The Spider

There’s a creature down here, one that’s already been established as a potential threat, you cannot operate within these sewers with such a creature lurking about.

You know of the beasts nest, this is a distinct advantage in both diplomacy and conflict but you do not yet understand the beasts nature, if it is a beast at all for one thing, or if this creature can be reasoned with, or if it is simply a mad dog that must be put in its proper place.

Though it pains you, you cannot afford to lose all of your drones at once if the spider is hostile, and as much as wish you could, going by yourself is too much a risk for both the hive and the future of this planet.

Late into the hours of the night you send a singular drone down into the beasts nest, the chamber that drains the sewage to take it to some unknown destination and the dense, weave of strands that hangs over the drop.

Your drone sees poorly down here especially in this location that’s almost devoid of all life, the small amounts of light here are reflected off the water, casting a sickly green hue upon the grimy walls, your footsteps echo and reverberate along the walls of this tunnel, no doubt revealing your location with each small tap of boot upon damp concrete.

All the air down here in the sewers smells putrid but this place is different, the smell that permeates the air could only be described as ****. The dense, toxic stench of putrefaction and blood grows heavier and heavier as the drone closes in on their destination.

As before a large intricate web sits like a safety net above the water, you spot movement and the web shifts ever so slightly, through the sound of water pouring down the pit like an ever flowing faucet, you can make out a words in the gloom of this long forgotten chamber.

”It’s not often my meals come to my door on their own… you have my thanks for the convenience..” the voice is cold and somewhat detached like speaking to something that is completely and utterly beneath notice. Or perhaps to one who’s destined to die.

The creature descends from its web the green hue now reflecting upon her aberrant form from what you know of standard human physiology, this creature is sickening in its deviation from the norm.

From the waist upwards you might make the mistake of thinking her mutation were purely superficial, aside from her many eyes her body seems normal, from the waist down however…

Her lower half is something of nightmares, 8 legs that skitter and crawl each one ending in a spear like spike large enough to impale a human and bleed them dry.

She has a large spinner from which she hangs with a rope like strand of web, her eight crimson red eyes stare through your drones eyes and into you.

“You smell… strange… you’re not truly human… are you?” She says each word emotionless and clinical, as though she were a machine, speaking about something that interests her only in the most superficial of terms.

“We are much more than human” You say with a voice that is not your own, seeing no purpose in hiding your true self from this creature, dropping all pretense of humanity.

“We are The Unity, seek no quarrel with us and we will have none with you, or your kind”

There’s a long silence, you can almost hear her thoughts as her eyes lock upon yours, within them you can almost read her, or at least imagine you can.

She is the apex predator of these dark secluded tunnels, a creature that has not only conquered this food chain but carved out a throne set at the top she has the same powerful, dispassionate stare of a lioness looking upon an ant as it scuttles along her territory. Then finally she breaks her silence.

“These are my hunting grounds, if you want immunity from being plated at my feast then you’ll give me alternatives”

Her many eyes burrow deep into you as she speaks, her words bouncing and echoing off the walls, magnifying her dreadful presence.

“And what precisely would these alternatives be? Human? Vermin?” You ask, staring defiantly up at the glinting eyes of spider.

Slowly the lips of the spider curl, twisting up in a cruel, hateful smile as she looks upon the lone drone, staring at the great monster with a strength only the collective could ever bestow, not a hint of fear flows through this drone, not a drop of sweat breaks the mask of apathetic neutrality.

“I’m so very happy you say that… there is… a preacher… he lives above in a place I cannot reach… you will find Father Henderson of The First Hero Church… find him and bring him to me… alive…” she says, her words starting to take on a childlike glee at the thought, as though this were enough to make her life worth living.

It’s clear the spider has some kind of history with this preacher and judging by the way her taloned hands clenched and unclenched make it clear that she has a very vested interest in making the good father suffer.

“You have 3 days… now, leave my home”

You recall your drone… coaxing them back into the warm embrace of the hive.

As they venture back you dwell on her demand, a sacrifice to appease her hunger… from what little you know about earth clergyman, they are public figures with many people interested in their well being, making one disappear will be difficult and will undoubtedly put the entire hive in jeopardy of being found out.

However in your current state of affairs you’ll likely have to make other sacrifices in order to conquer the beast in battle, sacrifices from your own precious hive, your greatest tool and most sacred resource.

3 days is not very long, hardly enough time to put together a plan for either choice but if this works well you may very gain a new drone, one that will undoubtedly aid you in your steps towards global unification.