Then, having surveyed the ship's weakened defensive capabilities, the Borg vessel demands the surrender of the U.S.S. Enterprise. When Picard refuses, a short but fierce battle ensues, leaving both ships badly damaged and 18 Enterprise crew members dead. Desperate to learn more about this seemingly invincible enemy, Picard sends an Away Team to investigate the Borg ship, which is controlled by the collective minds of all the Borg, rather than by an individual leader.

When Data reports that the Borg are busy repairing their vessel, Picard quickly orders the Away Team to beam back so that the U.S.S. Enterprise can make its escape while the aliens are dormant. But as soon as the ship begins moving, the Borg give chase.

With the Borg vessel gaining on the U.S.S. Enterprise, Q appears on the bridge to taunt Picard with insults about the inadequacies of the starship. As the Borg close in and prepare to finish off the ship and crew, Picard admits to Q that he needs his help. Delighted with the captain's confession, Q instantly hurls the Enterprise out of the remote part of the galaxy and back to safety.

The aliens who infiltrated Starfleet in the episode "Conspiracy" were originally part of the whole Borg storyline (as well as the starbases disappearing in the following episode "Neutral Zone"). However, once the writers and producers worked out what the Borg were, the tie to the aliens was dropped. This was revealed in the text commentary on the fan pick Borg DVD set.