Information, history, and symbolism regarding the Reclamation Project's cubical insignia
The brightest object on a Reclamation Project staffer's dark uniform is none other than the golden, cube-like insignia of a badge. Shining against their identification harness' hieroglyphic language, it is a few millimeters larger than an average Starfleet delta, though it serves similar purposes as a communicator and transport signal emitter/locator. Created three years before the Ohniakan Accords of 2379, the original artwork that circulated throughout the Progenitors for community-wide approval was created by an xB named Goval: a Progenitor who took to graphic design as a form of art-assisted therapy, and whose ever-growing catalogue of works recall the abstract designs of 20th century Terran artist Yusaku Kamekura.
Symbology Breakdown
The following graphic briefly dissects the symbolism of the Reclamation Project's insignia (with visual key labels elaborated below):
a. This section of the badge signifies space: in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Serving as a backdrop for the "cube of individuality" that carries the Reclamation Project's "body" and Ohniakan solar system, this space not only represents the galaxy that the Reclamation Project scours to help reclaim more xBs, but also symbolizes the vacuum-like silence every xB will pass through when separated from the Collective. It's no coincidence that the "stars" are the same color as the cube's golden half, signifying how xB genesis is intertwined with the cosmos (and how those same stars will always hold some sort of contemplative reflection on emptiness).
b. This ominous, lessened half of the badge's main body signifies the Borg Collective in all its perpetual, assimilating endurance. The dark presence affirms the reality that the Borg-influenced nature of xBs will always be part of xBs; that this aspect of their society and personhood is irremovable, and how it inevitably completes the other half of the golden cube. But this half is bisected by the individual cube's "rising tail" and is in the process of melding with the golden cube, its looming mass segmented by the same gold coloring to show that the Collective is made up of kindred "units" that could one day also be liberated.
c. A rather straightforward segment, the golden half of the cube represents the Liberated Borg Cooperation. It has more dimension shown at its top/side to show the xB community's strength that supports the rising individual, helping overcome and balance the Collective's darker, more foreboding half on the badge.
d. Rising above the badge's main body, the small cube represents the "self." Emerging from the silence of space and both sides of the cube, this stand-in for an individual is colored with the same gold of the Cooperation's badge half, though it does bear the dark shadow of the Collective underneath. As the individual hoists their home and work upwards in its body, it embodies the Cooperation's motto: "Individuality's Needs, Community's Many."
e. With these simple glyphs, every xB carries with them a small snapshot of home and the institution they work for. Surrounding a brilliant star, these four dots not only represent the number of planets in the Ohniakan system, but also the four departments of the Reclamation Project. The star unites them as one cohesive body, despite their differences, and their placement in the "individual" cube represents how each staffer carries both the mission of the Reclamation Project and spirit of Ohniaka III itself.
Longevity, Conclusion
Unlike Starfleet's ever-morphing delta (and uniform fashions), the Reclamation Project's sigil has not changed its design since its introduction into public records in 2379. Their dedication to this design upholds a very xB-like "efficiency," true, but its long-lasting iconography might also be due to the fact that the symbol itself is associated with many personal revelations that unify Ohniaka III's former Borg. During their rehabilitations, xBs no doubt see this symbol very often in Reclamation Project facilities, who might begin to associate it with staffers who help uplift, heal, and nurture their once Collective-addled minds into the world of individuality.
To liberated Borg, perhaps this insignia is less of a "badge design," and moreso an approach towards living life itself: upheld by the Reclamation Project's eternal work, and thereby woven into xB personhood itself.
AN: this badge is available for purchase here from the author's personal storefront. The Ohniaka III Project's insignia had its core design inspired from Star Trek Online's Cooperative faction badge (possibly designed by Matt Highison), given out on their First Contact Day celebration event.
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