Colony's Hope

It Starts

Skye only remembered that they had been walking down the sidewalk, checking their phone for some information. Then...a sudden blinding pain followed by nothingness. The darkness lasted for what felt like eons, though it may have only been seconds. Just when they were starting to wonder if this was their hell, the world was filled with noise and touch, sensations they were apparently starving for. A voice, kind but stern, chittered near them, "This one is Different."

*

"Your majesty, that is the last of the clutch for today. Are you sure you're doing okay?" the nursemaid asked the large matriarch lying in the nest at the center of the colony. Her words were simply answered with a tired chuckle and a wave of the fourth leg. She nodded, and bowed, heading out with the eggs. She stopped, though, when called back. Confused, she looked at her mother, only to be even more confused when she was told to leave the Different offspring behind.

It was not her place to question orders, though, so she did as told. After that, she went off to the nursery with the cart full of precious cargo. All of the children, from the simplest worker to the largest major, were important to the colony. Without them, the colony would die out. If the queen chose one to be her successor, though, it was no business of the nursemaid's. Her job was simply to make sure the eggs made it to the pupae stage.

The queen purred over the egg, gently cleaning it herself. She knew she should leave the tending of the egg to the nursemaids, but one of this particular kind hadn't been seen since her great-great-great grandmother's time. She started humming a soft song to the egg, occasionally whispering, "You can be anything, my little one."

*

The days past, and Skye grew within the egg. Eventually, they hatched into some form of grub; it was then that they understood what they were. An insect, specifically a kind of ant, though they had never seen ones so large before. The mother was at least the size of a giant, though it was hard to tell with how absolutely tiny their grub form was.

As they grew, they saw something strange in the corner of their view at all times. A sort of...square with bars and numbers on it. It was impossible to touch currently, so they had no idea what it was. They had the feeling, though, that it had to do with what the queen murmured to them every day. How they could be anything they wanted; Skye was unsure about what she meant, but they took heart in it.

They eventually started entering a state of non-movement, which concerned them at first. Until they realized they were beginning to grow legs, etc. It was obvious, then, that they had entered the pupae stage of development. So, they just relaxed, letting it develop naturally. It still felt weird, and if they had been asked at a later point if they would recommend the experience, their emphatic answer would be no.

After it was finished, they stretched a bit, getting the kinks out of their legs and thorax. It was during this time that the strange thing in the corner popped up fully:

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have reached LVL 1 of Formicidae Myrmicinae Monomorium. Species name: Pharoah Ant.

Size: Tiny

Caste:Undecided

Evolution Possible

Sky blinked in confusion at the screen, looking themselves over. Well, they definitely could confirm they were indeed that species. Thankfully, they had studied ant species as a hobby...hopefully it would help them survive. But this...evolution thing confused and concerned them greatly. Had they entered into a game? If so, what sadistic person had decided the best choice for them to be born, or rather reborn as, was an ant!

There was no time to contemplate things, though, as they were quickly ushered out of the queen's chambers. They were told they would see her again at a later point, but food needed to be gathered, eggs tended, tunnels built. As they lacked the alate wings, it was assumed that Skye was a worker. It was clear to them, that their sisters couldn't see the screen that was so very obvious to them. It made it both easier and harder to deal with.

Still, they had to admit it wasn't a bad life to start out with. Food was plentiful that year, and the colony was flourishing. It was the height of spring, and there were many months before winter hit again. So, Skye fell into a routine for the next few days, eating, building and tending the colony. On day four, though, as they woke up, their routine was interrupted by the screen popping up with a red exclamation point.

Warning! Immediate Main Story Quest Has Begun! Prepare for 'Siege'.