Chapter 102 – The Nest
Dusky yawned, stretching her legs as she woke up from her quick nap. The scrap metal perch beneath her was cool and familiar, but her mission weighed on her mind.
She couldn’t afford to sleep long.
Carefully, she rose, ensuring she didn’t disturb the metal or the dozen other sisters sleeping nearby. The nest’s comforting hum surrounded her, yet a pang of sadness lingered. She missed the close-nest with Dapple and Hot Pink.
Their names weren’t truly Dapple and Hot Pink, but the sounds Talia made were pleasing. Melodic and warm. Dusky had started using them instead of their designations. At least, with her mind thoughts. She wasn’t quite able to reproduce Talia’s sounds. It was odd, but it felt right…nice.
As she headed out of the sleeping chamber, a red spider moved to block her path. “Not-Nest-Lover,” it hissed.
Fear bubbled up inside her. Reds were intimidating, supposed to be in charge. But Talia had taught her something vital: she wasn’t weak! The reds weren’t truly stronger; they were just scary.
Dusky froze, then calmed herself. Ignoring the barb, she tried to pass by. The red pushed at her, but Dusky shoved back. The red’s aggression intensified, shoving harder. She wrestled with it, finally tossing the red off the edge of the building. It screeched as it fell.
A dozen other spiders turned to observe, chittering and mumbling about her uncivilized behavior. Dusky ignored them, heading toward the food area. The trip didn’t take long, but eyes followed her.
As she slipped into the food chamber, the familiar scent of what Talia called HEM cubes filled the air. The room buzzed with activity, lines of spiders waiting for their share.
Most of the younger sisters had left to carry back the lifestone, but the older spiders and guards remained. Their eyes followed her, chittering whispers echoing off the walls. She kept her gaze forward, ignoring the prickling sensation of being watched.
The line moved quickly, each spider receiving their cube and scuttling away. Dusky’s mind wandered to Talia and the adventures they shared. Life outside the nest was unpredictable, thrilling. She wouldn’t trade it for anything.
The nest felt like a cage. She had always loved collecting trinkets from outside. Now she had to help Talia. When the mission was finished, she could leave again. Rejoin the close-nest that she liked.
Finally, she reached the front. The servant spider handed her a cube, smaller than usual. Dusky’s mandibles clicked in irritation.
“This is damaged,” she said, holding the cube up.
The servant hissed, its eyes narrowing. The spiders behind her grumbled, annoyed at the delay.
“Nest Leader orders,” Dusky stated firmly. “You decide you are above them?”
The servant hesitated, then grudgingly replaced the cube with a normal one, hissing as it did so. Dusky took it and moved away, eating on the go.
“Dumb sisters,” she muttered, heading toward the control chamber. The corridors were crowded, but no one else blocked her path.
Spiders stopped and stared as she passed, their eyes drawn to the device Talia had given her. It clung to her exoskeleton, a conspicuous piece of technology that marked her as different.
She didn’t mind. The device was essential for her mission. A piece of magic. Maker tools she could wear. The stares and whispers bounced off her like water off a leaf.
Dusky entered the authority chamber, her legs moving with purpose. The Nest Leader perched on the throne, his massive form casting a shadow over the room.
As she stepped inside, a low hiss emerged from reds stationed along the edges, their eyes narrowing in displeasure at her intrusion. Their tension was evident, but this too she let wash over her.
A grumble from the Nest Leader silenced them, followed by a tap of his feet. The other spiders fled, leaving Dusky alone with him. She approached, her heart steady but her mind racing.
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“Nest Leader,” she began, her voice steady. “May I go to nest control now?”
“No,” he replied, his tone firm. “I wish to ask some questions about the not-maker-not-taker before that.”
Dusky’s mandibles clicked in concern. She couldn’t afford to be late with her report, but disobeying the Nest Leader was unthinkable. “I will answer your questions.”
“How does the not-maker create her devices?” Big Red’s eyes bore into hers.
Dusky blinked, tilting her head. “She uses her device to make devices, and other devices she has to make new ones.”
He leaned closer, becoming almost overbearing. “How does she control them?”
“Neo controls the devices,” Dusky answered.
“Who is Neo?” he demanded.
“It is the voice when Talia talks and discusses things with herself. Her magic mind.”
The questions continued, each one probing deeper into Talia’s methods and Neo’s nature. Dusky did her best to answer, but she sensed the Nest Leader’s growing dissatisfaction with her vague responses.
It wasn’t her fault—she did not entirely understand the mysteries herself. Talia had explained to her, but it was complicated.
Was it too much that she just wanted to enjoy the magic of new things that constantly flowed around Talia? Finally, she spoke up. “Maybe you should ask Talia these questions yourself.”
He growled, his mandibles clicking. “You are beyond bold for a worker.”
Dusky’s legs curled slightly as she considered. “I have seen many new things this sun-cycle. Many things seem trivial compared to before.”
“The effects on you and your sisters must be considered when contemplating this not-taker-not-maker,” Nest Leader growled again. “How can I trust the answers when the questions are to learn if I can trust the answerer?”
“Talia is good and can be trusted,” Dusky insisted.
Nest Leader stepped off the throne and stood over her, glaring down at her from above. “How much of that answer is based on simple bribes? Are you so in love with food that you will give up your race?”
Dusky hissed and lowered herself to the ground, ready to spring away as her eyes narrowed. “That isn’t true! It’s insulting! Take that back!”
Dozens of reds scrambled in the chamber, their hisses and glares filled with hostility. They looked ready to pounce. The Nest Leader rumbled again, silencing them all.
“You or your sisters would never talk back to me before,” he said, his tone contemplative. “This is an influence by the not-maker.”
“I learned much,” Dusky replied, standing her ground.
The Nest Leader stared at her for a moment before speaking again. “You may go record the nest-controller and send the message to the not-maker while I consider your answers.”
Dusky nodded, relief washing over her. Maybe there would be trouble later, but for now, she could continue her mission. She skittered around Nest Leader and to the back of the chamber, her thoughts already shifting to the task ahead.
She opened the hatch on the elevator and climbed down the shaft herself. The metal rungs felt cool under her legs, each step echoing softly in the confined space.
When she reached the bottom, the atmosphere felt different. Resonance of the Nest Spirit filled her carapace with pleasant tingles. The secret stash of lifestone was nearby.
Of course, it was trusted that she would not disturb it, and she had no intention of doing so at all.
The crystals that had lit up the chamber on her first visit with Talia were dark without the elevator in the low position, leaving only the map-showing-device to light the chamber.
She didn’t mind; she needed little light to see. The belt Talia had given her emitted a soft glow. The two light sources were more than enough to navigate by.
She approached the center of the control console, her small frame dwarfed by the massive controls designed for Nest Leader. Adjusting her harness, she pointed the recorder-thing at the picture, ready to capture the data.
Only then did she look at the map itself. At first, the colors had been a mystery to her. But with each update, she felt more confident, recalling Talia’s explanations.
Dusky’s legs trembled as she realized something was wrong. The dots were in the wrong places.
Takers were near the nest!
They were in the jungle home and coming toward the nest in large numbers.
A sudden shaking of the earth reverberated through the ground and Dusky knew what it meant immediately.
The nest was under attack!