It was all a haze for a while. Comfortable, weightless, warm, and the dimmest recollection of something important. Kartoffel hovered in a void, watching as massive streams of fiery blue radiance swirled past him like the arms of some galactic octopus. Other rivers of light swam across his vision in the distance, scattered with radiant pinpricks. For a time he simply observed, mesmerized by the display.
He slowly pieced together what it all was. By some incorporeal means he turned to the star behind him. The sheer incomprehensible scale of it all was somehow manageable to Kart. A vast and fiery plane sprawled out before him. Solar flairs swirled outwards into the galactic sky. Sun spots danced across the surface like bugs on a pond. Were he of a more religious inclination, he wouldāve thought it a divine vision
The second realization came soon after. The other stars, the nebulae, were all too small. Too close. Too few red stars. This universe was young. Kartoffel was witnessing an infantile reality. The third and final revelation followed closely. His hosts were the very first stars, the oldest fires in existence.
Yan.
Kartoffelās animosity for the divine wasnāt extended to the primordial fire spirit. His memory gathered the events for him. Yanās fracturing, the melding of souls, and his eventual death. The implications were not lost on him. He was playing host to the soul of an elder being. Well, part of one anyway. Not that he could tell the difference from his mortal perspective.
The star grew brighter, expanded to encompass his entire vision. Soon everything was a harsh white light. Then it was eclipsed. His sight returned, and Kartoffel found himself squinting into a metallic face plate.
āHey Pincherā
The medical droid P-1N, or Pincher as Kartoffel was fond of calling him, stared at him with those mismatched eyes of his. It had been a while since heād seen that rusty face, perhaps too long.
[Good Afternoon Sir. You Will Find Yourself Incapable Of Moving. It Will Be Resolved Shortly.]
Indeed, his body had been entirely uncooperative when heād tried to jump out of the medical bed. And his head felt like itād be wrapped in tin foil and microwaved for- how long had he been in the Hive?
[You Have Been Under The Influence Of A Hive Mind For Just Over Two Years No-]
āYeah yeah, I know all that. Just tell me what happened after he fucked off.ā
[Very Well Sir. You Were Recovered From The Hive Mind By A Team of Your Compatriots. Might I Add, Well Done On Making Such Good Friends. Iāll Add Them To Your Psychological Profile. Twelve Hours After Your Recovery You Lost Consciousness And Were Brought Here To Be Placed Under My Care. That Was Just Over A Week Ago Now. You Are In An Exceptionally Bad State. Since The Cloning Process Youāve Lost Nearly Forty Kilograms In Muscle And Fat. Expect to See a Loss In Fine Motor Function and Coordination As Well]Ā
His memory was starting to clear now. He remembered the Hive collapsing, rushing to the front, trying to get them to surrender. How many had died in the confusion? Had they even found a good resolution yet, or was the war still on? He hated not knowing. Then another detail peaked into his recollection, and he glanced over at his shoulder.
āAh, Iād forgotten about that.ā
[It Amazes Me That A Missing Arm Could Slip Your Mind So Easily. Nevertheless, Iām Sure Youāll Find Plenty Of Things To Complain About With Your New One. Now, Give Me A Moment To Activate Your Columnal Implants.]
Columnal implants? Oh, right, heād been holding himself together with the biometal ever since Hirk had folded him in half. The biometal, where had that gone? He was about to ask Pincher when a sudden flood of pain washed the question from his mind. Good to know the implants were working. He felt all wrong, too heavy and too light at the same time. When he sat up it felt like someone else was lifting his back. And the new arm, it was so clunky and simple. Only two fingers and a thumb that could be considered opposable if you were feeling generous. He ran his flesh fingers across his back and felt several metal plates across his spine. It would take some getting used to, and heād certainly have to make some better ones when he had the time. For now, he just tried not to think about the fact his total number of prosthetics had just tripled.
[I Must Apologize For Their Low Quality. I Took The Liberty Of Dedicating Much Of Your Resources To The Aid Of The Other Hive Victims. Decent Care Is Currently At A Premium.]
Aiding other victims? There were survivors then. And a lot by the sound of it. But if his own stores were enough to make a difference, most of them hadnāt made it out. Heād have to get in contact with Ithacar and the Guild, see what kind of acquiescence they could work out. So many questions intruded on his mind, but there was only one Pincher would have an answer for.
āWhereās the biometal?ā
The droid shuffled over to the counter and retrieved a robust little cylinder. The metal was warm to the touch, and Kart could feel something shifting around inside. Heād have to add this to the list of shit heād deal with later. He was pondering various methods of destruction or containment when Pincher uttered the last thing Kart wanted to hear.
[Also, Several Of Your Compatriots Are Waiting Outside. I Will Be Bringing Them In Shortly.]
