AiE: Swarm [Chapter I]

You open your eyes slowly, blinking to clear your blurred vision.

>A vast expanse of reddish-brown was laid out before you, a tumbleweed or two the only movement for miles.

>Gigantic stone formations dot the horizon.

>Kind of looks like something out of the old Roadrunner cartoons.

>You half expected him or Wile E. to show up and go through their antics.

>Your head kind of hurts too, so you figure you’ll go over the basics in your mind.

>You are Anonymous, or Anon for short.

>You're rather imposing in terms of height at a whopping 6'4”.

>You're a gentle giant though, not the kind to get into fights usually.

>You’re pretty strong though.

>You work out, but you’re not a crazy jock or a roid’ junkie.

>DEFINITELY not some stupid greasy haired Jersey-Shore wanna-be.

>Mind intact, you slowly rise and hit your head on something.

>It’s an overhang and a short one at that.

>You crawl out into the hot wasteland sun.

>The good news is your clothes are still intact, shorts and a t-shirt.

>First time in your life you were glad for Summer.

>Okay, time to see if your usual items are with you.

>You check your pockets.

>Your wallet and phone are still there, along with your earbuds.

>Okay, that’s good.

>Maybe you can call for help.

>You check your phone.

>A big fat zero bars.

 

“Hmm... weird.”

 

>Your watch beeps.

>At least that’s still working.

>You sigh and scratch your head.

 

“Where the hell am I?”

 

>Well, no service so no GPS.

>You can’t just SIT here.

>You pick a direction and head that way.

>You lose track of the amount of times your watch beeps as you walk.

>You’re growing tired, sweat soaking your clothes.

>What’s worse, you’re thirsty and there isn’t any water as far as the eye can see.

>You don’t have any survival experience either; finding food and water is not likely.

>Your vision blurs again as you see a dust cloud on the horizon with flashes of black and blue.

>You don’t know what it could be, but at this point it doesn’t really-

>You pass out.

 

>You groan and slowly open your eyes.

>No longer did the sun assault you with its harmful rays.

>Instead you are in some kind of cave.

>Maybe someone found you?

>No, then you’d probably be in a car or hospital.

 

“Where the hell am I..?”

 

>Seems that question’s going to pop up a lot in the near future with a few variations.

>A noise reaches your ears.

>Something like an insect's wings buzzing.... except louder.

>A chill runs down your spine.

>You're an Entomophobe.

>As you sit up, two black creatures with glistening wings appeared before you, hissing.

>Your heart beats faster.

>Two giant bugs flank your front.

>Your eyes widen and you scream like the pussy you are.

>The bugs recoil at the volume of your scream.

>You attempt to scoot away, but back into two more sets of legs.

>You curl into a ball on the floor in a fetal position.

>For all your size and strength, bugs were your Achilles’ heel.

>You close your eyes and pray for it to be a nightmare.

>You’d rather have the unforgiving heat of the wastelands than deal with this shit.

>“So you're the hairless monkey my subjects brought in. Spineless as well it seems.”

>A female voice?

>Weird.

>You look at the source and soon wish you hadn’t.

>The voice was coming for a giant bug-like creature with a long, oily mane and large, tattered wings.

>“I was hoping you’d remain asleep. You’d be less noisy when I ate you.”

>Did it just say it was going to eat you?

>Shit.

>Bad, bad, BAD.

>You weren’t really a violent person.

>In fact, despite your build you were more often than not the guy at the front desk of the UPS Store you worked at, a smile on your face and good manners abound.

>Still, you liked your space from time to time, so shifts in the back room doing behind-the-scenes work balanced that out.

>You were an enigma to a lot of people.

>Tall, strong, decent looking, but you weren’t a party animal nor did you aspire to be.

>You had a group of friends you hung out with but that was about it.

>You weren’t one to go to any large events.

>In fact, that’s what your last girlfriend broke up with you over.

>You still thought it was stupid, and it still hurt some.

>Now’s not the time for that.

>Do or die anon.

>It’s you or the bug.

>You rise up, even causing the being to take a small step back.

 

“I… am going to deck you in the snauz.”

 

>You manage, turning your terror into a drive to feed.

>“What?” it replies, confused.

>You pull your arm back and punch the thing, sending it to the ground.

>Bad idea.

>You find yourself weightless and flying into a wall, the smaller bugs moving out of the way.

 

“Ow....”

 

> “Perhaps I misjudged you. Not many would have the gall to strike me. Do you know who I am, you monkey?”

>You groan in response.

>“I am Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings.”

>Changelings?

>The word is familiar; history is a favorite subject of yours, and that name is from old lore.

 

“That doesn’t make sense. You’re a bug, not a demon.”

 

>The big bug thing looks at you like you're out of your mind.

>“What are you talking about, ape? We Changelings feed off of emotions, but lacking that we can feed off of flesh and bone as well. Besides, fear is only alright; it isn't very satisfying. Not only that, but you'd only make a suitable meal in terms of meat for a fraction of my subjects if that many.”

>So the Changelings here are giant quadripedal bugs that feed on emotions.

>Well, you ain’t in Kansas anymore.

> Your thirst is now joined by its brother, hunger.

>Now you might not be the ultimate survivalist, you did enjoy the TV shows about the guys who WERE.

>And what did they all say was good for eating?

>Bugs.

>You couldn’t believe you were about to do this, but you weren’t going to die of starvation.

>She wasn’t very well built so overpowering her wasn’t an issue.

>Besides, SHE wanted to eat YOU.

>You rise and recompose yourself before making a lunge at the Changeling Queen, bearing your canines.

>You're more hungry than you are scared.

>You find yourself on the ground again, thrown by that same strange force.

> “So it seems that you're just as hungry as we are! Whatever you are, your survival instinct is strong.”

 

“What can I say? Humans are a bitch to kill off. I’d know, our species has done a fine job of trying to off each other.”

 

>You rise again with a groan.

>”You're pretty gutsy for a hairless monkey; impressive given your prior cowardice. Not many would attempt to kill me, and not so boldly. You were coming at me like a rabid animal.”

>You take advantage of the situation and make a break for it.

>Good, out of her range now.

>Uh-oh.

>Here come the smaller bugs again.

>You turn and manage to find an exit.

>Scrambling out you find yourself in a valley.

>You take off to the East, but those bugs aren’t far behind.

>You swiftly duck into a nearby gap in the rock face out of panic.

>Thankfully they aren’t all that bright.

>You needed a minute to process everything that’s happened.

>Okay, so you wake up in the middle of barren wastes.

>You start walking.

>Pass out.

>Wake up in company of giant bug things.

>Run.

>You can’t stay here or you’ll starve.

>Time to concoct a plan, Anon.

>What do we have to work with?

>They’re sentient.

>Well, the biggest one is.

 

“A hive mind maybe?”

 

>Yes, that makes sense.

>A hive mind would require the smaller drones to be easily ordered around.

>She called you a monkey.

>Perhaps she isn’t aware of humans?

>If this isn’t Earth, than that’s quite the possibility.

>She isn’t aware of human intelligence.

>And you didn’t give a very good show of it back there.

>Your stomach aches again.

>There’s the hunger.

>You spot some mushrooms on the ground.

>Food.

>Eat those, find help!

>Great idea!

>Or not.

>You ingest them and your heart begins to race.

 >Well fuck, that isn’t good.

>You start to sweat and pass out.

 

>You wake up with a gasp.

>Sparks jump from your body.

>”You ate the mushrooms found in this valley, didn’t you? They’re poisonous you stupid ape.”

>It’s that same voice from before.

>The big bug.

>Well, now that you think about it they look more equine than insectoid.

>Four legs, not six.

>Ears of some kind.

>Hell, the big one… Queen Chrysalis wasn’t it…She’s got a slick, oily mane and tail.

>No compound eyes either.

>Not very insect like at all except for the wings, shells, and armor plating positioned on their bodies.

>Even then it was matte for the most part.

>Back to your own body.

>Sparks meant some kind of electricity.

>You got defib’d by a horse-bug.

>You had DIED.

>But they were trying to eat you not too much earlier.

>Does not compute.

 

“Why did you save me?”

 

>”Because I thought of another way you could be useful to us.”

>Of course.

 

“And what might that be?”

 

>“Simple. You’re going to dig. You’re going to dig until either you drop dead or I tell you to stop.”

 

>Now you’re upset.

>Well, more than you were before.

>You’re no slave!

>She has no right to order you around like that!

>Time to grow a pair.

>Imagine them not as giant bugs but as horses with wings glued on or something.

>Much better.

 

“Make me.”

 

>You rise to your full height and you note she has to force herself not to step away.

 

“Go on. Make me.”

 

>Horses with bug wings and horns.

>That’s all they are.

>You aren’t scared of horses.

>She’s confused as to your newfound courage.

>And scared; you can see it in her eyes.

 

“I’m not a slave. I’m a human being. I have a fully functional brain capable of rational, intelligent thought. I am grateful that you saved my life, but if you think for ONE SECOND that I’m going to be your slave because of it, you can think again.”

 

>Now she’s taking steps back, matching each you take forward.

 

“I’ve been put under more stress in the past…”

 

>You check your watch.

>Fuck, you still didn’t know what time it was before you ran off.

 

“…however long I’ve been here than I have in my ENTIRE LIFE! I wake up in the middle of a wasteland without food or water, pass out, wake up surrounded by bug-horse hybrid things, attempt to be eaten by and subsequently EAT said bug-horse things, run off, eat a mushroom that KILLS ME, get brought back to life by the bug-horse things and-!”

 

>Wait.

 

“How DID you get my heart started again? I don’t see any electronics. No cables, no defibrillator, no nothing.”

 

>” I don’t even know half of what you just listed. To answer your question though, I used magic.”

 

“Oh great! Giant bug-horse things that can use MAGIC! Still, I’m not going to let you push me around! I’ll rip those wings right off of your back!”

 

>She smirks.

>”Do it then.”

>You reach for them, and the instant you feel them you release them and return to your fetal position.

 

“OhmygodIcantbelieveijusttouchedagiantinsectwingthisissogrossohshitohsshitfuckfuckfuck!”

 

>Looking at them?

>You’ve got that under control.

>Touching them?

>Well, they certainly not glued on.

>Very real.

>Very disgusting.

>That whole tough guy thing you were going for?

>Out the window.

>However, something is going through her mind.

>You catch a glimpse of her… face… out of the corner of your eye.

>A devious expression, plotting.

>”Very well. You’ll be given compensation for your work in the form of shelter and the sustenance you require.”

>Now that’s more like it.

>However, there was something about the way she phrased that last statement that made you think back to what she’d said earlier.

>They fed on emotions.

>Hang on.

>Adding two and two…

>Wait for it…

>”Actually, there is ONE more little thing…”

>There it is.

 

“What might that be?”

 

>Your voice is a bit shaky, knowing what’s coming next.

>”Love us.”

 

>Bug pone just asked you to love it and all of its little freak show children.

>Bug pone just tried to KILL YOU, EAT YOU, AND ENSLAVE YOU.

>And it just asked you to love it.