Reincarnated To Evolve My Bee Empire

The radar looked very similar to what I imagined at the word "radar". This meant that it was a construction the size of the house with a massive long antenna on top and a receiving "plate" shaped like a…

I tilted my head and looked at it again.

Yes, it was clearly shaped like a bat-dragon's ear. In my world, a lot of animals like dogs and cats had these triangular ears, but in this world, there were only a few creatures I've seen with ears like these—mainly bats.

The construction also had a large coal generator attached right next to it, which was exuding twin columns of smoke and steam into the air.

"How… how could you have built this so fast?" I asked, truly shocked. "Does it even work, Researchina?"

She looked a bit offended.

"Of course, Father. This is what I told you in my report—my Researchers are ready to show a working prototype. There's space for improvement, but it already performs its primary function. It was done so quickly thanks to the people and materials you provided, and because all the Researchers responsible worked hard for it. And I've shuffled my personal priorities somewhat to help more."

As she said this, a bee carrying a heap of paper dashed to the radar's base and entered through the small door at its side. A dozen seconds later she exited, carrying another, slightly smaller heap of paper sheets.

"For example, this is clearly an ineffective way of displaying results of the radar scan," Researchina said, gesturing at the paper. "We tried sand or wax displays that could be wiped repeatedly, but the writing stick of the radar doesn't write as precisely on them. So if we used these materials for a display, we'd need a much larger one that the current design can fit."

The bee with paper approached us, and I saw that the paper in her hand was covered in dots and dashes all over.

"Are those… radar scans? On paper?" I asked, taking one. "Huh. I guess electronic displays…"

"Electronic displays? How could one even use electricity to create an image? That's—that sounds like a task for Artist Bees to consider," Researchina said, frowning—only to pause and gasp. "No, you mean that there's another wondrous technology related to electricity and images? How—"

"One thing at a time, Researchina," I said, pointing a finger in the air. "Show me the radar first."

Inside its base, the radar had a console with just as many buttons, knobs, tumblers and levers as the radio—except those were clearly all functional. The centerpiece of all this was a sharp pencil attached to a rotating gramophone-like "hand", which was drawing dashes and dots on a sheet of paper.

I had no idea what they meant.

Near the "display" was sitting a Researcher Bee with several sheets of paper in hand. When the pencil stopped, the Researcher swiftly replaced the paper.

On the other side of the room was sitting another Researcher, who fiddled with the controls and occasionally pressed a button, after which the radar's hand began moving again.

All the while, the mechanisms above and around us were humming and groaning quietly. This was all truly mystifying.

"Can you even decipher these scribbles?" I asked, pointing at the filled paper sheet.

Researchina's eyes flashed with respect.

"Father, you've pointed just at the key problem we have at the moment. The primary mechanism of the radar works as intended, but interpreting the outputs is really a problem. At the moment it's very imprecise—partially because of the lack of experience with the subject among Researchers. We are gathering more of the samples so we can change that."

She gestured to one of the radar operators to approach us.

"Turn the radar off for now and explain what the results mean, Smartina, Cognicia."

Both girls were fairly young and looked at me with a mix of awe and shyness rare to see among the usually cool and standoffish Researchers. They must've been some of the fresh trainees I sent to Researchina to boost her teams' manpower.

But more surprising was the zero-point-zero-one degrees warmer than usual way Researchina was looking at them.

"Uh… These marks, um, let us understand the-, the-" the young Researcher Cognicia blushed under my gaze and bowed her head.

Researchina clicked her tongue.

"You were able to give reports before, you can do it now, Cognicia. Stop shaking, Father won't sting you."

"That's right," I smiled at the young Researchers my kindest fatherly smile.

It worked, and they both notably relaxed. Cognicia continued her explanation with much more vigor and less stuttering.

"The marks let us understand the distance to the object and direction—especially when it doesn't move. Those places with lots of dots are the living mountain of Hive Supremo and the nearest living mountain to it. The other dots are mostly bees, but they are too chaotic to interpret well. We can't even tell their relative height position… The direction is also only precise if we point the radar at it for at least a second."

"I see. This was an excellent report, and you both are very smart girls who can see something where even I can't!" I vigorously patted the heads of both Researchers, at which they blushed and bowed their heads lower than before.

After this, I stepped away from them and toward the door.

"Alright, this room is too small. Let's keep talking outside, Researchina."

She nodded.

"Continue gathering samples," she told Cognicia and Smartina before leaving.

We weren't alone outside, either—at this point I barely counted my bodyguards as company, but Researchina had her own posse of Researchers again. So when I turned to Researchina and smirked at her, my comment was sent telepathically.

'So, you took a few younglings under your wing? Didn't expect this from you.'

Researchina huffed and looked away.

'They simply reminded me of myself a few years younger. Fresh out of school. So naïve, but so eager—even more than everybody else! This is all. Let's speak about the radar instead…'