Death Among the Hivers

From SOTS

Due to the quirks of Hiver physiology, death is not necessarily the end of any given Hiver's life. A great deal of short and long-term memory is stored in crystalline form in a Hiver's brain case, and these chemicals can be extracted intact for up to 72 hours after death. A Hiver's crystalline brain case can even survive the effects of vacuum for a time. With the help of the princess—who passes these chemicals through her own digestive tract—the memory of the fallen Hiver can be injected into the thorax of a freshly laid egg. The result is a new-born Hiver which has many of the memories, skills and experiences of the Hiver who died.

This form of limited reincarnation is central to the spiritual beliefs of the Hiver population who conceive of the Divine as a female Hiver constantly devouring and renewing the universe. It is also very useful in preserving valuable skills and giving Hivers access to information which would otherwise be lost. However, the practice has led to a few unfortunate incidents in which some Hivers which had been exposed to a lethal plague were carried back to the princess/queen for renewal resulting in a predictable disaster for the whole family, or in the case of a queen being infected, the entire Hiver race.