The Ant Keeper

2

Myrme had spoken honestly about the ant keeper's residence. The investigator got the same feeling of entering an anachronic chamber. Memorabilia, cultural productions from different civilizations, and a large collection of historical scientific artifacts. An aspect that the young mother from Eppalsh forgot to add was the condition of the whole thing. Dusty, humid, and surprisingly cold. After welcoming them herself in the front door, she old scholar showed them only a couple of rooms before they were out of the house again. Skoal was surprised to catch at least two rooms with active biological and chemical experiments. The old lady said she was taking them to visit what she referred to as her legacy project. Although in the outdoors again, this time they didn't have to walk; they would use the big yokos. These had a large platform with a circular couch on the top, they also had more legs than Skoal could count. The intricated movement of each leg made the platform glide through the forest, in the most subtle and smooth vehicle that he remembered.

"I wouldn't like to go lecturing about my work before asking myself about your own project, officer Skoal" asked the ant keeper.

Skoal felt humbled. "Oh, lady please do not call me officer. I am a mere research assistant without a complete education. Consider me a student." he smiled.

"Well then. What is your research about, Skoal?" she asked with the same warmth.

"On the relationship between complexity and chaos, Professor." he replied enjoying the role play. It reminded him about simpler times.

"Ooof! Aren't you in the right place then, eh?" she smiled and tapped Myrme's knee who joined in laughter. "There is much I can avoid lecturing then. I suspect you have read my work; you understand the most important and core theorems. Let's start from the very applied then." as she said this she was hinting north, behind Skoal. He turned and was surprised by the beautiful wooden structures, the name 'ant silos' was far from what common sense would expect. These were domes with elegantly crafted wood, the few windows showed these weren't agrarian structures, but technologically developed buildings. The ant keeper told Skoal and Myrme how these structures maintained the perfect atmospheric conditions for fast ant breeding. She remarked that the dozens of silos in her property were designed to breed different ant colonies from scratch. Using the ants environmental and genetical features, she took the best composition that ensured a healthy colony.

"Ain't that biased against those who survive?" asked Skoal.

"Yes, and indeed that is what I'm looking at. I care about elevated states of organization in 'simpler' systems." answered the ant keeper.

"And you wait, mister Skoal. I didn't want to spoil it for you. But now you will see. If these ants are not advanced, then who is!?" teased Myrme as she stood up. They had arrived.

They stepped down from the big yoko and entered the wooden dome.