Could the Borg assimilate The Founders?

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' started by SignGuyHPW, Sep 26, 2013.

  1. SignGuyHPW

    SignGuyHPW Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    If the Borg had attempted to invade The Dominion and assimilate them could they have done so with The Founders? Would shape shifters had produced shape shifting Borg? Would the attempt not hold when they reverted to their natural state?
     
  2. bbjeg

    bbjeg Admiral Admiral

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    There would by a microscopic fight between shifting cells and adapting nanoprobes that i think the changleing would win but not quickly.
     
  3. wingsabre

    wingsabre Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    When the Borg tried to assimilate Species 8472, they had a hard time doing so because the tissue structure was too dense. I think a Changeling would be able to change their structure on a microscopic level and be dense enough to destroy the nanites. Changelings don't really have cells, or at least that's what we seem to be lead to believe.
     
  4. Bad Thoughts

    Bad Thoughts Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Could the Founders modify the Jem'hadar's DNA to resist assimilation? I would assume that would be there frontline defense.
     
  5. Captain Clark Terrell

    Captain Clark Terrell Commodore Commodore

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    Careful with wording. They're nanoprobes, not nanites. Nanites were part of an experiment by Wesley Crusher gone awry.

    --Sran
     
  6. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That's pretty much exactly what happened in one of the novels.
     
  7. Edit_XYZ

    Edit_XYZ Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Short-term - the founders can withstand assimilation.
    Long-term - the borg adapt their nanoprobes* to assimilate the founders (the founder may be able to turn into water, etc, but if that was only water - not something far more complex masquerading as water - the founder would not be able to think, act, etc).

    *Nanoprobes can assimilate not only organics, but also machines made by dense materials, etc. With 8472 the nanoprobes had problems with the immune system, not density of the tissue.
     
  8. Tosk

    Tosk Admiral Admiral

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    Founders can change into fog. ...And rocks. Good luck, Borg.
     
  9. bbjeg

    bbjeg Admiral Admiral

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    ^And fire in some cases.
     
  10. Edit_XYZ

    Edit_XYZ Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    As said, if the founders were merely fog, rocks, fire (as opposed to being complex beings masquerading as fog, rocks, etc), the founders would not be able to think, act, etc.
    Give the nanoprobes enough time to adapt by trial and error and they'll find where this complexity hides. And then, it's bye-bye founders.
     
  11. Seven of Five

    Seven of Five Stupid Sexy Flanders! Premium Member

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    Borg Founders. Now there's some serious shit. Why hasn't this happened yet?
     
  12. bbjeg

    bbjeg Admiral Admiral

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    I'm sure they can think. When Laas was fog and was asked to stop, he did. Plus Odo turns into the objects in his quarters all the time and still remembers to turn back before his shifts. In the first few episodes he listened in on conversations as cups of liquids and broke out of a locker as a bag that was filled and zipped up.
     
  13. Pondwater

    Pondwater Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The Founders are more that Limey aware of the Borg and may have develop some virus.
     
  14. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    When a Founder masquerades as something, it is completely indistinguishable from that thing. I can only assume, then if one of them changes into something that has no cells, like water or fog, then there would be nothing for the Borg nanoprobes to 'lock on' to.

    If a Founder is posing as a human, and is attacked by a Borg, then they would have plenty of time to shape shift into something that could resist assimilation.
     
  15. Nightdiamond

    Nightdiamond Commodore Commodore

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    The problem for the Founder is, once the Borg figures out they have a regeneration cycle, they'd probably exploit that.

    Having to revert to a liquid 18 hours or so, or not being able to totally maintain a solid shape indefinitely, is something of a weakness for the Founders.

    This weakness has been exploited at 3 separate times.
     
  16. Richard Baker

    Richard Baker Commodore Commodore

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    If Section 31 could figure out a way to attack the Founders at a cellular level getting past their ability to shift form to repair themselves I think the Borg could find a way.
    Hell, even the Cardassians had a device to force the Founders to remain in a particular form despite the need to regenerate.
     
  17. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    But when the Founders are in liquid state, they have no cells to assimilate. So if the Borg tried to take advantage of that, it wouldn't help much.
     
  18. Edit_XYZ

    Edit_XYZ Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    A tricorder can't tell the difference between a rock and a transformed founder. That does not mean the founder is merely a rock.
    Indeed, the mind of the founder is still there, masquerading as a rock; his body is still there, ready to change shape; all this is biology - or half biology/half technology, etc. The nanoprobes can lock on just fine to these.

    S31's virus had no problem attacking founders when they were in the liquid state.
     
  19. Pavonis

    Pavonis Commodore Commodore

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    Romulans.
     
  20. M.A.C.O.

    M.A.C.O. Commodore Commodore

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    ^ they did have that organic matter eating thalaron weapon.

    As to the OP: I say no. I think it would go as well as the Borg's attempt to assimilate Species 8472.