquered vast regions of space. They are driven by an almost spiritual need for perfection, which they believe will only be achieved by assimilating all worthy species in the galaxy. They assimilate the species and all its technology as one organism.

The process of assimilation involves capturing members of other races and turning them into Borg drones by grafting cybernetic components on to them, and linking them to the Borg's collective consciousness. This strips the individual of their individuality. The Borg do have nurseries and maturation chambers on their vessels but Starfleet Intel is not sure whether the Borg procreate in a normal manner or simply assimilate infants as well.

The Borg have assimilated thousands of cultures, adding their distinctive qualities to the Borg Collective. Borg assimilation task forces have wiped out entire races. Even in the Delta Quadrant, many races have felt the horror of a Borg attack. The El-Aurians of the Alpha Quadrant were one such species.

All races are altered both physically and mentally. The drones are fitted with many cybernetic devices to aid The Collective; these include special eye pieces, neurotransceivers, neuroprocessors, and prosthetics for specialized tasks. Drones do not need to eat or drink, and can absorb the energy directly through power conduits. When in need of regeneration, a drone will return to an alcove where it can either interface directly with the computers, or simply draw the necessary needs from the power systems. Each drone is adapted to serve certain functions; there are tactical, surgical, and repair drones in general.

Typically, the Borg refer to themselves as we because they have no self-awareness of any individuality. They are referred to by Borg designations that show position in the Borg Collective. Since Borg rely on multiple redundancies, they are often named Third of Nine or Five of Five. There are broader designations as well such as Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary positions, and Adjuncts, Facilitators, and Assimilators. Thanks to the neurotransceivers, the Collective easily keeps track of these Drones and each one always operates at maximum efficiency. These transceivers operate on a subspace frequency so that the Collective is always in contact. This frequency uses an interplexing technology to reach the long distances the Collective holds and to facilitate the large amounts of information transmitted.

Each person's experiences are held in the Collective once it is assimilated. Once processed, the useful information is retained and distributed throughout the Collective. Each drone only carries the information that it needs for its primary goals. When the Drone needs information, the Collective instantaneously retrieves the information from the databases and transmits it directly to the drone's brains.

The individual drone is virtually worthless to the Collective since no single drone carries information. The Collective will sacrifice drones for the good of the Collective. When one is isolated however, the Collective will go to great lengths to retrieve it. If a drone is killed, other drones will remove certain components from the fallen one and then it will self-destruct. Drones separated from the Collective will feel agitated and will try to get back to a ship or station and restore contact.

The Borg do not have leaders, but do rely on Queen's as a sort of focal point and driving force of the Collective. The Borg Collective designs it's structures based on the need for maximum efficiency. There exists no centralized command area, and it has a generalized feel. The power sources and other systems on board Borg vessels are also decentralized. This allows for maximum efficiency during assimilation raids because the resistant forces will not be able to disable a ship without damaging over seventy percent of the vessel.

The regenerative capabilities of the Borg are not just due to this design. The Borg are also capable of using their neural network to help regenerate damaged drones and even certain systems. The group consciousness is divided into subcommands necessary to carry out vital functions such as defense, communications, and navigation. The critical subcommands are protected, but Starfleet has managed to gain access to some of these systems at times. The Borg are very adaptive and Starfleet is not certain this will be a plausible tactic in the future.

The Borg do not manufacture their own vessels directly but use whatever they need from assimilated technology. Borg vessels are capable of extremely high speeds using transwarp technology and have developed a series of subspace networks. The Borg also use extensive nanotechnology both in their assimilations and in various repair tasks.

Borg weaponry is far more advanced than the current Starfleet arsenal. Borg cubes often attack ships with specifically designed weapons for weakening and penetrating shields. Individual drones are capable of adapting to most energy weapons similar to the ships with personal shield technology that has been assimilated. The Borg are vulnerable to technology that hasn't been encountered before. The Collective is extremely adaptable however and will quickly use previously assimilated technology to counter it in most cases. When attacking a new species, the Borg will quickly assimilate all information they can retrieve so that they can more efficiently adapt to that species technology.

The Borg believe that their collective nature is inherently superior to the disorganized and chaotic nature of individuality. The Borg believe that perfection should be the primary goal of all societies and that through assimilation, they will be helping others achieve this. Once they have assimilated the best of what the galaxy has both the organic and technological to offer, they will have reached the highest state of perfection possible. All species that resist assimilation are either overpowered or destroyed. Any species that would not contribute to the Collective is thought of as unnecessary and is simply destroyed.

All Starfleet personnel are to maintain the utmost caution when encountering the Borg and should immediately contact the nearest Starbase or Starfleet Command. The Federation maintains that the Borg are one of the greatest threats to individual freedom in the Alpha Quadrant and in the Galaxy itself.