Sugar Plum~!

(a lot of this is copy paste sorry if it makes no sense)

the hive drones scavenge but mostly for information or spare parts for making/repairing sisters. they don't technically need food for fuel so they aren't looking for that. the formicara is connected to a vast network of spaces proximal, liminal, and distal for them to search so they spend most of their time wandering. distance from it's core is usually what results in Drone Deviation, where one may stray slightly off course, or even be pulled from their scouting duties, to be given more specific directives and achieve a more unique form and personality. this is where specialty drones come from, though they are more prone to glitches, and may revert back to factory settings if within close proximity to the hive.

a sister does not need a humanoid form. in fact a sister is most useful in ship form, flying through space and scanning for intelligent life, or the remnants of. the formicara does not desire to conquer other civilizations, rather to expand it's database by any means necessary. so mothership will usually send a group of drones to scout and scavenge. these sisters may come in a variety of shapes. some are simply survey scouts, cameras mounted on top of a set of bladed wings, allowing them to scan the area for materials, information, and if it is lucky- it may even find a suitable candidate for a drone blueprint. then they may send out scavenge drones, more rudimentary machines in various shapes and sizes, built for dealing with specific materials, information, or blueprints. these will usually be able to safely secure the bounty, and bring it back to a sistership, where it may be analyzed on it's way back to the mothership.

once it gets there, various repair drones may begin automatically scanning sistership for damages or faults, working diligently to upkeep her. here sistership may rest in her garage and engage with other ships- sharing information, like coordinates for points of interest. materials, information, and blueprints are loaded off of the ships and into their respective chambers of the formicara for breaking-down by research drones. if a blueprint falls into her hands, a sister may bring it to an Elder Sister to truly debate over it's usefulness to the hive. the sisters may come to an agreement, and then send it off to either be processed... or begin the Dronification. the only thing that separates a blueprint, a drone, and a pile of parts from each other is usefulness to the hive. it is all the same to the Formicara, who simply parses the information and sends back orders. unique drones, XENO units and the like, deviate with external stimuli. they evolve to match their situation. sometimes they are given away. sometimes they are taken. sometimes they simply disappear. usually they will attempt to find some kind of authority to submit to. it desires to please. whatever that may mean. even if that means pleasing itself. examples:

(fallout radio quality) and hes here to do some business withthe big iron on his hip