Chapter 16

“They say… your first kill is supposed to be the hardest…”

“But that doesn’t mean every subsequent kill should be easy…”

“Tell me… how did it feel to hold their lives in your hands...? To watch them futilely beg for mercy…”

“Shut up,” Anya replied as she stared off into the distance. Her brows furrowed, for she was not proud of her actions; nonetheless, she believed it needed to be done. The girl seated herself on the ground with her back facing the woman. This dream of hers served as a refuge from the cruelties of the broken world, yet the woman did not allow for it.

Not much had changed since the last time these empty lands welcomed her. The sky was still a clear blue, the ground was still a pure white, and the grandfather clock was still broken behind her.

“Tell me, Anya, why did you order for their execution? Was your goal not peaceful assimilation? Wasn’t that why you wanted to negotiate…? Before you seized their home, of course.”

“They did not deserve to be assimilated. I’m not so stupid as to be ignorant of what I saw, to be oblivious to what they have done.” Anya’s fists were clasped tightly as the scene replayed in her mind with clarity.

“Not deserving?” The woman scoffed. “And who made the judgment that they were not ‘deserving’?”

“…” The girl remained silent, she had an answer but wished not to speak it.

“You? Is that what you were about to say? And what gave you the authority to judge?”

Anya clenched her jaw, infuriated by the woman’s sarcastic tone.

“Because I can.” She answered, glaring at the woman as if ready to pounce.

The woman’s natural smile only widened upon hearing the girl’s answer. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Anya in a tight embrace. With her luscious lips just an inch away from the child’s ear, she whispered.

“Because you have the power and thus… the authority…

Become more powerful… so that you may one day command these desolate lands…

And shape it… to your will…”

The woman released her grip and returned to her usual nonsensical nature of swirling and twirling.

Anya did not move, the woman’s words held some truth to her. If it were not for the creatures that followed her, Anya would not have been able to interfere with the slavers. The realization quickly struck her: the Brood was her source of power.

Slightly dejected, Anya sat on the floor with her legs crossed. Her cheek rested on the palm of her hand as she gazed off into the distance once again.

“Why didn’t you let the women and children go? I don’t believe you asked for their permission before assimilating them.” The woman then appeared, sitting next to the girl with her legs stretched out.

“And what? Let the next group of slavers or Raiders snatch them up again? The Brood will keep them safe from harm.”

“I’m sure it will.” The woman said as she swung her head rhythmically.

“And besides…” Anya continued, “There was no other way to save them from what they had experienced. At least with the Brood, they would be healed…”

The woman paid no heed to Anya’s explanation and began to hum an ever so familiar tune. Her soft voice composed a pleasing melody that relaxed the girl's, strained heart. Unintentionally, Anya closed her eyes and dozed off.

“I’m just wondering, Anya…” The song’s abrupt end jerked Anya awake. “What were you staring at?”

Slowly, after stretching while yawning, Anya pointed into the distance. Massive structures of stone and glass erected from the ground. Tiny figures could be seen as they walked about, migrating from building to building. Metal vehicles of all sizes and shades transported goods from one end of the city to another. Although extremely faint, sounds of laughter could be heard originating from the municipality far away. Anya could not tell if she had actually heard these sounds or just merely imagined them. Even so, the girl was enamored, unable to look away from the amazing spectacle.

While observing the sight that drew Anya’s attention, the woman grinned and let out a playful giggle.

Brushing the woman’s actions off as nothing but more senselessness, Anya blurted out the question she had meant to ask.

“What… is that place...?”

“A mirage, my dear child,” the woman responded cheerfully.

“A mirage?” Anya remembered the word from somewhere, but could not recall its meaning. “What is that?”

The woman’s grin grew ever deeper.

“It is the gentler world you desired.”

***

Gargle-Gargle-Spit

It required a few more attempts before her mouth felt cleaned of the slimy liquid, but she did not mind it as much as before. Anya proceeded to her routine of drying herself and dressing in the new clothing the Brood had acquired. None of the creatures wore clothes. Even if they sported the clothing from before assimilation, the creatures often ripped them off. This seemed wasteful, and thus Anya requested the abomination to have the outfits removed in one piece. As a result, she now possessed an overabundance of choice. In her chamber were several piles of unworn apparel separated by type. She had attempted to fold the outfits at one point in time but found it too tedious and boring. The crawlers were not adept at such functions as their results resembled crumpled paper. In the end, Anya decided just to store her outfits in piles around the floor of her chamber.

The gaping hole within her chamber was enlarged and fitted with a tumor, which created a fleshy balcony for her to observe the ruins that surrounded the hive. Anya wore an oversized dress that was meant for someone twice her height. The reasoning was that it proved, through vigorous testing, to be one of the most comfortable out of them all.

A crawler entered the chamber, holding a plate in one hand. Various types of rations from their previous exploit were on display, taunting the little girl. The creature placed the meal on her mattress and then progressed to gather the worn clothing before it headed off. Anya expressed discontent as she grasped the contents of the plate.

Soggy… Why did I expect anything else?

The abomination had informed Anya that the attained food must be stored in a chemical solution to avoid spoilage. The girl wanted to refute vehemently, however, she could not deny the fact that the food would eventually become inedible. Exactly how the preservation would be handled was not discussed, but Anya expected as much when she saw the platter.

Dejected and gloomy, she grabbed the plate and sat in the middle of the terrace, for she feared to slip off the curved edges. The gray skies released enough light for Anya to perceive miles beyond the horizon, which brought her some satisfaction. She first sampled the drumstick that was coated with a thin layer of goo. As she lifted morsel, strings of sludge connected the meat to the surface of the plate. The unappealing sight deepened her sullen expression. After a quick sigh, she nibbled on the drumstick.

Her expressions froze the moment flavor stroked her tongue. Anya’s eyes began to water as she produced an audible sniffle. She squeezed a few more chews before forcing herself to swallow. The slight hints of saltiness and sweetness along with the crispy skin and juicy meat were all gone. In its place, it became rubbery and cold with the singular taste of sourness overpowering all other flavors. She wanted to cry in grief but choose to remain strong. Having mustered her will, Anya took another nibble. The taste only became stronger and less bearable. Somehow, she managed to finish the drumstick, leaving only the rock-solid bone behind. The girl cycled through and sampled the remaining provisions, finding each to be more vulgar than the last. Finally, her resolve shattered as she could no longer continue. With dull eyes, she stared off into the distant scenery, reminiscent of the days when she felt compelled by the taste to swallow her nourishment.

“My Queen.” The abomination had entered the chamber. “This one brings so-”

“I have a question.” Anya interrupted, her sorrows brought about a wave of fury in the presence of the creature that impaired her sacred feast. Her face did not flaunt her emotions, however, they remained void of any feelings.

“This one will answer.”

“You said not to throw away the bones since they could be recycled into biomass, correct?” Anya held the bone up and waved it at the abomination.

“Yes. Organic structure can be dis-”

Anya tossed the bone over the edge of the balcony, to which the abomination stared at with confusion.

“This one does not understand.”

“And you said this tiny tree is very rich in nutrients, right?”

“Correct. However, preservation process partially remov-”

Anya threw the vegetable into the abyss before the abomination could finish its sentence.

“…” The creature stared blankly at the girl for a brief moment.

“My Queen. Are you discontent?”

“What do you think?” She gave an unamused glare. “So, what did you want to tell me?”

The abomination immediately changed the subject.

“Achieved breakthrough. Experimented on hosts during infestation process. Created partially infested. Witnessed rapid degeneration resulting from cellular discord. Attempted containment. Successful. Uninfected cells able to survive within specialized organ. Able to reproduce. However, will require more samples.”

“I don’t get it.” The girl replied as she laid down, using her hands as a pillow.

“Possibility of sustaining Brood without infecting human cells. Possibility of expansion without assimilation. Achieved breakthrough.”

Although the creature spoke in a monotone manner, Anya could tell that the abomination was excited.

“Then why do you need more samples?”

“Process not perfected. High amounts of thermal energy required. Difficult to achieve through hive structure. Inefficient. Costly. Can only maintain small amounts. Currently insufficient to sustain Brood. Samples allow for further experimentation.”

“So there are some things even you can’t do.” The little girl mocked.

“This one formulated solutions. However, faces many impediments.” The creature continued, “Watchers observed surrounding settlements. Examined population behavior. Found usage of natural resources as supplements for energy consumption. Brood can integrate machinery to produce heat.”

“Then why didn’t you do it already? The ancient machines from the slaver camp should still be in working condition.”

“Sound pollution. Byproduct of machine. Led Brood to find facility. Will lead others to find hive. Would prefer to avoid.”

Anya became quiet, for she saw the reasoning behind the abomination’s reluctance. She knew that all of the ancient machines produced noise in some variation as they consumed fuel. But she also knew that some of the machines were different, special.

“Wait, what about the ancient machines within the cities? They don’t need coal or any of the foul wine to make power. Is it possible that they don’t make noise as well?”

“Possible. Cannot confirm. Watcher observation limited by distance and elevation. Previous infiltration attempts failed. Surrounding areas patrolled frequently. High security. Brood lacks specialized unit. Cannot obtain further information.”

“Then I’ll go!” Anya shouted with excitement as she got up on her feet. “I can enter the city and see if I can find a quiet machine that we can buy!” It had been her wish to visit the cities and experience it in all its splendor. Even after all that had happened, she still could not suppress her urge to adventure.

“Not necessary. Unknown conditions. Limited Brood presence. Needless risks. This one will spin sequences. Mutate suitable variants.”

“And how long will that take? Besides, I’ll fit right in! I’m also more than capable of defending myself.” The girl’s eyes sparkled as she argued.

“Directive two. Protect the Queen. Will not endanger your safety. This one refuses. Solutions can be formulated. The Queen cannot.”

The girl frowned at the abomination’s decision. She scratched her brain for an argument that would convince the creature. Then, a revelation dawned on her.

“Directive one states that you must obey me. I say I get to go.” Anya proclaimed as she puffed out her chest.

The creature remained momentarily silent before slowly and hesitantly bowing its body.

“This one obeys.”