I still can't seem to determine which is the "correct" path for the Hive Girl for me. It's one of those video game plot decisions, which I really like btw.
Anyone here has an idea about the outcome of the decision here or any posts on Patreon referencing this? This got me really curious about the outcome.
There was an episode of Star Trek: TNG where a Borg member was separated from the collective and began regaining his humanity. Eventually, he returned to the Borg and due to his exposure to individuality, weakened them.
In the case of Desert Stalker, there is a moral choice here, both not inherently wrong, IMO. Return Mantis to the Hive so she can gain back what she lost, a sense of belonging and clarity - or - take her back to the bunker and allow her to retain her newly gained individuality.
Then comes the strategic advantage and why I mentioned the Star Trek Borg above. Return her to the Hive so that her experiences with Zetan would influence the Hive, potentially making them a strong ally.
This is all speculation on my part and similar discussions have already been had, but very interesting to think about, IMO.