In terms of economy... we had no economy.
The Bits in the treasury were accumulated over time, funds that infiltrators brought back from their alt-identity's jobs once they packed up and left. My Hive had no income of any kind, no trade treaties, no alliances... no nothing of any kind.
And with our recent... debute in Canterlot, Equestrian vetting procedure and security was bound to get better, further diminishing the trickling income from infiltration.
That was a problem. Obviously.
There was, however, a second and much bigger problem looming over my head: the imminent famine.
Feeding my subjects, properly, was not a thing I regretted. Quite the opposite actually. As impulsive and possibly harmful as that decision was, it wonderfully symbolised the new direction I wanted to take the Hive in. A time of Food. An Era of plenty.
Hopefully the full stomachs will be enough for my Changelings not to question my plans.
Now, there was the obvious route to go down now: conquest.
Failure that it was, my- my predecessor's attack on Canterlot was based on a reasonable idea. Ponies = Love = Food. The podded ponies over in Love Storage more than supported this way of thinking. To think that simply abducting ponies would fix the food issue would have, technically, been correct.
Correct, and tested, as that was, I was impulsive and stubborn, as befitting of a Queen, and had no desire to do as Chrysalis did.
I was better than Chrysalis. I will be better than Celestia. And I was going to do it my way.
But first... I needed to have a long and hard think on my throne.
I had it. I tossed and turned on my throne - pretty sure i chipped a bit off with my horn too - for hours, but I had it.
It was so obvious in hindsight.
Why don't Changelings have an economy? They never needed one!
What do Changelings need? Love, thus ponies.
What do ponies need? An economy!
It was all so simple now that I figured it out! All I had to do was start an economy to attract ponies, and that goal would be the thing to base the foundation of the new Changeling economy on.
Housing, food, and water. The three things ponies needed to survive.
The lands around the Hive couldn't exactly offer much, since its all desert and dust, but at the very least we had some real estate. Prime, inside-Changeling-Lands, absolutely-nothing-for-miles, dustbowl real estate.
Houses needed amenities, which meant food and water, and maybe healthcare. I... some drone delivered me water while I was thinking on my throne, so we had at least one of those things sorted. Food could be bought, I had 100,000 Bits on hoof, and proper agriculture and the other parts of 'civilisation' can be figured out later.
Water, done.
Housing and food now.
That, I would need my Changelings for.
I threw my hoof at the open entrance to the throne room, catching a drone that happened to glance in completely by surprise.
"You, drone, I have need of you! Approach."
The drone stopped dead in their tracks as the familiar smell of fear wafted into the throne room. After a second of hesitation, they dutifully rushed forwards and bowed low at the foot of my throne. That action made a pleasant warm feeling rush through me and I couldn't help but smile as I addressed the drone.
"Rise. Tell me, drone, what is your job in my Hive."
He rose, shrank in on hinself when he noticed me smiling, and visibly swallowed before answering. "I'm a maintenance drone, my Queen. I help maintain and expand the Hive."
Jackpot.
"Do your duties include creating new rooms? Are you knowledgeable in structural integrity, safety, and other such things?"
The drone cocked its head at 'safety' but hurried to reply all the same. "Yes my Queen! I've been trained in maintenance and construction since I grew into a drone."
That response earned him a nod, and the stench of fear seemed to lessen slightly.
"What is your name, drone?"
Aaand the fear was back in full force for whatever reason.
"It- my name is Proboscis, my Queen."
Insect themed, nice. "Very well, Proboscis. I have new orders for you. A task of utmost importance that the future of the Hive depends on." The fear wafting off him lessened as he bowed his head in acknowledgment, wings flicking on his back - a sign of nervousness? "You are to build... houses, outside the Hive. At the foot of it, though a fair distance away. Pony houses."
He nodded, then stopped dead. He looked up at me as if I was mad. "You want 'pony houses', my Queen? Near the Hive?"
Proboscis tensed as my smile dropped in response to his... questioning. "Yes. Houses. Habitats. Shelters. Each is to have running water at the very least, like we do in the Hive." I leaned forward on my throne and looked down at him. "Is there an issue, drone?"
"O-of course not, my Queen! Your will be done!"
Thats more like it. The fear was back, but so was the obedience. Honestly, I feed these drones and barely a day later they start questioning me?
"As it should be. You may requisition any Changeling and material you require. I want quality, Proboscis. Don't go thinking that I'll be satisfied with a barely stable shack in the sands."
"I'd never think that, my Queen! I always work my hardest for you!"
My eyes bored into his for a moment before I leaned back into my throne and waved a dismissive hoof.
"You have two weeks before I come inspect your work. Dismissed."
Proboscis rushed out of the room the second the dismissal left my mouth, and I watched him go until he rounded the corner.
Thats housing... delegated, not done. Next up on the agenda: food.
A group of infiltrators, gorged on Love thanks to the fact that I ceased rationing, stood gathered before me at the foot of my throne. I spied around two dozen of them.
Also at the foot of my throne, were twelve sacks filled with Bits. 22,000 to be exact.
Fortunately the things looked far heavier than they actually were.
"Is this all my infiltrators?"
Silence reigned throughout the throne room until one of then stepped forwards.
"Yes, my Queen. The rest of us are either on missions or... requisitioned by some maintenance drone."
Good, Proboscis was doing his job. He probably needed the infiltrators for their first hoof experience with pony comforts and architecture or something. I nodded my approval.
"Good. I have a task for you." I said as I gestured to the bags of money. "You are to head to the nearest settlements and buy as much non-perishable foods as these funds permit. Edible for ponies."
The same infiltrator who stepped forward tilted her head. "My Queen... why?"
I met the infiltrators curious gaze with what I hoped was an imperious one. These Changelings didn't seem to be as inherently scared of me as the other drones - something to file away for later.
But confident enough to question the Queen? To question, for all intents and purposes, Chrysalis?
First Proboscis, and now the infiltrators as a group, questioning me at the very first steps of the plan.
"Because I ordered it. I expect your return in no more than two weeks."
She stood motionless at the front of her group, staring up at my throne with an expectant expression as if she was waiting for someething. Whatever it was she was waiting for, it didn't happen as one of her fellow infiltrators obediently stepped forward and grabbed a bag of bits with a bow before departing.
One by one, all of them did so and filed out of the throne room.
Something... something about that unsettled me, for whatever reason, but I quickly banished the thought with a shake of my head. I'm a Queen! My authority is inherent, I wasn't about to let some jumped-up drone unsettle me.
They went off to do as told, anyway.
Water... already done.
Housing... in progress.
Food... also in progress.
Everything was set in motion now. I've gambled two weeks of time into this plan so far. The Hive was all in.
Naturally, I settled in to spend that time reclined on my throne. Thinking.