The Borg are a civilisation of cyborgs (hence the name "Borg") which seek to conquer or "perfect" all life, siezing other lifeforms, technology, vessels, planets, and even entire star systems by force, enslaving them. Their goal is to raise the quality of life for all species, allowing them to achieve the Borg's vision of the perfect all-knowing, indomitable race. Deeming their own motivations of conquest to be of pure benevolence thus disregarding all associated morality. Their true origin remains a mystery however some thousands of years ago they begun their conquest of capturing and incorporating (or "assimilating") the technology and lifeforms of all captured races into their own resulted in the most immensely, powerful civilization the galaxy has ever known.
Borg Origin
Theory of Origin #1, Medical Mishap
In the graphic novel Star Trek: The Manga, the Borg resulted from an experiment in medical nanotechnology gone wrong. An alien species under threat of extinction by an incurable disease created a repository satellite containing test subjects infused with body parts, organs, and DNA of multiple species along with cybernetic enhancements put in place by advanced medical technology. The satellite was maintained by nanomachines, which also maintained the medical equipment on board. The medical facility is parked in orbit by a black hole, and along with the anomalous states of time around the black hole, allows long-term research to continue in an accelerated pace, which allows research to be done at an altered time scale rather than in real time speed. The medical facility deteriorates and so too does the programming of the nanomachines. The nanomachines began infusing themselves into the patients, interpreting them as part of the satellite in needing repair. Among the patients is the daughter of head medical researcher of the satellite. The satellite eventually falls apart in an encounter with an away team from the Enterprise under the command of James T. Kirk. In the final moments of the satellite's destruction and the escape of the crew members of the Enterprise with the patients, the subjects display qualities inherently resembling the Borg; injection of nanomachines in a fashion like assimilation, rapid adaptation to weaponry, and a hive mind consciousness, as all the subjects begin following the whim of the daughter. As succumbing to the disease was inevitable, and the corrupt nanomachine programming infused itself into the bodies, the final image of the page of the manga Borg origin is left with the daughter turned Borg Queen, stating, "Resistance is futile."
Theory of Origin #2, Means of Survival
In the novel Lost Souls (the third book in the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy) the Borg are revealed to be the survivors of the Caeliar city Mantilis. Thrown across the galaxy in the Delta Quadrant and back in time to approximately 4500 BC by the destruction of Erigol at the climax of Gods of Night, the first book in the trilogy, a group of human survivors from the starship Columbia NX-02 and Caeliar scientists try to survive in a harsh arctic climate. Most of the human survivors die of exposure, while several Caeliar are absorbed into their race's gestalt to give life to the others in their groupmind.
The Caeliar offer the remaining humans a merging of human and Caeliar, to allow both groups to survive. The human survivors are resistant and as time goes on, the Caeliar called Sedin becomes the sole survivor of her group, her mental processes and her form both degrading as time goes on. When the humans return to Sedin for help, she forces them to merge with her, unwilling to allow herself to die when a union can save her life. The forced merging of the humans and the mostly-decayed Caeliar results in the creation of the first Borg. The gestalt group mind is perverted to become the collective, driven by Sedin's desperate hunger and need to add the strength, technology and life-force of others to her own. Ironically, while the Caeliar were - albeit accidentally - involved in the creation of the Borg, they also provide the means to end it; in the 24th century, the Caeliar absorb the entire Borg collective back into themselves, ending the cyborgs' centuries-long reign of terror.
Borg History
For a complete breakdown of the history of the Borg Collective see Chronological Timeline
The Borg began as weak and frail lifeforms in persuit of becoming the perfect race which later incorporated synthetic technology in-to their lifeform. Over thousands of centuries ruthlessly acquiring additional technological and biological technology by force.
The Borg have existed for no less than a thousand years, but it's only in the past two hundred years or so that they've begun a period of increasingly-rapid expansionism. The underlying cause for this increased expansionism is unclear. It is presumably related to 'cultural' and/or technological changes.
What is known, however, is that the rate of expansion increased quite extraordinarily in the period from mid-2373 to 2375, a period of time during which over 1500 species were encountered by the Borg. A contributing factor to this wildly-enhanced expansionism on the part of the Borg is believed to be the introduction of quantum slipstream technology in late 2374. This technology arrived at the Borg's doorstep, in part, due to misdirected vengeance by a member of an assimilated species, and also due to the negligence of Captain Kathryn Janeway of Voyager, who allowed a vessel of profound technology to fall into the hands of the Borg. No attempt was made to destroy the vessel.
As a result, the Borg were able to produce an extreme increase in their top speed, enabling their millions of vessels to traverse far greater distances in less time than was ever before possible, and at least some vessels to be able to traverse such speeds without recourse to the comparative crawl of warp speed or the infrastructure of a pre-built transwarp conduit network.
In short, while Captain Janeway dealt a blow to the Borg by destroying Unimatrix One and a transwarp hub facility in 2377, this serves to only partially undo the assistance she had given them in the Borg-8472 War and related matters. The lasting ramifications on the galaxy are as yet unknown.
| Year
(approx. |
Species (lower limit or specific example) |
Event |
| 1476 | <10? | The Borg control a handful of systems in the Delta Quadrant. Considered a plague by the locals, the Borg have already established a collective and are already merging machine and man. Borg of this time period may resemble the somewhat de-Borgified Seven of Nine. |
| 1754 | 116 | The Borg encounter the race of Arturis. They are unable to conquer them for centuries. |
| 1778 | 125 | The Borg first encounter the species from which the later Borg Queen will hail. It is unknown if they had a queen prior to this incident. |
| 1842 | 149 | The Borg assimilate a nanoprobe-based resurrection technique. It is unclear if they were using nanotechnology for drones before this point, though it is likely. ("Mortal Coil"[VOY4]) |
| 1925 | 180 | The Borg encounter the Ferengi. |
| 2027 | 218 | The Borg assimilated a Talaxian freighter. ("The Raven"[VOY4]) |
| 2137 | 259 | The Borg assimilate automatic regeneration sequencer technology in Galactic Cluster Three, "a transmaterial energy plane intersecting 22 billion omnichordial lifeforms" ("The Gift"[VOY4]). This technology allows self-repair of Borg devices. Given that no omnichordate drones are ever observed (what would that even look like?), it is unlikely that the species was entirely assimilated. |
| 2145 | 262 | The Borg have assimilated members of over 250 additional species, with at least a few of these species having been entirely assimilated. |
| 2147 | 329 | The Borg encounter a Kazon colony. |
| Mar., 2153 | - | The events of "ENT - Regeneration" |
| 2247 | 3259 | The Borg assimilate their first Vulcan. |
| ca. 2265 | unk. | The El-Aurians (Guinan's people) encounter the Borg. The El-Aurians had been to an area near System J-25, which as of the 2360's is about 7000 light-years from the nearest Federation starbase. (Note: this is also the TOS period of Trek.) |
| 2293 | unk. | The El-Aurians have been assimilated at some point in the past 38 years, and by 2293 refugees reach Earth. |
| 2321 | 5618 | The Borg assimilate their first Terran. |
| 2352 | - | Based on tenuous information, a Federation scientist named Hansen mounts a small expedition to locate and study the Borg. He successfully locates the Borg, tailing them and studying them for three years. |
| 2355 | 6961 | Apparently a short time before the assimilation of he and his family, Hansen notes that a particular drone is of Species 6961. |
| early 2356 |
Annika Hansen is assimilated. (Eighteen years prior to "Scorpion, Pt. II"[VOY4] . . . the statement came mere moments into the fourth season, so it could've occurred in 2355 just as easily.) | |
| 2373 | 8472 | The Borg frst enter fluidic space in 2373 and encounter species 8472. |
| 2375 | 10026 | The assimilation of 392,000 individuals on their homeworld and of 39 spacecraft. |
Social Structure
The Borg's social structure is very different to that of every other race in the galaxy, the actions of billions of individuals being controlled simultaneously by one leader, the Borg Queen of whom is unsusceptible to diplomacy, uncorrupted by morality and free of emotion. The Queen possesses complete, unquestionable authority with no interest in typical religious beliefs, persuits of political conquest, wealth or power. Persuing but one goal, perfection, this is the goal which drives the entire Collective to grow and assimilate all life in the galaxy. The lifeforms of the Borg Collective whom have been assimilated are referred to as drones. Much like ants within an ant colony, they are lead by the Borg Queen who supervises the actions and progress of the entire collective while the Borg drones perform all of the required tasks to which they are assigned. As names are deemed irrelevant or useless, Borg drones are assigned designations containing their number in the group such as: "Three of Five", group number and role "Primary/Secondary/Tertiary Adjunct" and assigned location such as: "of Unimatrix 01".
Deeming it to be both irrelevant and inefficient, the Borg do not eat or sleep, they regenerate. The borg do not procreate, instead their population grows when additional lifeforms are assimilated. Any lifeform which is assimilated at a young age are simply placed within a maturation chamber for 17 cycles and emerge as fully functional drones. The Borg have no need for a typical learning social structure as the knowledge of the entire race is shared with every member as a result of the collective uplink.
Whilst the Borg are primarily a nomadic space-bearing race they do however occupy planets with a typical population of nine billion drones primarily for the purposes of strip-mining the planets of all natural resources. The mining process creates bi-product gasses that fill the atmosphere with high concentrations of methane, carbon monoxide, and fluorine. (Star Trek: First Contact) They have no regard as to the pollution of the planets' atmosphere due to the Borg drones immunity to enviromental toxicants. For that reason, they can live where it would be otherwise extremely hazardous to humanoid lifeforms.
| Queen | |
|---|---|
| Unimatrix 01 | The primary star complex of the Borg collective, receiving the thought transmissions from all of the central plexus' and vinculums in the collective for processing by the Borg Queen. |
| Central Plexus | The Central Plexus receives the signal from the Vinculum, uplinking with Unimatrix 01 and synchronising all thoughts with the collective consciousness. |
| Vinculum | The Vinculum receives the signals from every distribution node and filters the irrelevant information from the thoughts of all drones, sending them on to the Central Plexus. |
| Distribution Node | Distribution Nodes connect all of the drones in each section and transmits it to the Vinculum. |
| Neural Trannciever | The Neural Transceiver links the drone to the local distribution node. |
| Inerlink Module | Device which downloads the drones' knowledge into its alcove. |
| Interplexing Beacon | A device in the cranial implants. It links one drone to another across vast distances via translink frequency. |
| Interlink Node | This device is the first-step in the process of creating a hive mind, it allows the subject brain to communicate using their Interplexing Beacon. |
Language(s)
Hive Mind
At some point in time, the individuals of the Borg connected the minds of their entire populace together, into a collective consciousness (resulting in the name Borg Collective). In doing so, all of the species relevant knowledge and experience is retained and absorbed into the Hive Mind (Another term for collective consciousness). That information is then redistributed to every single member of the Borg Collective whereas the irrelevant information (such as names) is filtered out and simply disregarded. This collective consciousness, however, revokes the individuality and free-will of all those connected, causing them to become the perfect, unquestionably loyal army. At any time when the Borg encounter a problem such as a new species using unusual weapons of which the Borg experience difficulty adapting to, the entire collective comprised of trillions of the galaxy greatest minds will all work together to resolve the problem in perfect trinity. Resulting in possibly thousands of solutions, the most efficient and effective of the solutions will be selected and implemented.
Borg Alphanumerics
Alphanumerics are the Borg's equivalent of a "written" language. All information within the collective is transmitted and stored in this alphanumeric sequencing. The code is extremely complex and consist of at least fifty characters and was stored in numerous places including data nodes . However, despite its complexity, other species could learn it to interpret it. (VOY - "Revulsion")
Mythology
Particle 010
Particle 010 is the closest reference to a deity to the Borg, seeing this molecule as their symbol of perfection due to its enormous power. All Borg are pre-instructed to assimilate any information pertaining to Particle 010 at any cost. The Borg Collective frst descovered Particle 010 (known by Starfleet as the Omega Molecule) in 2145 through the assimilation of thirteen different species, and were eventually able to synthesize a single molecule of Omega which remined stable for one-trillionth of a nanosecond prior to causing an explosion which resulted in the destruction of 29 Borg vessels and subsequently the deaths of 600,000 drones. Following those events and assimilation of additional species the Borg were able to design a harmonic resonance chamber which could theoretically stabilize particle 010. However, the Collective has not yet encountered particle 010 again and has been unable to test their designs.
Remarkable Technology
The Borg typically do not research or invent, their technology and resources are simply the convergence and accumulation of that of over 10,000 races. However in some rare cases the collective has indeed engineered its own weapons and technology such as: the Nanoprobe virus (VOY - Dark Frontier) The most remarkable aspects of Borg technology incude:
• Collective uplink connecting the mind of their entire race together.
• Nanoprobes are a vital aspect of the Borg population and technology.
• Self-regenerating metals and alloys used in all Borg technology causing all Borg technology to be very robust and difficult to destroy and/or overcome.
• Adaptability allowing vessels and drones to become immune to weapons.
• Transwarp Drive is also another unique technological feature of which the Borg possess, allowing ships to traverse the galaxy in a very short period of time.
Control Interface
The Borg are portrayed as utilizing a tactile computer control interface in conjunction with their neural link to the collective. These user operated panels permit a drone to input data into the central computer or other systems of a Borg vessel. A control interface such as those found on Borg vessels generally permit the display of feedback information or to show the results of an inputted command sequence. These control interfaces vary in function, based on the technological capabilities and system needs which the individual interface terminal is applied to. These terminals are capable of a wide variety of output, including; vocal, visual and sensor-based commands from the collective. (reference "Star Trek: First Contact)
- Alcove
- A port located in a Borg vessel to which individual drones can attach themselves. These terminals serve a wide variety of functions, such as serving as a direct link to the collective, absorption of power, regeneration of damaged components, access to library databank information. These alcoves contain access terminals and serve as the functional duty stations for the Borg drones that are located aboard Borg spacecraft. (reference "I, Borg" [TNG], "Scorpion" [VOY], "Revulsion" [VOY])
- Autonomous Regeneration Sequencers
- Technological devices utilized to regenerate damaged or removed components of Borg technology. This particular component of technology was assimilated from species 259. (reference "The Gift [VOY])
- Borg Alphanumerics
- The Borg equivalent of a "written" language. All information within the collective is transmitted and stored in this alphanumeric sequencing. (reference "Revulsion" [VOY])
- Data-Link
- A component used in monitoring and storing information on individual drones of the Borg collective. (reference "The Raven" [VOY])
- Drone
- The standard Borg unit. Each drone is cybernetically enhanced and biologically modified during initial assimilation, granting them several advantages over ordinary biological beings. For example, the typical Borg drone has superior physical strength and intelligence, the ability to survive the vacuum of space without protective gear and various other enhancements. Each Borg drone is linked to the collective via Borg neural-transceiver technology. (reference Star Trek: First Contact)
The following is a list of the standard technological components that Borg drones are equipped with during assimilation. There are other various technological components which Borg drones may possess as each drone is equipped with components required for a specific work task assigned to them.
- Access terminal
- A small port located in a Borg alcove which individual drones can attach themselves to. These terminals serve a wide variety of functions, such as; serving as a direct link to the collective; Absorption of power; Regeneration of damaged components; Access to library databank information. These alcoves and access terminals also serve as the functional duty stations for the Borg drones that are located aboard Borg spacecraft. (reference "I, Borg" [TNG], "Revulsion" [VOY])
- Designator Interface Circuit
- A small circuit located on the exterior of drones. This circuit contains information on the drones numerical designation as well as information it has accumulated since last connected with the collective. Removal of this circuit activates a self-destruct program that completely vaporizes the drone (reference "Q-Who" [TNG])
- Personal shield
- An energy emitting device used to shield against defensive energy weapons. These shields cannot repel energy discharges of a frequency not previously encountered, but can quickly adapt once the attacking frequency has been analyzed. (reference "Q Who", "Best of Both Worlds" [TNG], Star Trek: First Contact, "Scorpion" [VOY])
- Disruptor
- An energy weapon that can be implanted in a Borg drone and used for offensive or defensive combat situations. (reference "Descent" [TNG])
- Eyepiece
- An enhanced visual receptor implanted directly into the optical centers of the drone. These eyepieces are capable of granting a drone the ability to see far more than an organic eye. These optical enhancements possess a wide variety of functions, including the ability to analyze complex three dimensional shapes and focus on objects to the microscopic level. (reference "I, Borg" [TNG], "The Gift" [VOY])
- Injection Tubules
- Two clawlike extensions implanted in the arm or hand of a drone. These tubules are capable of penetrating any known alloy or energy field. These tubules are used to inject nanoprobes to assimilate the cells by reprogramming the DNA sequence. This is the first stage of the assimilation process. They can also be used to penetrate and take control of computer systems. (reference "Scorpion" [VOY])
- Limb Exoskeleton
- The protective cybernetic implant of a Borg drone covering part of the arm and hand. These exoskeletons can protect a drone from shocks with direct contact with energy fields of at least five million gigawatts of power. (reference "Revulsion" [VOY])
- Microcircuit fibers
- Part of the internal biological changes made to a being during the assimilation process. While a link to the collective is active, these fibers alter the DNA and make it impossible to disconnect implants from the drone. (reference "The Best of Both Worlds" [TNG])
- Neuro-processor
- A memory circuit implanted into a drone which contains all instructions the drone has received from the collective (reference Star Trek First Contact)
- Neuro-transceiver
- A small transmitting device implanted into the spinal column which serves as the connection of a drone to the collective (reference "Unity", "Scorpion" [VOY])
- Organelles
- Tiny devices implanted directly into the bone marrow of drones. These organelles have the ability to regenerate removed Borg components (reference "The Raven" [VOY])
- Maturation Chamber
- Biomedical chamber utilized in the rapid maturation of infant specimens of an assimilated world. Infants are placed in these chambers for 17 cycles until matured. The Borg do not procreate in the same manner as other species do, instead they place infants in these chambers and begin the assimilation process immediately. The maturation chamber is capable of generating an adult Borg drone within a matter of hours from a single strand of DNA (reference "Q, Who?" [TNG], "Mortal Coil" [VOY], "Drone" [VOY])
- Vinculum
- Device located at the heart of every Borg vessel. The vinculum is the central point to which Borg drones are locally tied to the collective. The vinculum serves to purge individual thoughts from the multitudes of drones aboard Borg vessels and harmonize them into the single group mind of the collective. This device, in essence, brings order to the chaos of individual thoughts. (reference "Infinite Regress" [VOY])
- Distribution Node
- Part of the technology of the information distribution system on Borg vessels. (reference "The Best of Both Worlds" [TNG], "Scorpion" [VOY])
- Borg Queen
- The personification of the collective mind, this individual proclaimed to literally be the Borg.
The following is a list of Borg ship defensive and offensive mechanisms.
- Cutting Laser
- An effective energy beam utilized for slicing segments of a starship for examination. (reference "Q Who?" [TNG])
- Tractor Beam
- An energy beam used to seize another ship. Borg tractor beams also possess the ability to drain power from the protective shields of another vessel. (reference "Q Who?", "The Best of Both Worlds" [TNG])
- Disruptors
- Primary offensive weapons system utilized by the Borg. Borg disruptors are far more powerful than any other known phaser or disruptor technology. (reference "The Best of Both Worlds" [TNG], "Emissary" [DS9], "Scorpion" [VOY])
- Multikinetic Neutronic Mine
- A Borg weapon of mass destruction. These mines are similar to quantum torpedo technology, yet are far more destructive. The average mine has an explosive yield of five million isotons. (reference "Scorpion" [VOY])
- Torpedo
- Primary offensive weapons system utilized by the Borg. Borg torpedoes are similar to standard photon or quantum torpedoes, but are far more destructive. (reference "Scorpion" [VOY])
- Resonance Signal
- Homing signal transmitted by the Borg to locate lost drones or vessels. (reference "The Raven" [VOY])
The following is a list of Borg ship navigational mechanisms.
- Warp Drive
- The standard method of faster than light travel utilized by the Borg. The Borg are capable of sustaining warp speeds in excess of warp factor 9.99 for an indefinite amount of time. (reference "The Best of Both Worlds" [TNG])
- Transwarp Conduits
- The fastest means of travel for the Borg, often simplified as "transwarp". Artificially created "tunnels" through space, these conduits allow the Borg to travel at speeds far beyond normal warp, much like that of a worm-hole. They are primarily used to travel vast distances in a short length of time. Temporary transwarp conduits can be formed by a specialized tachyon emission. These transwarp conduits are known to be disruptive to the subspace, often making it impossible for other ships to engage warp drive in their vicinity. Transwarp conduits can be opened by emitting a specialized high-energy tachyon pulse. (reference "Descent" [TNG], "Scorpion" [VOY], "Day of Honor" [VOY])
- Temporal Vortex
- A time spanning conduit created by the controlled emission of chronometric particles. The temporal vortex is the method of time travel utilized by the Borg. (reference "Star Trek: First Contact")
- Singularity Dimensional Portal
- An artificially created portal utilized by the Borg for interdimensional travel. (reference "Scorpion" [VOY])
Spacecraft
The number of vessels which the Borg Collective possess in total exceeds thousands, unlike other species' whom are known to have hundreds of starship designs the Borg possess only four distinctive types of starship designs, each larger and more powerful than the last. The Borg possess a unique approach to starship design, using symmetrical geometric shapes, each side identically armed as the last denying enemy species the luxury of any directional weaknesses in firing arcs and defenses. Borg ship design follows a pattern of relying upon extremely strong and resistant hull armor and an internal shield matrix.
- Assimilated Vessels
- Arctic Explorer
Territory
The area of space which the collective control is so vast it was given its own name: Borg Space. Borg Space refers to an extremely vast area of territory spanning over 60,000 light years which is located Delta Quadrant. Following thousands of centuries of conquest the Collectives territory contains millions of assimilated worlds, thousands of star systems, containing trillions of drones.
Galactic Territorial Boundaries
Planets
Following the assimilation of a race, the Collective proceeds to extract all currently existing structures on the planet's surface using the cutting beam and tractor pulse, abducting entire segments into orbit and within the vessel. Drones inside of the vessel analyse and assimilate its technology whilst its extracting and refining all of the excess minerals and materials from the extracted structures. Following the extraction and refining process, Borg drones beam down to the surface in the thousands which begin constructing hundreds of heavy mineral refineries which intoxicate the atmosphere with high concentrations of methane, carbon monoxide, and fluorine as bi-products of the extraction process.
Theoretical Clarification
Extraction of All Mineral Elements "extracting and refining all of the excess minerals and materials from the extracted structures. Following the extraction and refining process Borg drones beam down to the surface in the thousands which begin constructing hundreds of heavy mineral refineries which intoxicate the atmosphere with high concentrations of methane, carbon monoxide, and fluorine as bi-products of the extraction process." This explaination seem perfectly plausable and a solid basis for how the borg possess such massive resources, wasting none even from assimilated vessels and structures..
- Borg History taken from the conclusions of STvsSW.net's Borg analysis