Section 31 Logo - Work in Progress

[Calhoun24]

It's been a while since I posted on TBBS, but I thought I should at least direct you to one of my works in progress.

Recently, I've been trying to recreate some logos from Science Fiction, or even try to improve them in some way. One day, I asked since Section 31 is such a prominent non-organization, wouldn't they have their own logo? I know they are a black op organization that officially doesn't exist, but what if they did have a logo?

So I tried to create one...

(Clicking on the link will reroute you to the page where I posted it, as well as some of my other works.)

So what do you think?

 

[Rush Limborg]

Superb--and very fitting! Perhaps 31 wouldn't put it on their uniforms--but perhaps in their bases of operations.

Well done. My compliments.

 

[Avon]

why do they need a logo? they are meant to be a secret.

 

[Finn]

^ Yeah, why would there be a logo, when all information are memorized instead of kept in a computer as implied by Sloan?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

why do they need a logo? they are meant to be a secret.

But originally they were not a secret. They get their authorization by the Starfleet charter, Article 14, Section 31. Perhaps in their earliest days, they operated more openly, and did have a logo?

 

[largo]

obviously, they memorize their logo as well.

 

[Maverisms]

At first I was also thinking, "Why? They are a secret group."

But then I started thinking about real life secret groups. At least in the US, Secret military and paramilitary organizations do have crests, badges and logos.

Iconography is a way of subconsciously cementing a group together, and pride in the group's icons grows even if the group are the only ones who know the icon's meaning, or if it even exists.

I like what you've done with it. I might suggest you add something like "31 61 66 33 64 66 64 38 66 37 37 38 30 61 61 64 33 65 39 62 36 32 62 63 64 32 66 63 62 63 66 > 35 " to the logo perhaps embossed to the edge. What hat says is, "Indomitable in the Face of Extraordinary Threat" rendered as an MD5 hash, then translated to hexadecimal. It is technically un-decryptable that way. You can't figure out what it means unless you already know what it means, which seems appropriate to Section 31.

[Edit]: moved 35 to the end of the hex to make 31 the first number. Seemed the thing to do.

 

[Kaziarl]

With how secret S31 is, even in the early days as implied by Enterprise, would they admit that they are a counter intelligence group? Or would the organization itself have a cover? Like... Federation Beaurue(sp? Please?) of Agriculture or something seemingly benign?

 

[Skywalker]

At least in its early days, I kind of imagine Section 31 being similar to the Special Activities Division of the CIA, which is responsible for covert operations. SAD doesn't have a logo (as far as I know), so I never really pictured S31 having one, either. That said, I like what you've done.

 

[Calhoun24]

Actually, I borrowed Starfleet Counterintelligence from

Spoiler: Click here

...Star Trek Phase II. One of their most recent episodes involved Section 31, and they were mentioned as Counterintelligence, so I used it, making it sound a little more official.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

I think a good logo would be: "By Any Means Necessary" -- sadly this opens up a horrifying world of possibilities

 

[Mr Silver]

Who says they can't have a logo? I do have a suggestion Calhoun24, remove the text that says "Section 31" and just have it as "Starfleet Counterintelligence Division". This leaves it more "open" in regards to interpretation, rather than explicitly referring to themselves as Section 31.

All in all though, its a very good design and would look perfect on one of those leathery black uniforms they wear.

 

[Klaus]

Nice look, and I agree about taking out the Section 31 part, that might well be better...

 

[JES]

Yeah... It isn't as though they even admit they exist. I highly doubt they would wear anything that would identify them as Section 31. Considering that they kinda try to hide their existence, they would probably either kill anyone who manages to read their patch, or otherwise wipe their memory... Or use the same tactics that the real military has used in the past to keep witnesses from talking...

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Or they identify as the Federation Department of Fish and Game Special Investigations Service.

 

[Maverisms]

I have one major issue with the "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" characterization of Section 31...

They don't operate that way. Most major Section 31 operatives flat out admit they work for Section 31. Both Harris and Sloan, and that pretty much covers the known major players.

I think Section 31 operates on the "you can't prove we were here" principle.

That, or Starfleet suffers from the worst kind of organization amnesia ever. Given the fact that they completely missed the whole Borg thing for over 200 years, I don't think "we forgot" can be completely ruled out.

Either way, it seems there really is room for Section 31 to have a logo.

 

[flandry84]

Nice work but...are Section 31 really part of Starfleet?
Granted they may be closely intertwined and may indeed have agents inside Starfleet but I thought they were an autonomous civilian group outside the law.
Kinda makes the Starfleet symbology look suspect.

 

[Maverisms]

Section 31 is both a part of Starfleet and not a part of Starfleet.

The canon clearly states that Section 31 answers to no one, but by the same token they take their remit from Article 14, Section 31 of the Starfleet charter. If they aren't part of Starfleet they have no basis for existence.

I suppose from an Official stand point, they are special operations directive of Starfleet Intelligence, but it's clear that they don't answer to Starfleet Intelligence in any official capacity.

Since their agents never know what Section 31 is really up to, one can assume that they recruit from all walks of life. However, it was stated in DS9 that only small fraction of it's membership knows the full scope of their operations. At a guess, I'd say that section was well placed in the upper echelons of Starfleet as a whole. Not necessarily the people in charge, but certainly people with access.

 

[JES]

I think it is akin to the above top-secret organization of today. You know, the ones who don't want to answer to anyone, and refuse to answer to anyone, who conduct all sorts of secret tests and operations that are rumored, but nigh impossible to prove. Starfleet denies the existence of Section 31 similar to how the U.S. government denied the existence of Area 51 (and we all know now that they were big, fat liars now, don't we?).

Not even the president knows what operations they carry out, unless Section 31 chooses to tell the president, similar to many clandestine operations that are rumored to be carried out (for example: ever heard of Dulce base?).

 

[JoeRalat]

I had the same idea that section 31 would have a logo. I did some mockups back in 2006 (Damn) it felt like yesterday I did them..

Here are some