Abstract
The prime optimism of Star Trek, and by implication of humans, is that all able-minded people are capable of speculating about the absolute and the desire to know the absolute is common to the vast majority of us. It is this shared desire that, according to Star Trek, can be basis for human political, social unity. Therefore, the Borg and zombies are a profound threat to this project of unity and they represent the frightening end of the historic quest to gain absolute knowledge.