Hugh's effect on the borg. ( from "I, Borg" and "Desent")

[Tuxedo Dragon]

When the Enterprise sent back an Hugh back to the collective, it was inferred that his new found individuality might change the collective. Then in "Desent" we learn that Hugh's individuality did in fact make the Borg on his ship become individuals.

But that doesn't really jibe well with what we know about the Borg. I mean then why wouldn't any assimulated race caused this? And wouldn't the voices of the collective just outwiegh Hugh's?

Also its kind of far fetched that none of the people on Hugh's cube wouldn't have been adults that we're assimulated. But none of Hugh's peers understood what being an individual met. Also their implants should have killed them eventually. Since that became an issue with separate Borgs in Voyager.

 

[Anwar]

I think the implication was that most if not all the Borg on Hugh's Cube were the kind that were assimilated as babies and never had a chance to ever develop as individuals since they were Borg from birth pretty much (I think we can disregard Seven's comment on how all Borg are assimilated, and use the borg babies from "Q Who?" as a better example). Thus Hugh's own individuality despite being a Borg who was never an individual before caused a unique effect unlike if an assimilated Borg regained their old mind, and spread like a virus to the rest of his never-individual Borg companions.

Thus, the Collective chose to just cut them off rather than let them be or deal with chaotic non-individual Borg who were now individuals (which may have made them harder to re-assimilate).

AS for the implants killing them, that may not be an issue with never-individual Borgs who were never normal to begin with.