The Queen is the life of the hive. She is the only fertile female. She is a
huge egg laying machine. She passes along, in the form of genteic codes, the
entire knowledge of the Hive. Eggs are typed and stored. Each type is a
specialty needed by the Hive. New workers are hatched when old workers wear
out.

When the Hive met Humans everything changed. Humans were like the
other half of something. Insects and Humans merged. They became one society.
A world that could support Human life could usually support a Hive.
Hive home did something that had never been done before. The new Queen
put out Colonies. Eggs were typed as Queens and the necessary number of
handlers and workers were furnished. The lot was packed onboard a ship and
sent off to a new world where a Builder had already cut tunnels and excavated
a queen chamger. The eggs were hatched, The Queen empregnated artificially
and the new Hive was born.

Humans did not smell very good to Insectoids. Humans were always
fertile and stank to high heaven. A hive was a place of such a mixture of
odors that Humans found it almost intoxicating. Humans were called Stinkies.
Insectoids were called Old Bugs. The two got along wonderfully in spite of
the offensive odors of fertile Humans.

A Hive is a series of tunnels and caverns excavated from bedrock.
There are chambers for every activity but one. The mating of a new Queen.
In an established hive matings took place in the air above the hive. A Queen
and her suitors would launch themselves from a staging area into the troposphere >
She would climb high above the persuing suitors and dive on them. Her goal
was to kill or disable as many of them as she could. One male, The most agile
and smartest of the lot would succeed in impregnating her. To do this he
had to survive long enough to deliver a sting to each side of her abdomen,
piercing her egg sacks. His stinger was a probosis. Hers was a wicked weapon.
After she had been empregnated it would mature into an organ for laying eggs.
She was equipped with venom that was instantly fatal. It acted as a poson as
well as a very strong acid. Her jaws were powerful mandibles capable of
crushing the strongest rock to powder. She could lash out with either end,
causing instant death. Sometimes there were no survivors and the newly
hatched Queen would fly off to die in some grove of trees. A new Queen had to
be hatched and the entire ritual acted out all over again.

Insectoids had no word of symbol for love. The Queen was a slave
to her task but her scent kept the hive together. Humans came along with all
their strong emotions. This made an impression on the Hives. Customs that had
lasted millions of years changed. Insects bonded with Humans. Nurses were
used by Ships, Schools, Hospitals, and any place else expert medical aide
was required.

Nurses: A nurse is a complete medical facility all in one package.
She can do micro surgery, manufacture antibodies for infections. Perform
any function a fully staffed hospital can. In the Hive they care for and
feed other members of the hive.

Queen attendents are special. They can manufature and supply the Queen
with emzymes that extend her life. Prepare and type eggs for later hatching
and furnish protection. Nothing in the galaxy is more dangerous than a
nurse guarding her charge. Be it Queen or Human. They will attack and kill
beings several times their own size to protect their charge.