Chrysalis

It took some time for the itching to pass, as it always did. When I finally regained full control of my body again, I picked myself up from the floor, dusted myself off, cleaned my antennae and attempted to move as if nothing had happened.

The soldiers keeping an eye on the room pointedly didn't look at me as I climbed the wall and moved up into the Queen's chamber. Things continued to operate in here as they always did, a cloud of buzzing workers rushed here and there whilst the ever-patient Queen stood still and unmoving amidst the chaos.

She had not evolved.

"I will evolve in good time, child" the Queen remonstrated before I'd even begun to speak, predicting my question with ease.

"What's the hold up?" I asked piteously, "most ants are happy to have the chance to evolve and dive straight in."

Perhaps I was being a touch selfish, I'd really wanted to see what shape her evolution would take.

The Queen looked down at me, her eyes like pools without a single ripple and said: "this decision is more important than most, and due to your … gift" she gestured to the rare core in front of her, "I will have many options to ponder. I am seeking the correct frame of mind and trying to determine the right path forward, for myself and for the colony."

Slow and steady wins the race eh? Not an attitude I was super familiar with, but I could recognise the wisdom in it. She was right in the sense that for most ants, their evolution did not weigh on the fate of the colony in quite the same way that the Queen's did. She was the central figure in this family that the rest of the colony turned around, like some sort of caring, soothing hub.

Not to mention she was individually the most powerful individual in the colony, with the possible exception of myself. If she was ready to evolve, with a rare core to boot, just what would she be capable of when she'd finished? What sort of juicy options would she unlock? What kind of potent glands were available to someone with that sort of evolutionary energy at their claw tips?

I sighed.

to find out. The Queen was taking this

the twenty tell you about what is happening top side?"

still have a shiny, unbroken exo-skeleton on my head. I'd figured that one of the twenty would tell her and I'd come in a bit later

a mess of your making, child" she told me, "you have assisted the family by bringing news of this threat

in the Queen's eye that she had seen through my scheme to try and avoid recriminations but she

"Thanks Mother" I chuckled.

THWACK!

the 'unexpected,

got me that

to do something as important as evolving, child" my Mother admonished me, "I need to know in order to make the best decision

to evolve and then keeping the details of the crises that was approaching the colony I'd put my own fear of getting thwacked ahead of the interests of the colony. A selfish

of that habit if I was to avoid disappointing my

chamber with what remained of my dignity intact and as I left the Queen's voice sounded out

are counting on

me and I doubled my pace, unable to respond to the upwelling of feeling, I

used to being counted on like this. I wasn't used to being trusted like this. To have individuals I care