on a lark | Glowfic Constellation

This is a desert. It's very hot and sandy. There might be an orchard over there. There's some weird-looking trees in neat rows, at least, but no animals or people are currently visible from here.

Well, time to take off the hoodie and tie it around her waist, then, it's too warm for layers. She goes to the trees for shade.

The trees are only moderately shady, but they're certainly better than nothing. They're growing little black nut-like things that aren't like anything she's seen. A bettle scurries up one tree.

There is a door set into a little hill, a few dozen rows of trees in. From the shape of the little hill it might be covering a staircase leading down.

She picks a black nut-thing and puts it in her jean pocket, then heads for the door.

The door: Is a door.

It doesn't have a lock or latch, just a little handle. It's pretty heavy for a door, though.

Well, can she haul it open with all her ten-year-old strength?

It sticks on little piles of sand at first, but opens easily enough once these are moved out of the way.

She can scoot sand out of the way and go look around in the tunnel, then.

The tunnel is fairly tall and wide. It contains pipes and wires and what might be a control panel of some kind, but no side-tunnels or doors for a while.

It's dark in there. There are lights that turn on as she approaches, but they're not as bright as a human would like.

Well, then she'll squint and step carefully. It's better than burning up in the sun outside.

The tunnel is flat enough that she's in no danger of tripping. And it gets better once her eyes adjust.

About five minutes of walking down the tunnel brings her face to face with some sort of adult-human-sized insect pushing a big cart.

This creature is surprised! It stops the cart and asks, "What are you?"

She is surprised too! She stops walking. "I'm - I'm a human. What are you?"

"I am a Hiver Worker." It now smells strange. A bit like pine. (This means it's excited and curious.) "Did I just accidentally discover intelligent alien life as I was going to harvest oilnuts?"

"...I guess you did, if you've never seen anything like me before."

"The Great Hive holds a hundred and more planets, but have found nothing more intelligent than a Yart. This is momentous. I want to introduce you to our scientists and our Princess."

There are several subtle changes in its scent during this, that seem to be used almost like tone of voice in humans.

"Meeting a princess sounds like fun."

"She is the leader of the hive, whose wisdom helps us grow on this new world. Please wait, I will ask the warrior forces to inform the Princess of you."

It scuttles off to that 'control panel' and touches its hands to it.

"The Princess would indeed like to meet you. This place is far from the central hive, however. She will send a vehicle."

"Okay."

"...I have been relieved of farming duties today, to escort you. What are humans like? What do humans eat? I will answer your questions about Hivers as well."

"Humans look like me, most of them are taller though. We eat things like peanut butter and rice and chicken and bread and apples. You might not have those things here though. You look kind of like a giant bug, are you a bug?"

"That word is not quite translating in... Whatever you are using to translate. I do not know what a 'bug' is. Hivers have exoskeletons and come in many different shapes, and the Princess is the mother of hundreds of thousands of us. Hivers mostly eat sweet things, fruit and juice and sugar."

"I don't actually know what I'm using to translate," she says reflectively. "Anyway it sounds like you are probably a kind of bug."

"If you know of 'bugs' with similar properties, then perhaps. I imagine our scientists would like to discuss it with you. How can you not know what tools you are using? It's very strange. I know you aren't speaking in my language. You can't even make the right sounds."

"...I just don't know."