Rijohe

“Jon seems to have little ability with his symbiote. He’s barely able to take command over the controlled that we used back when we thought he was just an anomaly,” Rijohe said to his bot.

“I don’t think it’s an ability issue. More of a willpower one,” the AI Bot replied while it checked over everything one last time.

They were just about to load onto the descent ship. This part of the plan involved getting as close to Tom as possible within the next 6 hours before he built up too much of a legion. Risking a lieutenant on the ground would normally be impossible, but Commander Finik gave him direct orders from HQ and the challengers’ lawyers agreed that only he could do it as his controller. The goal was to physically confirm the genetic code of Tom S and get proof that verified his humanity. If he was anything else he was to be detained immediately and brought in for questioning.

The AI Bot finished all of its final checks and gave the clear for Rijohe’s boarding.

“His AI is starting to withdraw from me. I’ll have to check its settings again later. We’ll have plenty of time to focus on him once we deal with Tom. Your last challenger isn’t even doing anything she’s just taking care of her mother like she wasn’t a controlled,” the AI Bot said.

“What a sentimental species,” Rijohe said while empowering his symbiote through the AI. He wouldn’t be able to breathe of the surface without the symbiote’s protection.

“That’s rich coming from you,” the AI replied as they headed towards the planet.

****

“Is that everyone now?” I asked Cindybot with a sigh. I heard an envelope opened as I said the words that practically confirmed it.

An entire two hours of tears and confusion had done nothing good for my mood. To make matters worse whatever beast was in my mind was begging for more to feed on. It felt like I had opened a box that would be impossible to close and I feared the consequences now that ten other people suddenly depended on me.

“Yes we now, slightly, control all ten,” she whispered in his ear still hidden from the skittish group. They were mostly eerily quiet even though I ‘commanded’ them to act as they normally would. I guess it is a bleary situation to be in.

“Now I can tell you a bit more. What you want isn’t unknown and can be useful in some ways, it just takes us the processing power of at least 3 Kwitle, or ten humans, to customize and begin. It’s called Hivemind. I’ll work on it now,” Cindybot said and begun to pulse green and blue.

Much like Cindy herself, the bot was nicer to me when I did exactly what it wanted. I’m sure that goodwill will evaporate the minute I wanted to do my own thing again. My limited interface chimed after a few more moments and I pulled up the screen:

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Install Earned Upgrade? Yes/No/Help

Help:

You have one upgrade available:

Hivemind: Give your controlled subjects permanent simple autonomy. The subjects share their thoughts and experiences with their host.

Warning: Controlled subjects will sacrifice themselves for the sake of the host and fellow subjects in all cases of imminent danger.

Install upgrade: Yes/No

“What was that last part? Hey Julio no one cares about your bike man,” I snapped back at the only one of the controlled who would not shut up. Julio looked aghast at the reprimand.

“It’s what it says. They’ll be like your version of bees. The Hivemind is the more “humane” option, but they will absolutely get themselves killed easier. Go ahead and install it we should really go soon,” Cindybot said quickly.

“What’s going on?” I asked suspiciously. The bot was actually acting nervous.

“It’s your map I haven’t explained it to you yet but another challenger is getting close and he has double your legion size. They probably need supplies and this is a good base. You’re not strong enough to defend it yet,” it replied.

I hadn’t even considered that other challengers besides Tom and Julia would even be a problem for another few days.

“I don’t need to “defend” anything we’re all human. I’ll just see if he wants to team up. Maybe he can teach me some of what he’s learned these last few hours,” I said.

Cindybot did not seem at all convinced but didn’t say anything else besides again telling me to install the upgrade so I did.

The beast inside my mind seem to roar with pleasure in a disturbing manner.

“My angry brain thing is really getting off on this,” I muttered to Cindybot.

“Oh grow up Jon,” Cindybot said in her best Cindy impersonation.

“No it’s like an actual, never mind I sound crazy now,” I tried to explain to it.

“Now?” Julio asked from behind me. I jumped.

“Don’t do that shit Julio! Jesus,” I yelled at the small Guatemalan man.

“I heard you shit talking my bike bro,” he said with a grunt but he obeyed the command and walked a few steps back.

Out of all of them Julio seemed to be the least disturbed that the world had become an apocalypse, if anything he was more worried about his motorcycle. I decided to start Hivemind with him.

“You’ll need a trigger word for Hivemind as well. I suggest Buzz since it’s cute,” Cindybot said.

What the fuck? I thought. Then again, Cindy would be randomly girly at times too. How much did they model after my ex? Where WAS Cindy in the first place even? One thing at a time I thought.

“Uh yeah ha. How about ‘Meld’ since they’ll sort of become a part of me?” I asked the AI.

Cindybot pulsed green while she registered the word.

“Hurry you only have a few minutes,” it said.

The beast didn’t give me a clue this time. Before it wanted to rush out with "Tap". Now it seemed uninterested in the friendlier option.

“Meld,” I commanded Julio.

“You’re so weird bro,” he replied.

It seemed like the mental beast gave a sigh. Then for half a second I was looking at myself. Right around six feet tall, black hair dark eyes and scar on my eyebrow from a bad night a year ago. I saw flashes of Julio working hard for three years of overtime at his older brother's auto shop as he saved up for a Harley Davidson. His exes all called him psychotic for his longing of the bike but he knew true love, his CVO Road Glide ST. And now aliens had separated them.

“Nope, don’t like that,” I said shaking my head free from the rapidly compounding mental images.

“Oops thought we had more time,” Cindybot said.

The doors of the storm shelter flew open and a score of people walked in.