The Call of the Swarm

by Melani Matejak

  Drills continued over the next several days, growing harder and more demanding. Mentors insisted on keeping a tough pace; they were constantly instructing and directing, commenting on Starters’ actions and correcting their errors. Xe’s head spun with warnings, examples, remarks, feeling like it would explode.

  Starters were too exhausted to talk over dinner, just looking to slip to their sleeping chambers instead. Xe would exchange a few words with his roommates early in the morning and that would be all. Those three yearned to become Gatherers, and Xe expected to get that duty too, although he quietly dreamed of a Scout position.

  But the time was passing, and then it came; the Assessment Day.

  At daybreak, mentors sat isolated in the underground chamber with Supremes and other high Commanders; reporting on their classes’ results and discussing placements. At the same time, idle Starters roamed aimlessly in the countless hallways of the Hive, simmering with hopes and expectations. Tension was killing them, but they could do nothing but wait.

  Around late afternoon they all were summoned and gathered on the vast luminous floor of the Central Chamber. As usual, a multitude of mature Eeols observed the event from above, perched high on the fenestrated walls.

  Lively hubbub was rising from the young crowd, with occasional bursts of laughter. Xe and his roommates stood together amidst the red rolling mass, doing their part babbling and cheering at the top of their voices. Everybody around them was doing the same.

  “I’ll be the best Gatherer ever,” boasted one nearby Eeoless.

  “Second best after me!” Her friend grinned.

  “I’ll be a Watcher,” stated one Eeol, taller and stronger-built than average. “Check out my gear!” One of his wrists waved, drawing out a huge red spike. He was probably right as robust Eeols were often chosen to serve as Watchers.

  The rumbling chatter ceased abruptly when Supreme BeraX7719 came into view at the waxy prominence above. Followed by a dozen of other highly esteemed Eeols, he was carrying thin wax plates in his arms.

  After he conveyed a message of good wishes from the Queen and gibbered out a few standard opening lines about order and Starters’ obligations and responsibilities, he commenced the lists of names. To avoid wasting time, there were only two; for the Watchers and for the Scouts, as those lists were not excruciating long, and all Starters whose name did not appear on them were automatically considered Gatherers.

  “Watchers of the Swarms!” Supreme BeraX7719 announced loudly, causing the youngsters to hold their breath.

  He went on with reading, announcing one name after another, with each note triggering a burst of happiness down on the floor followed by deafening cheers from the entire crowd.

  The Eeols actually knew three different classes of Watchers. Besides Watchers of the Swarms, they had Watchers of the Gate who were permanently stationed in the sentry chamber adjacent to the Gate, guarding the entrance to the Hive day and night, and also Watchers of the Command, which was a ceremonial duty employing only a handful of Flyers serving as escorts for Supremes and standing guard at their Quarters. But nobody could enter the last two classes without serving as a Watcher of the Swarm first, and therefore no youngster could get promoted to these duties today.

  The four Queen’s Servants stood quietly to the Supreme’s right. Their positions had a special initiation system and new admissions seldom occurred as a result of their small numbers and longevity. The Queen’s Servants lived separate from the rest of the Swarm, dwelling in segregated quarters and socializing among themselves. Their obligation was to take care of the Queen and convey her words to the Swarm as nobody but them, not even the Supremes, were permitted to enter the Queen’s Chamber situated at the deepest point of the Hive. They were her eyes and ears, always monitoring closely.

  “Scouts of the Swarms!” Supreme BeraX7719 announced the next list, reading the names immediately afterwards.

  He got through half of the list when he said, “XeraM6697!”

  Xe thought his heart would jump out of his chest. For a moment his legs felt so feeble he struggled not to collapse on the floor. A Scout! He was a Scout!

  “Great! Really great!” acknowledged his roommates, patting him on the shoulders.

  After he finished, Supreme BeraX7719 tapped both plates against his chest.

  “Congratulations, Starters! Take pride in your position and be worthy of it. Carry out your duties fervently, diligently, and selflessly. Be dedicated and always give your best. Serve the Swarm well, for we all are the Swarm!”

  As required by the official protocol, the other two members of Supreme Command, Eeolesses LomoM0603 and BeraS3111, held one brief speech welcoming the Starters into the active service. The Supreme Command had a fourth member too, Supreme CotaR1608, but he has been sick for a long time and was unable to attend today.

  And it was naturally Supreme BeraX7719 who closed the event, adding a few more encouraging phrases. “That’s it, Starters. Fly to success!”

  3.

  We, the Scouts

  The next morning at the Rally, Supreme BeraX7719 was not in the mood for long talks.

  “Flyers! Go out and bring us supplies. There is not a day to lose. Although the warm season seems lengthy now, it is going to pass in a blink of an eye, and its attributes are always unpredictable. When winter comes, the Hive must be well-stocked. To work!”

  The gathering swarms and their accompanying scouting companies were getting ready in the Central Chamber. There were four swarms, each served by its own scouting company whose task was to go ahead and search for suitable pastures. While the composition of swarms was constant, basic arrangement for Scouts have been the small units consisting of only twenty members, ten to fifteen of which were typically joining forces in changing combinations to form the variably-sized scouting companies.

  Xe was assigned to the Scout unit 33 and was overjoyed after discovering that some of his Internalhood friends he had lost contact with during the last frenetic days were serving in the same unit. He cried with happiness, meeting again with humorless and always official Da, playful Te and mouthy Eeoless Go, and they hugged so hard that joint linkages on their armors creaked. Quickly afterwards the four friends got acquainted with the rest of unit 33; there were slim Eeoless Le and shy Ka, tall Pa 2 and short but stout Pa 7 and a number of other Xes and Goes.

  Their newly appointed Scoutmaster was there as well, summoning his fresh unit to muster in front of him. He was broad-shouldered and radiated self-confidence and calmness.

  “Hail, Starters! I’m Second Class Commander CetaT8818 and leader of the Scout unit number 33. From now on, the first thing you do every morning will be to report to me.”

  Da didn’t wait to be told twice. He zealously stepped out of the group and cried, “Da is reporting for duty, Sir!”

  Commander Ce raised his palm toward the Scout, halting him.

  “Not so fast, youngster. Let me finish. When reporting for duty, it has to be by your full name, is that understood? Again.”

  Da nodded reverentially.

  “DadoY3961 is reporting for duty, Sir!” he repeated, equally fervently.

  Truth be said, there wasn’t much need for him to use his full name as Dado was a rare batch. In the early stage of development, it was attacked by a parasitic fungus; a disgusting moldy thing that killed off the majority of broodlings and left most of those who survived maimed for life. Da had missed these fates by pure luck, staying both alive and in perfect health.

  “PagaN4782 reporting for duty, Sir!” cried Pa 2 next, irritated that he missed being the first to report. He sounded passionate, if little pompous. On the other hand, quiet Ka only whispered his name, and Te said it in a low voice also. Go muffled out hers, angry about the way Superiors have treated the youngsters; but she has been a complainer all her life.

  After they all reported in, Commander Ce nodded.

  “So, Starters, happy your training is completed, aren’t you? Well, it isn’t. Your training is just begi
nning. What you know by now are mere basics and there are still many things you must learn.” He shifted his weight to another leg. “We are Scouts, and our duty carries a great responsibility. Seeking flowers is not the only thing we do as pastures have to be checked out and proven safe too. For proper service, discipline is essential and there will be no fooling around. Commands have to be followed thoroughly and at all times!”

  Like we need to be told that, though Xe. Obeying orders was nothing new for youngsters who lived under the rigorous set of rules since they had been born.

  “One thing must be absolutely clear. Days of playing are over, Starters! You aren’t here to have fun but to deal with real missions in real life. Be focused and never get carried away. Have no illusion, youngsters; the outside world is a dangerous place.”

  Xe suddenly noticed a set of scars on Scoutmaster’s red armor, a feature he completely overlooked before. The pallid lines went up his leg from knee to hip, clean and almost parallel cuts, spoiling the natural elegance of the Eeol body. True, during his Internalhood, Xe did hear stories about some hostile creatures outside, the Grabbing Flies and Waterworms and alike, but that stories were too unclear to create any kind of judgment.

  Xe didn’t ponder further on those issues as Commander Ce changed the subject, starting to talk about their scouting company and orders from Mission Commander ZippaS8865 who was in charge of it.

  Youngsters were quite disappointed when they learned that they were to serve the gathering swarm number three. While the Hive generally had to send out several gathering swarms, as it was rare to find single pasture rich enough for its entire flying force, the swarm number one was the largest and the most highly deemed. It was an honor and a privilege to get there and nobody liked an assignment to the smaller accessory swarms. Indeed, most highly skilled Flyers served in the swarm number one.

  “That’s simply because we are all-Starters unit” Commander Ce consoled them. “The Swarm is short of mature Scouts at the moment. It’s not to say this unit doesn’t have good Flyers, even some very promising ones.” Here he looked at Xe, who would bloat with pride if only his rigid metal armor would allow it. “So be patient, youngsters. Once you get promoted to Troopers, the situation is going to change.”

  Starters had no choice but to accept that answer.

  “Sir, why are flights delayed today?” asked Pa 2. “The morning is passing yet none of the gathering swarms are flying out. What are we waiting for?”

  Commander Ce smiled.

  “Right. Time for your first lesson, youngsters. Follow me to the Gate.”

  The small unit buzzed to the eastern wall and up to the broad waxy sill high above the Central Chamber floor. Several dozen Watchers who milled across it hailed the Scouts at their arrival and moved sideways to give them space. The large and wide opening of the Gate was offering a great view on the surrounding meadow where brassy metallic plants hissed in the wind.

  “Come closer, everybody.” Commander Ce pointed his finger to the skies. “Do you see a cloud at the western horizon? Yes, that one. At first glance it looks the same as others, all white and fluffy, but it’s not. Notice how its base is straight, like cut away, and that slightly jagged top. That, youngsters, is a thunderstorm cloud in development. Don’t get deceived by its present whiteness, because soon it’ll grow gray and the rain is going to lash from it. Consequently, all flights are postponed until the weather conditions improve.”

  Commander Ce was right. The downpour came just around noon and huge raindrops started thumping on the ground like rocks.

  With water globes being the size of their heads, the rain was perilous for Eeols and capable of causing them serious injuries by a single hit; and hail, not rare during the summer, was even worse. Thus Commander Ce spared no effort teaching his Starters about weather hazards while they were all sitting in the Central Chamber waiting for the sun to reappear.

  “Remember this well, youngsters. Never try to run back to the Hive when the sky is close to opening. That’s a waste of precious time. Use it to find a shelter instead; plants, holes in the ground, some large leaf… anything is better than nothing.”

  Mercifully, the rain stopped quickly and the sun shone again above the endless plains, saving young Scouts from boring lectures. In the second half of day flights were granted by the Supreme Command and Xe and his friends were to go on their first real mission.

  Comprising of eleven units this time, scouting company three left its gathering swarm to wait in the Central Chamber as per protocol and emerged from the Hive into the glaring sunlight, rapidly climbing to cruising altitude.

  As they turned to head east a distant Stream flashed into their eyes, brilliant and glimmering. The brown flatlands rolled out below, showing little sign of a recent storm; dry earth drank every drop of the rainwater and no puddles were visible on the surface anymore. Scant and dispersed weed-like plants were passing quickly beneath the company. They also flew over a small thicket concealing a single monolith lost amidst vegetation with a spring murmuring at its base. Eeols called that battered rock the Old Bluetop due to the bluish hue of its upper part and used it like a very practical landmark.

  Starters were flying quietly, viewing the outstanding panorama with awe as for them the outer world still possessed the overwhelming power.

  Only once did Commander Ce indicated a tiny spot in the distance and cried, “Look there, youngsters, a Peaceful Fly!”

  A little later the company entered the area which was considerably damper than usual. The landscape changed tremendously as here the extra moisture was allowing the metal-fortified plants to thrive in fantastic density, and not a patch of bare ground could be seen anywhere. Crammed tightly stem to stem and leaf to leaf, every herb fought for space making the meadow so thick that it seemed like a marvelous brassy-green carpet. From time to time there was stirring in the metallic vegetation, giving away the presence of some invisible dwellers.

  “Come, youngsters, take a better look” Commander Ce descended a bit, flying directly over the lush area.

  The entire meadow was flooded with freshly-green blades of the Common Grass, shiny in the sun. Miniscule blue flowers of Weeping Herb peered out here and clumps of fragrant Whitebells there, and some Pimma plants whose broad leaves were sprinkled with brown spots giving them a sick appearance. Thorny cirri of Yellowsticker crept around patiently looking for some larger stalk to climb onto. Little further, elegant slender ears of Sharpblade Grass shook gently in the wind, alongside the deeply-cut round leaves of Moon Herb, an Alaske oddly-shaped sprouts and pointing spears of the Silver Rush. There was an amazing medley of different plants growing here, and they were all doing their part in contributing to the meadow splendor.

  Commander Ce pointed his finger downward.

  “A beautiful place, isn’t it? Just not a place for us! That vegetation is too dense and you wouldn’t be able to keep watch or flee fast enough in case of an emergence. Never go into such thickets, Starters!”

  They rejoined the main group, which was turning south.

  Clearing the overgrown wetlands, Eeols passed into a region more pleasing to their taste, consisting of pebble-covered flatlands where they discovered with ease a vast grove of Farra plants. Stretching out of sight, it was opulent with yellow blossoms.

  Half of the company turned back to the Hive to bring over the gathering swarm number three while the other half, including unit 33, spread around to secure the area. Troops of mature Eeols were deployed on the outskirts, wary and alert and keeping guard with the greatest caution.

  For Starters there was not much to do right now except to kill some time. Da was talking to two Pas in a low voice and Te played with ball-like Flea Beetle egg uncovered in some folded leaf. A short distance away, Commander Ce gestured energetically whilst explaining something to Ka and several other Starters around him.

  Feeling somewhat tired Xe decided to take a short rest. He spotted a nice block of sandstone half-buried in pebbles and sat down in its sh
adow.

  Here in the solitude he could almost sense the Queen’s Song pulsating under his red helmet. Emitted by the Queen day and night, the supersonic call had a large range reaching Flyers even when they were far away. By connecting every single Eeol in the Swarm with the Queen, the Song had a crucial role in binding the community together. Xe was completely relaxed and enjoyed the serenity.

  Across the field, restless Go had completely different desires.

  This long wait for the gathering swarm to show up made her nervous. In addition, she considered this whole mission very dull and yearned for something more exciting. For instance, there was the Stream, shimmering in the distance close to the horizon; a remarkable blue band of dazzling glare which seemed irresistible to the inexperienced Starter’s eyes.

  Go buzzed over to Commander Ce. “Sir, can we go to visit the Stream?” she asked hopefully, but the Scoutmaster shook his head. “No.”

  That should end the discussion, if only Go was the type to quit easily. Unfortunately, stubbornness was her main trait since her earliest days.

  “Sir, there is ample time till nightfall!”

  Curious Starters clustered around almost instantly. They were mute but giving Commander Ce craving looks which made it clear that they were all in favor.

  Still he declined again. “Beware of Stream, youngsters! It’s not a safe place, nurtures dangerous coppices and attracts Dragonflies. Remember, water spells trouble, and you have to stay away from it, especially dead, stagnant water. It’s where the Waterworms are found.”

  Insulted and resentful, Go withdrew under the nearby Farra stem. Kneeling in its shade, the peeved Eeoless reckoned that harassing youngsters and making their life miserable was the only thing Superiors had to live for.

  In the meantime, the gathering swarm number three arrived, guided knowingly by the experienced Scout units. Thousands of red bodies whirled in the air and buzzed noisily getting ready to land. The Watchers rushed to spread out over the Farra grove while Gatherers flew to the metallic flowers to start collecting food.