Frei returns to the ship. his form complete enough, it does not need stupor.

His self and thoughts, he needs rest in his pod regardless

Frei still does not know what Frei is, Frei...

Ur-Im disrupts that thought, Frei is Frei. And Frei is more, he does not yet have a complete description.

Frei is here, the Hive-Home shall not come to disrupt us for another few cycles.

But is it us, This is not my hive, what is home?

It is what the large ones call that which contains their memories. That which remembers and sustains them. Ur-im realizes he is wrong about this. But it is the home we need.

But I have a home, I had a home...

This is Ship, this is where your memory, your pod, and your shards are located. It is substituting hive.

I-Ur-im knows Frei, And I know Frei as he is.

As you are.

We can substitute home.

They do not trust, me, They hardly trust Frei.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Hlei cares, and she trusts you to act as those in the hive trust each other too. Ur-im trusts Frei fully. And Ur-im is willing to remember and know as you do. To commit Frei to memory regardless of all that Frei is.

To be remembered.

As some in the hive remember us. We shall remember Frei, For the healing, you have helped us bring. And Ur-Im shall remember more, even he who defends will remember more, for he fears what Frei could be.

And if the one that defends does not trust Frei.

It is not within Frei's role to be trusted. But he is important enough to be protected. Ur-Im pulls Frei closer once, then Frei returns to his pod.

----------------------------------------

Neither hive nor home. We need to substitute what we can.

I remember our hive. The eyes come from something resembling what was my home, Wur...

He who defends believes in the hive, but it is not his home, he shall deliver, but he does not believe it shall be his hive anymore. For Crui, it is home. If he is remembered, If Wur is remembered. Either can be found again.

Of all of us, Hlei would understand home most of all.

And with Frei returning to his restless stupor, I have neither. I shall provide for Wur and Frei, I shall watch to protect. I am all the ship has at this moment. A role.

As the ship must be a hive. At least it is to He Who Defends.

I have my roles and I have my actions.

And I am these roles until another wakes.