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Is the Borg Collective aware of the Q continuum?

The Borg cube near System J-25 in the Delta Quadrant, must have seen the Enterprise disappear in front of them and completely off long range sensors. Could it be possible that that's the main reason why the Borg pursue the Federation -- because they know a life form as advanced as a Q is interested in them, and as such there must be more to them than meets the eye, thus making the Federation more than worthy of assimilation?

Mithical
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Darren
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  • I think this is just going to be opinion based, as there (to my limited knowledge) is nothing in canon to address this. – Robert Wertz Jan 21 '16 at 18:13
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    I edited your question to make it a bit easier to read. Please feel free to roll my edit back if you think I changed your meaning, or make further edits if you want to clarify – Jason Baker Jan 21 '16 at 18:14
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    I think someone asked this one, but I could be wrong. Ah it was a simliar, but not the same questoin: Do the Q fear the Borg?, and What would be the effect of a Borg assimilating a Q? – Mark Rogers Jan 21 '16 at 18:15
  • I believe we'd be able to answer the extended premise of this via answering why the Borg are interested in the Federation -- or directly, by stating if the Borg are unaware of the Q. –  Jan 21 '16 at 18:20
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    To start they must have been interested how the enterprise disappears,then when they assimilated Picard they gained knowledge of Q – Darren Jan 21 '16 at 18:22
  • @Darren That's what I though exactly. But I don't think Borg would be interested in Q Continuum since later is lot more powerful. – Vanja Vasiljevic Jan 21 '16 at 18:35
  • Yeah exactly, the Borg would think if a being like Q shows special Interests then there is something more to humans, hence why the Borg Persue them – Darren Jan 21 '16 at 18:37
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    I don't think Borg is focused on humans because of that. We just see those encounters since Federation is main protagonist. Plus it is bigger and has more diverse species then rest of Powers near by – Vanja Vasiljevic Jan 21 '16 at 18:41
  • @RobertWertz not having a canon answer is not grounds for closure. – phantom42 Jan 21 '16 at 19:37
  • Surely the Borg learned of the Q when Picard was assimilated, if not before. Though since the Q like to "play games" with and torment inferior species, I find it very doubtful that a member of the Q---any Q at any time---didn't harass the Borg Collective well before the captain's assimilation. – Ham Sandwich Jan 21 '16 at 21:40
  • Fair enough. I think I meant more this is going to be speculative and made up, but I've already been proven wrong by the logic of the answer below. Something about the question just rubbed me wrong, but I appear to be alone in not liking it haha – Robert Wertz Jan 21 '16 at 21:43
  • It's probably not beyond the Q to deceive the Borg about the position of the Enterprise, prevent the cube's communication with the Collective, wipe the cube's memory, or simply destroy it after sending the Enterprise back where it came from. – Kevin Krumwiede Jan 22 '16 at 07:00

4 Answers4

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As we know from DS9 there are directives in effect in starfleet since the Enterprise met Q.

This means that LATEST when the Borg assimilated even a single starfleet member they gained knowledge that Q exists.

And when they assimilated Picard they knew about Qs interest in the human race (if not prior to it already which we don't know, as we don't know how extensive the directives in regards to Q are).

Thomas
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    The Borg must have been aware of the Q at least since they assimilated most of Guinan's species, long before Starfleet encountered Q. – Junuxx Jan 21 '16 at 18:41
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    The question wihth guinans species is how many of them aside from her are aware of Q. I dont remember anything canonwise stating any info there that is why I didnt mention them – Thomas Jan 21 '16 at 18:42
  • That's a fair point. – Junuxx Jan 21 '16 at 18:46
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    It is possible that not everyone in Starfleet knows about the Q. Like the Omega Directive, the special directives involving Q may be limited to command level officers and above. The most obvious method that we the viewers know of for how the Borg could've learned of the Q is via Picard's assimilation. – Xantec Jan 21 '16 at 19:16
  • @xantec correct. Although as far as I remember the Borg by then had already at least 1 starfleet vessel assimilated (and as Sisko was a station commander I would dare say that if he knew about the Q directive then most if not all of the starfleet captains should and if they have assimilated a ship already the chances are VERY high they got the knowledge). On the other hand if my memory serves right it was not Sisko mentioning the Q directive but another member of his command staff which would mean all higher officers at least. – Thomas Jan 21 '16 at 19:25
  • Then again, at least some of the Sisko's command staff (eg: Cheif O'Brian) served on the Enterprise-D during one or more encounters with one or more Qs. – Theo Brinkman Jan 21 '16 at 21:51
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    A follow up question is whether the Q have the power to prevent the Borg from being aware of them. E.g., could the Q stop the transfer of Picard's knowledge of the Q to the Borg during the time he was assimilated. Then again, it's likely that the Q wouldn't care enough about whether the Borg are aware of them or not. – Todd Wilcox Jan 21 '16 at 22:20
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    @ToddWilcox we are talking about a species who can destroy whole empires with just a thought (or the federation). Uhm I would strongly guess yes tthey can ;) – Thomas Jan 21 '16 at 22:21
  • We know for a fact that Janeway knew about Q before she met him ("Deathwish") so it seems probably that at least all captains were briefed: JANEWAY: May I assume you're the Q I've heard so much about? Q: Have you heard about little me? Oh, do tell. Has Jean-Luc been whispering about me behind my back? – ThePopMachine Mar 14 '18 at 15:57
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Is the Borg Collective aware of the Q continuum?

There is no canon that answers this question directly.

Certainly, it's possible; however, this was never explored in any of the series' that I am aware of.

The Borg would certainly have to real use for the information as they are not able to assimilate a member of the Q Continuum.

Adamant
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Yes, because the Q would not have a rule against provoking them without a good reason.

Mason Wheeler
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    This only speaks to the Q being aware of the Borg, not vice-versa. For example, the Q could have observed what happens when another species known to the Borg provokes them, and thereby the Q could formulate the rule in question without ever having been in direct contact with the Borg. – Todd Wilcox Jan 21 '16 at 22:18
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They would have known from their assimilation of Picard. Certainly Seven of Nine would have known about the Q from her assimilated knowledge.