This story is for the 2012 Valentine’s Day contest, Twisted Freaks Need Love, Too. All stories and characters © Lia Habel 2012.
Bri M’s original comment: “Cordyceps. It’s a type of parasitic fungus. This video put it on my most-grossest-things list. In summary, it grows inside the insect and kills it. Then it sprouts from its body and grows twice the size of the insect in some cases. It sends out its spores into the air to continue its deadly life cycle.”
If the Cordyceps mothership hadn’t arrived, Earth would’ve been toast. That’s what Simone kept telling herself as she watched the walls melt and the prismatic ceiling drip from within the paper-thin shelter of her hazmat suit. She vaguely wondered if this was what an acid trip was like. Or being on mushrooms. The Cordyceps were sentient fungi, after all.
Next year, she would not lobby so hard to be included in Take Your Daughter to Work Day.
“And plans are still being drawn up for withdrawal from South Africa, Elder Ett?” Simone’s similarly-suited father, a senior-level medical envoy to the Cordyceps, flashed a quick glance at her. She did her best to scowl at him through the plastic shield in front of her face, even though she was pretty sure the glare would render her wordless protest moot. The ceiling far above the Cordyceps Great Hall was semi-clear and crystalline, and yet also somehow infuriatingly liquid. It produced both a steady, bright pale blue light and an endless rain of gooey droplets, like clear syrupy candy. Simone could hear them land on her suit with a steady tap-tap.
“Yes. But of course, we cannot share particulars.” The Cordyceps official to whom her father had to come and speak wore no protective clothing – only the colorful robes of his people, the beads at the hem clicking each time he moved. Like other males of his kind, he was extremely tall and lanky, with an uneven number of tri-fingered arms – in his case, also three – and a regal, elongated green face capped by multiple antennae, something like a praying mantis’s. Not unpleasant to look at, just – weird.
The Cordyceps were weird all over, though. And useful. After the Ant People of Techlon III had invaded Earth, ravaging cities, decimating nations, the Cordyceps had shown up and offered their assistance. They’d hounded the ants from planet to planet for generations, and annihilating the arthropod scourge appeared to be something of a holy imperative for their people.
If only the way they did it wasn’t so…disgusting. And potentially terrifying. It could happen to humans, too – thus the suits.
“Actually, I must say something to you concerning the fiends in South Africa…would you feel comfortable leaving your offspring here, Dr. Mails? You have so few of them compared to our people, I know.” His voice was rich, like moist earth.
“Of course…Simone?” She looked back at her father. “You’ll be all right, won’t you?”
Simone swept her gaze up and down the long, drippy hall again. It was something like a royal court, as far as she could figure or her father could explain, with pockets of Cordyceps chatting at various points throughout it. She didn’t fear any of them. They killed their true prey brutally, but were always kind and amenable to humans.
“Sure,” she said, with only the usual reluctance.
“My son can look after her,” Elder Ett offered, before turning and calling out, “Taner!”
A tall male in one of those pockets lifted his head, said something to the others with whom he’d been speaking, and drifted over. Due to their long legs, the Cordyceps moved with a lazy sort of grace. Simone actually liked to watch it in action. “Yes, father?”
“Remain with the human girl, if you would? We will be back shortly.”
“Of course.” Bows and antennae-waggings were exchanged – things were sometimes a little too formal amongst the aliens, Simone thought – and her father vanished down a hallway with the elder.
Taner turned to look at her, his large eyes full of curiosity. She noted that he had two arms only. “What do your people call you?”
Simone found herself straightening slightly, as if she could ever match his height. “Simone Mails.”
“Ah.” Taner flicked two of his antennae together. The tops of them were rounded, like mushroom caps. “And do you mean to insult us all?”
Simone blinked a bit. He’d asked the question with the usual Cordyceps mildness – there was nothing accusatory in his tone. “Insult? Have I done something insulting? I didn’t mean to.”
Taner smiled. His mouth was eloquent, the corners chased with darker green. “The suit,” he pointed out, reaching out to touch a wrinkle on it gently with one searching, growing finger. Cordyceps limbs could grow and shrink at will. “My people have come to associate it with a fear of infection.”
“Well, naturally!” Simone argued. “If I breathe in any of your spores, I’ll…” She didn’t even want to think about it.
“No one here is spawning. No one here is angry,” the alien said. “I think that is where the feeling of offense comes from. No threat has been made.”
“I don’t…” She silenced, attempting to think. “I’m not sure it’s ever completely safe to be around you. I’m sorry to say that. There might always be some chance.”
“I suppose that’s understandable.”
“What’s the stuff falling from the ceiling?” she asked, trying to change the subject. She felt suddenly embarrassed, as if she ought to whip off the helmet and start trotting out apologies. She hated being thought of as rude.
“Oh. Nutrient water. We absorb it through our skin.”
“Is every room like this, then?”
“Yes. We prefer wet environments. We can shield ourselves in dry ones, but it hinders full movement.” He produced his arm, pushing back the woven sleeve of his robe. As she watched, a brown horny substance took shape atop his skin, like a soft bark.
Unthinkingly, Simone reached out with a gloved hand and ran her finger over it. It didn’t give, while the skin to either side did. “How odd,” she said, before recovering with a nervous laugh. “I mean, amazing, but odd for me.”
The alien smiled again. As he opened his mouth to reply, another Cordyceps hurried by, calling out, “Taner!”
“So, do you attend some sort of academy? I’ve wondered that, of young humans.”
“Yes, but…I think your friend is looking for you.”
“Friend?” Taner lifted his head, watching the other alien, who was still calling out his name. “Oh, he’s not seeking me.”
“But he said your name.”
“Half the young on this ship are named ‘Taner.’ Male and female.”
“Huh?” Simone shook her head. “Why?”
“Because our names change as our accomplishments change.” He tilted his head to the side. “Is it not so with humans?”
“No.” It was strange to think about. “We have one name that lasts us our whole life.”
“How odd.” He laughed, the sound rippling. “’Taner’ means ‘death to one demon.’ I have killed one ant. When I kill another, I shall be known as ‘Mitos.’ My father has killed thousands. I hope to surpass ‘Ett’ one day.”
“You killed one?” Simone hoped she didn’t sound as horrified as she felt.
“Yes. During the second battle here on your planet. In…Iran, I think you call it.” His chest puffed a bit, and Simone nearly went dizzy with panic, praying that he wasn’t about to demonstrate. “I timed it perfectly with a hot desert wind. Released a cloud of spores, and caught one right in the face. Because of it, he stumbled and did not strike me with his foot. I watched as the spores drove him mad and took root in his brain. He ran for miles, and I after him, to see how it would play out. Eventually he climbed the tallest rock he could find and his skull cracked open…”
“Oh God,” Simone gasped. “That’s disgusting.”
“Disgusting?” Taner looked hurt, his eyes softening. “But I did so well at it.”
“I mean…I’m thrilled for you, but…” Simone licked her lips. “It’s just…a species thing.”
“Oh.” Taner didn’t sound reassured – and for some reason, his depressed tone made Simone feel even worse, even ruder than before.
“But, um…” Simone leaned forward and touched Taner’s hand again. He blinked at her. “I’m so glad you got rid of one. My planet thanks you. You’re a mighty young warrior.”
She couldn’t have said where the words came from, but the creature beamed to hear them. Before he could say anything, though, Simone saw her father and Elder Ett returning. Standing, she smiled at Taner and walked to meet him.
“Home,” she whispered in her father’s ear once she was at his side. “Now.”
Twenty minutes later, after ten thousand more formalities, they were on their way. As they left, Taner called out, “I will remember your voice, should you call my name, Simone Mails!”
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