Formicea

 

Another awakening in this strange world.
But this one I actually anticipated.
Today I can head out to my family and this makes me glad.
Not even this feeling of strain that tells me what happened during my sleep can put my anticipation down.

 

<You had a productive night, my princess. Twenty-six more. You are getting so much better!> (S)

 

Urgh, I really don't need the numbers.

 

<Liseti said I should be empty when we are going. Was that enough?> (E)

<I fear to be ready for such a journey you need to force it again on your own, my princess.> (K)

<Of course." (E)

<First, please eat a bit then we will commence.> (K)

 

I do as she says.
After all, Kyska does just mean well and knows more about princesses than I do.
There are still leftovers from yesterday and I eat.
And then I need to do "this".
It feels as bad as last time, but I can manage.
Also, it isn't nearly as much as before and so I settle down fast.

 

<Twenty is still good my princess, considering that you just woke up and your last session was just a short time ago.> (S)

<You really don't need to try to raise my mood. I'm glad if it isn't this much.> (E)

<If you say so, my princess.> (S)

<It will soon start. Do we need to prepare something?> (E)

<I am absolutely sure that princess Liseti has considered everything. Also, it is only half a day away if we travel fast. We only need to wait for her.> (K)

 

So I do and after a while, there is some rambling close to the courtyard.

 

<We are now heading out! So come please, Erys!> (L)

 

This is rather clear and so I should start to get going.

 

<Are you two accompanying me?> (E)

<Naturally, my princess! The personal nurses have always to stay with their princess if not assigned differently.> (K)

 

I didn't know that and hope I don't trouble them too much.
It also is disturbing how fast I've got used to them, which could be linked to these pheromones.
There was always this feeling of being soothed by their presence.

I head out and find the princess waiting for me like expected.
What I didn't expect was an army in her entourage.
A real one, not like my perception of the fifty winged soldiers she sent me, who already pose a fairly impressive force.
But this is a considerable war effort.

Thousands?

Maybe.

I see all kinds: Guardians, messengers, nurses, hunters, and naturally workers.
I am quite distressed at this sight.

 

<Are they going to come with us?> (E)

<This much is normal when a princess leaves the protection of the hive. And here we are two. You should really start to look into our evaluation of your person. And this is nothing against the number of drones I already sent there. However, I haven't planned to use them for a preemptive strike if this is what you fear.> (L)

<G-good! Then we should go.> (E)

 

I start to walk in the direction this army is aligned to.

 

<Erys. What are you doing there?> (L)

<G-going? I thought we should get started?> (E)

<So you as a princess seriously intend to travel the whole distance in this manner?> (L)

<So-something wrong with this?> (E)

<I don't even know where to start. Come here and enter!> (L)

 

I walk confused back to her.

 

<Enter?> (E)

 

At this moment the assembled workers are building some kind of structure with their bodies.
They link their arms while remaining steady on the other four appendages, building some kind of platform with living walls of workers, steadied by guardians at the corners and other key points.
A stair of kneeling nurses builds and Liseti urges me to climb it with gestures.

 

<I-I shall climb that?> (E)

<A princess has never to travel exposed! So enter!> (L)

 

She urges me further and Kyska gently pushes me forward.
I have no real choice, but to step at this distressingly stable living nurse stair, which doesn't even budge.
I manage to climb to the top and am in some kind of bizarre flesh carriage.
No head of the builders is really exposed and the surface has nearly no gaps.
Even more disturbing, some kind of benches have formed.
Directly behind me, Kyska who forced me forward enters.
After this, Liseti, with two nurses, and last Suki follow.

 

<What are you standing there? Sit down! It might be hard to keep your balance when we start moving.> (L)

 

Kyska guides me down on one of these "benches".
This all is terribly disturbing.
My two nurses each settle on my side, while Liseti does the same on my opposite.

Suddenly a great amount of interceptors is flying towards us, landing on the flesh wall.
But then they turn away and link their bodies as all the others did before.
So the wall extends upwards, grows together, and finally a closed ceiling forms above us.
I start to tremble at this sight.
This is literally a prison made of flesh, bones, teeth, and claws.
And the weak light now only comes dimly through the gaps above.

 

<Is something wrong with the princess?>

 

One of the other nurses seems to have caught up to my sorry state.

 

<Erys, what is wrong?> (L)

<Th-this place makes me crazy. Everything moves! It is like straight out of a nightmare! As if the room will tear me apart!> (E)

<You are aware how little sense you make? As if the workers would harm a princess.> (L)

<This isn't about logic! I am scared!> (E)

<You will be fine.> (L)

<Don't worry. We are here, my princess!> (K)

 

Kyska and Suki are embracing me and try to soothe my mind.

 

<SCREEAK!/We are heading out! Move!> (L)

 

She gives a signal and the room starts to stir.
The next moment I notice movement and slowly the structure gains in momentum.
I concentrate on Suki and Kyska to ease myself but soon become aware that there is a decent speed.
And it grows faster.

 

<Just to say it: You are nowhere safer than here.  All these soldiers would give their lives for you.> (L)

<S-still, this looks for a human absolutely horrific and this is my origin in the end.> (E)

<You could also say that what you are now is originating from our queen but for now, try to stay focused.> (L)

<I am! I am!> (E)

<This is all I want. Since this venture is concerning you too.> (L)

 

The flesh carriage is traveling fast.
The tunnels aren't this lighted, but my eyes and the occasional light stones help.
Occasionally the room becomes tighter, adjusting to the smaller structures and I get small claustrophobic attacks.
However, those settle down when it gets wider again.

 

<Why not occupy your mind? You said you want to find your family there. Taking your value into account and what it would mean if opposing forces might get a hold on you by capturing them, I give this target a high priority myself. So the question is, how do we find them? I guess searching the settlement with our forces would be the wrong approach. Especially regarding the risks for the targets.> (L)

<You aren't going to take them captive, right?> (E)

<I would like to avoid hostility. So it is on you to convince them. But you are aware that there might be issues if they stay and we reveal ourselves to those people?> (L)

<Yes, yes I'm aware.> (E)

 

They would be inside a town on the verge of a mass-panic.

 

<So how do we find them?> (L)

<It-it might be best to simply ask around there. Towns have often people who have a network with others to gain information. If we ask they would surely find them and tell us. But... we would need something to give in exchange. If we would just have some money or other valuables.> (E)

<I have some money!> (L)

<What!? How?> (E)

<The corpses of the soldiers. They had some of these metallic plates on them. Three different kinds. After your talk about this, it wasn't too hard to figure out, and inspired by this I've let my brood dig out similar ores and bring them to the base.> (L)

 

<You already did this much? I mean building a base, creating storages, bringing soldiers, and all the rest? That must have been a huge effort.> (E)

<What do you take me for? I am one of the princesses of the main hive! I have three-hundred-sixty-thousand entities under my direct surveillance only to protect the system around us.> (L)

 

She is this important?

 

<This must be more than you can lay on your own!> (E)

<Naturally! The other one isn't this much invested in the hive's affairs and this work is requiring quite some effort.> (L)

<I can relate. You even stored valuables this soon.> (E)

<But now tell me: What does this inedible substance make so important that those humans would always carry it with them, even when fulfilling their duty as a soldier?> (L)

 

Do I really have now to explain the value of money?
Yet when I think about it, it is kind of complicated.
But I hope I can somehow convey this.

 

<You see, the metal itself is not that practical, if not for being shiny and being of use for craftmanship. Money or these coins are used to acquire all kinds of goods from other humans who would give them in exchange.> (E)

<Why would anyone give something of use for something this utterly useless?> (L)

<It is... You could say it is some kind of agreement that it is of value. It kind of smoothens trade up. When you have something of worth to give and you want something it is not safe that the party who needs the goods you offer has the goods you want. But with money, you can get the coins for your goods and then use them for paying a third party who has that what you want. Like this it works, I think.> (E)

<So this "agreement" is what gives it the value?> (L)

<Kind of. A good part is the amount of money a person is willing to give for it. So you could say the worth of money is unstable too. Someone dying of hunger wouldn't take money for his meal. But as long everyone agrees you can acquire goods with it one can use it like this. That means as long the system is stable.> (E)

<I think I understand. It makes the human system possible!> (L)

<I'm not this sure about this.> (E)

 

How important is money in the end?

 

<You said humans are individualistic. It was strange for me how a species that is first thinking about its own interest could come together to establish a society. You would think that this requires some amount of effort to spend for others' benefit. Yet any intelligent creature who does not feel especially obliged to those others would be hard to convince to undertake such actions without receiving any direct compensation. However, with these coins, this is a different story. If a human holds them he has the promise of exchange. Money represents like this the possibility to acquire all material goods. And because this is such a pleasant promise, you would act to receive it. So money is not only of use to get wares but also actions from other humans. One could say money is similar to power for a human being. Ensuring control. An interesting system. And again this invaluable insight I obtained thanks to you. You have such great value! Unmeasurable with this "money"!> (L)

 

Seeing her like this I get the creeps.
She is dangerously perceptive and I can already see her using the knowledge she obtained as a weapon.
Or if not this, it will certainly grant her power over humans.
An insect taking over the human world by using society against them.
This would have been a horror story just some days ago for me.
And even now I cannot really rest assured at this idea.

However, I am safe I guess.

Now I need to make sure my family is too!