Unworthy - Kirsten Beyer [63]
Doctor Sharak went on, “The Greech do, however, secrete a substance that is absorbed into the Neyser bloodstream through the pores on their arms. That substance nourishes the Neyser and might have enabled them to survive in the past without the various food sources the third planet now produces. The small, moth-like creature we observed appears to release a substance, perhaps as waste, which the Neyser regularly inhale and that is absorbed in the lungs but seems to stimulate certain segments of their brains. Additionally, it does not venture beyond the boundaries of the gaseous life-form. Although its DNA profile indicates it is indigenous to the third world, I believe it has been genetically modified to function only in concert with its noncorporeal counterpart.”
“And it seems that the Dulaph are able to contribute largely through the aid of the Irsk, which allows it to change shape as required,” Patel added. “The genetic modifications we see in the winged alien are also present in the Dulaph. Whether these two were coerced into joining the others, or did so willingly, we cannot say.”
“Still, it would be inappropriate to call any discrete group of these six species a collective,” Seven insisted. “The Borg were more than a cooperative species. Their thoughts were one, directed only by the Queen. There is nothing in the Indign that suggests this level of joining.”
“Perhaps cooperative is a better word,” Eden offered. “Whether by need or by choice, these species have developed relationships that allow them to function as one. It’s actually quite a unique and miraculous thing. They might have been inspired by their admiration for the Borg, or simply hoped that there would be strength in their numbers if they hoped to resist them. Either way, it seems certain that the Borg had a hand in influencing the development of the Indign, whether they intended to or not,” Eden concluded.
After a brief pause as everyone considered her reasoning, Paris asked softly, “You really think anyone out there would have ever wanted to be assimilated?”
Cambridge quickly replied, “Don’t judge them too harshly. It must have been clear to any resident of this part of space that the Borg were the master race.” With a quick glance to Seven, he added, “Who wouldn’t want to be part of perfection?”
“The Borg were far from perfect,” Batiste said abruptly and Eden noted Seven’s cheeks redden slightly, though she remained silent.
“By our standards, certainly,” Commander Glenn piped up for the first time since the meeting had begun. “But we live as individuals. We value our autonomy. It’s possible that the Indign didn’t have that luxury. I find it hard to believe that if they could have survived as separate individuals, they wouldn’t have made that choice. The biological synthesis we’ve detected might have been discovered quite by accident, but if there was a pre-existing cultural bias in all of these creatures that placed a higher value on collective organization, given the success of the Borg as a species, they might have naturally gravitated toward one another.”
“Their individuality became irrelevant,” Harry said somberly.
“All good theories,” Eden said appreciatively, searching the faces of all assembled, “but I still want to know why they won’t communicate with us. Their ship fired on ours. We unintentionally destroyed their ship. You’d think they’d at least want an explanation.”
“They do possess scanning technology,” Vorik said. “It is possible that they have decided, based on our previous encounter, that we possess more advanced offensive capabilities and are simply unwilling to risk the loss of more vessels in a fight they could not hope to win.”
“Or possibly, they are simply imitating the Borg,” Cambridge suggested.
“We’ve indicated repeatedly in our hails that we are not a threat, we come in peace, and we want to establish communication with them,” Paris said. “Maybe this is their way of saying no.