The Call of the Swarm Read online

  A single Hive is a home for thousands of Eols, a biomechanical race clad in red armors and endowed with ability to fly. Sharp-witted Xe is just another youngster among its huge stirring masses, starting at the hierarchy bottom. Eager to serve the community and prove his worth, he dreams of great adventures, and nothing excites him more than prospects of going on the flying missions with the rest of his swarm.

  But the outside world is not what young Eols expected it to be; it is a harsh and relentless place, and Xe and his friends soon find themselves fighting for survival against the untold horrors lurking in its strange metallic vegetation. And in the meanwhile, hidden deep in the belly of the Hive, a mysterious Eol Queen has plans of her own.

  The Call of the Swarm

  Copyright © 2020 by Melani Gray

  www.MelaniGray.com

  First Edition published June 2020

  Cover Design by Alexios Saskalidis, 187 Designz

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For Andrew Thomas Gray

  Contents

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  1. First Flight

  2. Training

  3. We, the Scouts

  4. Great Meadows

  5. A Death

  6. Images of Drought

  7. Flight of the Dragonfly

  8. The Fire

  9. Born to be Kings

  10. Black Butterflies

  11. Wax, Wax, Wax

  12. Gone

  13. Watchers of the Gate

  14. Escorting the Queen

  15. Farewell

  16. Changes

  17. The New Blood

  18. Peak of the Summertime

  19. Days of Plenty

  20. Thicket

  21. When the Ice Falls

  22. Puddle

  23. Lost!

  24. Rogue

  25. Friendship

  26. Evil of the Maya Flower

  27. Going Back

  28. At Home Again

  29. Kill the Rogue!

  30. Time for Truth

  31. Quest for the Last Pastures

  32. HERE!

  33. A Secret Discovered

  34. The Queen’s Chamber

  35. The Call of the Swarm

  About the Author

  1.

  First Flight

  The silent buzzing was echoing through the countless hallways and chambers of the huge Hive. Soft and constant, the sound spread in long waves through its vast green-lit interiors like a muffled rumble, reverberating in all directions and seeming almost to originate from the waxy walls themselves.

  The Swarm has awoken for a new day; a glorious day for Eeols.

  Young Xe was trembling with excitement. He nervously reached for his red metallic helmet and adjusted its transparent visor by pulling it down and then up again, feeling both helmet and visor so awkward like he wasn’t born with them. He rubbed the red belt batteries he wore over each hip for no reason at all and went playing with gears embedded inside his lower arms. With two gentle clicks, a pair of sharp red spikes came out of the upper part of his wrists; perfectly straight and a foot long, they were retracted quickly to allow thin nozzles of the suction pipes to pop out in their place. A few seconds later they were pulled back and replaced, first by the silver tips of blasters, and then by hulking wax pump nozzles. Xe kept pulling his hand gears in and out over and over again; he just couldn’t stop doing it.

  Others around him were displaying the same anxious behavior. In that charged and mesmerizing atmosphere, Xe was pushed and bumped and jostled from all sides, his red metal armor clanging loudly against equally armored bodies of his surrounding peers. Cramped closely together on the luminescent waxy floor of the Central Chamber, there were twenty thousand restless young Eeols, all of them Internals, stirring impatiently and stomping their feet.

  At his left, one group of youngsters turned to some vociferous talker showing their powerful red air-screws with three short round-ended blades ingrown on their backs.

  “This is the happiest day of my life!” the talker cried blissfully. “My miserable Internalhood finished at last! I still can’t believe it’s happening; it seems like a dream!”

  Everybody around him agreed cheering all at once.

  “It’s over with the boring life!”

  “No more drudgery! Done with dull duties for good!”

  “Now the true life begins! Fun and adventures!”

  The rejoicing youngsters were eyed from above as they weren’t alone in the Central Chamber. Sieved with innumerable openings, the immense green-glowing waxy walls around them teemed with mature Eeols that had come to witness the grand event, prying down on the stirring red mass with interest. But aside from the nearly whole population of Matures present, somebody was still missing. Heads of the Swarm were late, and without them nothing could begin.

  The clamor on the floor grew even noisier.

  “Where are the Supremes? Why are they keeping us waiting? Come on! Haven’t we waited for our First Flight long enough?”

  A bolt of excitement made Xe close his eyes. The First Flight!

  Eeol Internals awaited it almost since the moment they had crawled out of their cocoons. Strictly forbidden to leave the Hive, they’re forced to spend their days inside performing various monotonous duties; cleaning and rebuilding and caring for the brood, and also turning nectar into honey by means of brewing in their chest tanks. Yet Internals kept obedient and fulfilled their duties diligently while dreaming of the First Flight when they would become Flyers.

  And that fabulous day finally came. They were about to see the outer world at last!

  Despite the fact that Internals were told very little about that world, tales floated among their ranks. Amazing tales of an enormous place full of marvels, and the mere idea that they were soon going to visit it delighted them so much that they were hardly able to stand on their feet.

  The youngsters around Xe were now listening to the only Eeoless in their group. There weren’t many females among the multitude on the floor because the male sex was much more common among Eeols in general.

  “It’s such a pity my dear friend Ka 9 couldn’t be with me today,” the Eeoless said a bit sorrowfully, but only a bit as it was hard to be sad on this day. “Being just slightly younger than me, she fell beneath the required age and now has to wait for the next Flight. It’s heartbreaking that we must be separated for so long.”

  It was unavoidable as youngsters were banned from talking with adult Eeols. The only exceptions were the Masters of Internals who commanded them and under whose supervision Internals worked. With respect, Xe recalled his former Master To 10, a somewhat grumpy but basically good-hearted fellow who was loved by his subordinates and was cared for by them as he had difficulties flying due to his damaged air-screw. The poor condition was a universal trait of Masters of Internals, most of whom were severely crippled by either injury or disease. Why would they otherwise waste their lives in the Hive managing a bunch of playful Internals instead of enjoying great adventures on the outside?

  At last the small party of mature Eeols appeared on the long and narrow waxy prominence that was protruding from the northern wall high above. Instantly the grave silence struck the red mass on the floor.


  The slow-moving party consisted of the most respected Eeols of the Swarm. After congregating along the edge of the prominence, they divided letting Supreme BeraX7719, leading member of the Supreme Command and second in rank only to the Queen, step out in the front. Straightening pompously, he paused for a moment eyeing the Chamber; first the beholders perched high on the surrounding walls, and then the nervous audience down at the bottom.

  “Eeols of the Swarm!” the Supreme said proudly. “We are gathered here today to witness the First Flight of our young ones. They are the next generation to join our flying forces and we wish them success. The Queen herself sends them her special greetings. Youngsters! Your Internalhood has ended, and the real life now lies ahead. At this moment you are promoted to Starters. Welcome among Flyers and serve the Swarm well!”

  The Supreme kept talking, emphasizing the crucial significance of order and importance of rules for the community, but Xe stopped listening as he noticed some Matures have soundlessly landed on the floor behind them. That could mean only one thing; the grandiose moment was nearing.

  Mature Eeols were easily distinguishable from the youngsters by a duller shade of red. Additionally, their armors bore pale lines of scars and many helmets had cracks and indentations. In sharp contrast to the sparklingly happy youngsters, they looked morose and had somber expressions on their faces.

  It was perfectly understandable. Youngsters knew very well they were a nuisance to them. How frustrating it had to be for experienced Flyers to get an army of overly enthusiastic ignoramuses in need of training! Yet Xe had no doubt that in time he would earn their approval; being always faster and swifter then the rest of his peers, he believed in his abilities and strived for the recognition. And once I become a Mature leading the young on their First Flight, he promised firmly to himself, I won’t put on a sour face but the most jolly one!

  He furtively took a few steps to his left. Like the entire interior of the Hive, the Central Chamber was illuminated by a delicate green glow of the radiant wax, but there was also a different light dimly visible in the distance. Xe’s stare went to a tiny blue rectangular at the bottom of the Chamber; that was the Gate, the only way in or out of the Hive and the key to the mysterious external world which was an ultimate secret to the Internals. Being prohibited to approach it, nothing stirred their imagination more than the Gate.

  “…fifty in each row” the stern voice of Supreme BeraX7719 returned Xe to reality. “Subsequent rows of Matures and Starters will be interchanging. You will fly with the greatest caution. Remember, no hurry! The assembly point is at the meadow clearing just before the Hive. Youngsters!” he said raising his tone. “You are going to act according to the instructions supplied by your Superiors. Any failure to comply, any misbehavior, will be rigorously punished. You’ll do exactly what you are told, and nothing else. The smallest disobedience is not going to be tolerated. Now move on, and get in the flying formation!”

  Thousands of air-screws buzzed in answer to his command.

  The huge mass of youngsters took off in a sluggish manner, hovering briefly in midair like a red cloud while joining even greater numbers of mature Eeols leaving the walls. Made of both Matures and fresh Starters, the gigantic swarm filled up the Central Chamber.

  “Keep your distance!” The Commanders cried orders. “Prepare to advance forward! Fly carefully and mind your peers!”

  After some more rearranging, the swarm was ready and squirmed clumsily in the long line toward the Gate; maneuvering in a very low speed, the red multitude started pouring through to the outside.

  The bright sunshine blinded Xe, making him pull his transparent gray visor down.

  He was absolutely thrilled.

  Sure, he has flown before, Internals did it a lot, but it was always in the sealed world of tunnels and chambers with ever-present waxy walls. Flying in the open air was a completely different experience. Here the open space was all around, a wonderful and unlimited space, with no barriers and nothing above the youngsters’ helmeted heads but a clear blue sky. Instead of the warm and heavy air of the Hive, a fresh spring breeze was gently caressing their cheeks.

  Being mainly subterranean, the Hive looked much smaller from the outside. Opposite to its interior, the reinforced outer walls were not luminescent. Dark-brown in the blazing sunlight, the finely rounded dome was leaning against the weather-beaten rock at the north for extra wind protection. Just ahead of the Gate there was a patch of bare ground large enough to accept the entire swarm while on its edges and beyond rose the metallic stalks of giant weed-like plants with metal-fortified brassy leaves extending further into a thin-grown meadow that was surrounding the Hive.

  The clearing was now crawling with Eeols. Although it was still early in the spring, the sun beat down quite substantially and their bright red armors with yellow markings glistened under its warm rays. The Commanders were arranging overjoyed youngsters in neat rows in the center and placing Matures into a ring around them on the outskirts of the clearing.

  One of the oldest active Flyers, the highly esteemed First Class Commander TageO4182 stepped out to give further instructions.

  “Atte-e-e-e-ention!”

  The agitated crowd calmed down a little.

  “Starters! Our task today is to fly over the Hive. You will be aligned in a suitable flying formation by your Superiors and proceed as per their directives. Strict discipline is essential for swarm flying, so follow your orders precisely!”

  Out of the sudden, the metallic vegetation in the vicinity shook violently. Mature Eeols were alerted at the very same instant and took a defensive posture toward the outer perimeter; but realizing that it was nothing more but a playful spring wind piping through metal-reinforced plants, everyone settled down again.

  “It’s very simple,” TageO4182 continued seeming undisturbed by the interruption. “We are going to head westward, pass low over a dome top, then make a left turn and return to the clearing. Prepare for take off!”

  There was some commotion in the crowd and arrangements took a chunk of time. Starters found themselves organized in a flying formation again, and the red multitude stirred and went airborne under the strict surveillance of the Matures.

  Even though the Commanders kept the swarm moving slowly, the Starters’ blundering performance was clearly giving away how much they were unaccustomed to this type of flying. They were having problems even with such basic moves like matching their speed with the swarm. But then again, youngsters couldn’t care less.

  The view from up there was fantastic.

  A majestic landscape unrolled before Xe’s astonished eyes; the dazzling view of endless flatlands going all the way to the horizon, peppered with gigantic weed-like plants and occasional lonely rock. To the east, the silver strip of the distant Stream glimmered brilliant in the sun.

  For a Starter, it was truly an unforgettable sight. Beyond all comparison this was the best time Xe had in his life and he wondered how he could have endured being confined to the Hive for so long in the first place. There was no way he could return to his old life now; not after seeing the wonders of the outside world.

  Buzzing softly, the swarm reached the end of its journey. Commanders gave orders to turn left, but Starters were too excited with the scenery and half of them turned right instead, causing a previously neat formation to burst into total chaos.

  The result looked like a red flutter, with thousands of confused Eeols colliding with each other and ringing like old cracked bells. Xe got a kick right in the face; the only part of his body unprotected by metal armor and covered just in fragile pale skin. It was strong enough to fling him out of position, and he went spinning uncontrollably through the air rowing his limbs like crazy and whacking all other Flyers unlucky enough to get into his path.

  It became impossible to stay airborne, and loads of Eeols were landing or dropping all over the wide strip of bare clay close to western side of the Hive. Once on the ground, Commanders tried their best to restore orde
r, but it was in vain; while yelling orders and running around to help, they would trip over those lying on the ground and tumbled down to the increasing pile of red bodies mingling hectically across the field.

  What a great day, thought Xe as he sat in the dust laughing his head off. He didn’t get seriously hurt, no one did, and the chance to witness the mess around him was definitely worth several drops of yellow blood trickling down from his nose.

  To his disappointment, after a while, the Commanders got the troubled swarm into order again, aligning everybody into a proper formation for the second time and flying them back to the meadow clearing.

  Fortunately, the exhausted Commanders didn’t hassle youngsters much further. Supreme BeraX7719 spoke briefly on the subject of basic orientation; mentioning important land marks of their territory like the Ridge and Black Soils Area, Grasshopper Stone and the Stream, referring to it as ‘our Stream’, and the Dry Stream. He finished by speaking on the significance of togetherness in the community.

  “That’s all for today, Starters. At ease.”

  Like it wasn’t great enough, youngsters learned that, in addition to the early discharge, they were permitted to stay out at the clearing until nightfall and were truly delighted.

  A nice warm and comfortable afternoon followed. Starters sat around lazily as they were constantly watched over by mature Eeols in the outer protective ring. Perfectly happy, they discussed the First Flight, which could be summed up in a single line, “It was like I have always imagined it would be – only better!” Everybody agreed zealously that the Flight has surpassed their expectations and looked cheerfully to the future.

  With sunset the stars came up; another gorgeous sight new to youngsters’ eyes. Furthermore, on the way back to the Gate they had the chance to observe an uncommon and impressive celestial event. In an alignment that could be seen just twice a year, the pale-purple moon of their world climbed to the center of a triangle closed by three blazing stars, making the Starters watch with their eyes wide open.