Parasites Love Earth!

  ********

  "Anything yet?" said Sam, entering the research lab which had four different armed guards. Not to keep people out. But to keep someone in.

  "I've only been working on the problem for four days," said James Monroe. "What do you expect?"

  "You're supposed to be a super-evolved genius," said Sam. "I'm surprised it's even taking you this long."

  "Well, I didn't say I came up with nothing," said James. "In fact, quite the opposite. I may have found a solution to wiping out the Hive Mind."

  "Well, that's pretty substantial," said Sam.

  James held up a restraining hand. "It's all theoretical. And even if it works, we'll need more information than we have now."

  "What kind of information?"

  "Every life form operates according to a certain organic frequency, a wavelength that specifically affects that particular form of life. These wavelengths can be jammed, much like a radio frequency can--if you know the right wavelength," said James. "If we can find out the wavelength of the Hive Mind, we could broadcast a signal which would jam them, and ultimately, destroy them."

  "That sounds simple! Why didn't Dunlop 4's people think of that?"

  "They are about 500,000 years of evolution behind the times, my dear," said James. "In any event, it is not as simple as it sounds. First of all, it is only a theory. It may or may not work. Secondly, we have to get the wavelength of all the Hive creatures. There are four basic kinds: the smaller insects, the spiders, the riders, and the humaniforms."

  "Humaniforms?"

  "Yes. Their final form is humanoid. They are fewer in number, but much more formidable," said James.

  "We haven't encountered any of those."

  "Yes, well, they're out there," said James. He held up a hand scanner. "I have modified this hand scanner to measure the organic wavelength of the worms, and the riders, both of which we have plenty of in captivity. But we have no spiders, and no humanoid forms to get readings from."

  "So? At least we can wipe out the worms and the riders," said Sam.

  "Yes, we can, in theory, but if we only hit two of the four forms, the others will replicate, and they will be smart enough to replicate new worms and riders who will operate along a slightly different organic frequency," said James. "That's what makes this adversary so formidable. It's not just one distinct species. It's at least four, with many subdivisions. We have to hit them hard all at once." He handed Sam his hand scanner. "Get me readings for their spiders, and their humanoid forms, and we can then attempt a test." He paused. "I must warn you, if you do get close enough to get a reading from them, they will probably try to take you over."

  "That sounds like it could be a problem," said Sam, taking the hand scanner.

  "Yes, it could," said James. "And if they take you over, I'm sure I will be your first top target."

  "Well, if they take me over, I'll warn you, I'll give you a salute, like this," said Sam, saluting him.

  "Very amusing, Major," said James. "Good luck. And stay safe."

  "I'll try, Professor," said Sam.

  ********

  They had many leads to follow up on regarding the Hive Mind. And some of them were marginally successful. They captured people who were wormed, or had riders, and they managed to free them, using techniques Dunlop 4 showed them. But Dunlop 4 warned them that for every worm or rider they caught, a hundred more were slipping through their grasp, reproducing like mad. It was a very alarming thought.

  That's why the idea of having one, massive way of dealing with the Hive Mind seemed like their only chance of victory. That is, if Sam could get the readings the Professor needed, without getting captured and turned by the Hive Mind.

  That night, Sam dreamed of something. A cave. A man in a cave. He was totally naked, in his 30's with dark hair, and extremely handsome. He seemed to be beckoning to her. The dream was extremely arousing.

  Sam shook it off the next morning.

  But she had the same dream the following night, and the night after. And then she started having the dream during the day. For some reason, it was very erotic. She started to feel very sexually excited. Sam started to masturbate at home, but she couldn't climax. She couldn't turn to Gavin for help; she had been unable to orgasm on his shrunken penis ever since the incident with the vampires.

  And so her sexual arousal kept building and building. Soon she couldn't stand it, and she was masturbating at work, furtively working her hand under her skirt under her desk, hoping someone wouldn't walk in unannounced.

  But she still couldn't climax. It was driving her mad. She felt the overwhelming urge to go to a cave, a cave near Richmond, Virginia. A cave where the fire burning between her legs could finally be put out.

  Sam felt the urge get stronger and stronger within her. But as she felt it, she also had a feeling that this had all happened before. She tried to ignore her arousal as best she could as she punched up the historical records, from the first alien invasion, fifty years ago.

  Sam browsed the historical files with one hand, even as she rubbed her clitoris with the other. There it was!

  Her name was Gretchen McCallister. She had an unheard of ESPer score of 98. She had been seduced by the alien intelligence. They had fed her mind with nothing but erotic images for two days, and she too had been unable to finish herself off. Finally, out of her mind with sexual agony, she went to a warehouse, where she was converted, and turned into one of the most powerful weapons for the aliens.

  And now, 50 years later, Gretchen McCallister was still alive. She might be worth talking to.

  But there were more immediate things to deal with first.

  The aliens seduced people with higher ESPer scores. Sam had an ESPer score of 86. It seemed like the aliens were trying to seduce her in the same way the previous invaders did to Gretchen McCallister.

  As she thoughtfully scratched her clit, Sam remembered something else. A missing person's report. A Survey Service Officer who had gone absent without leave. The interesting thing about him, the interesting thing....

  Sam pulled up the record with her one free hand. Survey Service Captain Michael Grant. He had an ESPer rating of 96. And he looked exactly like the man in her dreams.

  They were using him to get to her.

  Sam thoughtfully rubbed her clitoris with both hands as she considered what to do.

  The right thing to do would be to alert Colonel Sullivan and to let them know what was happening. But if she did that, Captain Grant might slip away and resume his erotic broadcasts from another location. And Sam couldn't bear to let this continue. She felt the pull, the sexual desire that so badly needed to be quenched.

  As Sam looked at Grant's holoimage, her desire only doubled. She started to pant as she rubbed herself harder and harder. She needed release. She had to have it.

  ********

  Four hours later, Sam entered the cave outside of Richmond. She had a blaster in one hand, and was rubbing her clitoris through her skirt with the other. Her sexual need had diminished, only slightly, as a reward for coming to the cave, but she was still in a state of high arousal, probably so she would be receptive to being taken over by the aliens.

  At this point Sam didn't care. She just needed sexual relief.

  She entered the cave, and immediately felt the humidity. She took off her jacket and tossed it to the ground. Still rubbing herself, she kept walking further.

  She came to the main chamber and the first thing she noticed was the Hive Mind. It was large, and oval, and had two big eyes, which felt like they were staring down at her hungrily.

  There were insects all around her, little creepy crawly things, but only one person she could see.

  A dark haired man, standing completely nude, in front of her.

  He was a handsome man, Sam could see that immediately. She recognized his face. It was Survey Service Captain Michael Grant.

  And he was waiting for her, his hands on his hips.

  "Welcome, Major Samantha Arden," said Gran
t, totally unembarrassed to be naked while Sam was fully clothed.

  He slowly started to walk towards her. He saw that in one hand she still held her blaster, and the other... well, it was occupied.

  Grant walked a few steps closer, looked down at her other busy hand and smiled. "I can help you with that," he said.

  Sam looked up at him with pain and need in her eyes, and helplessness. She would be ripe for the picking.

  Grant came closer, until he was only a few feet away. "I know you are in pain, and suffering. But I can remove it all from you." He smiled at her. "All you need to do is drop your weapon. Drop your weapon, and I will give you what you need."

  Sam raised the blaster and pointed it straight at him. She stopped rubbing herself. "I don't thinks so. Does that surprise you?"

  ********

  [Several hours earlier]

  Colonel Jack Sullivan looked up at Major Samantha Arden, who was hovering just inside the door to his office. "Hey Arden."

  "Hey sir," said Sam, who had a hand inside her skirt, and was openly rubbing herself.

  "Watcha doing?" he asked.

  "Rubbing my clitoris, sir," said Sam.

  "I can see that," said Jack. "But why are you doing it in front of me?"

  Thirty minutes later, Sam was brought to a briefing with General Henderson and Dunlop 4. Sam's hands were cuffed behind her back, at her own request.

  "You're receiving a psychic broadcast, from a cave just outside of Richmond?" said General Henderson.

  "Yes sir," said Sam. "The aliens are trying to lure me there, so they can take over my mind, just as they did to our high level ESPers 50 years ago during the last invasion."

  General Henderson nodded. "And this is precisely why I was hesitant to allow you to become a member of my command. As a high level ESPer you are distinctly vulnerable."

  "General. She did come to us with this," said Jack.

  "That's true," said Henderson. "But how do we know she isn't already under their control?"

  "She is not," said Dunlop 4. "If there were an alien presence, I would sense it."

  Sam smiled at Dunlop gratefully.

  "Then what do you propose?"

  "Let's send a team to raid this cave," said Sam. "I'll lead it."

  "You, Major? You can't even be trusted to have your hands free," said General Henderson.

  "I can do this, sir," said Sam. "Captain Grant is expecting to see me. We can lay a more effective trap if I go in first."

  "Or it could be a trap for us. Colonel, what do you think?" General Henderson asked.

  Jack looked at Sam, saw the pleading in her eyes. "I say we go, sir. The chance to raid one of their bases is too big a chance to pass up."

  ********

  "So I didn't exactly come alone," said Sam, as she heard the sounds of rapid footsteps behind her. "We already have a history with alien invaders, and we learn from our lessons."

  "Do you?" said Captain Grant, just as the first wave of Survey Service soldiers came into view.

  There was something in his smile which made Sam hesitate, and then, before she could shout a warning, there were riders, flying in the air. A lot of them.

  The Survey Service soldiers opened fire. Some were hit in the air. But they moved too fast, and were very agile.

  And each one was aiming for the back of a soldier's neck.

  Within seconds a handful of soldiers were taken, and their bodies jerked as their rider started to assert control. Sam looked around and saw more and more flying pancakes latching on to soldiers. She turned to see Grant smiling broadly at her. He had anticipated this. This wasn't just a trap for Sam.

  But then suddenly Dunlop 4 leapt forward. He threw a metal device into the air, and suddenly Sam felt an explosion, even though she didn't see one. She felt a stun wave move through the air, and it was so strong that it sent her, and the other soldiers, to their knees.

  But for the riders, it was even more devastating. They all fell to the ground, either stunned or dead.

  And then, at that moment, there were only two people standing: Dunlop 4, and Michael Grant.

  Grant snarled at Dunlop 4 and moved to charge him. Dunlop 4 raised his weapon, and--

  ignored Grant entirely. Instead, he shot a single bolt into the Hive Mind above them.

  Grant stopped in his tracks. Sam looked up at the Hive Mind. It seemed unaffected by whatever Grant had shot it with.

  And then, a few seconds later, the Hive Mind gave a mighty scream, and then it burst into pieces.

  Chunks of raw flesh was everywhere. Sam found strands of it in her hair. When she looked around, all the insects and flapjacks were dead. Their only ally left was Michael Grant.

  And he was on the ground, sobbing....

  Over the body of his fallen rider, which lay there, inert.

  Sam felt a chill go through her. What kind of creatures could brainwash a person so completely?

  Colonel Jack Sullivan came forward, with a squad of soldiers. "Always safest in the rear," he said, smiling at them. He looked at Dunlop. "What did you hit that thing with?"

  "Something very effective," said Dunlop 4.

  "Well, thank you for that," said Jack. He looked at Sam. "Are you all right now? No more urges to..."

  "I'm fine, sir," said Sam, standing up again. In fact, she was. The psychic urges had stopped. She looked at Dunlop 4. "So is this it? Have we won?"

  "Far from it," said Dunlop 4. "If this were the first or the second week since the Containment Ship landed, you might be right to declare victory. But it has been five months. There are certainly more Hive Minds than this one. This is just one battle, nothing more."

  Sam sighed. She wished she could have taken a spider alive. She still needed a scan from a spider and a humanoid form Hive creature to help James complete his jamming device.

  ********

  Major Jonathan Hollander had three things in common with Major Samantha Arden:

  1) They were both in the United Survey Service.

  2) They were both Majors,

  and

  3) They were both high level ESPers, he an 84, she an 86.

  Jonathan worked out of the United Survey Service base in Tampa, Florida. He was married to a beautiful blonde named Elizabeth, and they had two daughters, Darlene, age 18, and Leslie, 17. He had a wonderful life and was happy work his work and his family.

  All of which was about to be changed.

  Darlene was the first to be taken. The Hive Mind targeted Jonathan because he was a high level ESPer and a senior Survey Service officer, but they found it easier to get to him through one of his family members. The Hive Mind had quickly learned that once they Infected one family member, the rest could be converted with relative ease.

  When Jonathan came home from work, he found Elizabeth there, looking grim, as well as Darlene, which surprised him. Leslie was nowhere to be seen.

  "Darlene, what are you doing back so early?" said Jonathan, reaching out to hug her.

  "Jonathan, don't!" Elizabeth cried, as Jonathan hugged Darlene. But Darlene tightly hugged her father. For a moment it seemed she wouldn't let go, until she pulled back.

  "What's going on here? And where's Leslie?"

  "I sent her out to a movie," said Elizabeth. "I didn't want her to be here for this."

  "For what?" said Jonathan. He turned to Darlene. "And what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on a two week Boy Scout trip?"

  "I was, Father," Darlene grinned. She had dark hair and an easy smile. But there was something different about her face, her expression.

  "Show him," said Elizabeth, looking unhappy.

  "She me what?"

  Darlene took out a small holoprojector. "It was so nice of you to allow me to join the Boy Scouts, Mom and Dad. I know Dad had some reservations about allowing a teenage girl to join an organization with a lot of horny teenage boys, but Mom talked him into it. Didn't you, Mom?"

  Elizabeth said nothing, just looked unhappy.

  "And gues
s what? I did meet a horny boy. His name was Billy Williams. Billy seduced me, Dad, and he gave me something. Something special." And now she activated the holoprojector. They could see Darlene, in the woods, half naked with a young man who was kissing her.

  "No, Billy, we shouldn't. It's too soon. We just met," said Darlene.

  "We can. We should," said Billy, kissing her all over.

  The scene jumped, and suddenly they were looking at Billy and Darlene, apparently just after having sex. Darlene yelled out. "I feel something on my back!"

  "That's just your rider, dear," said Billy.

  "My what?"

  "Turn over so we can show it to the camera," said Billy.

  "What camera?" said Darlene.

  Billy turned Darlene over so they could see the pulsating mass between her shoulder blades.

  "What is it?" Darlene asked.

  "It's your entry to the Hive Mind," said Billy.

  Darlene stopped the holoprojection.

  "Darlene, are you saying that you have some kind of alien creature on you?" Jonathan asked.

  "No, Dad! It gets better than that. Much better," said Darlene. She activated the holoprojector again.

  They were now watching Billy having sex with Darlene. They were in some kind of cave. "Billy! What are you doing?" Darlene asked, as he pumped between her legs.

  "I am filling you with the next generation," said Billy, smiling to the camera.

  The scene jumped again, to apparently a few days later, and they could see Darlene, totally nude, squeezing something green and slick out of her vagina. Through lapsed photography they saw it grow rapidly. They could see that it was some kind of pod with a person inside. The speed of the recording returned to normal when they saw the person emerging from the pod.

  It was Darlene. In case there any confusion, there was another Darlene, the real Darlene, standing right besides her.