Cris arrived at work looking like a survivor from a low-budget zombie film. His hoodie hid the faint white glow pulsing on his chest, and his hair stuck up at odd angles no amount of finger-combing could fix. He slid into his cubicle with a sigh of relief, praying no one would notice he hadn't exactly showered after last night's monster incident.
His prayers, however, were short-lived.
The ants had followed.
At first, it was subtle. A faint tickle on his forearm, like a stray hair. He brushed it away, only to see a tiny black dot vanish into his sleeve. He froze.
"King must remain vigilant. Territory scan commencing."
Cris whispered fiercely, covering his mouth with a coffee cup for cover. "Not here! Do you want me fired?! Go back inside or… wherever you live!"
"Host fragile. Surroundings unknown. Duty requires observation."
Cris ground his teeth. He glanced around — his coworkers were busy typing away, none the wiser. He opened his email, pretending to be productive while whisper-arguing with an alien insect council inside his head.
The ants didn't care. They spilled out in twos and threes from his sleeve, skittering across the desk like tiny scouts. One hopped onto the stapler, raising its antennae as though it had just discovered an alien artifact. Another marched onto his keyboard and began tapping at random keys.
His computer screen filled with nonsense letters:
hhjkljkjjjd88qaaaaa
Cris slammed the backspace key frantically. "Stop that! That's my work email! Do you know how hard it is to explain gibberish to HR?!"
"Data… acquired. Symbols primitive."
"Primitive—?! That's Microsoft Excel! Respect it!"
As if on cue, his manager, Carlo, poked his head over the cubicle wall. "Morning, Cris. How's that quarterly report coming?"
Cris sat up straighter, forcing a grin. "Oh, you know, it's… processing."
At that exact moment, one of the ants darted across his mousepad and smacked the left-click. A window popped up on screen — "Meme Folder: DO NOT OPEN AT WORK."
Carlo's eyebrow shot up.
Cris panicked. "Ahaha! Just, uh… sample data visualization! You know, morale boosters." He slammed the folder shut so fast his mouse nearly flew off the desk. "Anyway, working hard, as always!"
Carlo gave him a long, suspicious look but finally muttered, "Just… keep it professional, Cris," before retreating.
Cris exhaled in relief, then leaned toward the ants. "I swear, if you get me fired, I'll… I'll cut your sugar rations!"
The ants paused. The mental link pulsed with alarm.
"Sugar… restricted? Impossible. Host bluffing."
"Try me," Cris whispered, shaking his coffee mug threateningly.
They retreated back toward his sleeve, muttering among themselves in their strange hive-minded way. Cris sagged back into his chair, finally opening the actual report.
But peace was short-lived.
During the morning meeting, seated with half a dozen coworkers around a long conference table, Cris felt the dreaded tickle again.
"Threat detected."
He froze. "Not now."
"Unknown presence. Must eliminate."
"Shhh—"
Too late. A tiny ant crawled out from his collar and onto his neck. Cris stiffened. His coworker, Jenny, seated next to him, tilted her head. "Uh… Cris? You've got something…"
She reached out as if to brush it off.
Before she could touch him, Cris smacked his own neck. Hard. The sound echoed across the table.
Everyone turned.
Carlo squinted. "You alright?"
Cris coughed, face burning. "Uh—mosquito! Big one. Real, uh… aggressive breed."
Jenny frowned. "Indoors?"
Cris nodded furiously. "Yeah, mutant mosquito. Real problem in the city."
The ants chuckled inside his mind, if buzzing thoughts could laugh.
"Host creativity… entertaining."
He mentally shouted, You're sabotaging me on purpose, aren't you?!
"Training. Adaptation. Weak king must learn deception."
Cris clenched his jaw, plastered on a fake smile, and prayed for the meeting to end quickly.
By the time he stumbled back to his cubicle, drenched in nervous sweat, he realized something terrifying. The ants weren't going away. Not at work, not at home.
They were always watching. Always judging. Always there.
Cris slumped in his chair, covering his face with both hands. "This is my life now… I'm a corporate worker by day, bug king by night."
The ants corrected him immediately.
"Bug king… always."