Chapter 149: Chapter 140

 

Okay, I should analyze my current situation.
I got abducted...

Which sucks.

Also, I am confined inside a fortress.
At least the fact that the walls are made of stone indicates so.

On the bright side, it doesn't seem like my captors have any intent to harm me.
At least, nothing in this regard happened as of now.
They seem to be set on treating me well.
Even my current quarters indicates this.
I need to say, the facilities are looking luxurious.
There's a huge princess bed and although there are no windows it's lit by one of those ridiculously expensive light bringers I saw in the palace.
Also, there's a connected bathroom for sanitary purposes with a medium-sized water reservoir.
If not for the barred hole in the only door that just says "no" to any kind of privacy.
So yes, in total I'm treated well, for now.

I suppose they want to reduce the swarm's wrath if they're ever going to return me.
The downside is, they're going to use my brood for their war.
It's absolutely possible that they'll succeed.
While I wouldn't want to be the messenger to relay this, the demands of Lord Zion are more economical than the swarm having to slaughter my brood by themselves.
If he keeps his word, more of the drones will survive and a nation of possibly hostile humans goes extinct while I will be returned safe and sound.
However, for me, it's unacceptable that I'm going to be responsible for their deaths.
I'm their mother in some way.
I might struggle with that role, but that doesn't mean they didn't grow on me.
I even visited most of them in the nursery.

So I should look for a way to get out of here.
To devise a plan I should list the tools at my disposal.
My secret weapons are exactly those.
The hidden acid blades my captors don't know about yet.
I should be able to easily slice through the walls or door.
There should be no real hindrance in the sense of physical obstacles.
I never killed someone, but I suppose if I have to it would be justified given this situation.
Especially, if I think about the lives of my brood.
But the issue is that I have no idea about the layout and I doubt that they'll remain as lenient as they're now if their plan is going to fail.
At least, they should be willing to injure me.
Something along the lines of "You don't need legs to stay alive".
Might anger the queen but I shouldn't underestimate their desperation.
This means I can't just be dumb and try to force my way through all the professional soldiers with their crossbows stationed here.

Shit, shit, shit!

 

<My princess. You should calm down. You're stressed.> (K)

 

Oh, am I? Thank you very much, Kyska.
I wouldn't have realized this without your input that I'm in a fucking stressful situation!!!

 

<I apologize, my princess. Apparently, I upset you.> (K)

 

I didn't even say a thing.
Sometimes pheromones are just unfair.

 

<No, it's not your fault, Kyska. I'm just overwhelmed by the situation. And have no idea how to get out of here.> (E)

<The utmost priority is your safety, my princess. I'm not as familiar with humans as you are. Do you think you're at risk?> (K)

 

Well, I have no one else to discuss plans with.

 

<I'm not sure, but I doubt it. They want something from the queen. If they harm me they decrease their position with my life as a bargain point. When they get what they want they might return us. Yet humans can be greedy. They might opt for keeping me here or use me in a different way. Then there might also be some who think it would deal a blow to the swarm if they stop my production. Nothing's safe.> (E)

<Then it is difficult to determine the best course of action to ensure your survival.> (K)

<Anyway, I don't want them to send my brood to die in their war. That's already reason enough to get out of here..> (E)

<Please, my princess. Don't risk your life.> (K)

 

At the moment, Kyska is quite supportive of our captors.

 

<I understand your concerns, Kyska, but I can't accept staying here, doing nothing. There has to be a way to escape.> (E)

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<If you say so.> (K)

 

But how?
What can I do?
I'm left here in a dire situation and now my brood might die because of my negligence.
There's no telling what will happen in the future and I'm completely at their mercy while I'm locked up here.
I am confined in this golden cage with nothing at all, I have...

• Restricted resources!

Yes, exactly!

I just don't know how to proceed from here on out.
Even Kyska feels so worried.
And I can't even say something to soothe her because everything's just terrible!
God, I'm so useless on my own.
I'm in dire need of help.
I need...

• Immediate support!

Sure, but there's nothing here!
I...

Wait, something's off.
I'm hearing voices!
What is wrong with me?
My mind feels strange, foreign.
So estranged in a way I haven’t felt since my transformation.
My thoughts are somehow detached from my thinking.

No, think straight.
I need to come up with something.
I need to come up with a plan.

But how?
How is there even any hope here?
There's no chance that I can overcome all the guards out there by myself.
To get past them I'd need...

• a greater number of drones!

Okay, this is getting far too weird to ignore anymore.
Something's clearly not right.
I'm having totally strange thoughts.

And this is kinda scary.
And I don't even know how this comment would help.
I don't have any drones here I'd have...

• to lay them.

What?

• Quick growing. Small, but fast.

Huh?

• Demerit, short-living.

I, I don't even know what to say anymore.

• No source of nourishment to support hatchling.

I, I think I remember.
It's a bit similar to that time when I created my royal guard.
But it wasn't even close as conscious at that time.
Back then it was only a pointing feeling.
Now it's a loud voice in my head that feels almost conscious.

• Multiple batches, compressed into one.

Well, maybe not totally conscious, as this voice doesn't seem to have a real character or agenda.
Rather, it makes suggestions, drafts a baseline, and assists me in designing something.

• Travel distance unknown. Wings recommended.

This is so weird.
As if my thinking isn't entirely my own while it still is.
As little sense as that makes, I'm still fully myself, but at the same time, the presence somehow makes me think in ways that aren't natural for me.

• Suitable pattern. Assault beetle.

For some reason, I ultimately end up with the inner picture of some kind of fly with a stinger and a fierce pair of mandibles.
It would be smaller than a hunter but something tells me they'd be just as deadly.
The poison might not be so strong but a single one can already cause fierce wounds.
And they're thought to act in swarms.

While I'm contemplating all this I realize how weird it is to have all these thoughts.
They feel artificial.
As if they're not part of my character or even natural instincts but like the knowledge was embedded.
Maybe it's slightly similar to using a pheromone pod.
Only that this one is already linked to my very being and accessible when I'm in dire need of this knowledge.
Not like I'd know how the assault beetles could help me now.
And now my head feels funny.

 

"<My princess! What’s wrong?! Please, answer me!> (K)

 

Urgh.
And this barrage of concerned pheromones isn't going to help me get rid of this tension.

 

"Plop"

 

AND THIS CERTAINLY DOESN'T MAKE THINGS BETTER!!!

 

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