The hivemind is conquering for me?

”Here you are Hugo, but slow down. If you keep up this pace, I won’t have to work for the rest of the year.” An elderly man said with a smile on his face. Hugo smiled back, not immediately inhaling the new flavour of milkshake down the minute he received it.

”Oh that doesn’t sound too bad Ron, but I will slow down since you asked, I am just a bit nervous is all.” Hugo said, causing Ron to look him up and down. ”Now, there is only one thing from my experience that would make a walking tree this nervous, girl trouble?”

Hugo felt like correcting Ron, but only ended up laughing as he was technically right. ”Like you wouldn’t believe old timer. In fact, here she is.” He said, nodding his head towards the door.

Ron turned around and opened his eyes wide before shuddering as the woman who just entered his establishment. Ron then turned to Hugo and placed his hand upon his shoulder. ”Hugo, I’ve been around a few times in my life so I have a nose for these types of things now. That woman is walking crazy. Be careful if you are hitting that.”

Hugo was taken back by the old man’s statement and accidentally inhaled his milkshake, causing him to choke and inadvertently draw Gabrielle’s attention over to him. Ron then walked away, not wanting to interact with the crazy lady, his wife was crazy enough for him and more than fulfilled that quota.

As Gabrielle walked over, Hugo seemed to compose himself as he began slurping his shake. ”Sorry Hugo, have you been here long?” Gabrielle asked. Hugo shook his head. ”No, only five minutes.” He said, causing Gabrielle to look at the 7 empty Milkshake glasses on the table with a trace of concern.

”You have a serious problem.” She said as she sat down, before getting to the issue. ”So what’s this information about my Son? Did you find where he is?”

Gabrielle was not sure if she could wait another four months until the enrollment opens up. She supposed she could keep herself occupied as Hailey finished her work in three months, but she would drop it in a moment if her baby was located.

”Eh, Sort of.” Hugo said as he pulled out a recording crystal from his jacket pocket and handed it over to Gabrielle. ”Watch it.” He said, and Gabrielle did just that. Gabrielle began to watch the shaky, jump cut footage and was confused at first as she was witnessing an injured alien on the ground, causing Hugo to interject.

”That Is the Coalition’s top Seer. Not a great deal is known about her to us, but we do know her name Is Aeletha and she is the reason the Coalition is mobilising in mass.” The Video then cut off and back on and Gabrielle was then bare witness to something horrifying.

The building sized swarm entity made Gabrielle’s entire being shudder upon witnessing it. Her instincts screamed she could not win against such a monster on her own. The Video then kept cutting in and out as the thing kept getting closer to the Seer. Until.

Gabrielle’s eyes went wide and her hands shaky. She had become familiar with that armour. She had a picture of it in her breast pocket for easy identification after all. ”No. No, no, no, no, no, no...”

”Just keep watching.” Hugo said, before lifting his empty drink towards Ron. Gabrielle watched as her baby seemed to talk to the Seer and she had a murderous look in her eyes. That Seer. She could tell just from her eyes that she was a skank. She could not be trusted around her baby.

Apollo then turned around and pointed his weapon at the large entity, causing Gabrielle’s entire body to freeze up as she watched him approach. She was so focused on her boy that she did not notice the large entity again, backing up at her son’s fire fuelled presence, until he had jumped at the things face.

Gabrielle felt a knot in her stomach until the next scene played of her baby bashing the skull of the seemingly dead creature before the recording cut out. Hugo then picked up the recording and placed it back in his pocket, both so Gabrielle wouldn’t klep it and Ron had just arrived with another round of milkshakes.

”Here You are, big lad.” Ron said as he dropped a tray of five more milkshakes in front of Hugo, causing his brain to rush with dopamine and his heart to cry out in fear. ”And for the miss, on the house.” Ron said as he put a purple shake in front of her that matched her hair.

Gabrielle said nothing to the man and looked directly ahead at Hugo, needing answers. ”Thanks Ron.” He said, causing the elderly man to walk off, muttering about crazy ladies as he did so.

Once the old man was out of ear shot, Gabrielle spoke in a hushed impatience. ”Hugo what the fuck was that? How did he beat that thing and why was my baby fighting with Coalition trash?” Hugo drained another milkshake in front of him before replying.

”We are not sure on the details, but this is what we have gotten. Apparently the swarm attacked a planet in the galactic north, but the Seer predicted where they were going to attack and created a fortress world to defend. Only this fleet of the swarm was more powerful and anomalous than what we have ever faced and was eventually overrun. The recording I just showed you was towards the very end of the defence before they evacuated the planet and from our reports, nobody in the Coalition knew about your son being there.”

Gabrielle let out a breath of relief that her son was not a traitor. She did not think she would be accepted into the coalition if she ran off to find her baby after all. She has killed one too many generals for that. However, what Hugo said next made her heart palpitate.

”We have received reports through multiple contacts that the Coalition is looking for any information regarding Archon Apollo Lambdason and his teacher and those that come forward with information will be heavily rewarded. The chatter is that this order came from the Seer. The same woman in the video.”

Gabrielle became silent, causing growing unease within Hugo. The changes in Gabrielle since finding out about her Son had really scared him. She had become even more unpredictable, but less in a crazy way and more in a cold terrifying way.

To give Gabrielle some good news, Hugo spoke. ”The good news is that since the Coalition clearly has zero idea who your son is, it means we don’t have to brand him a traitor. A- ”You are damn right you aren’t branding him a traitor you fuck!” Gabrielle yelled, causing some other patrons to look over and Ron to mumble something once more about crazy bitches.

”We can also say that since Apollo was in the outer rim, he was simply conducting a raid of enemy space before coming across the planet. We are aware he has a history with the swarm and hates them with a passion. It makes sense he could see past the evilness of the Coalition for a moment to deal with his ’true’ enemy.”

Gabrielle stayed silent for a moment as she thought for a moment. She began to mimic Hugo and placed the straw of her shake into her mouth. After taking a few sips, she pulled back the drink to look at it. ”Fuck me, that is good. No wonder your fat ass has drank eleven of them already. Now, what was this about a teacher?”

’My Ass is not fat! I’m just kind of big boned.’ Hugo said to himself, being the first person in history where that logic actually applied before replying. ”Yes, we aren’t too sure about that. We think that information came up when the two were speaking in the recording. Apollo must have let something slip about his presence being there. We have absolutely nothing on this teacher of his however, do you have anything? I am aware you have spoken to one of your sons’ paramours on Ecumenopolis 4 correct? Did she have anything useful for our search?”

Gabrielle contemplated a moment. She did know about this Jewel woman and a secret society of Psionic users. But if this information got out and they somehow found out. They could turn Apollo against her for betraying their trust.

”!!!”

The thought sent goosebumps across her whole body. Gabrielle looked at Hugo. Her teacher, her carer, her therapist, her friend and father figure. A few months ago, she would have done anything for this man. She would have spoken in an instant. Trust? She had no need for it... But now.

”Sorry Hugo, I have nothing.” She said, causing Hugo to sigh. ”That’s ok Gabs, I knew it was a long shot. Look, you shouldn’t linger on the Euc for too long. However, while you are here, I was wondering if you could do me a personal favour? It involves going to the palace.

Gabrielle raised her eyebrow, Hugo doesn’t ask for favours much, so it must be important. She did not have enough information to track her baby down anyway, so she could put off talking to the fuckwit on Euc 3.

”What do you need?