In The Next Generation episode Q Who?, the meddlesome super-entity Q from the extradimensional Q Continuum, played by John DeLancie, reappears on an Enterprise-D that is traveling at the outer frontier of United Federation of Planets space. The irrepressible near-deity, whom Captain Picard calls “next of kin to chaos,” insists that his critique of humanity, which he first iterated in the pilot episode Encounter at Farpoint, be given another hearing. Having been banished by his “fellow Q” for misbehavior, Q is “homeless” and bored. He would like to join the Enterprise-D crew as an advisor or guide. “You’re not prepared for what awaits you,” he taunts Picard. “You judge yourselves against the pitiful adversaries you’ve encountered so far: the Romulans, the Klingons. They’re nothing compared to what’s waiting.” Picard rejects Q’s offer of help, saying that “I do know that we are ready to encounter it.” This makes Q angry. “We’ll just have to see how ready you are,” he retorts. Q snaps his fingers, and the Enterprise-D is instantly transported seven thousand light-years in space, to System J-25 in the Delta Quadrant. After the starship comes to a standstill, Q disappears. Picard contemplates setting a course for the nearest starbase, which it would take more than two-and-a-half years to reach traveling at maximum warp. But he instead decides to “investigate this unexplored sector of the galaxy.” Passing through a solar system, they discern strange devastation on the sixth planet that appears to have formerly been home to a civilization. Where cities should be, there are only “great rips” in the surface. “It is as though some great force just scooped all the machinic elements off the face of the planet,” as Lt. Worf remarks. Other planets which have been similarly ravaged are observed.
The Enterprise-D crosses paths with a huge cube-shaped spaceship, “strangely generalized in design.” Scans show that the ship has no specific bridge, command center, Engineering section, or living quarters. No life-forms are detected. Guinan recounts that her people, the El-Aurian, met up with this species of technologically-enhanced humanoids several centuries ago. “They destroyed our cities, swarmed through our system,” she explains. “When they left, there was little or nothing left of my people.” A first Borg drone beams into Engineeering. Our first view of the Borg is through a glass, a moment before the drone is noticed by Chief Engineer Lt. Geordi La Forge. It is the camera line of sight of an instrument panel. Geordi becomes aware of the drone’s presence through his bioelectronically engineered VISOR seeing machine. A security team and all interested parties head to Main Engineering. Q reappears and says: “He’s not interested in your life-form. He’s just a scout, the first of many. He’s here to analyze your technology.” Guinan adds: “They’ve identified [the starship's technology] as something they can consume.” The drone studies and tinkers with a control console. After verbal warnings by Captain Picard that go unheeded, Lt. Worf shoots the drone dead with a phaser. A second drone instantly beams in, now impervious to the phaser technology. He recovers parts of the first drone, and retrieves more tactical information from the ship’s computer. The alive and dead drones dematerialize. Later the Borg Collective Mind speaks to the Enterprise-D senior officers via a viewscreen: “We have analyzed your defensive capabilities as being unable to withstand us. If you defend yourselves, you will be punished.” The Borg start a battle and eighteen crew members are killed. The Borg ship is temporarily neutralized by repeated blasts from the Enterprise-D. Commander Will Riker leads an away team to have a look at the Borg vessel’s interior. Thousands of drones are immobilized in alcoves, where they are incorporated into the whole and do not “read as separate life-forms.” Two Borg are in stasis in each networked alcove slot along the wall. Riker also beholds a nursery of baby Borg. Although many drones “become Borg” through assimilation, there are infants who are given implants almost immediately after birth, using a technology that connects “artificial intelligence directly into the humanoid brain.”
The Borg Cube regenerates and attacks again. The away team returns to the Enterprise-D, which leaves at warp factor 8, then accelerates to maximum warp 9.65. The Borg ship pursues the Federation vessel relentlessly, and is unaffected by photon torpedoes. A direct hit by the enemy on the starship’s nacelles destroys the warp engines. The intimidating Delta Quadrant aliens move in for the kill. All appears to be lost for Captain Picard and his crew. Q reappears and watches with amusement. He chides Picard with sarcasm, telling him “I told you so.” The Captain appeals to Q to end the confrontation. “You wanted to frighten us. We’re frightened. You wanted to show us that we were inadequate. For the moment, I grant that. You wanted me to say I need you.” He dramatically raises his tone, emphasizing each word: “I need you.” Q snaps his fingers and the Enterprise-D is transported out of danger, back to exactly its original point of departure. Picard confesses afterwards to Guinan that he is ironically grateful to Q for the graphic warning about the dangers that are out there. “Perhaps what we most needed was a kick in our complacency to prepare us for what lies ahead.”
