The Hatchling

A short story of approximately 4,000 words.

As a rare female in a human hive, Nira feels her value from the moment she is born. But this value comes with a price: the hive only needs one queen, and the competition is steep. Aided by Damal, a dizzyingly handsome male breeder, Nira must fight every step of the way to achieve a bittersweet victory that will change the life of her hive for ages to come.

This story was first published by Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine in 2010. All rights reserved.