Art: James Abell
Every morning, Eryx roamed the Dry Zone and gathered the bees. Not the healthy ones, of course, but the dead or barely moving, limbs twitching, nectar-desperate kind. This was her job as a Bee Bearer – the most important job in the Colonies, she’d been told during training although, Eryx thought the bees had the most important job.
The first bee she found was nestled in the shade of a rock, its wings flickering a little, still clinging to life. She bent down and offered it a small amount of honey water in her bottle cap – but the bee didn’t even have the energy to drink. She sighed, feeling a pang in her chest. It maybe had a few hours left. But there was still something she could do. Hands steady, she picked it up gently so as not to harm the poor creature further.
“Don’t worry little bee. We’ll get you fixed up. This isn’t the end yet.” She turned it over and checked for the serial number on the thorax just above the wings. To an untrained eye the markings would look like natural variance, but she could see the distinct patterns in the soft hairs. This one belonged to Apis –the best in the business, and so payment was high for the bees. Eryx smiled and deposited the bee in the box marked ‘A’ from her satchel. The next bee she found belonged to Apis’s competitors, Swarm, and then Hyve. By the end of her walk along the dried-up riverbank, she’d collected eleven bees. A successful day. Well, for her at least, less so for the bees. But it comforted her to remember that they’d be thriving again in the Green Horizon meadows once the City labs took over.
With the bees in her satchel, Eryx began the long march back to town. A drone or two passed her as she walked, probably delivering messages or supplies between Comb City – a place she’d never been – and the towns in the Colonies. It was hot, but it was always hot in the Dry Zone, and sweat tracked down her spine.
Halfway home and parched, she took out her bottle of honey water and dabbed the sweet substance on her tongue, before taking a small sip. She let it sit in her mouth a while, closing her eyes, trying to imagine the flowers and nectar that had made it. It was a hard thing to do when all she’d seen was dust and metal and dying bees. But somewhere on the Green Horizon was the beauty she imagined, just out of reach. Maybe one day she’d get to go there. Occasionally, on gathering mornings, she’d daydream about walking there and returning the bees to the meadows herself. But she’d never be able to save up enough honey water for the journey, and her training forbade it. She had her assigned town and area in the Dry Zone and that was where she’d stay although it wasn’t unheard of for other Bearers to leave their colony town, to be replaced days later with the next recruit. Eryx assumed they must have proven themselves good workers and got promoted to a position closer to the City. If she worked hard enough, she might be able to get to the next stage too. Work her way up in the Colonies, to the Green Horizon, maybe all the way to Comb City. Smiling at the thought, she opened her eyes and kept on walking towards the brown horizon, mottled with cracked earth.
Back in town, she went first to the Vendors. Just like the bees, their jobs seemed just as important as hers – they travelled around the Colony towns, gathered the bees from the Bearers and then actually delivered them to the City labs where they were recommissioned, reborn, and sent back to the meadows.
Eryx approached the stall and nodded to the Vendor, Melissa, the one she always brought her gathering to. Melissa lived in the same town as her, so she was familiar, and she always paid her well.
The other woman greeted her with a wave. “How many today?”
Eryx waved back. “Eleven, two for Apis, five for Swarm, four for Hyve.”
Melissa’s eyes widened. “You know, you’re my favourite Bearer in all the Colonies, right?”
Eryx blushed while Melissa signalled to her to empty her satchel. She tipped the individual boxes carefully onto the counter. Some of the bees were still moving – one even tried to crawl across the table. She took a sharp breath. It was difficult to see them this way, but she knew it was for the greater good. Her hand twitched as one of the bees stretched a leg towards the sky as if pointing to something, or as if it had seen the light. Eryx looked up to the hazy sky above it. Someone at training had once told her that in the old stories, bees were thought to be able to fly between life and the afterlife. But Eryx knew there was only one type of life, and that was this one. That was why she did her job, to give the bees another chance at it.
Melissa examined the bees one by one, then smiled. “All in good condition, central system intact. I’ll get your units.”
As Eryx waited, she reached out a hand to the little bee and touched the outstretched leg. The bee held it there quivering for a few seconds, then its body stilled, and its leg fell. “I hope we’ll meet again,” she whispered, a tear forming in her eye. Even if it was going to be recommissioned, she didn’t like to see it suffer. When she saw the bees so close to the end, she’d have put them out of their misery if that was possible – but then their physical bodies would be too damaged to be brought back and they’d be gone for good. And without the bees, they wouldn’t eat. Without them, the Colonies wouldn’t survive.
Melissa eventually returned with the units; full payment, enough for supplies and a little extra for her savings. “I’ll be putting in a good word for you with the higher-ups as well. You never know, maybe there’s a promotion on the horizon,” she winked.
Eryx took the payment gratefully. “Thank you, that’s very kind.”
“Plans tonight?” Melissa asked.
Eryx shook her head. “I’ll probably get an early night, all this walking and heat–”
“Makes you tired?” Melissa raised an eyebrow. “You know you tell me that every night.”
Eryx tensed her shoulders. Did she really always say that?
“Anyway,” Melissa continued. “We’re headed to the bar in town tonight if you want to join us?”
“Thank you, I’ll think about it,” Eryx said. “See you.” She waved and walked away, but she knew she wouldn’t join Melissa at the bar later. She didn’t like mingling with the others. As the only Bearer in this town, she liked to keep to herself. Besides, Bearers’ jobs were the most physically taxing, and it took a lot of energy to walk the Dry Zone all day. And the other workers in the Colonies just socialised with their own colleagues – what could she offer in a conversation with some Vendors?
So, she did as she did every evening and headed first to the market, buying a fresh bottle of honey water with her units and some honey cake with what she had left. Then, she went home on her own, ate, and had an early night, ready to rise early the next morning before the midday heat hit. Best if she could get a few hours in before then. Maybe it was her rigid training, her ordered purpose, but Eryx never broke her routine if she could help it.
Later that week, Eryx found twenty-one bees in one haul. When she returned to town and arrived at the Vendor stalls, Melissa was jubilant as Eryx placed the bees onto the counter, one by one.
“That’s a new record, kid,” Melissa said. “You’ve got to come for a drink tonight, I won’t take no for an answer, okay?”
“I–”
“No “I’ll think about it”. You’re coming. And if you don’t show I’ll send Juno to come and get you.”
Eryx shuddered involuntarily. Juno was the top Vendor, the queen bee of the Colony towns – she was vying for a Comb City promotion and was close to getting it as far as Eryx had heard. She was also twice Eryx’s size, and could probably squash her without a second thought if provoked. She gulped. Would it hurt to go for one drink? It could be nice to see more of the town. “Okay then. See you there.”
“Oh, and this is for you,” Melissa said. “A little extra for good service.”
Despite herself, Eryx gasped. Melissa was holding out a flower. An actual flower. Not an artificial one, but a purple one with delicate petals. She took it with a shaking hand and held it to her nose. The scent was sweet, unlike anything she’d smelt before. It was the closest she’d ever got to the Green Horizon. She slotted the flower carefully into the side pocket of her satchel and thanked Melissa. Maybe she’d keep it in water, or better yet, close it in a book and dry it so she could keep it forever.
“Thanks Melissa.”
“Thank me by coming for a drink, yeah?”
Eryx took a deep breath and stepped inside the bar, already feeling a little dizzy. A buzz of conversation filled the room, along with the smell of sweat and pheromones. Melissa was at a table with five other Vendors, and she excitedly pulled another chair over when Eryx walked in. The other Vendors eyed her cautiously while Melissa was beaming from ear to ear. Eryx looked around for Juno, but the queen bee wasn’t there. Had Melissa exaggerated her influence?
Melissa bounded up to her. “I wasn’t sure you’d actually come, my friends didn’t believe me when I said I’d got a Bearer to join us for a night out!”
Eryx hesitated at the door. “But… you told me…”
“Come on, I’ll get you a drink, what would you like?” Melissa put an arm around Eryx’s shoulder and led her to the bar. Eryx could do little to resist although her body prickled with unease. She blinked up at the board, her gut twisting, ears ringing. “I… do they have honey water?”
Melissa roared in laughter and Eryx wished she could sink into a hole as all eyes of the bar turned to look at her.
“Something funny Mel?” the bartender appeared. When he noticed Eryx his brow creased.
“The Bearer asked if you have honey water,” Mel said. “It’s just,” she looked at Eryx as if she was a curiosity, then lowered her voice. “Well, you know.”
The bartender looked Eryx up and down and shook his head. “What are you doing bringing a Bearer here, you can’t–”
“Don’t be prejudiced Carl, why shouldn’t she come here? She works just as hard as anyone.”
“Harder, I’d wager,” Carl said, and Eryx did her best not to make eye contact. “But that doesn’t change–”
“How about one of those whisky cocktails, with honey. They say whisky is the water of life so that’s basically good, right?” She turned to Eryx who gave a feeble nod. “Or we could take our service elsewhere…”
Carl stiffened. “Sure, Mel, I’ll add it to your tab then,” he said, and he began to make the drink, though he still eyed Eryx carefully and she shrank under his gaze. Had she done something wrong? She’d never felt tempted to socialise with the Vendors, nor with anyone really, but there was nothing in her training that explicitly forbade it. It was just an accepted part of life in the Colonies that the Bearers kept to themselves, sticking to a rigid routine so they could fulfil their duty. And now she’d broken some convention, and everything seemed out of balance. It was a mistake to come here. She should have just stayed at home. She should go home now. But Mel still gripped her shoulder, and she definitely didn’t want to upset her. She was next in line for the top spot if Juno got promoted.
“The others can’t wait to meet you,” she said brightly, signalling to the table. The Vendors still had their gaze fixed on her – cautious or curious, Eryx couldn’t tell.
“Maybe I should go,” Eryx said.
Mel softened and squeezed her arm. “Don’t be daft, there’s no reason you shouldn’t enjoy yourself once in a while. And you deserve it after that job you did today,” she added, “I can’t wait to get those over to the city.”
Eryx blanched. “You’ve not taken them already?”
“Nah, not worth the mileage until I’ve got a decent amount. Then I take them in batches.”
“But some…” Eryx scrambled over the words, feeling lightheaded. “Some of them are still alive. They need to be recommissioned as soon as possible.”
But Mel only waved her hand. “Ach, the bees won’t know the difference. They won’t remember this after rebirth, or so I’m told. They have to be retrained, even given a few gene tweaks, then linked back up to the hive, it’s a whole process.”
“But they still suffer.”
“Look kid, this is how we all do it.” She motioned to her friends behind her. “You won’t find a single Vendor that goes to the City with only a few bees. Otherwise no one here would make enough profit, and we’d never have a chance of leaving this desert. You’re doing your job, your duty, by saving them for rebirth, don’t worry beyond that.”
Eryx was about to argue that the bees’ wellbeing should be more important than their own personal profit, but Mel shoved the drink into her hand and she lost any confidence she had left. Instead, she peered over the edge of the glass and sniffed it. There was the distinct sweet smell of honey but there was also something else – something smoky. She took a small sip, and then another. The drink was unlike anything she’d ever tasted. It warmed her throat. It didn’t take her long to begin to feel dazed, and when Mel led her over to the table, she didn’t complain.
When Mel asked her to recount how many bees she’d saved this week, she just drank up and told them. The other Vendors seemed fascinated by what she was saying, nodding along and occasionally flashing a smile at Mel who seemed energised, cocky – the queen bee of this particular group.
When one of them asked to see her symbol, the small tattoo on her wrist, Eryx rolled up her sleeve and let them gawk. Everyone got the tattoo during training; it was a rite of passage. Hers had an ‘A’ marked on it, for authorised, she assumed.
“–seen one up close,” one of Mel’s friends said, though Eryx had missed the first part of the sentence in the smoky haze of whisky.
“I can’t believe they actually brand them,” another added. Had they moved on to a new conversation?
“They’re a valuable commodity,” Mel said, smiling at Eryx. They must be talking about the bees. Eryx smiled back, and when her drink was finished, Mel handed her another.
Eryx woke up with a thrumming in her ears. Something wasn’t right. She sat bolt upright on her cot and looked out the window. It was already after dawn. Her heart began to race. She’d never been late to her work, her duty, and it set off a chain reaction of panic and adrenaline. She leapt up and scrambled to get ready, packing everything quickly into her satchel. Then, she headed out into the Dry Zone.
The first hours of walking were a slog, and already the morning sun felt scorching on her body. She reached into her satchel for her water bottle, but her hand only found empty air. She must have left it in the bar the night before. Her throat suddenly felt very dry. She should go back. But if she did, she’d have nothing to show. No bees, no pay. She’d probably manage a day or two without, but some days were slow and she liked to have savings stored, just in case. And any bees she missed today could die or get damaged in overnight sandstorms or the cold. No, she’d go and just gather what she could, then come back early.
A few hours later she was parched, while a crushing headache was making her dizzy. And, despite drinking so much the night before, she was thirstier than she’d ever been. The drink Mel had given her must not have been the hydrating kind. The night itself was a haze – she hadn’t really felt like herself with the vendors, being around them put a fog in her mind. She cursed herself for changing her routine, and now she was tired and potentially out of pocket. She looked down at the path and stopped suddenly, jerking up her foot as she almost stepped on a bee. She moved back and crouched down to it, narrowing her eyes as the ground wobbled. It was barely clinging to life, the kind of bee she’d have usually given honey water to, and sent on its way because there was still hope it could make it back to Green Horizon. She checked her satchel, in case she’d missed the water bottle earlier but it was no use. She looked around, panic descending like a swarm. No one but her here – this was her area after all. If she left the bee here, it would die slow. If she took it home, it might die slow too, boxed up until Mel thought she had enough of them to take to the city. The thought of the poor bees, half dead in the little boxes for days on end brought on another wave of nausea. For the first time since she’d started her job, she was unsure how to fulfil her duty.
The options tugged at her like not enough honey spread over dry toast. And then something else tugged at her. A feeling in her chest, as if she’d been stung suddenly in the heart and it was stretching out now over her body. The feeling was almost familiar, euphoric. She fell into the dust, her limbs twitching.
This is it, she thought. This is how it ends. And the bee would watch her, and she would watch it, together at the last. She reached out her hand to the bee and, seeming to understand, the creature crawled into her hand. Its body vibrated gently in her palm.
“Sorry little bee,” she said, wishing she was closer to the Green Horizon. “I don’t have any nectar.” But then she remembered the flower – the one Mel had given her. She reached slowly for her satchel and pulled out the flower from the side pocket. A few of the petals were damaged, but the flower itself was still whole. Maybe it would be enough, she placed it on her palm and watched as the bee moved towards it. After a few moments, tongue extended, it drank. Long seconds passed, then the bee brushed its body with its legs as if preparing to fly. Eryx looked for the serial number. Maybe it was her eyes fading, but she couldn’t see one, and before she could bring it closer to look properly, the bee had flown away, disappearing into the vastness of the Dry Zone.
As Eryx lay dying, she strained to turn her head to look across the landscape. Just on the horizon stretched a wall of green, where the bees were supposed to be. Sometimes, they flew off their path. Sometimes too far. She stared at the Green Horizon, wishing she could see it up close. Just once. Instead, she closed her palm around the purple flower as her eyes welled.
There was a noise from nearby. A buzz of wings. A staccato whirr. For a second, she imagined the bee had come back, but it was just a drone, the kind that transported larger cargo to Comb City. It flitted above her and prodded her with one of its mechanical limbs. Then, it turned over her arm and flew down close to inspect her wrist. “Don’t worry Eryx,” its monotone voice said. “We’ll get you fixed up. This isn’t the end yet.” And then it picked her up and she was flying, her body limp.
She soon realised the drone was taking her towards the meadows, and she fought to keep her eyes open, to see it before everything went dark. As she whirled over the Green Horizon, she had a strange feeling she’d been here before, like she’d seen it in her dreams. Bees trilled in harmony amongst brightly blooming flowers and she could taste a burst of sweetness in the air. With her last breath, she let go of the purple flower.
Crushed petals fell like teardrops to the meadows below.
* * *
Lyndsey Croal is an Edinburgh-based author of strange and speculative fiction, with work published in several magazines and anthologies. She’s a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awardee, British Fantasy Award Finalist, former Hawthornden Fellow, and a LOHF Writers Grant Recipient. Her debut novelette Have You Decided On Your Question is published in April 2023 with Shortwave Publishing. Find her on Twitter as @writerlynds or via her website lyndseycroal.co.uk