And to Dust We Shall Return.

pest control

For a moment, clementine couldn’t remember where she was. Or, for that matter what she was.  All that she could tell, in the vague way that clouds of atoms tended to approach things, was that something felt wrong. 
 One by one, human senses came into focus, smothering her natural ones with a flood of new information. That was strange. She couldn't remember giving herself ears, or eyes, or hands. Yet they shouted at her, complaining in shrill voices that the light was too bright. The sounds were too loud. The textures too synthetic. It was all strange and unfamiliar, they told her. And it was all wrong.  She groaned and curled up into a ball, trying to shut it all out. She wanted to fold back into herself. To return to that blissful silence so she wouldn’t have to confront any of it. But if the murmuring of nearby voices told her anything, using her abilities again without warning would not be appreciated.

There was a swish and then a click as the sickbay doors opened.  And the murmuring died down. Clementine, thinking it was the doctor, began to sit up, and immediately regretted it as pain, hot and caustic, crackled through the bonds that solidified her, making every tendon scream.  She clutched her sides and lay back down. Her new eyes were still struggling to focus, but if she concentrated she could just make out the shape of a small, fluffyish sort of creature walking in. She was dragging two other aliens behind her, who followed obediently despite being three times her size. Clementine stifled a gasp. She knew that alien. It was the same one that had pointed a lazer pistol at her. What had the captain called her now….commander something?

'Ah! You’ve brought me new patients’ commander Nim,' said the doctor. Getting up from his desk, to examine them.  'Looks like you have been having a good time, yes?'

The big aliens high fived each other.

 'Zombie mutant deathwars Bro!' Said one

'Yeah!' Said his friend enthusiastically. 'That program is awesome!'

Nim however simply rolled her eyes. 'Just...patch them up doctor.' She shot the two aliens a steely glare. 'And I'm banning the pair of you from the holodeck. We're never going to get the stains out of the matrix.'

The pair looked at one another sheepishly. And for a moment clementine was reminded of some boys she had once known, who had been caught stealing chocolate pudding from the school cafeteria. The doctor nodded graciously. 'Will endeavor to provide treatment. This way please.' 

Clementine shrank back and clutched the sheets. On their current path they would walk right past her. Quickly she made to hide under the covers, but it was too late. The bigger of the two had already seen her.

'Hey!' He pointed at her face with a clawed finger.  'Ya didn't tell me ya had real zombies on this ship doc.' 

Embarrassment, of the kind that makes a fair friend of shame, sparked between her bonds. Internally, she chided herself for not forming her face properly. It was all her fault. She should have known better. 

'Hang on.' Chimed his friend. 'I've seen this before.' he took a moment to drink her in, his thick brows knotted together, as The marble of a thought rattled helplessly down the leaky plumbing of his mind.
And in an instant confusion, became fury.
'You’re that changeling freak!' He yelled, his hands closing round her. 

Clementine squeaked. And with her remaining breath blurted out, 'please...don't!'
But the creature clearly had no intention of letting go, as he lifted her into the air.
Changeling senses took over for her now, and her fist, which had grown to the size of a small boulder, slammed into his chest. The alien yelped and flew backward. Colliding into one of the consoles with a sickening crack.

Nim and the doctor rushed over to where he had fallen.

A fear, far greater than anything she had felt at the beginning of the attack, churned up her inner layers like butter.  She hadn’t meant to hurt him. She didn’t want to hurt to him. If only…