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Utterly shocked, Artifex stared at the tiny being cradled in the legionnaire alpha’s arms. Where had Bellator found a queen? He’d live his entire life and no females had emerged. As Artifex was questioning how this was possible, he noticed the blood.

Focus! Your queen needs help!

The tiny queen had blood on her face, extending down her chest and on one arm. Panic rose inside him. Vorto were rarely injured like this. The Vorto would flux into their amorphous form before injuries could occur. This injury was more similar to what happened with the fauna.

“Please, before we lose our queen,” Phara added, the torment in his voice palpable.

That’s not helping.

“I was assessing her. How did this happen?!” Artifex countered, trying to stay calm, which was easier said than done. Never before had his ability to serve his purpose mattered so much. The pressure was enough to make him sick.

“I found her at the edge of our territory. She was in a damaged egg that was part of the meteor shower,” Bellator relayed.

“Even if she fluxed, falling from that great of a height would still have injured her.” Artifex had treated many Vorto who’d accidently fluxed while flying in theirscreoform. The fall to earth, even in that amorphous form, was sometimes fatal. The fact that the little queen was respirating steadily was a very good sign, though.

“Lay her on the resting pad,” Artifex instructed, and Bellator gently placed the limp queen on the leather mattress. “We need to remove her coverings to see the extent of her injuries.”

Operar, one of Artifex’s betas, joined him by the bed. It was a relief to see the male. There hadn’t been time to call for assistance from his caste. Word was obviously traveling through the hive.

“Phara, Bellator, I know you want to help, but I need you to let us work.” Artifex nudged Bellator aside. Thankfully the pair of alphas stepped back and let him and his beta get to work.

Artifex extended a claw and began slicing off the queen’s blue coverings which went from her delicate neck to her petite feet. The slick blue fabric was unusual and unlike anything he’d seen. It wasn’t made of plant fibers, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. He removed the bloody sleeve, yet found no open wounds on her arm to explain the blood. He gently prodded the bones in the queen’s forearm. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was feeling for. The queen wasn’t Vorto, at least not any hive he’d encountered. Thankfully he’d learned a trick treating the occasional wild creature they found in their territory. Artifex reached over and felt her other arm, comparing the two.

“This isn’t good.” He cringed when he felt the damage to the bones near her wrist.

“What is wrong?” Phara anxiously asked from the edge of the room.

A picture started to form and it explained why the tiny queen was still unconscious. It also made him fear what injury might have occurred to her head beyond the visible gash above her furry brow.

“I believe her arm struck her head with such force that it shattered the bones,” he relayed as he felt her forehead.

“What do we do?!” Bellator demanded.

What do we do?Artifex’s worry spiked as he studied the unconscious queen. These weren’t injuries where he could simply set the bones and wrap them. The damage was too extensive in her wrist, and he had no idea what was going on with her head. He had a poultice that would seal the wound, but that did nothing for potential internal damage. In the case of fauna he’d encountered with these kinds of injuries, they would’ve put the poor creature down.

Blight!he cursed. They needed to do something.This is a queen!Suddenly it came to him.The refectio!

The previous servitor alpha showed him the precious equipment. Along with the lesson on how to use the machine was a lecture about how it was only to be used in dire situations, since no one was making or even repairing the special equipment any longer. If ever there was an occasion to use the healing machine, this was it.

“We’ll use therefectio!” he announced.

As Artifex went to the sealed room holding the equipment, countless things ran through his mind. The overriding thought was that the future of the hive depended on him in this moment. He’d taken care of the hive for thirty orbits. In that time, he’d become experienced in growing, hunting, building, cooking, cleaning, and directing his servitors with the many tasks that keep the hive running.

But none of that matters if I can’t heal our queen.That was his true test.

Phara – Consort Alpha

Phara let out the breath he was holding when the beam coming from the miraculous healing machine shut off. Therefectiohad cleaned away the blood, healing the queen’s scratchesand contusion, but the precious female remained unconscious. Phara anxiously looked at Artifex, silently questioning what was happening.

Artifex examined the queen’s head while Operar felt her wrist. The pair traded looks.

“Did it work?!” Phara anxiously demanded, unable to stand the suspense.

“It did!” Artifex nodded, also deeply relieved. “She’s still exhausted by the fall, so she will probably sleep for a while.”

“Thank you!” Phara hugged the servitor alpha.

“Whoa!” Artifex pulled away from him and pointedly stared at his sex.