Chains of Command

[Boss]

Eli
*****

We felt the biting pain of "Mike's" body as it was rent. Murmurs flew through the Mindshare. We queried, received a reply. The Incubus was dying, and we shared the pain. Other-us could craft a seed. We asked ourself to, and the creation began. The human-body "Eli" we moved away from our goal. We attempted to reason with "Jim", but were rebuffed. Time-scale dilation we began, observed slowly as the firearm was raised to aim at our body. We raised a hand, called out our tendrils. We could not let this body die too.

The crafting of a tube is not simple, but we knew how to do it. We extended our arm towards the target and quested outwards. Binding, twisting, forming, we created a shimmering presence in the air. This we did even as "Jim" spoke his last free words. "Not without answers." The pistol bucked in his hand, spat fire and lead. We caught the lead, fed on the kinetic energy and moved within inches of the host. Tendrils, return, and the bullet lies in our hand. We hold it in front of "Jim's" face. That face will belong to Community soon, yes very soon. His eyes track it. We drop the bullet on the floor and it makes a hollow clangor.

The seed is crafted, we remove the pistol and destroy it. For all its danger, it is simple to disassemble. "Jim" faces us in horror as the truth dawns...Humans, so naive. Grasp the throat, grasp the seed. We plant the seed in a struggling and unwilling host.

A pity, of sorts.