Of all the varied creations in theStar Trekuniverse, none are perhaps more iconic, or terrifying, as the Borg Collective. This race of kidnapping, body-mutilating cyborgs arethe main antagoniststhroughoutThe Next Generation. They appear in far more iterations into the franchise than justTNG,however. They are present even in modern entries such asPicard, where it is shown that there is a huge demand on the market for Borg parts and technology. But why is this?
Picardis set quite afew years after the Borg’s first introduction, in a time when Picard himself is an old man and pretty much retired from Starfleet. Technology is shown to have progressed quite a bit in this time. The show now features amazing new gadgets and gizmos, as well as highly advanced medical treatments and procedures than anything shown in the older shows. Things have come a long way, but the Borg have been at this level, if not at the height of scientific achievement for far longer. They have exceeded the Federation in most ways, but especially in the prosthetics department. Their technology is highly desirable for this exact reason. Their vastly superior creations allow for greater technological prowess not only for the Federation themselves, but the majority of galaxy-wide civilizations.
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When it comes to healing technology, the greatest example of the Federation’s limits comes in the harrowing form of Captain Pike, badly injured and suffering from a severe case of locked-in syndrome. He is only able to communicate through beeps signaling yes or no. It’s true that this might have to do with the lack of vision from theTOSwriter’s perspective, not aware at time of any feasible scientific solution to Pike’s problem. Yet it still stands as a prominent marker for the Federation’s limit to what they can achieve on their own. Traveling forward toTNG,these limitations seem to still be in place. Clunky cybernetic aids often struggle to function. They are often unwieldy, and far less advanced than even the most basic of Borg technology.Geordi LaForge’s visoris the perfect example, causing him frequent headaches, often breaking without the ability to self repair, and externally clunky on his face.
Compare the unfortunate Pike and the flimsy visor, then, tothe Borg queenand everything she is able to do, despite being just a severed head. It’s true that this comes somewhat later thanTOS,but it stands to reason that this isnot new Borg technology, and that they have been able to achieve such feats of advanced prosthesis for a while. At the heart of their technological wizardry are the Borg nanites, some of the most impressive creations in the entire franchise. They stand the test of time, being superior fromTNGall the way toPicardand even inDiscovery. With the nanites, and the correct reprogramming of them, they are able to do incredible things. They can create self-replacing implants and aid in weapon development, doing away with the need for the old tech ofStar Trekpast.Voyagershowed the true medical power of these little devices in the episode “Mortal Coil,” where they are able to not only respire extensive skin and tissue damage, but also revive those who have recently died.
Being highly advanced is one thing, but the reason they are so sought out in the galaxy is that theycannot be replicated. It means that the only way to get these nanites and use them for different purposes, is to take them directly from the Borg. This makes any scavenged Borg tech or even Borg themselves highly valuable. InVoyager’s episode “Inside Man,” there is a plotamong the Ferengito kidnap Seven of Nine to extract these nanites and sell them. Potentially, this was the first event to start this chain reaction of nanite hunting across the galaxy, fetching high prices in various black markets.Voyagerdeals with this idea a lot, and is the show that truly shows the Borg’s vast capabilities outside the collective. Borg technology is often integrated into the ship to improve their systems, and the Holographic Doctor often uses Seven’s nanoprobes to heal members of the crew.
While the nanites are shown time and time again to be valuable assets to the Federation, the high demand for them across the galaxy is created primarily from those outside their laws and regulations. Their use is a bit of a moral quagmire, especially considering how they are obtained. Taking them is often a huge risk, as provoking the Borg is never a good idea. And the extraction of nanites from previous drones (a process which would often kill them) issomewhat of an ethical faux-pas. This results in the majority of demand coming from the galaxy’s black markets, space pirates, or various nefarious scientists.
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