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Science Fiction

“They sent a juvie. A freshly molted breeder.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. He even introduced himself as a male.”

“Hmm. He might be a breeder, but maybe they have male drones. Have you thought of that?”

“Well, no. I guess they could. But still….”

“What?”

“I mean, well, he’s all squishy. His carapace hasn’t hardened, and he molts it and grows a new one every day, sometimes twice or three times in a day.”

“Clothes. You’re talking about clothes. Did you even read the information packet?”

“I read it! I mean, sort of. … I skimmed through it … this morning.”

“Look here, in the packet, it says they put on clothes, coverings of cloth. It even says not to be alarmed if their coverings are changed multiple times in a single day.”

“Oh. But why?”

“Why? Because we’re supposed to have at least some idea of the ambassador we’re meant to work with.”

“No, I mean, why do they cover themselves with cloth?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been through the packet, but that part isn’t clear. I think it might be a religious thing.”

“They have religion?!”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“I don’t know. I just thought that was an us thing. Besides, he’s a male. What would he need religion for?”

“Probably a drone, remember?”

“Yeah, I mean…. They’re just… weird, in a not good way.”

“Since you’ve seen him, tell me, what does he look like?”

“Ugh! Just, gross. I mean, a freshly molted drone or breeder is, you know, whatever, but he’s just disgusting.”

“You’re not explaining anything, and you’ve never seen a breeder, much less a freshly molted one.”

“Yes, I have. I used to work in the nursery with my clutch sisters.”

“I didn’t know that. Still, you haven’t described anything.”

“Okay. He’s got limbs for grasping and manipulating, and limbs for locomotion.”

“Yeah, so does everyone.”

“Separate. Limbs.”

“He can only grab things from one end and walk on the other? Or do they alternate?”

“No. I mean, imagine a grub. Now put it on end, with the head at the top. Then split the bottom third into two walking limbs and stick two grasping limbs on opposite sides of the thorax.”

“What about the other limbs?”

“That’s it.”

“Now you’re telling lies. The best circus performers can walk on three limbs…barely. It takes incredible strength and balance, but you’re saying they walk on just two.”

“All. The. Time.”

“You’re not kidding, are you?”

“I mean, I wish I was. I kept seeing him in my nightmare.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Yeah. Looking right at me with those two eyes.”

“Which two?”

“The only two he has!”

“Wait, four limbs, two eyes? Does he have a single antenna or something as well?”

“No antennae.”

“No…what in the name of the Great Mother?!”

“Well, I mean, I don’t think so, unless all the stuff on top of his head is millions of tiny antennae.”

“Ugh. Why did the Empress Mother agree to talks with these disgusting things? I mean, they can’t even emote without antennae.”

“I don’t know. I think they emote with their face.”

“What, like mandibles wide open in surprise or something?”

“No mandibles.”

“But how do they—”

“They have squishy faces that move around, and bits of bone behind soft, fleshy things around their mouth.”

“Bone?”

“I’m sure that’s what they are. I mean, he bared them at everyone he met. It’s like bits of their endoskeleton are sticking out inside their mouth.”

“You saw the inside of his mouth? How intimate! How did you stand being that close to him?”

“No, no, it’s not like that. With no mandibles to hide it, and with how big his mouth is, you can’t help but see inside when he talks.”

“Oof. Just stop. I think I’m going to be sick.”

“I mean, I almost lost my meal when I saw him yesterday, but that’s okay. I’ll stop talking about him.”

“Please do. I’m terrified of having to work with him now.”

“I mean, you could always ask for a transfer.”

“The Empress Mother would feed us both to the grubs.”

“Yeah. Especially since she’s been busy with her new breeders. I mean, she’s got thousands of soldiers in this clutch.”

“Along with twenty or thirty thousand drones.”

“Oh! There’s a new queen in the latest clutch!”

“You listen to too many unsubstantiated rumors.”

“Two of my clutch sisters still work in the nursery. They said the queen grub is twice as fat as any of the others. They had to move her away from the soldier and drone grubs, since she’s so fat she can’t move or even eat without help.”

“Aww, she sounds so cute!”

“Did you want to see a picture?”

“How did you get—?”

“Clutch sisters in the nursery. Take a look.”

“Oh, Great Mother, she’s so cute I can’t stand it.”

“Look, look! You can already see all twelve eyes.”

“I think I may faint from how adorable she is.”

“Isn’t she just, though?”

“Quick, put it away, I hear someone coming.”

“Done.”

“Wait, is that…?”

“Oh, Mother, it is. Act like you didn’t see him.”

“Too late. What is he doing?”

“He’s showing his mouth bones and wagging a grasping limb at us.”

“Doing what?”

“He calls it waving. Just do it back.”

“He’s showing more of his mouth bones. Do I have to keep looking at him?”

“I think we’re okay to look away now. It seems like he’s in a hurry to go somewhere.”

“Thank the Great Mother! It looks like he’s going to fall over at any second. It’s giving me vertigo.”

“Now you see what I mean by weird, and not in a good way?”

“I do. That’s disturbing. Huh, do you smell that?”

“Fruit, but I’m not sure what kind. I mean, mixed fruit for soldier meals, maybe?”

“Maybe, but they wouldn’t be carrying it anywhere near here.”

“Don’t look up. He’s coming back.”

“Too late. He’s wagging his limb again. What is he carrying?”

“I mean, looks strange, but smells sweet.”

“Howdy, ladies! I’m Steve, the new ambassador from Earth. Y’all are pretty. You remind me of my red-knee ____. I heard y’all like fruit, and want you to have these _ from the tree I brought with me.”

“I… uh, thank you.”

“Got to run. See you ladies tomorrow morning!”

“Did you understand what he said?”

“With that accent? Not even close. I mean, where’s the translator?”

“There were a couple words I didn’t catch. He called us pretty, said we look like some red-kneed something or other, and gave us these fruits he grows on a tree that he brought with him.”

“I can’t help it, I have to try this. I mean, it’s so….”

“Wow, this is lovely. You know, even though he looks a little, disgusting, I think I could get used to this.”

“I mean, maybe he’s not that disgusting after all.”

December 07, 2024 19:25

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