Chapter 12: The Spiderlings Take Care of the Future

Zyla sat at her desk in her capital Uloth on the planet Unglutrin, fiddling with her slate.

Her senior team sat before her.

“Chak has not returned, and the gate has not been activated. By now, she is dead,” said Zyla, “her mission has succeeded.”

Her team sat silently. They knew her mercurial moods.

Zyla smiled. “I would like to have had the pleasure of teaching the princess about the meaning of suffering. I must be content with winning but not getting all the prizes.”

“Grep, there is no reason to delay any longer. The anchors and repulsers are under enormous strain. You may lose several planets if we don’t leave in the next two days,” said Zyla’s science advisor.

The others nodded.

Zyla sighed. I will wait three more days. We have a week before our window closes. Begin loading the ships and evacuating the planets.

“But Grep, if we wait for three more days, we will lose ten percent of our people,” said the science advisor.

“I planned on that and more. The places on our ships are limited. Many of the vessels we are loading cannot make the trip. I will be seen to do my best, but sadly some things don’t work out.

“Do we load Ajende and the Queen?”

“No, I will crush their hope at the last possible second. Do not tell Ajende her daughter has not returned and is dead. Let us draw out the pain.

“Make sure you load the important people first. The others can fall into a black hole for all I care. You have the list of those who go. There are going to be many disappointed people. Life is tough, and then you die.”

Zyla laughed. The others smiled politely but looked discomforted.

Four hours later, Horti was walking along the tunnel next to Odalis.

“Odalis, thank you and your sisters for the excellent training you gave us. Zhan, thank you for mentoring us through this process.”

“It was our pleasure, Horti,” said Odalis.

Zhan grinned telepathically.

“I know the obstruction is ahead; I briefly looked. I wanted to thank you for doing all you could in case we mess up the test,” said Horti.

“Horti, you have needed little mentoring. You have done far better than many Colza queens and made many friends. Our meeting has been a joy and a privilege. I know you will succeed,” Zhan replied. “There is a mass of spiderlings ahead. I can hear the chatter; they are waiting for you!”

“They must want to see the hornet form for themselves.”

“No, Horti, they don’t; they saw it through the eyes of the other spiderlings. They want to talk to you.”

A spiderling queen, half the size of Horti, walked to meet the group.

“We all want to meet you and have permission to help you.”

“Thank you, but you know you can advise but can’t do the digging for us.”

“We advise you to take an alternative route directly to the brood chamber. We know the rules and can advise you where you can go. You must do a little digging at the end.”

Horti looked at Zhan. She smelt pleased.

“Horti, this is not unprecedented. They can advise you of an alternative route if they do not walk ahead of you and you follow them. When I was a spiderling, I went where they will take you. If you can get through, it will be worthwhile. You will surprise my mother and sisters. That is definitely to your advantage.”

The young queen suggested they retrace their steps until they reached a tunnel on the right, their last left.

They went down the tunnel, which forked into two.

“Take the tunnel on your right. It goes fifty meters, and then there is a large chamber. Be very quiet. The brood cavern is next to the room.

The tunnel on the left was the size of their tunnel; the other to the right was much smaller, and Horti was far from sure she could get through.

She was the largest of the Colza and was forced to tear the sides of the tunnel to widen it. The ground was hard, but she used her powerful front legs and claws well. She was tired after twenty-five meters and backed out.

Craig was the next biggest, and he widened the remainder of the tunnel surprisingly quickly.

“The part I did was softer and easier,” he said as he backed out to let Horti lead the large group to the chamber. Hundreds of spiderlings followed them.”

“At this time of day, there is light in the brood cavern. Look through the hole, great God Queen.”

Horti looked through the hole, followed by the others one by one.

“You must jump the Queen, Horti, and do your thing,” said Craig, “then I must do something. Do you jump the old one or the huge one in waiting? I know I must do something with the one in waiting. Which one do you jump?”