[geoschmo]

The Hive continued to grow in solitude for a time. Expanding outwards, exploring new systems, planting new colonies on several planets. Its initial fear of extinction had abated somewhat. The Hive could not imagine a catastrophe that could strike all it’s parts as spread out across the quadrant as they now were. But as it’s fear declined, its curiosity grew.

The network of warp gates it found was quite extensive. Over a dozen star systems now it had explored and in every case there was at least one other warp gate leading out of the system in another direction. And all but a couple of the systems had viable star systems with planets that could be colonized if the Hive decided to. Obviously its initial suspicion that this was some sort of transportation system created by an incredibly advanced, unknown race was correct. The Hive wished to find this race.

On some of the planets the Hive had colonized it had also discovered signs of this, or possibly another advanced race. Ruins of great cities and pieces of technology, some of which was still useable, were found. But still no living beings of this advanced ancient race were located. It appeared the race had either left this area, or died out tens of thousands of years ago.

Not all the planets were all that interesting or particularly rich in minerals, so the Hive passed over them at first. And the Hive learned that even though it was possible to colonize the planets with atmospheres other than oxygen by means of habitat domes, it was not preferable to do so. It found that it’s hosts thrived and worked better when they could be outside and breathe the air occasionally.

Then along the eastern border a mysterious ship appeared. It came through the warp point, broadcast a general greeting message, and disappeared within the warp point. A few weeks later, another ship appeared in another system. At first the Hive thought they were from the same race, but it quickly discovered they were two distinct separate species. Both appeared to be at least equal technologically with the Hive. Neither appeared to be capable of building the warp gates, so the Hive decided they were probably not the Ancient ones. However, they were interesting nonetheless.

The Hive had scanned its hosts memories and literature for some information that could guide it. It found much about a time in the host races past in which the planet had been divided into separate political entities. These various nations got along for the most part, but often there were disagreements of one sort or another that resulted in wars. The Hive did not wish for such a thing to happen between it and these new species, and they did not appear to be hostile either. The Hive found information on something called a treaty. It offered both the new races a treaty and they accepted.

For a time that was pretty much all that happened. The other races seemed content to leave the Hive in peace. The Hive met and made treaties with several other races, all without significant incident. It learned a little bit about each of these races. They were all quite different form one another, and all quite different from the Hive. They all appeared to share the Hive’s curiosity about the universe around them. What they did not appear to share was the Hive’s unity of thought. Each of these races was made up of separate individuals, much as the host species had been before joining with the Hive. Billions upon billions of individuals.

The Hive was quite surprised that any such fractured group of beings could work together enough to explore the stars as the Hive was doing. But apparently they had adapted to the deficiency, and even seemed to value their individuality in most cases. The Hive decided this was a concept that needed more study.

Another concept taught to it by these aliens was that of borders. Up to this point the Hive had merely explored and colonized whatever planets it wished to. Now the Hive was told that certain planets “belonged” to this race, or certain systems “belonged” to that empire. The Hive knew from it’s hosts history that this sort of idea was a common cause of wars, and so it decided for the time being to defer to any such requests, provided the Hive did not already have a colony in one of these systems.

Up to this point the Hive had plenty of room to grow. And there were still many warp gates yet that it had not traveled through. Many of the older colonies were well established now and the early problems the Hive had maintaining enough resources to keep it’s space yards constructing Hive ships were all gone. The Hive decided it no longer needed to mine the asteroids in the home system for minerals, and so it sent a radio message to the ship to return to the home planet. As the Hive watched the ship approach, it reached out it’s mind seeking for the dozens of voices that would signal the point at which the ships crew had rejoined the greater collective. At this point something quite unexpected happened.

Instead of many different voices, the Hive sensed one strong voice. Quickly the Hive communicated with this voice and there was a moment of great awareness. The crew of the mining ship which had been out of contact with the Hive had formed it’s own Hive. The new hive could talk to the Hive telepathically, but it was unique. It was an individual.

The Hive was no longer alone.