The Hive Engineers

by Emilia Zeeland

  So, Yalena had to routinely give the clones the go-ahead for coded stages of the battle preparation with little idea of what she was actually approving. She thought she managed well until the time a group of clones asked her to begin phase three.

  A few of Veronica’s faces looked expectantly at her.

  “It must be time,” one of them said. “The mother ship is almost ready to load. The test must be completed by then.”

  “Of course it must,” Yalena almost choked on the words.

  She glanced over at Natalia. The Fians were coming to take their army and bring it to Earth.

  Natalia’s dark eyes bore into Yalena. Time was running out to warn Eric about the army.

  The clones motioned to leave, but halted, apparently waiting for Natalia.

  “Go with them,” Yalena whispered, trying not to move her lips too much. “Find out what phase three is. I’ll try to figure out how much time we have until the Fians arrive.”

  Nicky, Vero and Ronnie nodded.

  “We’ll need another day to complete the repairs,” one of them confirmed.

  They all stood up and went into opposite exits of the canteen.

  Two Veronica doubles took Yalena to the control room. She didn’t ask what she was meant to be doing, just sat at the command, seemingly at ease. A few digital forms appeared for her to fill out.

  Yalena had to verify the soldiers ready to board the mother ship. Three fields appeared, called ‘product type one’, ‘product type two’ and ‘product type three’.

  Yalena’s throat felt dry as she addressed the nearest Veronica. “How many do we have of type one at latest count?” She tried not to think about what might be making their numbers fluctuate or drop.

  The clone typed on the screen in front of her. “After the last tests, 7 687.”

  Yalena threw all of her resolve into producing a slack expression. Almost eight thousand Veronicas ready to march on Earth. “And type two?” Those would be the Daves, she thought, with outrage still raw.

  “Only five,” the clone said. “The trial run. You haven’t yet approved mass production.”

  “And type three?” Yalena struggled to keep her voice flat.

  The clones looked dumbfounded. “Just the one—your assistant.”

  “Good,” Yalena said. “Our strategy doesn’t require more of any of the product types.” It was a feeble bluff, but a necessary one.

  Another clone lifted her head from her clipboard. “Also, the results of the latest tests are up. Would you like to check?”

  Yet again, this ‘test’ came up, but Yalena resisted the urge to snap the clipboard out of the clone’s hands. Natalia hadn’t returned from investigating phase three, and Yalena was done guessing. “Take me there.”

  A short elevator trip later, the great white doors of what looked like the main lab slid open. Yalena’s shoes squeaked against the glossy floor. The sound echoed through the clear room. A lone white module stood at the center of the space. Five ovals spread around it symmetrically, like the petals of a giant flower.

  Yalena held her breath as she approached. It looked exactly like the device that had contained Dave’s clones.

  Shaking, Yalena placed her hand on the central module. It flipped open, revealing dozens upon dozens of injections, tucked side-by-side. Blue serum filled the syringes. Yalena was all too sure it contained Novofex.

  “And where are the test subjects?” She forced her voice to sound level, but she had probably failed.

  In place of an answer, a clone entered a command on the display by the door.

  The oval modules surrounding the central compartment like flower petals turned translucent at once. And Yalena wanted to scream. They weren’t full of liquid like the machines growing the Dave clones, but instead each contained a white stretcher with the lifeless body of a Veronica clone—skin turned Fian purple.

  “Same result as all previous testing,” a clone said, while the walls seemed to close in around Yalena.

  She fought the dizziness that threatened to make her double over and be sick. It had happened before. Countless times, probably.

  “We’ll keep working on the injection serum, but the prognosis isn’t promising,” the clone added.

  Yalena’s brain hurt as it seemed to twist and rearrange inside her head. The Fians must still have the working formula that had once turned Cara White and the others into Fians, but clones weren’t exactly like humans. One thing she knew from science class was that they couldn’t reproduce. And perhaps they reacted to the injection differently. Their bodies rejected it.

  “Leave me alone,” Yalena said, without specifying for how long. All she knew was the anger building inside her, scorching her insides. She had to keep it hidden and, right now, the only way to do that was to hide herself away.

  The quiet swish of the doors closing set her free. Her knees gave in, and she crumbled to the floor, shaking with rage that ripped her apart.

  She wasn’t sure how long she stayed there, stunned by the discovery. There was so much more she needed to tell Eric now. That had to be it—Felix’s plan for Earth. To turn it into another Nova Fia. To rule them all once he subjected them to the vibe. And he didn’t care how many clones he killed in his tests.

  Even once hours had passed, Yalena had trouble picking herself up. The Fians weren’t here. She was meant to have this place wrapped around her finger, but it still kept kicking her down. The feeling of failure drowned her, making time blur, until a quiet voice broke her out of it.

  “Mistress?”

  Yalena glanced up at the Veronica double. It wasn’t Nicky, Vero or Ronnie, or else she would have addressed her by name. When Yalena didn’t answer, the clone spoke again. “There was one more test we completed. I think you’d like to see it.”

  Yalena’s stomach tightened. More bad news.

  The clone hesitated again. “I think we finally made it work...at least on the product type three.”

  Yalena jolted upright with her insides frozen. “My assistant?” Yalena almost screamed at the girl. Her lips trembled uncontrollably. “Take me to her. Now.”

  The tangled ball of nerves in Yalena’s stomach seemed to grow the further down the corridor the clones took her. When they were in front of the door, inserting codes to get it open, the sensation built into terror. And that was before Yalena heard Natalia’s strangled squeal. When the doors opened, two clones were trying to hold Natalia down. Black hair covered her face as she struggled forward, away from them.

  Yalena’s mind fogged with dread. She knew it before she saw it. It wasn’t her own dread she’d felt, not most of it. It was Natalia’s.

  “Let her go,” Yalena ordered, her voice tight like a whip.

  The clones obeyed at once. That was perhaps the tone they were used to.

  “Natalia?” Yalena called out softly.

  The girl only squirmed in response. She was breathing so heavily, it felt like a weight on Yalena’s chest.

  Yalena reached out a trembling hand to place it on Natalia’s shoulder.

  “Don’t touch me!” The scream pierced right through Yalena.

  Natalia shook violently. Against the white background, a slight blue tint sparkled in her dark complexion.

  “What did you do to me?” she cried in trembles.

  “Out, all of you,” Yalena shouted at the clones after a momentary struggle. Natalia’s vibe was raw and powerful. It drowned her in helplessness, but Yalena needed to be strong. She needed to ground Natalia.

  “Look at me, Nat,” she said.

  Trembling, Natalia turned a little in her direction. The clear bluish tint of her complexion made Yalena’s throat throb, but she forced herself to still the reaction. Natalia didn’t need her terror, her regret or her compassion. She needed her strength and her acceptance.

  “Did you do this?” Natalia cried.

  Yalena shook her head, eyes wide in shock.

  “I did everything you asked and look at me. They injected me.” Nata
lia sobbed. “I’m not me.”

  Yalena forced a steel wall around her aching heart. “You are still you. I feel you, Nat, through the vibe. Do you feel it?”

  She used the vibe to push out a beacon of hope. Natalia shivered slightly in response.

  “That’s the vibe,” Yalena said. “We’re connected now.”

  Natalia finally looked up. The bluish tint gleamed in her wet eyes too. “Yalena?”

  Her face contorted in pain, not anger, before she leapt into Yalena’s arms. Yalena squeezed Natalia as hard as she could, yet Natalia’s new Fian grip almost crushed her. She felt the ragged, short breaths rise in Natalia’s chest. With the vibe, she scanned her and all that came back was fear, dread and doubt.

  Yalena had guessed Natalia’s nastiness had been a defense mechanism. Now she felt for the mortified soul behind it. Erratic panic washed over Yalena like a tidal wave, submerged her into a world not her own. And she finally understood the depths of Natalia’s reality. The dreadful fear. The self-doubt. The paralyzing anxiety.

  “Feel my vibe,” Yalena soothed. “Breathe with me. Feed off it.”

  She willed herself to hold on to the things that ground her. She thought of Eric and Alec, who’d always made her feel safe. She thought of Jen and Nico and Heidi. Of the friendship that bound them all. Of the feeling she was never alone.

  Natalia’s breathing slowly started to match Yalena’s. Hot tears rolled down her cheek, tightly pressed against Yalena’s.

  “What’s going to happen to me?” Natalia managed to say at last. “I’m going to die without Novofex.”

  Yalena’s chest swelled with resolve and a sudden onset of ferocious determination. “Then we’ll get you Novofex.”

  “How?” Natalia’s breathing hitched. “The ship isn’t ready yet.”

  “I don’t care how or what it costs me.” Yalena pushed the pure, steely resolve in her heart out through the vibe. “Natalia Khanna, you’re not going to die on me.”

  Chapter 13. The Mother Ship

  Yalena didn’t feel it was safe to leave Natalia on her own in the test recovery room, even just long enough to check on the Fian ship repairs, so she stayed with her for ‘downtime’—the clones’ idea of nighttime. Natalia didn’t sleep all throughout the night, but by morning, her vibe had stilled simply because she’d grown groggy.

  “Is this Felix’s ultra-evil plan?” Natalia sounded reluctant.

  Yalena licked her bottom lip. “He wants to turn humans into Fians, but testing the clones isn’t good enough.”

  “When they brought me here, we went over it. They have been running testing rounds like this for months. All clones subjected to the tests died within a few hours.” Natalia’s eyes were swollen and bleary. “I wanted to come and tell you, but they didn’t let me. They said they needed to test the injection on another type, whatever that means.”

  Yalena’s skin prickled at the thought. “It means a set of DNA. They’ve only ever seen three sets—Veronica’s, Dave’s and yours. They had already tested Veronica’s clones unsuccessfully, and Dave’s clones aren’t complete yet. That only left you.”

  Yalena buried her face in her hands. From the lack of sleep, purple circles zoomed in and out against the blackness of her closed eyelids.

  Natalia’s voice was low when she continued. “They were complaining that they didn’t get to produce more...” Then, she must have made the connection. “They wanted to clone me too?”

  “I didn’t authorize it,” Yalena said, but it felt like a small consolation prize.

  The doors of the recovery room split open without a warning beep.

  “Mistress,” the clone that entered said. “We’ve received a message from the mothership. We’re to prepare to board the entire army. They’ve also requested a report from the ambassadors.”

  Yalena’s throat burned dry. Of course, Felix would want Robin’s report as he came to take his army. “When do they get here?”

  The Veronica clone in front of her seemed to be trying to hide her surprise at the question, but a slight flinch betrayed her. “In a few hours. All products are gathering in the hangar.”

  Terror must have shown on Yalena’s face.

  The clone regarded her with a little bit of suspicion. “Everything all right, mistress?”

  “Yes,” she cleared her throat, trying to get into character. The vibe of panic from Natalia was overpowering. “All is according to plan. I’ll make sure the latest product tested is ready for my report.”

  They nodded and exited.

  Yalena squeezed Natalia’s hand, a gesture she would have shied away from before, but she wasn’t deterred by Natalia’s snappy attitude anymore.

  “I know this is scary, but it’s time to go.” As if to show she meant it, Yalena grabbed two product uniforms out of the wardrobe and tossed one to Natalia. “I’m going to get you out of here.”

  Natalia moved to the edge of the bed, but then hesitated. “And go where?”

  Yalena was afraid to say it out loud. “Nova Fia. It’s the only way to save you.” And she’d vowed to save Natalia.

  The Moonie slid from the bed and started to change. “What about warning Eric about the army? If we take the ship through the wormhole, instead of to Nova Fia, we could beat the mothership to Earth.”

  Yalena’s heart sank. There hadn’t been enough time to turn the clones against Felix. “If we don’t warn Eric, this army will turn humans into new Fians.”

  Natalia seemed to have snapped into action mode. “As if Felix needs more minions.”

  Yalena’s chest felt heavy with a special kind of burden, with the realization that her only way to both save Natalia and warn Eric would be to trust her unlikely allies. “Then we’ll send Eric a message, but we’re still going to Nova Fia” she said. “I told you, I’m not going to let you die on me.”

  DRESSED LIKE REGULAR clones, complete with the glossy helmets that would hide their faces, Natalia and Yalena left the recovery room. They joined a well-formed line of clones making their way to the hangars.

  Yalena was making calculations in her mind. Vero, Nicky and Ronnie were probably still at the crash site. She had to check the hangar log to be sure. All of the promises she’d made to Natalia were worth nothing if that ship wasn’t ready to fly.

  They hurried along with only hushed exchanges, during which Yalena tried to prepare Natalia for feeling the vibe of another full-blood Fian.

  “You need to breathe deeply, slow your heart rate,” she said, but she felt it may well be useless.

  Natalia must have thought the same. “How long did it take you to get the hang of it?”

  Yalena gave her a half smile, even though it wouldn’t show through the helmet. “About six months. But remember, I’m only a hybrid. You’ll be a natural.”

  Natalia snorted as the line of clones slowed down. They were entering the hangar one by one. When Yalena stepped inside, she tensed.

  The hangar main door was connected to a corpus so enormous that she’d never seen anything like it.

  “Is that...” Natalia trailed off beside her.

  “It must be...” Yalena whispered in awe. “Farsight.”

  The migration ship that had once carried humans from a world they believed was dying through the wormhole to Nova Fia, the savior planet, was now ready to send back an army meant to destroy humanity.

  “We must split up,” Yalena said.

  Natalia’s vibe of reluctance preceded her response. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “The two of us together will point any Fian right to us. Go in the far end, closer to the hoverbikes. If they sense us, get on one and get to the crash site.”

  Natalia stayed put for a second, hesitating. “What about you?”

  Yalena turned in the direction of the nearest log station. “I need to check where Vero, Ronnie and Nicky are. I’ll be fine. Go.”

  The clones started lining up in a matrix formation, one step apart from each other in any direction. Yalen
a hurried to the log and swiped the ‘masters’ pass the clones had given her. The log showed no entries for that morning. That meant her three trustees were still at the crash site. Yalena wasn’t sure it was a good sign. What if they took too long to finish?

  She waited for a group of three clones to come near and mixed in with them, just in case someone was watching. Yalena tried to take a relatively advantageous spot in the matrix, but she was further away from the hoverbikes than she would have liked.

  One by one, the thousands of clones filled the enormous hangar. That, Yalena thought, was an army to be reckoned with. Turn it on human forces that were expecting Fians instead and watch them stagger back or, worse, lose their humanity.

  The heavy door of the Farsight migration ship lowered slowly in the crisp silence. Then a group of Fians descended into the hangar. Waiting to receive them was the only clone without a helmet on. Yalena could never be sure, but she thought it was the one from the control room. She never wore a helmet.

  They didn’t exchange any greetings. Yalena tried to keep still and silence her vibe, regardless of how much she wanted to stand on peep toe to see the Fians better or extend her vibe in search of their auras and identities.

  It hardly mattered though. Felix’s voice was hard to forget. “Are all products accounted for?”

  “All except three,” the clone said. “The mistress sent them on another task.”

  Dread pooled at the pit of Yalena’s stomach, but she willed herself to calm down.

  “The mistress?” Felix sounded murderous. “Which mistress would that be? Where is Robin and his crew?”

  The clone didn’t stutter. “I knew something was off with her. So many uncoordinated assignments. So little guidance.”