Formicea

 

I wake up from a troubled rest.
There was simply too much on my mind to completely calm down, as good as this tub is.
As a result, I feel terribly strained.

 

<Princess, how was your rest?> (K)

<Not good. Everything feels tense.> (E)

<That was to be expected.> (S)

<Crrk!/Why? Because I was so stressed before?> (E)

 

Weird that they bring this up, but they apparently care very much about my stress.

 

<That maybe too. But more because you had another laying interval while you slept. Twenty-two eggs my princess.> (K)

<Scree?/What? How could that happen? I...> (E)

<It seems the alcove is relaxing your strained body and like this stimulates you to lay them. We carefully tried not to wake you up and disturb your sleep.> (K)

<I laid more eggs?> (E)

<Like we said! With them, there were now forty-eight for your first activity interval. This is a good amount, my princess. You are doing well.> (S)

<And if you're interested one of them hatched I was told. Far too early, yet there are such irregularities at these respective numbers. Still, we wanted to inform you that the specimen was examined and is a completely normal worker. There are no irregularities related to your background.> (K)

 

I bred a normal insect!?
No, no! This is wrong!
They really made me a brood mother.
There is no difference between mine and any of them?
And I even produce them in my sleep?

I feel devastated and surely they notice with those pheromones.
Kyska certainly does and seems to change the subject of our talk.

 

<And princess, your coverage was finished. The processing of the material was novel, yet we managed to make the proper adjustments to suit your request.> (K)

 

At last, clothes.

Kyska makes a few steps and takes some fabric she presents me.
They show the same green the uniforms of the soldiers had.
However, the form seems to be some kind of dress.
I take it and find that the back is left free for the wings.
Something that should've been expected.

The points where the different pieces it consists of are linked, aren't stitched but connected with a weird substance.
Due to this rather provisional application, it doesn't look like a masterpiece, yet in the end still decent.
As they have the function of maids the two are insisting to dress me up in it.

 

<Princess, are you satisfied.> (K)

<It is maybe a bit weird, but does its job and is not too hard to move in. For not knowing the material it was made fairly well.> (E)

<Thank you, princess.> (K)

 

I try to walk some steps.
The skirt is ending a bit high at my knees to not apply too much pressure to the stinger and so I have some room for my legs.

 

<If you want we can move out during this interval. It might be a good experience to learn about the hive. Don't you think so?> (K)

 

Well, it might be important to get to know this place and it would feel less as if I'm confined here for this one purpose.
I don't really want to think about it.

 

I prepare myself mentally and with a little urging encouragement from Suki, I finally make my first step out of this room.
They did not promise too much.
We are in some kind of hall that feels as if I'm outdoors, so vast it is.
There are many different rooms around here embedded in the earthen walls.
Thinking that such a place was dug out from nothing is astonishing.

There is a large number of workers around which start to stir and seem to direct their attention to me.
I draw a little back and hide behind Kyska.
Although they are workers and not warriors, they are bulky, bigger than me, and I'm sure they would be able to overwhelm any untrained human.

If you cannot land a decisive blow they would simply overrun you.
Like a stampede of horses, I think.
And no one sane would stand in the way of a running horse.
And here are more than enough around to overrun me.

Fifty?
Sixty?
And there are even some giants around.

 

<Princess, is something wrong?> (K)

<They are watching me. Don't they look threatening? They are surely all stronger than me. What if they are hostile?> (E)

<I'm not sure about the part with the strength, princess, yet they are simply watching because you left your chambers. At the moment you are the highest authority here, they cannot ignore you.> (K)

 

Authority?

I really wield power here?

 

<How do they know this? Don't I look human if you're not watching too close?> (E)

<You can have more confidence in their abilities, princess. Foremost it is your scent that tells them. However, they are also memorizing the shape and sound of those they are attending.> (K)

<Can... Can you make them go normal again?> (E)

<My princess, you simply need to order it.> (S)

<Cruhh!/ R-right. You can proceed?> (E)

 

At this moment all of them are resuming to do whatever they did before.

 

<There are quite some facilities here. right?> (E)

<Yes, everything here is very new, but they already started to expand it. There is a food storage and a miniature mycelium to secure a safe supply. The stables aren't filled yet, but we built some storage halls for the items you may request and necessities. And naturally, there are enough quarters for the units who attend you. Separated according to their specialization. Also, a link to the water reservoirs has been established recently. However, the nectar units aren't installed yet.> (S)

 

Suki seems to be excited and I have to say that it looks and sounds impressive.

 

<It feels lively. A little like a human town. To think that a hive is like this.> (E)

 

Ehm? Why are those two staring at me with such a puzzled expression?

 

<Princess, are you serious?> (S)

<Why? Did I make a mistake?> (E)

<Princess, this isn't the hive. These are your private quarters, where only those assigned to you reside. The hive is out there.> (K)

 

She points in the direction of a large gateway.
A bit of light is shining through.
Suki nearly pushes me there, while Kyska seems to be worried that she is committing some kind of lèse-majesté.
Soon I am at this gateway, where four giants wait, but immediately step aside at our approach.
Am I really that important?
Suki pushes me through and I see...

Something unbelievable!

In front of me extends a hall that isn't a hall.
This is its own world under the earth.
In a circular shape, a wide space expands.
It grows wider to the ground and ends up high in a dome. In the middle erects an enormous pillar that connects the ground to the top.
We are fairly high, but the ceiling is a good distance away but the ground far more.

We are located somewhere on the sides of this space.
There are notches and holes everywhere on the pillar and the surrounding walls and not a single point seems still.
And between the pillar and the borders is a large number of some kind of bridges connecting them, yet they are so long I don't understand how such a structure is possible.

Also, some creatures are flying through this space.
Thousands and thousands of glowing stones on the surface light this place up.
Not as bright as the day, but at least as if it's dawn.
The vision is good.

 

<Princess, I need to ask you to keep your second eyelids closed or you might get dirt in there, which falls due to the small tremors. And please refrain from flying. You are too inexperienced for now and when the time comes we will first appoint a schedule to teach you properly and safely.> (K)

 

With this commanding tone and the felt scent of genuine concern behind it, my translucent lids close immediately.

For her second point.
I haven't even thought about it.
Those wings were just inconvenient to me.
I never considered that I could really fly with them.

 

<I thought we could visit the mycelium. The food source is the heart of the hive, keeping it alive. It might normally be dangerous, as the food is luring other creatures close. Yet the fields of this hive are completely secured so that there is no risk.> (K)

 

It's obvious that Kyska would do everything possible to avoid putting me at risk.

She leads us through vast floors.
They are open and often connect to this great expanse.
At the same time, I begin to realize that this is only the heart of this place and the floors and later tunnels are leading far beyond.
After this, they connect to an endless system that is linking an unbelievable grand world with probably several more of these hives.

 

So we are descending in the direction of that space.
But at one point I notice something and become frightened.
Behind us, we are followed.
I try not to look directly, but I can see at least two giants, or guardians as they were called by Kyska, and also around ten workers.
And to make things worse there are even some of these hunters, these bloodthirsty monsters.

 

<K-K-Kyska, there is a gathering behind us. What do they want?> (E)

<Princess, you don't need to be frightened. This is just your escort. As if we could allow that you stay completely unprotected, only with your nurses.> (K)

 

I turn around and promptly all the creatures stop.
They are really here because of me.
A small army.

Then I notice some nurses behind the soldiers.

 

<When they are here to protect me, why are there also nurses?> (E)

<Princess, you should know. We don't know your rhythm yet.> (S)

 

I understand.
They are here for the case that I start to lay eggs so they can attend in that case.
Always ready to react in that way.
I try not to think about this and just proceed on the way.

 

<By the way my princess, I thought about your other request.> (K)

<My other request?> (E)

<Your family and how we could obtain them.> (K)

<Obtain? You mean to find them!> (E)

<Yes, naturally unharmed. Yet I thought in order to keep them safe like you wanted it might be best to gain control over their wellbeing.> (K)

 

Gaining control?
As much I would love to have my family around.
Something that would give me a sense of security in this strange world.
I am sure it wouldn't work out.
I can't force them to live here.

But maybe she is in some way right.
I am in a position to ask for things.
At least I could rebuild our house.
Maybe send some guards to protect them from the enemy soldiers.
I could even make it so that they can visit me if they still want.

I am afraid if my parents will still see me as their daughter, as changed as I am.
And my six years old brother might be scared of me.
Nonetheless, I would like to know them safe.
At least I could let the insects build a tunnel leading directly to them so that they can escape to me if things become dangerous and I could send them gifts.
This sounds nice.

It would be the best I can have.

 

<I... don't think they would want to live under the earth. Humans aren't made for that I guess. I don't have much of a choice, but I want them happy. Can we maybe somehow keep them alive at the surface? Protect them? Help them?> (E)

<I don't see why not. With the resources under your command it should be possible to keep three entities alive.> (K)

<This would be good.> (E)

<However, there is still the problem to acquire the control to do so.> (K)

<And how to solve this?> (E)

<Your scent changed drastically when you went through your metamorphosis, but there are still samples of your former scent in form of your belongings we obtained. With these, I was able to let the hunters follow the similarities from the place you were found. We could easily track them to a human settlement like you predicted. There were some incidents, yet no greater causalities. To gain access, some tunnels which were conveniently located below the mentioned settlement are for this reason right now expanded to lead us in, without confronting the as hostile judged guards.> (K)

 

Why does it sound to me as if they are going to invade this town?
I mean hunters are scouting this place out, incidents that lead to judging guards as hostile and now we are tunneling under the walls.
All that is left is storming in with an army.

 

<Please promise me that we are not going to send soldiers through these tunnels Kyska.> (E)

<Naturally. A conflict might be detrimental to the health of the targets.> (K)

 

I am pretty sure it was just bad wording.
But I don't want them referred to as targets.
As this talk draws to an end I note that we reached our destination.
The ground floor.

I pass the last gateway and find myself...

in a forest.
Below the earth.
Maybe you can't call it a real forest, as there are no trees.
Instead giant mushrooms are taking their place.
For me, this is a forest.

 

<Welcome in the mycelium, princess!> (K)

<This looks like a forest.> (E)

<A forest?> (S)

<Eehk, cri-ic!/ You don't know? A forest is an uncultivated land where numerous large plants, called trees, grow.> (E)

<Princess, you can be assured that this is completely cultivated land.> (K)

<But they are so large.> (E)

<There are two ways to farm these special mushrooms. One is to cut them regularly down when they are big enough. The other way is to let them grow like this and always cut a bit. The benefit here lies in a slightly greater income. The other is that this kind of mushroom at this size is less prone to fall victim to exterior influences and will spread easier. Like this, the supply is here more secure. On the other side, they are more difficult to control and take much space. For this reason, there are below us several layers using the former system. All to support our food supply.> (K)

 

This is a really important place.
As we were farmers I know that the food supply is essential for a nation.
And these insects have them directly in their fortresses.
Not like humans, where peasants are neglectable lives to the uppers and the fields are left out in the open for everyone to attack.
From my own most recent experience, I find this here preferable.

I noticed the moment I crossed the gate that it's considerably warmer in this forest.

 

<Kyska, why is it so warm here?> (E)

<This is natural my princess. The fertilizing and growing of the mushrooms leads to warmth, along with the natural heat of all the creatures, and the earth's increasing temperature the deeper you dwell makes it rise even more. And the hive is built in a way that the temperature gets accumulated in the middle. Here lies the mycelium. And the most important facilities are embedded in the main strand you can see here.> (K)

 

She points at the pillar and I begin to understand that this whole place is an architectonic masterpiece, made to keep a self-sustaining system going.
Like this, enabling the existence of things like this underground forest here below the earth.

I am allowed to stroll a bit around and am fascinated by these mushrooms.
Especially interesting for me is that there's a river running through this place, somehow channeled to support the harvest in the best way.
Their constructions are impressive.
Many workers are wandering around, plucking weeds.
I try not to come close and disturb them, which only partly works.

Then I detect something.
On the ground crawls a fairly big bug with huge mandibles.
But before I can look closer something rushes past me.
The next thing I notice is that the bug is enveloped by several hunters.
Next, a guardian and workers are closing in, while without me noticing I'm surrounded by an impenetrable wall of eight workers and a guardian.
The bug is ripped apart in seconds and I fall scared.

 

<My princess are you alright?> (S)

<W-w-what is going on here?> (E)

<It seems there was a fungus dweller. These creatures aren't fast or excessively dangerous, but their mandibles can cut off limbs, as they use them to cut down the mushrooms. You, so close to such a threat! Fortunately, the escort reacted in time.> (S)

 

So my escort made this?
The bug isn't the least bit recognizable now.
What shall I think about this?
Such monsters close to me are scary.
Kyska comes too and soon some hunters are approaching our group with the wall around us.

 

<Creok/No further threat found.>(Guardian)

<Criik/Return back to former position.> (Guardian)

 

Like that the insects around us are leaving back to the distance they were before.

 

<It seems there are no remaining threats my princess. You can calm down.> (S)

 

I do as they say and ease up.
Yet more because those frightening, big escort insects, who rip living things apart, are gone now.
So the tension leaves my body.

 

"Plop"

 

And is instantly back again.

 

<The other nurses and the surrounding workers, Suki! This is no ideal position!> (K)

 

"Plop"

 

I lay eggs!

Again!

 

"Plop"

 

And again I cannot stop!

They are just coming on their own!

The nurses in the escort are incredibly quick at me.
They again take carefully the eggs, never carrying more than one.
I am on my knees, while Suki is holding me, shifting my position almost imperceivably to give better access to my stinger.

 

"Plop"

 

More and more are coming and like efficient machinery, the nurses take the eggs, bring them to the workers, which transport them away, while the nurse is going back to her old place to be ready to take the next egg.

 

"Plop"

 

And there she goes again.
I feel completely wrong and it takes such a long time.
Finally, it ends!

 

<Thirty eggs! You are doing so well. Like this, you might make the Twenty-thousand in your first cycle! Will you maybe have one more interval? Or two? When you sleep surely more will come. Such a productive princess! I am so proud!> (S)

 

I am productive?

No, I'm devastated!

 

<Isn't it right Kyska? Her predisposition must be very good. The queen was completely right! She might grow even more. Who knows, like this, her production could maybe double or triple in the future. Just imagine it might be possible for her to lay fifty-thousand eggs a year. Such an honor to serve her. She could maybe even become a queen. Just the thought. An absolute existence! Egg-laying without stopping. It might be possible. She would never end her intervals and become a perfect entity to support the swarm. Always laying...> (S)

<SKREEEK! Scriah!/SUKI STOP! Look our princess is trembling. This thought is too much for her. You are making her distressed.> (K)

 

I tremble and sob and whine and simply don't know what to do despite being devastated.
Suki seemingly panics as she has done something detrimental to my wellbeing.
And I don't know what to do.

What if she is right?
What if my body changes further until I can't stop laying eggs?
This would be hell.

 

<Princess, Suki didn't mean it like this. There are conditions to become a queen, furthermost the old one is still alive. It doesn't happen like this. Even if it would, Suki is exaggerating. The queen isn't constantly occupied. Otherwise, she couldn't have induced your metamorphosis. Also, your body seems to have settled on this amount. It's a fairly good one and it is very unlikely that this will change anytime soon, my princess.> (K)

<R-really?> (E)

 

Kyska takes me in all her four arms.

 

<Sure! You are the way you are. Mentality plays a role in this. Your body won't become different against your will. You are good as you are, princess.> (K)

 

This helps.
I don't know how, but I feel soothed.

 

<This is scaring me so much! As if I am becoming something I shouldn't. This feels so foreign to me. I don't even know what I'm doing there. Pressed into something that is so far away from me. That I am not!> (E)

<If things are like this maybe we should visit the other place I deem worthy of your attention, princess.> (K)