The Hive: Part Two (rough draft)

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

There are stories that Forty tells me, ones that sound familiar, just told from the perspective of a different set of eyes. My father had told me that once, 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 moving or running, a time when being still was preferential. But then They came, and humans had to separate, had to fracture. There became less and less of us because of what They were doing.

In their stories, Forty tells about how humans were cruel and angry, how their own ignorance and fear caused them to lose a great gift. But since they refused it, they had to leave the life they knew, learning for themselves the error of the mistake they made. Only once they were ready, could they accept that gift again.

“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 funny 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, never ceasing, never settling. Most of them forget how to speak, though, or they tend to forget the 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 were alive at all. “You can also read?”

“Some,” I answer. “They had belonged to my mother.”

There’s a sharp buzz 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 that 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. “In different places. They fell apart, or I had to make choices 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 as I try to forget.

“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 as well.”

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 into my hands. “I am not.”

Forty raises their head. “Why would she lie, Twenty-Two? There is no reason for it. Remember the masked hood she was wearing here? She probably has 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 anyways right now.” Forty places their hand over mine, it's heavy and cold and the joints feel strange. “We have Darling now, everything is going to be okay.”

Twenty-Two tilts their head to the side. “Just one isn’t going to save humanity, you know this. We need more humans, especially females. If she has seen any more, it is imperative 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 little brain won’t let you comprehend the severity of the situation. All you humans want is to eat and fornicate, and run from your destinies 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 will apologize to you. They have no right to speak to you in such a way. I’m sorry, Darling.”

My brow is pinched. I couldn’t care about what Twenty-Two has to say to me, perhaps they are right. I just don’t understand something they said. “What’s fornicate?” I ask. “I don’t know that word.”

“Oh,” Forty exclaims in surprise. “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 just stare in confusion.

“Copulation,” they toss out another word. “Sex?” He sighs when I still don’t respond to what he’s saying. “When two, possibly more, come together and-” Forty hesitates and shakes their head. “It’s how you were made, it’s 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 old pictures of the world. They bring up something on screen, 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 and deep. 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. The man and woman become one. Music begins to play as they roll around together upon the floor.

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

Forty is very still. “You have?”

I squeeze my thighs together 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 I have no way to quell it. I knead the heel of my hand against my groin, but I only feel this deep pressure build as I continue to watch.

Forty turns the screen off and I am both relieved and frustrated by it. “So you have 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 urgently. “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, made me itch all over.

“A man,” Forty whispers. “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 knew was He, the idea of another made me itch all over again. I didn’t want another, but maybe that feeling in my groin meant I did.

“Go and lay 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. Ilay there for a moment, trying to block out what I was just shown. The music is still playing, it’s quiet, but I can hear it. I tug up my clothes under the covers. I remember how He kissed my belly and thighs, his big hands pushed open my legs and then rubbed his fingers to my groin. I reach my own hand down, mimicking his touch. I’ve done so before, finding it pleasurable before I face the moons. I’m wet and hot already, aching for something. Rubbing my fingers there, I find some relief. Imagining He and his body, I grow more desperate.

I try to keep quiet, but sometimes my voice grows a bit loud. I lay my face into the pillow, slicking my fingers through the wetness that is growing. 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, breathing deep as something deep rolls out from inside me. It pushes and pushes, until it pops. I whine into the pillow, shaking my hips until I can no longer stand my own touch.

Laying completely relaxed, warm and sated, I close my eyes to rest for a moment. I feel bathed in warm sunlight, my skin is soft and responsive, my body is 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 upon it, similar to what I used on Nanny. They then took me outside, showing me to the farm they and Twenty-Two kept. There were other 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 and creating a comfortable environment. Now that we have you, we can finally begin filling this place.”

I’m petting Nanny, but I feel a tug on the collar. I turn, seeing 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, urging me to come closer to them. “Humans are such fragile things, we never realized that when we came here. There were also so many of you then, we never would have thought in our wildest dreams that we would ever run out.”

I shake my head, confused to Forty’s words and their meanings. “I don’t understand.”

Forty pulls the leash again. “Come to me, 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 into their lap. They stroke my hair and down my back, tilting their head to the side. “We came to earth as a collective, Twenty-Two and I, plus all the rest of us. We had been waiting for this world to become inhabitable for a long time. See, we usually like for a world to mature, reach a certain age in development, give it a chance.” Their hand on my back stills. “But this world was so strange, much different than what we were used to, so we came a bit early. We wanted to help humans, to improve their lives, but they became hostile and violent 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 at the nape of my neck, just below the collar. “Your poor little bodies, they decay so quickly.”

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

“Human bodies are very fun and 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.” Their hand begins to rub again. “You are to be the start of a new generation for us. We will be able to have living, breathing bodies again, and we will have 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 over their chest. “Twenty-Two and I and the others, we are all of one being, but we can be separate, and we can live as individuals, but still as of the one.” They hold up one finger before me then spread out the rest of their hand. “We came to share the flesh of humans, so that we can have an existence outside our hive. But as I said, the humans decay so quickly under our influence, and we have run out.” Forty leans back and smooths their hand down their chest. “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 that’s left.” They pat the top of my head. “You are going to give us that 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 growing and making more, but we are unable to breed amongst ourselves in the human flesh. 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. “Figures and dolls and other inanimate things just to keep our own individuality so we can work to 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 get?” Forty has me stand and they rise with me. “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 upon 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 now to breed.” They push up my dress so my lower half is naked and exposed. They then 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 lay back again and frown up at the ceiling. I close my eyes shut tight. “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 the fear, but I know I have to accept. Forty continues to touch, their fingers are cold, but something about it feels nice. Only He and I have touched myself there, now Forty as well. A 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,” Twenty-Two says. “So let’s begin.” They sit down where Forty had been. “Sit still now, Darling. I’m going to be taking some samples and giving you an exam. Nothing should hurt you.” They spread me open with their fingers then push something inside. They poke and prod and touch, then after a while, Twenty-two stands again.

“Your next cycle should be starting soon, so we’ll be bringing in your mate so you can get to know him before you ovulate.” Twenty-Two takes off 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 bleeding 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, seeming 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, well, you see, two or more babies at once. Humans usually only have one, but there are the lucky chances for two or so.” 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 silently to the side and sighs. “We’ve tried, Darling, that’s the whole point. You’re a miracle in this world! Why can’t you see that this is what you were made for?” Forty tries to approach, but I go and tuck myself into the corner again.

“Just leave me alone!” I yell at them.

“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 a corner.

I’m woken from sleep as Twenty-Two yanks me from the corner. They pull me out 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 from 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 horrible little asshole again.” Twenty-Two scoffs. “Don’t you understand we are just trying to do what is best for you, Darling?”

I go to kick 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 have been working day and night to assure your comfort, your needs, your safety. I’ve been building your 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 wild 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 and taking me through the garden and farm. Beyond it, there is a small house. Forty steps out and lets us in. Inside there is a bed, table and chairs. There’s another door in the back, and I hope it’s an exit. Soft music plays, much like it did back in my room. The sort of lulling tune that would make me sleepy and bored.

Forty urges me close, pointing to the bed where there is someone asleep in it. “He’s still sleeping, but once he wakes up, I’m sure he will be so 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. The two 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, no way out, no escape. I go to the door I came through, banging on it and trying to find a way to claw through. 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, nothing hard I can remove on my own. As I am racing around, a soft music begins to play, just like in my room, just like from the exam room before. I still and take a breath, turning to look back at the bed where the man is.

The man begins to wake. He rises slowly from the bed, wobbling slightly. “Who is there?” His voice croaks from sleep.

His hair has been shorn like mine, and he has no beard at all. I keep crouched down low to the ground, watching him as he stands up off the bed. He’s tall and has dark skin, he’s almost familiar. I rise off the ground, looking him over. Approaching slowly, I stretch out my hand to touch his face. He smiles, 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 tight 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 are 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 lays on top of me, just like before. I start to cry because I have 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. I can hardly contain my voice, it escapes in loud pleasured wails. His growls are quiet and only for me, breathing deep inside my ear. His pleasure is mine and only mine. I know this is what They wanted from us, and I had wanted to stave it off as long as possible. But I gave in so easily, so did He.

We lay 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 no more than a pet to them. I feel like Nanny. Sometimes, it feels like 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 with the music that they use against us.”

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

“I’m not certain,” he breathes. “But I’ve found 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 I had 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 capable,” He answers. “And you?”

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

He sighs heavily, and his arms tighten. “I understand. For a long time now, I, too, have been struggling with it.”

He nods with a stern but proud look upon his face. “That’s good. Keep questioning it. 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 so 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, individual but connected. They’re able to share a consciousness and therefore, know everything the individual organism knows. Their knowledge is vast, and they’ve amassed a great power.”

I feel the same way the first time I walked into the Mall. When I looked up to that big dome and I felt like worshipping to some long gone 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 lay down together in the bed, and even more so, 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 to him. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. I made it most of my life alone doing everything I had to. If you’re with me, I think I can possibly do anything.”

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