I awoke.
My vision is blurry, and I move slowly as if something is sitting on my whole body. I am laying in my bed, feeling absolutely sick, but then I realize it’s just aching hunger, and my mouth is dry as hot sand. I moan. The thick blankets that cover me make me feel safe and warm. A feeling of relief swarms my body as I realize it has been a dream.
“Thank you, God! It was just a horrible, awful, unreal nightmare.” I say to myself, my voice croaking.
I look at the nightstand, and I see my laptop propped on it, the charger connected, the bluescreen still present, and a whole bunch of text filing down it. Panic erupts in my mind as I see the last few lines.
‘Nerve cluster fully formulated.’
‘Powering up cluster one, processing….’
‘Melding process complete.’
‘Initiating host wake up, stimulating neural network, complete.’
‘Host awareness present.’
‘Good afternoon! Uh-oh!’
“No… no…” I say as I fling the covers off and I see my body. The nightmare begins.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!” I scream at the top of my lungs.
Pure terror reigns supreme in my reeling brain as I scream! I am naked, and my belly is a swollen mass of pulsating mounds. My skin stretches and warps. My lower torso looks like it is infested with a pair of writhing fat snakes that reside within my belly! I squeal and mewl as my hands hammer at the fiendish mounds of my writhing flesh.
It wasn’t a nightmare! I am infected with an alien parasite, screaming like a little boy. I cover my eyes with my hands and whimper and beg for it to stop. I wait, lying in my bed, shivering from head to foot in the blind terror that grips me. Then after a space of time, I feel… the writhing of my flesh stop.
I uncovered my eyes to look at my stomach, it was back to normal. I saw the familiar slimness of my chest and the normal slight bulge of my belly that was normal for me. But I was not normal. It had happened, and it was still there… inside of me. The thing the fiendish alien put inside of me. It did something to me.
This was real. I look at the laptop, breathing like a racehorse. I hear my heart pounding in my head. I read the text.
‘Cluster one powered up.’
‘Oopsies…’
‘Cluster one positioning.’
‘Hmmm… uh…’
‘Core warning: cluster one experiencing kinetic impacts!’
‘Core warning: abnormal neural activity detected in the host!’
‘Stop hitting yourself!’
‘Cluster one positioned, host vitals at normal operating parameters.’
‘Oh… dear… I should have had the cluster do that positioning while you were still asleep. Sorry.’
I grasp the laptop and slam my fingers across the keyboard. My emotions dominate as I type. Curses spew from my mouth as the conversation with my alien parasite unfolds before me.
‘GET THE HELL OUT OF MY BODY! RIGHT NOW!’
‘I can’t!’
‘Why not?’
‘I have been melded!’
‘I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE MEANS! I do not want you within me! I want you out! Tell me how to get rid of you!’
‘If I were to leave your body, that would kill me!’
‘Then die! Do it! FUCKING DIE! I do not want you in me!’
‘Max! You would die as well! I am fully integrated into your nervous system!’
Something snaps inside of me.
“NO! I AM NOT DOING THIS! NO!” I shout at the laptop.
I stumble off the bed, throwing the laptop away from me. Anger, ugly and vile erupted out of my mouth. I wasn’t going to do this; I wasn’t going to talk to a parasite. I dressed all the while screaming expletives and hideous curses. I rammed my boots on, and I ran out of the cabin.
I fled the conversation with a parasite and not wanting to understand what had been done to me. I only wanted to escape this! I didn’t want anything alien in me. I rushed through the forested area around the cabin. The late afternoon sun blazing down on me, the happy chirps of birds, and the pleasant summer’s day contrasted sharply with the storm raging in my mind.
My time walking was spent trying to figure out what to do about this… parasite that resided in my body. It was the most terrifying thing that has ever happened to me. The conversation I had with this being, this AI made me want to cut myself open and rip it out.
My dread had made me consider wildly dangerous ideas to rid myself of the infestation. I was at a loss for what to do or believe. An alien something was inside of me, doing God only knew what to my body.
The memory of my bloated belly writhing with something alive gave me shivers, and I would scream as I recalled the feeling. It was like it was a bottom feeder, something that should only reside in the depths of a slimy pond. I shiver as I recall a parasitic worm talking over a host’s body and then laying its eggs within it, and the eggs hatching. The host would then be devoured from within by the worm’s offspring.
I cry, scream, curse, and walk aimlessly in a state of profound fear.
As I walked in a circle around the cabin, I began to feel a sense of being used, of being nothing more than a housing unit for an uninvited guest. Analogies of various kinds stormed my mind, and visions of horror tormented me. I think I will feel masses of larvae spewing from my mouth or a hideous beast erupting from my chest.
I begin to think, and after hours of processing the reality of this situation, I decided to gather more information. Restless and hovering between the dread and horror of the situation, I walk back to the cabin. As the sun begins its dip toward the horizon, I almost ran back into the forest, but I managed to steel myself. I walk into the cabin feeling weary and fearful. I find the laptop tilting at the edge of my bed, the bluescreen was still on, but it was blank. I look at it.
Just as the hopeful thought of me being subjected to a hallucination, a line of text appears in the bluescreen, dashing that hope away. I curse under my breath. I read the text.
‘Max, we need to talk! I must explain what has happened to you!’
I sit down at the edge of my bed. I grasp the laptop, and I begin to type.
‘I want you to tell me everything. What are you exactly? Who or what was that alien who did this to me? What are you doing to my body?’
‘Max, I am a biologically engineered nanomorphic artificial intelligence. I am from another world. I am a being constructed to amplify my host’s physical and intellectual abilities. I am designed to provide support, information, and construction of equipment and weapons and to enhance the biological host for combat operations. In short, Max: I am a soldier, and you are my commander.’
“Holy shit,” I say in a choked whisper. Another line of text appears.
‘The alien being who placed me within you was commander Jerr Salaba. He had been captured by the enemy and, with help from our human allies, had managed to escape from captivity only to be mortally wounded shortly after. He was shot down, and he crash-landed his spacecraft near you. He committed the ultimate crime against you! He took control of your body. He then committed another crime and force me to meld with you. Greater curse him!’
I stare numbly at the text, another line appears, and I forget to breathe for several moments as I read it. Utterly stunned.
‘What I was forced to do to your body is the melding of my own body to yours. This means that I am literally wired to your brain. I cannot be extracted without killing us both. I was forced into this situation. Max, we are both victims of a war criminal. Commander Jerr justified his actions for the sake of the war effort here on your planet. A shadow war has been raging on Earth for almost a century, and you are the first human to have received a Core AI, which is me. I am sorry, but you have been illegally drafted to fight an interstellar war.’
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
I stare, my mouth agape, and I read it all again. I could not believe it, but it was real. So horribly real.
I remember.
Suddenly and vividly, I remember everything.
I remember the crashing UFO waking me up, the dirt raining down on me, the wind turbines shattering, my fear, and then the moment I saw the lights. I walked compulsively toward the crashed spacecraft when I should have run away. The lights. Those green lights that came from the spacecraft gripped my mind with a feeling of intense fascination. Then I remember the alien face, its mournful agonized face, its wide soulful eyes. I could not move, could not speak, or do anything. My body had been usurped. I recall what the alien said to me.
“You will hate me for this. It must be done… I have no other option.”
I do… I hate that alien.
The conversation I have with the… Core AI is detailed and utterly horrifying. The Core AI is a combat model for a group of alien commandos sent to Earth from their home world. They were alien soldiers who had infiltrated Earth to save humanity from the enemy. An enemy that is pathologically hostile to all other forms of life except their own. An alien enemy fighting a vast military campaign to conquer the galaxy and exterminate all other intelligent life.
An interstellar war that has been raging across the stars of the milky way galaxy for tens of thousands of years. The enemy was here on Earth, and only recently, it was eighty years ago when the enemy first landed on Earth. And with the intent to eventually kill every human and plunder the solar system of its resources to fuel their campaign of galactic extermination.
‘We, the United Allies, call them the Malefic scourge. They call themselves the Cleansers, they are biologically geared to be extremely hostile toward other life. This is due to their evolutionary legacy in their home world.’
I question the alien AI for hours, and I learn that the Malefics were once a backward species, but thousands of years ago, they discovered a technique and technology for mind control. The Malefics infiltrated other worlds and implanted themselves into other civilizations, taking over technology, societies, and governments. Then exterminating them in detail.
‘The Malefics started their military campaign when humans were expanding out from Africa about thirty-five thousand years ago. They had only learned of humanity a few centuries ago and decided to wait until the front was stabilized near Earth before beginning the process of humanity’s destruction.’
According to the Core AI, the alien Allies suffered a major defeat near Earth a hundred years ago. The enemy was flushed with confidence, and they infiltrated Earth with genocidal intent. I had to stop the Core AI there and ask:
‘Why have they not done that yet? Couldn’t they park a big fleet in Earth orbit and blast us?’
‘That is mainly due to our efforts, Max. Our high command is determined to disrupt all efforts by Malefics to exterminate other species. The day the Malefics came to Earth was the same day the Allies sent commando teams here to protect humanity. The high command also commenced a massive counterattack along the frontline at Alpha Centauri, Ross 248, Barnard’s Star, and 61 Cygni fifty-two years ago, and the battle is ongoing. In short, Max, the Malefics have been distracted, and here on Earth, we have been sabotaging their genocide of humans.’
What I learned about the world, the universe, and all the horrible things going on for decades left me speechless. I forgot that there was an alien device inside of me, and I learned the full extent of my situation. The war was not going well for the Allies, and recently the last alien commando, commander Jer, was dead; more importantly, I had the Core AI.
‘What is your purpose as a Core AI? What is your job?’
‘I contain information and technology. I hold the methods and means of defending humanity with my counterpart I am melded with. I have technology thousands of years ahead of humanity’s technology. If the enemy gets a hold of me or I am killed, then the Malefics kill teams will have free reign to eventually wipe out humanity. At least until high command sends another wave of commandos and their own Core AIs.’
‘When is that going to happen?’ I type.
‘I don’t know, Max. They could drop from orbit tomorrow or twenty years from now, or never. The war in this section of the galaxy has not been going well. It is unlikely that a new wave of commandos will arrive anytime soon.’
‘What is my job If I were to help?’ I hold my breath.
‘You would fight Max, command whatever is left of our human allies, and save humanity if we can.’
I looked at the laptop screen, and I started to laugh. I was the last hope for humanity. A war, a real galactic war that had been raging for thousands of years, and now I was caught up in it. I was a part of it and couldn't take any more information from the Core AI.
‘That is all for now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.’ I type.
‘No! not yet I have to….’
I slammed the laptop closed, plugged the charger into it, set it on the nightstand, and stood up from my bed. I had been sitting there for hours, and I learned of something so vast that I could barely process it.
I ate, showered, and then I got into bed as the first rays of morning light peaked through the curtains of my bedroom window. I had talked to this… Core AI for the whole of the night, I shrugged it off. I lay down and closed my eyes.
I fell asleep instantly.
I sat at the little table in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cold, soggy MRE oats and drinking bland-tasting instant coffee. I was starving for some real food but what I had was what I had. The laptop was in front of me, the top closed. I was still processing what had happened to me. All the information I had received the night before was still jumbled in my head, and I still felt staggered. As my sleep cycle had been thoroughly messed up this morning or this evening, I debated if I should shrug and forget.
I am not a soldier.
I didn’t know a single thing that could help win a shadow war on Earth. Nor could I see myself saving humanity from an alien threat that was presently trying to kill all intelligent life in the universe. The idea was absurd, and I couldn’t stop myself from concluding that humanity was doomed in any case.
I was just one guy, one human with an advanced military alien wetware AI. But I am still just one guy. I finished my cold meal, setting aside the bowl. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and took a moment to collect myself before opening the laptop. To delve down the rabbit hole of cosmic horrors once again. Or perhaps a hole of cosmic jokes, very bad cosmic jokes.
I open the laptop.
The bluescreen was not there. Instead, I saw my desktop, files containing books, video games, and the screensaver image of a kitten hanging from a tree branch with the words below: ‘Hang in there!’ I blinked. I randomly typed on the keyboard, and nothing happened, just as I was about to think that I was suffering from a mental illness. A program file appeared on the desktop. It was labeled: ‘communication upgrade’ I blinked slowly, sighing deeply, and with a sinking feeling, maneuvered the curser. I clicked on the icon.
A blank gray background appeared, and then I jumped out of my skin as a gentle feminine voice came from the laptop speakers.
“Hello, Max. My sensors me that you had a good rest, and I hope you are ready to learn more about me.”
“This is too much,” I say, shaking my head wearily.
“I understand. Before we begin, I wanted to properly introduce myself.”
“You can hear me?”
“Yes, I spent the time while you were resting to build this new program that will help us communicate more effectively. I wanted to give myself a face so that you understand that I am a sentient being.”
I feel the anger rise in me again.
“Oh! That is rich! A face-to-face conversation with the sentient alien paras…what the…hell…” I say in disbelief.
I stop speaking as a small figure appears on the right side of the screen, an animated figure. It marched to the center of the screen, and it bowed to me. I watch agape in bemused wonder. The figure was an… human anime chibi… a tasteful female anime chibi cartoon character.
The chibi figure was dressed in a formal military dress uniform, an armband with a small globe of the earth with a shield and sword pressed up below the globe. The armband was wrapped around the right sleeve. A captain’s lapels are pinned on each shoulder, golden buttons, and a belt with a silver buckle. Complete with a militaristic hat, ceremonial sword, and black boots. The figure looked silly, and I was about to laugh until she saluted me.
“Max Wilson, I am Captain Maia, Core AI of the Salsu 78th Corps, Species Protection Platoon 17 of the Grand 481st Galactic Liberation Fleet.” She said in a serious, somber tone.
I said nothing as I stared. The figure continues speaking.
“I also wish to express my sincerest apologies to you for the abhorrent actions of Commander Jerr who used mind control on both of us. His actions for his mission to defend planet Earth cannot be justified. All forms of morality in the known universe cannot condone the use of mind control technology on sapient beings. Despite this serious war crime, I hope you will consider joining the ongoing battle for humanity and all other free lifeforms in the known universe.” Said the militaristic anime chibi.
The urge to laugh was present and faintly so, but for some reason, I couldn’t laugh. All I felt was a profound resignation that hacked away all the humor. I chugged the last of the instant coffee, setting the coffee mug to the side, I looked at the small digital caricature.
“Could you change into something less… formal?” I asked.
The little chibi blinked and then nodded. The figure blurred with a flicker, and the chibi was wearing simple complete military fatigues, the captain’s bars still present.
“A little more informal, please.” I prompted.
Again, the chibi blinked, then it had a thoughtful expression and flickered. This time the female chibi was wearing a simple blue halter top, gray shorts, white sandals, and a green necklace with a small globe of Earth as the centerpiece. The little chibi gives me a meaningful look, the long brown hair flowing down one side of her face. I can’t help but smile to myself, the little animated character looked cute.
“So… you identify as a human female anime chibi?” I say in a deadpan voice.
“I felt that this figure would be more pleasing to your human eyes than my actual form, which I think disturbed you the last time you saw it.” She said.
I recall the first time this being appeared to me as a ghostly distorted form of a human and an alien two-faced monster, it warbled a hideous voice. I shivered.
“Yes, this is a better form,” I said.
There is an awkward silence.
“So… Maia… you want me to join the… galactic war against the Malefics?” I say.
“Yes.”
“Well, do I have a choice?”
“You will always have a choice, Max.”
“Well, go on then, make your pitch. I am listening,” I say, feeling tense.
This would not be a lark of an adventure, and I remarked privately to myself.
‘I am so going to die… too… I may be melted into a smoky pulp of ash from a particle blast, or maybe I’ll be vivisected alive for the little AI inside of me. Yeah… or maybe not… maybe I can be that guy who rises and heroically faces the alien menace and…Naha! I’m gonna die!’
Regardless of how I felt, I listened, and afterward, I agreed to help the little alien AI.