The final thirty minutes passed in a strange state of suspended tension. Throughout the command ship, converted humans continued their chaotic process of rediscovering individuality. Some sat quietly, overwhelmed by the return of emotions they'd forgotten they could feel. Others couldn't stop talking, as if afraid that silence might drag them back into collective emptiness.
Vesper moved through the groups like a shepherd tending a flock, helping people navigate the transition from perfect unity to beautiful chaos. The irony wasn't lost on me the man who had pioneered their conversion technology was now guiding them back to humanity.
"Status of the remaining collective ships?" I asked Marcus.
"Seventeen now. We lost another one to mass desertions. The remaining vessels are maintaining po
