Imagine Borg culture and history if they stayed like they appeared in Q Who

[Unimatrix Q]

The Borg not assimilating other species and only interested in getting their tech.

How would you build up their culture and history based only on that episode?

And what would a species be like that would be respected by these Borg, as Guinan hinted that things like that would be possible at a later point in time for the Federation.

 

[Mojochi]

I can imagine Bynars undertaking the 1st legitimate negotiation with the Techno Borg. Vulcans might be able to become involved thereafter. Until then, I can only see them stripmining all technology they come across, & destroying anything or anyone that attempts to stop them.

I think the other unfortunate issue would be that they might still enslave certain lifeforms, artificial ones like Soong Andriods, exocomps, maybe even Wesley's sentient nanites, etc..

 

[at Quark's]

Hmmm... but even in this first depiction, it is implied they scoop and strip infrastructures of entire planets- probably without relocating the inhabitants to a nice replacement habitat first. So, what would have happened with them? Simply killed off ?

 

[Unimatrix Q]

I guess the Borg would not try to kill them but simply the death and collateral damage they cause by their actions doesn't simply matter to them.

 

[Leviathan]

So...a mindless force that absorbs technology, doesn't add to it, but destroys the people that created it?

...accurately describes my experience with General Electric, JPMorgan Chase, TATA...most corporate entities in fact. I'll see if they have a culture handbook I can borrow...

 

[Unimatrix Q]

So...a mindless force that absorbs technology, doesn't add to it, but destroys the people that created it?

...accurately describes my experience with General Electric, JPMorgan Chase, TATA...most corporate entities in fact. I'll see if they have a culture handbook I can borrow...

I would say that's because humans and most other species are in comparison to them like insects to us. Bees are an insect species. If they appear in their homes, some people would try to kill them. But many of them would still love eating their honey...

 

[Leviathan]

I would say that's because humans and most other species are in comparison to them like insects to us. Bees are an insect species. If they appear in their homes, some people would try to kill them. But many of them would still love eating their honey...

Indeed. Although I find a finely ground human to be an excellent industrial lubricant....as opposed to liking what comes out of their butts.

 

[Herbert]

The Borg not assimilating other species and only interested in getting their tech..

It makes them far less scary, in my opinion. For me, the worst thing about the borg was not that they could kill you or possibly conquer you like say the Romulans or Klingons, but that they could essentially take away your free will and make you serve them. To make matters worse, you're aware of what's going on and you're powerless to stop it. Sounds like hell to me. That's worse than death.

 

[cosmic mouse]

And what would a species be like that would be respected by these Borg, as Guinan hinted that things like that would be possible at a later point in time for the Federation.

Probably something like 8472...

Under these conditions/changes would the Borg be less "aggressive" and become a real, physical threat only for defensive purposes?
Many advancements in the area of defenses for technology would also likely exist I would imagine. I don't know that the Borg would be viewed as such a threat and maybe mainly as an irritation or nuisance without them assimilating everything in sight.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Culture is irrelevant.
History is irrelevant.

We are the Borg.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

It makes them far less scary, in my opinion. For me, the worst thing about the borg was not that they could kill you or possibly conquer you like say the Romulans or Klingons, but that they could essentially take away your free will and make you serve them. To make matters worse, you're aware of what's going on and you're powerless to stop it. Sounds like hell to me. That's worse than death.

I always found the original concept of a species of highly evolved tech scavengers far more scary than the assimilation zombies they became. They were presented as beings far beyond of us in terms of consciousness and technology who didn't even fully realize our existence and just wanted our technology to add to theirs. A foe so alien, powerful and far beyond of ourselves in terms of evolution, that no reasoning with them was possible and we couldn't even have an idea what they actually wanted, is far more fascinating and frightening imo than mindless technozombies, led by a mustache twirling villain who couldn't decide if she wanted to fuck with Picard or Data and loved to argue with Janeway and Seven, who are out to get you to become another mindless slave.

Probably something like 8472...

Under these conditions/changes would the Borg be less "aggressive" and become a real, physical threat only for defensive purposes?
Many advancements in the area of defenses for technology would also likely exist I would imagine. I don't know that the Borg would be viewed as such a threat and maybe mainly as an irritation or nuisance without them assimilating everything in sight.

It would be far more interesting if a peaceful coexistence was possible because of cultural issues not just because we've got the better guns imo.

 

[Farscape One]

It makes them far less scary, in my opinion. For me, the worst thing about the borg was not that they could kill you or possibly conquer you like say the Romulans or Klingons, but that they could essentially take away your free will and make you serve them. To make matters worse, you're aware of what's going on and you're powerless to stop it. Sounds like hell to me. That's worse than death.

This.

And the assimilating scenes in STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT gave me chills because we get to see the full conversion of crew to Borg. They didn't have the budget to go that far with Picard at that time, but he really sold it when he shed that tear.

Plus, for me, the Cybermen of DOCTOR WHO are the most scary villains because they essentially take away everything that makes you human. In this regard, they are scary cousins.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

Borg dialogue from Q Who:

"BORG: (many voices speaking as one) We have analysed your defensive capabilities as being unable to withstand us. If you defend yourselves, you will be punished."

It seems that the Borg from this episode saw the Enterprise and her crew as another collective species and meant to punish the Enterprise as if it was a body with microorganisms walking around in it.

And I wonder why did the Borg start carving up the ship as a punishment. And then there are the planet scooping actions of these Borg. If these Borg are after the technologies of ships and planetary installations, wouldn't there be the risk of damaging the tech by such actions? And how and for what do you think would these Borg use the acquired tech?

 

[at Quark's]

Borg dialogue from Q Who:
"BORG: (many voices speaking as one) We have analysed your defensive capabilities as being unable to withstand us. If you defend yourselves, you will be punished."
It seems that the Borg from this episode saw the Enterprise and her crew as another collective species and meant to punish the Enterprise as if it was a body with microorganisms walking around in it.

I'm not really sure how you infer that from that quote. Perhaps if they had said 'if you defend yourself....'

And I wonder why did the Borg start carving up the ship as a punishment.

I always assumed they were just taking a sample for further study there. But I suppose it's quite possible this is the 'punishment' they spoke of earlier.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

I'm not really sure how you infer that from that quote. Perhaps if they had said 'if you defend yourself....'

I always assumed they were just taking a sample for further study there. But I suppose it's quite possible this is the 'punishment' they spoke of earlier.

The Borg in their dialogue always talk about themselves as a "we" instead of an "i", which would be more logical to assume an unified consciousness would use.

Maybe they can see other species only existing in the same way they do and what would have been needed for starting a dialogue with them would have been trying to show the Borg somehow the errors of their point of view.

But for the carving and scooping thing, what about the danger of damaging or destroying technology they want to get by the use of cutting and tractor beams?

 

[Unicron]

I think, for my part, many fans take the dialogue about wanting technology too literally. It's true that the Borg were initially intended only as a one-off villain for QW? and I don't know the original script intent behind the assimilation process. Although it's not referenced specifically in those terms in the ep, Q and Guinan both make comments that I infer to mean it's an aspect we won't see in more detail until later. Q says the Collective is the "ultimate consumer" and has no interest in the crew as a culture or individuals, while Guinan says conventional diplomacy is unlikely to work because the Borg only see other ships and crews as "raw material."

Since the Borg makeup has been largely consistent over the years and all of the drones we see look the same as assimilated individuals, I don't see any huge disconnect or difference in storytelling with later eps. Those just expanded more of the details. YMMV of course. But to me part of what makes the Borg potentially scary with the proper writing is the all-consuming aspect.

 

[Ghrakh]

I always found the original concept of a species of highly evolved tech scavengers far more scary than the assimilation zombies they became.

Perhaps, but it seems limited in terms of storytelling. The idea of assimilation opened up a whole lot more story possibilities imo and hit on a psychological level.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

Found some interesting details about the way the Borg were originally meant to be in "The Best of both Worlds" in an early story outline of part 1: