Why didn’t Starfleet upload the sphere data to the federation database?

[Garak234]

with the latest episode of Discovery it is now stated outright that the sphere data is only on the discovery. With Discovery’s year under UFP service, the UFP according to cannon never once downloaded the sphere data, not while the Discovery crew was being dressed down in S3, and not while the Discovery was being retrofitted with newer technologies. And there is no evidence that control exists in the 32nd century, and the sentient AI Zora was only noticed by Vance in season 4. This raises the question: is the data on a starship according to UFP protocol confined to the starship with no common ”internet“ of data?

 

[The Wormhole]

Presumably Zora doesn't want to share the Sphere Data, and Michael and the rest of the crew are choosing to abide by those wishes.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It would be too dangerous.

The sphere data turned Discovery's computer into Zora. God only knows what it would do to the entire Federation database.

 

[DEWLine]

There has to be workarounds for whatever data Zora, Burnham and co. jointly consider safe to share...?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

It would be too dangerous.

The sphere data turned Discovery's computer into Zora. God only knows what it would do to the entire Federation database.

"We are the Borg...resistance is futile"

I actually wondered if they'd use CONTROL as a Borg origin story somehow.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

There's million of years of accumulated data on there, too much data for anyone, or any million someones to peruse and determine what is safe or not to pass on. Without knowing it they could pass on a computer virus that infects all AIs, or the source of an infection that would destroy the mycelial network in the wrong hands. Right now it's contained on a ship that can jump anywhere in the galaxy at a moment's notice, so they're just searching for and using the data on an as needed basis.

 

[StarMan]

Obviously they have the capability to remove the sphere data / Zora as evidenced by the last episode.

I'm not sure I buy the "too dangerous" argument. It would be reckless to simply dump the data into the Federation's primary database, obviously. However an isolated "offline" facility? Sure.

They're fine leaving this vast, invaluable and irreplaceable data on a frontline ship that sees it's fair share of close calls? Unless 32nd century tech is so advanced they've identified Discovery's plot armor and are none too concerned about putting the ship and the data in harm's way, it still seems a stretch they didn't yank the sphere data out - or at least make a copy - as soon as Discovery was rolled back into the fleet.

(And this would have all taken place before Zora's sentience had begun to emerge to the degree it presently has.)

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

It's much better to let the invaluable data be destroyed than to leave any possibility that a copy of it could lead to the eradication of all life in the galaxy again I guess.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I actually wondered if they'd use CONTROL as a Borg origin story somehow.

I hope neither of those things ever appear in DSC. Or any other show.

srsly, I rather like the idea of never revealing the origin of the Borg. And as for Control? The hell with it. Best to pretend it never happened.

 

[fireproof78]

There is no reason Starfleet would immediately jump to downloading the data. Discovery was already in violation of the temporal laws. The sudden appearance of a ton of data would only add to the controversy of Discovery's arrival.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I rather like the idea of never revealing the origin of the Borg.

I feel like the origin of the Borg would be a fantastic Black Mirror episode but a terrible Star Trek story, because humans would inevitably be involved in their creation somehow.

Unless... there were crewmembers trapped in the past on the pre-Borg homeworld for a month or two helplessly watching history play out around them. City on the Edge of the Borg.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I feel like the origin of the Borg would be a fantastic Black Mirror episode but a terrible Star Trek story, because humans would inevitably be involved in their creation somehow.

Unless... there were crewmembers trapped in the past on the pre-Borg homeworld for a month or two helplessly watching history play out around them. City on the Edge of the Borg.

Or like the V'Ger was the origin of the Borg like GR threw out there.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

But that would mean humans were involved in the Borg's creation!

It becomes a very small universe when humans are involved in everything. Especially when they're involved in creating Control and Control wipes out the universe.

 

[The Wormhole]

But that would mean humans were involved in the Borg's creation!

According to the now defunct novel continuity, the first Borg drone was a Canadian MACO.

 

[Tim Thomason]

According to the now defunct novel continuity, the first Borg drone was a Canadian MACO.

Also, the unproduced Enterprise Season 5 offered an origin story for the Borg Queen as a human scientist played by Alice Krige.

 

[Truffula]

It's interesting to have there be multiple origin stories so none seems undeniably true.

 

[Captrek]

It's interesting to have there be multiple origin stories so none seems undeniably true.

“Want to know how I got these scars?”

 

[dupersuper]

It's interesting to have there be multiple origin stories so none seems undeniably true.

It reminds me of the Phantom Stranger Secret Origins issue...

 

[XCV330]

It would be too dangerous.

The sphere data turned Discovery's computer into Zora. God only knows what it would do to the entire Federation database.

That makes sense and I had not thought of that before. It still makes no sense though that with the treasure trove of knowledge that it is, plus with their ability to extract it (and Zora) from the ship, they never did so prior to declaring Zora a person, and sending the ship out into harm's way repeatedly.

 

[Noname Given]

There has to be workarounds for whatever data Zora, Burnham and co. jointly consider safe to share...?

Yeah, ancient Iconian probe data would like a word with you...