In the depths of the Ursa tunnels, where no one could see his face, there was no need for Jinyi to project any expressions onto his blank visage. However, he was doing it anyway, seemingly slacking off from his factory job as he stared at his reflection in the smooth icy walls and adjusted the chromatophores ever-so slightly. A strikingly creepy impression of a two-dimension-ified bird's face was plastered over his face. The shadows by the raptor's hooked beak were off somehow, and he couldn't get them right.

Believe it or not, Drone Zero-Zero-Four Manager was actually deep in thought about how to better serve the Hive.

His skill with magic had grown since his days as a freshly-created Drone. However, in a cave system where plenty of Gembound had achieved the same or better mastery over their magic, he could still be better. There was a bird in Polaris who 'transcended' people, so to speak, giving them access to incredibly powerful spells that couldn't be learned without it.

Personal issues with Polaris aside, Jinyi thought he had a nonzero chance of being killed on the spot if he showed himself in front of the bird.

So what could he do? Would this be the ceiling of his magic level? Must Order be the underdog forever, compared to the best of the best in the caves? Or was there some other way? Would the man with stars in his eyes show himself again if the Hive performed well enough to catch his attention, bestowing magic upon them all like he had with the gift of Iteration?

MOTHER

SERVE

The ever-present presence in his mind trickled in a little farther, as though someone always sitting just beside him and listening to his thoughts was leaning in, just a little. As if they were showing interest, their attention returning to Jinyi's internal conversation.

"You serve well," came warm reassurance, and although it came with those chemical trickles, it wasn't really needed for a loyal, created drone. The warmth was... habit, really, and unnecessary. Yet Mother's mind seemed almost thoughtful for a moment.

"...But what mastery do you mean?"

It came in many forms, after all. But which was Jinyi contemplating? Mastery was one thing, but Mother sensed that her favored factory manager was pondering something more.

@Jinyi

The influx of positive chemicals into his body was comforting, and familiar. It may have been unnecessary for his loyalty, but its regular presence did wonders for mood and morale.

"The bird in Polaris..." he replied silently, and with his words came an imagined scene of a dark room with a sense of danger and promise. A large owllike bird with an extremely vague face (since the Drone was working entirely from word of mouth and imagination) prowled within. According to rumor, you went in, took some sort of trial, and came back out with the knowledge and ability to do new, powerful magic.

It was also in Polaris, and there was also a font of Oilstone located near it. Jinyi had a feeling if he tried to go there he'd come back out newly dead. A shame...

MOTHER

SERVE

There was pensive silence even in his mind as she considered.

The memories of hundreds of beings were accessed. Conclusions were drawn, and it all coalesced gradually into information.

"They... the Corrupted. Created a method to transcend." No, not created. Accessed... this information flickered to Jinyi.

Accessed.

The entirety of the Hive considered.

Information became decision, albeit tentative.

"Their puppet would destroy us. But perhaps... Would you like to try? Not there. Here. It may be a risk," and she left him the decision. If not him, then someone else would make the attempt. But it was an idea, now, seeded within the very core of the Hive, radiating outward, and undoubtedly other keen minds would now be taking note, attention turning to this 'conversation.'

"I have something I would try. It will take... one cycle to prepare."

@Jinyi

An initial hint of jealousy at the thought of the Corrupted side creating a whole new way to make themselves more powerful gave way to eagerness and even glee at the new conclusion that they merely accessed it. That meant that they--the Hive--could access it too, right?

Mother's tentative conclusion confirmed it. "I would like to try," he agreed eagerly. He would gladly take this risk for the potential of strengthening the Hive. If Chaos was the only side taking risks and becoming more powerful because of it, they would win. That was unthinkable. Besides, he was reassured that Mother would always be here to catch him if he fell--or his chrysalis, if he (metaphorically) fell really hard, or even his next Iteration if it was really really bad.

"I will take the next cycle to prepare myself too, then. Is there anything in particular I should prepare for--?"

MOTHER

There was a thoughtful silence along the link. Then the faintest trickle of the tail-end of some thoughts, formed in concept more than word.

Mother did not often create from nothing. It was not truly in her purview; she required stones, but she... thought she had a suitable one. But there was something new alongside that: uncertainty. And... humor?

"Failure, on my end," the great queen decided, and there was rare laughter in that tone, like cold, tinkling crystal. "Have patience with me, and I will do my best. For your part, my beloved child... I have faith in you."

There was the obvious advice she could have given--"practice your magic"--but that seemed a little unnecessary to say.

@Jinyi

The thought of Mother failing at anything was at odds with his usual worldview, but so was the humor in her voice in his mind. The shock of the two combining was... well, Jinyi didn't quite know how to react.

At last he settled on a polite laugh in return. [... ? ] "All right. I'll try not to disappoint as well." It was mostly lighthearted. Mostly.

"If that's all, I will depart for Eridanus and see if anyone wants to join me. There's a lot of work to do there to fix things up. It might be fun." Or it might be a lot of work. Or both. Either way, it would be a good way to keep his magic fresh in his mind.

exit?

MOTHER

There was, at first, just warm approval, and it was easy enough to take it as the dismissal that it was. Mother's mind was already on what to do about all of this.

But... almost as an afterthought, she reached out along her thousands of links threaded through the cave. A thoughtful hum reached Jinyi a moment later, with a tinge of warning.

"Use caution when you go. That place has been more active than usual of late, and contested." Brief images of various Gembound and Valkhounds coming and going, of Chaos and latent corruption spreading through the foliage and the water, came to reinforce that warning--just to let Jinyi know what he might be dealing with.

With that, she turned to her new task, leaving her drone to follow his own will.

@Jinyi