The Ant Colony's Universe: Microscopic Science Fiction

Story Introduction

In the microscopic world of ants, humans are "wandering gods," doorways are "cracks in the divine realm," urination is "the scorching punishment of the gods," and the ground beneath their feet is the "universe" they spend their entire lives exploring.

The chief scientist-in-training, Antenna, uses his sensitive feelers and the courage to defy ancestral teachings to be the first to discover the "gods' strange movements." Tremors and rows of trees falling over (human construction) portend the coming "end of the universe." While the conservatives cling to the belief that "ancestral teachings must never be defied" and refuse to believe disaster is coming, Antenna joins forces with Mandibles, commander of the defenses, and Digger, head of engineering, to form an expedition team. They vow to lead their colony across the "Three Forbidden Zones of the Gods" (human yards, asphalt roads, and dried-up riverbeds) in search of the legendary "Land of Abundance" (the forest).

They interpret the "gods' laws" with their feelers, build "god-repelling fortifications" from soil, and use collective wisdom to withstand the "gods' steeds" (cars), the "poison fog punishment of the gods" (pesticides), and the "threat of divine beasts" (cats, dogs, and chickens). This expedition across the "universe" is not only a desperate comeback by tiny ants against an overwhelming world, but also an epic of civilization reflecting humanity's exploration of the universe. When a weak civilization confronts the unknown and its fears, will it cling to rigid ancestral teachings, or forge a new beginning through exploration and courage?

Hardcore science fiction from a microscopic perspective. Every interpretation of a "divine phenomenon" contains a reflection of human civilization; every step of the expedition is marked by a devotion to survival and dreams.