The hivemind is conquering for me?

”Grrr~”

”Orchid, will you stop growling like that? I told you, he is fine. Just let events play out as they should.” Onyx said, causing another growl to escape from the maw of the creature, commonly known as Orchid.

”Fine be that way, you don’t see me growling despite the fact I have not been in the embrace of my universe for months. I could be causing a scene right now if I so choose, but I don’t. I see what is best for my mate and the best is staying here, doing nothing. Now pump, the motion is familiar.”

Orchid listened begrudgingly to Onyx, as much as she did not miss the Mindspace thief, she had seen the future with Apollo much clearer than even the queen. Therefore, it was wise to follow her insights. As annoying as they were.

As Orchid began using a pump to blow up balloons, she got a whiff of someone approaching with Sophia and her already bad mood became worse.

As the doors to the underground room opened, she heard a part of their conversation. ”Are you sure we should do nothing? I could feel his anger not too long ago, as I am lucky enough to have my soul entwined with his in case you have forgotten? He was the most rageful I have ever felt him. What if something goes wrong!” Kathrine exclaimed.

”You need to have more trust in Apollo. I am sure he is fine. And if not, he can simply use Sapphire as a distraction and run away. Though I doubt things would ever come to that. All he has to do is say my name down there and everyone will hesitate to shoot him. I am in a considerable power position right now. My joining of either side would spell utter victory after all and the leaders of all factions present in the conflict are aware of that.”

Kathrine smiled at Sophia’s statement. She trusted Apollo with her entire existence after all. She was just worried because she loved him so much that it hurt. Kathrine was going to ask about Sophia’s current profit margins after their collaboration as she began smuggling weapons to both sides of the conflict, but as she looked around the giant hall she realised something.

”Huh? You haven’t brought me down here before... How have you managed to build such a giant infrastructure here without anyone realising... Never mind, I forgot where we were for a second.” She said, the south didn’t have building regulations after all.

Kathrine then looked around the room again, only this time at the hundreds upon hundreds of bio cultists that had made their way here to see Apollo in all of his glory, working hard as they put up all the decorations.

”It is crazy to me how you have gotten away with converting so much of our population Sophia. Honestly, I think you landed on the perfect planet to not get caught immediately. Anywhe- Is that my fucking stylist!” She exclaimed, noticing a figure in the crowd.

Sophia smirked before replying. ”0.00003% of the population of this planet alone isn’t that much Kathrine. There are over five hundred billion individuals living here after all. I simply choose important, though not too important, individuals at the moment to expand my sphere of influence. A hair stylist all the most influential females of this Ecumenopolis go to? It’s a given that she is useful.”

Just as she said that, the hair stylist looked over, naturally knowing she was being talked about thanks to Sophia’s under link and waved playfully. Kathrine felt a shiver go up her spine. She was still not used to being surrounded by aliens constantly, but she was not scared in the slightest.

She had survived being in the presence of the creature that had created and corrupted all these beings after all. And in a way, got her blessing. She was practically untouchable in this place.

*Smack*

She suddenly felt a hand attack her rear and turned around in shock. She then looked down at the assaulter as she said cheerfully. ”Hey Kat, how have you been? I heard you have been fucking Apollo a couple nights a week in his Mindspace while we were having the flesh all to ourselves. What does that feel like by the way? Is it much different? Oh, and welcome to the team!”

Kathrine was about to reply to Keyla when the short stack’s attention was brought elsewhere. ”Hold that thought. I have found my quarry.” As Keyla ran away to brag to her best friend about all the fillings she has had from Apollo, Sophia followed up Keyla’s questioning.

”I am also intrigued. I have only had the pleasure of my sweets body. But you are in the envious position of being intimate with him inside of his Mindspace. Does it truly feel different? Onyx described it as being filled with the pleasure of rightness.”

Kathrine’s smiled warmed immediately as she remembered the feeling of being inside her husbands Mindspace. ”It is like Apollo’s love envelops you. You are inside a paradise. Inside, the rest of the universe is gone, only Apollo remains. Onyx is correct. It is a pleasure of rightness as there is nothing wrong.”

Sophia let out a quiet swoon hearing the description. It sounded spectacular. A surge of warmth then spread across her body as Apollo’s promise for a hundred years down the line entered her thoughts as a very welcome intruder.

Getting back on track, Sophia explained. ”So when Apollo gets back from his misadventures, we will host the party down here for a few hours before opening the club. After that, we will move upstairs so your insistent mother can join alongside the others not of our cult.”

…

Intact buildings, somewhat clean streets and humans with metal augments everywhere. It was like I had crossed over into a whole new world, not being driven for two hours north. I began to deduce the way the main two factions of the current gang war operated.

White deaths ’organisation’ were essentially just hot heads who wanted to commit atrocities. They were not that well armed and equipped, but there were so many they could just afford to throw numbers at a problem until it went away. They used fear tactics, shows of force, coercion, public displays of harm... Threat of violation and ransoms to get what they wanted. In the words of a wise mercenary I knew. They were a bunch of cunts.

Talos, on the other hand, was an entirely different entity. They were well armed, trained and loyal to their leaders. While outnumbered in this current war, they were still on the upper hand in relative terms due to their augments and not being a bunch of imbeciles. Using effective military tactics that could turn the tide in most low rung skirmishes.

From what my blue cybernetic eyed friend told me, the only downside that is keeping Talos on their feet is the amount of Psionic capable individuals in white deaths organisation and the lack of said individuals in Talos.

”Still though, Psionics aren’t everything. Sure they help, but you can counteract them.” I said to the man in front of me, causing him to scoff. ”Please, you killed almost my entire squad alone. Well, you and that bullet sponge Jinx. By the way, what is your relation to that woman? She is an enemy to us after all.”

”Um... That is a little complicated.” I said, causing the man to let out a single loud laugh. ”Nothing in life never is. It’s fine either way. Enemies on both sides can have allies in the middle after all. You just need to be careful that said ally isn’t trying something...”

After I thought about what he said, I thought about Jinx for a moment. I didn’t interact with her much as she was a spy. The switch was generally pleasant to be around though. ’ I wonder how she is doing now?’

…

”Can you fuckers hurry up and find something?” Jinx screamed to the lesser beings around her as they were combing over a crossroads for clues on where to go. One of her underlings was a scrawny little kid that she was grooming to become a cultist as her Psionic power was very valuable.

”Lele, anything?” She addressed the eight year old girl, causing her to flinch. She was incredibly tired. Her super power caused her to feel sleepy and sick, but she also knew the reason why she hadn’t been touched badly by any of the bad men was because she was useful to Jinx.

Closing her eyes, she began concentrating so hard it hurt. She had tried to use it earlier, to find the man Jinx was so interested in finding, but she received a backlash for some reason while attempting.

Still, she tried again. She knew from earlier that the man’s footprints suddenly stopped in front of some tire tracks. She used that piece of information to help her this time.

Suddenly as she opened her eyes. White silhouettes flooded her vision. Hundreds of thousands of silhouettes walking without a care in the world. Vehicles going to and fro on the road. It had been only months since that time, but she could barely remember it.

She then started drowning out the silhouettes, narrowing her search. Only outlines of vehicles remained. Civilian vehicles were long gone at this point. Stolen for parts of burnt remains scattered across the warzones. Leaving only military cars.

All of a sudden, she could see six vehicles, a convoy driving down this road. She could tell it was recent as well as she could see translucent colour on the vehicles. That was what she was looking for. She watched them for a short while until she could no longer see them in the distance and collapsed.

Lele threw up all over the floor, blood streaming from her nose and then, before she could have a moment to recover, a set of feet stopped before her. Composing herself, she looked up and Jinx, even in her state, and shared her findings.

”They went that way. Deeper into the gynoids territory.”