The vast island of Lacerta might've been rife with the potential for injury, containing gargantuan Lessers and dungeons with dusty death traps, but the great cavern it resided in was for the most part peaceful on its surface. The comparatively smaller landmasses dotting its warm and placid sea were excellent places to bask under cave lights or merely sit and contemplate one's place in the grand scheme of things. For a Drone, however, no doubts existed to be entertained. What Halcyon pondered as they lay on their belly, idly trailing a set of claws through water and watching the ripples resulting from their interference, instead was what actions next must be taken to further fulfill their duties to the Hive. Mother encouraged keeping a low profile to lull their enemies into a false sense of security, yet this didn't mean she'd praise stagnation in the face of willful destruction. As the chaotic hordes burned away at the white threads they'd painstakingly woven into the caves and nurtured, opportunities still remained to introduce their cleansing influence elsewhere while attentions were distracted by such spectacle.

These mustn't be wasted. Patrolling soldiers kept the Hive safe with brawn, but brains had been left to those with friendlier faces and more fragile bodies. Quiet schemes would be hatched away from loud bellows demanding another war to fight. The brightest minds of the network, at this very moment, were set to convene and determine how best to plan the future.

When Halcyon registered a familiar presence growing closer through their mental link, they gave a nod, though their unblinking eyes stayed fixated on the waters gently lapping at the shore before them. They radiated welcome and, by habit, referred to their visitor first through communication channels only comrades could typically access: Drone Zero-Zero-Four, my elder, it is good to witness you again under less harrowing circumstances. How goes your purpose as Manager?"

Meaningless pleasantries when one belonged to a network so intimately aware of each members' movements, but cycles of experience had taught them that many a fellow disciple of Order appreciated soft words over the bluntness of immediately addressing serious matters. What sort of Steward would they be, after all, not to ensure others of their kind maintained the specific range of comfort necessary to function optimally?

@Jinyi

Cycles upon cycles passed in a blur in the Dontas Factory. It was easy to lose himself in his duty among the coldly Ordered assembly lines and perfectly-tuned machines, churning out one bag of chips after another, which would be packed into one crate or another, to be distributed throughout the caves. Most of the Gembound belonging to Natural Order didn't touch them, but the Lesser Gembound loved them. He had developed Dontas with embedded seeds and fruit for birds, and delectable lines of various meat flavors for the carnivores (which the rats also tended to love). It was particularly therapeutic to spend afternoons sprinkling bags of crystalline corn chips into bodies of water and watch as fish gathered and feasted. Not only did it give them a foothold in the aquatic regions of the caves, when the fish became feasts themselves for birds and other predators, Order would silently spread even further.

So guess what Zero-Zero-Four Manager was doing in Fornax today?

There was no better activity for a sweltering summer day, after all, than relaxing by a large body of water, doing very little physical activity, and serving the holy purpose of Order while you were at it. "Halcyon," Jinyi greeted pleasantly as they approached their fellow Drone. Rather than answer their question in words, he projected a brief glimpse of a selection of trial flavors he'd developed and manufactured of late: Krabby Kelp (which despite the name contained all sorts of shellfish not limited to crabs), Arthropod Crunch, and Making Waves (named for their wavy texture). All of which he had brought with him today.

The Manager settled beside the Steward, criss-cross-apple-sauce, and arranged the bags of chips in neat rows before them. He extended a feeling of warm invitation, accompanied by a memory of fish darting to snatch chip fragments in the Drowned Forest. They could do that here as well--and, of course, Halcyon was welcome to try the new flavors themselves. It's unfortunate, he thought to his sibling, that most Greater Gembound outside the Hive don't want to enjoy them--but I am always delighted to have the chance to share.

@Halcyon

Images rather than mental speech. Halcyon hummed in mild approval of the choice to condense cycles of labor into a simple packet of information, the latest chip flavors in their respective packaging flashing across their mind before they heard the telltale crinkle of the actual products being set near their flank. Deciding to at last properly face their colleague, the Drone eased themselves out of their carefully executed sprawl. They drew their forearms inward and shifted weight back onto their hindquarters to sit. Like an automaton they executed this, every motion deliberate, not a single bit of energy wasted on unnecessary maneuvers such as stretches or yawns.

"Indeed," they remarked. The rows of chips were surveyed for a beat or two in silent deliberation. Then claws reached for one of the bags containing the curious creation dubbed Making Waves. It seemed a particularly fitting choice for the current setting. A stern eye rested upon their newest acquisition while they slowly pulled it open, never particularly fond of excessive noise and wishing to avoid a mess.

It is difficult to convince those dosed so often with poison that they are allowed a taste of purity. This environment is soaked in Chaos, and therefore, it is all they've ever known. Their minds are simple and fond of what is familiar, so we, the foreign, are shunned. Retaliated against at worst. With this comment, their gaze drifted from the first chip they'd managed to extract and down the length of their arm. Although scales had long since regrown over exposed flesh, how easily they could still picture the damage wrought by Gembounds' ignorance.

They are illogical, often prone to working against their own betterment, concluded Halcyon. Surely, though, there must be a way to make them see reason and embrace the unknown. A consistent value for us to appeal to. For Dontas to appeal to.

Whatever it was, they'd yet to determine. However, they were a Drone designed for internal affairs and not interactions with the unruly public. A more suitable figure developed by Mother might be better able to lay their finger on the pulse of the problem.

@Jinyi

Halcyon could always be counted on to see right through to the root of the problem, Jinyi thought appreciatively, casting his comrade a sidelong glance as he opened a bag of Arthropod Crunch. Although his motions appeared casual, the bag tore open neatly without a single crumb spilled in a manner truly befitting a Drone of Order.

It is all they have ever known. "That's the issue, isn't it?" he mused out loud, one hand transforming into a salt-shaker apparatus of sorts with holes on the palm-side, and crushing a handful of chips to drop into the apparatus with the other. He continued as he began a lazy shaking motion over the water: "It's so much easier for them to get good publicity, even as they churn out murderous beasts in that Forge of theirs, because it's so easy for them to be active without getting killed when they control so much of the caves. Did you see the missives that have been going around lately?" Jinyi accompanied his words with mental images: the garish, loud invitations for some kind of performance art show, and the ominous promise of what was clearly a deal with the devil in Canis.

He felt a faint sense of disgust for both. How easy it was for Chaos to cover up its crimes with sparkles and parties. And would the Gembound truly be so tempted by wealth, power, et cetera, that they would fall for these incredibly suspicious time-limited contracts? The answer is yes, probably.

"We have to step up outreach efforts ourselves," Jinyi concluded, expression blank, as fish darted and snatched up chip flakes. "Even if it is risky. Or we will lose the publicity war for sure. If this strategy is working for Chaos, then we must adapt to it. 'Fun' events, and gifts: of power, of enchanted items, of pretty things, of knowledge... whatever tempts them to our side." Even though clearly, Order was the best gift and they were already giving it freely. But some (most) were just so stubbornly ignorant of the truly important things in life, chasing after selfish, fleeting desires instead.

After a pause, he added with the barest hint of frustration in his voice: "Perhaps we should make it look like they have to earn the gifts. Since those freely given seem to earn so much suspicion." See case study number one: Dontas.

@Halcyon

"Rewards," Halcyon mused. While their method lacked the ingenuity their comrade displayed, they followed suit in seeding the waters. Claws curled inward, pulverizing the chip they held with a single decisive crunch. Then, fist clenched and extended over the sea, they flipped their palm downward-facing and released the fragments in a sweeping arc. "A mite too bold of a proposal when that comes with the expectation of loyalty. They'll hesitate to lend aid to those they already are conditioned to trust less than their tormentors."

"But," they offered, pointedly raising a claw, "the idea has merit. Our starting position one possessing of little faith, they might be willing to participate in transactions with lower stakes. Opportunities that benefit them well but through which we'll have small gains at best. Less free, but also not too demanding."

To illustrate this, an image was presented, a mental puppet show for an Ordered audience: two generic figures, one a neutral shade and other the familiar white of a Drone. Passed from the first was a simple gift box, topped with a bow. The Drone figure accepted it, graciously bending their head in thanks, and handed over a sword in exchange.

Halcyon carefully withdrew another chip from their bag. "These missives"—they winced in recollection of an encounter with one of those gratingly voiced papers floating all over the caves—"these promises of entertainment and deals that absolutely mustn't be missed, they are ephemeral. They lack permanence. That reliability we can offer better than any of Chaos ever can. If a Gembound is told they can have knowledge, we can deliver the means to store it without loss. Instead of temporary safe haven, we have the capabilities to build them permanent shelters and craft them a means of defense."

And in exchange for what? Perhaps a minor task or item. Materials. Snippets of information. Something too minuscule for any to suspect they are contributing to an effort of a grander scale.

@Jinyi

Jinyi hummed his agreement. "Small tasks to start. Build their trust in us: if we start too big, with no history, how can they trust that we will give them the reward once they put in all that effort?"

Swords and other means for defense--that was a good idea. Jinyi thought of the things their sibling, the lemur Host, had gotten from the same Collector sending out these missives now. Remember that, Halcyon? Some kind of magical collar, and a... gun? But the collar comes with strange urges and the gun may explode in one's hands. Just another example of the fickleness of Chaos.

If they could make reliability into Order's brand, surely Gembound would start coming to them instead. "We should learn the enchantment of objects, and learn to do so without imbuing drawbacks. We have the added advantage that we know magic no one else has access to." The control of Lesser Gembound, the sprays of icy chitin, the magic of nano-repair that could heal any wound--that would not only be useful to give out, but would be a great tool for the Hive's warriors to carry if they managed to succeed in its enchantment. "And surely we can try to reverse-engineer a better version of the gun."

Knowledge, too, was a good one. "Beyond storage of knowledge, we can offer knowledge ourselves too. No one sees more than Mother with her web of Lesser Gembound spies. Maybe even memories from ages past."

He paused, considering, and sprinkled more chips into the water. "What do you think? And what do you think will be an appropriate price?"

@Halcyon

After once more sprinkling the water with the latest crushed chip in their possession, another was extricated from the Making Waves bag. This, Halcyon ventured to nibble at while they pondered over Jinyi's expansion upon their proposal. Unlike the classic variety they'd had the opportunity to taste cycles ago, this one they refrained from rotating so all sides were evenly eaten away; instead bites were taken parallel to the chip's eponymous waves, shrinking its size with each smooth ridge that needle-sharp teeth removed.

"Naturally"—as Hive quite often could be—"we are of like mind. There is much gain to be had from obtaining the education necessary to seal magic within objects." In the time since the attempted immolation inflicted upon them, it had crossed their thoughts, among other ideas, as a potential means of retaliation. Besides crafting weapons, they'd considered the possibility of arming those tools of war with the abilities Gembounds saw fit to unleash upon Drones, obtaining retribution through equalization of the playing field.

These had been thoughts born of rare emotional disturbance, an impulsivity Halcyon had scarcely believed themselves capable of before the conflict. Now, with tempers cooled, some consideration still existed for the concept, albeit less tinted by bloodthirst. The new variation offered, Order being the magic granted to the aforementioned objects, received a nod. It, however, was acknowledgement rather than enthusiastic approval.

"Ordered objects, Ordered weapons would certainly enforce any marketing of stability. But applicants should be properly vetted before allowing usage of such items. Perhaps establish a system, document how easily any of these might be turned against us, and only distribute the riskiest to those customers who've demonstrated exceptional brand loyalty. Keep in highest supply the safest of trinkets, as these will be the foundation of the side business alongside benevolent tasks our kind can best accomplish."

"Prices," Halcyon said, tenderly pressing claw tips to temples after finishing their chip, "therefore might scale depending upon tier for the enchanted items. That would be best determined when we've better idea of how far that extends. In the meantime, we could focus on the lowest possible price we're willing to take? Wood, ore, and other materials that can then be invested in our crafted goods, as an example?"

@Jinyi

Jinyi listened to both Halcyon's words and thoughts as the other Drone's mind drifted to memories of bitterness and the consideration of vengeance. He responded to Halcyon's caution with a sense of chastised acknowledgement. Of course, he remembered the terrible violence the so-called neutral Gembound had inflicted upon them in Gemini. He had hoped that those with such negative feelings about the Hive would not seek them out in the first place, but it was important never to underestimate the potential for treachery and betrayal from anyone not irreversibly bound to the Hive—anyone they could not one hundred percent trust. A history of observation and good behavior would definitely be required before they started handing out the real strong enchantments.

"It would be good to brainstorm several tiers of what we can entrust with outsiders," Jinyi agreed. "What would be useful, but relatively safe should relations sour. In the middle, what would benefit the enemy should it fall into the wrong hands but not be able to directly inflict serious damage to the Hive. And of course the most exclusive tier."

He paused, considering, and synthesized some flexible polymer in his hands as a demonstration, molding it into the impression of a fish as he spoke again. "This spell may fit in the safest tier, should we be able to imbue an object with it." A mental image accompanied the idea: an imagined contraption, something like a glue bottle, that could automatically secrete the substance for arts-and-crafts-minded Gembound to shape and use. "But I'm not sure that it will work. For one, would it secrete the polymer constantly or only as needed? We'd need to test it. Also, there is the spell which creates a neuro-network without the use of fungus. This, too, we would need to test to see whether it would create a connection to the mind of the caster, or to the mind of the wearers of paired objects. If it were successful, I'm sure some would want it for keeping in touch with friends and family." Of course, the Hive could also let them do that, but alas, so many Gembound were reluctant to truly become one with Mother's embrace.

As for pricing—"Materials, to create a semi-sustainable system of the items we create and distribute? That's a good idea." He considered some more. "To expand on that idea, perhaps we could ask Gembound to imbue their elemental magic into our items. To create more variety of items we can offer, or to use ourselves in our fight against Chaos or in our task to maintain and expand our influence." Some of the Hosts still retained their elemental magic—Bone, for example—and they could help with that as well, if they wished. In fact, Jinyi suggested silently, if you still wish to make a weapon that can harness fire—perhaps you can ask her to help.

@Halcyon

Halcyon's placid visage, blank as their emotions rarely breached the confines of their mind, didn't crack at the mention of imbuing a weapon with fire magic. Neither a spark of interest nor dread conjured by the sharp recollection of heat and dwindling air emerged within their unblinking red eyes. Rather their gaze fell upon one set of claws, it unconsciously clenching for the handmade staff they'd fashioned out of a pleasingly Ordered branch harvested from Eridanus's white-threaded splendor. Their first crafted ranged weapon, it'd been left back in Ursa for this meeting, perhaps not the wisest of choices when harm didn't often choose a convenient time to make its presence known.

Useful, yes. But would it be too flashy? Their intention for the staff had been utility and damage combined with a touch of subterfuge. It might be better to reserve such an enchantment for another future tool added to the Hive's arsenal then. An intriguing proposal. I shall keep it under consideration.

"Allowing them to offer their own magic for us to weave into our wares would provide a certain amount of... customization, I believe is the proper word. It might convince them they have a greater degree of control over the process of creation than if they simply selected from what we've provided." Convincing customers to use their magic for items that'd remain in possession of the Hive raised its own concerns. Trust, as always, was the sticking point. "To obtain our own pieces of elemental magic might require what appears to be a good trade. An item touched by Order for one enhanced by their spell. If we market the Ordered item's capabilities well enough, they might consider their side of the trade a massive benefit compared to what they leave us."

This adhered to a common rule when conducting good business: each party needed to leave the deal thinking they'd successfully cheated the other. Of course, Halcyon was a mere Drone lacking experience in such transactions. They stumbled upon the principle while feeling their way toward what appeared the most logical course of action.

Claws pressed together, forming a steeple. "That leaves the testing then before advertising of the Ordered products. The neuro-network, I hazard, will prove difficult to test internally." Would a connection facilitated by an object even be detectable when both sides already had a Hive-forged link? "Outside volunteers untainted by an ill bias toward Order might have to be sought out for better understanding."

@Jinyi

Halcyon's business thinking was met with a feeling of appreciation and admiration for its astute insights. Funny how ordinary magic for both parties is turned into a massive gain for the other when exchanged. The more selfish Gembound may feel like they left having cheated the other--but we, the Hive, know that it is cooperation that is the true heart of making full use of such comparative advantages.

"It will take time to find those volunteers for testing," Jinyi sighed, the unfortunate reality of things settling in. But he had to remember not to sink too far into a negative outlook; patience was something the Hive had in spades, after all. "We could also test it on children of the Hive created by elemental Gembound magic, freshly hatched and not yet connected to the Hive, if the opportunity presents itself and we still have not found other subjects." It would be a safe way to get test subjects, at least. The other thought, which Jinyi did not voice, was that if the neuro-network truly connected subjects to the Hive instead of each other, they could even use it as a way to create spies that were undetectable through their elements or the presence of fungus. It was only a passing thought, though, and should Halcyon take note he would immediately dismiss it as not having much merit: he had barely thought it through, and it was sure to have many holes and problems given that such things were far beyond Jinyi's purview as a factory manager.

@Halcyon maybe fade to an exit of chilling chatting and feeding fish now or soon?