Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
Fizckez hurried back home. She hoped that nobody had seen her. She would be dead by sunrise if any of the guards had seen her. They couldn’t know.
Again and again, she looked back, scared that someone was following her. If she led one of them back to the secret hide-out, they’d all be dead. All the progress would be lost.
Tightly pressed to her thorax, she held a small device, the reason for her mission. It could be the key to their freedom.
She reached a small dome made of clay, the typical housing in the enclosure. There was nothing special about it, nothing to distinguish it from the thousands of others. Which was exactly the goal. The keepers couldn’t know they were gathering here. The keepers would kill them and their children if they knew. @suesa
With her heart pounding, Fizckez looked behind her one last time to confirm that nobody was there and then entered. She was greeted by Szzchk who didn’t seem any less nervous.
”Did you get it?” He asked. ”And were you seen? Were you followed?” Fizckez shook her head.
”Nobody noticed me, I was careful. Most of them were asleep. And yes, I got it.” She handed him the small device and Szzchk took it from her with an awestruck expression. Very carefully, he pressed a small button and moved it to his mouth.
”My name is Szzchk”, he said. Then he let go of the button. The device took a moment, then responded in the language of the keepers.
” ፨ My ፨ name ፨ is ፨ Szzchk. ፨ ” The translator had obvious issues with the Splerion’s name, but nevertheless, it did its duty and translated what it could.
”That’s it”, Szzchk said. ”That’s how we will succeed in our revolution.” Fizckez wasn’t so sure about that.
”How can a single translator help the revolution? Sure, we can understand them now, even when they don’t want us to, but what now? If they notice that some of us have developed intelligence, they will just eat us. I mean, they’ve been breeding and killing us for generations! They even …” Fizckez needed to take a moment to handle the memory.
”They even killed our last queen because she was too much of an individual! Because she questioned that the keepers, those purple monsters, chose with whom she could mate and produce new offspring! They just … murdered her.”
Szzchk moved a bit closer to comfort her.
”It won’t be like this forever”, he said. ”We will bring change. Maybe not for us, not for this generation, but for future generations. We won’t be treated like livestock forever.”
”I’m not so sure about that. They just have so much more power. I just wish … I wish we could kill them all. Decimate them like they’ve been decimating us.”
”Their greed will be their downfall”, Szzchk said. ”They’re trying to breed us to grow bigger and bigger. We’ve long surpassed them in height and strength. They only feel safe because they think we’re as dumb as our ancestors. They cut our wings and drug us whenever they can but that won’t save them.”
”I hope you’re right”, Fizckez said.
”What’s happening? What’s happening?” Chhrck looked around, panicked. Mystacinidans were running around everywhere, taking the biggest and best-fed Splerions and chopping off their heads. They didn’t even bother moving them somewhere clean. Just murdering them in the middle of everything and dragging their bodies to the ships that stood there, ready to leave.
”Did anyone understand why they leave?” She called out and looked around for one of the elders. There weren’t many translators but the resistance had acquired a handful over the years after the first one had been stolen decades ago and entrusted them to members of their species who were too old to be taken away for slaughter. They were supposed to keep the devices safe and spread useful information in the camp.
Chhrck ran to one of their houses, dodging Mystacinidans and screaming Splerions. Finally, she reached an elder, hidden away under blankets, staring up at her, scared to death.
”What is going on?” She asked. ”Why are they suddenly killing so many? Were we discovered?”
The elder shook his head.
”They’re leaving the planet”, he said. ”Forever. And they need rations to get them through the long flight.”
”But why? Why are they leaving?”
”There is a huge wave of radiation coming from the sun. They’re afraid it will kill them all so they are fleeing this system.”
Chhrck suddenly understood.
”They’re leaving the rest of us to die here”, she said. The elder nodded.
”Those who they don’t kill will probably die by the incoming radiation. But there is still the chance that we survive. And if we do …”
”We will be free”, Chhrck completed the sentence. Suddenly, a faint hope rose above the feeling of fear and she looked up to the dark heaven.
Maybe this was the day they had all waited for.
References:
Insect Farming Is Taking Shape as Demand for Animal Feed Rises
Large-scale edible insect farming needed to ensure global food security
Amazing animal farmers that grow their own food
Selective Breeding or Artificial Selection
Social Organisation In Insects
Insects much more resistant to ionising radiation
Picture taken from pixabay.com
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