Species: Tunnel Wasps

Classification: Aggressive Subterranean Insectoid
Threat Level: Moderate to High (Hive scale)
Known Variants: Standard Wasps, Hive Queen

Overview:

Tunnel Wasps are an aggressive, fast-breeding insectoid species native to the deeper caverns beneath Mars. Believed to have originated near geothermal vents, they thrive in tight spaces, nesting in dry, porous rock and old infrastructure alike. Their hives expand rapidly, with entire sectors overrun in days if not cleared.

Behavior:

Tunnel Wasps operate on a hive-mind system, responding in coordinated waves to threats. Standard wasps are about the size of a human forearm, with serrated stingers and blade-like forelegs capable of slicing through light armor. Their venom causes rapid swelling and temporary paralysis—lethal in swarms.

They are aggressive but not mindless, showing signs of tactical coordination and feinting behavior when defending the hive.

Hive Queen:

The Hive Queen is a massive, heavily armored variant—roughly the size of a small transport vehicle. She anchors the nest deep within the hive core, laying eggs in pulsating sacs tethered to the cavern walls. Her scream acts as both a rallying cry and a psychological weapon, disorienting intruders and triggering frenzied attacks from the swarm.

She can expel pheromones that drive the lesser wasps into a berserker state, making coordinated takedowns nearly impossible without silencing her first.

Weak Points:

• Soft tissue beneath the armored thorax

• Ventral egg sac connection nodes

• Vulnerable during egg-laying cycles

Field Note (Lena Voss, Chapter 11):

“You don’t realize how loud they are until the fighting stops. Until all that buzzing and screaming just… dies. The queen was the real monster—fast, armored, smart. But once she fell, the rest dropped like flies. Literally.”