I could have stayed there forever, wallowing in the glory of my connection to the Queen. Even in the midst of all that sick yellow stench, having her against my skin, sharing my blood, was electrifying. But there was no time to revel in my incredible good fortune. The Queen was still covered by a layer of green algae slime, but her scent would soon be a beacon to every ‘Mite for miles around. I dunked my tunic right into the vat and pulled it over my head, squishing the algae all around the bulge that she made. In each hand I held one of the bags of pollen, which I re-tied to the cord around my waist.
“Time to go home, my Queen.”
The Hive was quiet, but I had no illusion that I could walk unmolested out the entrance. Most of the ‘Mites and all of the humans would be down below in their sleeping chambers, but Soldiers would patrol inside and outside all night long, and Diggers and Builders were always at work. If they smelled us, we could never outrun them.
I slipped out of the algae room and into the corridor. A few scattered glowstones lit the path, but I didn’t need them. Scent trails on the floor told me the story of every human and ‘Mite that had passed through these hallways. Still, I grabbed a basket of them and held them under the large bulge under the front of my tunic. It supported the Queen’s surprising weight and took the pressure off her hold on my belly, which was starting to hurt. My feet were silent, padding along the dim tunnels.
When I passed the turnoff to where the human females were kept, I paused. There would be ‘Mite guards right down the hall. I had always thought they were there to protect the mothers and babies, and perhaps they were. But now I knew they were also there to keep anyone from escaping.
Chen was down there somewhere. How could I be this close, knowing the truth of our existence, and not try to rescue him? I stood there at the crossroad, taking quiet breaths. Could I blind the ‘Mites’ sense of smell with the pollen, rush in, and grab Chen? Would he follow me without question, as I needed him to do? He probably would. The life of a Caretaker male was a horror, stuck in the dark underground forever. Once a boy became a Caretaker, he was never seen in the Hive again. Just like Queen’s Service. Was he still alive? How many Caretaker males were there? One or two got chosen every Ranking, and when I thought about this I realized they couldn’t be Caretakers for very long. We could live twenty or thirty years, and there wasn’t room for hundreds of adult male humans. And there wasn’t a need. The ‘Mites were very efficient at serving the Hive’s needs. What happened to them once their time was up?
As if I didn’t know.
But I couldn’t take him with me now. Chen wasn’t a strong enough swimmer, and our lives would depend on kicking upstream in the underground river farther than I’d ever gone before. I might not make it. Chen would never survive.
I’ll be back for you. Soon.
I scuttled away down the corridor.
I’d been lucky so far, but as the algae started to dry up around the Queen, her perfect blue scent was becoming evident. ‘Mites would smell her if I could. I ducked down a passageway toward an off-limits area. A large, falling sky-rock had caused a collapse of a small part of the western part of the Hive a few weeks ago, and Builders would be shoring it up while Diggers removed the debris. It was a calculated risk. There would probably be more ‘Mites in that area, but they wouldn’t be Soldiers. Diggers could snap me in half with their huge claws, but they were slow and methodical in their work. Builders might bite off a limb, but one sting from a Soldier and this rescue would be over.
Glow stones in my basket lit the way. Through the bond of my blood, I could feel the Queen’s displeasure as the algae coating dried, pulling on her delicate skin. Her scent went from pure blue to a veined purple. Just a little ways farther and we’ll be in the water. I couldn’t speak to her out loud, but I hoped she might feel my intention.
I turned a corner and ran straight into a Builder. It was spitting out the chewed wood and dirt that built our Hive, cementing a fallen area back into place. Just past it, fresh air drifted into the Hive and I sucked at the absence of the Yellow Queen’s stench.
The Builder froze. It scuttled around in place to face me, jaws working at the last bits of pulp and mud. Its feelers vibrated on the top of its head, waving in my direction.
“Sorry,” I clicked, and scooted past. It didn’t follow right away, but after a few steps, the sound of its feet on the hard clay ticked up behind me. The soft feelers caressed the back of my neck and I shivered.
It smells her. It has to.
But maybe it didn’t know what the smell meant.
Another Builder cut me off at the end of the hallway, scuttling in my direction. The one behind me didn’t attack, merely following me and tickling me with its soft antennae.
Every nerve in my body screamed, “Run.” But if I ran, they would know for sure. They would raise the alarm, and I’d be surrounded. I continued walking forward, eyes downcast like any Lowform. When I reached the Builder ‘Mite blocking my path, I clicked, “I pass,” the ‘Mite way to say “Excuse me,” and tried to sidle past. It let me, but joined the other in rubbing its antennae around me.
They smell her. And they like it.
Could it be this easy? Would the mere presence of this lovely baby Queen turn the Hive? Would they all follow her and we could end this without death on either side? For a few moments, it seemed like the answer might be “yes.”
Then the Soldiers arrived.
They weren’t enthralled by the Blue Queen’s scent. They were enraged by it.
Three of them charged up from behind us, shoving at the Builders that trailed behind me. I flung the basket behind me and bolted ahead.
Another Soldier dashed in from a side hallway and I veered around it, throwing myself against the wall, which sent a shower of dirt down around us and made the Soldiers behind me pause.
Fool. Throw the pollen!
I ripped the first bag out from under my tunic and tore off the wax seal, tossing the bag into the air behind me. The hoped-for puff of red pollen didn’t happen. Just a wet plop as the soggy mass inside splatted on the floor.
Oh, moons, here we go. I’m sorry, my Queen.
The second bag wouldn’t rip off the cord that held it, and I fumbled with the knot as I ran. The Soldiers were steps behind me, close enough that I could hear their huge lungs pumping.
I ripped off the seal and tossed the bag.
The air filled with thick, red, floral-scented debris.
Two of the Soldiers chasing me crashed into each other, and the two that were running behind stumbled into them, tumbling into a mass of legs and stinging tails. I dashed forward out of the noxious cloud, as disoriented as they were with the pollen destroying my new sense of smell.
Up ahead, starlight glittered through a hole in the Hive wall.
I bolted for it, flying faster than I ever thought I could run. The Soldiers behind me had regained their feet, and I smelled the distress signal they emitted, yellow-orange with rage. In a few moments, every Soldier from the Hive would be racing this way.
A Digger scuttled into the opening, waving its huge claws.
“Move!” I clicked, hoping to the stars that it would listen.
It moved. As I flew past, it reached out with its antennae to get a taste of the Blue Queen, but I was moving far too fast. I vaulted over a low wall that hadn’t collapsed, and emerged into the moonlight. My feet pounded on the hard ground, and from all around me came the sound of Soldier ‘Mites on the hunt.