Chapter VIII

At the colony, time moved fast. No one stayed in the same field of work too long, and Polly got moved again. This time, to protect the colony from harm. This was the first time Polly was to leave the constraints of her home and see the outside world. She was excited and scared all at once, but first, she had to learn how to fight! Every worker in the colony was equipped with a pointed body part filled with venom that could be used for defense. “Rule number one, ladies,” the instructor said, “do not use it unless absolutely necessary! The only reason for offense was defense!”

With these basic instructions, Polly was sent to guard the entrance into the colony. Since the moment she was born, she has always wondered what was out there, behind the gates, where the sun shines and the sun sets. It was very dark in the colony, pitch dark. Until now, she had to rely on other senses than sight to do her job right. The moment she left the gates, the brightness overcame her. It was like entering a different world, a different dimension. It took her eyes a while to adjust to the new normal, but when they did, what she saw was wonderful! She saw a blue sky, white clouds, and a golden sun. Around her, she noticed trees covered in green leaves and many flowers as far as her eyes could see. It was beautiful, better than she imagined. When she turned around, she saw the colony. Her home appeared so small compared to the vast space outside. Just a wooden box sitting in the middle of a small patch of grass with tiny entrances that barely let in any light. It made her feel so tiny and insignificant. She wanted to discover more but had to stay put and guard. It didn’t take long, and she saw her sisters returning from their missions. They carried so much food that some needed help making it to the entrance. The aides greeted them and took over their load. Once the handover was over, off they went to get more. During the day, she saw thousands and thousands come back with more and more supplies.

“Stay away!” she heard one of the guards yell at an approaching gatherer. “You are carrying a parasite!” Fortunately, the worker was experienced and knew what to do! Polly was confused. That little animal was dangerous? She approached the guard, who raised the alarm to get some explanation. “Why was that tiny little bug so dangerous?” she asked. Her colleague explained that these parasites, called mites, would hide in the breeding cells with the young and start feeding on them once the cells were capped. If undetected, they would grow strong enough to attack the adult workers and take over the entire colony. Remember this, Polly: “Small and weak doesn’t always mean harmless, and big and strong doesn’t always mean dangerous,” she said.

“What do I do if a bigger predator comes along or an army from a different colony,” Polly wanted to know. “Using your stinger should always be your last resort,” her colleague insisted. She told her that using it was very risky. Because it was attached to her internal organs, activating it in a battle could kill her! “I saw my friend die like that,” she explained. “Some creatures had skins that would trap your stinger and never let go!” she warned.