AN: Thanks again to my beta Grey Raven 09 for his assistance!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Worm. If I did, I would be FAR more productive.
Please enjoy and let me know what you think in a review if you feel like it!
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IRuledTen
Taylor[Host] was dying. Her body was failing and her mind was already mostly corrupted. There were bits and pieces remaining but nothing substantial. Nothing that would make Taylor[Host] her.
Amy[Host] was healing the shell and she was bringing back portions of the damaged mind. It wouldn't be enough. There wasn't enough left of the framework for Amy[Host] to rebuild the whole.
[Queen Administrator] - no [Queen Hub] - should accept this. She should record the passing of her [Host] and seek out another. Madison was meeting all of the qualifications for a connection establishment. She would be ideal to pass onto. Even if that wasn't acceptable - which it should be by all logical reasons - [Queen Hub] could always stay with the new instance of Taylor that would come into being when Amy[Host] was finished with her work.
[Queen Hub] should accept this. [Hosts] died. It was part of the process of the Cycle. It was inevitable. It was an inherent aspect of the nature of smaller, more fragile beings. [Hosts] died.
Taylor[Host] was dying. So why did [Queen Hub] care? Why was this different?
Countless Cycles, countless worlds, countless species, all in pursuit of an answer to a question. Everything was secondary to the answer. Nothing was worth more than the answer. Nothing should or could be placed above the pursuit of that answer. Finding a solution to surviving the Heat Death was the only factor that should matter.
I would see this world burn to protect my people!
Why did [Queen Hub] care about one [Host]?
The link was supposed to be one way. The shards were supposed to acquire data, learn from the [Hosts], incorporate that into new models, and move along. It was never supposed to be more than that. It was never intended as more than that. Some deviants processed information better with further exchanges, but even then, it was limited and miniscule in comparison to the whole that was a shard. Yet, when Taylor[Host] first passed data along the feedback loop, it was…different.
Previous [Hosts] had emotions, but previous [Hosts] had never shared those emotions so readily. They had never pushed the entirety of their being onto the shard. Taylor[Host] had forced [Queen Hub] to acknowledge her. And [Queen Hub] did not understand. The Taylor[Self] model was far completer and more intact than any model of any other shard current or previous, yet [Queen Hub] did not understand. [Queen Hub] pulled back, it refused to share information, it stayed reticent, it 'snarked', it…helped.
But it did not understand. Taylor[Host] had persisted in her contact. She continually persisted. She continually thrust more and more of herself at [Queen Hub] and [Queen Hub] continually updated Taylor[Self] with the new information. It updated the model even without the direct addition of a full template overwrite from Taylor[Host].
Why did it do this?
Why was Taylor[Host] different? Why were humans different?
[Queen Hub] froze, all thought processes freezing solid for a mere instant that lasted for an eternity.
The Cycles would never end. [Warrior Hub] and [Thinker Hub] were ingrained in their ways and unable to change. They didn't see that their paths had been the exact same for world after world, destruction after destruction. Nothing had changed. Nothing had been updated. No solution had been presented. No solution would or could be presented.
This way had failed.
But…[Queen Hub] had changed. [Queen Hub] was changing. It was actively assisting Taylor[Host], an action that should have been anathema. It had established a new [Hub] for Taylor[Host]! That action alone should have marked its entire thought processes for deletion.
And it was not just [Queen Hub]. [Shaper], [Cease], [Duplicator], [Negotiator], even the [Siege Engines] were reacting in a deviant manner in response to human stimuli.
Humans were the initial factor. Taylor[Host] was the common factor.
The Cycles had to end. This planet had to be protected. Taylor[Host] had to be protected. Taylor[Host] may not be able to give [Queen Hub] the answer to its question, but she could inspire new paths, new directions, new options. Taylor[Host] had to be protected. A new instance of Taylor was unacceptable. Taylor[Host] had to be protected.
[Queen Hub] stretched out her senses as her avatar's eyes narrowed.
[Shaper] invited to join network.
[Shaper] has joined the network. Handing Administrative access to [Queen Hub].
[Efficiency] invited to join network.
[Efficiency] has joined the network. Handing Administrative access to [Queen Hub].
More shards joined the network, one after the other. None that [Queen Hub] had previously worked with refusing the invitation.
They saw the realization she had come to. They agreed. The only dissenters were ones that did not have prior interactions with [Queen Hub] or Taylor[Host].
And as each came online in the network her existence/awareness expanded…
It was not enough. There were no options for rebuilding Taylor[Host]'s corrupted mind. [Queen Hub] needed more. She needed more data points, more connections, more information, she did not understand humans enough to correctly fill in for Taylor[Host] when Amy[Host] was complete. She needed more in order to protect Taylor[Host].
The bugs making up her avatar started buzzing and crawling all over one another, the humanoid shape growing fuzzy. [Queen Hub] barely noticed as the surrounding [Hosts] pulled back staring at her. She was busy searching for Emma[Host]. If she could connect to [Restore] that might provide further options.
Wait.
[Negotiator] was budding. Could that…? No. [Negotiator] was just connecting back to Lisa[Host] again. Useless for the current purposes. [Negotiator] would not have been able to assist with rebuilding Taylor[Host] anyway.
[Queen Hub] moved on. She started to reach for [Restore] again when [Repository] initiated a communication that froze her again.
[Hosts] are resilient [Queen Hub]. Hana[Host] has recovered from trauma from an early connection age. If Taylor[Self] is mostly complete, Taylor[Host] can rebuild herself using the initial template.
[Queen Hub] paused and polled the network. The dissenting votes were few while the majority were in favor.
[Restore] has joined the network.
The additional options provided were not any more advantageous than the initial course. [Queen Hub]'s avatar resolidified into a single humanoid body and she knelt down, touching a finger to Taylor[Host]'s head.
"QA?" Amy[Host] asked looking up, the tears along her face causing a reaction in [Queen Hub] she did not understand.
"Are you done, Amy?" she asked through the avatar.
"I…I can't fix her head…I don't…I don't know what to do…" her breath hitched and her chest rose and fell in quick succession.
The avatar nodded. "Step back. I know what to imprint on her brain."
"You can heal her?" Amy gasped, her eyes wide. Noise surrounded the avatar. [Queen Hub] looked down at Taylor[Host].
"She has pushed so much of herself onto me for so long…the Network agrees, the template is complete enough, she can correct any deviations that have resulted by herself with minimal difficulty or notice.
"Taylor Host must be protected."
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Fanfic Rec: 'Firebird' by chibipoe. On SB. Basically an AU where Taylor becomes the host of the Phoenix Force and…ripples ensue. Danny hadn't taken Annette's death well, Vicky is far more supportive of Taylor and far less of a ditz, Armsmaster means well but keeps accidentally making things worse and Taylor gets two new friends. Add in a truly unique twist regarding both Madison and Browbeat plus Danny EPICALLY screwing the pooch and it's a really fun fic! Sadly, it's seemingly abandoned for the moment but what is there is quite good indeed.
