V2 Chapter 2 - Plan

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IF YOU FAIL TO PREPARE, YOU'RE PREPARING TO FAIL

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“Why are the humans coming here? And why now?” My sister asks, her long strides forcing me to skitter faster to keep pace as we hurry through the mountain. We’re surrounded by hundreds of our younger siblings, all intent on descending the mountain.

“I don’t know. Stop asking me questions. We established rules for handling these situations without Mother,” I reply, quickening my pace. “It's not my fault you forgot them.”

By now the nursery problem has been pushed to the back of everyone's minds, the prospect of an encounter with the outside leaving everyone on edge. Our goal for now is the third floor, where I will meet with the entirety of the Swarm to make plans and prepare to make a defense.

As a result of the massive migration, the mountain resonates with the thunder of over a thousand footsteps. The pre-existing tunnels are fully utilized, children on the walls, the ceiling, or just flying in the air. Then there are dozens of others that travel through small holes in the mountain, whether they be holes we dug on purpose, or smaller crevices we've discovered over the days. The cacophony of activity is nearly overwhelming, but it’s also a show of our newfound adaptability.

As we reach the third floor, the atmosphere shifts, exposing us to cooler air. The chamber is vast, lit by a few glowing mushrooms that cast an eerie light on the stone walls. The room is just large enough to accommodate all of us, though it feels cramped with the sheer number of bodies moving about.

Some days ago, I had my sister check the mushrooms, and unfortunately, they're not very edible. It's a shame since the fourth floor is full of them. They might be entertaining and useful for interrogation, but not edible. I digress.

I ascend a small platform at the front of the chamber alongside my sister, turning to face the ever growing Swarm. Even now children still trickle in, likely scouts that have been stationed outside or beyond the mountain. Those already present fall silent, their eyes fixed on us with a mix of expectation and apprehension. I take a deep breath, steadying myself.

“We are here…” I begin, my voice halting as I hear my sister's mixing with mine. Not again. We both stare each other down, antennae twitching in agitation until I break the contest. I step in closer, lowering my voice to an angry whisper.

“We talked about this already…now is not the time! We can deal with the petty squabbles later. Now you will let me take the lead.”

She looks me up and down, crossing both sets of arms, but ultimately gives in with a “Fine.” I turn back to the hundreds of onlookers, ready to work through this together.

“As I was saying, we are here right now to discuss a plan of action. The humans are approaching. Where are the scouts?” I question,antennae waving as I search for the scent of those we deployed weeks ago. Right on queue several strikers crawl up to join us on the platform.

“How many humans did you see…and how far out?” I ask anxiously, starting off with the most prominent question. I don't understand why the humans would attack us now after all this time. Two months of each of us minding our own business, and not a single drop of human blood had been shed. It was hard, but we stuck to their crops and livestock as we kept our numbers under control.

“Many humans. Maybe…two hundred? By the fork.” One pipes up.

“Two hundred isn't that bad. We have the numbers to take them on. As long as there are no Knights we'll be fine.” My sister butts in.

“That's where you're wrong. If you were listening earlier, our unexpected visitors aren't from the kingdom, or they aren't soldiers at least.

"Describe them," I ask, needing more information. "What did they look like?"

The scouts hesitate. “Different humans. Not from kingdom. Simple weapons and little protection.”

“They're the food humans." Another adds on.

Realization dawns on both my sister and I's faces. "They're not soldiers from the kingdom," I say slowly. "They're bandits." My sister finishes. The one exception to our no killing rule.

“Two hundred is a pretty big chunk of their camp. What could they want with us to send all of their men?” I ask, pondering aloud. “I can't imagine a reason for them to come all this way from their camp far north.”

“I thought we weren't asking pointless questions. I say we fight them like we would any other time. They're bandits, they're not a part of the kingdom. That's why we kill them and eat them right?”

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“I mean yes, but this attack feels out of place. We've been shaving down their numbers for weeks, and only now do they come at us? It doesn't feel right.”

“Well I suggest you get out of your feelings, they aren't just going to get up and leave. Do like you always do and interrogate them after we've captured and beaten them. That's what mommy would do.”

I narrow my eyes at my sister, but I can't dismiss her logic entirely. She's right in some respects—these bandits aren't likely to retreat just because I want them to. Still, I can't shake the unease gnawing at the back of my mind. If they're here, now, after we've carefully thinned their numbers, it means they have something planned.

But what? And why here? Why now?

I take a deep breath, then nod. "Fine. We'll do it your way for now. But I want prisoners. If we can capture some alive, I want answers. I need answers."

My sister smirks, clearly pleased to have won this round. "Don't worry. We'll get you your prisoners."

“Tell me more about their numbers,” I demand, turning back to the scouts. “Are you certain it was around two hundred?”

One of the scouts, a lanky striker with sharp mandibles, steps forward. “Yes, at least two hundred. Maybe more. Received word from those farther out. It was…almost all humans.”

“All of them?” My sister's voice sharpens. “You mean the entire camp?”

The scout nods solemnly. “Almost the entire camp. Many men. Their leader come too. Big man with huge weapon.”

“The Bandit King perhaps?” I was starting to think that it was a myth with all the claims of revenge the bandits made as we killed them. My sister and I exchange a glance, both thinking the same thing. If the Bandit King himself is leading this force, it means they’re more desperate—and dangerous—than we anticipated.

"Almost the entire camp..." My sister echoes, her voice thoughtful. "If the Bandit King is here, then it’s not just a raid. It's a full-on assault. They want something, and they’re risking everything to get it."

"But why?" I mutter, more to myself than anyone else. "Why would they come here in such force? What do they think they can gain from eliminating us? We help them if anything. Leas patrols watch the main roads in fear of getting ambushed."

My sister's mandibles click. "They're here for us. They must have figured out we were the ones whittling down their numbers rather than the kingdom. Maybe they want revenge. Or maybe they think they can take the mountain and use it as their own base. It is closer to the human cities you know.”

"And what if it's more than that?" I ask cautiously. "What if they know about Mother? What if they think she's still here? It wouldn't make sense, but we can't rule out the idea."

My sister's eyes narrow. "Mother hasn't been seen in months. Even if they suspect something, they can't know the truth."

"But what if they do? They might be hoping to cripple us by killing her." I add grimly. "Either way, we can’t just let them waltz in here."

My sister’s eyes flash with a mixture of anger and determination. “Then we’ll make sure they regret ever stepping foot on this mountain.”

I nod in agreement, but the uneasy feeling in my gut remains. If the Bandit King has brought almost his entire camp with him, he must believe they have a real chance of success. I think it says a lot that the kingdom let the bandits have their own camp. They wouldn't risk such an attack unless they were confident—or desperate. And desperate enemies are the most dangerous of all.

"We need to reinforce the traps we have in place" I say firmly, glancing around the chamber at our siblings who are eagerly awaiting our orders. "We’ve had plans in place for weeks now, and it’s time to put them into action."

My sister grins, a feral gleam in her eyes. "If they're at the fork, they're…half a day away? That's more than enough time to fortify.”

I turn to the scouts, my mind racing as I begin to organize the defense. "Spread the word. Everyone is to take their positions and prepare for battle. I want all tunnels sealed off, except for the main entrance. Funnel them in, and we’ll strike hard and fast in the open chamber on the first floor."

The scouts nod and quickly disperse, the Swarm buzzing to life as they relay the orders to our siblings. We're more than ready for this fight, we've been itching for action ever since Mother left, and now we have a chance.

"We should also prepare the fallback chambers," I suggest, my tone more serious now. "If things go wrong, we need a place to retreat and regroup. We'll have to leave the ceiling tunnels open just in case.”

My sister nods in agreement, though the idea of retreating clearly doesn’t sit well with her. Still, it’s a necessary precaution. "I'll have some of the younger ones start fortifying the chambers on the second floor. We’ll use them as a last line of defense if needed." She says, and I can't help but stare at her.

“What?” She asks, her head tilting to the side.

“I'm just impressed that you thought of that on your own.” I tease, and she glares at me, her mandibles clicking in irritation. "Just because you think you're in charge doesn't mean I can't come up with a good idea now and then," she snaps, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I laugh, but there's no real malice behind it. "Fine, fine. I admit it, you can be useful sometimes.” She stares me down, clearly unsatisfied by my answer. “Ok, useful most of the time. Let's just focus on getting ready for this fight."

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Strength in Insects and Smaller Organisms

Insects has a strength advantage over larger creatures because of the larger ratio of surface area to volume and mass. Insect muscles have a fairly small load required to lift their body, leaving plenty of muscle power to move other objects. Adding to this is the fact that an insect's body is inherently lightweight relative to its volume when compared to other animals.

Structurally, insects have a hard exoskeleton shell. Without the weight of internal bones, the insect's weight can comprise a higher amount of muscle. Additionally, a low diffusion distance of oxygen allows for easier sustained muscle use. In some species select joints can even be extended by internal fluid pressure(think hydraulics), and therefore only have muscles to help with flexing. So, since only one type of muscle is needed, said muscle can take up all of the available space.