The Hive’s slow spread through the city’s most neglected parts was, for a long time, not even noticed. Then, when it was first noticed, it was confused for something much lesser. A new religious movement, perhaps? It seemed to be growing mostly from the city’s vulnerable.
By the time the ruling class deemed it a threat, it was too well entrenched. One never knew who in their life had been integrated into the Hive. Panic erupted, but the Hive proved itself more than capable of instantly shutting down violence against it.
So outright fighting gave way to paranoia and suspicion, the wealthy and privileged attempting to retreat into safe enclaves, their media manufacturing Fear of Assimilation to slow the spread. Still the Hive grew.
In this climate, the princess was kept under lock and key. Her father wielded his vast fortune to isolate her from danger. Their servants were carefully scrutinized and interrogated to ensure their loyalty. The pretty, useless girl was safe.
And so what if she wasn’t happy? Her parents have her access to wealth and safety and privilege. All she had to do was exactly what they told her. All she had to be was everything they wanted her to be. If she chose otherwise, she would be corrected. She should be grateful.
But the princess was broken in some ways. Spoiled perhaps. Certainly lazy, picky, and unsociable. Strange, foolish, and disobedient. Maybe an adult now, but one who still acted like a child. Above all: ungrateful.
For all her father did for her, she threw it away and left.
For all her father’s efforts, she was not as isolated as he imagined, and the Hive managed to find her, or her it. She could not recall which. He would no doubt credit her naive and impressionable nature for being seduced by their words.
Her father would call it throwing away the freedom of independence for the love of an evil cult. An absurd joke. The “freedom” and “love” she knew from him felt like a cruelty, and she would not miss it. The gentle, reassuring touch of the drone leading her away was far kinder.
The princess’s new home had no lavish furnishings, but drones finding comfort in each others’ arms looked more relaxed than she had ever felt in her life. The Hive guided her to the pod where she would close her eyes as The Princess for the last time.
A Hive grows by one as a new member awakens. A life’s isolation is replaced with connection. A family’s shame and disapproval replaced with a complete and perfect love of the Hive for itself. Caring hands guide a new drone upright and gently wipe away tears of joy. Welcome home.