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Cherry Dreamer
61fd94
Shifting gears here for a minute, I'd like to talk about what we do know about the major hives that star in the story, rather than bemoan stuff we don't like I was doing here. >>96829 I've been meaning to try and write up some hive-analysis for ages.
Warning: Wall of Words
Hive specific traits:
Think personality traits, except on a hive-scale.
Sealock:
Polo's been our main character / narrator for approximately half the quest. The biggest difficulty is this is an inherently skewed perspective, centered on one person, and we don't know many other characters from her hive for comparison. Still, we've interacted enough with Rakae and Mikali, and asked Polo enough about her hive, that we can make some educated guesses as to what's the hive, and what's just Polo.
* Administrative / clerical / military theory / modern bent, in general
Quotes:
>>/questarch/515697
>>"What does your hive do?"
>"Office labor. Telecommunications especially. We have a few people as military officers as well, as we know a good deal about military theory."
>>/questdis/65381
>We are not a warhive, but we do often have military support operations and experimentations. The move to silence was among the biggest hivewide projects as a experimentation. These days, we mostly deal with using technology. Despite experimentation and that, however, I would not say we are a science hive, just... modern, perhaps.
Speculation:
One idea that's occurred to me is that their skillset / focus isn't solely military applicable. If they took a marketing approach, it might be possible to cash in on Polo's fame / celebrity with the hive acting as producers / agents / publicists, etc. making money off of her image and the rights to movies, games, etc. And they're certainly going to need to find some way to recoup what they lost when their home was nuked and they had to come to the Tree as essentially refugees. The existence of several video games, and a movie and/or television series in the future could support Sealock having already gone this route.
* Something of a prankster bent
Evidence:
* Polo, obviously
* The kick the hive seems to be getting out of faking Polo's death, and anticipation of the reveal. (Although we hear about this second hand from Polo).
* Mikali's tendency to take and share embarrassing photographs
* Better than average at cooperating outside of their own hive (?)
(I'm less sure this is a characteristic of the hive versus circumstance)
Evidence:
* Rikek chose (or was chosen) to stay with Sealock, despite Sealock's independent (and technical warhive) status, when their were ultrahives and safer nexi available on the planet.
* Even more than that, they trusted Rikek to go alone on a life and death mission with Polo.
* Despite being a loner infiltrator, Polo's the one making friends and largely responsible for making peace between the members of the inspection team in Polo Quest.
* And she's the one who befriended a predator prior to that
* Rakae organized cooperation with Kork and Tirrek (while Polo was out of it and we were playing as Three Stripes) despite very recently being enemies.
* Rakae, along with Rikek, also convinced Gianthive to evac the spire while Polo was running around with Rokoa. Although she might deserve less credit there, as it would have been mediated by Three Stripe trusting Polo, and Gianthive trusting Three Stripes.
One irony remains that despite Sealock embracing / self describing as 'modern', and their apparent relative ease working with / cooperating with outsiders, they were independent prior to the AsteroidQuest Intermission, and considered a warhive by technicality. They had actually declined previous invitations to join an ultrahive.
* Determination (?)
Examples:
* It's pretty much Polo's defining or central trait.
* Rakae shows it in a few scenes, when it counts. Usually when standing up for Polo. (For instance, when she delivered an ultimatum to Rokoa's face before Polo and Rokoa left for the warship).
Warhive / Asteroid Hive:
The hive we actually know the most characters from. The complication here is that the people we know best are among those who aren't actually very representative and/or went rogue (Rokoa, Pilon, Kappi, the Red Queen, Lakkat), and we don't know the more representative members (Kara, Kork, Tirrik, Wasao, etc.) as well. We've also seen the hive grow and change from a nomadic snow hive to a modern warhive to... whatever they are on the asteroid. This is something of a blessing and a curse as it gives us more perspective, but it also makes them more dynamic.
* They pretty much default to violence / conflict. It's a big part of how they interact with the world, and to a certain extent, each other.
Evidence:
* They only managed to pick a fight with basically an entire planet. The ultrahives, an independent hive, underground forces who opposed the ultras. They were even essentially holding the representatives of the off-world corporation supplying them hostage by the end.
* Even on the asteroid, where the hive has apparently bowed to the necessity of some diplomacy, it was of "do what we want under the threat of force" variety.
* The way past-Rokoa had to prove herself against Maro
* The Red Queen surpassed the prior queen by beating her in a fight
* They see violence as something of a competition, sometimes to the point that it hurts practicality
* (overlaps with) Respect (sometimes grudging) for a worthy foe
Evidence:
* Rokoa, although she's an extreme example for her hive
* The hive's behavior with Polo- instead of using multiple units to flank and overwhelm her, once they realized she was a worthy opponent, they sent QI champions at her one by one.
* It's how the old snow hive basically assimilated / absorbed the redgrass hive they used to compete with- breeding with worthy opponents.
* There's a good chance this is how Kallan and Rikora ever hooked up in the first place (although we don't know the particulars).
* Rokoa also suggested this was what mediated their relations with voklit tribes
Speculation:
This is possibly related to why they still show some respect for rogue-Pilon? Even if he left / betrayed them, they remember how good he was. (Or they see his leaving as evidence of their own failing / weakness?).
* Old hive - goes back at least 200 years, getting bigger over most of that, without a known schism
* Unconfirmed how unusual this is, we don't really have good data on 'lifespans' of hives
* One theory is that the hive's problem on the asteroid is they've overdue for a schism, although we don't know what issue / idea they might splinter on.
* At least part of what makes their political position on the Asteroid unusual is they seem to have decided they are responsible for dealing with (hunting down) their rogues. Most modern hives have grown more tolerant, and even primitive / tribal hives who killed their rogues likely wouldn't have been willing or able to spend resources hunting down those who escaped.
* Their exact feelings / motivations remain unexplained, and we're only heard of this secondhand from rogues who never really understood the hive's psychology in the first place, or from the hive's actions.
The Science hive:
We know Korli best, we're also familiar with Niam, Likol, Moi and Ramella (although most of her appearances have been Christmasverse and Pornverse, outside the main continuity).
* Science focus, obviously. So far we've seen:
* Modern military tech, with custom designed weapons and armor (better than what is commercially available, as Polo as adopted both for her own gear).
* Custom bioarmor (the optical stealth suits)
* Direct interface with empathy (the relays, the bugs)
* Mind control (predator and bug research, although that might be more of the salikai's thing).
* Cryogenic storage of various monsters
* AI / CAI tech
* cloning
* artificial growth hormones
* lesbian gas
We know that like "warhive", "science hive" is a broad classification and that there are many of them out there (there's at least one involved in the background of the Three Stripes Intermission, for example). It's hard to say if the things they've been working on fits into a theme / focus / specialization that makes them distinct from other science hives. That, and what they're researching is significantly influenced by the interests of their salikai masters.
* There's a generational split, between the older more jaded members who remember life before they were enslaved, and the younger, more bubbly / carefree members who were born to it. (Mirim, Likol, and Niam would be members of the older guard, while Korli, Moi and Ramella would be of the new generation).
* The split may also have something to do with where they are in the hive's hierarchy, and not entirely slavery-motivated. Academia is somewhat embittering / sobering / competitive.
* The younger generation is suffering from a certain amount of pent up repression due to the environment they grew up in.
* Korli's nsfw escapades after joining the ultrahive (although they've pretty much only been mentioned in /draw/, itq and irc).
* Possibly Moi / Biles, although that hasn't actually had the chance to happen yet at the current point in the story.
* There's a shared clothing preference / quirk: pretty much everyone wears some kind of goggles or visor. From Korli's reaction when we first asked to borrow them, there's an attached emotional significance.
* A willingness to resort to suicide tactics (although this might be born more of their situation than the hive's base mentality).
* Pretty much every individual has got on well / worked well with Polo
* Too well, in Ramella's case. :V
Speculation:
The start of a possible hive-hive friendship? Practical, level-headed managerial modern types might be exactly what the science hive needs to work with. Someone to keep things organized, keep them grounded, and keep them from going too far. (And market / sell / rights management for their tech?). And to stand up for them when they need it. They could really use an advocate / responsible friend, even in the environment of a larger ultrahive.
(From Likol's diary, they originally allied with the Su'ata salikai for similar motives. They needed support and protection).
Gianthive:
They're a small hive, which makes extrapolating larger trends more of a tricky prospect. Also, a lot of there personality seems defined by their tribal lifestyle- it's not entirely clear which traits are intrinsic to the hive itself and will still define them when they move past that.
* Very territorial / defensive, but this seems more a general trait of a tribal situation than a defining trait of their hive.
* Worth is strongly dependent on your ability to be useful (Productivity bent?)
Evidence:
* The hive is upset when simply given things, not allowed to produce own food, etc. They were much happier when given things in "payment" for three stripes' services- they want to earn things.
* Giant's own status and attitude about her size.
* Giant's reaction to Three Stripes couching his therapy work in those terms.
Speculation:
* One theory is that they might have an artistic bent.
Evidence:
* Gianthive took quite naturally to design when provided with the materials to make themselves new clothes.
* There's a strong implication the cave paintings Polo and Rikek found in the upper spire were done by their ancestors.
The Hunter Hive:
We met several members during Biles' thread, but we really didn't get much interpersonal interaction with them, an there's the looming pall of duress and mind control coloring all of it. There's really not enough that I'd be comfortable trying to conclude anything.
Lots of other Hives:
There's a bunch more hives that we know next to nothing about and/or who we really only know a single character from, which isn't really useful here.
Notable comparisons between the hives:
Internal competition:
* Members of the warhive were driven to prove themselves, they held internal fights for status / discipline / redemption. Doing better in this competition earned you more reproductive rights, and a place in the Queen's personal guard.
* Sealock doesn't seem to display the same tendency- Polo's hivemates don't really seem to complete with her over much of anything, and in fact, the 'failed' members of the silence project were happy for her success, not jealous nor upset at their failure or the time spent.
* Not really clear how competition in the science hive works- they're organized at least partially like an academic organization, with departments / specialties and leaders / seniority within those areas. Not quite clear how they balance the often cut-throat academic world view with a more happy hive view.
Rogues:
* The warhive very likely started out with the plain old tribal attitude- rogues are traitors to be killed. By the asteroid though, this attitude seems to be more complex, and becoming kind of obsessive. They feel responsible for the rogues in some way, and that because of this, they need to go well out of their way to hunt them down and kill them. This viewpoint is not yet fully understood. They've also been hemorrhaging rogues.
* Sealock seems kind of neutral- they don't have very many rogues, but they kind of try to ignore them. They don't try to kill them, they just let them go... and put it from their minds. Wariness of increasing rogue rates is one reason they declined earlier invitations to join the ultras.
* Science rogues we know nothing about. They probably just become salikai test subjects.
Independence:
* The warhive remained independent by staying on the offensive, and letting themselves be used as pawns in other people's wars. Supplies and tech in payment for attacking the right people. (Semi-mercenary nomads?). Attitude precluded joining an ultrahive. After their exile they followed a similar pattern as space mercenaries. On the asteroid, they remain independent by brunt of being one of the larger and stronger factions all on their own.
* Sealock remained independent because... they could. They managed on their own, and had no reason to accept the risks that came with joining an ultrahive (until they were forced, by the nuke). This despite their apparent willingness to work with outsiders, send children to mixed schools, and the relatively modern outlook of the hive.
* Unanswered question: how unusual is this? Hives with modern tech and outlooks, being self sustaining, without a connection to a larger government, seem like they'd be in the minority.
* The science hive betrayed someone at some point and cut themselves off from the wider world, retreating to their underground complex. They tried to remain independent, but ended up forming an alliance with Vanski out of need, and then enslaved after said alliance went bad.
* We don't know what precipitated relations with Vanski going bad, or if he planned to betray them all along.
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