Antelligent Design

105. The Final Stretch Begins

The evacuation of the forward HQ has already begun when I exit the Dungeon. Hundreds of ants, perhaps as many as a thousand, are rushing this way and that, digging, lifting and generally getting things done in every direction. A long trail has already been established, and soldiers as well as workers are vanishing into the distance as they march back to the nest and home.

They’re very different ants from those who started this fight. Thousands of Biomass has been consumed over the last five days. Not to mention the experience and Levels gained. Mutations are evident across the sea of ants. Soldiers with glittering carapaces, even a few diamond-looking ones, long, flowing antennae, thicker, more powerful legs.

For those who survived, the battles have been a forge in which their strength has been tempered. They’ve emerged bigger and badder than before, ready to put their lives on the line in defence of the colony and queen in the final battle to come.

I spot a dense cluster of ants communing near the main entrance and make my way over. Sure enough, the leadership is grouped there, giving out instructions and consulting on last-minute changes in strategy.

“Hey, Victor! Wills! Mendant! How’s things going?”

The three members of the twenty turn at my call.

“Well, ever since the er, lightning incident, things have been tense,” Victor admits.

Yeah, I kind of had a feeling that might be the case.

“Any more casualties?” I ask, nervous.

“No, eldest,” Mendant answers gently. “We have simply been reluctant to engage with the horde with such an unstable element at play.”

“I can understand that. I may be able to help, even.”

Wills perks up at my words.

“You’ve come up with a way to attack the Ka’armodo? That’ll be incredible.”

“Ah, no. Nothing that grand. I still need two more Levels before I can evolve, right? Which means I’m going to have to go back in. I’ll join up with the humans and hit the horde from behind, which should attract the attention of our friend the Wizard Lizard, since it’s me they’re after.”

“Meaning the colony will be able to operate with far less risk from the front,” Victor muses.

“You’re taking a lot of risk onto yourself, eldest,” Mendant worries. “Isn’t there a better way that we could approach this?”

I shake my antennae in refusal. “I won’t have members of the family sacrificing themselves so I can farm experience peacefully,” I say firmly. “I refuse. This is the way it’s going to be. It’ll also work to minimise the risks to the greatest number of us.”

I give Mendant a friendly pat on the head with an antenna.

“Not to worry, I’m not easy to kill. Enough monsters have tried, but I’m still here.”

The healer shifts uncomfortably under my antennae, like an embarrassed teenager as they suffer the affection of a parent.

“How long until you move out, eldest?” Victor asks.

“No time like the present, I suppose. The humans should already be waiting close to where I left them. I’ll need an hour to circle around and meet up at their location, then another hour to get into position behind the enemy. I get the feeling you might notice once I have their attention.”

Victor nods. If the sky starts sprouting lightning bolts again, it’ll be hard not to notice.

“Ah,” I say, a little embarrassed to be bringing it up, “there is something you could do for me.”

“Of course, eldest, anything,” Victor replies.

When you reply like that, I only feel worse.

“I’m… short on the Biomass I need to complete my mutations. Do you think you might be able to help me out?”

Diverting resources away from the rest of the family feels terrible. The amount of food I need to complete my mutations could be spread over so many ants. I hope I’m not being selfish, but I really feel like I need every edge I can possibly get.

“That’s not a problem, eldest. We will have teams gather everything you need,” Wills says, and the others nod enthusiastically. I can tell that they’re genuinely happy to be able to help me out.

“How goes the evacuation?” I ask, shifting the topic.

“Quickly and efficiently,” Victor states proudly.

As if it could be anything else. You’re ants for goodness sake.

“Fair enough. I’d better get moving. The sooner I get to fighting, the sooner I can evolve.”

“Be careful out there, eldest,” Wills warns me. “We’re going to need you by the end.”

“Miss out on the final showdown? Me?” I protest. “You must be crazy.”

After a final few words to the council members present, I turn to run only to find many of the surrounding soldiers and workers frozen in place, watching me.

Uhhh… What’s happening, people?

The air itself seems to still, so perfectly motionless is every ant present. I twitch my antennae nervously, uncomfortable under the attention of so many of my siblings. What are they waiting for? Do they want me to say something? Since when did they need me to tell them what to do?

Ah! Come on, Anthony. Think! Say something inspirational. Something moving. Something with meaning!

“Ah…” Nice start! “Ahem. Uh… Work hard! Er… for the colony?” I mumble.

There was a moment of silence before:

“FOR THE COLONY!” roar a thousand ants in unison.

Then, just like that, they go back to working, even faster than before. Confused, I turn to Mendant who has quietly approached my side.

“They look up to you,” she says, having seen the query in my eyes. “They seek guidance from you on how to be proper Formica Sapiens.”

I goggle at her. “You are all far better ants than I’ll ever be,” I tell her honestly.

The ants who heard me fall silent for some reason, but I pay them no mind. It’s time to get moving.

[Let’s go, Tiny.]

With my pet ape in tow and Crinis on my back, I speed off from the ants and out into the open space. The horde shouldn’t be far away from this place, so I make sure to keep my head down and avoid getting too close as we run a wide circle.

Lightning bolts falling on my head isn’t something I’m in a rush to experience again.

We loop around far enough and manage to find the humans camped in a copse of trees, sensibly concealed from prying eyes.

[Seems like things are coming to a head,] Isaac observes as I bring him up to speed.

[What do you think?] I ask. [Do you want to stick around and take a few more jabs, or do you want to head back to town?]

Isaac rubs his chin thoughtfully. [I think me an’ the gang are up for some more action. I’d say Enid has things arranged back at the village.]

[And Morrelia will still be in the Dungeon.]

The man deflates before my eyes.

[That’s true too,] he mutters.

This man was sure going to die soon. If not to the horde, then to an angry berserker.