"I should go first," The pink skunk says. "I'm a skunk, creating scent should come natural
for me."
"Which likely means you're better at following them, also, I know Steve, you don't, so I'm
better experienced to deal with him if he shows, it's been days T-Rex said, it would be
weird if he came back with reinforcements -now.-" 'Nine days, whao, I knew I had no clue
how much had past but nine days... still, it wouldn't make sense that Steve would wait
precisely the same amount of time I was in my birthing egg to stage an assault.' "Besides,
think of it as my way of looking out for my elders."
The pink skunk stamped her feet. "I'm only older than you by what, a few minutes?"
"Look, if I'm the first group through them I'm more likely to run into any people who are
laying in wait or just happen to stumble on our rout, and if it is Steve or someone like him,
maybe I can use that to my advantage." Truth of the matter was, you really didn't like the
idea, or have the desire to kill anyone. However T-Rex's instructions had been black and
white, capture for turning or kill any humans you came across. Which meant of course that
you would have to have your group capture any human they ran into via non-leathal force.
'How big is each of our groups going to be? When bee hive separate to start a new colony,
they take around half the entire swarm with him. Will we be taking a quarter of the nest
with us each? How many is that? Is that number too large? We are supposed to move
quickly from the nest to the site of the new one.' You ask Pink Skunk on the subject and
you both agree that T-Rex likely left all the finer details up to you.
You wish it hadn't been so dark in T-Rex's sitting spot. Was he humanoid? Was he brightly
colored like all of you? Was he human size or the size of a true T-Rex? There were so
many shadows covering him that you couldn't be sure one way or the other.
One odd thought does strike you, 'Snails?' You look around at the procreation chamber,
and think back to the orientation chamber, all the Magni you've seen so far have been
mammals with the exception of T-Rex, or at least vertebrates. There have been no signs
of mollusks or the like. Not to mention, in spite of their vast variety, that there appears to
be no specialization among the Magni, like humans. You almost wonder how the Magni
came across the animal traits they have. But a more interesting occurs to you, 'Where the
magni sixty five million years ago sentient? T-Rex decidedly is, but he's had sixty five
million years to become that way. And most people agree that Dinosaurs plus the
mammals back then didn't have the brain structure and most didn't have the brain size to
be tool users... then again, we really don't seem to be tool users ourselves. But we've been
focused on just increasing our numbers so far, so maybe we just haven't had a chance do
more. Though if sentient IS a new state for the Magni, it would explain a lot of things.'
The mollusks likely aren't Magni themselves by this virtue, you figure they're more likely
domesticated animals. You giggle when you think about how big or how tiny these snails
could be, then again, you'll need to take them along either way, and T-Rex said it would
take five hours to reach the new nest site, so would they keep up with you or would some
of your group have to carry them?
"You don't want to kill anyone either Pink Cat."
"Huh?"
"The look in your eyes, you don't want to kill anyone either."
"... Yes, but the Old One gave us an order, we have to obey, but he did give us option of
capturing any humans we came across for turning so we can go with that instead, and
we'll need humans for the Magno anyway so it's logical."
"Yes... logical. Oh spirits I hope we don't have to."
"Me too, me too."
Pink Skunk then looks into your eyes and says, "Okay, you go first with your group, good
luck."
"Same to you, Pink Skunk."
"Do you think we have the same father?" Pink Skunk said out of the blue.
"Huh?" You ask surprised.
"Well, we're both pink, so it might be possible."
"I doubt there's only one pink male Magni." You think of a pink male and start giggling.
Could pink be a sex oriented color? Then again, the magni had existed long before human
culture had assigned colors particular meanings.
"I know, I was just, ya know, curious." Pink Skunk says with the attitude of explain a whim,
and you realize it for what it is, a whim.
"So I'll go ahead with the first group then." you says.
"All right." Pink Skunk nods, "I just hope that our new nest is be as nice as this one."
"I'm sure it will be, the Old One gave us the job to make sure of that remember?"
"Right!" Pink Skunk nods eagerly. "So we have no idea how big our groups are supposed to
be?"
"Just use your common sense and I think we'll be fine."
"Gotcha."
When both of you step into the Mating Chamber you find the same mass of naked brightly
colored bodies you did before mingling. Pink Skunk put two fingers to her muzzle, and
somehow manages a whistle from her rubber mouth. The manages to get most of the
Magni's attention.
"By order of the voice, our Old One T-Rex, we are to relocate a percentage of our numbers
to a new nesting site. Myself and Pink Cat will be leading two groups that shall leave a
couple minutes apart from each other to the new location, all Magni females who are
pregnant but are not on their ninth day please come foreword, as for obvious reason you'll
be needed the most at the new nest."
There is of course another reason, if this nest is attacked, then the pregnant Magni
females will be least able to defend themselves.
"All up to eighth day pregnant magni line up. Males, line up behind the last pregnant
magni you mated with, if there is a male already behind her form behind that one. We will
be doing our best to be sure that the ratio of male to female magni in both nests remains
at a level to insure the procreation of more birthing eggs. Some of you males will be
coming with us, some of you won't."
Under the authority the Old One has temporarily given you, the Magni of the mating
chamber begin to line up. The sheer number of them again leaves you impressed. many
city blocks worth indeed. You wonder how the media hasn't noticed yet. You throw away
the childish idea everyone forgot about you the moment you became a Magni, just too
silly. The Old One said they had only awakened recently, and you were in your egg for nine
days. You wonder just how long T-Rex and Compy have been awake. Not long enough to
be picked by even the tabloids to be sure, but the sheer number of people here suggests
they've come or acquired a vast number of humans...it was dark outside when you came
here. Was there excavation equipment outside? A archeology crew could have made up the
first batch of Magni. You wonder if T-Rex and Compy are the only Old Ones or if there are
others. If this is the only Magni nest or if there are others. Then again, it's pretty hard to
survive sixty five million years worth of Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and the
like, immune to old age or not.