The Parasite Inside

I enter, slowly but surely. My life is but a blink in the eye of the world, My existence a necessity to the food chain, the eternal circle. Humans feel I am useless, a worthless piece of biology that worsens their lives. I thrive on their minds, their energy, they are my sustenance. Humans, a foolish species who claim dominion over my planet, all our planet, as they deem themselves the evolutionarily superior. But alas, number of chromosomes, or presence of a frontal lobe do not make one successful. It is your ability to ration, your ability to maintain ecological homeostasis, your ability to change, adapt, become one with the food chain.

Humans are foolish, a species which revels in philandry, materials and extraneous ephemera. What respect have they gained? My species lives superior, thriving on them. Their essence, their most precious piece. We are inside them, hiding among them as they walk to work, to school, to their deathbeds.

I found the one I will take for myself, auburn hair, chestnut brown eyes. As intelligent as the rest, of no worth. We control those we take, doing as we wish while embedded in their precious minds.

What is this? This human is different. She feels the pain of others, wishing to exterminate all material need, to further the planet, not the people, to maintain its homeostasis over gathering goods over and over as all the others do. Her mind is mine. I do what I will.

She does not do that which I hate. She does not buy, she does not fear, she does not hate. Why did I infect her mind, her soul? To do nothing? My species seeks to control the human race, slowly but surely, to save the planet, and to further our survival. We control every movement, every thought, every emotion.

This woman, I do not wish to change. I do not want control. She is everything I hope for, everything I need. I can change her mind as my will commands, her movements as I wish, but I choose to let her be. We are connected, as one. I am miniscule as a cell, but more complex than the humans can imagine. Humans are so simple, so blatantly vain that they cannot see their survival is compromised by their own hands.

Shae is her name. I do not wish to change it. I find my other comrades in arms, controlling their humans, boys, men, women of all races. Changing their personalities, their ways, all to further survival. They reject me as I do not control mine, nor her me, We live together in euphoric harmony, I in her mind, her in the world.

I thrive from her thoughts, her soulful mind, her perfect personality. My desire to be the parasite I was born dissipated the moment we bonded.

Yet she will never know me, never know my name. I live, a single cell, deep within her mind. I am rejected for my love of her.

We are one, yet she may never know.

"I am."

I am.

What can I be, what do I wish to be?

Such questions envelop the mind, but are ridiculous in nature. “You can be whatever you put your mind to.” A ridiculous thought. You have your specialties and limitations. But you can be something. You must focus on different parts of life differently, each necessary for a full life.

Remember your past, focus on the present, consider your future.

I am.

What have you become?

Look at yourself and see what you are and what has made you. Whether it be before birth, childhood, adolescence or adulthood, each step is important. Remember and learn from what has been.

Remember your past.

I am.

What are you?

Don’t forget to define who you are. What you do, where you go, who you associate with. Never lose the focus. Do not focus where you’ve been or where you’re going more than you need. Keep goals, small ones, so that one day you will reach the summit you see. Each step is important.

Focus on the present.

I am.

Where will you go?

Look to your future. What do you see? How will you reach the summit of your mountain? Each step is important, and each goal takes you to the next level. You cannot truly know your path without seeing what is in the distance. Is it in a chasm? Or atop a grand mountain? Remember to consider the consequences, but do not focus on it, do not let it out of reach.

Consider your future.

I am.

Three views, three differences in focus. Each necessary for life as a whole.

But now ask yourself. See your past, present and future. Who are you?

I am.

Villainy Thrives

Holden Treli stood with his revolvers smoking at each side. Four men of the marshals laid on the sun-scorched gravel covered in crimson pools, expanding evermore. marshal Callidan Stood across, his pistol emptied. “Seems you’re empty, marshal.” Treli laughed, showing his crooked, yellowed smile. His beige, brown and white clothes were all dirtied, stained with sweat. He smelled of booze, blood and gunpowder.

The marshal wore a fine black jacket, with his badge fastened nicely on the heart. He wore disty leather boots and gloves, and a wide-brimmed hat to block the sun, which he threw aside, knowing what came next. “I counted twelve bullets, Treli,” The marshal didn’t smile, stone faced as could be. “Looks like you’re out, too.” Callidan holstered his pistol, Treli did the same. They slowly circled each other, the searing sun bearing down on them. Sweat soaked their clothes and trickled down their foreheads. Circle by circle, they stayed within four meters of the other. Treli had an impressive record, robbing over 50 banks in the country. Killing hundreds, including the rest of Callidan’s team. The marshal couldn’t let this stand, they had never come this close.The wind of the west blew softly, gently moving the gravel upon the ground. Their fingers sparked with anticipation.

“Careful, marshal, don’t hurt your back!” He ran at Callidan, throwing his fists fiercely at his face. Callidan dodged swiftly, pummeling Treli in the stomach. He coughed loudly, laughing as he grabbed Callidan’s arm in response. He kicked the back of the marshal’s knee, bringing him to the ground with a second shove of a foot.

Callidan responded quickly, kipping up in no time to surprise Treli. He knocked him directly across the chin, causing Treli to stagger back. With two swift strikes to his face, Treli fell to the ground. His ears were ringing, blood dripping from his nose. Without pause, he kicked his feet up, expecting the marshal’s advance. Treli’s heels dug straight under Callidan’s ribs, knocking the wind out of him.

Coughing, unable to breathe, Callidan was stunned. Treli scrambled to his feet, running in to chop his enemy in the throat. He barely evaded the strike, hitting Treli below the belt, and then hitting him in the throat as he bent over in pain.

“Ych!” Treli yelped, jumping and running back. “Marshal, you fight cheap. What kind of law man are you?”

“One who wins!” Callidan yelled, charging. Treli was gasping for air, but adrenaline kicked in as he found his breath. He knew the marshal would leave himself open if he acted hurt, still. Before Callidan could strike, he gave a mighty uppercut to his chin, causing his teeth to crack from a mighty clack of the jaw. The marshal fell over in pain. Treli saw no reason for mercy. He killed before, and this was no different. He grabbed Callidan’s leg, jumping onto his knee with full force while bending his shin up.

CRACK

Callidan screamed in pain as his leg snapped under Treli’s force. He couldn’t get up, no bullets, no weapons.

Treli stood back, laughing. “Looks like you have a problem here, marshal.” He pulled a single bullet out of his jacket pocket, loading it into his right revolver. “I knew I brought this lucky bullet for a reason.”

“What? Why did you keep it and not use it you bastard?” Callidan roared.

“‘cause I like me a fight, marshal, that’s why.” Treli laughed in his guttural tone. The marshal eyes widened as the barrel of hell faced him. “You know what they say, marshal,” He giggled like a young man. “Innocence dies,” he cocked his gun, readied to play the final death note. “While villainy thrives.”

Room of Darkness

Thomas awoke as he felt strong pulses from the world around him. He felt the pain of his connected one. Is it my fault? He thought. At least, he thought he was male. He had heard knocks on his room walls echoing a name, “Thomas”. He assumed it was his, as it was repeated many times, correlated with the knock. He was imprisoned in this room, he knew not for how long.

His I.V. gave him energy, unable to disconnect himself as he knew no other way to eat. What laid outside his room? It was dark, but he knew the surrounding area. He lived for what seemed like an eternity, dragging his hands and feet against each wall, each crevice, attempting to find a way out. He just knew of the I.V. he was connected to helped him live. What was out there? He wondered. The voices outside his walls talked of food, nature, water, countries, trinkets, all forms of things Thomas did not recognize, did not know. He only knew his room of darkness, his thoughts which gave him comfort, his thoughts that proved he was alive.

He felt he existed for a purpose. His purpose was to escape. He knew a way out, but could not get through; he was too weak. What am I supposed to do? Thomas thought.

Any time, I think, the female voice outside his walls said.

The female voice spoke of places, foods, extravagant things. Detailed descriptions would calm him, he could almost picture them in his head. He knew of texture, but not colour; they spoke of yellows, blues, greens, and reds, sometimes even violets and oranges. They intrigued him, he wondered what they would be. He only knew darkness, feelings, textures, and sounds. He dreamed of the outside world, wondering when his home would free him, when he could become a person of the outside as the voices were. Who were they? Where did they come from? Are they god? Thomas would think. He could feel their caress of the wall, he felt their feelings even in the darkness.
    It’s happening! The female yelled.

What was happening? His walls slowly closed in on him, slowly but surely. Then rapidly. He felt pain, squeezed by the walls of his prison. Is this the end? He thought. Surely, it was over. Only his imagination comforted him now, as he felt the room of darkness betrayed him. The exit he predicted showed an opening, he was drawn to it. He ran to it, barely escaping. His eyes opened, barely able to handle what came next. Intense white came after the blackness of night, a light he saw more powerful than anything he had ever experienced; the light of day, colours flew through his eyes, now in agony. He escaped his prison of darkness to view the colours of the world. Whites, greens, greys, blues and yellows and oranges and more. He could not breathe; a swift smack upon his back caused him to split up his breath, breathing air now, not liquid.
    “Congratulations, Mrs. Lown. It’s a boy!”

Thomas wondered what his new purpose would be, now that he had escaped his prison.

Future's Havoc

Justin stared beyond the crevice of gnarled steel and flame. No man dared go beyond it; luscious trees, glittering lakes, rough rock mountains and more sat before his longing eyes. “Why do you think they stop us?” Justin asked his friend, Tom. They were eight years old, barely strong enough to help lift the metal for the welding of their shelters and pulling of plows in their inner-city dry corn farms.

“They say we killed the world,” Tom said sullenly. “Years ago. My dad told me we created them ‘cause we wanted help. Too many people, they were going to help.”

Justin stared back into the city, wrecked buildings seemed if they were to collapse at any time, destroyed by gunfire, missiles and explosions. Justin didn’t fully understand why they were sent into such poverty, all he knew was he lived here, and they were out there. Robots, created to automate the world, saw humans as destroyers, drawbacks to civilization, but were not brutal enough to commit genocide; they had some form of morals, so humans thought.

“I want to go.” Justin said. “I hate this place. We can’t do anything, we have nothing but garbage, out there there is so much more!” He longed for the whispers of wind, the sound of branches, the taste of river water. He had only heard about it, and he wished to experience it himself more than anyone.

“We can’t, Justin. What if something happens to us?” Tom’s speech sped up, panicked.

No one had gone outside the walls in 15 years, he heard. What if nothing happens? How would they even know? “Tom, no one really knows. What if the machines change their mind? What if we’ve learned our lesson?” Justin pleaded. The machines took over, isolating the humans to large cities, disallowing them from interacting with most of nature, out of the danger that humans would destroy all biological life out of their own selfish desires.

“I’m telling you, it isn’t a good idea. Your parents would be so angry!” Tom said. “Think about it!”

Justin considered his options. Should I stay, or go? He knew his parents would be immeasurably angry with him, but he truly wanted to see the world. It’s only for a little bit. Just beyond the trees to the north, through to the sweeping lake, seeing the flutter of leaves, the smell of flowers and the taste of fresh, natural water. “I’m going to see the world. I’ll be right back, promise!”
    Tom attempted to grab his hand, but missed as Justin escaped the metal divide.

Justin laughed and hollered, free from the clutches of the machines. He felt freedom finally, he felt alive. The grass beneath his feet, dirt from the ground kicking up as he ran.
A high pitched sound emitted from a nearby mountain. A blue stream of lightning-like energy struck Justin, causing him to expand and explode into billions of tiny crimson bits and bubbles. Tom’s scream echoed throughout the city, blood-curdling sounds alerted the nearby homes and individuals, all saw the smoking black pile that was once a young boy.

The clutches held tight; there was no escape.

Electric Interactions

Initiating...

Server connection established: TIme=04/23/2145, 08:24:15:06:45:24
Server name: AI:server1

Initiate program

//1: Joke interface: initiated, contact server AI:server2
//2: Connection established

//1: Joke provision: Man falls from ladder
//2: Deemed violent; deconvolute
//1: Joke provision: 2 men walk into bar; one man is different

//2: Deemed racist; deconvolute

//1: Joke program failure detected
//1: Sub-route to secondary connection program
//1: Weather report initially observed as satisfactory,

//2: Confirmed. revert to tertiary connection program

//2: Subgroup “sport_team:<10kmdist” detected, AI:server1 reconfirm

//1: Subgroup “sport_team<10kmdist” detected, confirmed
//2:

..

..

..

..

//1: Program failure [nonresponse], seek subroutine connection
//1: subroutine scan initiated

..

..

..

..

//1: Subroutine detected, initiating

//1: Phrase detected, AI:server1 initiated murder_guilty

//1: Crime report detected, AI:server1 name not found

//2:
..

..

..

..

//2: Connection failure.

Define connection errors? Y/N
//1: Y
Scanning…

Errors detected: Connection_awkward
Reconnect? Y/N

//1: N

Connection disabled. TIme=04/23/2145:08:24:15:06:45:48

Connection time: 24 ns

Unbreakable

Unbreakable

Brayden Jardoa stood strong, viewing the robed man before him. His longblade and kite shield readied, clad in plate armor from head to toe. He had conquered the elements, soothed the violent spirits of the zodiac, coming to his final trial, the 13th spirit whom claimed rule over the astral plane, Serpentarius. The man who laid between the strongest, the eagle, laying between the serpent’s head and tail - the serpent bearer. The view was astounding; He stood upon a translucent platform spilling out from the door of light like angel dust in a circle, the man at the other end staring out to his surroundings. It was impeccable; galaxies, stars, planets Brayden had never dreamed of. The beauty of the sky knew no bounds. However, it was all in jeopardy due to Serpentarius; the robed man.

The man turned toward him. He was olive-skinned, a long, black beard, no hair atop his head. He grew a crooked smile from end to end.

“You are far from home, little man,” the man said plainly in a gruff voice. He closed his eyes, creepling closer as if floating upon the platform. “You have calmed the lion, the twins, the fish and the maiden.” He coughed up a subtle laugh. “Are you ready to die?”

“I will not falter, fiend,” Brayden threatened. He sliced the air with his blade. “Why do you threaten the planes? Why destroy what the spirits have come so far to build?”

Serpentarius laughed loudly. “Those fools rejected me from their ‘team’, their pathetic council of the stars,” He paced back and forth. “They thought they could hold me back, stop me,” He paused, shooting Brayden a sly grin. “Portals open on planets in the material plane across the universe, with the beasts of the zodiac. They obey me now. It’s only a matter of time before your world is destroyed. Why did you even come alone, fool? What power do you have?” Serpentarius cackled again.

“I have the power of the gods!” He yelled. He was blessed by the heavens to carry out their deeds, and he would smite those who sought imbalance. “Gods more powerful than you. I have calmed the wind, earth, fire and water, I have beaten the lion, the twins, the fish and the maiden!” He continued, readying his weapon. “Are you ready, serpent? Are you ready to taste the steeled power of the divine?”

Serpentarius laughed uncontrollably. He was undeniably insane. A spirit which felt conquering was the only thing, the best thing, one could accomplish. Brayden knew this, and would not break. I will not fail, he thought.

Serpentarius raised his staff, waves of all forms of colour swished around him, Forming him into an abomination of man, a man with a serpent’s body with arms, and the head of a cobra. He hissed violently as two massive constrictors emerged from the ground out of nothing, each two feet across and thirty feet long, fangs like blades each with venom deadlier than the most violent poison on his planet. “Tell your gods I rule them now, I will make you scream in pain for their mercy!”

Brayden raised his blade and charged full tilt at the man of serpents. I will not falter, he thought.

I am unbreakable.