Archival debrief of the Reclamation Project's first Executive Director and Director Second: Hugh [the First of Us] & Crosis [the Prodigal One]
Analysis Data
Executive Director [Progenitor] Hugh [the First of Us]
› AGE: Incepted Stardate 45854.2 | 05 May 2368, physical age ~55 Terran years
› CITIZENSHIPS: Liberated Borg Cooperation (LBC), United Federation of Planets (UFP)
› SPECIES: Borg-created humanoid, [▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇]
Director Second [Progenitor] Crosis [the Prodigal One]
› AGE: Incepted Stardate 45359.63 | 11 May 2368, physical age ~52 Terran years
› CITIZENSHIPS: Liberated Borg Cooperation (LBC), United Federation of Planets (UFP)
› SPECIES: Borg-created humanoid, el-Aurian
Overview
"It seems paradoxical to say that the Liberated Borg Cooperation has elder statesmen, let alone statesmen of any kind. And yet, there they are: the first of the few, and the voice of the many."
— Dr. Saiorse Pearse, 2386
Once embittered rivals that led the two opposing political factions of Ohniaka III's original former Borg clade, Executive Director Hugh and Director Second Crosis are among the Alpha Quadrant's first documented xBs and currently serve as the Reclamation Project's first major leaders. Their policies have already been hailed as foundational cornerstones to the Reclamation Project's internal functions and core philosophies, enshrining the methodology by which it approaches its patients for generations of xBs to come. Outside their own historical significance as Progenitors, the two also serve as important political figures and ambassadors for the Liberated Borg Cooperation– present for every significant treaty the LBC has signed to date.
Progenitor Hugh [the First of Us]
As his "bestowed surname" suggests, Hugh is popularly considered one of the first — and most significant — former Borg in the Alpha Quadrant. The Enterprise-D returning Hugh to Cube 5219 after a 6-day separation period unwittingly caused a cascade effect that destroyed the vessel's central plexus, overloaded its queen unit, and severed the cube's entire complement from the Borg Collective within a week– causing many to consider Hugh to be "the spark that lit the LBC." Part of the original 1,265 that survived Cubesfall and the Cubesfall Massacre's following anguish, Hugh rejected the Soonien andorid Lore's synthetic supremacist teachings and proposed conquests when he arrived 3 months later– fleeing with likeminded others to form the "Reconnectionists" and combat Lore's "Order of the One" cult. With Hugh's group ruefully unsuccessful in their attempts to return to the Borg Collective, they hid and tended to fellow Progenitors discarded by the Order of the One's experimentations, until the Enterprise-D's intervention in 2369 to rescue an abducted Lt. Cmdr. Data. In a firefight between Starfleet personnel, Reconnectionists, and Order of the One members that resulted in Lore's deactivation, Crosis was gravely injured, and would have perished if not for Hugh's intervention.
Over a mutual deprogramming period, Hugh and Crosis helped dissolve their respective factions and unified to become the Liberated Borg Cooperation– working together to fortify their society during the Age of Isolation and onward. When it came time to formally establish the Reclamation Project after the first Reconstitution in 2378, Hugh was elected near-unanimously into the newly created Executive Director role– a role he "would not have taken without Crosis by his side." While the xBs of Ohniaka III strive to keep their societal institutions on an equity-based system of internal operations, Hugh's shepherding of the Reclamation Project has undoubtedly influenced the LBC into becoming the sentientarian and idyllic society it is today.
The Progenitor has been described as soft-spoken and kindhearted, yet resolute beyond all else– exhibiting a gentle, but firm nature in both Consultation appointments with xB patients and in trade negotiations with allied powers. Between being chosen to send the Cortical Plague emergency hail to the Federation in 2378, giving the Ohniakan Accords of 2379's commencement speech to the FNN, and participating as a fighter to earn the Klingon-given Talij Alliance of 2385, Hugh's significance as the LBC's "first xB" has thrust him into reoccurring roles of great political and historical import. Hugh continues to advocate the LBC fostering a strong relationship with the Federation– though has publicly condemned the Synthetic Ban of 2385, and actively discourages Ohniaka III ceding its sovereignty to other galactic powers. As the LBC has grown from its meager 1,200+ population into the 60,000+ society it is today, Hugh's leadership has helped the Reclamation Project adapt to everything from the 2391 Atlas Project to the up-and-coming Artifact Project– though his 20-year stint in this position may change with the approaching new century.*
*Editorial note, 10 May 2399: Following the Artifact Massacre tragedy, Hugh has taken a sabbatical leave from off-world Executive Director duties as he continues to recover from the RFS-sanctioned assassination attempt.
Progenitor Crosis [the Prodigal One]
Originally manufactured by and deployed with Cube 5219, Hugh's new regeneration alcove neighbor Crosis was one out of the 5,000-drone complement that retrieved and relinked Hugh to the Collective. As sapience dawned on his unit and Cube 5219 endured the "Progenitor's Anguish" period before Cubesfall, Crosis had a far more difficult time adjusting to individuality than Hugh did– lacking greater understanding of prolonged, singular life without the Enterprise-D crew's assistance. Although three months were spent trying to adjust to existence outside of (and trying to reconnect with) the Collective on Ohniaka III, the 1,332 surviving Progenitors soon had to contend with the Soonien android Lore crashlanding on their new homeworld– who quickly sought to control the xBs for his own gain once they helped repair him. Sensing a growing schism between Crosis and Hugh (who rejected Lore's synthetic supremacist message with the growing Reconnectionists coalition), Lore exacerbated their divide by brainwashing Crosis into becoming his primary attendant and enacting his will against dissenting Progenitors– led to believe that the android had leadership capabilities to usurp organic life and could surpass the Borg itself. In reality, Lore manipulated Crosis and other Order of the One cultists into facilitating experiments on Progenitors both living and deceased, as well as rebuilding his ship to stage an attack on the Enterprise-D and abduct Lt. Cmdr. Data by way of emotional coercion. Crosis was severely wounded during the final conflict that would see the end of Lore's reign and, during the disillusionment of both Reconnectionists and Order of the One members, he would spend most of it healing– in both physical recovery, and mental penance for his actions.
As the Age of Isolation began, Crosis would dedicate his life to the betterment of his people by way of refining the LBC's unique cornerstones of counseling former Borg drones. As an ex-cultist and el-Aurian, he is a gifted orator, listener, and possesses a keen sense of discernment in others– collaborating with Hugh and fellow Progenitors to form the Consultation block of the Reclamation Project's four foundational divisions. Though Starfleet was initially wary of the LBC Diplomacy Committee's inclusion of Crosis in diplomatic ventures and election as Director Second, Hugh would do nothing but advocate for his friend-turned-partner, and by February 2379 was acquitted of all Starfleet-issued charges. Though he primarily functions as Hugh's top assistant when not reviewing the Consultation Divison's internal psychology theories, Crosis himself states he is living proof that no xB is "too broken" for the Reclamation Project– even turning his original Lore-given name of "necrosis" from a dead optical nerve into a badge of reclamation itself.
Standing at 193cm and possessing strength equivalent to that of 3 Klingon warriors, Crosis' quiet and patient demeanor has been present at nearly every significant signing event the Cooperation has attended since 2378. A survivor of the xenophobic Deep Space 8 LBC Diplomacy Committee Bombings of 2380, close consort of the xB megastructure citizen Atlas, and "the trader of the Talarian Gauntlet" in 2390, "the Prodigal One" helps Executive Director Hugh shoulder day-to-day tasks the Reclamation Project might demand of his friend. Much like Hugh, Crosis supports maintaining strong ties with the Federation while retaining faction independence– though is more vocal in his disdain for the UFP's Synthetic Ban of 2385, as well as its recent "laissez-faire approach" to the Romulan Free State's complicity with xB trafficking. Considering his el-Aurian lifespan capability, it is unknown how long Crosis might live to be– but it is well understood that the Progenitor will carry his and Hugh's collaborated-on teachings as far into the future as time allows.*
*Editorial note, 10 May 2399: Following the Artifact Massacre tragedy, Crosis has extended his temporary role as Executive Director for Ohniaka III-based Reclamation Project operations, and will continue to do so until Hugh returns from medical leave-mandated sabbatical.
Conclusion
Hugh and Crosis have both played pivotal roles in the Liberated Borg Cooperation's history, and their reliance on each other as Reclamation Project co-directors, fellow Progenitors, and friends beyond the non-xB definition of the term is not to be understated. Reflecting the large percentage of xBs that identify as some form of non-monogamous and/or polyamorous, their bond is akin to that of Vulcan t'hy'las– setting the stage for a possibly-unique relational precedence with regards to future Executive Director and Director Second duos (should the positions remain after their retirements). The two have helped guide the Reclamation Project through Isolation, Reprisal, and Tumult– engraving themselves forever into the Liberated Borg Cooperation's foundational history.
AN: Hugh and Crosis' "Director's Portrait" was provided by Nasr Bin Safwan (@_tempvoid)! Please find more of their work at temporaryvoid.weebly.com or any other related social media!