by Jerry Aubin
Kalare overflowed with nervous energy, so she didn’t wait for a reply but instead jogged towards where the Marine and civilians waited in a circle. Once she drew near, Bailee walked a few steps towards her and spoke.
“They’re past the final checkpoint and will arrive in a moment.” The Marine pitched his voice softer for privacy. “CAG—I will advise one final time that this is an extremely bad idea. How can we trust that woman given how long she’s been deceiving us?”
“I appreciate that, Sergeant, but I don’t understand what choice we have. Every sec Rege remains in control is another sec where he may do something that forces Rilee’s Council to destroy us. He may very well be up on the Bridge getting ready to nuke Earth right now. I realize your Marines still have plenty of weapons hidden, but they’re captive in their barracks and would have to fight their way free first. Even given the number of civilians Imair can summon quickly, we’re still wildly outnumbered and outgunned by Rege’s forces. This plan strikes me as being our only hope.”
There was a gasp and, when Kalare looked up past the Marine, it took all of her will to stifle one of her own. Rilee had walked through the hatch trailed by six warrior ants. The four-meter tall bugs looked even more fierce than usual because each was encased in body armor. Kalare’s mouth fell open in disbelief as she had never understood such a thing was possible. All of the ants walked on their hindmost legs, held a bladed weapon in each of their middle limbs, and carried a pack slung across the back of their thorax filled with additional blades. It was already difficult for the human eye to discern the subtle difference in color patterns that made each ant unique, but the armor hid even that slight distinction and rendered all of the bugs indistinguishable. Rilee called out.
“Kalare—I need you and the other four over here right now!”
Kalare turned her attention back to the Marine. “Your concerns have been noted, Sergeant, and I’m sorry you don’t want to come for the ride along with me. It’s just as well. Who knows how the Boss will respond when Zax opens up that hatch, so it’s probably best that you’ll be available to deliver a sitrep.”
Bailee stared at her long enough for it to make Kalare uncomfortable. Finally, the Marine snapped off a salute which she returned. Kalare turned and double-timed to where Aleron waited alongside Imair and Izak. Mase stood a few meters behind them. Rilee spoke once Kalare arrived.
“My people refer to these ants as soldiers, though I know you call them warriors. This squad was part of the first group that boarded the Ship, and they were prepositioned onboard with their armor in case the Council decided to launch a targeted assault. I contacted my lieutenant once we settled on this plan, and she worked some of her special magic to make them available to me without their chain of command being aware.”
Rilee lifted up the device she held in her hand.
“I’ll use this to transfer each of your minds into one of these ants. The process will start with the delivery of a long-lasting anesthetic into your body. This will trigger your autonomic nervous system and ensure that your vital organs continue to function while your consciousness is elsewhere. One instant I’ll be fitting the device, and the next you’re going to be inside one of these bugs behind me.”
Imair interrupted Rilee. “Why are there six ants if there’s only five of us?”
“I’m going with you, though I’ll stress again that I’m only present to observe and will not lend any direct assistance. I want to return Major Eryn’s body to her in one piece, and I’ll be much safer encased in one of these guys. With their armor, the bugs will be immune to the light weapons we’re likely to encounter.
“It’s going to be incredibly disorienting once you’re inside an ant. In particular, you’re likely to be overwhelmed by the amount of sensory input you’ll be subjected to. The best way to deal with it is to imagine closing your eyes and humming to yourself. These ants don’t have anything like our vocal structure so you won’t actually make any noise, but we’ve nonetheless found it a useful technique for beginners. Does anyone have any last questions before we start the transfers?”
Aleron raised his hand and Rilee acknowledged him with a nod.
“You said earlier we’ll be unable to communicate, right?”
“That’s correct. You’ll be blocked from complex communication with anyone—human or ant. I’ve already told you how the ants can’t make our vocalizations, and their brains don’t have the right structure to deliver human speech in a fashion where your consciousness can interpret it. As for the ant-to-ant messaging, it’s pheromone based and far too difficult for beginners like you.”
Kalare was puzzled. “What about the reports from returning colonists about ants speaking to humans?”
“Those stories must have involved queen ants, not warriors. Queens were bred to be capable of human speech to simplify ant-to-human coordination. Just stay focused on the simple, non-verbal coordination signals we discussed earlier. Zax and Bailee will be sure the Boss is familiar with them as well. Unless there are any other truly critical questions, we should get started with the transfers.”
When everyone remained silent for a moment, Rilee signaled an ant to approach and then turned back and did the same to Kalare. “You first, CAG.”
26
You’ll be climbing the walls before you know it.
Kalare’s heart pounded like she’d just sprinted a dozen klicks as she approached Rilee and the bug. Being so close to one of the giant insects triggered a deep revulsion that she was unable to shake. To imagine her mind inside the creature was incomprehensible, so she pushed the thought aside and focused instead on forcing one foot in front of the other. The ant stood still except for its antennae which continuously twitched. As Kalare moved closer, she noticed a pungent odor wafting off the bug. The stronger the smell became, the more she worried that her legs might begin to wobble. She didn’t think her fear was visible, but it must have been obvious because Rilee fixed her with a knowing smile.
“The trepidation you’re experiencing is natural. Even for those of us on Earth, it takes years of desensitization to become comfortable around the bugs. There’s something deep in our DNA that’s programmed to trigger revulsion at the sight and smell of insects, much less ones that are twice our size. That won’t matter in a few moments once we get you Uploaded, though. As long as you don’t go staring into any mirrors, the stress response will disappear as soon as you’re inside. Lay down for me now, Kalare, so you won’t topple over and crack your skull when the anesthetic takes effect.”
As Kalare settled on the deck, Rilee reached over and tapped the side of the ant’s abdomen two times in quick succession followed by a third after delaying a couple of beats. The creature opened its jaws wide and Rilee inserted one end of her device into its gaping maw. She then turned back to Kalare and smiled once again as she spoke.
“It’s time. There will be a slight sting as the probe intertwines with your optic nerve, but the anesthetic will hit pretty quickly so the discomfort won’t last. I suggested we do the transfers in this cavern so we’d have lots of space available for all of you to practice different kinds of locomotion. Trying to move around with such a radically different body structure will be bizarre at first so take your time to acclimate. You’ll be climbing the walls before you know it.”
Rilee extended the free end of her device and Kalare noticed the end was cup-shaped. Her brain screamed to clamp her eyes shut as the device moved closer and closer, but Kalare continued to stare in morbid fascination. The cup finally reached her face and formed a tight seal around her left eyeball with a hiss of suction. Kalare balled her fists in response to the sting Rilee had warned her about and then…
…discovered she was inside the ant. Kalare stared down at her unconscious body prone on the deck for a moment before lifting the ant’s head to take in the entirety of the cavern. Her field of vision was astounding thanks to the bug’s panoply of eyes. With a single glance she took in everything within the huge space save
for a small area directly behind her.
Kalare focused her attention on the group waiting for their transfers. Imair and Izak were closest to Rilee, and it appeared the former civilian president was next in line. Aleron stood behind them waiting his turn, and he stared back at Kalare with an expression that mixed terror and revulsion. Mase paced back and forth as he conversed with Zax a few meters away. Bailee leaned up against the wall of the cavern and observed the scene with obvious trepidation.
Beyond the amazing field of vision, what surprised Kalare the most was how all of her other senses were heightened beyond anything imaginable. The sewage treatment cavern, which she already knew to be the most fragrant location on the Ship, was actually filled with a far larger collection of distinct smells than she had ever noticed with her human nose. Their words were complete gibberish just as Rilee had warned, but Kalare heard every distinct syllable shared between Mase and Zax even though they spoke softly enough that they should not have been overheard. Appraising the group of people she had traveled with to the cavern, Kalare marveled at how much more vibrant and colorful their clothing appeared through the ant’s eyes. She discerned color variations across uniforms that to her human eyes had always appeared identical.
Enhanced perception of the world she was already familiar with was interesting enough, but what really captured Kalare’s attention was her new awareness of that which had previously been hidden from her. At the top of this list were four additional humans, each carrying a blaster, who had been invisible a few moments earlier. Civilians, in ChamWare, who must have accompanied them from Imair’s operations center. Unlike her companions who nearly vibrated with bright color, the four people who should have been invisible were entirely monochromatic. Kalare had hoped the woman from Earth was simply antagonizing Sergeant Bailee, but the ant’s sonar had indeed revealed those clad in ChamWare as Rilee reported.
Although momentarily overwhelmed at the realization her vision was a composite of both visual and auditory input, Kalare pushed her focus to her limbs. Her two hind-most legs each had an iron grip on the floor of the cavern. She gazed down at her middle limbs and waved the blades they held around in a circle. She then spun around and tossed both of them at the wall. The action was effortless, but the blades sank into the solid rock with a loud thwack. Kalare lowered herself onto all six legs and began to move. Her limbs repeatedly became tangled and she nearly tripped multiple times, but after a few short mins she was confident of her gait at speeds ranging from slow to blindingly fast.
Finally, it was time for the real test. She charged full speed towards the side of the cavern and jumped at the last moment. Her grip nearly slipped, but she found purchase and then moved confidently up the vertical wall. Five—ten—twenty—forty meters she climbed until she reached the very top of the cavern. She paused to consider whether she was ready, but threw caution aside and stepped out on to the ceiling. The perspective astounded her as she moved across the top of the cavern while still seeing nearly all of what was happening far below her.
Kalare paused and focused her attention downward for a moment when she noticed that Aleron had completed his Upload. He tried repeatedly to move in the ant’s body but kept crashing to the deck. Kalare’s protective instincts kicked in, and, in a rush to crawl back down to him, she spun around too quickly. Two of her limbs lost their grip on the ceiling followed quickly by two more. With more practice she might have prevented her fall, but she failed to coordinate an effective response among her limbs and instead fell towards the deck.
She feared a devastating impact from such a high fall and desperately wished to close her eyes as the ground rushed up to meet her. Instead, Kalare experienced no pain when she crashed to a halt. She slowly rolled over, and when the ant’s body continued to function exactly as it had earlier, she raised herself up on its hindmost legs and stood at its full four-meter height.
If Kalare’s ant had been physically capable, it would have grinned from ear to ear. She was ready for battle.
27
She did what?
“Sir! Sir—I need you to wake up.”
He didn’t remember falling asleep, but someone was calling him. This was particularly confusing because the Boss hadn’t remembered leaving the speaker activated for his communicator. He opened his eyes and almost jumped when Zax was standing at the foot of his bunk. He paused to rub the sleep out of his eyes, and when he looked up again and gazed past Zax, he jumped at the sight of six warrior ants crowded around.
“What the hell is this? How did you get in here? Why are those ants with you? Are they wearing armor?”
“Sir—”
The voice came from off to the side. It was Bailee and he was bizarrely calm given the circumstances. The Marine continued.
“It’s an awfully long story, sir, and I’m still not convinced that I believe any of it. Regardless, you need to hear it, and it’s best to come from the boy.”
The Boss fought to set aside his fear at being so close to the giant ants. They all appeared identical with the exception of one that stood in front of the rest and carried a device slung on its side. The bugs remained still and didn’t present as an immediate threat, so the Boss sat back down on the edge of his bunk.
“OK, Zax. Take it from the beginning.”
“Thank you, sir. It makes the most sense to start with details about what Mase discovered a while back.”
The Boss listened in silence as the boy relayed all that he and that oddball Mase had discovered. Of course, it was all information the Omega had already known for decades and therefore not the least surprising. Zax eventually transitioned into Mase’s more recent discoveries, and that’s when the Boss finally interrupted.
“Wait—repeat that last part again.”
“Yes, sir. Mase discovered there has been a consistent set of errors propagated by the Genetics AI for thousands of years. The DNA of one in a thousand Crew has deviated from specification, specifically in those parts of the genome that control intelligence and creativity. Mase figured out that he and I fall into this group, as well as Kalare. We used a sample extracted from one of your discarded cigars to determine that you fall into the zero point one percent as well.”
The Boss let out a laugh as he stood and walked over to his humidor. “I guess this explains why I haven’t tossed you out of an airlock yet, Zax. I’ve always felt an odd kinship with you, despite all the headaches you’ve given me.”
Zax winced at the mention of an airlock, but he waited with a forced smile while the Boss trimmed a cigar. He handed it to Bailee along with a small torch to get it lit.
“Sergeant—I owe you an apology for having hidden so much from you through the years. I should have shared more once you took over my security detail so you’d understand all of the various threats I faced. I made your job more difficult while putting your life at risk, and that’s unacceptable.”
“Marines may not be all that bright compared to all of you geniuses in Flight, sir, but we’re smart enough to understand there’s often information that is above our pay grade. I’ll accept the cigar, but you owe me nothing.”
The Boss nodded at Bailee in appreciation and then prepared a cigar for himself. “I’m sorry to be rude and not offer you one of these, Zax, but my supply is almost gone and we both know it would just be wasted on you.”
“I understand, sir. May I continue?”
The Boss lit his cigar, gave it a half dozen puffs, and then exhaled a huge cloud of smoke. He allowed the last swirls to dance for a few extra moments and then sat back down and gestured for Zax to continue.
“Thank you, sir. This is where the story gets really weird.”
It was clear the boy was trying to lighten the mood, but the Boss stared at him without so much as a hint of a smile. Zax squirmed, and the Boss noticed out of the corner of his eye how Sergeant Bailee smiled at the silent exchange.
Any idea he might have had about playing additional games was forgotten once the Boss learned what Zax had
to share next. He listened raptly for the next five mins without taking a single draw from his cigar. The burnt ash on its end continued to grow until Zax finally paused, and the Boss tapped it onto the floor as a delay tactic while he processed the boy’s words.
The Boss had not only allowed some enemy named Rilee to infiltrate his Crew, but even worse he had promoted the woman to be his mini-Boss! He looked in desperation at Bailee for some signal that this was all a joke, but the Marine only appraised him with a steady gaze as he took a drag off his own cigar. Finally, the Boss spoke.
“This can’t be true, Zax. What makes you believe all of it?”
“Well, sir, I just watched Major Eryn’s body transfer the minds of Kalare, Mase, Aleron, Imair, and a civilian guard into these ants. If that’s not sufficient proof, I don’t know what is.”
“She did what?” The Boss must have allowed far more agitation into his voice than intended because Bailee rose from his seat and eyed him warily. Zax continued.
“She Uploaded them all into these ants, sir. Rilee’s leaders have forbidden her from giving us direct assistance, so allowing us to borrow some bugs was all she could offer to help us take the Ship back. She’s inside one of the ants as well, but she’ll only observe. It’s impossible to tell one of these ants from another except for Rilee’s. She’s inside that one in front carrying the device. If you haven’t guessed already, the bugs can’t communicate with us.”
The Boss stared at the bugs and tried to imagine what it must be like for the Crew and civilians to have their minds stuck inside the hideous creatures. It was just as well the woman from Earth wasn’t present in human form because he would likely have failed to tamp down the anger and shame that had welled up within him. The realization he allowed a spy to get so close and had given her so much information was nearly unbearable. He leaned back and pondered it all while taking two deep puffs from the cigar. Finally, he spoke.
