Day 0 - Prologue: 3/3
[HIGH SCORE]
Faced with the inspiring statue, the two newbies look down and 47989’s hive link instinctively shares the knowledge required for reading.
“We asked 387 to help us write it in proper scribbles to make it so that even a pony would know who this was,” 47989 answers the unspoken question out loud, “High Score was the best drone to ever live. It did things that might sound completely impossible but that just proves how amazing a drone it was.”
“Whoooooah,” 99112 touches the statue’s leg reverently.
“What did it do?” asks 99448.
“It could make high ranks not eat us… sometimes. It could also dig tunnels so quickly that it already had sleepy time while it was still worky time,” 99112’s jaw drops when 47989 says that, “ And one time a bitey melter bit High Score. After five days of excruciating pain, the bitey melter died. Still, if you want to know the full story, you gotta find the Potatoes.”
“Whozzat?” 99448 tilts its head.
“The drones who were with High Score before it went on to destroy the ultimate evil dream bad guy alongside 65536 and the soup princess. I was there only for the big fight,” 47989 smiles, “Fun times. Scary but fun. Fary? Scun? Combining words is hard. Anyway, this place is for all of us to remember High Score and for you new guys to know there’s someone who watches over you and inspires you to do your best even when you feel small, the tunnel is collapsing, and everything feels too tough.”
“Awwww!” 99112 smiles.
“Speaking of the Potatoes,” 47989 nods towards the raised dais in the back under the balcony where 36658, 20100, and 57999 are in the middle of a chat, “There they are. Looks like we made it in time, they’re about to start.”
It approaches the trio with 99112 in tow.
“Hi, guys!” 47989 greets them, “Whose turn is it today?”
“Mine!” 57999 beams, “I’ll be talking about the time High Score dealt with a wall of fake changelings side by side with 387. But I decided to make it special this time - it’ll be a tractor.”
“What’s that?”
“I won’t just be talking. We’ll play pretend to show everyone how it went.”
“Woooow, I love the idea!” 47989 stops its hooves in excitement, “Who’s playing the wall?”
“I got a bunch of newbies to help!” 57999 gives it a proud smile, “I’m playing High Score and I asked a few guys to practice standing on each other.”
“Buuut the fake changelings were flying,” 47989 tilts its head.
“True, true,” 57999 doesn’t lose any of its enthusiasm, “But this way I can make them trip and have the whole wall crumble.”
“Buuut that’s not what happened,” 47989 keeps poking the holes in the story, “At least I think, but I can be wrong. I have had rocks fall on me a bunch of times since then. Some were pretty heavy.”
“No, no, you’re remembering it correctly,” 57999 doesn’t stop smiling for a moment, “But doesn’t my version just sound way more, you know, High Score-y?”
“Ooooh!” 47989 finally nods in understanding, “Can’t argue with that. That would make for a much better play- uhh- tractor.”
“Yup! 36658 is playing 387 and 20100 will be 156.”
“I’m the mean but eventually kind-hearted infiltrator!” 20100 bounces up and down.
“And I’m a smarty warrior who argues with you but deep down I like you and we hug in secret when no one is looking!” 36658 grins.
“Eeeeee, I can’t wait!” 47989’s eyes go wide before-
>10013<
“Gasp! That’s a drone number!” 47989 blinks when the hive mind starts publicly broadcasting, making the buzzing and chatter all around stop as all the gathered drones start looking around.
>20100, 36658<
“Those too!” 99448 concludes after a brief moment of deep thinking.
>99111, 99526, 99380, :-)<
“Eeep! That was almost me,” 99112 hugs 99448 for safety, “Wait, what was that last one?”
>93, 387. Everyone, report to the throne room immediately!<
The order is followed by every mentioned changeling’s mind lighting up with a marker on the shared hive map. Granted, most ranked changelings know precisely where the throne room is, but in the case of drones that’s certainly not true.
“Awww…” 57999 pouts, “GUYS, WHO WANNA PLAY 387 AND 156 TODAY INSTEAD OF 36658 AND 20100?”
Among the chorus of ‘me me me!’s, the seven called out drones gather at the High Score memorial exit, look back at everyone, and leave without a word. Everyone knows the rules:
If we don’t come back, whoever finds our stash gets to keep what’s in there.
***
10013 withers under the gaze of two warriors guarding the entrance to the throne room, pulling its head between its shoulders. The other five drones are visibly shaking, and it’s clear that the only thing stopping them from running away is the hive mind marker pulsating inside their head… and the knowledge that if either of the warriors wanted to do anything to them there would be nothing to save them. As for Smiley, it sits down behind everyone else, waiting for what’s about to happen.
“W-We’re supposed t-to go in…” peeps 10013.
The left warrior scoffs but nods sideways to a small, oval hole next to him. As he touches the black wall with his hoof, the hole expands into a fully functional, still oval, entrance.
“T-Thank you,” 10013 forces a polite smile before heading in. It probably won’t help but it can’t hurt.
The throne room is vast, dwarfing the High Score’s memorial, but it’s just a cavern, not actual architecture. In its center sits a large throne made of black rock not found anywhere else in the hive. The eyes of the three new drones go wide as they see the queen for the first time, and even the survivors of the Canterlot invasion who only met her for a short while after surviving their return to the hive feel a little unreal.
Right under the throne there are three ranked changelings, two female infiltrators and one male warrior whom the hive mind identifies as 93, 156, and 387. Just like giving drones break time and other freedoms, the new rules allow ranked changelings a custom trait in their natural form, which 387 used to simply change the color of his carapace to mossy dark green. 156, having often been picked for her experience over the few existing higher ranked changelings whenever the queen decided to leave the hive, is sporting a corset-like decoration on her barrel. 93, for reasons unknown to the drones, decided to grow a grey mane that’s now tied to a smooth ponytail.
10013 breathes out, tripping as it takes a step forward and its forelegs tangle on each other but catching itself before it can faceplant on the floor.
“W-we’re here, Your M-Majesty.”
AS IF SHE DIDN’T KNOW, YOU DUMMY!
To its surprise, Chrysalis actually smiles at the drone group as she sits up, giving them something close to a heart attack.
“Now will you talk?” 387 rolls his eyes at the queen, earning a furious glare from 93.
“You will not speak to the queen in this manner-” she hisses at him.
“The energy of youth,” 387 snickers, nudging 156, “She reminds me of old you.”
156 just smacks the back of his head.
“Well done, 156,” Chrysalis nods at her and levitates up a small tube, “Now that everyone is finally here, I assume you want to know why.”
“...you think…?!” 387 mutters, glaring.
“Then, with no further ado - here it is!” Chrysalis unscrews the top of the tube, presenting a floating piece of gold-foiled paper to 387, “We, as a new, allied power in Equestria, received an invitation to a cruise followed by a stay in an island holiday resort, all expenses paid. The goal seems to be to get to know other members of nobility from all over the continent.”
“Who in all holes invited us?” asks 387 immediately, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
In response, Chrysalis beams.
“The baroness of Northern San Palomino herself and her partner.”
“You’re saying that as if I should know them,” 387 tilts his head.
“You really need to get out more,” Chrysalis shakes her head in fake pity, “However, whether you know or don’t know them is immaterial. The cruise ship leaves from Manehattan in a week, and it’s a long trek from here. So pack up anything you deem useful and we’re leaving in two hours.”
“Just… one final question, if you don’t mind.”
“I do mind, but what wouldn’t I suffer for such a precious member of my hive, right?” Chrysalis keeps her cool, which is only more of a reason for 387 to distrust her.
“If this really is just a polite invitation from some politician to get us to know the, ugh, cream of the Equestrian crop, then why are you taking a bunch of drones and only one warrior and one infiltrator as your retinue? That’s… dangerous to you, if nothing else.”
Chrysalis doesn’t even flinch at the question.
“Your concern for my safety is appreciated, 387, and in the same way I can only ascribe my decision to having learned a little from you as well. After all, wouldn’t you say that drones are the least threatening members of our species, and as such the most suited to being seen in public, considering our current situation? Besides, you were all about showing them what the world outside of the deep tunnels looks like, and now you have the chance.”
With a sigh, 387 admits he lost. He looks up at smiling Chrysalis lounging on the throne one more time before turning around to leave.
“I understand, Your Majesty. Drones, meet me here in twenty minutes,” he pings a hive map location, “Bring everything you’ve got in your stashes and I’ll help you pick anything that might be useful on the trip.”
“Will do!” 10013 nods, and all drones rush out.
387 leaves the throne room as well.
She’s not THAT stupid, so what’s her angle?
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Only one issue. Not enough chapters. Love tnis story so much, I have withdrawal as soon as I finish new chapters.
Chrysalis is keeping 387 off balance by not giving him, or at least not telling about they can now have Equestrian newspapers delivered to the hive, to read, eat and make party hats with?
I see the drones have been...embellishing...the tale.
But that was to be expected.
Also, I'm glad to see they ran with the "Potatoes" moniker, and that their embellishments are, indeed, rather Chuck Norris-esque.
That is usually the line of logic in which these sort of things end up getting...embellished...upon.
So question: do these public broadcasts in the hive mind begin with an attention-grabbing "booooop" sound, like a lot of intercoms? Because that'd seem very fitting in my mind.
Smiley, obviously--learn your emotes, drone!
She does have a point, and it was partly that very fact that made past pony-changeling relations mostly successful in the previous story.
That all said, Chryssi's definitely up to something with this. She's talking about it only in barebone basics and in this kind of smug "I know something you don't know" kind of manner. It almost feels like she's daring 387 to figure it out himself.
No idea what her game is as of yet, though. Gut instinct and past precedent would make me want to assume something nefarious, but given circumstances and how this Chryssi isn't totally the same Chryssi she once was, gives me a lot of pause on that. Still, wouldn't surprise me if whatever it is is more for her own personal gain than anyling else's. After all, still got a mighty ego, that one.
11170899
You just know that chrysalis is going to check in on it and it's going to be filled with terabytes worth of cat and pony pictures XD
11171050
Unfortunately, I have only one head and that's occupied mostly by work and survival. Gotta live and eat and have a roof over my head to write.
11171121
I'd say the main problem is the Badlands being so far away from everywhere rather than Chrysalis blocking access these days.
11171720
You're... probably not wrong, tbh. The drones would need to find some cats or ponies, though. The hive is hard to get to.
11171523
- I'm bending the Chuck Norris Facts as hard as I can.
- Welcome to the entire religious subtext of this story. Will there be a crusade? Of course not, due to the lack of crosses.
- They start with *Chrrrr* Is this thing on? *Bop bop bop.*
- Drones eat emotes!
- Yes.
I saw that chuck Norris joke
I approve
Odd, but I don't see any Three fans arguing about that statement.