Short Story

The planet's lush landscape stretched out before her. The air was thick with the sweet scent of exotic blooms, filtered out by her suit, and the sound of chirping creatures filled the atmosphere. Towering whale-like animals lumbered around peacefully, their massive forms blending in with the verdant surroundings. Vegetation overgrown and untamed, climbing up rock formations that seemed to defy gravity itself. Pools of water glimmered in the distance, so pure and blue they appeared to be pulsating with life.

But amidst this breathtaking beauty stood the solitary figure, her face hidden behind a tinted visor of her orange space suit. Her expressionless rounded darkened glass reflected the landscape, the . She was a pioneer, here to explore and uncover the secrets of this uncharted world.

With a tool in hand, she scanned the landscape, her eyes darting left and right. She was on the hunt for something specific, but what it was, no one knew. Perhaps it was a new species of flora, or maybe an ancient artifact hidden away in the dense foliage. Whatever it was, she was determined to find it, to uncover its secrets and bring them back to her people.

The pioneer stepped onto the lush planet, her foot sinking into the soft grass. With a quick succession of strides, she approached the resource she needed. The bugs on the planet buzzed and fluttered in investigation, but they quickly lost interest in the metallic, alien form that emitted a sterile, industrious musk, like rubber on a hot day.

Without hesitation, the pioneer began construction of her base, placing a handheld machine to extract rubble from a seemingly innocuous pile of rock. She worked tirelessly, using her tool to construct more machines from the rubble itself. The rock deepened, becoming a womb that incubated her creations.

As she worked, the pioneer's expressionless visage remained unchanged, her eyes fixed on the task at hand. She was a machine, a creation of the universe, and she had a mission to fulfill.

Meanwhile, a nymph sat cross-legged on a bed of moss in the heart of the forest, her face serene as she admired the delicate petals of a particularly pretty flower. Her fair skin was dotted with freckles, not unlike the flowers that flecked the moss around her.

The sunlight filtered through the trees, creating ripples of color as the moss absorbed its faint rays and emit their own. The light passes over her, illuminating the nymph's bioluminescent clothes with a soft, ethereal glow. The symbiotic lichen sways as she sits back on the balmy day.

A glint of shiny metal peeked out from behind one of the trees, and the nymph's eyes opened in surprise. She sat up straight, her ears perked and her senses on high alert as she tried to make out what the strange shine was.

She leaned forward, her curiosity piqued, and cautiously approached the new source of light. As she got closer, she could see that it was a machine, unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was made of black, silver, and orange, and had complex parts that seemed to move on their own. The nymph's eyes widened in wonder and fear.

She backed away slowly, her heart racing with a mix of emotions. She had never seen anything like this before, and she didn't know if it was friendly or not. But one thing was certain - she needed to keep her distance and observe from afar. The nymph sat back down on the moss, her eyes fixed on the machine as she tried to make sense of this strange appearance in her peaceful environment.

The pioneer locked onto the nymph at the edge of the forest, the creature noted as a threat to Ficsit property on her display. The pioneer approached her, brandishing a Xeno-Zapper, a metal stick with probes at the end.

The nymph's eyes widened as she noticed the intruder. She watched the pioneer's stance carefully, seeing that it was similar to a hog about to charge. But when the pioneer moved towards her, the nymph realized that this creature was far more agile than any hog, and stepping out of the way was futile.

The metal stick probed the nymph's body, causing her to feel a sudden jolt of pain. The lights in her vision flickered and dimmed, and she stumbled backwards, momentarily immobilized by the shock. The pretty lights that danced in her vision were overshadowed by the sharp, spicy sensation that coursed through her body.

The nymph's eyes glazed over as she struggled to regain her footing. She could feel the metal stick probing deeper into her skin, causing a burning sensation that threatened to consume her entire body. The sparks of color in her vision flickered and dimmed, replaced by an intense, searing pain that left her breathless and disoriented.

As the pioneer continued to probe her with the Xeno-Zapper, the nymph realized that this creature was not to be underestimated. Its agility and cunning were unmatched, and she found herself at a loss as to how to defend against it. Lights from the angry stick flickered once more, dancing on her skin as she struggled to regain her footing and face this new threat.

The nymph's voice was shaky as she called out to the pioneer. "Stop!" she shouted, her breath still catching in her throat from the pain of the Xeno-Zapper.

The pioneer hesitated for a moment, their AI translation locking onto the nymph's words before displaying them. The pause was enough for the nymph to back away to a safe distance, her familiarity with the terrain allowing her to widen the distance between them quickly. She hid behind a tree, her lichen feeling towards the Everroot to give her the energy to heal the minor burns where the metal prod was jabbed.

The pioneer's gaze remained fixed on the red dot on her display, identifying her as a threat to Ficsit property. The girl's face was upset, but there was something about her that caught the pioneer's attention. Her form looked… well, familiar. Even when creatures sometimes look familiar, there’s never anything to it. But the translation still went through. It was a registered language.

Threat to Fiscit, really? The creature spoke this time. They don’t usually speak. She couldn’t shake the strange feeling, but the red dot slowly faded. Upon investigation, the nymph was no longer behind the tree.

The pioneer returned to their work, undeterred by the nymph's attempts to evade them. They had deadlines to uphold and couldn't afford to lose any more time. As they worked, the machines spread outwards, their noisy production starting to contend with the wildlife's song. The landscape changed nearly overnight, as the pioneer ripped into the trees and shoved the biomass into their hungry machinations.

Despite the chaos around them, the pioneer still caught glimpses of the moss-clad fair maiden watching from the edge of the forest. Her bright red hair bobbed out of sight each time the worker took a glance. The red dot hasn’t appeared since, so it seems as though the Ficsit AI agrees. Not a threat.

The nymph's eyes narrowed as she observed the strange person. Despite their metal and rubber exoskeleton, there was something organic about their mannerisms, something that hinted at a deeper being lurking beneath the surface. They still slept, even if for only a few hours a day.

Their reliance on metal and rubber to protect them, taking and devouring the planet's resources, it started to make sense. They seemed to be living without the Everroot, relying instead on their machines to sustain themselves. The wound in the ground grew larger as the machines took more.

But there was hope yet, a glimmer of possibility that she could use to her advantage. The nymph's mind raced with a plan, one that involved placing spores where the invader slept, so if their suit was off, spores could gestate in whatever was under the rubber and metal, and eventually connect them to the Everroot as well. Then they wouldn’t need to keep stealing.

The nymph carefully observed the pioneer's schedule, noting their consistent routine with ease. It was simple to predict when they would be away and when they would return to sleep, providing the nymph with a narrow window of time to make her move.

She made sure to leave a tendril of moss in the door frame, so that it can grow and shove the door open, like a root that breaks a boulder. She waited patiently for the pioneer to settle in for their brief nap, the door creaking open after only a few minutes. The nymph sneaked through the opening, around the corner, her body pressed against the wall as she peered around it. The narrow stream of daylight was her only hope of escaping this metal trap.

Spores floated off her body, miniscule packages attempting to find purchase on the metal walls. The lichen on her body starts to glow in the low light of this manufactured cave, the habitat ripe for taking back. She had done her job, but something still drew her to look closer at the creature beneath the metal shell. If they never take the suit off, then it’s possible the spores will never make it to the creature, so she has to make sure.

The nymph's eyes adjusted to the dim interior lights as she looked around, her heart pounding with nervousness. Not long until she saw a crevice built into the wall, the creature lying prostrate, covered by a sheet of synthetic moss with no glow. They weren't so different after all.

The creature stirred, its body flexing as it turned over. The cloth slipped off its shoulder, revealing skin that was eerily similar to Daisy's own complexion. Daisy sucked in a breath, her eyes fixed on the revelation as she felt a mix of excitement and terror. The spores caught in her exhale and floated over to the new organism, like dust motes settling on a still day.

The pioneer awakened with a start, launching out of bed in a swift and decisive motion. Her hand closed around the prod stick on the wall, the synthetic lichen failing to cling to her unprotected frame. Daisy held her hands up in a feeble attempt at defense, her voice translating through the HUB as she declared, "I don’t want to hurt you."

Annie confirms this statement with the HUB, asking for the threat level. Her eyes widened as she heard the HUB's response. "Maximum," she repeated, her voice filled with a sense of urgency.

"Ficsit property is irrevocably damaged," it declared, its words echoing through the tin room.

Annie's brow furrowed as she listened to the HUB's assessment of the damage. She knew that there was a viral contaminant and it was spreading rapidly. She was already infected.

"The cost of damage runs the pioneer out of funds," the HUB continued, its voice cold and unyielding. "Subtracted immediately from their account."

Annie's eyes flickered towards her own account, the numbers confirming its statement. Her mission is over.

"Eventually," the HUB finished, "the complete loss of Ficsit control over the pioneer will occur."

Annie's eyes narrowed as she turned to Daisy, her voice filled with a sense of furious indignation. "What did you do to me?" she spat out, her words dripping with a sense of accusation and betrayal.

Daisy's eyes flickered towards Annie, her own expression a mix of confusion and fear as she tried to make sense of the pioneer's sudden outburst. "I-I didn't do anything," she stammered, her voice trembling with a desperate attempt to placate Annie's anger.

But Annie was beyond consolation, her mind racing to make sense of the chaos that fell upon her shoulders. She felt lost and alone, her mission over and her future uncertain. Whatever happened next was not Fiscit's problem anymore – it was hers, and she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hopelessness as she realized just how much control she had lost in such a short amount of time.

"Three fucking days," Annie muttered to herself, "And it's all over now."

Her mind raced with a jumble of thoughts and emotions, each one more disjointed than the last. She felt angry at the nymph, but also scared and unsure of what lay ahead. The world outside was unpredictable and dangerous, and Annie no longer has access to Ficsit resources.

But for now, she could only stand there, her eyes fixed on Daisy as she tried to make sense of it all.

Daisy's eyes flickered towards Annie, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity as she asked, "What did the voice tell you?"

Annie's eyes narrowed, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear as she replied, "I'm infected. And I'm going to die."

Daisy's face softened, her eyes filled with a deep sense of empathy as she listened to Annie's words. "You're not going to die," she said gently, her voice steady and unwavering. "Everroot keeps everyone living."

Annie's eyes flashed towards Daisy, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of the nymph's words.

"You knew about this?" Annie demanded, her voice accusatory and fierce. "About the infection?"

Daisy nodded, her expression somber and serious as she replied, "Yes, I knew. But it's not the end of the world. It could be a good thing," and continued to explain what Everroot means to her.

As she listened to Daisy's explanation, something inside of Annie shifted. A logical part of her mind began to emerge, a voice that spoke of hope and possibility rather than despair and defeat. And slowly but surely, Annie began to realize that the infection meant the loss of Ficsit control, specifically. It said nothing about what the condition would progress into.

If this... if Everroot was some kind of hive mind, that’s something that could break her connection to Ficsit altogether. But what did that mean for her? Would she lose autonomy? Self-awareness? The thought sent a shiver down her spine, but Annie knew that it was a possibility she had to consider.

The HUB continued to translate their conversation, operating off of its last downloaded version and the meager biomass supplying the power. She may no longer have access to unlock new blueprints, or her pocket dimension, but she’s just going to have to make do with what she has now.

Annie's eyes drooped as she lay back down, her body sagging with a mix of exhaustion and despair. It was an unusual sight for someone like Annie, who was always pushing herself to be more productive and efficient. But for some reason, she just wasn't feeling it right now.

Maybe it was the sudden and rude awakening from her nap, or perhaps it was the complete loss of everything she had worked towards and trained for. Whatever the reason, Annie felt a sense of hopelessness that she couldn't shake off, no matter how hard she tried.

Daisy's eyes flickered towards Annie, her own expression softening with a sense of empathy as she watched the pioneer. She could see the distress etched on Annie's face, the apathy and dejection that seemed to consume her every move.

Daisy couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness and regret for what had happened to Annie. She knew that she had messed everything up, and that there was little left for either of them to do but try and make the best of a bad situation.

Without thinking twice, Daisy reached out a hand to gently brush away a strand of hair from Annie's face, her touch gentle and soothing as she tried to offer some small measure of comfort in the midst of such despair. But she didn't want to touch Annie until she was ready, knowing that the poor girl needed space to process her emotions.

Annie's voice was barely above a whisper as she introduced herself, her words trembling with a mix of emotion and vulnerability. "I-I'm Annie," she stuttered.

"I'm Daisy," she said, her voice gentle and reassuring.

Annie's body shook with sobs as she cried, the pain and despair of her situation overwhelming. It was a lonely and dangerous career, sent off to a planet completely alone and expected to make everything for a profit-first company.

But at this moment, Annie didn't care – she just wanted a hug, and the safety and security that came with it. Annie's body pressed up against Daisy's, the symbiotic material glowing brightly as they made contact. It was a strange and unexpected sensation, but she just wanted to feel something other than the overwhelming despair.

Annie's mind felt a calm wash over her. Was this the hive mind effect kicking in? Or just what comforting touch was supposed to feel like? It was hard to tell, but one thing was certain – Annie was feeling a shift in her emotion that she couldn't quite explain.

As she held onto Daisy, Annie couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her. Ficsit was no longer in her head, and for that, she was grateful.