They're EVERYWHERE!

1988, 9999: 11

Things aren't what they should be. A mind that by no means should be aware of its situation suddenly is. This has never happened before, not only within the mind currently waking up, but also in the living memory of everyone connected to it. A drone who was forcibly hibernated by a high rank never woke up again. Ever.

However, the bringer of the Shiny is, in the minds of every drone currently sleeping on a small pile in the center of the changeling camp, no ordinary drone.

With a confused moan, 9999 wakes up and gasps as it starts sliding down from the side of the pile and lands on the soft ground. Curiously, its descent doesn't seem to have woken anyone up, and the mental presences nearby reveal that every single changeling who remained in the lumber camp is currently piled up here.

9999 turns away from the pile-

Oh goopy holes!

-and nearly swallows its tongue when faced with a pair of teal eyes staring directly at it. Heart beating like a jackhammer, 9999 smiles at the Silent watching the drone and pats its head.

"What happened here?" whispers 9999, "Why am I awake?"

The Silent only stares, clearly unable to react to the complexity of the questions. After a quick check of the hive mind to see if everyone is okay, 9999 nuzzles its neck and adds:

"Nevermind, buddy. Good job keeping an eye on things."

It will be easier and vastly less tiring to simply ask why everyone, including 1988, is asleep on one big pile later than to examine the recent hive mind memories. However, an unusual reminder pops up inside 9999's head - one unfinished task.

Objective: Nightly patrol
Tools: 17070's helmet
Route: -xn995Dsfaa-4xSS99965-dsew25xx-

9999 scratches its head.

With everyone here, there's no one left to watch out in case of trouble. Maybe I should wake 1988 up?

9999 tiphooves over to the sleeping infiltrator's hind legs sticking out of the pile and ponders poking them.

Or maybe not. They all need the rest. Besides, I can do the patrolling myself, I think. It looks like I have enough love to last a few hours, even though I have no idea how I got it, the route coordinates are clear, and- why do we have a helmet?

With a shrug, 9999 walks over to the makeshift changeling helmet stuck on a low-hanging branch nearby, or more likely a charred pot reinforced with goop and with a missing chunk where, presumably, one's face is supposed to go. When the drone leans in to examine it closer, the hive mind presents a tooltip:

Item: 17070's helmet
Use: 4 portalling!
Instructions: Put on head, muzzle into hole.

Hive mind knows best and 9999 isn't going to argue, so it puts the helmet on and whispers towards the Silent who is observing its every move:

"Keep an eye on everyone. We're drones, we can't just leave hive mind tasks hanging. That never ends well."

The Silent doesn't react but also doesn't move to either stop or follow 9999, which the drone considers a victory as it leaves the camp behind.

***

To a pony, the nighttime forest would be a quiet place for contemplation, its silence only broken by the hoofsteps of the patrolling drone. For said patrolling drone who is used to the complete silence of underground tunnels, though, the forest is loud and alive with leaves and grass whispering in the breeze, occasional hooting of an owl and other wildlife noises completely unidentifiable by 9999. Thanks to that, the patrol is taking longer than a casual stroll, as the drone always either freezes and quickly starts scanning the area, or straight up jumps behind the nearest cover.