Headscratchers / Star Trek: The Next Generation S5E23 "I Borg"

• The episode both establishes that Borg have designations instead of names and also references the fact that Picard had a name when he was assimilated. No one ever acknowledges that Picard's case was different in this respect or that the rule is not universal.
• This episode is quite explicit that this is either the first encounter with the Borg after The Best of Both Worlds or any encounter in between was another attack by the Borg. Most of the staff (including Troi) consider the Feds to be in an active state of war with the Borg. Why do they not consider that this scout ship might just be part of a new invasion?
  • It is possible this was conversation that happened off screen, an intentional writing decision to avoid that question and keep the focus on Hugh's evolution as an individual.
  • They do make it clear that the vessel that Hugh was in was a small probe, that there were only five Borg on board, which likely would be about the same size vessel that came to recover the debris and Hugh. The Borg are known to be based in the Delta Quadrant, and it seems at this point that Starfleet does not know in any significant detail of the Borg transwarp networks, meaning that the assumption of Starfleet could be that the Borg were bound by conventional warp travel, and that the small probe ships would not indicate an immediate threat.
• How did the Enterprise develop the capability to whip up an attack against the Borg that they don't have the slightest doubt will utterly destroy them? And in a few days if not hours? Again, the script is explicit that they are coming up with this on the fly.
  • The Enterprise and her crew are the most knowledgeable Starfleet vessel on the Borg, which would likely include analysis of both the implants that Doctor Crusher removed from Picard after his assimilation and her analysis of Hugh himself. It at least provides reason for confidence.
  • Moreover, as we would see on Voyager, the Borg habit of responding to significant issues to the Collective is to isolate the impacted vessel and self-destruct, which likely suggests that for all Data and Geordi's confidence in their plan, they could very easily have been wrong. But you don't tell your superior officer, who is dead-set on eliminating an existential enemy, that you're not sure of the plan you're presenting to him working when he asks for it.
• In the Borg invasion of 2367, the Enterprise is hit multiple times with a laser slicing into the engineering hull. Geordi evacuates engineering and says they lost a lot of good people. Why does he not seem to have the slightest moment of anger here, or even recollection of the events?
  • Geordi is extremely compassionate and ethical, yet comes up with a virus to genocide the Borg initially without the slightest qualm or hesitation. He's too professional to go on an emotional rant, but I think it is safe to say he remembers all of that quite well.