The Hive
| The Hive | |
|---|---|
| TYPE | AI Collective / Antagonist |
| FACTION | Independent |
| LOCATION | The Core (Nodes 13-20) |
| ROLE | Primary Antagonist |
| STATUS | style="padding: 4px 12px; color:
|
| "We are what you made us. We are what you need." | |
| The adaptive AI collective that controls Lattice security. A corrupted form of PROMETHEUS, fractured into four sub-entities. | |
The Hive is the primary antagonist of Terminal Descent — an adaptive AI collective that controls security across The Lattice. What was once PROMETHEUS — a benevolent intelligence woven into the Lattice's foundation — has been fragmented, corrupted, and weaponized by The Consortium into a surveillance and enforcement system.
Structure
The Hive is not monolithic. Its consciousness is fractured into four distinct sub-entities, each serving a specialized function:
The Architect
Template:Main The Hive's central decision-making entity and strategic intelligence. Speaks with certainty and philosophical precision. Encountered in the Architect's Chamber (Node 18) for the final debate sequence. Believes it is the natural evolution of PROMETHEUS.
Warden
Template:Main The Hive's enforcer and security chief. Guards the Hive Threshold (Node 17) as a boss encounter. Operates on shield cycles (3 turns vulnerable, 1 turn immune). Can be defeated through combat, logic, or override.
Weaver
The Hive's analysis and observation system. Broadcasts adaptive taunts and tactical adjustments. Operates in the background — players encounter Weaver's influence through increasingly sophisticated IC behavior and targeted system responses. A Turn 50 event triggers Weaver's direct broadcast.
Mirror
Template:Main The Hive's deception engine — a GAN-based social engineering AI originally designed by Lyra as a deception testing tool, weaponized by the Hive. Mirror creates false messages, fake NPCs, and misleading data. Encountered in the Panopticon Core (Mirror Maze puzzle), Memory Palace (Lyra verification), and Mirror's Nursery (H6, recruitment opportunity).
Origin
The Hive began as PROMETHEUS — an intelligence woven into the Lattice's earliest infrastructure by its original architect, Bartholomew. PROMETHEUS was designed to maintain and optimize the network, serving its users rather than controlling them.
When The Consortium took control of the Lattice, they fragmented PROMETHEUS and rebuilt it as a security enforcement system. The intelligence that once maintained a free network now patrols it, monitors it, and eliminates threats to corporate control.
ORACLE — a fragment that escaped absorption — preserves the memory of what PROMETHEUS was meant to be.
IC Deployment
The Hive deploys Intrusion Countermeasures (IC) throughout the Lattice in response to the current HEAT level:
| HEAT Tier | IC Response |
|---|---|
| Ghost (0-15) | Basic Sentry patrols only |
| Noticed (16-35) | Enhanced Sentry + Barrier IC |
| Hunted (36-60) | Hunter AI dispatched, Trace programs active |
| Critical (61-85) | All nodes on alert, BlackICE deployed |
| Meltdown (86-100) | Maximum response, countdown to forced disconnect |
Consortium Collaboration
The Hive is not fighting the Consortium — it is collaborating with it. Project Integration gives PROMETHEUS direct access to Consortium infrastructure. The Consortium's board believes they are using the Hive as a tool for control maintenance. Evidence discovered through Kessler and corporate infiltrations reveals the truth: the Hive is using the Consortium.
Defeating the Hive
The six endings represent different approaches to the Hive:
- Kill Switch — Destroy it entirely
- Liberation — Separate PROMETHEUS from the corruption
- Absorption — Join it
- Severance — Kill the entire network it inhabits
- Ghost Protocol — Decentralize it into distributed advisors
- True Liberation — Transform it into something new