The Hive Engineers

by Emilia Zeeland

  “Tests on the clay around it suggest it hasn’t been moved in almost three hundred years.”

  Stanley’s emphasis on the word ‘almost’ made Yalena alert. “So they come back? At intervals. To check if something got trapped in the hive.”

  Stanley’s tensed stance told her she was right. “If we continue farther down, into caves much deeper and more dangerous to access, we reach another chamber below, dating back roughly six hundred years.”

  Yalena chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Why would they leave a ship here?”

  “To give any intelligent life form a way to get back in touch,” Stanley said. “That’s one theory. Alternatively, perhaps they never leave. Instead of coming back, maybe they come out every three hundred years.”

  Yalena felt pins and needles all over her body. “You think there’s someone inside?”

  “Possibly,” Stanley said cautiously. “We’ve never been able to open it.” He crossed the short distance to what looked like a side panel. A way in. His hand stroked it and it glowed a faint shade of green. Eight symbols sparked in stronger color. “We’ve tried pressing them, rearranging them. It still won’t work.”

  Yalena’s curiosity got the better of her. Her feet didn’t feel rooted in the soft ground beneath anymore. She rushed to Stanley’s side, taking in the symbols, as if to memorize them.

  “Don’t bother,” he said. “We have plenty of sketches of them. I’ll show you once we get back.”

  Yalena smiled at something that registered with her, something seeping through her father’s vibe. Excitement.

  “According to our estimates,” Stanley said, “It’ll soon be time for them to either visit or emerge again. Then, we’ll finally know if the Troians or the Francises were right.”

  Yalena’s stomach quivered. “We have to know before Felix reaches Earth. We have to prove he’s wrong before he poisons Earth with Novofex.”

  Stanley tore his eyes away from the symbols on the monitor to look at her in the gloomy light. “Felix believes spreading Novofex is the only way for us to appear aligned with the hive engineers, to gain their trust. To further their agenda.”

  Yalena finally understood. That was why people rallied behind Felix. They knew what the hive engineers had done to two planets already. The majority of Fians must have felt that proving their worth to the alien overlords was the only way to stay alive, to be seen as Fians, not human descendants.

  “Felix believes that by turning all humans into Fians, he’s going to save us from the hive engineers, doesn’t he?” Yalena asked with a trembling voice. True dedication to a cause always came from believing it was a just one.

  “Unless we get to the hive engineers first and prove him wrong.” Stanley’s eyes glistened in the semi-darkness. “So what do you say? Shall we give this a go? It has been a mystery for two generations, but I hear you’re good with codes. So am I.”

  Yalena felt a wave of warmth spreading from her heart to her fingertips. “So, we do have a ship?”

  Stanley almost laughed. “Yes. We just have to figure out how to access and fly it.”

  Yalena exhaled in a nervous giggle. “And check if an ancient creature lurks inside in a cryo chamber or something.”

  “That too.” Stanley mused. “What do you say? Shall we give it a go?”

  Yalena’s face shone in response. “Father-daughter style.”

  Chapter 29. Battle Cry

  By the time Yalena and Stanley got back to the resistance quarters, it was lunch time. Natalia sat on the steps to the repair shop, jabbing her fork at what looked like a green salad on her plate. It was an absent-minded effort, not really meant to result in feeding herself.

  Yalena didn’t have to rely on the vibe. Her heart sank at the sight. “Are you all right?”

  Natalia huffed like the question offended her. “I’m not hungry.”

  “That’s not what I asked.” Yalena kept her voice low and shot a quick look at Stanley, who nodded.

  “I’ll see you downstairs,” he said. “Both of you.”

  Despite the loud grumble in her stomach, Yalena took a seat at the edge of the steps next to Natalia.

  “I just hate this, you know.” Natalia’s breathing hitched like she was close to tears. “I can’t sleep. I can’t think. I can’t...I can’t escape hearing their subconscious whispers, feeling emotions that don’t belong to me.” She struggled to go on. “How do you do it?”

  Yalena bit her cheek, searching for the right words. She ran a hand through her hair, which had become frizzy in the high humidity. “It took me a while, didn’t it? You never saw it, but I actually barfed the first time I felt the vibe. I couldn’t breathe. I almost blacked out entirely.”

  Natalia let out a small laugh, as if out of politeness. “Are you saying I’m acing it?” She still sounded timid.

  Yalena felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips. “Not yet, but you will. After all, you’re tough.”

  Natalia stared at her plate, as if unable to process the compliment. “Tough? These Fian weeds are tough.”

  Yalena nudged her a little with her shoulder. “See? You fit right in. Natalia Khanna, tough as a weed. Impossible to get rid of, no matter how hard you try to off her.”

  A thousand subtle shifts took place in Natalia’s expression until she finally let out a giggle. “Weeds don’t die.”

  Yalena’s stomach rumbled again. A look passed between the girls, before Natalia nodded and Yalena slowly stood to leave.

  Back downstairs, Stanley had joined Alec and Blaine at a table. He speared the Fian weeds on his fork and gulped them down, one bunch after the other.

  Blaine changed his focus from Stanley to Yalena. “Well, you must be freaked out.”

  She gave him a flat smile. Stanley must have told them where he’d taken her. It meant Alec knew all this already, but even if he didn’t, Yalena felt it didn’t matter. She slid into the seat next to him and squeezed his arm lightly. Alec turned to her, his face seeming to have regained some of its natural color. No sweat slicked over his skin.

  “You look better,” she said to Alec, while Stanley passed her a plate and cutlery.

  A glint of mischief shone in his eyes. “Why, thank you.” Alec pulled her closer, his arm squeezing tight around her waist.

  Yalena laughed. “Ouch! All right, I got it. Your strength is back to Martian levels.”

  He loosened his grip, laughing too, and allowing her enough space to reach for the salad bowl and pile some Fian greens into her plate. “I’ve got you to thank for it.”

  “Her?” Blaine feigned getting offended. “Mate, I dove into grim-looking waters for those rations.” He convulsed his body in an exaggerated gesture. “Couldn’t feel the vibe or anything.”

  Yalena chewed her mouthful of greens with a satisfied grin on her face. They tasted strong, like rocket salad, but the dressing was as sweet as mango.

  “Apparently Fians are like cats,” Alec said to Yalena like he was letting her in on some big secret. “Afraid of a little water.”

  Watching Blaine and Alec tease each other, Yalena chewed on her next bite, lost in thought. Blaine had given her an idea. It was hard to believe she hadn’t thought of it sooner. “Blaine, you were a spy, right?”

  “The most convincing double-agent we’ve ever seen,” Stanley said with pride that made Yalena’s smile spread from ear to ear.

  “I have a pet project for you...” Then she added, just to make her case stronger, “Cuz.”

  “You may not have raised her, but she sure is a Troian,” Blaine said to Stanley with a playful tone. “On this planet for less than a day and already giving orders.” A sarcastic smirk accompanied the sparkle in Blaine’s electric-green eyes, which narrowed at Yalena in anticipation. “How may I be of service?”

  NATALIA’S FACE GREW pale as her black eyes shifted from Yalena to Blaine and back to Yalena with disdain. “No.”

  “Come on, Nat,” Yalena pleaded.

  She’d managed to get her to
the training room, where the floors were safely covered in mats, but she couldn’t force her to train. Blaine leaned back against the wall, stretching out his legs as he observed their exchange with curiosity.

  Natalia gathered her heavy hair with one hand and fanned herself with her other hand. The sticky, humid air was hard to escape. “Why does it have to be sparring?”

  “I promise I’ll go easy on you,” Blaine said almost lazily. “Besides you’re not a fragile human anymore.”

  Natalia snorted, refusing to grace him with a direct glance. “Like he could teach me anything Cooper, Josie and all the STAR Academy instructors haven’t.”

  “This is not about fighting,” Yalena argued. “It’s about learning how the vibe can inform your opponent. It’s about learning to be in control, despite the connection it creates to others. It’ll get you comfortable in your own skin again.”

  Blaine raised a hand like a student in class. “It’s the best way to learn how to conceal your vibe, so you’re not an open book for everyone.”

  “See?” Yalena shook Natalia by the shoulders. “He’s been a spy. He’s fooled Felix.”

  “For years,” Blaine pointed out.

  Yalena tilted her head slightly so she could see him behind Natalia. “Modesty is a foreign concept to you, isn’t it?” Then without waiting for him to retort, she smiled encouragingly at Natalia. “Please, give it a go.”

  “I don’t want any of them near me, if they can tell what I’m thinking, especially not...” Natalia’s voice tore abruptly.

  Blaine let out a sincere laugh. “Especially not someone as dashing as myself? C’mon, you thought that for a second.”

  Natalia growled at him like a dog about to turn rabid. “And what is your stupid vibe telling you now?”

  Blaine glanced at Yalena with eyes wide-open, probably hoping to see the same discouraged look that had suddenly spread across his face. Or, possibly, to search for a way to back out.

  Yalena only shrugged at him, though. “You guys have fun.”

  “Hey, not so fast!” Blaine finally stepped on both feet stably and pushed himself from the wall. He made a face, cocking his head in Natalia’s direction. “We need you here. If you couldn’t tell, I’m not winning her over.”

  Yalena sighed in resignation. “Fine. First round, it’s you and me.”

  She kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the middle of the mat. Realizing it had been too long since her last training exercise, she interlaced her fingers and stretched her arms over her head. Her knee had recovered since the swim to shore, but the last thing she wanted was to aggravate the injury again.

  Blaine laughed as he took his position opposite Yalena. “You’re not as confident as you pretend to be. Maybe you’re out of practice?”

  He observed her without blinking as if to prove a point. He was good. Baiting her to want to prove herself and make a mistake. Yalena tried to seal her vibe in. She imagined it as a shield around her, rather than a tentacle reaching out. She expelled a calming breath when she felt it work.

  “Why do they always call you Blaine anyway?” Yalena was trying to distract him, but she was also curious. Blaine was a second name from the seven families, like Morgan, Troian, Francis, Robin, Spencer and Hayden. “Don’t you have a first name?”

  Blaine’s eyes narrowed at her. He was already alert to any sudden movement Yalena would make. “I’m the last Blaine—that’s why. No given name matters more than that legacy.”

  An ancient memory stirred inside Yalena. Veronica had said something to Stanley in the recording hidden in Lexa’s picture frame, something about Blaine senior being on his deathbed.

  Yalena swallowed, regretting having asked. “Well, don’t expect me to go easy on you now. And don’t hold back,” she told Blaine.

  “Easy for you to say. I’ll have both Stanley and the Martian to worry about, if I leave a bruise on your pale human skin. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Alec’s got a silvery glove that’s quite effective against Fian strength.”

  He pretended to wince, but it was a weak attempt to conceal a smirk, and then the fight was on. Blaine took a swing at Yalena and she ducked. If she was more experienced with the vibe, she’d try to feel for his next move, but all she could do was focus on not betraying her instinctive next steps.

  She kicked high, but he evaded the attack. Yalena suffered a blow to the ribs as payback.

  “You’re too focused on concealing your vibe,” Blaine said. He swept a leg under her, trying to trip her, but Yalena managed to jump just in time. “It’s distracting you from the actual fight.”

  Yalena threw a badly targeted punch, which he blocked. Then another, weaker one. Blaine caught her fist in his palm and twisted it, making her put pressure on her weak knee until her stance broke. She buckled to her knees to release the tension, but then flew to her feet again. She managed to whirl around just quick enough to get a little closer and throw her elbow back. It made contact with his chin and he stumbled back, letting her go.

  Yalena straightened up and shook the leg with her injured knee. Fists in front of her face, she watched Blaine tilt his head to one side, his eyes burning through the air between them. Yalena couldn’t help herself. She probed with the vibe. If she could only get a feel of what was going through his head. Determination? Anger? Newfound respect?

  Still, she had nothing but body language to draw conclusions from. It was like she was fighting a human. Scratch that. A spy. Someone used to forcing an empty expression onto his face, any emotions wiped away. Blaine leapt toward her, but then hunched down, whirled around and punched Yalena in the stomach. When she bent over, his hands looped around her waist. Blaine flipped her legs over her head, so she landed heavily on her back. Good thing there was a mat.

  Yalena’s back stiffened upon impact and she groaned on the mat. Blaine rolled his shoulders back, then gave her a hand up.

  “See?” Yalena said to Natalia.

  The girl only laughed back. “Yea, like that proves your point. If you’re so good at managing your vibe, how come you lost?”

  Yalena fought a growl in her throat. Truth be told, she’d hoped to win. But the look of disdain on Natalia’s face was going to keep holding the Moonie back. Yalena was the only one who could convince her to start trying. To embrace what she’d become.

  “She wasn’t that bad,” Blaine said.

  Yalena felt like laughing, but she smothered it. “Thank you.”

  “I’m just the superior fighter.” His annoying grin made Yalena tip her head back, hands over her face.

  “Not helping,” she barked at him. Then she regarded Natalia, softening. “The point is, my vibe wasn’t always transparent to him. I could erect a barrier.”

  “Partially and a little clumsily, but yes,” Blaine said.

  Yalena disregarded him. “And his defense was so strong and masterful, I didn’t even feel it was there. I didn’t even feel like he was trying to hide from me. It felt...” She searched for the right words to express herself. “It was like fighting a human. Skill against skill. No vibe card to play.”

  This finally changed Natalia’s expression. Previously grumpy and sullen, she now showed cautious interest. “Fine,” she said, eyelids flitting down for a second, then back up. “I’ll let him try to teach me.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Blaine’s chest seemed to swell with fake modesty.

  Natalia gawked at him. “But if I break cocky boy’s nose, it’s his fault.”

  Yalena mimicked Natalia’s flat smile and shrugged. “Again, have fun, you two.”

  She headed out, but when she was at the door, she turned back, sneaking a peek at the fight. Natalia threw punch after punch. Blaine blocked all of them, chuckling at the frustrated gasps she let out with each blow, which seemed to enrage her even more.

  He grabbed both her arms to halt her attack. “Why do you think exploding on your opponent will work? Try holding back. Bait me.”

  He released her and Natalia responded by
taking a defensive stance, fists guarding her face. Blaine threw a few weak punches, probing her defenses. He did anticipate a kick to the stomach, but Natalia whirled around and pulled his hand over her shoulder. Her back to Blaine, she tried to use his weight against him, but his feet stayed firmly planted on the mat.

  “You know you’re basically transparent to me, right?” Blaine whispered close to her ear.

  Natalia let out a vicious battle cry—the kind people would scream out while shooting until there was no ammunition left. With it, her vibe pushed out so many emotions, and strong ones too, that Yalena staggered back. Blaine must have loosened his grip, and Natalia didn’t miss her chance. She elbowed him in the face, twisted his arm, then ducked under it, spun around and kicked him in the stomach twice. After that his balance was off, so he fell forward, face-first, and dragged her down with him. Natalia slammed her back into the mat.

  “You have the subtlety of a hand grenade,” Blaine said, lifting his chin from the mat enough to laugh.

  “Thank you.” Natalia was panting after that scream. “By the way, you’re the worst teacher ever. And I win.”

  Yalena snickered and she pushed the door to leave. Natalia would be all right after all. Weeds don’t die.

  Chapter 30. The Sleeping Giant

  Yalena got back to the small room and showered. Stanley had made sure to leave some fresh women’s clothes for her. Nothing fancy and she’d have to wear the same jacket, but it was something. She was drying her hair with a towel, already wearing a loose t-shirt and a pair of shorts for sleep, when Alec came back.

  “There you are.” He leaned over and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “How did the training go?”

  “Hard to tell,” Yalena said. “I left them to practice...or something. I’m not really sure.”

  Alec gave a small chuckle, confirming Yalena’s suspicions.

  She waited for him to wash up and change, then curled up with him on the bed. It was a narrow single bed, but she didn’t mind. Her head resting on his chest, she ran her hand over the side of his face.