Antvance into the Unknown

91. War Planning

“How long have you got?” Advant asked, her scent distracted and her antennae wavering busily back and forth.

“Not long,” replied Brendant, similarly occupied. “I’m only off shift for under an hour, and I had to travel to get here.”

“I also have a lot of places to be.” Victor looked tired, but a determined light sparkled in her eyes.

“I don’t know why you don’t have that much time, I usually have heaps of time. Although I suppose I do move a lot faster than you. Maybe you just need to move faster? Or talk faster? You all talk reeaaaaallly slow and it’s quite annoying, you know? I’m here waiting for you to finish waaay after I’ve worked out what you’re trying to say but it would be rude to interrupt, right? Is that a monster? No… Anyway. What was I saying? Oh yeah! You’re all too slow! Try being faster!”

Advant wavered in the face of the onslaught of pheromones from Vibrant before she firmed her stance and managed to process half of what her older sister had said.

“We aren’t too slow, you’re just too fast!” she retorted and the others nodded in agreement.

Vibrant’s evolution had only exacerbated her need for speed, and the combination of mutations and organs she had allowed her mind and reactions to keep up with that speed, which meant she was quite literally operating at a faster pace than the rest of them.

“I do think we should try and converse a little faster, just to help Vibrant keep track of things,” suggested Victor, and the others agreed. Maybe they’d also get through more of their agenda if they spoke faster?

“The idea of this gathering is to lay the groundwork for our intentions once the wave is complete,” intoned Victor, calling the semi-Council meeting to order. “Obviously, we don’t want to make any final decisions now, but we can work out how each of us feel the next steps should be and then go from there. I’ll open the floor, please feel free to share your thoughts.”

So saying, the general stepped back and gave the others space to voice their opinions. Surprisingly, it was the healer, Mendant, who stepped forward first.

“The real question isn’t necessarily ‘what will the Colony do?’ but ‘what should the Colony prioritise’. Our family will continue to grow and expand, even without our input from this point forward. There have been protocols and norms established for most basic processes, and despite our sophistication, we are still monstrous ants. The desire to expand and secure the next generation is built into us. We need to be thinking about what our priorities are going to be and how we can influence our siblings. We are guides rather than commanders, remember.”

The diminutive healer stepped back in place so the others could digest her words.

“I agree with Mendant,” Advant said. “The Colony has grown beyond the point where we will be able to be aware of everything that goes on and influence every decision. Instead, we need to place ourselves on the forefront of the Colony’s most important initiatives so we can assist as much as possible.”

It was an important moment for the Council, and these decisions were fundamental for the way they would operate in the future. Indeed, the Colony had grown to the point where it was much too difficult for the twenty of them to adequately be in touch with all of the goings on of their own castes. Even for the Queens, who were the smallest in number, this was difficult, since they didn’t travel between nests to communicate with each other.

Instead of trying to grasp at authority, the Council opted to narrow their focus and trust that the Colony would be able to handle itself. It had the Eldest as its guiding light after all. There was no ant who would willingly betray the will of their most senior member.

They reflected on this idea, when Burke stepped forward.

“The Colony will continue to expand, and it will continue to descend. I believe that is where our focus should be. We can only be safe from those who would attack us if we have sufficient strength to defend ourselves. That means we must be aggressive in seeking that strength. The third stratum is the natural evolution of this quest. Even without our influence, there will be expeditions launched down there, so we should commit ourselves to guiding this effort.”

“But what sort of expeditions will be sent? Resource gathering? Scouting? Biomass harvesting? What exactly are we hoping to achieve?” Coolant asked. “We need to be clear about our goals; otherwise, we will be at cross purposes.”

Each of the members present sunk into thought. The future of the Colony wouldn’t be decided here and now, but nonetheless, it was an important occasion. What was the plan of action? What were their intentions? How could they apply the Colony’s newfound strength?

“War,” Advant said.

The scent of that word hung in the air.

“Against who? For what purpose?” Burke asked.

“Whoever we find, for however long we need it,” Advant said determinedly. “We have been on the defensive for a long time, but now is our chance to go on the offensive. We need to take and hold the territory and resources we need to grow powerful to protect us from that which will threaten us.”

She moved into the centre of the circle, pivoting slowly to look each of her fellow Council members directly in the eye.

“I propose we invade the third stratum in overwhelming force. We smash any who would stand in our way and leave in peace those who mean us no harm. We cannot be afraid anymore. If we stay in the upper levels of the Dungeon and huddle close to our nests, we’ll eventually be destroyed by a power too great for us to resist. The Eldest has helped prime us for this opportunity, but now is the time when we must be bold and seize the moment.”

It was a stirring rhetoric, and each of the listeners thought deeply on what was said. The meeting ended not long after, the ants returning to the thousands of tasks they still needed to complete before the wave died down.

As they worked, they all carried the same thought swimming through their minds.

War.