Borg probe

The Borg probe was a type of manned probe starship used by the Borg Collective in the 24th century.

Design and history

The Borg Probe had an elongated shape with no discernable features. It was constructed of the same dark material found on other Borg craft, such as the Borg cube, and Borg sphere, and featured the same green and yellow glow emanating from points on the hull. The interior of the vessel was dark, humid, and lined with regeneration alcoves.

Tactically, it was armed with particle weapons that made it comparable to a Starfleet Intrepid-class starship in terms of firepower. It was capable of regenerating, and carried robotic auto-regeneration units. The Probe was capable of the assimilation of other starships, and pursued targets when they were detected. Like all other Borg vessels, Probes were also equipped with transwarp coils.

The only vessel of the type was encountered in the Delta Quadrant by the USS Voyager in 2375. The Probe had diverted course to intercept and assimilate them. After exchanging fire with the probe, the crew of the Voyager attempted to disable the probe by beaming a photon torpedo aboard, while the probe was remodulating and regenerating its deflector shield matrix. However, the torpedo detonated near the power matrix and destroyed the ship. There were no survivors. Captain Kathryn Janeway subsequently ordered her crew to conduct a salvage operation on the debris. The key technology of the ship had been self destroyed, but the crew managed to recover useful materials and key information they used later to board a damaged Borg sphere. (VOY: "Dark Frontier")


Appendices

Background information

The script for "Dark Frontier" describes the Borg probe as, "a geometric shape we've never seen, and much smaller than the average Borg ship -- about half the size of Voyager."

The design of the ship was originally intended to be used in Star Trek: First Contact as a replacement for the Borg cube but was rejected. It was subsequently resurrected for Star Trek: Voyager. (Delta Quadrant, p.289)

The ship was created in CGI at Foundation Imaging under the supervision of Rob Bonchune. Visual effects supervisor Mitch Suskin commented, "We looked at a lot of different shapes. The version which was picked was somewhat bar-of-soap shaped. Once you put Borg things on it, it worked, and you understood it was Borg, but different." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 31, No. 11, p. 33)

Apocrypha

Borg Probe in Star Trek Online

The Borg probe as it appears in Star Trek Online.

The Borg probe appears in the non-canon video games Star Trek: Armada and Star Trek: Armada II as the "Borg Interceptor", a small scout ship equipped with energy beams and a transwarp drive. It has a crew complement of 100 drones.

In Star Trek Online, the probe is given the role of "frigate" in the Borg Collective, equivalent in size to a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, though more heavily armored. The vessel originally appeared with a spherical design early in the game's release but has since been updated to the design seen in "Dark Frontier".

In the Star Trek: Destiny novel Lost Souls, the USS Aventine (β) under the command of Captain Ezri Dax attacks, disables and boards a lone Borg interceptor as part of a daring plan to stop a Borg armada rampaging through Federation space, in 2381.

The probe is also featured in the Star Trek Customizable Card Game which describes its role as to "explore unimatrices at the borders of Borg space. Locate biological and technological distinctiveness." [1]

External links

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