>>5670299the queen makes a mandible rumble noise upon this request. it is...alien at this stage. who knows what she meant by that.
she says via the translator
>OH YES, I THINK I HAVE JUST THE HIVEMEMBER IN MIND. MY YOUNG QUEENS ARE FOREVER IN NEED OF TEETHING ON A CHALLENGE SHOULD I DROP, AND ONE OF THEM IS IN NEED OF BEING FORCED OUT OF THE NEST, AS IT WERE. I SHALL ARRANGE FOR HER TO MEET YOU THERE, HER SPAWN SHALL SERVE AS LABOR NICELYshe waves a hand at a nearby overseer, adding
>I SHALL BE OFF PLANET FOR A TIME. YOUR SPECIES IS FREE TO GO AS THEY PLEASE AS ANY RESPECTABLE HIVEMEMBER IS UPON MY PLANET. THERE IS A PROBLEM I MUST, CORRECT FIRSTthis last statement is an ominous type of clack. you notice, idly a starmap open on a retro screen on one massive wall, marking out an inner planet, probably B3, and a zone marked around it in some highlighted color. they mentioned lost colonies, why would this one, a tundra world of all places, be so important? beside it on the chart like some footnotes, are some...rather disturbing images of anatomy that should not be inflicted on bugs, strapped to tables and split open like dissected lobsters. they look sickly, and infected, and dying
leaving the ship in a respectable diplomatic manner, you already see certain chambers filling with their original content of water, even the hatchways closing, and hallways filling behind you as you exit.
out in space, through the shuttle, you a specter ship limping, burning, away from the Queens war vessel. the other specter ships seem not to care.
on the ship, with the crew informed of the trip downwards, and a set of coordinates voxxed over, you are able to launch down with the rest of your shuttles, all carrying the starting crew and materials to set up the first steps of ice cave life. your ship enters stable orbit, and voxxs down the intent to watch the skies and keep you appraised of the situation. the Queens ship has already started a straight burn for B3 at full haste, as if untethered after centuries of doubt and fear. again, it seems odd the Queen did not involve you in this.
on the ground, your shuttles land on the ice in front of a gaping cave mouth. you see a tall, spindly white carapace figure standing in it to its full height, just nearly over an overseers height, but clearly petulantly shivering in the wind. the young queen, you can see, looks very much like its mother, but with fleshy soft carapace, underdeveloped parts all over, and still enough danger and strength to kill a small car if she got angry.
she wears, quite contrastingly, a golden wristwatch, and has a belt on which swings a type of golden radio or early cellphone, and (on her head), this part is quite hilarious, something like a cross between swimming goggles for an ant, and valley girl sunglasses you'd see down in new Hollywood down on terra. she looks petulantly down at the time, waiting, but yet afraid (or unwilling) to brave walking into the storm to greet you.
