Expert: Justin Case - 6/10/2009

Question
Where did Data get his cat from?

If Data picked up a Gorn, so that the Gorn was straight as a pencil, and Data shoved the Gorn's feet as hard as he could into the ground, could he possibly "entomb" him?

Do you think the mind-sifter is a better mind-eraser than the Satarran's weapon? Better than Nomad's?

If the following pushed Data, as the Satarran pushed Worf, what effect would there be?
A) Gorn
B) Taurean
C) Species 8472
D) Khan
E) Pendari
F) Admiral Quinn
G) Superman
H) Wolverine
I) Power Play O'Brien
J) Borg drone

Can Borg drones have individual thoughts, which immediately the whole Collective 'hears,' or does the Collective think as one all the time?

Also, do drones have 'free will,' or are they 'forced' to move in whatever ways the Hive wants them to?

Who'd get along better with Nagilum?
A) Roga Danar
B) Nausicaan

37 Nausicaans vs. 29 Hirogen (no weapons)

Answer
Hi John -

As far as I know and have been able to research its never been revealed where exactly Data got his cat Spot.  None of the non-canon novels I've read have elaborated on that either.

I think Data could generate the necessary force to 'entomb' the Gorn if no other variables such as temperature (frozen ground), resistance from the Gorn, ambient atmospheric conditions etc. came into play.

The effectiveness of mind sifters seems to be dependent on the species of the victim and the level of exposure to the device.  The Satarran somehow managed to affect humans, a Bajoran, a Klingon, a human/Betazoid hybrid, computers and whatever other species were serving on the Enterprise at that time, and affect them all in more or less equal amounts.

That would indicate to me a more reliable and thus more effective piece of technology.

My guess is that Nomad's weapon targets specific cells in a given target so as to eliminate only certain memories but not affect autonomic functions within the life form it is targeted against.  Since we never saw it turned against a species other than human its hard to say exactly how much better or worse it might be than the Satarran weapon.

It would depend on whether or not Data's enhanced reflexes gave him time to brace himself or not, if not I think any of the individuals on the list could knock him back a step or two given the inefficiencies inherent in a bipedal life form, if he were braced I doubt anyone on the list could knock him down but the Gorn, Taurean, 8472, Quinn and Superman might be able to make him take a step or two backwards.

In Star Trek: First Contact statements made by the Borg Queen seemed to indicate that she 'brought order to chaos' which I interpret to mean she somehow organized, channeled or otherwise 'brought order' to all the random thoughts from the millions of individuals hooked into the Collective.

That leads me to believe that the thoughts of an individual drone are somehow 'collected' (maybe in a central node or storage unit of some kind) and the Queen sorts them out and elects what is shared and what is not.  

This seems to contradict Picard's statements when he was Locutus when he said that 'every trace of individuality is removed' which would indicate that specific drones are not capable of independent thought when connected to the Collective.

So, the evidence presented is somewhat contradictory!

From what I saw in the various Borg episodes the drones have no free will whatsoever and are forced to move and go where ever the Collective consciousness (or Queen) sends them.  

I guess it would be like the muscles in your arm.  Generally they don't have any 'free will' on their own, but move where ever your brain tells them to.  (Most of the time).

I think Danar would get along better with Nagilum.  He was shown to have a high capacity for reasoning and thought, even to the point where he felt guilt for the deaths his programming had caused him to inflict.

From what we saw of the Nausicaans they were mostly bullies (meaning deep down they were cowards) with the need to dominate and control others.  The portrayal of their species didn't indicate even one of their kind that engaged in higher levels of thought or reasoning, just bullies out looking for a fight.

We know the Nausicaans have starships that can presumably travel faster than light, so some one must have thought that up from among their kind or they stole the technology, but so far we have yet to see an 'enlightened' Nausicaan.

The Hirogen showed the ability to reason and think as they would necessarily have to engage in those activities in order to outwit some of the targets they hunt.  

Nothing we saw of the Nausicaans indicated any type of advanced tactical thinking or capacity to reason so, given that evidence, I'd have to go with the Hirogen over the Nausicaans.

Thanks!

D. -