by Bruce Marcom
“Actually kinda of boring lately, but tourist travel is up, and our Faerie dust production is doing great, so the economy is doing well for our little planet. The Environmental Protection Agency has been catching a lot of smugglers trying to bring black-listed items from the city station in orbit to the planet surface. That is the extent of my excitement for this month.” The Queen-Governor sighs.
“I see. Well, keep up the good work. Cheers! Out.”
Vid-Com reactivates as an incoming call shows on the screen. A Snakekin female wearing a silken dress appears on the screen.
“Boss, we moved the some of the crew over to General Scales’ ship like you requested. We are ready to depart to Bee World whenever you are,” Nelma says.
“Okay, go ahead and send a shuttle down to the palace. I will be there in a few minutes. Contact Doctor Farshe and inform her she is coming with us. She is in the hatchery.”
“Roger that. Out.”
Eve activates her Com badge. “Connect me to Grimace.” Her Com badge beeps.
“Yes?” Grimace questions.
“I am going to be gone for a couple of months or so. I am traveling to Hive space and the Elemental Empire capitol. You are in charge. Try not to give away the empire while I am gone,” Eve says in jest.
Grimace smartly replies, “Well okay, but if the offer is good enough, some of the planets might be sold when you get back...”
Eve chuckles. “In that case, just make sure we get five times the asking price.”
“Who is this 'we' you refer to? I need a new nose job and some diamond tattoos to attract more males,” Grimace says sarcastically.
“At your age, the only thing you will be attracting are flies and hemorrhoids,” Eve snaps back.
“Ha ha, good one. Sad, but it's true,” the ancient red dragon snorts. “See you when you get back. Be safe.”
“Yeah, you too. Out.”
Eve gets on her shuttle a few minutes later after the servants finish loading her baggage. She goes up to the command ship, Goldsbane, which is waiting for her. After she enters the landing bay, she gets out and is met by Doctor Farshe and Nelma. The Marines in the landing bay salute the Empress as she walks towards the exit leading to the hallway where the airlifts are. The three get on an airlift and go to the bridge. On the bridge, Eve and Nelma take their seats while the Doc stands leaning against Eve's big captain chair.
“Status.”
“We are set to go. I have activated the teleportation ring and set it to the world closest to the old Hive border, the one that has a connecting teleport ring. From there we will travel via ship to Bee World,” 42 says as the android presses some buttons at his station.
“I think everyone is spoiled with the instant travel. It does kinda stink going outside our teleport system and having to hoof it, so to speak,” Nelma says to Eve.
“True. I am certainly liking the teleportation system. Probably will take me a month to set it up completely on all the Hive worlds. Instead of weeks or months to get around, we will all be instantly sent anywhere in our empire that has a ring,” Eve says proudly. She is happy she spent the years studying teleportation magic.
“Engage. Let's go. Connect me to Dark World, the factory.”
“Connecting on main screen,” 42 announces. Chaca appears on the screen in her office.
“Hi, Mom. Where are you going?” Chaca asks.
Eve smiles and says, “I’m going to be in Hive space for a few weeks, assimilating it into our empire; then I am off to the Elemental Empire for a bit. How is your grandmother settling in?”
“She is doing just fine. She does not like Dark World that much, so she decided to stay on Dragon World. We just use the teleport ring to go see her when we are off work.”
“I figured that when she told me she wanted to live in Paradise City instead of Dark World. Did you get a chance to look at that captured Undead ship yet?” Eve asks.
“Yeah, Xaqu and I looked it over. The ship is Undead tech, but the weapons and shields are some alien design, either stolen or bought from another race. Undead tech is pretty bottom of the barrel compare to our tech. We are reverse-engineering the weapons and shields so we can develop schematics to adapt them for use on all of our ships and defense stations. Also, we should be finished repairing your ship when you get back. We are upgrading some of the system while we are at it. I checked with the treasury. We have plenty of money for building all the new battle stations and ships for each area along our new borders. Basically, we are doubling our military and policing functions so we need another manufacturing planet, workers to go with it, and materials.”
“Yes, I am already working on that. I will be surveying some of the worlds in the new Hive area that could possibly serve as a new manufacturing planet. Keep me informed of your progress, and I will see both of you when I get back. Love you,” Eve says with a warm smile. The screen connection ends.
The ship jumps through the teleport ring and ends up just outside of the planet Qua. Then it jumps to lightspeed as it careens toward the Bee home world.
“We will be there in a week,” 42 says.
“Very good. How is the Bee Queen, Doc?” Eve wonders.
“She is doing well. She is on the ship in Medical Bay 4,” Doc says.
“Good. I will go check on her in a few hours,” Eve says. “42, you have the command, notify me when we are there.” Eve leaves the bridge with the Doctor.
***
A week passes by as the ship arrives in orbit around Bee World. The ship is getting ready to enter the atmosphere and hover about the capital city. This world has not been attacked so the cities are still intact. However, since all the food-producing planets have been destroyed, there is no food here. The Bee Queen has been returned to health on her journey back here to her home world. The ship pulls in just over the city where tens of thousands of starving people wait. Eve, the Bee Queen, Doc, and some Marines come down to the palace in a shuttle. They land where hordes of bees crowd the palace. The Marines form a circle around the arriving party. They move to the central courtyard where the main throne sits in front of a large Vid-Com screen. The Empress sits in the throne, holding the Bee Queen's hand. The Vid screen activates over all the Hive planets.
“I am the Dragon Empress. I am here to help all of the old Hive worlds get back on their feet. Emergency services will be setting up on each planet to help with basic needs. I will be making a teleportation system that will speed up the recovery, so worry not. Food and water are the first things we shall address. I will open up a portal here, so relief aid will be coming through right now. Patience, citizens.”
Eve stands up and begins a long incantation as her hands begin to glow and a large magical ring appears above her; it moves down to almost touch the ground. She completes the spell and the ring is permanent. She utters a word and the portal opens; on the other side, you can see large warehouses with huge piles of bags and crates of Bee food in the foreground. Thousands of workers begin moving the food through the portal and distributing it. The cheering of hungry bees echoes all around the portal. Many hours pass as the food operation begins and continues for the next few days. Eve leaves the Bee Queen to supervise while she heads to make stops at many other planets in this region.
After setting up teleport rings and temporary services for most of the planets that are now under Dragon rule, the ship comes to what is left of the Spider home world. It appears to be completely abandoned, just ship parts floating around in space from the massive battle that took place here.
“Report.”
42 says, “Not picking up any lifeforms. No Undead, either, for that matter.”
“Hmm... why would they conquer it and then leave it?” Eve wonders.
“Trap maybe?”
“Trap for what? They won, and they only had a few more planets left in order to conquer the rest of the Hive.” Eve’s tone is incredulous. “Send out a squad of fighters to drive by and do recon of the surface. Have them report back to me.”
“Roger that.”
A squad of fighters shoots off to the planet, spreading out to perform scans and collect visuals.
“This is Commander Yukin, transmitting images now.”
The main screen activates on the bridge. Video footage of the ground appears on the screen. The pictures are graphic and horrifying; there are millions of corpses on just about every square mile of the surface.
Helma vomits just from looking at the pictures; a few others on the bridge are similarly affected.
Eve says, “End transmission.” She cannot look at that carnage for long, either.
“General Pace, get four troop transports. We are going down to the Queen’s lair. Keep the fighters in the area. Doc, come with me,” Eve says as she stands up and leaves the bridge.
Eve meets the General in the landing bay with Doc at her side. They suit Doc up in armor and get on one of the troop transports. The transport takes off and goes to the entrance of Queen's lair, landing there. Marines spill out and form a circle around the landing party. They see piles of corpses rotting. Doc gets out her scanner and starts scanning a corpse. Eve knows she has seen this before, and she tries to remember where as she looks at the corpses.
“Plague.” Eve pronounces flatly. The Marines start backing away from the corpses when they hear the word. They tighten the circle around the party.
“Yes, somehow the Undead have been infected with the Undead virus. I don't know how that is possible in this area of space. The only two carriers are your daughters, and they are on Dark World,” Doc surmises.
“You forget: there were three carriers. The original carrier was Gothica,” Eve says. “And she was on this planet at the time it was attacked.”
“She was? That explains a lot. She may still be here. Remember, she doesn't pick up on scanners,” Doc reminds her.
“True, I sense her now, she is alive. Remember she carries my PSI enzymes; I am the only one that can detect her. She is in the Queen's lair. Follow me,” Eve commands the Marines. They crawl into the tunnel and down many passages until they come to an open chamber. They hear a female crying. They come up to find an enormous spider corpse and an arachnid female on the ground crying next to the dead Spider Queen. She is covered in dried blood and dirt, one of her arms and one leg has been severed. She turns around, still kneeing, to see Eve coming toward her.
“Mom...”
“Oh Gothica, you poor dear,” Eve says, running up to her and embracing her. “Thank god you’re still alive.”
With tears in her eyes, looking into her mother’s face, “Our queen is dead. My planet is destroyed. They have killed my race.”
“It’s going to be okay. There are still a few thousand left. We can rebuild the arachnids bigger and better than ever. Don't worry my baby. I will fix this,” Eve assures as she continues to embrace Gothica. Eve can literally feel her adopted daughter’s pain. She had been left on the dead planet for weeks, all alone. The isolation added even more grief to her already overflowing pile. Eve lets Gothica go and walks over to the dead Queen's corpse.
“Everyone back away,” Eve commands.
She begins to meditate and hum for a few minutes. A reddish glow begins to spread over her skin. Just as she is about to start an incantation, Doc grabs her arm. “What are you doing?”
“I am going to cast a resurrection spell on the Queen.” Her blunt tone leaves little room for argument.
“Have you completely lost your mind? Only two dragons have tried using that spell and both failed miserably! One became a Dragonlich, and the other one went insane and transformed into an energy being. You have billions of citizens depending on you, not to mention three daughters and a mother. And all of your friends,” Doc objects strongly.
Eve stops and thinks about it for a minute. Then she says, “I think I can do it. Please trust me. General, have all of your troops give me the faerie dust out of their medical kits. That will increase my chance of success.”
“I still think this is a VERY BAD idea.” Doc tries to put her foot down.
Gothica says, “I don't want to lose you too, Mom.”
“I will be okay.”
She takes the Faerie dust and spreads in all over the spider’s corpse. She begins a long enchantment and places floating dragon symbols all over the corpse. Eve continues to chant and make a circle of red around the corpse. Her skin begins to glow a bright red. She stands and places her hands on the corpse as the magical dragon symbols dance around it. The corpse begins glowing at the areas where Eve's hands are touching; the glow spreads slowly till the whole body is glowing. Her chanting gets louder and louder. The area starts to tremble as the powerful magic begins working. Eve screams out the last word of her incantation. Then silence falls as all of the glowing lights disappear. Nothing happens.
Doc says, “I guess it didn't work. But you’re still alive. That is a plus.”
“Hmm... I thought I did everything correctly,” Eve ponders what could have gone wrong.
Then the giant legs begin to move slowly and more naturally. The motion startles everyone and they jump away from the huge spider as it turns over to stand up on its legs. It shakes all the dirt off its body and the shape morphs into a humanoid figure.
“I am Alma, the Spider Queen. I am somewhat confused. I thought I was dead.”
Doc speaks as she scans Alma. “You have been dead for weeks. The Dragon Empress just resurrected you at great personal risk to herself. You are the first person on whom that spell ever successfully worked. The other two attempts failed miserably; one caster became the Dragonlich, and the other one went insane and became an energy being. My scanners say you need food and bedrest for a few days, but other than that you are okay.”
“Mighty Dragon Empress, I am forever in your debt.” Alma bows to Eve. Gothica runs over and hugs the Spider Queen.
“I am glad to see you survived, Gothica. What of my planet and people?”
She could immediately sense the mood change in the group around her.
Eve’s voice is filled with regret as she speaks to Alma. “Unfortunately, your planet did not survive, but there are a few thousand of your people still alive and being cared for. We are currently looking for a suitable planet to make the new home world for your people. The Undead have been pushed back to their borders and then some. More than 60% of their military has been destroyed by my army and some of the Wolfkin army. The Bee Queen came to me and asked to be annexed into the Dragon Empire to save what is left of the Hive races and worlds. Now we are rebuilding and fortifying the borders. I will need your help to rebuild the arachnid race to become the proud people they once were. They are currently on a planet called Yoger. I will take you there now. They really need their queen right now; they are really at a low point in their lives. The sight of you will bring them hope again.”
“I will do my best. Thank you for taking us in.”
“Let’s get out of this place.” Eve is more than ready for this to just be a bad memory.
They leave the chamber, travel through the halls, and then leave the complex.
Gothica says to the Queen, “You don't want to see what is out there, close your eyes. I will spare you the nightmares I have.”
General Pace agrees. “Yeah, you don't want to see that mess. Here, put this over your eyes. I will guide you to the transport.”
Alma says, “Okay, that sounds bad.”
A random marine says, “It’s pretty gruesome.”
They lead Alma to the transport and head back to the command ship. They dock in the landing bay and Alma goes to the medical bay for treatment along with Gothica. Eve goes to the bridge and sets course to Yoger.
““Your limbs will grow back, but whatever was used to cut them is slowing the healing process,” Doc says.
Gothica says, “I fought against some demon lady with a fire whip.”
““Her name is Helcar. She is a demon the Dragonlich summoned to do her bidding,” Alma says. “I have fought against her before.”
“Bah! Well now she is a one-eyed demon,” Gothica says, remembering the fight. “I took her left eye out.”
“That is good. She is certainly not an easy opponent,” Alma states.
The doctor replies, “You did more than that, Gothica. You introduced the Undead virus you carry to their population, and it has destroyed millions of them. That is one of the reasons the Undead army had to retreat back into Undead Space. I imagine it is still destroying them as we speak.”
Alma says, “She is carrying a virus?”
“Yes, but it only affects the Undead. It was created in a lab of the Elemental Empire.”
“That sounds interesting. I was not aware the Undead could be destroyed in this manner.”
Doc says, “Science has its uses. Unfortunately, there is not always a good result.”
They load into the shuttle and go to the command ship. A few minutes pass by as they dock in the landing bay and get out. Eve is not feeling well, and as she gets out of the shuttle she collapses on the ground. Some of the Space Marines pick her up off the ground immediately.
“Bring that hover bed over here and put her on it.” Doc barks out instructions as she scans Eve.
“What is wrong with her?” Gothica asks in a panicked voice.
“Raising Alma from the dead has exacted a heavy toll on the empress. She has fallen into Dragon Sleep. She is in the Dragon Netherworld now, while her actual body is still here. I do not know how long she will be in this coma, or if she will even come out of it. I warned her about using such powerful magic,” Doc explains. “Take her to the infirmary where I can monitor her.”
The medical staff on duty takes the Empress to the medical bay as Gothica, Alma, and Doc follow. Alma feels a sense of responsibility for the Empress’s condition. Gothica is truly worried about her mother.
Doc says to Alma, “This is not your doing. The empress knew exactly what she was doing and what would happen afterward. Do not feel guilty.”
“I know. It still bothers me. I cannot believe she would do this for me when I have done nothing but ignore her in the past.”
“The empress is strong; she will survive. The main thing now is to focus on rebuilding your people's future. That is what the empress wants most. We will be dropping you off at your new home world. You must remember that you are now the symbol of hope to your kind I will keep you informed of the empress's condition, don't worry.”
