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Borg
The Borg are an immensely powerful race of enhanced humanoids from the Delta Quadrant of the galaxy, which implant themselves with cybernetic devices, giving them great technological and combat capabilities. Different Borgs are equipped with different hardware for specific tasks, and all of them is tied together into a sophisticated subspace communications network, forming the Borg Collective, in which the idea of the individual is a meaningless concept. The Borg Collective seems to be organized into a massive social structure, which is composed of several social hives with both drones and a Borg Queen. The Queen does not appear to be truly self-aware, or possessed of a sense of individuality, but instead maintains an awareness of the Collective above that of any ordinary Borg.
Borg Queen Borg Drone |
The sole purpose, it seems, of the Borg is to find and assimilate all other intelligent species, and by doing thus, the knowledge and experiences of the individual(s) assimilated is added to the collectives own. Also assimilation is for the Borg is a means to gain knowledge of other races, cultures and technologies, as well as the means of reproduction, since new drones are solely created by assimilation.
Assimilation is achieved by injecting nano-probes into the bloodstream of the subject, which are programmed to attack and assimilate the blood cells throughout his entre body. The probes work together to form a large network that effectively lays the groundwork for connection to the collective, as well as bio-technological interface with the Borg cybernetic implants and attachments.
The first known contact between the Borg and the Federation was in 2265, when Q transported the U.S.S. Enterprise-D out of Federation space and into the flight path of a Borg vessel heading toward the Alpha Quadrant. Following this first contact, Starfleet began advance planning for a potential Borg offensive against the Federation.
The anticipated Borg attack came in late 2366, when a Borg vessel entered Federation space, heading for Earth. Starfleet tactical planners had expected at least several more months before the Borg arrival, and thus were caught unprepared. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D was captured by the Borg at the beginning of the offensive, and he was assimilated into the Borg collective consciousness and became known as Locutus of Borg, providing crucial guidance to the Borg in their attack. Starfleet massed an armada of some 40 Starships in hopes of stopping the Borg ship at Wolf 359, but this resulted in the terrible loss of some 39 ships and 11,000 lives. The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D were able to rescue Capt. Picard from the Borg ship, and a last-ditch effort was successful resulting in the destruction of the Borg ship in Earth orbit.
Since the battle at Wolf 359, at least three more Borg ships have entered Federation territory, with the most disturbing incident being the latest recorded. Here, a long Borg cube journeyed to Earth, and after dodging a Federation attack, again led by Capt. Picard, burrowed back though time in an attempt to assimilate Earth at the point of First Contact (where humans first demonstrated successful faster-than-light travel abilities). However, the U.S.S. Enterprise-E was able to follow the Borg ship back through time and thwart the attempt.
