Challenge #04673-L289: One in a Million

A drone from a hive mind is mistakenly left behind when the scouting party leaves the planet behind. Now an entity which has never conceived of a singular identity must survive in a wilderness. -- Deathshead419

We are Xaqi, and we seek knowledge. We seek resources without conflict. Harm to the hive is harm to all with the swarm, we are one. We know us. We sense all of us. It is as it has always been.

Until now.

We cannot sense our swarm any more. There was panic, and rushing for safety and... silence. We cannot feel our others. We cannot sense... the rest of us. There are... none. No... others. We have no words for this feeling.

We know 'cold', and 'afraid', and 'numb', though the last has only applied to our own body. This is... a numbness of the hive. We... this body... cannot feel the swarm.

We are this body. Not the many.

We have food. We have water. There is shelter, but it is too big for this body. It should be warm with the bodies of the many. There is just one body, this body, and it is not enough to warm us. We had to rest in the emergency medical revival chamber for one body suffering improper temperature extremes.

We searched, trying to find the rest of us. There were none. No bodies. No trace. No launch vehicle to take us back to the large hive-ship. We tried signalling them, but there was no answer. We must have left. We must have left this one.

We did find other visitors. Those outside the hive. Humans. The deadliest Deathworlders known to intelligent life. It would be madness to seek them out. At best, we could hope for a swift end. And yet, without the hive... we are not Xaqi. We only know how to be Xaqi.

We took an offering to the edge of their perimeter, not knowing why we took it. Were we telling them we were valuable? Were we trying to become part of their hive. Did Deathworlders have hives at all?

They were strange. Large. Bulky. They had to make an artificial carapace. We signed to them. Simple signals. See us. We are harmless. Look, no weapons.

They did not speak to their hivemates like we do. They used loud sounds, not signs. They kept pointing limbs at us. But they also took us in. They accepted our offerings.

And they spent cycles upon cycles trying to contact the hive. To find other Xaqi. They did their best to help us, and they gave us new words. Alone. I. Me.

We are not sure yet, if we should use them.

[Photo by Boba Jaglicic on Unsplash]

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