The group filed in quickly and immediately made for the vending machines. They seemed ravenous even though it had only been about 12 to 14 hours since the invasion. Maybe? I’m losing track of time. Before I could say anything Julio jumped out at them.
“Hey what the fuck? These are our Cheetos and we worked hard for this beat down musty gym,” he said while walking up to the group quickly.
The people all turned to him at the same time and finally paid us some attention.
“WE NEED TO EAT TO GET STRONGER,” they said all at the same time. “ALWAYS HUNGRY, MY BRAIN IS ALWAYS HUNGRY NOW”.
I looked at Cindybot in surprise. The small robot seemed to act coy.
“Oh well it seems he doesn’t have very good control over his people now does it?” was all it said.
“Cindybot what the hell is this? Who is the challenger here? Why are they acting insane and yelling and shit? They’re scaring Hale,” I asked it.
Hale was shuddering while backing away from the ravenous crowd. It looked like one of the men was armed from where I was. He had a nasty scar along his left eye and seemed to be scowling while eating whereas everyone else had blank expressions.
“Don’t call me that,” Cindybot said. “It’s umm. It seems to be happening to some of the challengers from what the AIs are sharing. Some seem to be going a little insane. We haven’t had a challenge in thousands of years so oops. The challenger here is the guy eating the Takis”
I had to try to process that later. 20 people were overrunning the vending machines. I knew the shelter had some extra food storage in the kitchens. We had to stay here a few times over the years whenever a category 4 or above would hit and I lived in the apartments. But even then, I was responsible for my little group now and every little bit counted.
“Hey, back off the food. You can split some bags of snacks for your people and use the restrooms but then y’all have to go,” I said loudly.
I felt connected to all of my ten people but the strongest link was to Julio after using meld. It felt like I had a small rope connected with all of them but a heavy chain between myself and Julio. The description earlier said we should be able to share thoughts.
Julio can you listen to me? I sent the thought to him through the chain I felt connecting us.
God? He thought back to me. Jesus I knew it. Finally. It took aliens? Anyway. Ok my bike Jesus please help me find it.
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I hate you so much. Just go to the kitchen and stand guard by the door. Don’t let them get back there if they run I thought to Julio.
Yes Jesus. But then my bike? He thought back as he walked quickly while I distracted them.
“YOUR FOOD? HAHAHA YOURE A CHALLENGER? HAHAHAHA NO. HEY GREENIE ARE THEY A CHALLENGER?” they all said to me and I’m guessing his AI “greenie”. His AI seemed to be whispering to him in response, it was too low for me to hear. The Takis man’s face was now contorted in something between amusement and rage as he listened and ate our Takis.
The experience was very jarring. How much control, or lack thereof, did he have? Did he really have no qualms about just taking someone over and using them as his own version of a fast food speaker? What else was he doing with them?
“I’m not letting you take my people’s food man. Last warning,” I told the larger Takis man. He scowled.
“GREENIE SAYS YOU’RE WEAK. YOU ONLY HAVE TEN PEOPLE BARELY UNDER YOUR CONTROL. I HAVE TWENTY IN MY LEGION AND THEY LISTEN TO MY EVERY WORD. THEYRE COMPLETELY LINKED TO ME. THEY GIVE ME WHATEVER I WANT. GREENIE SAYS YOURE NOTHING COMPARED TO ME,” his people said in unison.
Cindybot had been quiet this whole time. I think she knew what I did. This man was broken only half a day into the challenge.
“I’ll be sure to take care of your people Takis man,” I told him as I walked towards him.
The scarred controlled lifted his AR rifle into my face.
“NO NO, BACK AWAY BEACH BOY,” they all said. The larger of his men started walking towards me. I walked up to the man with the AR.
“Here is good,” Cindybot whispered to me while the beast salivated in my mind. I was just a few feet away from the armed man who was now trembling.
“Tap,” I commanded and didn’t hold back the leash. The beast howled in glee and lunged at opposing challenger’s erratic control over his minion. I felt a mental resistance there in the man but nothing like with Rijohe’s trial. It was like breaking open a gate made of recycled plastic, and it felt like this man was fighting him from the other side of the gate as well.
“He’s a psychopath, make me kill him,” the controlled man gasped as I took over.
“NO! HOW DID HE DO THAT? THIS ISNT LIKE POKÉMON AT ALL GREENIE,” the rest of the group yelled while backing up from the armed man.
“Wait. Keep your rifle aimed at him. I’ll try to give you some semblance of free will afterwards I’m sorry,” I told George, the armed man.
George grunted and did what he was told.
“Greenie and Cindybot, is there a way we can do this without anyone dying?” I asked the AI bots and sighed.
Greenie said nothing as expected. I wouldn’t imagine it’s mental state was much better than the Takis man’s.
“Sort of. You won’t like it,” Cindybot said in a small voice.
My interface suddenly flashed.
You have one special upgrade available
Install Special Upgrade? Yes/No/Help
Help:
Consume: Can only use when certain conditions are met. Combine control, reflect, and hivemind to overtake a host’s mind and gain control over their legion.
Warning: The host’s mind permanently becomes a part of yours. Their physical body is killed in the process.
“Wait what the fuck Cindybot I eat his brain basically? You didn’t tell me this was like Walking Dead,” I said in shock.
“I mean he’ll still sorta be in your mind. Crying mostly? At least he’ll smell better,” Cindybot said.
“Do it boss, whatever it is do it. This man’s evil. He’s already made some of us….,” George didn’t continue but spat on the ground and shuddered.
“NO LIAR. LIAR. NO ONE HAS COMPLAINED. NO,” the controlled said in unison. That shook the doubt from my mind. The implication from George was enough, I installed the upgrade.