EPTWe're fed, we're kept warm, we're protected. All of our necessities are provided.
But it's not enough for any of us. The constant circle we walk, going to minerals, mining minerals, going back to the hatchery is not what any of us want in the end. I know because I've talked to the other Drones. We all know each other by acquaintance of our living. But we also all know one other Drone better than any other. That's because of the buddy system.
You don't get to choose your buddy in the Drone line. Not really. You go with the first Drone you meet, and you're stuck with them for as long as you mine. It's important to have a buddy, you can't survive in this world without one. They tell us in the event of an attack, we substantially increase our chances of survival by having a buddy. That's because in the monotonous grind of mining, the hope is at least one of you is conscious.
My Drone buddy's name is Dronaldo. We were hatched at the same time on 9 supply, so there was no doubt we'd be partnered. He wasn't a great looking Drone, but he wasn't a bad looking Drone either. Maybe with a lighter shade of blue on his carapace he'd have been sent to be a Hatchery right away. But then, that was true of all of us. We were all rejects in some way. Most of us didn't take it as hard as Donaldo did though.
On the outside, most people could tell Dronaldo was no good. He was constantly rude to everyone, and never had anything pleasant to say. I, who knew him better than any, could attest this was never untrue. I knew even worse about Dronaldo than that. I knew he was sick. He was bitter about the life he'd been born into, and he hated everyone. Sometimes when we heard stories about great battles that were fought, they'd involve Drone drills and many causalities. He'd tell me he wish he were one of those casualties. He was always so morbid.
Sometimes I'd get complaints from Zergs he'd been rude to. Other mining Drones, but also Zerglings and Hydralisks that had been guarding us. I hated when he upset Zerglings and Hydralisks... I had to reason with them, apologising for Donaldo's behaviour. I'd tell them he didn't mean it, he just gets a little depressed sometimes. But I knew he did. He always meant it.
Reaver and Marine attacks aren't uncommon on the Drone line. It's the main reason we have a buddy system. It used to be that Dronaldo ran just as hard as I did when they came. But each successive time we've been attacked, he's gotten slower and slower. He's started telling me he wish he'd died in that attack. He tells me he wants to die, but he can't. Can't bring himself to just let go like that. "I'm tired of life and I'm afraid to die."
Now I usually have to drag him away during attacks. He hobbles behind me, but he has no will. I try to cheer him up sometimes. I tell him at least we have food and shelter right now. That if we keep reaching we'll eventually make it. But he's unconvinced. More and more he tells me that it's impossible. That he's going to be stuck in this merry go round forever, and nothing is ever going to change or get better. What's the point of eating everyday if you never go anywhere. What's the point of anything. He tells me he wishes he was dead for the 10,000th time.
One morning we were attacked. The Hatchery we'd been living with died, and we had all had to run to the edge of the base. The intruders had been killed off, and we were told to proceed to another Hatchery for duties. It was the final straw for Dronaldo. He told me he was done. There would be no more for him. He was getting off this merry go round and nothing would stop him. He asked me to kill him. "I'm not good to anybody. Even you say I get you down." I thought of stories I was once told. Stories about Lurkers who'd been irradiated and were doomed to suffer. That to have mercy on these Lurkers, Defilers had consumed them. I killed Dronaldo.
