BORG

NEO-NATAL DRONES

Some drones are biologically grown from various early stages, including the foetal stage, in "maturation chambers". Assimilated children are placed in these chambers for 17 cycles [#80 Mortal Coil]. Maturation chambers are seen in [#96 Drone] and [#136 Collective]. See also Borg vulnerability with reference to a group of neo-natal drones.

Seven by a pair of Borg maturation chambers [Collective]

Borg incubation pod [Collective]

Neo-natal drones, although these are not fully matured e.g. their thorassic nodes have not yet formed; they are immature because their maturation chambers malfunctioned and opened early [Collective]

The maturation chambers are designed to develop not just the physical bodies of drones-to-be but their mental state. Seven explains to Janeway in [Collective]: "When I was first captured by the Borg I was young and frightened. I watched my parents assimilated. Then I was placed in a maturation chamber and the Hive mind began to restructure my synaptic pathways, purge my individuality. When I emerged five years later, the turmoil of my forced assimilation had been replaced with order."