Rehabilitating the Borg

[Saspearia]

I was watching Star Trek Voy: Scorpion last night and it got me thinking about how both Captain Janeway and Captain Picard faced the same decision regarding the fate of a single Borg drone.
With 7 of 9, Capt Janeway rationalised that because she was assimilated so young, she had no grasp of individuality, so even though 7 begged to be released back, she was denied.
Picard respected Hugh's decision to go back to the collective because he felt he had that right as an individual.
I don't think either of them were wrong or right but I would imagine that they would now need some sort of federation policy regarding rehabilitation.
Do you think there are 12 step programs to regain your individuality?
Also, I remember Admiral Nychayev stating that rogue drones should be programmed to destroy the Borg and send them back! I don't remember Janeway contemplating that option. She must be a lot more compassionate!
What are other peoples thoughts on Borg rehabilitation?....

 

[sonak]

Given that most assimilated individual Borg are basically slaves, you'd think that the course of action would be to try to liberate and rehabilitate them when possible, taking into account resources, and things like whether it's in a battle situation or it's a small group of Borg they've discovered crashed on a planet somewhere.

 

[7thsealord]

Given that most assimilated individual Borg are basically slaves, you'd think that the course of action would be to try to liberate and rehabilitate them when possible, taking into account resources, and things like whether it's in a battle situation or it's a small group of Borg they've discovered crashed on a planet somewhere.

.... A-N-D you must consider just how much risk that ship, crew and self are put into in the process.

When conducting any rescue, it is important to not get yourself stuck in the same situation.

 

[F. King Daniel]

There was a novel called "Vendetta" with an excellent and tragic sub-plot about a rescued Borg drone, kind of a proto-Seven. It ends badly.

 

[InklingStar]

There was a novel called "Vendetta" with an excellent and tragic sub-plot about a rescued Borg drone, kind of a proto-Seven. It ends badly.

That was one of my favorites as a teenager. I think it's also somewhat more realistic... Unlike Locutus, Seven was almost entirely Borg. Though I applaud the writers for stretching out her individualization for more than a single episode, it still seems like quick work.

When I saw the thread title my first thought was that they need it (rehabilitation), after being watered down...

 

[Vanyel]

I think Seven, and possibly Hugh, were rehabilitated because they were flawed and able to access Unimatrix Zero. Once cut off from the Borg Collective they had some slight access to U0 to help them until Lore reestablished a Collective. The more violent ones went along with Lore's Collective, the rest were able to hide their thoughts because of their partial access to U0.

Picard showed that if you get them out fast enough, Federation medical technology can remove a newly assimilated Borg from the Collective. Maybe not 100%, Picard was able to still "hear" the Borg. I don't know; and I don't think it was said if his hearing their thoughts was what remained of his time with the Borg or the Borg letting him hear.

 

[Anwar]

His "hearing" them might have been the result of there still possibly being some Borg components left in his brain or some permanent reworkings of his brain that leave him able to tap into their Hive Mind when he's close enough.

FC was the first time he came into contact with the Collective that close since BOBW. In "I, Borg" they were too far from the Borg Scout ship that picked up Hugh for him to "hear" them.

As for Hugh, the reason he had an easier time being de-assimilated was because he was never assimilated to begin with: He was one of those "Born Borg" we saw in "Q Who?" that are basically born into the Collective. The Collective probably didn't put him through the type of mental purging/brainwashing people like Seven go through since he had no individuality to begin with.

 

[Methos]

just on a random note here...

the Borg basically kidnapped Seven originally during assimalation right? So it's a worthwhile note that her wanting to go back to the Borg could be attributed to a form of Stockholm syndrome...

just thinking about it really...

M

 

[Anwar]

It's much worse than that, considering the physical mutilations done to her.

 

[Vanyel]

His "hearing" them might have been the result of there still possibly being some Borg components left in his brain or some permanent reworkings of his brain that leave him able to tap into their Hive Mind when he's close enough.

FC was the first time he came into contact with the Collective that close since BOBW. In "I, Borg" they were too far from the Borg Scout ship that picked up Hugh for him to "hear" them.

As for Hugh, the reason he had an easier time being de-assimilated was because he was never assimilated to begin with: He was one of those "Born Borg" we saw in "Q Who?" that are basically born into the Collective. The Collective probably didn't put him through the type of mental purging/brainwashing people like Seven go through since he had no individuality to begin with.

By "Born Borg" do you mean children or toddlers assimilated as infants and put into maturation chambers or prenatally assimilated, meaning removed from the mother's womb and put into a maturation chamber. Either way there would be assimilation. And I believe Seven said there were no Borg children.

 

[Anwar]

I'm talking about the Baby Borg we saw in the very first Borg episode, "Q Who?".

Seven for some reason thinks all Borg are assimilated, when we were shown in TNG with the Baby Borg and Hugh's Borg that this wasn't the case.

Then again, she hardly even remembers her own life pre-Borg or how it her assimilation happened so she's unreliable.

Neither Hugh nor any of the Borg on his ship were assimilated people, none of them were ever individuals in the first place. That's why Hugh didn't "revert" to his pre-assimilation identity (nor did any of the Descent Borg), they were never even children like Seven. They had no loyalty to the Collective or desire to return to the Collective the way Seven did, because only forcefully assimilated Borg get that kind of mental conditioning/programming.

It explains all the differences between Hugh and Seven.

 

[Vanyel]

I would think Seven would know if all Borg are assimilated or not. The baby shown in Q Who? could be in the early process of assimilation in the maturation chamber.

 

[Anwar]

Like I said, Seven didn't even know her own origins. And Guinan herself (and Q) both talk about the Borg like they were their own species instead of a patchwork species made up of folks reluctantly mutilated into cybernetic zombies.

I'll trust Guinan and Q over Seven.

Seven saying that all the Borg are assimilated is just a plot hole, or an example of her not being as knowledgeable as she thinks she is. Did she know about the Transwarp Hubs and their locations throughout the Galaxy?

 

[Vanyel]

No she didn't, but she did know a lot. The Hubs may be a secret kept only by the Queen, and erased from the Borg using the Hubs. There has been no mention or indication of a "Species 1" either, but there must have been.

Q also said that the drone aboard Enterprise was neither a he or a she. While I'm sure they are other ways of procreation, it never seems to be an issue for them. It also may be easier to assimilate than to procreate. Even if it is done by, what we now call, "test tube babies."

Guinan also never mentions or implies procreation.

Here's what they say in Q Who?:

Guinan: They’re made up of organic and artificial life which has been developing for thousands of centuries.

Q: The Borg is the ultimate user. They’re unlike any threat your Federation has ever faced. They’re not interested in political conquest, wealth or power as you know it. They’re simply interested in your ship, it’s technology. They’ve identified it as something they can consume.

I do admit they don't mention assimilation either.

 

[Saspearia]

Some interesting points. I like the Stockholm theory. I believe that the babies were assimilated but it would have been rational to assume they reproduce at the time the TNG crew saw them. I think they were early maturation chambers in retrospect.
I guess it is possible that they assimilated pregnant women too?

 

[7thsealord]

Entirely likely, that last.

They might even consider it more efficient in certain ways - the child can be nurtured and shaped to fit specific Borg requirements, and hasn't yet developed any troublesome mental traits.