The Hive: Part Two (complete)

Female Main Character x Nonbinary Monster

Forty is much kinder to me than Twenty-Two, or at least more attentive. Twenty-Two only seems to want to be around me when there is a need for tests, or prodding, or something uncomfortable. Forty brings me food and new clothes, and they dress me and talk to me more than Twenty-Two does.

Forty tells me stories, ones that sound familiar, just told from the perspective of a different set of eyes. My father told me that once that our kind, humanity, used to live together, staying in some of the structures we passed regularly on our journey. There was a time when we didn’t have to keep running, when being still was preferential. But then They came, and humans had to separate. There were less and less of us because of what They were doing.

In Forty’s stories, they tell me about how humans were cruel and angry, how their own ignorance and fear caused them to lose a great gift. Since they refused it, they had to leave behind the life they knew, learning for themselves the error of their choice. Only once they were ready could they accept that gift. “We need humans to live,” Forty tells me. “They’re important, and we know how to take care of them.”

I frown deeply at them. “How do you know?”

“Twenty-Two and I have studied humans for a long time. We know all about them, their history, their health, their habits. The triple H, as we liked to say.” They chortle like they’ve made a joke, but the sound fades when they read my expression. “There are others like you, nomads who spend their lives traveling from place to place. Most of them forget how to speak, though, or they tend to forget languages. We’ve rarely met a nomad who speaks as well as you do.”

“My father had books,” I murmur.

Forty grows still for a moment, taking on a statue-like quality that makes me question if they are alive at all. “You can also read?”

“Some,” I answer. “The books belonged to my mother.”

A sharp buzzing comes through the room, a sound I have grown to associate with Twenty-Two, who remains behind the glass. “How did your mother come to own a book?”

I rub my ears, hating the noise Twenty-Two makes. “I don’t know. She died after I was born, and my father never talked about her.”

“Where are the books now?” Twenty-Two asks.

I shake my head. “Gone. They fell apart, or I had to burn them for fuel as I traveled. I can’t use books to survive.”

“Have you ever met any other humans who knew the same language as you?” Twenty-Two continues to question me, and it’s growing aggravating. They always ask so many questions. I think of He and the short time we spent together. I’m reminded of his body, his touch, the way his voice breathed into my ear as he lay inside me. I grow warm at the thought, unable to forget those moments even now.

“Darling?” Forty’s voice is soft.

“No,” I lie. “The only other human I knew was my father, and I had to leave him behind.”

Twenty-Two sighs heavily. “Don’t lie to me, darling.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I clutch the hem of my dress. “I’m not.”

Forty raises their head. “Why would she lie, Twenty-Two? There’s no reason for it. Remember the head covering she was wearing here? She probably always tried to hide that way, like the rest of the nomads do.”

Twenty-Two goes silent and still like Forty did.

“It’s alright. It doesn’t matter right now.” Forty places their hand over mine. It's heavy and cold and the joints feel strange. “We have Darling now, and everything is going to be okay.”

Twenty-Two tilts their head to the side. “Just one isn’t going to save humanity. We need more humans, especially females. If she’s seen any more, it’s imperative that we know!”

“I haven’t. At least none like me,” I speak up. “I would never tell you if I did.”

Twenty-Two leans closer to the glass. “If you understood what was at stake, you would talk. But your inferior brain won’t let you comprehend the severity of the situation. All you humans want is to eat and fornicate, and run from your destiny like the terrified little rodents you are.”

“Twenty-Two! That’s awful,” Forty snaps at them. “Apologize.”

“Not to that animal.” Twenty-Two scoffs and walks away from the glass.

Forty sighs, sitting back down and lowering their head. “Well, I’ll apologize to you. They have no right to speak to you in such a way. I’m sorry, Darling.”

My brow crinkles. I couldn’t care about what Twenty-Two has to say to me, and perhaps they are right. I just don’t understand one thing. “What’s ‘fornicate’?” I ask. “I don’t know that word.”

“Oh,” Forty exclaims. “Well, I suppose that is a strange word to an unlearned tongue.” They inch closer to me. “Fornicate is another word for intercourse.”

I continue to stare in confusion.

“Copulation,” Forty tosses out. “Sex?” They sigh when I don’t respond to what they’re saying. “When two, possibly more, come together and…” Forty hesitates and shakes their head. “It’s how you were made, and how most mammals are created. You really don’t know these words?”

I shake my head. Forty sighs and stands, going over to the screen on the wall. They sometimes use it to play music for me or show me pictures of the old world. They bring up something on the screen, and at first I see someone like me, but then there is another, a man. “See?” Forty taps the screen. “Watch what they do.”

The man and woman on screen come close. Their lips press together and their voices become breathy. I move closer to the screen in curiosity, standing close as the man and woman lay together. The man touches the woman all over, his hands playing with her body like clay. The woman pants and arches her back, wanting to be touched more. Then, they share one another. Music begins to play as they roll around together on the floor.

“Oh!” I lick my lips. “I’ve done this before.”

Forty is very still. “You have?”

I shift in my seat as I watch the man and woman. “Yes,” I whisper. “We shared one another. It was nice.” I have that same burning ache that I did with He, only now I have no way to quell it. I knead the heel of my hand against my groin, but I only feel the pressure build as I continue to watch.

Forty turns the screen off, and I am both relieved and frustrated. “So you’ve met other humans like you.”

The hair on the back of my neck bristles, and I quickly race over to Forty, clutching their arm and shaking it. “Don’t tell Twenty-Two!” I beg them. “Please! I don’t even know where he went. It would be impossible to find him!”

“I won’t.” Forty cups my cheek. “And don’t worry, we’re finding you a proper mate. You’ll be able to share your body as much as you desire, Darling. In fact, we’re counting on it.”

I look into the hole on Forty’s face, pursing my brow with concern. “Another human?” I don’t want to share my body with anybody but He. The idea of another, possibly more, makes me itch all over.

“A man,” Forty murmurs. “A big, handsome one who will take care of you, and make love to you.”

“Make love?”

Forty chuckles as they run their fingers through my hair. “It’s like what you’ve done before, only better.”

I nod shyly and look away. All I know is He, and the idea of another made me itch all over again. I don’t want another, but maybe that feeling in my groin means I do.

“Go and lie down, Darling. Get some rest.” Forty tucks me into bed. “I’ll start making you supper.”

Once Forty leaves, I pull the blankets over my head, trying to block out what I was just shown. The music is still playing, quietly, but I can hear it. I tug up my clothes under the covers. I remember how He kissed my belly and thighs, how his big hands pushed open my legs and the way his fingers rubbed my groin. I reach my own hand down, mimicking his touch. I’ve done it before, finding it pleasurable before I face the moons. I’m wet and hot already, aching for something. Rubbing myself, I find some relief. Imagining He and his body, I grow more desperate.

I try to keep quiet, but sometimes I moan. I press my face into the pillow, running my fingers through the growing wetness. I wonder what my new mate will be like. I wonder what his body will be like. I push my fingers inside myself, imagining He holding my hips. I whimper as something rolls out from inside me, pushing and pushing until it bursts. I whine into the pillow, jerking my hips until I can no longer stand my own touch. Lying completely relaxed, warm and sated, I close my eyes to rest for a moment. I feel bathed in warm sunlight, my skin soft and responsive, my body eased and tender. I sigh in relief and let a smile spread across my face.

One day, Forty puts a collar around my neck with a leash on it, similar to what I used on Nanny. They take me outside, showing me to the farm they and Twenty-Two keep, with all sorts of animals, including Nanny and more goats like her. “We’ve been collecting since we got here,” Forty says. “In preparation for housing humans in a comfortable environment. Now that we have you, we can finally begin filling this place.”

As I’m petting Nanny, I feel a tug on the collar. I turn to see Forty standing there, watching me. “Is there a reason you want to save humans?” I ask.

“I told you, Darling, we need them!” Forty tugs again, urging me closer. “Humans are such fragile things, and we never realized that when we came here. There were so many of you then, we never thought in our wildest dreams that we would ever run out.”

I shake my head, confused by Forty’s words. “I don’t understand.”

Forty pulls the leash again. “Come, Darling, and I will tell you a story.”

I step closer, and once I am in reach Forty takes my hand. They sit down, placing me in their lap, and stroke my hair and down my back, tilting their head to the side. “We came to earth as a collective, Twenty-Two and I and all the rest of us. We had been waiting for this world to become inhabitable for a long time. We usually like a world to reach a certain level of development when we make contact.” Their hand on my back stills. “But this world was strange, very different from what we were used to, so we came a bit early. We wanted to help humans, to improve their lives, but they became hostile at our approach.”

I shrug up my shoulders. “Why?”

“They perceived us as a threat, but all along we were supposed to be here. Humans were meant for us. But we just never realized how fragile you were.” Their hand rests on the nape of my neck, just below the collar. “Your poor little bodies decay so quickly.”

I’m stiff and clammy all over. Something about this story frightens me. “I don’t understand.”

“Human bodies are very responsive, Darling,” they chuckle. “You know that. But they are only temporary, and unfortunately our influence only made them fade quicker.”

I shake my head, holding my breath all the while.

“It’s alright, Darling. You won’t be used like that.” Forty rubs my back again. “You are to be the start of a new generation for us. We will have living, breathing bodies again, and touch and taste and desires same as you. Of course, we will keep some to continue to breed for us.”

“Us?”

“The collective.” Forty lays their hand on their chest. “Twenty-Two and I and the others are all of one being. We can live as individuals, but still be part of the whole.” They hold up one finger, then spread out the rest of their hand. “We came to share the flesh of humans, so we could have an existence outside our hive. But as I said, humans decay so quickly under our influence, and we have run out. We had to rely on other forms in order to exist on this planet. We are given these bodies, mannequins and figures, until we earn a human form.” They pat the top of my head. “You are going to give us flesh again! You’re so special, Darling.”

“What did you do before? Why… why do you need me at all?”

Forty sighs. “It seems our presence in the flesh caused a disruption. Usually, we would be able to continue on making more, but we are unable to breed amongst ourselves in human bodies. Your bodies just… stopped, at some point. They died, and we had to take on forms like these.” They rub their hand over their body. “Inanimate things, just to keep our own individuality so we can work on bringing humanity back.”

“You just take? What about the person?” I still don’t fully understand, or maybe I don’t want to understand.

“We make life better. What is there not to understand?” Forty puts me on the ground and rises. “Your children will have lives grander than you could ever understand, Darling. You will be the mother of our new flesh.”

I clutch my hands around the collar on my neck, tugging on it. “You and Twenty-Two will be my children?”

“Better!” Forty tugs the leash. “Now come along, Darling. There is a reason I had to bring you out today.” Forty takes me back inside, leading me further into the building than before. They take me to a room that’s all white, and undo the collar there. Forty sets me on a table and has me lie back on it. My legs are lifted up, held by arms at the foot of the table.

“Twenty-Two is going to give you an exam and make sure you're healthy enough to breed.” Forty pushes up my dress so my lower half is exposed. They rub something cold and wet against me.

I sit up and look down. “What are you doing?”

“It’s only lube, Darling, it’s okay.” Forty coaxes. “Do you want me to stop? I can let you do it, if you’d like.”

I lie back again and frown up at the ceiling, then close my eyes. “Forty, I’m scared,” I whisper, hoping Twenty-Two can’t hear.

Forty’s touch leaves me. “Don’t be, Darling. Everything is going to be okay. Even if it turns out you can’t breed, I’m going to keep you safe and sound. Okay?”

This barely quells my fear, but I know I have to accept. Forty continues to touch, and their fingers are cold, but something about it feels nice. Only He and I have touched there, and now Forty as well. Gentle music begins to play and I open my eyes again, taking a soft, relieved breath. “Not too cold, is it?” Forty asks.

“No,” I breathe.

“You’re getting wet, Darling. Don’t tell me this arouses you?” they laugh.

The door opens again, and Twenty-Two comes in pushing a cart. Forty stands and I look away. “She’s prepped and ready, so let’s begin,” Twenty-Two says. They sit down where Forty had been. “Sit still now, Darling. I’m going to be taking some samples and give you an exam. Nothing should hurt you.” They spread me open with their fingers then push something inside. They poke and prod, and after a while Twenty-two stands again.

“Your next cycle should be starting soon. We’ll be bringing in your mate so you can get to know him before you ovulate.” Twenty-Two takes off the gloves and throws them away. “You self-lubricate very well. You should be proud.”

I grunt as I sit up. “You know I have no idea what that means.”

Twenty-Two chuckles. “Once I send these results in, we’ll be able to find a perfect mate for you. If we’re lucky, two or three, to assure you become pregnant.” Twenty-Two looks down at me. “Do you know what that means?”

“A baby,” I murmur.

“Good girl, Darling.” Twenty-Two pats the top of my head. “Once your menstrual cycle begins, we will bring in your mate.”

I’m taken back to my room and given a meal. I’m left alone for a while, but a day later, Forty comes in looking excited. “All your results are wonderful! We’ve not seen a specimen like you in ages. With any luck, we should be able to get multiples from you in the first go.”

I feel a bit uneasy. “Multiples?”

“Twins! Maybe even triplets. Or, you see, two or more babies at once. Humans usually only have one, but the release of multiple eggs can mean a multiple conception.” They chuckle excitedly. “If things go well, Twenty-Two and I could have new bodies at the same time.”

I shake my head. “That sounds scary.”

“You won’t have to worry about a thing! You’re going to be taken such good care of here. You won’t have to fear anything.” Forty strokes at the top of my head. “Your mate will be here soon too. Aren’t you excited?”

“No,” I whisper.

“Oh, Darling!” Forty coos. “Don’t be nervous. This is what humans are made for.” They pat my cheek. “We made sure to find a nice, docile male for you. Once you get used to him, we can bring in another male who's a little more aggressive.”

I pull away. “I don’t want to be here. Why can’t you just find someone else?”

Forty tilts their head to the side and sighs. “We’ve tried, Darling, that’s the whole point. You’re a miracle! Why can’t you see that this is what you were made for?”

Forty tries to approach, but I retreat towards the corner. “Just leave me alone!” I yell.

“You need to eat, Darling. Your cycle should be starting soon, and you’ll need all the strength you can get.” Forty pushes the plate towards me. “I’ll leave, but if you don’t eat, I will have to make you.” They leave, but I don’t move from the corner.

I’m woken from sleep as Twenty-Two yanks me. They pull me up and put the collar around my neck. “Come on now, look sharp. We have to get you ready to meet your new mate.”

“No!” I kick and claw at Twenty-Two, but their solid, hard body doesn’t feel anything. Twenty-Two pulls me, picking me up under my armpits and lifting me into the air.

“You need to behave! You’ve done so well, and these past couple of days, you’ve started acting like a little asshole again,” Twenty-Two scoffs. “Don’t you understand we’re just trying to do what is best for you, Darling?”

I kick again, but Twenty-Two throws me down on the bed. “You do whatever you want! You don’t care about me! You only care about yourselves! I’m not your animal!”

Twenty-Two pulls me up towards their face. “How dare you? I’ve been working day and night to assure your comfort and safety. I’ve been building a paradise for when you and your mate are together. You will want for nothing, fear for nothing, and only know joy.” Twenty-Two lets go of me. “Stop acting like a monster and realize you will never have to struggle again. No hunger, no pain, no sickness. You are in the lap of luxury few could ever hope to have.”

I look up at Twenty-Two angrily, thrashing against their grasp. They push me back and put the collar around my neck again, attaching the leash. I keep my head low.

“There’s a good girl,” they whisper. “Now come along.” They tug the leash, leading me through the building, then the garden and farm. Beyond it is a small house. Forty steps out and lets us inside, where there is a bed, table and chairs. There’s another door in the back, and I hope it’s an exit. Soft music plays, like it did back in my room, the sort of lulling tune that makes me sleepy and bored.

Forty urges me close, pointing to a figure lying on the bed. “He’s still sleeping, but once he wakes up I’m sure he’ll be excited to see you.” They remove the leash, but leave the collar.

“We’ll be watching, and in case anything turns sour we have ways of protecting you both,” Twenty-Two says. They leave, and once they do, I rush to the other door. It swings open but it isn’t an exit - it’s a bathroom. All the walls inside the house are solid, with no escape. I go to the door I came through and bang on it. I try to work my fingers into the grooves, tugging and pulling, but finding no way to force it open. I run back into the bathroom, searching for something I can use, but there are only soft objects, nothing sharp or hard I can remove on my own.

As I race around, the soft music continues to play. I stand still and take a breath, turning to look back at the bed where the man is. He stirs, then rises slowly from the bed, wobbling slightly. “Who’s there?” His voice croaks from sleep. His hair has been shorn like mine, and he has no beard at all. I keep low to the floor, watching him as he stands up off the bed. He’s tall and has dark skin, and almost looks familiar. I stand up, looking him over. Approaching slowly, I stretch out my hand to touch his face.

He smiles with soft lips and white teeth. “I never thought I’d see you again,” he whispers.

My hands begin to trouble. “He?”

“She,” he says softly. He takes hold of my hands. “I’ve not stopped thinking about you in all this time.”

“How is this possible?” I can barely catch my breath. “This must be a trick!”

He leans in, pressing his lips to mine. I lick his mouth, thrusting my tongue inside. I taste him, I drink him. My hands squeeze his until I have to lock him in an embrace. Twenty-Two and Forty must be happy to see this, but I don’t care. I have He back in my life.

He pulls back, pressing his finger to my lips. “We have to be careful,” he whispers. “You know why we’re here, right?”

“To breed,” I whisper.

He leans close, pressing his lips to my ear. “We need to be smart about this, She. I have a plan, but you and I are going to have to work together on this. Together, we can escape.”

The gentle music grows louder, and I smile tranquilly at him. “Okay, I’ll do anything,” I whisper to him.

I look into his dark eyes and nod, pressing another kiss to his lips. He pulls me down into bed with him and we remove all our clothes. He lies on top of me, just like before, and I start to cry because I’ve missed him so much. He licks my tears from my cheeks and breathes the same breath as me.

Moving with one another, He and I become one. His body surges, mine trembles. His remains strong while mine turns weak and susceptible. My voice escapes in loud, pleasured wails. His growls are quiet and only for me, deep inside my ear. His pleasure is mine and only mine. I know this is what They wanted from us, and I wanted to stave it off as long as possible. But I gave in so easily, so did He.

We lie in bed, silent but connected. He kisses my hair and neck, rubbing his hands down my skin. “I was captured not long after we met,” he whispers. “I was trying to find you. I’d gone off my path, and before I knew it I was with Them.”

I look up into his face, running my fingertips down the bridge of his nose. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just afraid.” He kisses my forehead. “I kept thinking about you. It gave me an anchor to hold on to. Even when they insisted I was safe and loved, I wasn’t certain.”

“They tell me that too,” I whisper. “But I feel like no more than a pet to them. I feel like Nanny. Sometimes, it seems I don’t have control of myself.”

He rubs my back. “It’s the music,” he says so quietly I almost can’t hear him. “It’s something about the music that they use against us.”

I remain still, not reacting to his words. “How?”

“I’m not certain,” he breathes. “But it’s what they use to keep us humans docile when they need us to behave.” He wraps his arms around me. “One of the elders I was with told me that secret, but none have figured a way to combat it. As long as they have that music, we can’t escape.”

To escape and journey with him would be a dream come true. I would gladly give up any comfort to see that future. I look up into He’s soft brown eyes and smile. “It does me well to see such a face. Have they been treating you well here?”

“As well as they are able,” He answers. “And you?”

“The same. But I don’t know what to think of them or my place here. I’ve never been so still for so long, and it’s a little maddening to me.” I lay my head against his chest to hide my face. The music begins to die away.

He sighs heavily, and his arms tighten. “I understand. For a long time now, I, too, have been struggling with it. Keep questioning. Those of the Hive only want us to breed so they can gain new bodies for themselves.”

“Forty said they wanted to save humanity.”

He shakes his head. “They only want to keep enough of us around in order to have human forms. They’ll take our young and completely remove what the child could have been, replacing everything with themselves. The Hive took over this world. Before them, humans lived all over this planet! They had cities and governments and lives all their own.”

I look around the house. The music is making me feel sleepy, but I want to hear what He has to say. “How do you know all this?”

“Knowledge passed through at the Kennel. I learned everything I could. Many don’t speak, but those who do are eager to pass on their knowledge.” He sits down with me on the bed. “Your handlers only want you here so they can get human bodies. Once they’re done with you, I’m sure they’ll sell you to the Kennel with me.”

I clutch his hand. “What will they do to me there?”

He looks apologetically at me. He touches my face and gently strokes my hair aside. “You’ll keep producing children so the Hive will have bodies. Once you’re done, they’ll give your body to a member of the Hive as well.”

I scowl at this. “What exactly is the Hive?”

“A collection of organisms. They’re able to share a consciousness, and the Hive knows everything the individual organism knows. Their knowledge is vast, and they’ve amassed great power.”

I feel the same way I did the first time I walked into the Mall, when I looked up to that big dome and felt like I was worshipping some long-forgotten god. “We can’t fight something like that,” I whisper, frightened. “There’s just no way! It's all too big!”

He pulls me into a hug and whispers into my ear. “I assure you, there is.” He then presses his forehead to mine. “I will never return to the Kennel. I can promise you that.”

We lie in the bed, and the music makes me drowsy. I keep my eyes on He, not wanting to go a second without seeing him. “I’ll do whatever it takes to escape,” I whisper. “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. I’ve made it most of my life alone, doing everything I had to. If you’re with me, I think I can do anything.”

He smiles and presses his lips to mine. The warmth of his body, the gentle touch of his hand all feel like a dream. If only that music would go away, everything would be perfect. I pull He closer, thinking if all I could hear is his voice, the music wouldn’t matter.