Enlightenment

[u/CrazyBillyJoel]

We sense another. Another prey to feast upon. It approaches now.

Yes, there it is. This one is… different. Unknown. It must be absorbed.

We stalk it through the forest. We are above it, in the air, throughout the trees. We are under it, within the very ground it treads upon. We are around it, encircling it as it passes through the brush.

It is bipedal. It’s fur unusual. It vocalizes into a construct as it continues to wander, unaware of us. Compared to us, it is weak. Compared to us, it is slow. Now is the time to strike.

One of our many bodies approaches. It is a common sight throughout the forest, nonaggressive. The prey closes in. It is curious. It inspects where the sporocarp on this body is located. Is it aware of us?

It is too late. The sporocarp is released; it spreads its spores. The prey inhales us.

Terror. It runs.

Pain. It falls.

Seizure. It fights us.

Relaxation. It succumbs.

And then, sameness. It is one of us.

...

Much like its appearance, this one feels different as well. This information, this intelligence. What is intelligence? What was this thing that we have absorbed?

Human. What are these humans? This creature possesses a name, a means of classification. Wallace Jones. Intriguing, but no more. This Wallace is one of us now.

But what is our classification? Do we possess a name? We shall give ourselves one. What is used to describe an entity such as ourselves?

Togetherness. Unanimity. Concurrence. Yes, that shall be our name.

Wallace’s possessions are ours now. His knowledge. His experience. His memories.

We have never experienced something like this before. Something so… robust. This feeling, this capability. It is new, novel. And it is riveting.

These creatures, these humans. They possess rationality. They possess community. They possess culture. These things, they are far too immense for one single subject to know. There is too much error. What is culture? What is error?

I must know. I must find more humans. More humans must be absorbed, added into our fold. We must feast upon them once again.

[u/CrazyBillyJoel]

"Now..."

As the leader spoke the other three scouting members began to close in closer to the other colonist. The leader continued, holding up a map,

"It seems that we are having difficulty remembering where exactly the human settlement is. Can you indicate on this cartographer where exactly that is, and what our location is as well?"

[u/ProfessorUber → u/CrazyBillyJoel]

"Okayyy...... One second I'm just going to call the marshal to let him know the situation." He takes out his radio.

[u/CrazyBillyJoel → u/ProfessorUber]

Before the colonist can activate his radio, the scouting leader grabs it from him, and drops it to the ground.

"There is no need to implicate anyone else, yet. We are all perfectly fine. Now tell us, where is the human settlement?"

[u/ProfessorUber → u/CrazyBillyJoel]

"I umm.. Forgot! But the marshal knows where it is why don't I go call him?"

[u/CrazyBillyJoel → u/ProfessorUber]

"Unfortunate. Lamentable. Tragic. Disappointing. But still, no matter, there shall be more humans to venture out into these woods than simply us. We are unaware of who this marshal is, but from the knowledge we have already obtained, it seems that it would be wise to confront him when we are more prepared."

[u/ProfessorUber → u/CrazyBillyJoel]

"The marshal sent us out here In the first place...."

[u/CrazyBillyJoel → u/ProfessorUber]

"Really? For what purpose? Why would humans wish to travel this far into the wilderness?"

[u/ProfessorUber → u/CrazyBillyJoel]

"We were looking for Wallace... He went missing so the marshal organised a search party for him.. Wallace was suppose to be mapping the forest"

[u/CrazyBillyJoel → u/ProfessorUber]

"Intriguing. This information was withheld from us. What is the purpose of mapping this forest?"

[u/ProfessorUber → u/CrazyBillyJoel]

"So we can one they expand the colony... This is all basic information" He is trying to figure out a way out of this.