Commission drawn by UsagiForehead

Phase 1

The Exhuman Hive acquires new subjects through trades and raids. Operating under the premise that all humans must be elevated to their status (regardless of their wishes), humans and metahumans are encased in transport cocoons for easy movement and handling. Exhuman craft and stations rarely have consistent gravity, which allows the normally heavy bodies of homo sapiens to be easily handled and shipped. Transit cocooons are the result of plasma metallurgy - the application of extremely high currents through molten metallics. The result is an engineering marvel that is flexible and presumably inescapable. 

Although the pictured subject has her hair exposed, the primary goal of cocoons is restraint for transport. Moving a dozen fresh larvae for processing and indoctrination is much easier when they can only squirm and squeak.

Phase 2

Once properly secure in hive-ships and pollinators, pupation begins. Captives are sealed into their suits and masked. Although different hives use different processes, the results are consistent; they become producers of nectar, fresh inorganic bacteria and nanomachines that only a recent acquisition can provide. Rubberized and coated, enthralled and ensnared, these thrice-encased slaves are indoctrinated into the Hive. Women and men alike meet their ascension here as every fiber of their being is poked, prodded, plumbed, and 'improved.' The result is an exhuman, eager to serve their masters and mistresses.

Phase 3

Worker-Drones make up the bulk of exhuman populations.They possess a mastery of next-gen materials that are commonplace inside Exhuman hives. Honey, a rare and hyper-dense form of machine bacteria, is used to feed and power drones and exhuman systems. Drones are not entirely mindless, though they kowtow to higher-ranking exhumans.  Their individual consciousness and personality remain, but"buzzing" of innumerable other drones is impossible to avoid.  
They perform innumerable tasks, like maintaining nano-machinery and dealing with outsiders. Some queens keep larger harems of drones for pleasure, keeping and using them exclusively. 

Phase 4

Queens are the rulers of Exhuman hives. The have incredible control over the autonomous materials that make up their craft. It allows queens to shape their living spaces without ever needing to pull into spacedock. Any drone can rise up to become a queen, though almost none have the unique blend of personality traits that make it possible. It is currently unknown how drones manage to progress to queens.

Exhuman queens are fearsome creatures. They are not to be trifled with, unless one wants to find themselves encased in a rubber cocoon or sealed away for experimentation. 


====

A sequel to: 



Want more Aurora? 

Mature Content

Original here: go comment and fave! 




 Would you like to join The Exhuman Hive?