Star Trek: The Next Generation/Recap/S5/E23 I, Borg: Difference between revisions

As part of its medical treatment, LaForge prepares to repair/replace certain of the Borg's cybernetic implants, but Picard takes the suggestion one step further: why not reprogram an implant to introduce a [[Logic Bomb]] through this drone into the entire Borg Collective, causing them all to shut down? At a meeting to discuss this plan, Crusher alone objects, pointing out that this would be tantamount to genocide. Unfortunately for her, everyone else is fine with it, having accepted the non-declared, unofficial state of war between the Borg and, well, anyone they want to assimilate. Unfortunately for them, Dr. Crusher's apparent sympathy for the Borg drone only grows as his physical condition improves; she notes that he seems to be frightened and lonely, severed from contact with other Borg. Meanwhile, Guinan hands Picard a sort of [[Dark Side]] version of her usual [[Whoopi Epiphany Speech]], when she fakes an injury during a fencing duel and then defeats Picard as he moves to help.

 

 

The Borg boy continues to improve, and Crusher and LaForge work on testing him out to see how best to implement the [[Logic Bomb]] plot. They converse with him and introduce themselves, to which the Borg wonders if he has a name (he only knows the Borg designation "Third Of Five"). Trying to sound out a pet name for him, they settle upon "Hugh", sort of a pun on "you...". Now that Hugh has an actual name, LaForge too begins to develop an attachment to him and is having second thoughts about the whole plan. He talks to Guinan about this, but she is uncharacteristically unsympathetic. LaForge challenges her to go visit Hugh for herself. Complicating matters, another Borg scout ship is approaching, presumably to retrieve survivors/scavenge the wrecked ship.

Finally Picard agrees and has Hugh [[Transporters and Teleporters|beamed]] into his Captain's Office. Hugh, for his part, recognizes [[Star Trek: The Next Generation/Recap/S3 E26 S4 E1 The Best of Both Worlds|Locutus Of Borg]], and Picard takes advantage and speaks to him as Locutus. After forcing Hugh to renounce his human name and reiterate his Borg designation, he announces that the Enterprise and her crew [[You Will Be Assimilated|will be assimilated]], even against their will, or they will die. Hugh doesn't cotton to this idea, having grown attached to his human friends (especially LaForge) but "Locutus" is adamant, culminating in this exchange:

 

'''Hugh:''' [[Wham! Line|No. I will not.]]<br />

'''Picard:''' ''What did you say?''... You said "I"; but you are Borg!<br />