The Hive

"Capitan's Log; Imperial Navel Scout HMS Resolve outbound from Castor 4. Preparing survey to upgrade jump-point catalog with the most recent reference numbers and any new points found." "Lt. Cmdr. Jason Pool commanding; ship is again fully provisioned and three new drones as replacement for those lost on last mission." "Sector Alpha 35 will be the first scanned as it has not been updated in 6yrs. Log end."

I set coarse for sector A35 and kick in the engines hoping for a routine patrol as I'm getting tired of always ending up on the short end of the stick when it comes to excitement. I've had enough lately to keep my dance card full for about 100yrs.

I enter sector A35 uneventfully and pray that it stays that way. "Log entry: Have entered sector Alpha 35 and am starting patrol. Log end."

Two weeks and nothing to report outside the norm; God I hope it stays that way. The last few runs have been more than a little wild: Run 38A6; jump ended 10AU from star going super-nova; Run 39B16; jump ended in the middle of an asteroid field: Run 40D3; jump ended in an active gas nebula: Run 41G2; jump ended in coronal envelope: Run 42L1; jump ended in atmosphere of gas giant: and this last one; Run 43A9; jump ended just outside event horizon of black hole. I need a nice quiet milk run for a change.

Sensors tell me they have picked up an uncharted jump point; hopefully a nice stable one without a life threatening exit. "Log, Run 44W7; new jump coordinates 153.14X78.54X18.8: preparing for jump. Execute. Log end."

I exit the jump and heave a sigh of relief as there are no immediate sensor warnings. I put the sensors to checking the immediate proximity and find a system with a G4 star and 14 planets. "Log, jump complete, no immediate threat, proceeding to system for closer inspection. Log end."

The closer to the system I get the stranger it gets. Of the 14 planets 8 are within the 'life zone' 0.85AU to 1.15AU. Either this is one hell of a coincidence or someone/something has been at work doing some great engineering.

There are no planets closer to the primary than those in AU orbit, and there is a huge gap between them and the outer gas giants. It's as if all the inner planets have been moved to the AU ring to support whatever life exists here.

All the planets in the zone are orbiting at the same orbital rate of 461 days (standard) and all show signs of atmosphere and energy generation. I am picking up small ship traffic between the zone planets and an odd form of communications all pops, clicks and hums.

I enter the inner system slowly with all my sensors on and hope that I'm not perceived as a threat by whoever has the power to move worlds around. I'm at about 3.5AU when suddenly my ship is seized by what appears to be nothing more than a tractor beam, but one of incredible power. I am being pulled toward the 2nd largest of the zone worlds and there is nothing I can do about it so I shut down my propulsion systems and let them have their way.

"Log; have been seized by tractor beam of incredible power and am being pulled toward the 2nd largest of the planets in this system. Propulsion shut down to conserve fuel for possible; what??? Will advise as to status as able. Log end."

I am within 1,000,000 km when 3 ships come alongside and mag-grapple to my ship. I 'feel' the tractor release and the attached ships start a decent to the planet below. Sensors tell me that the atmosphere is breathable and I should have no ill effects from it.

As I approach the surface a pattern develops and although I've seen it before never on such a grand scale. Everything is laid out in hexagons as if it's a giant bee hive.

My ship was set down on a landing cradle and mag-locked in place. The other ships were cradled and after about 30 minutes a door opened in the side of the nearby building and out stepped a BEE! A real live walking upright bee. I saw no sign of armaments so I made my way to the airlock, cycled it and prepared to step out.

"Log: maintain contact ship comp to comm tag; maintain running log entry."

A platform was raised up to my airlock and I stepped onto it to be lowered to ground level. I stepped off the platform to come face-to-face with a humanoid bee; 170cm tall, 80 kilos and if they were like bees on Earth most likely a drone/worker. Its mouth was moving but all I heard was clicks, hums and pops, obviously a language of some sort but not one that my ship had figured out yet. I had my ship send out a drone with a portable computer and started a mathematics tutorial playing; the drone/worker raised its arm and I paused the player. It turned to the building and I heard a loud series of pops and clicks, shortly thereafter another drone/worker came out and it signaled to the computer so I restarted the tutorial.

As the tutorial played another bee came forward with what I took to be one of their computers. They set it up so that my ships computer could see the screen and they started what I assumed to be a similar tutorial. Their tutorial was annotated with hums, pops and clicks which I took to be a voice over as did my ships computer. After about 20 minutes my ship started telling me what the pops, hums and clicks all meant.

With my ship translating we; with the aid of my comp, started a conversation and they started by asking me; "What are you?" " Where are you from?" "Why are you here?" So I started answering.

"What are you?" "Human."

"Where are you from?" "Earth, across the galaxy about there," as I pointed to the sky.

"Why are you here?" "I am an explorer and I search out new civilizations to contact."

I ask, "What are you called?" "We are the Hizzpptt and this world is known as Hizzpptt Prime."

"You moved all those other planets?" "Yes we did. We needed more room for our people so we moved those worlds and converted them to livable space."

"I wonder, is your society as ordered as the bees of my home world?" I asked.

"We have a very ordered society but, it is not as it once was. Long ago our Queen controlled everything and we answered to her beck-and-call. But about 250,000yrs ago a change started to take place where we became more independent as individuals and less of one mind. Over time more and more of our people chose to be something other than what our society said they should be. Soon we developed different personalities and more females than just the Queen became fertile and soon females were laying eggs from matings of their chosen male partner."

"Many wars were fought over who ruled and how but we survived as a society and even though we still have a Queen she is only a guide in how we go about our lives."

We talked for a couple of more hours as we learned about each other's worlds and society's. The day was coming to a close when a large ground vehicle arrived and all the 'people' around me turned and knelt as from the 'car' stepped the most wondrous sight I'd ever beheld.

First let me describe the 'people'. They are bees; vestigial wings, 4 legs, 2 arms ending in opposing 2 'fingered' pincers and they have 2 antennae on the top of their head. But that is where the similarity ends; the facial structure is more like that of a human than a bee; with standard eyes facing front instead of compound on the side, a flatter wider nose, and a mouth very similar to our own. They vary in color from dull yellow/orange to sunshine bright yellow stripes alternating with dark grey to black stripes.

Now the Queen; when she stepped from the 'car' I was awe struck. She is a brilliant gold and ebony black coloration and stands about 5cm taller than all the others here. Her wings are much larger, though I doubt she can fly, than any others and are a brilliant rainbow spectrum of color. As she nears I bow and when I look up she is staring at me as if I'm about to become dinner. She speaks to Bettrrgg and I hear the translation, "Bettrrgg what is this creature that stands before me?"

"He is a human from Earth, a world across the galaxy from here. He is an explorer and his craft brought him here through the rift that has claimed so many of our ships."

"How is this possible?" she asks.

"He has a special type of drive system on his ship that allows him to navigate and pass through the rift." he tells her.

"Your Majesty if I may be so bold," I speak up, "My ship is designed to utilize the rift as you call it to travel great distances across the galaxy. My own world is so distant that it cannot be seen from here, but it lies in that direction." I point to an area of the sky in roughly the right quadrant.

"How do you know our language stranger?" she asks.

"With the aid of my ships computer and this device," I show her my comm tag in my left ear. "Our computers devised a method of translation and through them we can communicate."

"Bettrrgg, please to bring your friend to the palace for dinner this evening; and please bring this device with you as I wish to learn more of this 'human'."

"Yes your Majesty."

After the Queen departs Bettrrgg looks at me quizzically and says, "Now I've seen everything, the Queen herself has asked you to dinner. That never happens. In fact her showing up here just now is beyond anything I could have imagined."

"Well, maybe she is just curious as to the goings on outside your little corner of the universe," I quip.

About an hour later Bettrrgg escorts me to the palace and the guards take my computer in hand and escort me to the dining area. After seeing to my comfort the guards leave and shortly after servants start bringing in the meal. I don't see anything directly identifiable as meat but lots of things readily identifiable as fruits and vegetables. As soon as the table is set the Queen enters and takes her place at the head of the table then directs me to move so as to sit next to her and place the computer on a small table set between us.

We spend the next hour or so talking about all that is going on in my part of the galaxy as she is a very curious person. Finally she calls some staff and tells them we are retiring to her sitting room and has them bring refreshment there. After moving to a luxuriously appointed room and dismissing the servants she comes right to the point she seems to have been dancing around all night.

"So, human..." I interrupt "My name is Jason, your Majesty, Jason Pool."

"Well then Jason. Do you find me attractive, Jason?"

"Why yes your Majesty, I do. You are quite pleasing to look at." I answer.

"Do you have a mate where you come from, Jason?"

"No, your Majesty, I do not as I am gone from home most of the time it would be unfair to her not having me around when needed." I answered.

"That is most considerate of you to think of her feelings like that," she quips. Then she lays it out, "I would like you to mate with me Jason."

There it is; "And why would you want me to be your mate, if I might be so bold as to ask?"

"Being Queen is difficult as you might guess. Everybody is trying to get an advantage on everybody else and if I take a consort and bear young then he will expect to be treated as someone special. As yet I have found no one that I would have elevated to that position. With you I might have my 'fling' so to speak and after you are gone not have to suffer the consequences of having a boorish consort hanging around."

"Well thought out, your Majesty..." she interrupts "Please call me Hellzzpp," she says.

"Well, Hellzzpp that is a very well thought out plan. I can only see one problem with it, and that is how we would go about doing the deed as I see no way for me to... well you know."

"I have been studying you all evening Jason and noticed the protrusion in your covering and although it appears that it may not be as long as one of my species it is much larger in diameter. I was thinking that I might lay you on your back and squat over you so that you might take me that way."

And that is what we did. I undressed and lay back on some pillows and she straddled me presenting her cleft to my rigid pole. Her wetness was very apparent when she just slid right down my shaft taking it all at once.

"By the comb you are so big; I am stretched so much I cannot take any more." I begin moving in and out of her and she asks, "What are you doing? It feels so... so..." her body starts to twitch and shudder as she tries to close her opening on my pole. I feel a stinging sensation at the base of my shaft and can no longer hold back as I let go and pump a huge load of sperm deep in her.

"I feel your heat Jason and know that you have given me your seed. It is a shame that we cannot bear offspring as I would much like to be able to do that again. It was very enjoyable."

Although it was a bit quick for me, I did enjoy getting my rocks off. "I too enjoyed the pleasure of your body and wish that we could be together again before I leave."

We spent the night together and did the deed twice more before morning. As I left to return to my ship and a well deserved nap she spoke to me, "Stay for a few days Jason and enjoy our world and its treasures," then quietly, "I will see you again before you leave."

I spent the next 10 days wandering around with the aid of Bettrrgg. The day before I was to depart I received a message from the Queen to report to the palace immediately.

When I arrived at the palace I was ushered directly to the Queens inner chamber, only to see her lying on a cushion looking all bloated and swollen up like a balloon. Her servants were hovering around her like she was dying or something. "Your Majesty, you wished to see me?" I asked.

"Yes Jason; leave us," she hollered at her servants, "Jason tell me about your sexual practices on Earth. I have need of an explanation of why I am blowing up like a balloon with fertilized eggs."

"Fer... Fer... Fertilized eggs?" I stammer.

"Yes Jason; a Hizzpptt female has as many as 500 viable eggs in her body at any one time. When a Hizzpptt male deposits his sperm there are 2 or 3 packets that will fertilize 2 or 3 eggs respectively. But my Doctors are telling me that not only are we genetically compatible, which is obvious, but that every egg in me has been fertilized and I could have as many as 500 hundred children in this one brood. Can you explain this to me?"

How do you explain, to the Queen that you just knocked-up, the fact that humans release millions of sperm every time a male ejaculates.

Well... it doesn't look as if I'll be going home any time soon.