//------------------------------// // Ch. 12: The Alien's New Mission: Refuse This Mission // Story: Extraterrestrial #51 // by TundraStanza //------------------------------// --- A/N: It’s tough to schedule out an appropriate time for a full-out crossover. As such, I’m working with a bit of information sent via PM from another author. I apologize but take no responsibility if you experience a severe headache as you read this chapter. --- The Alien’s New Mission: Refuse This Mission ---{#51’s POV} Fried-Zucchini-Day 9:35 PM (Eastern Standard Time) A Comfort Inn somewhere in the NYC I…I didn’t understand. I had gone through all of that just to be told something as ridiculous as… what she had just communicated. How could this have happened? --- Less than an hour ago Just outside of the airport prior to a shuttle’s arrival With permission from Cier, I regained dominance of the body for a short time. I tapped into a connection that was all but hereditary: the mind of the hive. Through it, I received and sent a steady stream of thoughts from myself and several others of my race in the relatively nearby area. Concentrating my focus by keeping my eyes narrowed, I ignored most of the rest of the hive’s thought stream in favor of the one set of thoughts that mattered most. Those were the thought pulsations of my queen. I was here. I was ready. I was willing to do whatever her bidding may have been. Her words echoed through the multi-conscience. "Mmm, yes... Drone... 51, is it? Your status? Good? Excellent. Is your host doing well? We are terribly busy. No time to chat. Dealing with an usurper..." The emotions she was emitting felt like a mix of concern with simultaneous assurance that everything was going to be okay. It was such a conflicting feeling in my… something or other. Sure it was good news that Her Majesty Chrysalis was not harmed severely to the point that communication was impossible. But I was hoping that I, a loyal drone, could have offered some support when she needed it the most. Fifty-one? Cier’s thought pierced the plane in which I had rested my mind. With a reluctant sigh, I just… let go. --- Return to the “present” ~Now and then, I think of when we were together…~ I didn’t know why I was hearing some soft-spoken male singing to the chorus of a guitar and a xylophone. I just felt very small and insignificant at that moment. My touch barely registered the feeling of the bed’s quilt underneath me. ~Like resignation to the end, always the end.~ Was my goal misguided? Did I not have a role to perform? All I desired was to protect and serve my queen until the end of my days. Was that too much to ask? ~I guess that I don’t need that though. Now you’re just somebody that I used to know.~ All right, enough of that! --- ???? ???? ???? I was back in the mental projection of my cavern. The familiar green glow was a little comforting, but not much in the way of recovering. Cier was at the opposite end. What I saw of him was a bit different than usual. Normally, I could read the human’s emotions better than I could read my own. Now, however, he seemed rather… deadpan? I think that was the right word. “Talk to me, Fifty-one,” he motioned with a hand to approach him, “What happened?” She - I averted direct eye contact, - had other matters to attend to. “Who, Chrysalis?” Cier asked. No, Drone 42. My eyelids felt glued at halfway closed. Then I practically shouted, Yes, Queen Chrysalis! “Woah, chill!” He raised his arms defensively. “I’m just trying to figure out why you’re so depressed.” Is my illness of emotion that obvious? I wondered with a sigh. “I’ve been in your body for three days now,” he smirked, “I’ve picked up a few cues and gestures that you use when something is bothering you.” If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you sounded proud of that, I forced a chuckle. “Well, yeah.” It was his turn to avoid eye contact. “But it’s nothing to brag about.” Very well, Cier, I decided, If it will help, I will do my best to explain. “Just help me help you help us both.” He pointed his hands at the respective pronouns. I couldn’t help but just stare at him. I had no idea where he’d get such an obscure phrase. “Really? You don’t recognize that reference?” He stared at me in disbelief before adding, “Maybe you should make your searches through my memory a more frequent venture.” My ever growing empathy tells me that invasion of privacy is… not ethical, I admit. “Yeah, I can see that,” he affirms with a nod, “All right, so tell me. What happened?” I was able to reach my mind to allow thoughts to circulate and exchange with the other changelings in the general area. “That’s great!” he exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm. It felt… good and… familiar, but… “But?” His enthusiasm dropped. Well, I didn’t quite get all of the details. You have to understand. The hive mind isn’t mind reading. It’s a sharing of minds. At least, that’s what it seems to be. “Well, I figured it was something like that.” He sat down on the rocky floor. “So then what happened?” My queen, she… I cut off myself with a breath. How was I supposed to say this so that Cier would understand? I shook my head. He could interpret the information later. She was emitting a very strong emotion of concern. She mentioned an usurper. “Oh,” he blinked in surprise, “Was she fighting Discord again?” I don’t know, I shook my head again, My direct mental contact with her got cut off before I could ask for clarification. I started shivering involuntarily. I’ve never picked up so much concern before, least of all from her. “Huh.” Cier closed his eyes in thought. “Perhaps it was the human mind in her body that you were talking to.” No, I’m pretty sure I can recognize my own queen’s essence, I shot the idea down. “Maybe, but don’t you think she and her human counterpart would have had time to forge a symbiotic relationship by now?” he pointed out, “We really have no idea how long she’s been on Earth.” Yet, I can’t help but think that there was more to it. “Like what?” Well, there was also this… gentler feeling. For some reason, my hooves were making circular motions in front of me, but I barely noticed. It wasn’t as sweet as love, but it was somewhat… savory. “Savory, huh?” Cier closed his eyes in thought again. “What emotion tastes savory to a changeling?” That’s just it, I expressed my own confusion, I don’t know of a word for that kind of emotion. The closest I can come up with is… content, but even that didn’t seem completely right. It was when she was asking about my status. She wanted to know if I was good. “‘Good’ is a rather subjective term, isn’t it?” he chuckled. She even asked how my ‘host’ was doing. I’m guessing she meant you. “Well, I’m doing fine, Chrysalis,” he chuckled again. She can’t hear you, I commented, I’m not in touch with the hive mind right this second. “I…I know,” he stopped chuckling, “That was a joke.” Oh. I still did not understand the humor of the human race. Thankfully, he let it drop when he realized that I wasn’t laughing with him. “So, we’re still going to go find her and help her out, right?” he pitched the new topic. I don’t know. I looked away. She seemed to be giving the impression that she didn’t need anyling else’s help. Rather than giving me the order to find her location immediately, she gave a hasty farewell. What does that tell you? “There must be a good reason,” Cier insisted. That got a quick scoff from me. If only the rest of you humans had that kind of optimism. “It has nothing to do with optimism or pessimism,” he shook his head, “I’m just being realistic.” I had no argument to counter that. I just felt tired, an incredible feat considering that I was inside my own mind and not anywhere physically. “Hey, Fifty-one.” Yes, Cier? “I think you need a pick-me up.” He reached a hand behind himself. Pick-me up? That was a new phrase to me. What do you have in mind? I suppose I could have read his mind to figure out, but I still found something moral in the right to privacy. “Just something to break the ice,” he smirked. His hand was immediately lifted beside his head. In his grasp was a familiar object from last night’s dream. My eyes snapped fully open when I heard the item’s “safety” turn off. The loud end of the item was pointed to the side of his temple. Have you become insane?! I shouted, What are you doing? “I’ll give you a hint in the form of one word,” he said with his smile unwavering. I sat there completely dumbfounded. What was he going on about? “Orpheus.” But with that one word, I knew. His finger pulled the trigger. Instead of an explosion of fire, I heard the shattering of glass. Blue shards of light started swirling around his head. A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness behind him. It resembled a much larger human being with a very different coloration. Its clothing looked like rags and it carried a harp-like instrument in its left hand. Something in my mouth tasted pleasantly tart, almost sweet and sour. Confidence… Cier was radiating that emotion. Perhaps it was my Empathy Sickness, but I couldn’t help but start to feel that same confidence overwhelming me. My mouth curled into a crooked smile. Very well, Cier, I announced, I’ll see your Evoker and raise you a Wild Card. I held out a hoof pointing upward. Floating down slowly, a small rectangular light appeared just above my hoof. Lacking the fingers to perform the proper crushing, I improvised by lifting my other hoof just above this piece of light. Izanagi. I pressed my hooves together and the light erupted into a flash of blue flames. Above me, another human-shaped presence appeared. This one wore a black jacket that covered its body. A mask covered everything except its yellow eyes. It carried a very large two-handed blade. “Let’s go!” shouted Cier. Bring it on! I taunted. --- 8 Ziodynes, 4 Attack Rushes, and 2 Somas Later Lying on the floor felt so nice. Cier and I couldn’t stop laughing, at least not for a long time. I don’t think I’ve felt this much positive energy since… well, ever. Didn’t you say you didn't want us to dive into your video game addiction? I managed to ask between breaths. “I think you needed it,” he answered dismissively. You know, I think you’re right, I nodded, I did need that. Thank you. “Anytime, pal.” The adrenaline from the earlier combat was wearing off. I felt a bit more sluggish than usual. I had to fight a swaying feeling before I could stand up. “By the way,” Cier added. Yeah? “Don’t worry too much. Even if Chrysalis doesn’t need you right now, I’m sure there’ll come a time later that she will.” That was a mood killer. I wanted to believe him, but I didn’t know if I could. “In the meantime, I still have to look for a cure for my mom. So, I’m probably going to need your help one way or another for that.” I had an obligation with an ambiguous plan of action. I guess that was a start. “What I’m trying to say is that you’re not useless. You have a purpose. We just need to find it and we’ll find it together.” On anyling else, those words would have been empty. But this wasn’t just anyling. This was someone. This was a human and his emotions were sincere. I couldn’t help but smile at his authenticity. Very well then, Cier, I nodded once as I reached out a hoof, flat side up, I accept your contract. ---{Cier's POV} Smatterday ???? A.M. (Eastern Time) Bedroom in the inn That was good night. I couldn't remember everything that happened in the dream, but I felt like I had fun. I even managed to cheer up Fifty-one from last night's depression. I considered that a victory. Idly, I ran my tongue along the inside of my mouth. I would have been happy that there weren't any feathers or pillowcases in it this morning. Unfortunately, I was too busy being confused. It wasn't so much what was in my mouth. What bothered me was what wasn't in there. Where's my right fang? I thought. ---