The hivemind is conquering for me?

”So, are these agreeable terms?” Zorina asked the woman in front of her with a confident smile. The bargain she had just gained was even greater than she thought, so she sweetened the pot for Lady Z, just to make it more even.

Zeona smiled at the women’s confidence, but she didn’t see why not? She was here to clear her head, might as well make some extra money while here doing the thing she loved. ”Sure, I will take a look at upgrading your security and augmenting your troops with custom metal. I see this as a win-win for the both of us.”

The two then clinked their glasses together and took a sip to close the deal. Zorina then noticed once again how Z looked towards her friend and Samantha off in the distance and couldn’t help but wonder. ”Is everything alright? You seemed worried for your friend?”

Zeona looked at the woman in front of her and replied honestly. ”I am. She is my only true friend after all and this Samantha woman leaves me suspicious. Why were her ’contacts’ looking for Delilah? Why did they know to look for her? Something doesn’t add up. What do you know about her? If you don’t mind me asking?”

”Not at all, though there isn’t much to tell. I know she got onto the same ship as my Son on Ecumenopolis 3 and that my son is smitten by her. I know she is setting up a business in the same area of exotic goods as us and she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Other than that, I have actually had some trouble finding out information on her. She is almost like a ghost.”

Zeona raised her eyebrow at that description. ”A ghost you say?” She then turned to Samantha and thought about the only other woman she would consider a ghost. ”Interesting. Zorina, a bit of friendly advice to take with a grain of salt, as I could be wrong, but keep an eye on that one. She might be here on behalf of a competitor on Ecumenopolis 4, but for what reason I don’t know. I have no evidence of this, but call it a hunch.”

Zorina looked over towards Samantha, who also caught her eye and gave a slight wave before getting back to her conversation. Zorina didn’t believe Zeona, but she would cover her bases and ask. ”So what? A competitor like White Death?”

Zeona shook her head. ”No, I might have ’lost’ to Timmy, but that was because I didn’t care about the war’s outcome. No, Timmy is content living his life as a warlord on that mega continent and doesn’t have the brains for covert operations. I am thinking about a woman named Sophia. Very dangerous. A ghost. And a ghost in our line of work for how long she has been in operation is cause for concern, hence the friendly warning that is to be taken with a pinch of salt.”

Zorina had heard that name before, Ecumenopolis 4’s south was one of the most notorious places in the Empire for its lack of law, only second really to Atlantis. As such she knew all the players and cartels, though they weren’t really an interest to her as her family didn’t run drugs.

In this regard, she had naturally heard of this Sophia as well, but not much as her contacts have stated to her that they could get no information from her people with bribes or intimidation. She ran a tight ship.

”With a grain of salt is exactly how I will be taking that Z, There just isn’t enough evidence to back it up. But I appreciate your candour. Now come, let’s join the others.”

Zeona naturally couldn’t tell Zorina that her processor had come up with a 12% calculation that she was correct with just the most basic information she had presented, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t her business and the warning was given.

As the two walked over to the table, Delilah and Samantha were hugging each other and saying goodbye.

Zorina, realizing this, asked. ”Is someone leaving?”

Samantha then looked at Zorina and nodded. ”Yes, me. I have just received some news via communicator and need to go and deal with it. ”Delilah, if you are in town a little longer, I will come and see you again. Zorina, a pleasure to see you again and... I’m sorry, I never caught your name?” Samantha said towards Zeona with a playful glint in her eye.

’28%’

”Just Z.” Zeona said.

”Z huh? Well a pleasure to meet you. Have a good night everyone. Take care.” Samantha then walked off without a care in the world as the three watched her leave. Eventually, Zeona turned to her friend and asked.

”What did the two of you talk about D?”

Delilah simply smiled. ”Oh, nothing of importance. Just catching up and reminiscing. I just remember her being a child and it warms my heart seeing how much she has grown, but enough about little Sammy, how about we get some more drinks into us hmm? Maybe throw away some money while we do so?”

...

Samantha made her way back down to the black reef. Awaiting her there was the vehicle she ’requisitioned’ from the former owner. She then casually drove from the elevator over to her meat factory where there was a bloodbath.

Samantha got out of the car and looked around. Bodies were scattered everywhere, riddled with bullet holes and large spikes from needlers. ”At least fifty dead... Impressive.” She watched as her goons were carrying bodies into the factory and decided to follow. She also noticed as she walked the hidden perimeter security and nodded in satisfaction seeing competence. ’Good.’

As she entered her building, she heard yelling from within. It was Beverly. She was giving orders to everyone. However, upon seeing Samantha, her face lit up in delight and ran over. ”My Lady! Did you see the bloodbath outside?! All enemies! I promised you no one under your service would spill their own blood tonight and none did. They walked right into our ambush after my sentries spotted them approaching. They were clearly ill prepared as most came with melee weapons, so when we sprung our ambush and rained into them, there was little they could do.”

Samantha looked towards the meat grinder as a body was just chucked in. ”Where did they come from?” She asked, prompting Beverly to wave someone over.

A man then approached, his head fixed towards the floor in deep respect for Samantha, but Samantha noticed on his waist a head of a woman was tied to it. ”Germ, tell the great Lady what you told me.”

The man’s eyes darted up for a moment before taking the head off his belt and handing it to Samantha. ”T-This was my cousin. She fell in with the char peddlers, east, a couple years ago. Shit is nasty. It has nothing on your wonderful product, my lady.”

Samantha then took the decapitated head by the hair and looked at it. ”Oh, she was cute... Such a shame.” She then sighed before chucking the head back to germ and telling him to skedaddle.

As the man ran away to put his cousin’s head into the meat grinder, Samantha began scheming. She didn’t want to expand that way yet, she wanted to consolidate power... But perhaps just sending a bloody message would be enough?

She liked the idea of that.

”Beverly. I want you to gather three individuals you think would be as likeminded as you about my true form. We are going to go and send a message that you do not enter my territory lightly.”

”YES!!!” Beverly exclaimed excitedly at the prospect of more bloodshed, but then composed herself. ”I mean, of course, my lady. I know just the girls.”

”Good. I expect you to be in my vehicle in five minutes.” Samantha said, walking away.

As Samantha walked away, Beverly did her best not to appear overstimulated with excitement at the prospect of seeing that form again... She had never seen something so majestic in all her life. Her saviour. The saviour of all in the black reef was gracing her with her true appearance again? She felt honoured beyond belief that she had gained that trust.

With that in mind, she reached into her pocket and double dosed the vials in her possession. She was told to pace herself, to make her transformation into one of her lady’s hybrid species smoother, but she couldn’t wait. She wanted to experience the wonder of being greater than her position in life tried to put on her.

She would give her life for this cause in a heartbeat for she knew that Samantha’s goals were just and given to her by a higher being.

Beverly didn’t dillydally for long in her fantasy though, her lady ordered her to gather those trustworthy and she would do just that.