Jpec07
05-30-2010, 05:17 PM
Okay, so this is a really freaking nerdy idea that struck me about a year ago that I haven't quite been able to decide. The question is a simple one in form: who would win in a fight? The Flood or the Borg?
The Flood [halopedia] (http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Flood)
The Flood (Latin Inferi redivivus meaning "The dead reincarnated"), or The Parasite as they are known to the Covenant, are a species of highly virulent parasitic organisms that reproduce and grow by consuming sentient life forms of sufficient biomass and cognitive capability. The Flood were responsible for consuming most of the sentient life in the galaxy, including the Forerunners, during the 300-year-long Forerunner-Flood War. The Flood presents the most variable faction in the trilogy, as it can infect and mutate Humans and Covenant species, such as Elites, and Brutes, into Combat Forms. They are widely considered to be the greatest threat to the existence of life, or, more accurately, biodiversity, in the Milky Way Galaxy.
The Borg [memory-alpha] (http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Borg)
The Borg were a pseudo-race of cybernetic beings, or cyborgs, from the Delta Quadrant. No truly single individual existed within the Borg Collective (with the possible sole exception of the Borg Queen), as they were linked into a hive mind. Their ultimate goal was perfection through the forcible assimilation of diverse sentient species, technologies, and knowledge. As a result, they were among the most powerful and feared races in the galaxy.
The physiology of each Borg drone varied according to the species from which it was assimilated. Drones were typically humanoid, although the Collective has demonstrated a willingness to assimilate non-humanoid life forms.
Upon assimilation, a drone would cease to grow body hair and develop an ashen, grayish skin coloration, ignoring original skin pigmentation. Cybernetic implants would be either surgically attached to the body or grown internally by nanoprobes injected into the bloodstream. The nature of these implants varied from drone to drone, depending on its intended function, but basic nodes of cordical, interlink & cortical array are implemented in every drone. In certain cases, parts of the body such as an eye or an arm would be amputated altogether to make room for the cybernetics. The implants of a fully assimilated drone allowed it to function for extended periods without shelter, food, water, or even air. A drone's only requirement would be a supply of energy to maintain the implants that in turn maintained its biological functions. This energy would be supplied during regeneration cycles within a Borg alcove. Upon receiving damage, drone would return to the cove for assessment of the damage. Severely damaged drones would be disassembled and scavenged for reusable parts.
The Argument
The gist of the fight is the demonstration of the Borg's assimilating nanoprobes versus the Flood's aggressive, physiology-altering virus. Both "species" fight with a hive-mentality, where individuals act in accordance with the greater collective consciousness. Each side is also highly adaptable, and presents an ability to be utterly ruthless, but each side also presents a weakness in the susceptibility and potential vulnerability of its "head" (Gravemind and the Borg Queen). Both "species" also possess the ability to use and adapt technology to their needs.
So assuming the Halo rings are rendered inert by the time such a fight would happen, who would win?
The Flood [halopedia] (http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Flood)
The Flood (Latin Inferi redivivus meaning "The dead reincarnated"), or The Parasite as they are known to the Covenant, are a species of highly virulent parasitic organisms that reproduce and grow by consuming sentient life forms of sufficient biomass and cognitive capability. The Flood were responsible for consuming most of the sentient life in the galaxy, including the Forerunners, during the 300-year-long Forerunner-Flood War. The Flood presents the most variable faction in the trilogy, as it can infect and mutate Humans and Covenant species, such as Elites, and Brutes, into Combat Forms. They are widely considered to be the greatest threat to the existence of life, or, more accurately, biodiversity, in the Milky Way Galaxy.
The Borg [memory-alpha] (http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Borg)
The Borg were a pseudo-race of cybernetic beings, or cyborgs, from the Delta Quadrant. No truly single individual existed within the Borg Collective (with the possible sole exception of the Borg Queen), as they were linked into a hive mind. Their ultimate goal was perfection through the forcible assimilation of diverse sentient species, technologies, and knowledge. As a result, they were among the most powerful and feared races in the galaxy.
The physiology of each Borg drone varied according to the species from which it was assimilated. Drones were typically humanoid, although the Collective has demonstrated a willingness to assimilate non-humanoid life forms.
Upon assimilation, a drone would cease to grow body hair and develop an ashen, grayish skin coloration, ignoring original skin pigmentation. Cybernetic implants would be either surgically attached to the body or grown internally by nanoprobes injected into the bloodstream. The nature of these implants varied from drone to drone, depending on its intended function, but basic nodes of cordical, interlink & cortical array are implemented in every drone. In certain cases, parts of the body such as an eye or an arm would be amputated altogether to make room for the cybernetics. The implants of a fully assimilated drone allowed it to function for extended periods without shelter, food, water, or even air. A drone's only requirement would be a supply of energy to maintain the implants that in turn maintained its biological functions. This energy would be supplied during regeneration cycles within a Borg alcove. Upon receiving damage, drone would return to the cove for assessment of the damage. Severely damaged drones would be disassembled and scavenged for reusable parts.
The Argument
The gist of the fight is the demonstration of the Borg's assimilating nanoprobes versus the Flood's aggressive, physiology-altering virus. Both "species" fight with a hive-mentality, where individuals act in accordance with the greater collective consciousness. Each side is also highly adaptable, and presents an ability to be utterly ruthless, but each side also presents a weakness in the susceptibility and potential vulnerability of its "head" (Gravemind and the Borg Queen). Both "species" also possess the ability to use and adapt technology to their needs.
So assuming the Halo rings are rendered inert by the time such a fight would happen, who would win?