Assimilation (Star Trek)
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In the Star Trek fictional universe, assimilation is the process by which the cybernetic Borg use to integrate a being into the collective structure. The process is started by a Borg drone injecting nanoprobes into the target's neck using the drone's assimilation-tubule. When the nano-probes are injected into a body, they start to transform the body cell by cell. The process can be treated as an initialization procedure of a drone.
The nanoprobes by themselves are able to incorporate an individual into the Borg collective and assemble some macroscopic cybernetic implants, but many larger-scale accessories (such as tool-laden artificial arms and specialized sensors) are subsequently installed by more conventional surgical means. In the early Borg episode Best of Both Worlds Captain Picard's assimilation appeared to follow a different pattern than was seen in later episodes.