The War Apiary

Chapter 5 Jack (Prata Vote)

Chapter 5 lays out the times that the state of Brittanea is facing. To decide if they should become independent of the QC council and to stop the bee keeping studies due to the die back of the bee colonies throughout the known world. Jack along with Mellifera and Lodovico head to the towns hall to decide on the vote of the nation.

The villagers of Prata slowly made their way to the Concilium hall by candlelight. The three moons of Selene shone brightly in the crisp, clear night sky. The red moon Erebus seemed more menacing than normal, but that might have been due to the conditions of which the Council had been called for. The sun had just set and temperatures were dropping.

Jack held his candle tightly. The hot wax had already begun to run down the stick and burn his cold hands. He tried to tip the candlestick to an angle to stop the flow of hot wax as He followed behind Nelly and Lodovico. They didn't talk as they made their way to the old Concilium hall. It was the second oldest building in Prata. The library held the title of being the oldest building in the Erebus Basin. 800 years the hall had helped shape Britannia. The old wooden structure had been built just after the Rust Wars had ended, from the trees that had grown up from the ashes and charred earth of the crater. It stood for hope and a reminder, that a bright future had managed to grown from the ashes of the old world!

Kids ran about their tired and solemn parents, excited at being allowed to stay up at such ungodly hours. Many had dressed in warm furs, it seemed that a frost was on its way.

"Has your father given any hint at what he and his fellow councilmen have decided?" Lodovico asked.

Nelly shook her head. "Father never talks about politics at home. It is a rule of his." She said quietly. Like everybody else, she had to wait to hear the decision on any political issue.

On arrival at the Hall, they blew out their candles and placed them into a box that had been set up to accommodate the candles. The hall was filling up fast with people. Nelly lead Lodovico and Jack up the side of the hall to the front row of benches which a place had been reserved for them. After last night, Leon hadn't wanted to come out this evening to the meeting, feeling that it wasn't really his business and that he was still in Mr Lodovico's bad books.

Two large stone fireplaces sat either side of the stage. Large logs burned furiously in their open mouths and filled the room with warmth. People filled row after row of benches. One face caught Jacks attention, rather a white-masked face did anyway. The figure that wore it seemed to be female judging from the cloths and long dark hair. Their eyes met and he quickly looked away embarrassed that he had been caught staring. He guessed that she must have been from one of the other provinces of Brittania, it was common for Prata to nearly double in population when the voting season arrived. Jack turned his attention to the stage.

Dressed in their purple robes, the Members of Prata's council talked amongst themselves as they sat on there chairs. Mr Bud sat apart from his fellow councilmen. He didn't join into their chatter but instead sat quietly, looking as if he was deep in thought. His greying hair and spectacles made him look much older than what he really was. His family line had been the ones that had pulled Brittania out of the ashes. His family line were the rulers of the State. He would have the final say in the decision of whether to keep the old traditions until the very day of the last bee colony dies, or seek out a new way of life for all the citizens that live on the Land Peninsular of Brittania.

A clock stuck 7 which made Mr Bud stir and stand up and the hall fell silent. "I regret to call you all here this evening." He said. "But I, nay, We have no choice but to decide here and now what to do for the future of our State of Brittania. The idea of a future with no bees faced the Antediluvian Ones that lived before the Rust Wars. They solved the problem, but the damage had been done and they were too late to save the generations that came after them. Will this be our legacy that our decendinces will tell to their children too? Will we allow the past to reappear and tell the same story over and over, killing millions! I think Not! But that is up to you to decide!" He shouted, his words were being broadcasted throughout Brittania. Everyone would be huddled around radios ready to write down their decision on a card and hand it in to their local post office who would then count up the responses of that regen and wirer it to Prata for the country's only computer to calculate the results of the 24 provinces in a matter of 0.0002735555 of a second.

"I am aware that Brittania prides itself in being a moderately Antediluvian Techknowlgy free nation. But I believe that if Brittania is to go on without the Honey Bee, we will need to look elsewhere for Plant Pollination of our food recourses. Doctor Arken Jones, the leading Scientist at the Queens Council has told me of a new Technology that our Supreme Leader Apis Akakaidos's daughter has been working on called the BEI BEE, Bioelectrical Engineered Insect Botonical Erosion Electronics which will replace the dying insect. It will do everything that the Honey Bee does and will not need any assistance and can recreate itself like a beehive, meaning once we have it we can focus on other things than keeping bees. Brittania can become what it once was in the time of the Antediluvian Ones, a super State on the Worlds stage!" The room gasped at such news, even Mr Buds fellow Councilmen were shocked at the words coming out of his mouth.

"What the Hell do you mean 'BEI BEE!'" Shouted someone. "Don't you forget what happened to the Antediluvian Ones! What their technology did to them and coursed for future generations! We live in a scare left by them for crying out loud!"

Mr Bud held up his hand to silence the growing garble of upset voices. "I am well aware of History, that is why there will be new rules in place to protect from that ever happening again. I and the rest of the councilmen will discuss that once we have settled on when we first import the first batch of BEI's. But until then we will start by reopening up the Archives of the Antediluvian Ones that are frozen in ice in Scottland and move the Knowlege to here where we will open up new schools based on what we find. The Age of Knowlege will return to Great Britain!"

The name 'Great Britain' hadn't been used to call Brittania since the early years after the Rust Wars, where it was banned and a new older name was called upon. It angered many people now, that the head Councilmen Mr Bud had used such a name for the Nation, shouts were thrown and threats cast, but the majority of the population were keen for change, especially the younger generation.

Mr Bud hushed the room and continued. "We will call for the resume of this meeting in half an hour to announce the results of this decision." He turned and left the stage, with the rest of the councilmen following him.