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Chapter 1317: Breath of the Beast
Chrysalis

Sometimes it's nice to have so many brains. Also, it's occasionally useful when those brains are capable of thinking in many directions at once. As the scary wave comes racing towards me, my newly empowered ability to think divergently kicks into gear. In no time at all, I spin together a force shield and start to sink down into the rock, even as it raises up before my head to protect me.

Can I make myself blast-proof in a few seconds? Of course not, but I can absolutely make things a little bit more stable!

Only the lower few feet of my carapace are embedded into the stone when the blast hits. As much as I want to see it happen, my eyes are my weakest point, so I absolutely ensure they're buried in rock when it arrives.

With an audible THWUMP that hits deep and rattles all the way through my carapace, the wave washes over me and blasts back my antennae. 

Wait… what the heck?

[Crinis, did you feel any of that?]

[I did, Master.]

[What do you think it was?]

[It felt like… air?]

[That's what I think as well.]

Feeling confused, I drop my shield and pull myself out of the rock, taking a good look around as I do so. Nothing has been destroyed as far as I can tell, but a lot of things have certainly been disturbed. It really does look like a singular, powerful blast of wind just came through. It was so dense and concentrated it looked like a literal shockwave.

Who or what is out there generating enormous blasts of air that go through hundreds of kilometres of enormous tunnels?! That makes no sense!

[Crinis,] I say, not for the first time, [I hate this place.]

[I can understand why, Master.]

The rules down here just don't seem to make any sense. What's going on?! What's the system? Vents are spitting out mana, from where? Why? How? Now this stupid air-blast rolling through the tunnel is making me ask those questions all over again!

Is it only going to happen once? Does it happen regularly?

If only we'd managed to capture a Krath and get them to talk. Well, we don't actually need them to talk, we can read information straight out of their minds if we get enough time….

Which is probably why they refuse to be captured. 

I've little else to do but sit on the spot and wait for news, since I'm responsible for guarding this tunnel and can't exactly leave until a literal army comes to replace me. I don't have to wait long for news; only five minutes pass before a scout rushes up to me from deeper in the safe-zone.

"Hello, Eldest. Command wants to know if that wave came through this tunnel as well?"

"Sure did. Wait, so it hit everywhere?"

"Yes," the little scout confirms as she marks something down on her little pheromone tablet. "From both directions as well. This side of the safe-zone was hit all over, and so was the other side. Whatever it was, it rippled through every tunnel."

That's… crazy, what the heck is going on around here?

[Master, I sense something.]

Crinis emerges from my shadow. A dark mass of tentacles around a roughly spherical core, she slithers away from me before plunging some of her limbs into her own darkness. I can feel them emerge, out in the toxic mana almost a hundred metres away. 

[The mana is thinning out there.]

[Oh, snap? Really?]

I can't tell yet, but Crinis has a much finer mana-sense than I do, since she literally uses it to see.

"Crinis says the mana level out there is starting to drop as well. You might want to report that to the headquarters."

"Really? That's great news."

Putting it mildly. If the vents are actually stopping, that's amazing news. Of course, I'd love to know why! Swear to goodness, I'm going to get Crinis to attack the next Krath I see and pluck a few secrets out of them. They have to know what's going on around here if they've lived here for this long.

"And can you ask them to send a battalion down here to replace me? If the mana level is shrinking, then I'll be back out there soon enough."

"I'll let them know. Good luck out there, Eldest."

The little scout gives me a quick salute before scurrying away, and I settle back in to watch the tunnel for a bit longer. I'm half expecting there to be a surge in monsters after the air-blast, but it doesn't eventuate, and they continue to trickle in at a steady pace.

Which gives me plenty of time to consider the slime and sludge-filled tunnel in front of me. After ruminating for a while, I begin to wonder if I'm just overthinking this whole mess. 

The more time I spend down here, the more the fifth feels like a living, breathing creature. So, I start to consider the possibility. What if it is? 

Maybe this whole tunnel complex is, in some way, alive? That would explain some things, maybe.

I suppose the only way we're going to find proof is if we get deep enough. Right now we're barely scratching the surface, and we won't be able to explore the depths for some time.

After all, the major crux of the current plan is to construct an impregnable fortress that we can hole up in through the next wave, a secure launching point for the next phase of the invasion. In Solant's mind, and I completely agree with her, there is no hope for the Colony down here without a completely impregnable safe-haven.

Once it's built, though, and once the next wave is over…

Look out, beastie, I'll be coming down there to get ya.

 

Chrysalis
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  1. Offline
    Shazzio
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    I bet it is something living. A few chapters ago, Propellant and Coolant were examining one of the "vents," and noticed that the mana flow resembled a heartbeat.
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    Rei-absolute
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    1318- Home Sweet Home

    “We need more meat for the animals,” Jozish muttered to Zluth, his tone flat and angry.

    “Of course we need more meat for the beasts,” Zluth snapped, “we need more meat for everyone! Our hunters are working as fast as they can, but these are uncharted hunting grounds. These things take time.”

    Anger bubbled up inside him, but he barely controlled it. It wouldn’t do to start chewing up his tribesmen. The previous Krath’lath had done enough of that, and had deprived the Slee of many Krath. Some were incompetent, but others were not, and now they were sorely missed.

    Soon the eggs would hatch, and a new generation of vicious Slee would be born. It would take time for them to grow, but the Krath would never have survived if they hadn’t found ways to put the young to work. Zluth himself tended the mold camps, which had a much higher survival rate than the beast pits.

    After all, the beasts needed meat.

    “Now, you will have to make do with what supply we have,” Zluth hissed savagely, “or we will be forced to seek alternative methods of sating the creatures’ hunger.”

    “There are not enough beast keepers for you to kill any of us and hope to replenish our supply,” Jozish spat.

    “I wasn’t talking about you,” Zluth whispered gleefully. “You are not wrong, the beast keepers are too precious to risk. However… have you laid any eggs this season, Jozish?”

    The female Krath’s eyes widened red with fury as her mouth opened, revealing savage fangs. Zluth slid away from her, stepping back and giving her the space she needed to control herself.

    “I am glad we understand each other,” he said, once she had calmed down.

    Jozish glared at him.

    “The animals will get their meat,” he assured her, “but don’t question my decisions again unless you’re willing to pay the price.”

    And off she went, back to the pits, while Zluth turned to deal with the next emergency, only to find Goszi waiting. The old Krath looked disgruntled, as he always did at the moment. His planned cozy retirement had become anything but, as Zluth seemed determined to work him to the bone.

    And the more unhappy he became, the more Zluth was determined to watch him. He’d shown how far he would go to survive, the wily old slug, and Zluth wasn’t about to give him the chance to do it again.

    “What word, Goszi?” Zluth asked, turning both eyes on his partner in crime.

    “The Suggoth have sent a messenger,” the old slug muttered. “They’re waiting outside the entrance to the Slimeground.”

    “Well, we can’t keep our Krath companions waiting,” Zluth said. “We must go find them immediately.”

    “We?”

    “Of course. Lead the way, Goszi, I’ll be right behind you.”

    It was quite amusing to watch the old Krath turn without a word and head toward the entrance, uncomplaining. He had known all along that Zluth would demand that he come along. It would be interesting to see if he had any… surprises planned along the way.

    The two of them made their way through the Slimeground, and then to the narrow, winding entrance. Squeezing themselves, they slipped through the hidden entrance, emerging into the tunnel outside. The two Slee on duty were still there, hidden in the nearby mold and slime, but they were alone.

    Zluth and Goszi emerged, slow and careful. The two guards’ eyes narrowed to acknowledge his presence, but they never stopped scanning the tunnel around them. And rightly so.

    A dozen meters away, a pack of six Krath huddled together, pressed together and hidden within the folds of the rock. They were visibly uncomfortable being so exposed, and Zluth didn’t want to make them wait, not with the threat of invasion looming over them all.

    Urging Goszi to go first, Zluth slowly advanced before stretching slightly to expose his mouth.

    “Greetings, friends of the Suggoth tribe. I am Zluth, Krath’lath of Slee.”

    “I am Puzith, Krath’lath of the Suggoth,” one of the slugs replied. “We will not stay long. Your words of invasion have been confirmed. Our tribal enmity will be put aside, and you will have free rein over these tunnels to use as your hunting grounds.” We’ve already sent messengers to the other nearby tribes, and there will likely be a meeting soon.”

    “Will I have to attend?”

    “Of course. You’re the most familiar with the invasion. We’ll send someone to give you the details of the meeting. Is there anything else?”

    “Our tribe is in a difficult position,” Zluth said. “After confronting the invasion, we lost most of our beasts, our Slimeground, and many excellent Krath. Would it be possible for the Suggoth to provide some assistance?”

    There was silence for a long moment as each of the slugs absorbed this extremely unusual request. Assistance… from another tribe? That would be… unusual.

    “What would you need?” Puzith said slowly.

    “Meat, mostly. These tunnels are unknown to our hunters, and we can’t afford to lose any more Krath.”

    One doesn’t become the Krath’lath of a large tribe like the Suggoth without being decisive.

    “We’ll deliver some meat in the next few days.”

    So saying, they were gone, the six of them slipping into the tunnel and quickly hiding from view. After waiting a few beats, Goszi let out a quiet laugh.

    “You asked them for meat?” he chuckled.

    “And they agreed.”

    “I never thought I’d see the day when the tribes would help each other.”

    “You probably never thought you’d see a mass invasion either.”

    “True.”

    “Well,” Zluth mused as he began to make his way back to the Slimeground, “at least I have some good news for Jozish.”

    1319- The Colony Advances

    It was slow at first, but it picked up speed quickly. The vents, which had been spewing mana directly into the heart of the Colony’s claimed territory and beyond, slowed down their output and eventually stopped.

    Solant was somewhat pleased.

    “We return to the standard schedule immediately. I want alternate plans for dealing with the openings within our marked borders drawn up within the hour. Juliant and Subutant, you’re on it.”

    “How do you want them handled?” Juliant sought clarification.

    “Containment. We won’t destroy something we don’t understand. Attempting to do anything drastic could very well blow our jaws apart.”

    “Understood, General.”

    The two sculptors hurried to work on designs and plans that could be incorporated into the greater scheme, while Solant turned her attention to other matters. They were running behind schedule, and in a race against time, that wasn’t something she was happy about. Work had continued, but expansion and exploration, which were key planks in this scheme, were lagging dramatically. Currently, the blue mana covered only less than a third of the area needed to safely build the fortress.

    “Leonidant and Washington. I want you to find the Elders and drive them back into the depths. We can’t go any deeper without their help, not remotely as fast, at least.”

    “And the guardians?”

    “If they are willing, they should return to their assigned posts.”

    The situation was so fluid and dynamic that perfect information was impossible, but the Colony’s network of runners and mages did their best to relay information directly to the command post so that the model could be updated as close to real time as possible, moving markers around the huge, detailed terrain model. In many ways, Solant didn’t need it—she could see the entire campaign in her head, just smelling the updates as they came in—but looking at the model seemed to help her think.

    Right now, orders were being sent out to the entire expeditionary force to push for expansion once more. The entire safe zone was a hive of activity, with ants scurrying frantically all over the place, reconnecting with their battalions and getting back on schedule. In fact, they had far more ant power than they needed right now. The waves of troops arriving from the room never ceased for a moment, even though they failed to achieve their assignments.

    For now, they were absorbed by the already mobilized battalions until they could perform their tasks. Throwing more ants at a problem wasn’t always a way to make it go away faster, but it usually helped.

    With all the trouble the fifth was causing, having more ants around to fend off wasn’t a bad thing, in Solant’s opinion, not at all.

    Out of the chaos of the command post stepped two respected figures, as hurried and agitated as everyone else.

    “Ellie, Bella, good to see you,” Solant greeted them in clipped tones. “How can I help you?”

    The two core shapers glanced at each other for a brief moment before turning to Solant and speaking at once.

    “It’s about the wuffers,” they both said.

    “Is it the degradation problem? I’ve been informed of that. Nasty business,” Solant said.

    “No,” Bella said, jumping in ahead of Ellie, “it’s about our fusion plan. We wanted to know if you’d be willing to go through with it.”

    “Already?” Solant asked, turning his full focus back to the two of them. “This is too far along.”

    “We need more wuffers, and we need them now,” Ellie replied. “It’s the only thing that can get us back on track.”

    “But we’ll suffer a tremendous loss in the short term, correct?” Solant asked carefully. “We’ll lose several level six wuffers to create a single queen.”

    “That’s right, but in the long run, a queen will generate more wuffers that will more than make up for the lost capacity…. Eventually.”

    “Do it,” Solant said decisively.

    “What? Are you sure?” Bella gasped.

    “We’ve been here too long,” Solant said businesslike. “The sooner we produce that first queen, the sooner we’ll cross the threshold that accelerates us beyond our previous pace. Despite the problems we’re facing, I will always choose a long-term reward over a short-term benefit. That’s how we’ll win.”

    “We… we’ll get right to it, then.”

    The two coreshapers hurried off, and Solant gave them a quick salute before returning to his work. If they were successful, then the entire operation would receive a huge boost, with new wuffers being produced on-site from Biomass the Colony couldn’t otherwise use.

    “I need to adjust the projections again,” Solant muttered to herself.

    With fewer level six wuffers now, this meant that the expansion would be delayed once again in the short term, but accelerated in the long term. The builders would have to focus more on the inner structure of the fortress before rushing to finish the outer layers, which was basically the opposite of how it had originally been planned.

    It would be a close call. If they didn’t finish sealing and enchanting the outer walls of the fortress, then it wouldn’t have a chance of withstanding the wave. The schedule had been pushed to the limit.

    “No problem,” she said, and clicked her jaws in satisfaction. “I like a challenge.”

    She returned to the model, inspecting every bit of the invasion as it currently stood. Within a few minutes, she began issuing orders. A small change here, a small change there. With the extensive planning and training that had gone into preparing the troops, major adjustments were unnecessary and undesirable, but like an artist with a paintbrush, Solant would make a slight tweak and leave behind an image that was just a little more coherent and clear than it had been before.

    And if she did this over and over again, what was left would be elegant, efficient, and flawless.
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  3. Online Offline
    Rei-absolute
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    1318- Lar Doce Lar

    “Precisamos de mais carne para os animais”, Jozish murmurou para Zluth, seu tom monótono e raivoso.

    “É claro que precisamos de mais carne para as feras”, Zluth retrucou, “precisamos de mais carne para todos! Nossos caçadores estão trabalhando o mais rápido que podem, mas esses são campos de caça desconhecidos. Essas coisas levam tempo .”

    A raiva estava borbulhando dentro dele, mas ele a controlou com dificuldade. Não seria bom começar a mastigar os membros de sua tribo. O Krath'lath anterior já tinha feito o suficiente disso e privou os Slee de muitos Krath. Alguns eram incompetentes, mas outros não, e agora eles faziam muita falta.

    Logo os ovos eclodiriam e uma nova geração de Slee cruéis nasceria. Levaria tempo para eles crescerem, mas os Krath nunca teriam sobrevivido se não tivessem encontrado maneiras de colocar os jovens para trabalhar. O próprio Zluth cuidou dos campos de mofo, que tinham uma taxa de sobrevivência muito maior do que os poços de bestas.

    Afinal, os animais precisam de carne.

    “Agora, vocês precisarão se contentar com o suprimento que temos”, Zluth sibilou selvagemente, “ou seremos forçados a buscar métodos alternativos para saciar a fome das criaturas”.

    "Não há tratadores de feras suficientes para você matar qualquer um de nós e esperar repor nosso estoque", Jozish cuspiu.

    “Eu não estava falando de você,” Zluth sussurrou com alegria. “Você não está errado, os guardiões das feras são preciosos demais para arriscar. No entanto… você botou algum ovo nesta temporada, Jozish?”

    Os olhos da fêmea Krath se arregalaram vermelhos de fúria enquanto sua boca se abriu, revelando suas presas selvagens. Zluth deslizou para longe dela, recuando e dando a ela o espaço que ela precisava para se controlar.

    “Estou feliz que nos entendemos”, disse ele, depois que ela se acalmou.

    Jozish olhou para ele com ódio.

    “Os animais obterão sua carne”, ele assegurou a ela, “mas não questione minhas decisões novamente, a menos que esteja disposta a pagar o preço”.

    E lá se foi ela, de volta aos boxes, enquanto Zluth se virava para lidar com a próxima emergência, apenas para encontrar Goszi esperando. O velho Krath parecia descontente, como sempre fazia no momento. Sua aposentadoria aconchegante planejada havia se tornado tudo menos isso, pois Zluth parecia determinado a fazê-lo trabalhar até os ossos.

    E quanto mais infeliz ele ficava, mais Zluth estava determinado a observá-lo. Ele havia mostrado o quão longe ele iria para sobreviver, o velho lesma astuto, e Zluth não estava disposto a lhe dar a chance de fazer isso de novo.

    “Que palavra, Goszi?”, perguntou Zluth, virando os dois olhos para seu parceiro no crime.

    “Os Suggoth enviaram um mensageiro,” a velha lesma balbuciou. “Eles estão esperando do lado de fora da entrada do Slimeground.”

    “Bem, não podemos deixar nossos companheiros Krath esperando”, disse Zluth. “Devemos ir encontrá-los imediatamente.”

    "Nós?"

    “Claro que sim. Lidere o caminho, Goszi, eu estarei logo atrás de você.”

    Foi muito divertido ver o velho Krath se virar sem dizer uma palavra e seguir em direção à entrada, sem reclamar. Ele sabia o tempo todo que Zluth exigiria que ele fosse junto. Seria interessante ver se ele tinha alguma... surpresa planejada ao longo do caminho.

    Os dois fizeram seu caminho através do Slimeground, e então para a entrada estreita e sinuosa. Comprimindo-se, eles deslizaram pela entrada escondida, emergindo no túnel do lado de fora. Os dois Slee de plantão ainda estavam lá, escondidos no mofo e no lodo próximos, mas eles estavam sozinhos.

    Zluth e Goszi emergiram, lentos e cuidadosos. Os olhos dos dois guardas se contraíram para reconhecer sua presença, mas nunca pararam de escanear o túnel ao redor. E com razão.

    A uma dúzia de metros de distância, um bando de seis Krath se amontoava, comprimido e escondido entre as dobras da rocha. Eles estavam visivelmente desconfortáveis ​​por estarem tão expostos, e Zluth não queria fazê-los esperar, não com a ameaça de invasão pairando sobre todos eles.

    Incitando Goszi a ir primeiro, Zluth avançou lentamente antes de se esticar um pouco para expor sua boca.

    “Saudações, amigos da tribo Suggoth. Eu sou Zluth, Krath'lath de Slee.”

    “Eu sou Puzith, Krath'lath dos Suggoth,” uma das lesmas respondeu. “Não ficaremos muito tempo. Suas palavras sobre a invasão foram confirmadas. Nossa inimizade tribal será deixada de lado, e vocês terão rédea solta sobre esses túneis para usar como seus campos de caça. Já enviamos mensageiros para as outras tribos próximas, e provavelmente haverá uma reunião em breve.”

    “Será que eu terei que comparecer?”

    “Claro. Você é o mais familiarizado com a invasão. Enviaremos alguém para lhe dar os detalhes da reunião. Há mais alguma coisa?”

    “Nossa tribo está em uma posição difícil”, disse Zluth. “Após confrontar a invasão, perdemos a maioria de nossas feras, nosso Slimeground e muitos Krath excelentes. Seria possível para os Suggoth fornecerem alguma assistência?”

    Houve silêncio por um longo momento enquanto cada uma das lesmas absorvia esse pedido extremamente incomum. Assistência… de outra tribo? Isso seria… incomum.

    “O que você precisaria?” Puzith disse lentamente.

    “Carne, principalmente. Esses túneis são desconhecidos para nossos caçadores, e não podemos nos dar ao luxo de perder mais Krath.”

    Ninguém se torna o Krath'lath de uma grande tribo como os Suggoth sem ser decisivo.

    “Nós entregaremos um pouco de carne nos próximos dias.”

    Assim dizendo, eles se foram, os seis deslizando para dentro do túnel e rapidamente se escondendo de vista. Depois de esperar algumas batidas, Goszi soltou uma risada silenciosa.

    “Você pediu carne para eles?” ele riu.

    “E eles concordaram.”

    “Nunca pensei que veria o dia em que as tribos se ajudariam.”

    “Você provavelmente nunca pensou que veria uma invasão em massa também.”

    "Verdadeiro."

    “Bem”, Zluth refletiu enquanto começava a voltar para o Slimeground, “pelo menos tenho boas notícias para Jozish”.
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    1. Online Offline
      Rei-absolute
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      1319- A Colônia Avança

      Foi lento no começo, mas acelerou rapidamente. Os respiradouros, que estavam cuspindo mana diretamente no coração do território reivindicado pela Colônia e arredores, reduziram sua produção e, eventualmente, pararam.

      Solant ficou um tanto satisfeito.

      “Retornamos ao cronograma padrão imediatamente. Quero planos alternativos para lidar com as aberturas dentro de nossas fronteiras marcadas elaborados dentro de uma hora. Juliant e Subutant, vocês estão nisso.”

      “Como você quer que eles sejam tratados?” Juliant buscou esclarecimentos.

      “Contenção. Não destruiremos algo que não entendemos. Tentar fazer algo drástico pode muito bem explodir em nossas mandíbulas.”

      “Entendido, general.”

      Os dois escultores se apressaram para trabalhar em projetos e planos que pudessem ser incorporados ao esquema maior, enquanto Solant voltava sua atenção para outros assuntos. Eles estavam atrasados, e em uma corrida contra o tempo, isso não era algo com que ela estava feliz. O trabalho havia continuado, mas a expansão e a exploração, que eram tábuas-chave neste esquema, estavam dramaticamente atrasadas. Atualmente, o mana azul cobria apenas menos de um terço da área necessária para a construção segura da fortaleza.

      “Leonidant e Washingtant. Quero que vocês encontrem os Anciões e os levem de volta para as profundezas. Não podemos ir mais fundo sem a ajuda deles, nem remotamente tão rápido, pelo menos.”

      “E os guardiões?”

      “Se estiverem dispostos, devem retornar aos seus postos designados.”

      A situação era tão fluida e dinâmica que era impossível obter informações perfeitas, mas a rede de corredores e magos da Colônia fez o melhor que pôde para retransmitir informações diretamente para o posto de comando para que o modelo pudesse ser atualizado o mais próximo possível do tempo real, movendo marcadores pelo enorme e detalhado modelo do terreno. De muitas maneiras, Solant não precisava disso, ela via toda a campanha em sua cabeça, apenas sentindo o cheiro das atualizações conforme elas chegavam, mas olhar para o modelo parecia ajudá-la a pensar.

      Agora mesmo, ordens estavam sendo enviadas para toda a força expedicionária para pressionar mais uma vez pela expansão. Toda a zona segura era uma colmeia de atividade, com formigas correndo freneticamente por todo o lugar, reconectando-se com seus batalhões e voltando ao cronograma. Na verdade, eles tinham muito mais poder de formiga do que precisavam agora. As ondas de tropas que chegavam do quarto não cessaram por um momento, embora não conseguissem alcançar suas atribuições.

      Por enquanto, eles foram absorvidos pelos batalhões já mobilizados até que pudessem executar suas tarefas. Jogar mais formigas em um problema nem sempre era uma maneira de fazê-lo desaparecer mais rápido, mas geralmente ajudava.

      Com todos os problemas que o quinto estava causando, ter mais formigas por perto para afastar não era algo ruim, na opinião de Solant, nem um pouco.

      No caos do posto de comando surgiram duas figuras respeitadas, tão apressadas e agitadas quanto todos os outros.

      “Ellie, Bella, que bom ver vocês,” Solant as cumprimentou em tons cortantes. “Como posso ajudar?”

      Os dois modeladores do núcleo se entreolharam por um breve momento antes de se virarem para Solant e falarem ao mesmo tempo.

      “É sobre os wuffers”, ambos disseram.

      “É o problema da degradação? Fui informado disso. Negócio desagradável”, disse Solant.

      “Não,” Bella disse, pulando antes de Ellie, “é sobre nosso plano de fusão. Queríamos saber se você estaria disposta a ir em frente com isso.”

      “Já?” Solant questionou, voltando seu foco total para os dois. “Isso está muito adiantado.”

      “Precisamos de mais wuffers, e precisamos deles agora”, Ellie respondeu. “É a única coisa que pode nos colocar de volta nos trilhos.”

      “Mas sofreremos uma perda tremenda no curto prazo, correto?” Solant perguntou cuidadosamente. “Perderemos vários wuffers de nível seis para criar uma única rainha.”

      “Isso mesmo, mas a longo prazo, uma rainha gerará mais wuffers que mais do que compensarão a capacidade perdida…. Eventualmente.”

      “Faça isso”, disse Solant decisivamente.

      “O quê? Você tem certeza?” Bella arfou.

      “Estamos aqui há muito tempo”, disse Solant de forma profissional. “Quanto mais cedo produzirmos a primeira rainha, mais cedo cruzaremos a marca que nos acelera além do nosso ritmo anterior. Apesar dos problemas que estamos enfrentando, sempre escolherei uma recompensa de longo prazo em vez de um benefício de curto prazo. É assim que venceremos.”

      “Nós... nós vamos direto ao assunto, então.”

      Os dois modeladores de núcleo saíram correndo, e Solant lançou-lhes uma rápida saudação antes de voltar ao seu trabalho. Se tivessem sucesso, então toda a operação receberia um enorme impulso, com novos wuffers sendo produzidos no local a partir da Biomassa que a Colônia não poderia usar de outra forma.

      “Preciso ajustar as projeções novamente”, Solant murmurou para si mesma.

      Com menos wuffers de nível seis agora, isso significava que a expansão seria adiada mais uma vez no curto prazo, mas acelerada no longo prazo. Os construtores teriam que se concentrar mais na estrutura interna da fortaleza antes de terminar as camadas externas às pressas, o que era basicamente o oposto de como havia sido inicialmente planejado.

      Seria por pouco. Se eles não terminassem de selar e encantar as paredes externas da fortaleza, então ela não teria chance de resistir à onda. O cronograma tinha sido empurrado para o limite.

      “Sem problemas”, ela disse e estalou as mandíbulas com satisfação. “Eu gosto de um desafio.”

      Ela voltou ao modelo, inspecionando cada pedacinho da invasão como estava atualmente. Em alguns minutos, ela começou a dar ordens. Uma pequena mudança aqui, uma pequena mudança ali. Com o planejamento e treinamento extensivos que foram feitos para preparar as tropas, grandes ajustes eram desnecessários e indesejados, mas como um artista com um pincel, Solant faria um leve retoque e deixaria para trás uma imagem que era apenas um pouco mais coerente e clara do que era antes.

      E se ela fizesse isso repetidamente, o que sobraria seria elegante, eficiente e impecável.
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