We live in a collective mind of thousands, when needed, we act as one, but generally we act independent. Only as long as our hive is safe and our actions won't harm it. In the known multiverse we are called simply "Vessels". Unlike other sentient machines, we still have emotions and won't shy away from going out getting intoxicated with pleasure.  Even though we don't need to eat or drink, we still do it. On one hand as a sort of small pleasure in our immortal lives, on the other hand as a sort of bridge to the 'Biological' races.

Nothing is stranger than being in a bar talking about a contract when the partner is just looking and not even flinching on all the good food that is brought for him.

Some call us envoys of knowledge, due to our feverish search for historical artifacts and their archaeological places. When a race has no real history, they will search for something to fill this gap. That is why even if someone has money and wants our help, he may be declined by a Hive Core.

Others call us Avatars of Carnage, mostly because Kaar'nak our security chef personally destroyed a armada with his ship and some 'children'. We never attack first, but we are always those that end it. Everyone knows not to anger the sleeping dragon, especially if it concerns his home.

Unlike others, we cannot reproduce with our own kin. We have full control over the genetic code we create to reproduce, this is a blessing and a curse in one. A blessing because our children even if fully biological, will rarely have physical problems. A curse, because if we reproduce among our kin, the children that will appear will be biologically perfect, and always female, as their genetic code is more stable and cleaner.

This has a big draw back, even if the personalities may be different from child to child, their physical form will make them into a collective mind of their own, what could corrupt them and send them on a amok run. A simple reason why our kin's first rule to reproduction is to either search love out of the hive, or search for donors to make sure that the genetic code won't end up being to clean and similar.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

We do not stop love, but we make sure that the Hive will never suffer through the action of a individual. Cities that harbor a small group of 'Vessels' are known for their high security, due to the simple fact that 'vessels'  are Law abiding as long as it follows their Hive Mind morality. In other words, we will even live in a dictatorship as long as the system doesn't start to torture citizen on the street and enslave children.

When the 'Vessels' weren't that feared and well known in the underworld, an inter dimensional crime syndicate took a clean and crime free city on a world as a perfect place to capture children and enslave them. Not only invaded they a city under the protection of a newly established Hive Core, but they also kidnapped at least 15 children of the Hive Core. Only one hour after the children went missing, the whole syndicate was under attack of Hive Cores. Even already established Hive Cores that already upgraded to Hive Worlds used their manpower to hunt and destroy them.

All children were back with their families after only 3 hours, and after 12 hours the syndicate was destroyed by the whole might of the 'Vessels'. The balance of power in the underworld was destroyed and the syndicates had to fight for their life. This was the first and the last act of the underworld against a 'Vessel' Hive Core and the cities they reside in.

There are still people that wish to have a 'Vessel' slave. Sometimes they also manage to get their hand on one, those individuals are those that spread their wings and left their Hive family and began their path to transcendence. They go where the  stellar wind take them, even if they are alone, the hive never leaves them. Should they ever need help the Hive will gather.

Individuality also means a free will with free thoughts. Even if the hive can work as one, feuds and disparities between families may exist. Not based on appearance or money, but on worldview and how to act.