Traveler in the Dark

28

Rebecca twisted her helmet on with a grimace and the oxygen cycler started with a cool hiss against her neck. Two days of fresh air and the stuff in her suit already tasted flat and sour. But Alice had insisted that it was necessary in the nest. They followed Issk'ath down the spiral ramp. It was very careful, stopping often to warn them of any gaps or uneven spots. It led them back to the Nursery, because Spixworth wanted to photograph the empty moltings. Rebecca set up the mobile lights and waited as Issk'ath lifted one of the cases from the molted chitin. Alice was already darting forward to scrape the old shell. "I better take some visuals for the guys in the lab," said Spixworth bending to pull his own equipment from the case. "They'll never believe me otherwise." Issk'ath backed away to watch.

"These casings— were they enemies? Are they trophies?" asked Rebecca.

"They are moltings. From our greatest heroes. Each nest had a gallery like this. Mine placed ours in the Nursery so that our nymphs would know the stories."

"Ohhh," breathed Alice, taking a quick step back. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize these were— I should have known better."

Issk'ath turned to her. "You do not need to ask permission. Emery and I have already agreed. And they are just casings. The memory lives in the colony. It will not decay like these. Take your samples. Make more data. Maybe it will help your people."

Alice hesitated. It suddenly hit her that it was a waste of time. She'd come along because it was a chance to talk to Rebecca and Spixworth alone, but the excitement at finding something new was hard to resist. She didn't need more samples. They'd never be used. They'd all have to be destroyed before they reached the Keseburg anyway. But the others were looking at her. She knelt down and began scraping the shell again.

Rebecca turned away toward the massive sculptures behind them. "You said you were named for someone— was it one of them?"

"No. I was named for the boy who burned the clutch. He was not a hero. Issk'ath lived just after the destruction of the first nest. His colony was seeking a new place, but it took them a long while and their queen died just after laying a last small clutch of eggs. The Takesh found the colony and began attacking. Issk'ath was only a nymph at the time, but every other member was needed to battle the Takesh. He was left to guard the clutch and warned that he shouldn't let the Takesh take them, nor the cold winter wind freeze them. Issk'ath was fearful of failing. He thought the eggs looked a little too far from the center of the small pit he guarded them in. So he gathered them one by one and moved them closer to the center. But then the bed of twigs and straw that had been made to keep them warm was too far to shield them. It would take too long to build a new one, and the clutch would die. Issk'ath made a fire instead. It warmed him and the eggs, but the sounds of battle drew closer. He inched the eggs closer in. They started to redden, but Issk'ath didn't notice, distracted by the frightening sounds just beyond the edge of the small pit. He chirped and buzzed but no answer came. He whirled around the pit, stabbing at the dark beyond the firelight, but met nothing. He was desperate to protect the clutch. They were the last young of his queen and the colony was already dangerously small. He pushed the eggs farther behind him, toward the warmth of the fire, away from the creeping shadows at the edge of the pit. At last, the People returned. Many of them wounded, some without wings, but they had defended their colony. They found Issk'ath, still wild with terror and all the eggs charred in the midst of the flames. I was named for Issk'ath by my queen for what I had done to defend the colony. She resisted the longest. She has still not forgiven me, all these mating seasons later." Issk'ath tapped its chassis. "She lives here, with the others, and her anger still wakes her occasionally."

"What was your name before that?"

"We did not have designations beyond our function. I was only Guardian, like all the others."