The Borg - "Origins, Theories, Etc"

[Mr Silver]

I've read the "Destiny Trilogy" and even though I found it a fantastic series, I was disappointed with the Origins Of The Borg suggested, I also found the Caeliar a weak point in the otherwise excellent story

I've read about other possible Origins of the Borg, we have the "Shatnerverse" theory which directly links in with V'Ger, to me something pretty fanboyish and without a real basis in continunity (in VOY its established the Borg were around in the 14th Century)

But...Something i've come across, recently, in 1975 a Gold Key Comic entitled "The Mummies Of Heitus VII" contained a very interesting plot, the Mummies were actually preserved Cyborgs, It turned out that several centuries prior, a corrupt Science Council, decided to save the life of their Planets King by converting him into a Cyborg (by doing this they were able to influence Political Decisions), however, as a result, the "Cyborgified" King, decided that all the Planet's citizens would become Cyborgs as well...Now i'm not saying this is the Borg's Origin, but I definitely see it as being an influence in the creation of the Borg

I guess the purpose of the thread is to debate and theorise where the Borg actually came from, we know that the Borg seem to originate in the Delta Quadrant...but again this may just be based on their vast presence in that area of that Galaxy, I personally feel that there was no Human involvement in the "Birth" of the Borg, if anything Star Trek has made it clear that the Galaxy doesn't revolve around Humanity (hence the recurring gag when a Human says their from Earth and an Alien species replies "Earth? Never heard of it...")

Discuss...

 

[Paradon]

Maybe an alien race had a very sophisticated nanotechnology and somehow it got short circuited (like everything we see in ST ) and turned into cyborg bacterias that turned everyone into a zombie like cyborg....kindda of a non-biological life form that use biological life form as a host in order to assimilate their technologies. Maybe they created the Transformers, too!

 

[Mr Silver]

Maybe an alien race had a very sophisticated nanotechnology and somehow it got short circuited (like everything we see in ST ) and turned into cyborg bacterias that turned everyone into a zombie like cyborg....kindda of a non-biological life form that use biological life form as a host in order to assimilate their technologies. Maybe they created the Transformers, too!

Thats pretty in keeping with Trek, a Race being unable to handle a Major Development (Augments anybody?)

I'm one of those people who doesn't like the idea that the Borg have always looked like have in later appearances, I personally feel that the Borg "Assimilated" significant levels of technology between their first appearance in 2265 and the early 2270's, either that or the Borg ships that the Enterprise encountered were outdated (that doesn't explain the Hanson's encounters in the 2250's, but we could argue that the whole flashbacks were part of Seven's imagination her memories of the Borg were fairly recent, since she was in a Maturation Chamber until she reached Adulthood), long term scoutships based in the Alpha Quadrant and the majority of Drones aboard were also outdated. Sure, we could also argue that the Borg aboard were all of the same species, a result of a recent Mass-Assimilation

Again, with Nanotechnology, I think prior to Wolf 359, The Borg handled Assimilation in a strictly Surgical manner, In later appearances, Nanoprobes reconfigured an individual into your basic drone and then they would undergo further Surgery to convert them into a fully fledged Drone with a specific function, Limb and Eye removal, Prosphetic Replacements, Vocal Subprocessors and Exo-Plating would all be fitted during this Surgical Process

 

[Paradon]

No, I'm saying maybe there was a freak accident that turned the nano-technology into a life-form. Remember, the key to the Borg success is their nano-tech. They board a ship and use some kind of tubial device to inject nana-probes into the hardware and aliens in order to assimilate them.

 

[Solarbaby]

I'd like to see it as a human error that created them.

Maybe in the future humans created the borg and they were escaped through time to the past. It would be a great revelation. A bit like the Cylons.

 

[Timo]

One would think that a culture experimenting with cybernetics and then accidentally going a bit too far would be a common occurrence in the Trek universe. There may be all sorts of Borg-like cultures out there, some more successful, others less so. We've seen the expanding Borg and the compact and contained Bynars; other similar cultures might annihilate themselves early on, or then rapidly proceed past the humanoid cyborg stage and become more varied living machines. There's certainly room for the "machine planet" that created V'Ger...

I'd really hate to have the Borg be "iterated" humans; the galaxy ought to be allowed to have magnificient and terrifying lifeforms without the active contribution of our species.

Sure, we could also argue that the Borg aboard were all of the same species, a result of a recent Mass-Assimilation.

Well, it would make sense that the palefaced Borg of "Q Who?" would all be natives from that planet in system J-25. And we could argue that it was the very same Cube that eventually scooped up the Jouret colony and attacked Earth in "BoBW", with the very same J-25 Drones aboard.

Whether this also explains the Borg from "I, Borg" and "Descent" is debatable... But it is shown in VOY that some people assimilated in the Alpha Quadrant, possibly at Wolf 359, were physically moved to Delta soon thereafter. The natural assumption would be that the ship in "BoBW" left "prize crews" aboard some of the starships it defeated, and these assimilated those starships into new Borg vessels that then spread out in whichever direction. Some might have ferried captives to Delta, while others might have continued the survey of our little corner of Alpha and Beta, eventually starring in "I, Borg" and "Descent" (both of which appeared to feature smaller Borg vessels than the "Q Who?" Cube).

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Lorna]

The first ever Borg was the first ever Borg Queen. She was a scientist and belonged to an advanced civilisation which was being ravished by an array of plagues and diseases. She was dying and so was obsessed with finding a way to stay alive but also live forever. She was obsessed also with perfection and perfecting herself through technology. She designed nanoprobes to fight off the diseases and also used technological components to replace parts of her body and limbs that was damaged beyond repair. Word spread of the 'cure' and soon everyone wanted the nanoprobes and replacement parts.

The entire race already had cordical implants, they were used to connect everyone to a type of internet where people could quickly access information. The first Borg queen realised a way to use the nanoprobes to infect people and the cordical implants in order to take control. To basically zombify everyone.

Everyone was given the cure and given implants. When the time was right she activated the nanoprobes and created the Borg collective.

At the time this advanced civilisation was isolationist and controlled only a handful of sectors. But that was about to change. The Borg had been created and the pursuit of technology, knowledge and perfection was to spread the collective far and wide.

 

[sonak]

Good thread, and I agree with the original post that one of the things I found disappointing about the "Destiny Trilogy" was the crappy Borg origin story it told. I can't help thinking an author like Peter David might have done something truly awesome if given the opportunity to write a Borg origin story.

I think the concept often mentioned about the Borg starting off as technologically advanced humanoids who went too far in integrating their biology and culture with technology still makes the most sense, and doesn't involve a convoluted time-travel origin story.

 

[Gary7]

I really like some of these ideas. Would have been great for the Star Trek franchise to delve into Borg history at some point. Alas... time ran out.

 

[Magellan]

Why does it have to be an accident? A species finds technological enhancement to be advantageous. Most everyone voluntarily undergoes procedures. A hive mind is established incrementally through faster and faster communications. Eventually with every member of the species able to communicate with every other one instantaneously, and possibly even share experiences among each other a distributed consciousness could be developed. Is our body all that is us? If I remember being somewhere and doing something, is it false because some other body was the one there? If I can choose among my decisions, or your decisions on the fly, Im not me and youre not you. We are pretty much one. A hive mind doesn't require an accident, or even coercion. In fact the melding of AI, technological enhancements, communications and memory duplication make this scenario quite likely the very real future of earth.

As to when the Borg began assimilating, that's a bit different. At some point the Borg hive mind decided it would be advantageous to add new experiences and new ways of thinking to its own. individuality might seem quite quaint by Borg standards. An irrational belief system held by primitive cultures, and not one to be taken very seriously.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

I much prefer the Borg without knowing an origin story. The Borg were at their very best when they were a mysterious, unstoppable force of nature. There were far too many Borg episodes, novels, etc., IMO, which really diluted their power as a villain. It would probably have worked out best to limit them to Q Who, BOBW and First Contact, and left it at that.

(Though ironically I do love the Enterprise ep Regeneration, which was blasted by most of the fanbase at the time.)

 

[Tiberius]

I'm writing a book at the moment, hoping to get it published, and I have developed a story for the origin of the Borg.

I expand on the idea that peter David had in Vendetta, about the conflict with the preservers. I figured that the Borg used the implants as a way of enhancing their soldiers. After the conflict, most civilians had been killed, leaving the soldiers. The soldiers, in an effort to increase their numbers (being concerned about being attacked in their weakened state, having just come out of a war and all) began assimialting others. As the number of drones connected together became greater, the Borg collective consciousness came into being, forming the mind of the Queen.

 

[sojourner]

^So your writing a book as a new author that directly contradicts a well known trilogy in the Star Trek setting? And hoping to get published? Good luck with that!

 

[Mr Silver]

^So your writing a book as a new author that directly contradicts a well known trilogy in the Star Trek setting? And hoping to get published? Good luck with that!

Artistic Discretion... Sure, everyone likes it when theres a running "Continunity" in the Trek Books, but seriously some authors, such as Peter David (don't get me started) have come up with several questionable ideas that have ruined the "Trek Literature Universe" for other Authors who have stayed with the "Continunity" out of respect...

When it comes to Literature, I think its up to the Author to create the setting and events, regardless of previous Authors "Continunity", look at the Marvel and DC comics, throughout the years theres been hundreds of different variations of "Continunity" and it allows the reader to choose their respective series, based on personal taste...anyway, getting back the Borg Origins...


I understand a lot of the Mystery surrounding the Borg is what captivates the audience to this particular element of "Trek", however I think its still fair for us to speculate, come up with theories, as i've said, what many people regard as the best explanation for the Borg (The Caeliar, "Destiny" Trilogy), to me is awful...

Spoiler: Destiny Trilogy

A sole member of the Caeliar race ended up in the past with a few members of the USS Colombia, it was here the Caeliar fused together with the Humans and thus this lead to the creation of the Borg (after one of the Humans last independent thoughts was "I will not become a Cyborg"

In the end of the story, the Caeliar rid the Galaxy of the Borg, taking them in as guest species on their new Planet

Like i've said, I found the "Human Involvement" with the Origins of the Borg to be just lame... And finding a permanent solution of getting rid of the Borg is also pretty lame, I think the Borg should remain as a recurring threat

 

[Strider]

Since nobody in this thread likes the Destiny trilogy's explanation, I just have to say that I thought it was fantastic. It explained the Borg's insatiable hunger and their mysterious interest in humanity above other races. The story wasn't about finding the coolest nanotechno fan service plot, it was just a meditation about holding on to things and letting go, and how our limitations define our humanity.

If you know anything at all about Paradise Lost or the Biblical story of the Fall, you can see the parallels that David Mack draws between the Borg and Lucifer and the fallen angels. In case you didn't pick up on that, the new alien race in Destiny is called the Caeliar. In Latin, Caelis means "heaven". It's a great story, and I'm saying that as someone who almost never reads Trek books.

 

[Anwar]

My theory:

A mysterious alien ship that had been derelict and drifting through space for millions of years goes near an alien world at the edge of the galaxy. When an investigation team is sent onboard the ship (which turns out to be a sentient mechanical being) absorbs them all and uses cybernetics from it's own form to turn the crew into cyborgs that link with it mentally. They work to repair the creature and essentially become its internal organs as worker drones. It moves to assimilate other vessels to add to itself and its growing mind, but the more it assimilates the more its personality changes (with all the varied minds it absorbs) until the only real goal it has left is to "be more", a trait all the minds can agree on.

It moves on, growing until it become the first Unicomplex and decides to reproduce, creating the Borg Collective.

 

[Nightdiamond]

The Borg Queen ands some of the other ideas were good ones--

My original idea of them was that they or it started off as an experiment in cybernetics and quest for perfection that got out of control and consumed its own creators.

They scooped up almost every advanced technology in the Delta quadrant and perhaps why in some areas, there's a scarcity in things like transporters .

 

[Anwar]

Then the question becomes, why haven't they assimilated all the advanced species of the Delta Quadrant til the point where all thats left are dregs like the Kazon?

 

[Nightdiamond]

Come to think about it, Seven of Nine did mention the Kazon;

"Their biological and technological distinctiveness was unremarkable; they were unworthy of assimilation."

"Why assimilate a species that would detract from perfection?"

If they knew about the Kazon, then it means they covered a huge area, and either assimilated any culture with advanced tech and left already, or is still attempting to.

Fun speculation theory no.1:

If the Borg assimilated all the advanced technology of the area centuries ago, then it left something of a "technology void" where transporters and replicators and such were unheard of.

Some weird culture with an extremist philosophy and a scientist queen does an experiment in cybernetics in search of "perfection" that got out of control and destroyed the individuality of its creators.

Now an out of control program that roams the galaxy always searching for technology to add to perfection, but more is never enough...

 

[Paradon]

Has anyone ever watched that episode on TNG where the nano-probes went crazy? [chuckle]