The Borg vs the Medusans, a what if...

[Captain Killy]

Just a curious pondering.

Medusans, being non-corporal are immune to assimilation. So they could engage the Borg with out fear. What would happen, I wonder, if a Medusan were to reveal itself to a Borg drone? Would the entire collective go insane and soon after die of massive organ failure, same as other humanoid species? Or would this sort of attack have no affect on the collective as a whole?

Discuss...

 

[cosmic mouse]

Well, if the ultimate cause of death from "engaging" a Medusan is organ failure, then I think the Borg might falter, but otherwise survive. Nanoprobes would heal any failing organs before the demise of the drone or, alternatively, the Collective would effectively shut down any failing drones thereby avoiding a total meltdown or destruction of the Collective. The hive mind is stronger than an individual, organic body.

 

[at Quark's]

^unless of course, their appearance is the equivalent of the picture ('topological anomaly 4747') that was supposed to bring the Borg down in I, Borg

 

[Captain Killy]

Well, if the ultimate cause of death from "engaging" a Medusan is organ failure, then I think the Borg might falter, but otherwise survive. Nanoprobes would heal any failing organs before the demise of the drone or, alternatively, the Collective would effectively shut down any failing drones thereby avoiding a total meltdown or destruction of the Collective. The hive mind is stronger than an individual, organic body.

Well, organ failure seems to be the end result of stresses placed on the body due to medusan induced madness. So seeing how the Borg have a collective consciousness, I’d assume that if you let a Medusan, or a small group of Medusans float inside a Borg cube, that the ensuing mass insanity would spread across the hive mind.

That said, it is possible that Borg optical enhancements would serve to counteract that affect much the same way visors do with Vulcans...

But you know, it’s worth a try...

 

[Dukhat]

The Borg presumably have ways to assimilate noncorporeal beings, we just haven’t seen it.

 

[Captain Killy]

The Borg presumably have ways to assimilate noncorporeal beings, we just haven’t seen it.

Where has this ever been mentioned? How is that even possible?

 

[Dukhat]

Where has this ever been mentioned? How is that even possible?

As I said, it’s never been mentioned because we’ve never seen the Borg assimilate non-humanoids. But they are aware of non-carbon-based life such as Hortas, Medusans, etc. and presumably have ways to assimilate them. Hell, they tried to assimilate a molecule. And Borg nanoprobes work at the molecular level, no matter what the lifeform is. If they could do that, they could do anything.

 

[Captain Killy]

As I said, it’s never been mentioned because we’ve never seen the Borg assimilate non-humanoids. But they are aware of non-carbon-based life such as Hortas, Medusans, etc. and presumably have ways to assimilate them. Hell, they tried to assimilate a molecule. If they could do that, they could do anything.

Correction, we’ve never seen the Borg successfully assimilate a non-humanoid, namely Species 8472. But assimilating a non-Humanoid is a bit different than a Non-Corporal, which I’d wager is basically impossible.

 

[Dukhat]

Just because they couldn’t assimilate Species 8472 doesn’t mean that they couldn’t assimilate other non-humanoids. How different would it really be to assimilate a horse as well as a human?

And just because you as a carbon-based lifeform cannot fathom how the Borg could assimilate a non-corporeal lifeform doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. It just means that we’ve never seen one assimilated on screen.

 

[at Quark's]

On the other hand... the human that watched the Medusan went totally berserk, attacking people at random.

Not sure I would want the Collective to go berserk

 

[cosmic mouse]

On the other hand... the human that watched the Medusan went totally berserk, attacking people at random.

Not sure I would want the Collective to go berserk

good point!

 

[Captain Killy]

On the other hand... the human that watched the Medusan went totally berserk, attacking people at random.

Not sure I would want the Collective to go berserk

Eh. Going by TOS thats last a whole 30 minutes at most...

 

[The Wormhole]

Which one is playing on Team Batman? Is there time to prepare?

 

[johnnybear]

The Medusans are a forgotten member of the Federation by the time of TNG! Because if they weren't they'd wipe the Borg out and the writers would have failed to freak us out to their menace!
JB

 

[Herbert]

The Borg presumably have ways to assimilate noncorporeal beings, we just haven’t seen it.

Your avatar is quite appropriate because you're trying to pull a non existent rabbit from your magic hat, Harry.

I am continually amazed by what people conjure out of thin air on this board. I think Star Trek fans must be the best ever at it.

Where has this ever been mentioned? How is that even possible?

Never mentioned. Complete unsubstantiated speculation.

 

[Shawnster]

It sounds like some are confused by the words non humanoid vs. non corporeal.

Non humanoid = any life not shaped like a human. Dogs, cats, hortas, tags are examples. They are still corporeal. They are tangible and can be touched.

Non corporeal are intangible beings. They cannot be touched. Examples are spirits, energy beings, Medusans, Thasians, Trelane's parents, Geordi and Ro in "The Next Phase."

A non corporeal being doesn't have organs or anything for the nanoprobes to latch on to and assimilate.

 

[Farscape One]

Strictly speaking, Ro and Geordi in "The Next Phase" are still corporeal, they were simply out of phase. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to kill that Romulan by pushing him through the bulkhead to space.

But your other examples are good ones. I'd also add the Organians and Q.

 

[Shawnster]

Ah, true, Farscape.

 

[Dukhat]

Your avatar is quite appropriate because you're trying to pull a non existent rabbit from your magic hat, Harry.

I am continually amazed by what people conjure out of thin air on this board. I think Star Trek fans must be the best ever at it.

What? This is a fictional alien race from a fictional TV show. I can speculate whatever the hell I want, because it's all fake. If the Borg can assimilate carbon-based life, there's a possibility they can assimilate other forms of life. I'm not sure why you think that's so far-fetched, unless you just wanted to make some dumb Night Court joke at my expense because you think you're funny.

A non corporeal being doesn't have organs or anything for the nanoprobes to latch on to and assimilate.

That doesn't mean that they couldn't adapt their probes for other forms of life. The Borg adapt all the time.

 

[Captain Killy]

That doesn't mean that they couldn't adapt their probes for other forms of life. The Borg adapt all the time.

True, and if we were discussing Borg assimilating Tholians, Founders or some Plant based alien species you’d have a point. But I fail to see how the Borg could assimilate an energy based life form like the Medusans or the Calamaran...