Darkness. That was what she noticed first. Then the cold, and the feeling of weightlessness.
'What's going on?' She wondered.
A line of text appeared before her.
[In accordance with operating protocol, all Solarium gene bearers are contacted through a Psionic Mind Bridge.]
[This is the mind space. From here, one can converse with other Solarium gene bearers, the Hive Overmind, other Hiveminds, or a Hive Watcher.]
'So, I'm dreaming right now. Cool.' She thought.
[That statement is incorrect.]
Her eyes narrowed as she read the new message.
'What is this thing? Is it reading my thoughts?' She wondered.
[I am Hive Watcher 0001. In the mind space, all communication is done by thought.]
A shiver ran through her as she read that message.
'What do you want with me? Why did your name show up as numbers?' She thought at it.
[You bear the Solarium gene. In accordance to protocol, I am to converse with you regarding your immediate future. My personality is incomplete, and I was not given a proper designation.]
'Okay, what is the Solarium gene and why do you have to talk to me about the future?' She thought at it.
There was a long pause before the next message appeared.
[The Solarium gene allows one to converse and interface with a hive entity. Such people, no matter their race, are extremely valuable to the hive. Because of the rarity of this gene, protocols were put in place to ensure their safety while aligned with the hives. Upon contact with someone with the Solarium gene, one of three paths may be taken: imprisonment, death, or cooperation.]
It was like having a bucket of cold water thrown on her. Her mind sharpened as she contemplated her choices. The realization that she was in way over head had long since sunk in.
Before deciding, she thought one more question at it, 'What is purpose of this hive... thing.'
There was another pause, this one much longer than the last.
[The hives were to be a possible endgame. They were created as one of many projects to end the intergalactic war between the six factions.]
'Six? I thought there were only five though.' She thought.
There was a short pause before another message appeared.
[The Governed Space, The Fractured Space, The Abyssal Space, The Sheltered Space, The Star Space, and The Eternal Space. These six factions have ruled and warred for millennia. Which one has fallen?]
'I've never even heard of the Eternal Space.' She eventually thought back.
Her mind churned for a while.