Invader
Mhoger ran with the effortless power of his race, his arms and legs churning with automatic control. He ran like an android, but the working of his mind showed that he was far closer to the humans on this planet than an emotionless robot.
His mission was to facilitate the assimilation of the vanguard Force. The Force, 5000 strong, were to adapt themselves to humanoid appearance and lie low in the target city, chosen for its massive population. Once the main fleet arrived, a billion strong complete with women and children, the real work would commence, and they would permanently set up a command post and occupy this galaxy.
However, a problem had arisen. Mhoger had just discovered that this race had a fatal flaw. Their bodies were not permanent. He mused about the consequences of that as he ran.
As team leader, he had attached himself to a pulsing space probe and launched himself towards the earth. Falling faster than thought, he had entered through the roof of a tall building called a hospital and landed in the prone body of a man on a cot. Gasping, he had drawn in a deep lungful of the surrounding air.
Immediately, he sat up and took stock of his surroundings. A quick glance at his body showed that he had four limbs, a torso, and a head. A cranial examination revealed a central brain and he quickly drained the knowledge it contained. He got up and donned the clothes that the brain informed were in the nearby drawer. He walked quietly past people sitting at a desk, absorbed in whatever tasks they had at hand. He allowed his new data to plot an exact route out of the building and once out of the building he began to run.
He had one short week to arrive at the capitol and project 5000 suitable bodies for assimilation. Yet, he now knew that his body had only 24 hours to live. His native life-force could power this failing human body for that long, but no longer. He shuddered at the thought of beings whose essence fled them simply because their body was such a poor host. Their bodies died! What sort of system was that? he thought. They were unworthy of this planet with such vast resources.
He pondered his dilemma as he ran. He could vacate the body, leaving it to expire immediately which would allow him to be recalled to his ship, dooming the mission. Or, he could reach the capitol within the time limit, choose 5000 at random, project their location to the force, and hope for the best. In that case, he would expire with his host body. His mind swirled as he considered the possibilities.
It wasn’t worth it, he decided. How many of these beings had only 24 hours to live? Maybe they all did. His civilization would just have to move on and find another planet to assimilate. Immediately, he vacated the body, which fell to the earth, lifeless.
His mission was to facilitate the assimilation of the vanguard Force. The Force, 5000 strong, were to adapt themselves to humanoid appearance and lie low in the target city, chosen for its massive population. Once the main fleet arrived, a billion strong complete with women and children, the real work would commence, and they would permanently set up a command post and occupy this galaxy.
However, a problem had arisen. Mhoger had just discovered that this race had a fatal flaw. Their bodies were not permanent. He mused about the consequences of that as he ran.
As team leader, he had attached himself to a pulsing space probe and launched himself towards the earth. Falling faster than thought, he had entered through the roof of a tall building called a hospital and landed in the prone body of a man on a cot. Gasping, he had drawn in a deep lungful of the surrounding air.
Immediately, he sat up and took stock of his surroundings. A quick glance at his body showed that he had four limbs, a torso, and a head. A cranial examination revealed a central brain and he quickly drained the knowledge it contained. He got up and donned the clothes that the brain informed were in the nearby drawer. He walked quietly past people sitting at a desk, absorbed in whatever tasks they had at hand. He allowed his new data to plot an exact route out of the building and once out of the building he began to run.
He had one short week to arrive at the capitol and project 5000 suitable bodies for assimilation. Yet, he now knew that his body had only 24 hours to live. His native life-force could power this failing human body for that long, but no longer. He shuddered at the thought of beings whose essence fled them simply because their body was such a poor host. Their bodies died! What sort of system was that? he thought. They were unworthy of this planet with such vast resources.
He pondered his dilemma as he ran. He could vacate the body, leaving it to expire immediately which would allow him to be recalled to his ship, dooming the mission. Or, he could reach the capitol within the time limit, choose 5000 at random, project their location to the force, and hope for the best. In that case, he would expire with his host body. His mind swirled as he considered the possibilities.
It wasn’t worth it, he decided. How many of these beings had only 24 hours to live? Maybe they all did. His civilization would just have to move on and find another planet to assimilate. Immediately, he vacated the body, which fell to the earth, lifeless.