"Fiss" Parts 1 Through 8

"Fiss" Part 6

"Mary, step into Jeb."

As Jeb's form began changing into his misty form, I took a step forward and stepped into the mist that was Jeb's body.
Once again, I felt the mist take hold of my body as the world changed.
In an instant, I was in the world of the Fiss.
The mist that was the gathering place of the Fiss came into view.
All around me were other Fiss, too many to count, but if I had to guess, I would say a couple of hundred were present.
Jeb stood beside me as he addressed the gathering.
I tried to understand what was being said, but the Fiss language was far beyond my understanding.
In truth, all I could hear was a variation of the background hiss, along with a series of clickings that was ever present in the mist.
When Jeb concluded his speech, three of the Fiss came forward.

"Mary, not move, the Fiss join with you."
The three Fiss stood in front of me as one by one they stepped into each other.
When they had become one, Jeb asked me to step into the merged Fiss.
I had no fear as I stepped forward, since I had merged with Jeb before and knew what to expect.
Stepping into the Fiss in front of me, I was unprepared for the intensity of merging with three Fiss at the same time.
Overwhelmed was the feeling that came over me.

In my mind, I saw Fiss not just those here in the mist, but all the Fiss everywhere.
Some stood watch over worlds that were filled with cities, another world that for all intensive purposes stood devoid of life.
One world looked like it was at war, giant clouds rose from the ground, shaped like mushrooms, filling the skies everywhere.
In each of these worlds, there was a Fiss standing, watching yet not intervening.

Suddenly my body was sinking into the ground, yet I didn't feel a sense of panic, I knew that I was in no danger.
Lower and lower I sank.
I saw the ground as if a giant knife had sliced into it, showing me all the layers of the earth.
While I fell through the layers of the planet, I began to notice the surrounding area begin glowing red, until I was engulfed by whatever was at the center of a planet.
Rising from the depths, five more Fiss entered in the joining.

With each new Fiss, my mind began taking in more and more of the experiences that the Fiss had accumulated over eons of existence.
There came a point that my mind began to become overloaded with all that I was having imparted to me.

"To much"

I screamed as I threw myself away from the joining.
Falling to the ground, my mind spinning, trying to find a place in my head for all that knowledge that was poured into me.
Pulling myself up to my knees, Jeb knelt next to me with his hand upon my back, trying to soothe my distress.

"Mary, Mary is OK,?

"Yes, Jeb, I'm OK, it's just that my head hurts.
Right now there are a thousand images running around in there trying to find a place to settle.
It's a good thing that I and the Fiss are so different, otherwise, I wouldn't know which memories were mine or those given to me by the Fiss.
As it is, I'm going to need some time to sort all this out."

"Mary Fiss, give Mary gift, give Mary ability to commune with Fiss, now not need Jeb to talk with Fiss.
Mary human brain is big thing, but Fiss's brain bigger.
Mary, not try too much too soon, it takes time for new brain to fit into Mary's brain."

"Jeb, what do you mean, my new brain?
What did the Fiss do to me?"

"Mary Fiss, just give Mary's brain push to think better, Mary's brain is used very little.
Much space in brain not used, now Mary have better brain, can use much more brain now.
Mary, Fiss think Mary special, Fiss want Mary be friends with Fiss, learn much with new brain."

"Jeb I don't feel smarter, if you ask me, the Fiss have picked the wrong person.
There is nothing special about me, nothing for the Fiss to be impressed about."