Kingdom of Bees The once was a great kingdom of bees. In this kingdom, resided a gentle swarm.

While some swarms in this kingdom were somewhat aggressive due to continuous invasions and attacks in their past, there were still many swarms that were gentle and less consumed with their threatening surroundings. This particular peaceful swarm remained in peace for ages as they produced their honey and grew plentiful. One day, however, this peaceful swarm was disrupted by invaders. Unlike invaders of the past who would only come to take their honey, these particular invaders came to take the bees. The invasion was terrifying as a mysterious gas paralyzed most of the bees, rendering them helpless against the aggressors. Ultimately, many of the peaceful bees were taken from their home, leaving the hive with very little honey and bitter bees, fearful for their future. When the abducted bees awoke from their gas induced coma, they found themselves in an entirely different environment. In their casing in which they traveled, they found many of their fellow bees lying dead or dying. Eventually, they made it to their destination and found that their new land was a controlled one. The gentle bees original queen was replaced by another unfamiliar queen from another hive. Also, many other bees from other swarms were placed with the gentle bees, creating confusion. Still, even the confusion was controlled by the very hands that seized the bees. The way honey was made was controlled by these hands; the way the bees were bred was controlled by theses hands; even the way the bees behaved was controlled by these hands. Through time, this control created a culture within the hive that the bees became accustomed to. And this culture spread throughout this new imitation of a kingdom, created by other abducted, bred, and controlled bees. Now, although a new kingdom was created by the same hands and the same control, using the same tactics, hives were still different. Like in every kingdom, there are hives that are peaceful, and there are those that are not so peaceful. Unfortunately for all of the hives, they would always be categorized as the same, making life for all bees very difficult. Through generations, many worked to overcome their tribulations. Many hives even came together to build stronger swarms of bees. Still, the control of the hands was powerful. Some of the more aggressive bees would attack and even kill some of the hands. At first, this was seen as a good idea- revolting for freedom. Unfortunately, this turned out bad for the more peaceful hives that were attacked and destroyed because of the bee attacks. Although they knew that remaining peaceful was not such a great idea either, and that assertion and even aggression may be necessary, the peaceful bees needed to find a tactic to keep bees safe from retaliation. Methods to obtain freedom yet keep peaceful bees alive at the same time were difficult to come up with since the hands had established such a powerful control over the bees. Eventually, hives began to adapt or become complacent. There was just no way to obtain the freedom that they really wanted. The general consensus became that they were alive, in a plentiful land, where although the hands were controlling and manipulative, they provided the bare necessities needed to live. And if the bees worked hard, they would even live peacefully. Some of the original peaceful bees from the original kingdom even became Queens. And the bees were happy about that. However, many bees continued to complain. They were continuously reminded of the control. And while some bees complained insistently (some even stung the hands), none really gathered like they did in the past.

Even though there was a peaceful movement and a separate more aggressive movement, they were still powerful and moved towards one goal, one elder bee said. Today, no one is moving. Many of the bees that were content with the new kingdom they inherited were very active in making their hives better for them. Many knew that things were not completely right, but they worked hard for the advancement of their hives, to at least build a better quality life. But other bees complained. This isnt our kingdom, they would argue. That is not my queen! they would say. This is where we now live, some of the bees would say. We must work with what we have and work hard to make what we have better for our future bees. The argument went back and forth. While many bees, looked to create a better way of life with the hive and kingdom that they were taken to, many other bees continued to complain and limit their contributions to the hives because there was no sense of ownership. And so, the argument continued for years, tearing a divide among the bees, blinding them to the fact that they all had the same desire. One day, a smaller bee came forward. He was a bee of many backgrounds. His ancestry can be traced to the kingdom of the original gentle bees and to the bees placed in the new kingdom by the controlling hands. This bee knew, felt and inherited the history of the original bees and knew much about the control put into place by the hands. This particular bee was indeed very knowledgeable. When the small bee stepped forward, he interrupted the argument and said, We have inherited a kingdom that we do not fully control. We have inherited a culture that were did not fully influence. We have inherited a future that is not fully guaranteed. For that, I will do all I can to help those who complain and understand these issues to find the possibility of establishing a new kingdom; to gather the knowledge, resources, strength, and even fight for a new kingdom, in which will have full control. For that, I am willing to put my life on the line! I am willing to put my life on the line, like my ancestors did, to build a new kingdom that is ours, so that we may not need to exhaust ourselves anymore with complaints, empty threats and division anymore. But until we come together to establish that plan; until we come together to lay the foundation of that vision, I will spend my life making the kingdom that I have inherited a better one. I will give my life to make the future of my inherited kingdom a better one for my future descendants; to make it as close to our original kingdom as possible. I will sacrifice myself and fight for as much control of this inherited kingdom as possible. There was a brief silence. The bee then said, Who is with me?? Then, in an instant, the bees went back to arguing amongst themselves.