Borg assimilation

**Space_Cadet** · 03-21-2003, 02:21 PM

I was wondering.. when an organic is assimilated by the borg are their limbs and other body parts are removed? And if so can it be reversed and regain their parts back?

**toadmage** · 03-21-2003, 02:29 PM

I think it depends on long the person has been a borg . If that person has been a borg from childhood then many things has been replaced by machines parts ,

If the person become a drone later in life , then organs are replaced as needed . Why replace a heart if it is working fine .

**Kronok** · 03-21-2003, 02:53 PM

Originally posted by Space_Cadet
I was wondering.. when an organic is assimilated by the borg are their limbs and other body parts are removed? And if so can it be reversed and regain their parts back?

Don't know about the organs, but Voyager did an episode about this. It was about a bunch of Ex-Drones. I am pretty sure that one of them was an amputee.

**Paul Dowsland** · 03-21-2003, 02:58 PM

It would most likely depend on the best utility and desperation of the collective at the time.

In First Contact I think you see captured Enterprise crewmembers being "improved" fairly radically according to the collective's needs by the presumably fairly small number of survivors from the time travelling sphere ship. (Haven't watched the movie for a while so I might be wrong on that.)

On the other hand if a fully operational cube assimilates someone they'd be more likely to keep the person around as an organic spare part, unless they had a special purpose in mind, like Locutus.

**redwood973** · 03-22-2003, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by Kronok
Don't know about the organs, but Voyager did an episode about this. It was about a bunch of Ex-Drones. I am pretty sure that one of them was an amputee.

I remember that episode too, I believe it was the Romulan doctor IIRC. My question is haven't we seen examples of medical tech. that would allow artificial limbs (either artificial or natural) that would allow replacements to be attached? (I assume the Romulan doctor had none because of lack of resources.)

**Liz Not Beth** · 03-22-2003, 12:26 PM

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**Balok** · 03-22-2003, 12:49 PM

I would agree with Liz Not Beth: the collective makes an instantaneous decision about what capabilities the drone must have; the end result of a continuous calculation that accounts for losses, requirements based on strategy and tactics, and so forth.

Then, it modifies the drone accordingly. For example, a drone intended to handle dangerous materials would likely have its hands removed and replaced.

My view is that missing limbs could be replaced (we saw this done for Nog in DS9) if necessary. This could be handled by something like the ICON system, where the missing limb is a flaw, but effectively a value zero flaw since it is corrected by a medical remedy. It would come into play only in certain very limited circumstances (for example, such a character might find his prosthetics useless if subjected to a power dampening field).

**Kronok** · 03-22-2003, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by Fesarius
My view is that missing limbs could be replaced (we saw this done for Nog in DS9) if necessary.

Very true, and that’s canon.

Originally posted by Space_Cadet
And if so can it be reversed and regain their parts back?

Is it safe to assume that you are considering doing this to a PC? As Narrator, I would suggest you “replace the parts you wish” and keep the story within your control. Want to nail a PC and have him assimilated? Do so, but know that they will try to Un-Assimilate in the future and that the player will probably want to be whole again.

**Phantom** · 03-22-2003, 03:43 PM

I will echo the opinions above, the new drone would be modified for whatever the collective needed.

I also find it interesting that the fear of the Borg is one of the reasons mechanical replacement is looked down on in the Trek universe. As are cloned limb replacements...because of Khan. Still can't get by some bias I guess, no matter how hard you try.

**Balok** · 03-22-2003, 05:43 PM

Originally posted by Phantom
I also find it interesting that the fear of the Borg is one of the reasons mechanical replacement is looked down on in the Trek universe.

I am actually trying to find a story about a race of beings that has no problem replacing body parts. They do so for aesthetic reasons (metal limbs are kewl!), or if the original is diseased or destroyed by accident. The story would be about how a crewman of such a race might be treated ... and what might happen if such a crewman is on a ship attacked by the Borg. Note that these people do NOT form a collective. I just can't figure out a decent plot...

Originally posted by Phantom
As are cloned limb replacements...because of Khan. Still can't get by some bias I guess, no matter how hard you try.

I'm not sure this is true. I know that genetic enhancement or resequencing is illegal (I wonder if it's allowed for those suffering from genetic disorders?), but I'm not sure cloned limbs are illegal or carry a stigma. I don't remember what kind of artificial limb Nog received -- but it apparently worked as well as the original.

**Owen E Oulton** · 03-22-2003, 07:57 PM

In the episode where it was revealed that genetic resequencing to enhance a humanoid is illegal in the Federation (Dr. Bashir, I Presume IIRC), it was also revealed that it is permissible to resequence a person's genetic structure to prevent or cure congenital or genetic defects. It was stated that there are stringent precautions and controls in place to ensure that this is not abused... Genetically enhanced persons are not permitted to serve in Starfleet under normal conditions.

As for the Borg amputees, removal of an arm to allow the implantation of a specialised manipulator appears to be quite common among Borg. Luckily, regeneration of lost limbs seems relatively routine in Federation medicine, unless of course the person has a Disadvantage which prevents this. If the former Borg does not have access to such treatment, then they're stuck without a limb, like the Romulan ex-Borg or 37 of D-cup's former cube-mate.

**Kronok** · 03-23-2003, 01:00 AM

Originally posted by Owen E Oulton
Luckily, regeneration of lost limbs seems relatively routine in Federation medicine…

Is that canon? If so, where? Just curious.

**Phantom** · 03-23-2003, 02:35 AM

Originally posted by Kronok
Is that canon? If so, where? Just curious.

As has been stated above at the end of DS9 Nog has an artificial leg, he lost the original in the Battle of AR-558 (or something like that.)

**Ergi** · 03-23-2003, 03:09 AM

It has been a long time since I have seen the mentioned episode but as far as I remember Dr. Bashier wasn't sure that Nog's artificial leg would work. So, I would say that replacing artificial limbs is commonplace in the Federation (there have to be some very bad accidents considering the total population) but the procedure isn't always successful.

**SIR SIG** · 03-23-2003, 05:45 AM

The Romulan ExDrone Doctor is actually from the colony planet of exBorg.

Voy: Unity

The Amputee in question is from Voy: Survival Instinct

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