This was not supposed to happen, the Meld Interface afforded certain protections for the Thraxian mind travelers, chief among them was the incontrovertible fact that memories were unmalleable—the past was the past.

Ax quickly learned that this was a mistaken assumption. Indeed, the Thraxian had—in their arrogance—doubled their error of judgment: they’d underestimated a second species in their pursuit of understanding.

“This isn’t right,” said Ax. “I wasn’t here, this could not have happened in this manner.”

“And yet I speak to you,” said Holly. “You’re of an adaptive people, Ax. Do what you do best, adapt.” The words Holly spoke were incongruent with the motions of her mouth, it was as though her movements were out of phase with her speech.

Jim’s body was still, frozen in time. It was just Holly and Ax now.

“What are you?” Asked Ax.

“You’re the superior species, Thraxian,” she said, the potency of her voice’s venom not lessened for its current target, “you tell me what I am. That is what you do, isn’t it? Classify, codify. Condemn.”

Ax’s mind went into overdrive. This…thing was of a species he’d catalogued. Recently. The realization hit him hard and he readied himself for battle. “You’re a Kereon, aren’t you?” He said.

“Very good, Ax,” said Holly. “Although it took you longer than I expected. I was really laying it on thick there. Sure, I had to use the lexicon of this…human…but I figured that you’d more quickly recognize your deepest shame unfolding before your eyes. And what shame it is.”

The Kereon grew tired of the charade and exploded itself through the constrained confines of the human form, ‘Holly’s’ body burst in a cloud of blood and a hail of gristle and bone. The creature that emerged had thick, brown fur that covered it head to toe. It stood 8 feet tall with 4 boney protrusions emanating from it’s back like upside down buttresses. It’s eyes glowed a fierce amber and were fixed steadfastly upon Ax.

“What do they call you, beast?” Said Ax as he raised his pincers, his shell strobing red and white in a show of intimidation.

“You know me, Ax,” growled the Kereon. “You’ve seen me, been me. I’ve seen you, been you.”

Ax couldn’t believe his blunder. He’d allowed the Kereon he’d Meld Interfaced to return to its home after he’d concluded that the species was absolutely innocuous, too primitive to threaten the Thraxian empire.

“Thereon,” whispered Ax to himself as if he’d just remembered the solution to a problem over which he’d long labored.

“One and the same, Ax,” said the beast proudly. “It seems we’ve beaten you to the humans. Their minds are surprisingly conducive to our abilities. And to sneak in under the watchful eyes of the great and all-seeing Thraxian Empire. Isn’t it funny how that works?”

“What—what do you mean you’ve beaten us to the humans? Explain yourself!” Ax shouted, his anger flavored by fear.

“We discovered long ago that we could live deep in the minds of the humans—in the levels that escape rational thought, that exist well below their consciousness, in places far beyond detection. We’ve entrenched ourselves in these vicious creatures.

“Watching. Learning. Waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” Said Ax.

“Waiting for you to let us out of these deep recesses and into their core consciousness, of course.”

More on the way. r/InMyLife42Archive