Of all the enemies that the Enterprise has gone up against, there is no doubt that The Borg are possibly the scariest and most significant threat to not only the Federation, but the entire universe. A formidable cybernetic race intent on assimilating every living organism and every piece of technology, The Borg played a huge part in several iterations of the show from The Next Generation onward. The question is, does a space remain in the Star Trek universe for The Borg beyond Voyager?
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The Borg were introduced in the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the episode “Q Who.” The episode marked the third appearance of the omnipotent annoyance Q, who throws a tantrum after Picard rejects his request to join the crew. During this tantrum, Q hurls the Enterprise deeper into space to teach them a lesson about the true nature of what threats are out there. This leads to their first interaction with The Borg, the ominous Borg Cube vessel looming ahead, and individual Borg infiltrating the Enterprise for reconnaissance.
It becomes clear very quickly that The Borg are too much for the Enterprise crew. They adapt to Starfleet’s weapons and are relentless in their mission to assimilate everything in their path. After seeing the horror of The Borg hive and the futility of the fight, Picard admits that he needs Q, and they are whisked away from Borg space.
From this moment, The Borg cemented themselves in Star Trek history as one of the most terrifying opponents in the universe. Every time they appeared onscreen, the threat was palpable and resistance was futile. In one of the most memorable storylines from TNG, The Borg abducted Captain Picard and assimilated him, turning him into Locutus of Borg. The crew ultimately regained their Captain and reversed his assimilation, but the effects reverberated for Picard long after.
After only making one appearance in Deep Space Nine, The Borg resurfaced in the third season of Voyager. This ultimately led to Seven of Nine, a Borg drone, ending up on the bridge. After a turbulent beginning which involved trying to assimilate the crew, her disconnection from The Borg hive mind, and attempts to reconnect with it, Seven of Nine joined the crew of Voyager. Throughout the rest of the series, Seven of Nine struggles with her identity and humanity. She frequently comes into conflict with other members of the crew and Captain Janeway, although ultimately she is accepted as one of them.
The Borg become a running theme in the spinoff Picard. Seven of Nine features in the show, as well as other recovering former Borg drones. The Borg are a crippled race in the show, thought to be effectively useless, but Seven and Picard know better. In the second season, the Borg Queen assimilates Picard’s friend Agnes in a convoluted plot revolving around time travel. This ultimately ends in The Borg wishing to join the Federation.
With this strange and unexpected turn in the story of The Borg, what could the future of the once powerful and feared race be? There are several different futures for The Borg in the Star Trek canon. They could either be powerful allies, terrifying enemies, or simply cease to feature. Which route serves the series better is up for debate.
With the events in Picard, The Borg could potentially bolster the strength of the Federation or dismantle it from within. They have never been particularly trustworthy, and despite the Borg Queen requesting to join the Federation, the history of Borg trying to assimilate and infiltrate the Federation is a long one. The entire drive of The Borg is to increase their numbers and technological superiority, and it would be a large departure for that to change now.
With that being said, there have been many incidents of Borg drones regaining humanity once disconnected, or even while still within, the hive. The Borg Queen in Voyager taking control of Agnes and experiencing her humanity could have altered her perspectives in a very real way. Alternatively, it could have only strengthened her resolve to complete the assimilation of the universe. No matter what has come before, The Borg as a whole have always returned to what they do best. They assimilate and destroy societies and planets in a bid for complete control and acquisition of the universe.
The alternative to this is dropping The Borg from future Star Trek entries entirely as a present threat or ally. Instead, they could be a footnote in history. Wrecks of Borg Cubes may litter space, while dead Borg drones and technology are excavated from deserted planets. They could be used as a lesson to future Federation vessels, or they could be used as a precursor or template for a new threat. No matter what the path of The Borg holds, the impact they have had on the Star Trek universe cannot be erased.
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