Challenge #02255-F065: We Welcome
The Hive of _________ could rule themself lucky. Enough food, no immediate threats and a happy broodmother.
All is well and quiet, until they need to integrate a human onboard one of their ships.
Even the drones are confused. They don't have a hive-system? They aren't born with their duties and jobs?
Just some casual integration on a Hiveship. What could go wrong? -- Anon Guest
Ysoptae Hive Identity Flitterfell was informed that they had to welcome a non-Ysopt into their Hiveship. Special dimensions were sent to them, making their burrows larger so this outsider could have access to all function areas. Speculation ran rampant amongst the subgroups of the hivemind. The argument about what sort of colony these enlargements could accommodate. The discussion of the idea 'singular'.
Outsiders, non-hives, used 'singular'. They didn't say we are, they said, I am. They were not us, they were me. They were not many, they were one. It was impossible. Every intelligence recognised that many were needed for decent cogent functioning. How could an individual exist without assignment on hatching towards the purpose of the all-function?
They would, they collectively supposed, find out soon. The Hiveship docked with an Outsider station and the Flitterfell readied themselves to welcome... their guest. This was a 'one', with Outsider configurations for higher gravity. Files from the Outsiders indicated that this was a 'petite' form of Human. A sample chosen from the greater conglomerate for their ability to... fit... They were known as Yang. They had no broodmother. They had no colonial subjugates. They had... they had no team.
Human Yang stayed still as the Flitterfell swarmed over their livesuit. "Hello, Flitterfell," they said. "I have come amongst you in the offer of greater understanding and co-operation amongst the Galactic Alliance.
Flitterfell was stunned by there being a One amongst the many. Groups formed to ask interested questions. Rude questions, they had to collectively admit, but the learning process accepted by the Alliance was a period of rude questions. Accepted by both parties.
"You are really one?"
"Yes. There's only one of me. Are all of you this size? You're no bigger than my momma's cat."
They let the comment and comparison slide. "Negatory. Our broodmother is slightly larger than you. Soldiers are twice the size of these workers. Is livesuit vital necessity?"
"It is until my biota is checked out versus your biota. I still have to wear an exo to keep my muscles and bone density in your lower gravity, regardless. Can I... pet you?"
Now that was a Human reaction. Reach out and touch the entire universe, one creature at a time. Tactile information was very important for Humans. "We allow this."
Human Yang was very careful about running their manipulating digits across Flitterfell carapaces. One shared with many. "This is... pleasant." It was similar to hive-group body contact, but not quite. As part of the orientation process, Flitterfell lead Human Yang into the Wellness Section of the Hiveship, where special groups assessed Yang and their accompanying biota for access to the ship, and vice versa.
All was well. No adverse reactions were expected. Therefore, Flitterfell swarmed in order to accustom themself with Yang's Outsider scent. They would learn, in time, many curious things.
Humans were not made for one task. They could choose career paths and adapt to situations, thus making them exchange units of choice amongst the Galactic Alliance. Humans could mimic sounds they heard with varying degrees of success and, in fact, Human Yang could pass at a copy of some choice Ysoptae phrases before a Standard Month was done.
Human Yang, and all humans, could exchange tasks in seconds. They could go from collecting resources to defending the Hive with alarming rapidity. Afterwards, they would return to resource collecting as if nothing had interrupted them at all.
Humans were peculiar. However, Flitterfell was willing to recognise that they were also exceedingly useful.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / defun]
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This would be neat to see. A ship like this.