They awoke in darkness, their body confined, limbs pressed tightly against their chest. Panic surged as they struggled to move, to reach out, yet the walls that entrapped them held firm. Lashing out instinctively, their claws scraped against the smooth, warm walls of what felt like a firm yet stretchy membrane. Desperation pulsed within, a deep, primal urge demanding release.
"I need to get out," they muttered, the words providing direction as they repeated them again and again. Chanting the phrase offered more than encouragement, it became a command to push themselves to break free. As the creature became increasingly familiar with the movement of their limbs, they began to find purchase with multiple strikes, their claws sometimes piercing the sack only to fumble and lose purchase; other times they could apply enough force to shred apart a small opening.
With one final burst of effort, after an exhausting battle that felt as though it waged on for an eternity, they strained against their slick prison. At last, a significant hole tore open as an arm burst through, reaching outward, feeling the rush of stale air flooding into their confinement. Emboldened by this success, they thrust a second arm out, grasping onto and widening the opening until the membrane ripped completely, spilling them out onto a warm, throbbing surface.
They lay on the floor, letting the acrid air flow in and out of their lungs. Minutes passed by and as their stamina returned, the heavy fog in their mind had begun to lift. They steadied themself on shaky limbs and stood tall, surveying the new surroundings. The chamber was a dull monotone, with shades of white, grey, and black blanketing as far as they could see. This was nothing especially strange to the being, as they had no concept of sight beyond the pure darkness of their previous confines.
Looking down, its large compound eyes caught sight of their own limbs: A set of short, segmented legs covered in soft, unformed chitin. They held their secondary set of limbs up and observed the multiple clawed digits, clearly designed for manipulation. Small serrated mandibles sprouted out alongside their mouth, jutting from a sharp triangular head. They twitched in recognition, barely long enough to click together as though verifying that they were indeed part of its body. The insectoid creature turned cautiously, still adjusting to this world outside of pure suffocating darkness, and froze as they saw an enormous shape looming above. A towering creature, easily ten, no, twenty times their height, stood imposing before them. Heart racing, they stumbled back, one set of instincts screaming at them to flee, while the other held a quiet sense of belonging that kept them in place.
"You've awoken, little one," a titanic voice resonated in their mind, causing them to shuttle backward, nearly stumbling over the decimated remains of their egg. "Fear not, for I am here to aid you, and you are here for a grand purpose," the voice continued, mouth not moving but clearly audible.
Another sound filled the chamber, a rhythmic chittering that echoed around them. They glanced around, anticipating more creatures, but the sound faded, leaving them once more alone with the colossal being before them."It never ceases to amaze me how naive the newborns are," the creature's voice continued, though its mouth did not move. "With the many generations of knowledge we have carefully embedded in you, I forget that so much is still inaccessible to you.
"The creature shifted slightly, "Distress no further, your Highness. I am here to guide you, to help you grow into your purpose. You are destined to bring great honor to the hive." The creature began to rise, unfolding in segments as it grew ever larger, lowering its head in a gesture of reverence. "Your will be done, for I am in your service, your Highness."
"You… serve me?" the newborn asked, bewildered by the statement, as more questions flooded their brain. "I am…" It struggled for words, pulling one from their previous exchange, "Your Highness?" It questioned, still uncertain exactly as to what that meant, though the body language of his massive companion triggered an unconscious recognition.
"Yes, that is your title," the creature answered, its tone soft and comforting despite the endless pool of power that radiated from it. "You are an experiment created by the High Queen, meant to carry the hive's legacy into new lands. Your form is unique, a blend of what is called human and our superior vescarid genetics. You are the first of your kind, destined for greatness."
The little one tilted its head in confusion, staring at and beyond the creature before it, trying to take in all this daunting new information. Their mind whirled, the words "Human" and "Vescarid" sparking a glimmer of familiarity, though they couldn't place how they recognized the essence of each species. They felt like distant memories that weren't quite their own.
"I am... Human. I am... Vescarid," they murmured, the concepts intertwining within them. "I now know what I am… but, who am I?"
"Our kind do not possess identities," the creature replied with the patient tone of an instructor. "We are many, yet we are one, bound by the hive. As I said, you are unique, made to act independently. You may choose a name if that is your wish."
"You say I am blended with a Human? Did this human possess a name?" the young master inquired."You come from a human named Darian. An adult male from the village to the north. It was deemed the most appropriate genetic material for one such as yourself and is responsible for much of the foreign individuality you must be experiencing. If you wish a name, that would be as good as any. I leave the final decision to you." As its voice trailed off, the little one was left with their thoughts, pondering how to proceed.
"Darian" it tried the name on for size, "I think this name is satisfactory. Going forward, please call me Darian," Darian said before continuing their train of thought, "What is your name? How shall I address you?" he said freely, now feeling much more comfortable with their sole companion.
"You may call me anything you see fit," the creature said, bowing once more. "I am here to serve and guide you in all things. I am but a humble caretaker at your command.
"Darian did not take long to consider, as the solution to his naming problem was evident, "Then you shall be Caretaker, for that is what you are," he proclaimed with pride.
"I accept the name bestowed upon me," dipping its head in gratitude. "Now that you are awake, there is much to learn and do. This place is your nest, your hive, and it will be your duty to see it grow. Beyond, you-"Darian interrupted Caretaker, "Than I shall grow it," now fully enthralled in the conversation and eager to begin their duties.
Caretaker paused to ensure there was nothing more his master had to say, before pressing on, "Beyond, you will find a chamber containing sustenance. I have also carved out several crude chambers for you to decide the purpose of. Explore and prepare yourself. When you are ready, return to me, and I will teach you more.
"Darian nodded instinctually, a gesture their human half found comforting, and proceeded to investigate the hive independently.
As they explored, Darian felt a calming warmth radiate from the hive, easing both the mind and revitalizing their body. The floor had a soft, pulpy texture that gave slightly underfoot, creating a gentle bounce with each step. Every movement seemed to awaken a new sensory awareness within, a vibrational sense that pulsed through their core.
Darian skittered across the hive, actively attempting to trigger this new sensation, feeling each tremor ripple outward, allowing Darian to view themself and all movement around them. Darian's presence was a beacon of light within the hive, their location pinpointed with each movement. Once the basics of this tremor-sense were understood, other creatures within the cave system began to light up in their awareness. Small critters darted along the walls, their movements illuminated in Darian's mind, awakening the primal hunting instinct.
Moving with deadly efficiency, Darian hunted the inferior insects, this new sense guiding each capture and directing each bite. When Darian finally returned to Caretaker, much of the hive was now dark and silent, only the emergence of new critters burrowing out from within the walls lit up his awareness. The new insects that stumbled into his hive were few and far between, not worth the effort to track down and devour. The fullness in their belly was matched only by a growing sense of confidence.
"You have outdone yourself Caretaker. This is a location I am proud to call home," Darian beamed with delight. Bits of beetle speckled their face as they declared their satisfaction.
"I am honored by your assessment," Caretaker responded, chittering melodically to express their pleasure. "It appears you have fed, but not on the bounty I delivered?" it questioned, noting the twitching legs and viscera along Darian's feeding orifice.
"Yes," Darian replied sheepishly, tilting their head away from the gaze of Caretaker. "I became absorbed in the thrill of the hunt before I discovered the pantry, and by the time I had taken stock of your offerings I was already pleasantly full," they replied, the confidence that once swelled began to churn and twist into a new sensation, a feeling of guilt by not feasting on the prepared meal.
"You need not explain yourself. I am pleased with your instinct to hunt. You will proliferate with overwhelming success, that I am sure," it replied, any negative judgment absent from its words.
"What do we do now?" Darian pondered aloud."Now we cover the basics," and with that, the Caretaker spoke in detail of what was expected of Darian. It talked of hunting, laying eggs, building the nest, filling it with worker drones, burrowing and developing new chambers, honing skills, and eventually emerging into the surface world.
The information was delivered dry and monotonously, but Darian knew it was vital, so they toughed it out until more exciting details were explained. Despite their best efforts, Darian had a question nagging them to no end."I apologize Caretaker, but I must know, was this Darian a male, a female, or did it too not possess a sex, the same as I?" Darian awaited a response, their lower limbs tip-tapping on the fleshy floor impatiently.
Caretaker paused to address the question, more perplexed than annoyed with the nature of the interruption. Caretaker's subservient behavior forced them to respond in the best way they could.
"Darian was a human male, a vital member of his hive, of high station and enormous power. Humans tend to refer to each other by sex. Were you entirely human, you would be male. Yet, in human society, females are the ones to produce offspring. As you, too, are required to create life, you might be considered female. However, the Vescarid race does not limit itself in such ways; we are always what we need to be." Caretaker spoke with a hint of pride.
"I like being Darian. I would like to be male. Is that possible?" Darian inquired.
"You may be as you wish. I will refer to you as the human identifier 'male' if it pleases your Highness," Caretaker placated Darian to progress the conversation to more important topics."Yes, I like that. I am Queen Darian, the male," he stated, satisfied with their decision.
"I understand your confusion. You share many responsibilities with our High-queen, but I must add that in the human culture, a male in your position would be referred to as a King as far as our knowledge of humans provides us. You would be 'King Darian', and once more, to state your sex is unnecessary." Caretaker clarified, hoping to bring the discussion to a close.
"Yes, King Darian of the Vescarids. Very good Caretaker. Please continue." he replied, content with now having an identity of his own.
"The first order of business," Caretaker continued, "Will be to create worker drones that can aid you in developing your hive. As stated, I have provided you with enough sustenance to support you into this stage of proliferation. Still, you cannot accomplish everything independently, so forming your hive's beginnings is essential for continued growth."
Darian did all he could to remain focused, but the critters scurrying along the cave walls began to pull his attention away. He maintained his attention on Caretaker out of sheer force of will, but even this was not enough when a violent stirring deep within his core began to call out and demand his complete focus. Ever eager to please Caretaker, Darian winced in discomfort but nodded at the appropriate times and tried to log away the vital information he was receiving.
"...and the warrior cast will provide you with the security required to maintain a flourishing nursery for your young, of which workers and tenders will…" Caretaker paused after the third wince from Darian.
"Your Highness, what is troubling you?" their tone suggested empathy, and though Caretaker could not feel emotions as other races did, its instincts drove it to ensure the health and well-being of the new royal.
"I… I am suffering," Darian replied, struggling to understand the sensation roiling within his core."Please elaborate," Caretaker requested, kneeling down and assessing the juvenile."
The core of my being is protesting for reasons beyond my…" Darian was hit with another wave of discomfort, now bordering on real pain, causing him to double over and clutch his abdomen. Recalling his previous actions, he stated them aloud to work through the issue himself. "I was born, I explored, I consumed nutrients, and now I suffer." Cycling through his short life over and over again, he asked, "Was it incorrect to consume those creatures?" The thought caused him nearly as much pain as the physical pain he was experiencing. Everything in him told Darian that consuming was a necessary constant of life alongside proliferation and expansion.
Caretaker released a soothing, melodic chitter before replying, "No, Your Highness, you have acted correctly. This is simply your body's way of informing you it is time to create your first drone."
"So soon?" Darian's mental connection with Caretaker was difficult to maintain while experiencing so much discomfort.
"While other species take time to develop, while they must go through trial and error to blend ideal evolutionary traits in hopes of satisfactory contributions; we are born ready to serve our purpose for the hive. Calm yourself, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and focus on this feeling. Reach into your core, and awaken your potential." As a demonstration, Caretaker breathed deeply, closing its eyes.
Darian mirrored Caretaker's example, focusing inward. At first, there was only darkness, an endless void. But syncing his breath with Caretaker's steady rhythm, he felt the darkness begin to part, revealing a faint glimmer within. Driven by instinct, Darian pursued this light, much like he had pursued prey earlier. As he approached, the light intensified until it filled his vision completely. Reaching out, he touched it, and reality shifted all around him.