HoneyComb

Chapter One: Hatchlings

Jade clocked in at the front desk of the Great Hive, just as Wren left.

"Bye" Wren muttered, and pushed through the glass door at the entrance.

Jade slipped her bag off her shoulder, and pulled out her tablet. She walked through the door behind the desk, and quickly changed into her classic yellow and white Hive uniform. She than clipped on her name tag, and entered the hive.

Inside the hive workers bustled around, switching from one comb to the next, and typing on their holographic tablets.

Jade self consciously clutched her solid tablet to her chest, being much to poor to afford a holographic one.

Jade continued on to comb #43, where she raised her brood. Well, not really her brood.

Jade worked in a giant Hive. A Bee Hive. The Bee Hive. The Bee Hive rested at the center of the city. It was a giant wax sculpture with holes that led in and out. Apis used these holes as exits, as they filled their part of the alliance, pollinating the world. Now, if your thinking off yellow and black fuzzy little buzzing things that frequented your garden, you have it all wrong. Our bees are the size of trucks. They are bright yellow, and make almost no sound at all. You see, a few decades ago, humans and the Apis (Bees), made an uneasy alliance. Humans were hunting the Apis for their soft yellow fuzz, and the Apis stingers held a poison. One hunter embarked on a hunting trip, and was stung. He returned alive, but spread a disease through his town, killing everyone. The disease was quickly identified, and exterminated by scientists. All hunting parties were called off. The Apis, sensing their advantage, swiftly attacked and wiped the entirety of the human race. Or so they thought. Some humans moved underground, and continued to survive, slowly recovering from the great loss. But they new they couldn't win this war. One day they emerged from the Earth, carrying a white flag. When the Apis learned that their old enemy was back, they angrily arose from their peaceful life, and arrived at what they thought was a battle ground, ready to win once and all. But when they arrived, the humans lay down in front of the Apis in defeat. The Apis, recognizing victory, agreed not to wipe out the human race, and proposed a treaty. The humans would construct the world, for they had thumbs, and larger brains, while the Apis would guard against attacks, and pollinate the flowers. But the greatest gift the Apis agreed upon, was providing medicine. You see, the Apis stingers not only brought about disease, it also could cure death. Not death as in a dead body. Were talking about cancer, severed limbs, blindness, and brain dysfunctions. And so the treaty was formed. The war changed both our races, for better and worse. We both evolved. The Apis, grew bigger, faster, quieter, smarter, stronger, and changed in color. The humans, grew smaller, thinner, quicker, very nimble, and most of us have a strange camouflage ability, which we could turn on and off like a light. The only problem was when you went back to being normal, whatever color you were last while being camouflaged was the color you were now. Many people liked having a wall painted the same color that they liked to be normally, so if they had to camouflage, they could easily head back home and change back. Humans and Apis live in harmony now, working together to keep the world healthy and clean. If you are smart enough to get a job at the hatchery in the Hive, you get the pleasure of raising broods of Apis. Many bond with one Apis in particular, and spend the rest of their life with them. My bond mate, Haemir, who is three weeks old, is currently living with me in one of the higher combs. Your probably exhausted from my long history lesson, so back to the story.

Jade rode the steel platform into comb #43, where she pulled on her gloves, and inspected the eggs.

She was expecting them to hatch today, so she had brought all the materials. She brought some creme, in case she got stung, and little pellets of Royal Jelly (A formula that worker bees concocted to feed to their young) to stuff down their throats when they started whining.

Her work partner, Evelyn should be arriving soon, so they could start setting up the walls so the little larvae didn't immediately tumble out the comb.

Sure enough, Evelyn stumbled straight into Jade.

"Oof!" Jade fell back.

"Oh sorry! Those platforms really aren't my thing. I prefer elevators. Much safer!" Evelyn said, dusting herself off.

"Yah yah. your late" Jade growled.

"Yes, sorry. Blythswana wasn't in our comb to wake me up this morning, so I just woke up and rushed over!"

"Its fine." Jade couldn't stay mad at Evelyn for long. She was so carefree, and young. Well, sorta. Evelyn and Jade were the same age. Evelyn's companion Apis, Blythswana was a big fat Apis with a heart of gold, that always made extra honey for anyone who dropped by. They were tending Blythswana's brood, so Jade knew Blythswana would want to go prepare to meet the little ones.

Yes, I know the queen Apis lays the eggs, but our hive didn't need a queen, so we did without. There were problems with competition, but those were dealt with.

Evelyn helped Jade put up the temporary wall, and suit up in preparation of possible stings. Young Apis stingers were still there, but they didn't hold any dangerous venom. It just hurt like hell.

Just as Evelyn was stuffing a tube of Royal Jelly in her pocket, one of the eggs started rocking. Soon enough it cracked open and out popped a disgusting little slimy larvae. Jade and Evelyn cleaned up the larvae, fed it, and it settled down soon enough. So far, so good. More of the eggs started twitching and shivering, and eventually they had five more bawling larvae to deal with.

After twenty minutes (In which the first larvae, deciding it wanted more attention stung Jade, and three more tried to break the wall) They finally hatched all the larvae. Jade and Evelyn secured some cameras so they could keep an eye on the larvae, and cleaned themselves up.

"Those guys are so cute!" Evelyn said, smiling fondly at them.
   "Yeah, you didn't get stung by one though, did you." Jade complained. "It only hurts for a bit." "Yah, but that bit isn't fun!" Jade rubbed her back where the sting was swelling. "Well, I know for certain it doesn't hurt now, does it." Evelyn smirked. "Plus, it was on the job description. You knew what you were getting into!" Jade glared at her. "Well maybe it doesn't hurt now. But it used to." They were interrupted by a soft tapping on the fake wall separating the comb from the open air. Blythswana was hovering outside the comb, ready to meet her young. "Come one." Evelyn said, smiling. "I love watching them bond." And they opened the wall to let Blythswana in.