repitonians have two options upon leaving school and being given their weapons: they can follow the shepherded path to stronghold 21 and work with administration to get housing and an artificial lusus, or they can go out into the world beyond stronghold walls and try to make it for themselves.

if they choose to go solo, they have to find a lusus to bond with and a hive to squat in. typically either taking up residence in something preexisting or building it up from scratch with whatever resources are at their disposal. corporate funding will aid them until they're six sweeps old, so it's not like they'll be instantly dying. not to mention osmosis more-or-less gives these children functioning adult brains by the time they're out of it. but it's still deemed as the "less optimal choice".

which is obviously why all of the main 12 live away from stronghold life. they're all screw ups.