Chrysalis

The Queen was in her chamber much the same as she had been over a day ago, covered in workers and resting peacefully. She hasn't had any reason to go out and fight lately so I hope she's enjoying a period of relaxation.

Considering the measly supply of Biomass that the workers have been extracting from the surface there hasn't even been much laying to do. I'm not sure if Queen ants can get bored but perhaps she might be feeling that things have become a little dull?

[Bored?] she responds when I ask her, sounding for all the world like she didn't even understand the word, [why would I be bored?]

[Well, there isn't much to do at the moment?]

[Foolish child] she chides me, [the colony is not under threat and you have provided food and a great hope for our family. I am content, as we should all be]

How is this giant ant monster always so positive?! Such a good mother!

Before I can get too emotional I need to focus on the present.

[So you've received the Biomass we sent up?]

[Yes. The children have been working as hard as they can. They found it and brought it to me]

[awesome]

I stare hard at the Queen for a moment, trying to judge whether she's upgraded herself as we discussed. Rather than accuse my own my own mother of lying, which would be rather tactless, I try a different angle.

[Is it ok if I check on your core? There may be more that I can do to improve our chances]

[of course child]

She answers without hesitation. I seriously doubt that she's even capable of doubting her own children. I wonder if all the ant Queens are like this?

my mind up into overdrive to handle the flood of information that nearly knocks me off my six feet. Okok. Here we go then. Ah, this is the bit I'm looking

mind I find the information I want and check in on the Queen's mutation advancements. Oh ho! I would not have been surprised if she had neglected my advice in order to produce more young. I believe that she considers producing young as her primary responsibility and the best way to serve the family as a

can plainly see the upgrades to the three egg production organs than she

the efficiency of the organ to produce more deconstructed Biomass per

Gland +5, the recoding process utilises less deconstructed

Gives a bonus +2 to all stats for each egg

Fantastic!

first two upgrades were exactly the sort of thing I spoke to the Queen about. After studying the organs carefully,

isn't as if the Queen will be producing ten eggs per year once the colony gets rolling. My dream scenario would have the Queen producing about a million ants a year, so an extra

but it's enough to make my mind boggle! That's

Croca Beast that was hatched would be able to

I can make use of

to be getting this boost from the Queen I make a few minor adjustments, bending my mind to its limits to enforce them. I trim

trade-off is that the ants will be produced more cheaply than before but still be a little stronger

my mind from the Queen's core I immediately congratulate her

mean more workers and the

sounds genuinely pleased to be praised in this way. [Are we ready to lay the first generation of new workers? How many are needed? 200?

on a second!

to growing the colony and the promises I've made about the next

way! Not yet!] I say

I can tell she

are going to get that egg production gland to +10 for sure. If it's possible to get another +2 to all stats to

moment. I can almost feel her

feast from below, it'll surely get you to +10! I'll

you child] she