Bee Bomb

Lina, Georgie, Malinda and Vanessa were inseparable. They were in their last year of high school and they were also insufferable. Like many cliques they were totally intolerant of others and delighted in tormenting the younger students who tried to break into their tight circle. They were also rebellious. Everyone knew the dangers of the old, long abandoned factory complex at the edge of town. It had been a source of the town's employment but, like so many others, had failed during the economic downturn in the first few years of the twenty-first century. Now, it's roof fallen in an a few places and with some walls more than a little unsteady, it had been condemned. That meant very few sensible people went there. The four, of course, defied the signs and used one of the more stable areas as a place to meet and do whatever they wanted, far from parental observation.

Unfortunately, that corner now also housed a somewhat crazy geneticist. He'd been working on his own projects in the quiet and solitude of the building and had arranged for the section he was using to be shored up using robots as labour. The daily chatter of the four was becoming an annoyance and a definite hinderance to his work. After putting up with it for months, he decided something needed done.

The next day, when the four arrived and began smoking their joints, he acted. The girls heard a metallic bouncing from the roof and were startled by a metal egg that landed in their midst. Before they could do anything, it detonated. When their sight returned to (almost) normal they realised a number of things: they were now naked (the flash included nanites that destroyed the fabrics of their clothing); they were unable to speak (their tongues were now long and thin more like insect tongues); their bodies had been changed (they were mostly gigantic bees). From the dirty window, a demented laughter could be heard.

"Will you keep your chatter to a low buzz?!" came a voice. "I've work to do."