The globe was divided into one thousand fourty six roughly hexagonal regions, and the twelve pentagonal zones which housed the embassies -- two at each pole. The northern hexes hosted humanoid species, if the term humanoid was stretched to include any bilaterally symetrical body plan with at least two arm and a single head. The biology ranged from variations on humanoid mammals, across the spectrum to the mobile and vaguely humanoid plants of Hex Czill.
The southern hexes appeared to be inhabitted by more far exotic intelligent species, described by some as ranging from rather creepy to the downright bizarre. Yet the inhabitants of those hexes seemed surprisingly comfortable in their new forms; however strange and inhuman their biology.
Though no one quite knew what the labels meant, the nameplates above the embassy gates appeared to have the same pronunciation in all of the new languages that used sounds. an oddity in many ways since none used the same set of symbols. The names possibly held meaning in the Clarkian alien s language.
The plate on one such was pronounced “Slelcron”. This was odder than many further since the inhabitants of the hex themselves did not use either verbal or written communication.
Nabiki had no eyes to read, no ears to hear, and no mouth to speak. Her direct experience of the world around her was rather limited; mostly to feeling sunlight on her leaves, or tasting the moisture absorbed by her roots. She gathered information second hand through bees; a species of sparrow–sized vespiform insects which held a symbiotic relations ship with Nabiki’s species of shrub–sized flowering plants.
The plants provided intellect and direction; the insects acted as eyes, ears, and hands. When the insects landed on their host’s flowers, a neural connection was established; downloading experiences then uploading new instructions. By this means, Nabiki was able to investigate her surroundings, garden the landscape to remove weeds and pests and arrange proper drainage. She could also communicate with her neighbours in the field, and through them learn more about her new home.
The Slelcron had quickly formed a network of information, passing on what they could observe of their little world, and speculated about the aliens’ intention in leaving them rooted in place, through ‘bee–mail’. They couldn’t even tell that they were still on Earth; bee eyes were not built for astronomical observations.
From the very first the bee–mail network was abuzz with conspiracy theories. The more paranoid of which often involved the aliens returning to harvest their formerly human crop. Being entirely defenseless save for their bee’s stingers, many Slelcron started experimenting with setting traps; particularly those on the edge of the colony like Nabiki.
With little else to divert their attention, they mainly used bee–mail to play board, puzzle, and role–playing games. Had Slelcron been high–tech hex instead of non–, they would bee a species comprised entirely of net gamers. Instead, they had to exercise their minds, which was only thing they could exercise. It wasn’t as if they had much else to do or could bee more active. And they weren’t going anywhere.
Their neighbours across the six borders, however, were a little more ambulatory. They also had difficulty recognising the Slelcron for what they were, and the Slelcron weren’t much better equipped in that regard. All things considered, the Slelcrons’ initial reaction was understandably not exactly welcoming.
At first the giant spiders had an easy time of it. They ignored the flowers as they strode through the field; which isn’t to say that they didn’t accidentally cause damage and alarm the Slelcron. Yet their attention was mainly caught by the bees, and right at first they had an easy meal of it.
Then they encountered Nabiki’s field’s traps. Tripwire vines snagged hairy legs, trap doors caved in over pits, stones pelted carapaces from makeshift catapults, and other small nuisances annoyed the Shamozan explorers. They began a thorough search for signs of the native trapsters. Of course, they found none, but thrashing around the fields caused alarming damage.
Nabiki ‘saw’, through a bee’s report, the damage being done to her fellow plants and grew alarmed. It was a curiously dispassionate form of fear, since her biology did not include adrenal glands, but very real none the less. She began to look for a way to drive the spiders away from her field; and one came immediately to mind. Others apparently came to similar conclusion, and bees swarmed to flowers, attracted by a sudden release of pheromones.
The Shamozan ignored the activity at first; their had been a constant flow of bees to flowers since their arrival. The bees had proven harmless, easy to catch, and delicious. Yet that was before they were given instructions on how to deal with the invaders. With those instructions, the bees became aggressive. The Shamozan got the point, quickly and often.
The survivors fled.
Nabiki’s field tended their own injured, and examined their invader’s remains. Tool pouches strapped to the spiders, with high tech gear their bees could not make work, swiftly caught their attention. The network was soon abuzz with the news. Bees were programmed to keep watch for return, and plans were made for better spider traps.
Nabiki had little choice but to become a border guard for the commune. It wasn’t as though she could flee the monsters. She would remain rooted in place, defending the field, until collected by a party of botanists.
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(Posted Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:03)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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