Chrysalis

Something was off, Sloan could feel it.

“What word from the walls?” she demanded of her scout coordinator.

The distinguished scout, Postant, had been working with her for months, and responded immediately to the sudden demand.

“Holding firm at last report.”

“And the tunnels?”

“Same. There’s been no significant change.”

“That can’t be right. I want a fresh runner sent topside immediately. There’s something going on around here, I can feel it in my antennae.”

“As you wish, general,” said Postant before she turned to direct her scouts.

But as information continued to trickle in, everything seemed… fine. The wave was being held off pretty well all around the fortress. Ants were fighting hard, gaining Levels, training their Skills, and a constant stream of Biomass and cores flowed into the nest, precious resources needed to grow the Colony. Everything was going so well, yet she couldn’t help but feel that something terrible was not only about to happen, but possibly already had.

The runners came back soon after, no significant changes, everything was holding steady. In fact, things were probably a little better than they’d been the day before.

“Better?” Sloan couldn’t believe it. “How are things better?”

“I’m not sure,” Postant replied after conferring with her troops. “The general feeling is that the defence is holding firmer than previously, but nobody has really been able to pin down a reason why.”

Sloan thought back. She’d been on the job since yesterday, could she recall any significant changes since then? Directing the flow of the defence in the tunnels had been her sole responsibility in all that time, so if anyone had noticed a difference, it should have been her!

The general pondered the question.

“Let me see the latest troop report,” she said suddenly.

Other generals, members of her staff, quickly pulled out the stone tablet marked with dense and detailed pheromones, rows and numbers that described the numbers of available troops. There was a change! The number had gone up.

“Have the reinforcements arrived?” she asked as she continued to trace her antenna over the tablet.

“Not yet, general. They aren’t scheduled to arrive for another three days.”

Sloan understood what the Eldest wanted, but she would have really preferred more fighting ants instead. Still, she felt bad that Mendant and Francis hadn’t been listened to, to the extent that the

the additional numbers weren’t as significant as a full reinforcement, but were significant enough to have made a difference. Where had they come from,

sort of shifting error putting more ants on

start our shift,

hours ago, general,”

those thirty-six hours, how had she not noted such a

froze, her mind

did you say?” she said,

Postant shifted.

“Thirty-six hours, general.”

case. It couldn’t be the

action, igniting the braziers they kept

crackled all around them, driving the shadows away as every

soon,” she told everyone. “We’ve gone

thinking. Even in wartime, it wasn’t good to push your limits too

such pressure-filled situations as these. She brushed her antennae through her elbow joints, cleaning them, to help relieve her stress. She was

that they hadn’t come for her already. Thirty-six hours

of it in her mandibles once more and pouring through the

more ants in the fight.

taken a single

and the tablet fell from her grasp to clatter against

“I’ve sent messages

Sloan whispered. “It’s too late

chamber. Bright burning fire surrounded her in all directions, but suddenly, she knew it wasn’t enough. Every hint of shadow loomed like an impenetrable

sent immediately,” she rounded on Postant. “Get in touch with Victor, let her know that they haven’t taken anyone

FAR too late for

Heresy. Heresy. Heresy. Heresy.

Unbeliever. Unbeliever. Unbeliever.

madness the waking could never see, surrounded Sloan in

the fires!” she

One moment, the braziers burned brightly, the next, they were

like that, shadows

She shivered in fear at the thought of what may await her. The comfortable bed, the carapace wax and shine, the complimentary tea! She couldn’t

going to rest soon! An hour