The Call of the Swarm

by Melani Matejak

  HoraN9637 suddenly developed a great interest for checking her left hand gear. “Starvation,” she said shortly.

  “What?” A collective clatter erupted. “Flowers are opening in heaps!”

  “Irrelevant. Kings are unable to feed.”

  Her auditory glared.

  “That is, not after they’re fully matured. Kings break out of cocoons with their feeding pipes sealed and therefore live very short lives, while reserves in their batteries stashed during the larval period last. Once these are spent, every single King will die.” She clicked with the tip of her wax pump. “That’s the fate of Kings, Scouts. They live only for a Wedding Flight. And why do you look so surprised? Haven’t you noticed Kings never come back? Where did you think they go?”

  Like everybody else, Xe had never taken the time to reflect about such issues. The fate of Kings, he thought to himself and shivered.

  After some more observing and commenting, wistful Eeols retreated back to the tranquil Paloma grove to prepare for the dispatching of the summoning party. Only the grayish flocks of the Carrion Beetles remained buzzing in the ravine.

  Two days later, the First Flight has come.

  All wound up, the Swarm awoke early and well before sunrise. The stirring multitude of Eeols poured into the Central Chamber and the atmosphere was all charged and mesmerizing; festivities engulfed the Hive, and its hallways and chambers reverberated with the pulsating noise of agitated racket and soft buzzing.

  Xe took his place at one of the openings in the sieved walls amidst a huge army of Mature Eeols. He felt weird as mixed feelings started to fight in his heart. There was joy of witnessing this wonderful event and sweet memories of his own First Flight, but also gloom and bitterness caused by the deaths of Le and others, and the dissatisfaction with the Swarm order he couldn’t shake off; a complex and puzzling jumble of emotions simmered quietly inside him.

  In the meantime, would-be Starters began assembling down on the radiant floor. From Xe’s standpoint they were just a stirring mass. They were less numerous than his generation, though, as the spring Flight was always the largest.

  It has been long since Xe lost track of the world of Internals. Bit by bit, Flyers got used to ignore their presence and look through them. Interestingly, even Masters of Internals tended to keep away from the rest of Commanders; having separated quarters at the south corner of Subterraneous Level 5, they never came to the Commanders’ Area.

  All of a sudden, the chatter from below stopped abruptly, with silence dropping over the immense chamber. Xe detected Supreme BeraX7719 showing up on the wax prominence trailed by the small party of high-ranked Eeols. It had to be a breathtaking sight for would-be Starters.

  “Eeols of the Swarm!” Supreme’s voice thundered amid the revered stillness. “We are gathered here today to witness the First Flight of our youngest…”

  Oh yes, thought Xe, how very original.

  He stretched his stiffened limbs a little while the Supreme went on with his speech, droning on and on about duty, community and other common stuff of his. It was jam-packed here, and the Scout had to be careful not to accidently smack some fellow Eeol standing too close while doing the stretching. One thing was certain, BeraX7719 really enjoyed those speeches, and Xe would bet anything he could babble about order all day long.

  But then a signal came and red air-screws spun. The front row of Matures from the eastern wall descended silently and Xe followed them, synchronized with the stream. Flyers landed tenderly on the lukewarm wax of the floor, and took a crescent formation behind the excited youngsters’ backs.

  Somebody tapped Xe’s hand. He turned and saw Da and Go together with Xes 36 and 72, and nodded quietly in response, careful not to disturb the huge army of fresh Starters before him. They stood completely still with their helmeted heads looking up, taking in every single word from the Supreme’s mouth.

  The youngsters differed from one another quite a bit. They varied by age; some being fairly old like Wa 17 had been on his First Flight and others very young, frankly too young for Flight but passed nonetheless due to the shortage of Flyers. There were armors of light red or darker red, with yellow markings going from scant to abundant and in very diverse patterns. Shorter or taller, lighter or stronger built, the Starters were very different but all shared one common trait. It was that gorgeous bloom of youth, bursting with health and vigor.

  Xe gritted his teeth watching unscarred glossy armors, non-indented helmets and unspoiled gears. He knew with certainty that they wouldn’t stay that way for long. The happy and excited innocence of the Starters was sad to watch. The Green frowned at the thought many of these fair youngsters would soon die there in the outside world. Chopped up, blasted, torn to pieces. That was the sad truth.

  Turning aside, Xe exchanged looks with his friends. By their grim faces he could guess that they were thinking the same thing. Da nervously pulled his visor down; a pointless move in these faintly-lit surroundings.

  Then one of the nearest Starters revolved unexpectedly. Discovering an array of silent Matures behind him, his eyes twinkled and he smiled at Xe.

  “Can’t you put away that frown of yours for just a while, Sir?” he said cheekily. “When I become a Mature, I will be rejoicing with the Starters on their First Flight no matter how annoying they would be!”

  These words hit the young Commander like a rock.

  In a flash, he remembered once they had been his. It ran in Xe’s head. On his First Flight he believed and was firmly convinced the Matures around them had been scowling out of frustration with the maddening youngsters. How he could be so dumb?

  “…you will be put in rows of ten…”

  The stern Supreme’s voice yanked Xe back to reality. All around him Flyers have already begun to lead the youngsters outside. Come on, he said to himself, you have a duty to carry on. What would Commander Ce think of you if he were here now? Forcing himself to pull it together, he vaulted up and joined the red swarm which was crawling sluggishly toward the Gate.

  Outside, the summer sun was hot and bright, which compelled him to draw his visor down. The Starters were assembled in the center of the meadow clearing before the Hive dome while the Matures made the shielding circle around them surveying the surroundings with great caution. Much lusher now than it was in spring, the brassy vegetation extended its bourgeoning tendrils deep into the clearing.

  Xe caught a place on the verge of the circle. Supreme MedaP7810 took his in the middle, getting ready to give the final instructions about overflying the Hive. But just as he began to speak, the piercing yelling broke out from the crowd and unsettled the whole lot.

  “No! No! Come back!”

  One small band of youngsters somehow managed to slip the surveillance and snuck out of the protective ring. Maybe they weren’t planning to go far initially, but then their curious eyes spotted a bright-colored Butterfly drifting between huge plant stalks. Temptation was too big and the playful bunch went chasing it, completely ignorant of the dangers of the outer world.

  Although startled, Flyers jumped and organized into a large troop to buzz after them. “You there, return immediately! Stop or you are going to face dire consequences, youngsters!”

  But maverick Starters showed a total lack of interest for the commands issued by their Superiors. They also proved to be quite fast and not so easy to catch, and as a result both parties disappeared into rich vegetation.

  Xe popped a blaster out of his right wrist just in case, knowing that distractions of any kind could be hazardous for the safety of everybody at the clearing. He remained vigilant, keeping his eyes on the crowds. Supreme MedaP7810 looked baffled, BeraX7719 angry, and most Matures were exchanging concerned glances. The youngsters generally seemed amused; perhaps they even admired their daring peers. Stupid, mindless peers, thought the Scout.

  It was a while before the troop returned, but luckily it had experienced no ugly encounters. Unaware of the risk they foolishly put themselves in, the runagate Star
ters showed no signs of remorse. They bowed their heads, but the faint shaking of their shoulders was giving away the insuppressible laugh. To them, the whole thing has been just a joke.

  “Outrageous!” Supreme BeraX7719 was steaming. “Total lack of discipline! Shameful disrespect for order and basic rules! No such behavior is going to be tolerated! There will be a severe penalty for you, youngsters!”

  That probably meant degradation and going back to the honey-making duty for a long time. But Starters knew their punishment couldn’t be implemented straight away as they all had to attend Training and there couldn’t be exceptions. Hence their penalty had to be delayed so it didn’t concern them much; their focus was on the present time.

  After some additional commotion and more yelling, the Supremes finally got the swarm of Matures and Starters to fly over the Hive. Still, to avoid other potential incidents, once the overflight was done, the dissatisfied Supremes rushed the Starters back to the Hive and no whining could help them.

  18.

  Peak of the Summertime

  It was midsummer and the sun scorched the great plains. Yet frequent showers were saving the land from thirst, and the metallic vegetation thrived and yielded nectar in vast amounts. For many plants, the main blossoming season was just coming; among others, the Buddi Buddies started to adorn their stalks with imposing pink flowers, the biggest ones which could be found in the plains.

  The sweltering heat smothered Eeols on a daily basis, but apart from that they were lucky. There was no sign of a Dragonfly swarming beginning for the second time, and as days passed it was very unlikely there would be any for the rest of the year. That came as a great relief to the Swarm. Attacks of other foes diminished also, and a relatively peaceful period followed.

  That was to say, it would have been peaceful if there hadn’t been a constant fuss…

  “I better stay here,” hissed Go with her usual insolence.

  “Trooper GogoM2783, you should not talk back to your Superior,” said Commander Ma, crossing his arms over his chest as the unit stood in array in a quiet meadow amidst the huge dusty plain. Around them the giant brassy plants were dozing in the midday stillness. “When I give an order, it is not open for discussion. You will go to the rear at once. Is that clear?”

  Other Scouts looked at Go with begging expression in their eyes, and the angry Eeoless swallowed and lowered her head.

  “Yes, Sir,” she mumbled as she withdrew sluggishly to the rear of the unit.

  Xe exhaled. That was close.

  Actually, he had feared worse. So far Commander Ma has showed surprising patience with refractory Go and her rebellious ideas exceeding Xe’s expectations, perhaps because he concluded it would be best to apply the milder approach. Despite his stiffness, Commander Ma wasn’t dumb. But then again, his patience could hardly last forever and Go was stubbornly declining to change herself, although everybody advised her against such behavior.

  “Wise up, Go.” Xe tried again and again. “You are not an Internal anymore. It’s time for you to stop giving Superiors that attitude of yours.”

  “Sometimes you act more like a Rogue than an Eeol,” Da grumbled.

  “You will get yourself into trouble,” Te cautioned.

  But Go just sniffed at their well-meant suggestions.

  Training for Starters was still underway and therefore scouting companies didn’t get any reinforcements yet. And while no Scout served as Mentor due to their shortage, Xe easily obtained all the information he wanted in the Commanders’ Area as his friend, So 147, became a Mentor for the first time in his life and talked a lot about his new duty and not without pride. Prior to that he had to receive a short training himself.

  “Nice fellows, the group I’m working with,” he said. “Mere children, sure, but spirited, really spirited. And they learn quickly too, so it won’t be long before they will be ready to join us.”

  “Anybody seeming gifted for scouting?” asked Xe.

  “Oh yes. Two or three at least. It shows early, you know, almost right from the start, and I have already decided which of them I’ll recommend for Scouts and which for Watchers on Assessment Day. Don’t worry, you’ll get your share. Just don’t go hard on them. The youngsters will test your patience, but you’ll find working with them extremely rewarding.”

  “You appear to enjoy doing it.”

  “Absolutely. You can’t imagine how much! True, youngsters get careless and hasty occasionally and suffer a bit from lack of discipline, but they are so full of life and are passionate about learning. It’s great to spend time with them.”

  Xe nodded, preparing to go to his chamber.

  “Oh, one more thing,” remembered So 147. “Some of my Starters’ friends had that former Scout of yours for their Master during Internalhood. They conveyed me a message that he would like to see you when you find some time.”

  Xe stopped dead. “My former Scout…? That has to be Pa 7. Poor fellow, I completely forgot about him! I’m going to his quarters straight away. Thank you for telling me.”

  Feeling ashamed, the young Green rushed out of the Area to the separated quarters where the Masters of Internals dwelled.

  Most Masters have been crippled and that was probably the main reason for their reluctance to appear in the Commanders’ Area. But he was supposed to remember to pay a visit, and Xe felt more than guilty. He hasn’t seen poor Pa 7 in ages, and he didn’t even know he became the Master of Internals; only some invalids got that position while the majority simply stayed on same jobs as Internals, though always strictly separated from them.

  Entrance to the Masters’ quarters was quite small, opening to a long and narrow corridor. It seemed like the wax here glowed dimmer than normal, but that might have been just Xe’s imagination. As he had never been here before he asked for directions from the first Eeol that came by, the short fellow with very coarse and lumpy armor, the result of some disease in early stage of development. It turned out Pa 7 kept a spacious room close to the dead end of the hall.

  He was inside at the moment and warmly welcomed the young Green, hugging him firmly with his remaining hand.

  “Xe, how nice to see you!”

  “I’m happy to see you too. I’m sorry I didn’t come earlier. I forgot,” he admitted honestly.

  Pa 7 just shook his head and offered him a luminous piece of wax rubble which was big enough for both of them to be seated. He sat in such a way that his maimed shoulder was turned away from Xe.

  “You had other things on your mind. I know. It’s a rough world outside.” He went silent for a moment. “I’m not a Flyer any more, but I hear everything. The death roll keeps growing. It was especially hard for me when I found out about Commander Ce…”

  A grim expression crossed Xe’s face, and he shuddered with painful memories. “For each of us. Damned Dragonflies! I often think of him. So many things I wanted to say to him and I never did. It was such a terrible loss.”

  “At least the young Queen departed successfully.”

  That was the subject the young Green disliked and he hurried to change it. “So, how are you? Do the other Masters treat you well?”

  “Oh, I’m fine. I have my gang among the Masters to spend time with. It’s not bad here once you get used to it. I can’t complain.”

  “Are you satisfied with your job?” Xe continued in a lively tone. “I would say Internals are pleasant company to work with.”

  “Absolutely.” Pa’s voice turned warm. “Gorgeous fellows, they truly brighten my days. It’s a fine job and I’m content, yet I miss being a Scout. Enjoying the sense of freedom while flying in the open air, feeling the wind on my face…”

  “You go out from time to time, don’t you?”

  “Yes, we Masters sometimes exit the Hive to fly around a little, but that’s not it… listen, I was just thinking to head to the Promenade to get some fresh air before you came. Would you like to join me?”

  “Certainly.”

  When they got out of the Hi
ve, they had to pull up their visors as the summer sun had set beyond the horizon some time ago and the stars started to twinkle in the blackening sky. The wax floor of Promenade was pleasantly warm to the touch, irradiating heat it absorbed during the long sunny day.

  This late in the evening there was nobody around but the two of them. They walked over to the Promenade edge and Pa 7 knelt close to it, gripping the useless stump on his right shoulder with his remaining hand and looked out on the silent landscape; the incoming night was pulling its black veil over the world and flatlands were slowly disappearing under it.

  “It looks so serene now. The outer world, I mean. So peaceful. You wouldn’t believe it’s the same one where all the tragedies we witnessed have taken place.”

  Xe didn’t know what to say to that and they both kept quiet for a while. Nothing moved around them and the night air was still, warm and humid.

  “Could you please tell Da I would like to see him too?” asked Pa 7, standing up as they had to return inside. “To share memories on pitiable Pa 2…”

  “Sure,” agreed Xe, but then jerked when he suddenly noticed a small party of Eeols showing up on the other side of Promenade. “Look! Who is that?”

  Pa 7 turned his head. “The Queen’s Servants, as it seems.”

  “What are they doing on the Promenade this late?”

  “Who knows? Strange lot, Queen’s Servants, you know that yourself. And get this; during my training for Master of Internals, the Pages talked to each of us, giving detailed instructions as to what we should say to youngsters about the outer world. Basically, we are forbidden to reveal them the truth.”

  “Is that so?” murmured Xe absent-mindedly. “Good night, my friend, I’ll take your greetings to the unit. You just go, I’ll stay for few more moments.”

  “Good night. It was nice talking to you.”

  As Pa 7 left, Xe approached the Servants. They were about forty of them with three striding in the front of the party. He easily recognized MedaM0075 and old GabaY3822, while the third Servant was a short Eeoless scribbling something on the waxy plate she carried with her.