The specialised workers are smaller, their energy going to enhanced minds and more delicate control of their extremities. These will be the workers who tend the brood, enhancing the growth of the hatchlings through aura effects and expediting their hatching, as well as the artisan caste who I hope will turn into the ant builders and Shapers.
The Juvenile Queens, contrary to expectations, actually put on the most size. Huge chunks of energy go to increasing their raw mass, as well as laying the foundation for their egg production system. Even after this evolution they won’t be able to produce young, having to wait one more evolution for their full capacity to come online. In the meantime, they can support hunting expeditions with their bulk and healing Mana glands.
Yeah, I modelled them on the existing queen. She’s perfect, so why not!
This does mean that any egg-producing queen will be difficult for the colony to produce, since they’ll be tier four monsters, going all the way from Hatchling to Juvenile Worker, to Juvenile Queen, to Young Queen. Just another reason why the queens must be protected at all costs!
Seeing the young ants begin to stir, my heart swells with pride. This has been a heck of a long project. The first seeds of this idea were planted after the first war of the hill, so long ago. Seeing the ants throwing their lives away so wastefully, I knew that if I could, I would change that. Give them the ability to reason and plan. Turns out, I still had to thwack the suicidal impulses out of their heads. It’ll be worth it in the end. Now the colony will grow and I won’t have to worry about protecting the workers from themselves. Not as much, anyway.
The ants are waking up now, beginning to move themselves and adapt to their new bodies. They’re curiously turning to examine the rest of their siblings, wondering what each ant picked. They’ve almost perfectly distributed themselves across the roles I envisioned. I’d be shocked if they hadn’t coordinated themselves after looking at the menu. Sneaky little buggers.
“Gather around me, young ones.”
At the scent of my pheromones, they turn toward me and draw closer.
“You have taken the first step and chosen the method by which you will grow the colony. Well done, all of you. As a sign of my benediction, and in recognition of your status as the first of a new generation, I will give each of you a name.”
I pause for dramatic effect.
“What’s a name, senior?”
Dammit.
They’re ants. Of course they have no idea what a name is. They barely have a concept of what an individual is. Why would they have any idea of names?
“A name is like a personal title that belongs only to you. It allows people to remember you and associate your actions to you, even without having seen or met you.”
They still look confused. I guess it doesn’t really matter if they understand it or not. I’m giving them names more for me than I am for them.
“Can the two Juvenile Queens step closer.”
Yes indeed, not one, but two new queens. One more evolution for these two and the egg production in the colony could triple. Not that the queen is really running at full capacity right now. As the workforce expands, the rate that food comes in will very quickly rise. Not to mention the aphid strategy.
The two ants before me now were very placid as hatchlings. Attentive and looking out for their siblings, they were perfect to take on the mothering role of queens.
“Hmm. As the prospective queens of the colony, I shall give you suitably royal names. You will be known as Antionette, and you will be Victoriant.”
The two Juvenile Queens are almost the same size as I am. Other than looking mildly confused, they seem pleased enough and retreat to make room for the next ants.
“Can the Carver Ants come forward.”
The specialised crafters, two of them, step forward. Not much larger than before, they now have enhanced minds, and their front legs end in the special articulate claws with an opposable digit that will be the calling card of their caste.
“As the future crafters and smiths of ant-kind, I’ll name you Cobalt, and you Tungstant.”
Receiving their names, they make space for the next to be summoned.
“Core Shapers, step forward.”
Two more Artisans, small, quick and clever. These are the caste that will be dedicated to exploring the creation of custom pets, seeking the heights achieved by the Sophos. The two ants move with an easy grace and confidence that can’t help but influence my choice of name.
“I shall name you Ellie—short for elegant—and you shall be Bella.”
Receiving their names, the two Core Shapers step smoothly back.
“Can the two generals step forward.”
The leadership variety of the soldier caste are somewhat bulky, and surrounded with empowering auras. These two give an air of determination and solidity.
“I shall name you Sloan, and you Victor.”
Then it’s time for the Brood Tenders.
“You will be known as Theresant, and you shall be Florence.”
Next are the ant Mages.
“Hmm. What sort of magic are you thinking of specialising in?” I say to the first one.
“Ice magic, senior.”
“Very well, you shall be Coolant. What about you?” I say to the second.
“Fire magic, senior.”
“Understood. You shall be Propellant.”
Next is the Scouts.
“You will be Burke, and you, Wills.”
Then the two Healers.
“You shall be Mendant, and you are Frances.”
Finally, it’s time for the four Soldiers. I’m not sure how they ended with four, there are nine castes and we could have had doubles in any of them, but nope, all soldier, all the way. Larger than all of their siblings but the queens, looking potent and dangerous, they step forward as a unit.
The first one I remember well. Constantly declaring they would be dead before the day was done. It took a lot of effort to keep this one alive.
“Firstly, I shall call you Leeroy. Then you, Grant. You, Advant, and you shall be Brendant.”
With that, my work is done.
“Go forth! Soon there will be another two hundred of you to take care of, then another two hundred after that. You’ll be plenty busy! I’m going back to sleep.”
28. The First Council
The twenty young ants departed the chamber of the eldest in silence, allowing their senior the rest and quiet they seemed to crave. They didn’t quite understand it, this desire for solitude and a reprieve from work. An unnatural concept for an ant, but due to the individual making the request, they respected it.
Without communicating, they moved as one through the queen’s chamber toward the upper chambers. Now there were six hundred of their kind waiting to be born here. The queen had been pushing herself to reach full production as fast as possible, and only yesterday another clutch was laid. It would be one day, maybe a little more, before the first wave of two hundred was born. There was much to do.
Filing into an unoccupied upper chamber, the twenty arranged themselves into a rough circle. They hadn’t planned or discussed this council, but by some instinct, they knew it would occur. The mantle of leadership did not belong to any one ant. All members of the colony understood this, but the twenty, despite being so young, understood that after the eldest and the senior known as Vibrant, they were the eldest of their race. Thus, they were expected to lead.
“Much to be done,” the Carver known as Cobalt said.
“Indeed,” several others answered.
The general, Victor, waved their antennae in a gesture of frustration. “The eldest has many ideas, but the implementation has not been carried through.”