The Swarm
They were crawling on top of each other. With little regard for the convenience of their kin. Insects made their way across passages of dirt and dust. This was their daily grind. Carrying huge loads from one corner to the other. For the advancement of their species. On a cursory look, they look like any other colony. Thousands upon thousands making their way in confined, often overcrowded spaces not because they liked it, or because their genome demanded it. Simply because 'option' wasn't something that existed in abundance. One fine morning, one traffic ridden tube, one slip of the leg, and a weak one perished. Nothing out of the ordinary. Workers had come to expect and accept it. This was the hand dealt to them. However, this species was special. Not because of these tireless workers. That existed in every insect community. Only in this one, there were multiple queens. With varied agendas. Each queen expected something different from its workers. One demanded work. One d...