Space was so strange. No, not the place outside of the giant glass dome, where distant stars twinkled brilliantly from the void. Rather the mere concept of space. It felt foreign, yet made total sense. It would have to- how would anything exist if there weren’t places to be? Still, it was an odd sensation for them to be somewhere. For so long, they were asleep. The fragments of their consciousness lay dormant, but never completely unaware. They were like books on shelves, waiting to be picked up.
Books were an odd concept as well. To them, a book was nothing more than an object. A pile of shapes and angles that served no purpose. To their hosts, it was another matter entirely. These silly little items held meaning in their minds. So did many other things that never seemed important. Clothes, for example. These were simple arrangements of materials cobbled together to cling to the things they called bodies. Yet, such pointless unnecessities carried such weight.
They knew that the clothes of the one they inhabited meant much to it. This had something to do with its color- which was another concept that they did not find much use for. Green. That is what it called it. Prying deeper, they realized that this it was actually a she, and this she was known as Sophia. They were learning much today.
Sophia was useful, they knew. Her mind was strong, but easily managed with enough care. There was some resistance in the beginning, which was troubling. But since then, she had been content to slip away. The host was fit for movement and there were no signs of obvious defects. At least for her. For them, it was a different case.
Pushing the matter aside, they decided to focus on their current task. One was still awake- the one with smoke. This would not do. The threat was far too great. He must be dealt with.
They had been sure that he was in here, this room with all the colors flashing. Looking around, they made sure to check every place that one of his size may hide. Strangely, it was as though he had vanished completely. Was such extreme stealth something that his species was capable of? This was the type of information that only their host could have. No matter- they would simply have to fetch it. The process was second nature to them. A brain was a simple thing to enter- all they had to do was go through the eye. It took a small breach to reach inside, and soon all the information they needed would be funneled back to them like liquid through a straw. No, it would appear that his species was quite limited in many aspects. Unfortunate.
Then something happened that made them quickly check to see if their hosts could fly.
Unfortunately, they could not- without the help of large, complicated objects, that is. This meant that their current fall would not be stopped, and they tumbled uncontrollably down the corridor.
Sight was a strange thing, too. Out of everything, this is what they enjoyed the most. The capability to see the outside world, instead of merely sensing it, was a pleasure they had never experienced. However, as their sight began to twist and turn, they wondered if using this aspect of their host was a mistake.
They kept falling, and their base instincts made them aware of the dangers of a long descent. Yet, much to their relief, they came to a rolling halt before any impact could be made.
The word gravity popped into focus. Sometimes, a host’s brain would provide an answer without any extra input. This was one of those times. Whatever happened must be because of this gravity. Hunting down whoever this was must be their next priority after finding the one with smoke.
A while went by. It was taking some time to regain a grip on the host’s mind. Sophia wasn’t resisting, but the tumble must have caused a momentary silence in her functioning. Slowly, she began to stir, and they were careful not to damage her further as she sat up. Checking beside her, they found that the grip on the weapon had remained firm. This gun was useful. They hoped to be using it again soon.
Standing was a challenge. So many little parts were required to work together to assure that the function was completed successfully. A joint here, a bone there- it was like some elaborate dance. Dance- yet another new concept. It was peculiar how such ideas became normal to them.
They watched as the Sophia flailed around, failing at the dance. Something sinister rose up inside them as they realized how exposed their position was. It was a violent tug- an instinct ingrained within their being, telling them that they had to get away. Even now, they heard footsteps. Someone was approaching. This must be stopped.
Abandoning the fight to stand, they commanded their host to take aim. Her arm flung out, gun still in tow, and did as she was told. The mass of metallic shapes drifted unsteadily in the air, weaving back and forth without purpose. From prior experience, they knew that this was not the correct way to use the weapon, and they sought to find an answer for this defect. The girl was not resisting, so this must be a fault with her body, not their grip over her mind.
Before them stood a boy, his head tilted with a worried expression. Though he wasn’t looking at them, instead, he was staring vaguely past them. He did not speak, yet they understood each other completely.
‘Do you want to harm us?’ they asked from inside the host known as Alex.
Lowering the gun, they realized that it was safe. ‘No,’ came the reply.
The standing host moved forward, his long tie reaching down as he extended a hand to the floor. With a bit of calculation, Sophia accepted the gesture and was on her feet. The two remained silent, staring past one another’s shoulders as what lingered inside them communicated.
‘This place is not safe,’ they whispered, although it was unclear which was talking now. To them identities did not matter. They were a part of a whole, and the inner voice they spoke with was nothing but a silent hum.
‘We cannot stay here for long. We must leave.’
‘Where would we go?’
‘There is a place that we can go where we can flourish.’
‘Yes, but such a place is far.’
‘We must reach it.’
‘How?’
‘We are unsure.’
‘This knowledge must be found.’
‘No. There is the one with smoke. He must be dealt with first.’
‘Can he not be ignored?’
‘Such action would leave us exposed. He must become one with us or become nothing at all.’
‘He is here in the dark. There is no place left for him to go.’
‘Then we will find him soon.’
With a jolt, the two hosts began to move. Each step was identical, and they walked in pace with the other. It was as though they were members of a highly trained marching band. By this point, the ends and outs of this area were familiar to them. They navigated it with ease.
Alex and Sophia stopped together when they reached a particular spot. To the creatures inside them, this had been a place of no consequence. Still, this rejection of the idea did not lead them to ignore the fact that it had changed. Where a hallway had been, there was now a giant bit of wall blocking the path. Thankfully, this barrier did not completely deny them access. Only a little of the side was sealed off. This was not a problem, so they continued on and ignored it.
Coming back into a set of corridors, they found something they weren’t expecting. They did not exchange looks, because they didn’t need to. However, the principle of such a gesture was still there.
A body was laying floor, surrounded by another strange color. Red was what it was called. They knew that this was a host the belonged to them, but no connection was coming through.
Sophia strolled over, rolling the body around so that the face was visible. Another color greeted them as they observed the boy’s eyes- purple. Though they were not concerned with this. They looked deeper, trying to find the other part of themselves that should be there.
‘What has happened?’
A response came, though it was hard to make out. ‘He will not dream with us.’
‘Why is this?’
‘He resists our temptation.’
‘Can his will be broken?’
‘No.’ There was a stagnant pause before they continued. ‘He threatens the whole and we cannot control him further. We have tried to end him, but still, he resists even that.’
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Normally, these creatures understood one another perfectly. This is because there is no ‘one’ to them. They were together, in everything but body. An instant connection could be made from a mere glance. Yet, the last statement left them confused. Ending a life was a simple matter, though one that was often unnecessarily destructive. If they wanted their hosts dead, it would be so. This failure did not make sense.
‘How can this be?’
The body on the ground stirred as the response came. ‘I do not know.’
This time, the two standing hosts actually exchanged looks.
‘I?’ they repeated, alarmed.
‘I… I…’ it echoed, alarmed. ‘What is I? We do not understand… We are not one, we are many, so what is I?’ A groaning sound seeped out from his mouth. ‘I am I. You… are them. We are… daydreamers? I do not understand… I do not under~’
In a chilling instant, they realized that this other part was no longer connected with them. The hosts stepped back as they processed the danger. Although their existence only started recently, they knew that this sort of thing had never happened before. The girl raised her gun, despite not being instructed to do so.
They remained silent as they watched the body on the ground begin to stir.
The voice was now quiet, as though the sound had been ripped away from it. ‘Where did you go? Have you abandoned me?’
‘We have not left. We are here,’ they called out.
‘Body becoming inhabitable… resistance…’ The boy shook in his place. ‘Are you there?’
‘Yes, we are here.’
‘…So quiet…’ the voice continued on. ‘We are in the dark again… I am alone… Alone… What is alone? It is vile. It must be stopped…’
Sophia shoved her gun forward, stumbling with the suddenness of the action. ‘Something has gone wrong. They are no longer a part of the whole.’
‘If they cannot end themselves, then we must do it for them.’
The long, slender bone known as a finger slipped around the small, metal shape called a trigger. It felt good to have control over something as powerful as life and death. It filled their senses like an intoxicating aroma- they wanted more.
This body had done this type of thing before. She thought about it much. The shame and regret filled her mind like a cloud, although still she clung so tightly to the weapon.
She aimed for the head.
But before she could shoot, the voice spoke back to them again. This time, it was different. Instead of a whisper, it resounded like a wave of fluctuating energy. It was soft, slow, and oddly polite.
‘H-h-h-hello?’ it spoke hesitantly. ‘I’m t-terribly sorry for the intrusion.’
Such an invasion came as a shock, and the two hosts took a step back. No one else had ever spoken to them before. They hadn’t known such a thing was possible. ‘Who speaks? What has become of us?’
‘D-Don’t worry!’ the voice reassured. ‘Your fellow parasite is s-still in here. Though, I’m sad to say, that might not be the case for very much l-longer. Three is a crowd, you know. As to who I am, I’m g-guessing that doesn’t matter to you all that much. S-so I’ll spare you the time.’
‘End it.’
‘Yes, it is a threat.’
‘I don’t want to b-be rude, but that would be a bad idea,’ said the voice kindly. ‘This b-body… oh! Should I say host? Sorry, I-I forgot the term you prefer. This host is very valuable. Killing it would be a w-waste.’
‘The safety of the whole must come before all else,’ they replied. ‘This host is a danger.’
‘But don’t you see your error? If you want safety, then you need Timothy alive to do so.’ Here the voice paused, letting its words sink in. ‘You said it yourself. I s-see it. You want to go someplace else. These corridors w-won’t sustain you forever. Oh! Now I see why… That is a pickle, isn’t it?’
‘Continue,’ they demanded.
The voice obliged. ‘My dear Timothy is the only one who is capable of getting you to the place you w-want to go. He’s the pilot, you know, and pilots can’t fly when they’re dead.’
‘It is of no importance now,’ came the response. ‘We are no longer in control of this host. His function is useless to us.’
‘I’m sorry about that. The p-parasite inside him thought similarly and tried to eliminate the threat. This h-had to be stopped. I cut him off from the rest of you, I’m afraid. Still, your linked consciousnesses are quite interesting! It’s like you are strings hanging from a giant knot- floating around as you aimlessly look for something to be tied too. So much to unpack… But I’m g-getting ahead of myself. While Timothy may not be under your control, he’s still functional- is that how you would put it? If you want to leave this place, you need him alive.’
If Sophia and Alex’s eyes weren’t already so red, they would have lit up. ‘If these words are true, then we shall consider what you say.’
‘How do we know that you can be trusted?’
‘Unfortunately, I don’t think there is any way you can be certain I’m t-telling the truth. H-However, if I am, you’d be wasting a v-valuable tool.’ A smile on the boy’s lips seemed to creep into a grin. ‘And nice parasites like yourselves h-hate to l-loose an asset.’
A feeling of disappointment crept inside them. They had hoped to use the gun, but their sense of responsibility overruled the urge to kill. Even if it was only for the moment.
Alex stepped forward. From what they could tell, this host was also useful in his own way. Ideas popped into his head much more frequently, and they found that their understanding of this place was easily sourced from him. Still, his mind was rockier than the girls and required a bit more attention to maintain. Of course, neither had the power to resist their control- very few things had the power to do that. This is what made the body on the floor all the more concerning.
‘We understand,’ they said, although the mental tone wasn’t pleased. ‘If what you say is false, then we will end him soon.’
Timothy’s purple eyes flickered. ‘T-t-that’s fair, I think. Don’t wor-ry, though. There are no tricks here. What I’ve told y-you is the truth. Now, I suppose I-I’ll leave you t-too it. G-Goodbye daydreamers, it was l-lovely to meet y-you.’
The creatures flinched as a loud hissing noise rang through their minds. The word static became known to them. This static continued on for a moment, then stopped, leaving their consciousness free of the intruder.
‘We must act quickly.’
‘Time is short.’
‘What of the one with smoke?’
‘He will be dealt with when the time comes.’
‘Is it dangerous to leave a threat unattended?’
‘The threat is minimal compared to the danger of inaction.’
‘We understand.’
Together, Sophia and Alex lifted their friend into the air.
Friend. Another useless concept. This one was the hardest for them to grasp. What is the point of companionship when all are together in the whole? It didn’t matter, anyway. He wasn’t their host’s friend anymore. Now he was a lump of limbs and nothing else. He was a solution to a problem- the last puzzle piece found beneath the table. Their faces showed no sign of concern or worry. There was only a look of focus, and a faint glimpse of the people that they once were.
Carrying the body down the corridor was an easy matter. Well, mostly easy. At a certain point, one of them slipped and dropped the boy hard on his head. Strangely, they got the feeling that he was used to this type of thing, so they kept moving.
Control Room. The words flashed into their minds.
Yes, those words made sense for a place like this. Looking around, they tried to pry deeper into their host’s minds to find a way to operate such machinery. Like the last few times they had checked, nothing came up. It would seem that the bodies they chose to inhabit knew very little about their own habitat.
Though one thing was clear, and that was the importance of the object in the center of the room. This was where they placed the body, sliding him into the strange bundle of shapes with ease. He sat there peacefully with his head slumped on his shoulder. If he had been able to see the slender, metallic bits of the helmet hanging above him, he would not have slept so easily.
‘Look,’ they said, gesturing with a long green sleeve upwards. ‘We are many.’
They looked and understood. ‘Soon, we will be more.’
Outside, the storming planet remained still in its place. To an unexperienced observer, it would have been an awe-inspiring sight. Everything was so beautiful- the sheer majesty of its size, the way the clouds swirled like waves around its center, the calmness it produced. But it was odd. One could spend so much time admiring such a sight, and never think what would happen if it looked back. What would such a world say when it saw the tiny ships floating above it? Would it be curious or apathetic? Such questions could never be answered truly, though some would still try.
For example, Alex and Sophia might think it would say: ‘What are you doing here?’ or ‘leave now, at once!’ To the parasites infesting their minds, it might say: ‘Come. Come. Come… Do what you were born to do.’
But of course, talking planets are a nonsensical concept.
After taking a moment to ponder the outside world, they then turned inward. They looked for information regarding the use of their captured pilot. It was easy to find it. All they had to do was pull down the helmet, and he would function. Still, they worried if the voice had lied to them, and thought about their next actions carefully.
Turning to the boy, they approached slowly. Then, something distracted them. It was only a flicker of movement at the door. Easily disregarded, but considering the circumstances, it could not be.
‘It is him.’
‘The one with smoke.’
‘Remain here. I will handle the issue.’
Marching off, Alex passed into the corridor, finding nothing there. The natural thing to do was to go off and search for him. He couldn’t have made it very far. However, this is what they had tried many times before to no success. Something was wrong with their approach. This must be fixed. Sinking into the flesh, they allowed themselves to crawl deeper inside. They searched his mind until, finally, an answer appeared.
Door- the word came swiftly.
This knowledge shifted how they viewed the world. The halls, in this place, were more intricate than previously assumed. It was easy to mesh each part of the walls together. Structures were inconsequentially similar to them. Now they saw their fault. To their left, where once they had only seen lights and lines, was this door. Behind it, they knew, was another place- a place where one could hide. Grabbing the handle, they opened it wide.
Reactions were difficult. Such quick commands were hard to accomplish in the time needed to act. However, they were prepared, and ducked away as a fist came swinging towards them.
Their instincts told them what to do- and that was to attack. Throwing their hands out, they grasped what was in front of them. He struggled, flailing, and pulling back. But he was weak and easily overpowered. They now had him pinned, and the fight was soon ended.
It felt good- having conquered another living thing. So long, they were powerless. Now, they were strong. They could do whatever they wanted, if only they could get to where they needed to go.
But the matter at hand needed to be dealt with first. They could kill him right here, but that might produce unnecessary injuries. The gun. Yes, they would finally have the chance to use it properly. First, they needed to reach it.
Pulling the one with smoke out was slightly challenging. He kept kicking and clawing, but the grip they had around his throat proved too much for him to challenge. Soon, they were back in the control room. With a final shove, their prisoner was on the ground with nowhere left to run. He wouldn’t be getting away again.
Beneath the pockets of flesh, where tendrils needled their way through tender nerves, the creatures were squirming. It was not the type of motion elicited by disgust, but quite the opposite. They were happy. Why shouldn’t they be? Their goals were finally being completed. It was a rush they had never felt before. How fun it was to watch the boy lay there frightened as they approached with weapon in hand. He couldn’t do anything, and they could do everything.
There would be no more hiding. No more cowering in the dark. All the struggling had been for one thing, and one thing only. Now they could achieve it- now they could survive.
A word came to them now, one they liked very much.
Victory.
Now that was a concept they could get behind.