[Star Trek] Could the Borg assimilate non-corporeal beings?

r/

Their focus is on biological and technological distinctiveness. How would they handle purely energetic entities?

Comments

  1. AutoModerator Avatar

    Reminders for Commenters:

    • All responses must be A) sincere, B) polite, and C) strictly watsonian in nature. If "watsonian" or "doylist" is new to you, please review the full rules here.

    • No edition wars or gripings about creators/owners of works. Doylist griping about Star Wars in particular is subject to permanent ban on first offense.

    • We are not here to discuss or complain about the real world.

    • Questions about who would prevail in a conflict/competition (not just combat) fit better on r/whowouldwin. Questions about very open-ended hypotheticals fit better on r/whatiffiction.

    I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

  2. Chaosmusic Avatar

    At the moment, no, as assimilation is a physical process starting with injection of Borg nanites into the bloodstream. If confronted with non-corporeal beings the Borg would analyze them to evaluate the possibility of future assimilation.

    In one of the expanded universe novels (admittedly non-canon), the Lady Q has a conversation with a Borg who admits it was scanning her and while it may take centuries or longer, the Borg do intend to assimilate the Q Continuum.

    The Borg think long term.

  3. Murderphobic Avatar

    I’m not sure that there’s ever been a definitive answer to that question, but several times, across several series, the Q characters have done things that suggest they might fear the borg.

    I think it’s more probable that they are afraid of massive technological advancement by the Borg. The sort of things where science and magic collide. You could make a strong argument that time travel, and transwarp tech are probably stepping stones to something greater. Maybe even something that would threaten the Q.

  4. Pegussu Avatar

    The Borg were nearly annihilated when they picked a fight with Species 8472 who were a biological species, albeit an extradimensional one. Beings of pure energy are almost certainly beyond their abilities, at least for now.