kajel: (Me)
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For the other side of the story, catch [livejournal.com profile] dmousey's entry also. Ain't Mis-Bee-Haven

******

“What is it?” 

“It’s called Elysium. They were trying to find a drug to help the men who have been captured and altered by the Tor’ni.”

“There’s no hope for the warped.”

“Warped?  They’re humans Jack.”

“Not anymore Doc.  The aliens have changed them. They’ve been pulled deep into the abyss of the hive mind.  There's no coming out of that abyss.  They’ve warped their minds.  That’s why we hit the drone lines.  It’s the only chance we have to save those captured from that fate.”

Dr. Seden sighed.  “Your right Jack.  The drug doesn’t work on our guys.”

“Then why do you want me and the men to take it with us on the mission?”

“It’s for the Tor'ni.” 

“Sir?”

Dr. Seden looked out the window at the men getting ready to risk their lives to save this latest group of people captured by the aliens.

“Whatever the Tor'ni do to alter our minds, we haven’t found a way to reverse it.  They create a euphoria so great in the connection to the hive within the human brain that the drug is useless. Elysium was developed to rebuild pathways in the brain to help the altered come out of the ‘deep abyss’ as you put it, and find their way back to humanity.  The drug was also used on captured Tor'ni.  In a terrible twist of irony, it does for the aliens, what it won’t do for us.”

“Are you saying that the drug, what, humanizes the aliens?  How the hell does it do that?”

“We don’t know how, but Tor’ni exposed to the drug develop an individualistic personality. They lose the hive mind.”

"That's not irony Doc, that's karma.”

******

Jack surveyed the chaos around him from the back of a transport truck. The bastard aliens had tried to ambush them. There were no captives to be saved here. Only the warped. As soon as Jack had realized one of the alien queens was trying to ambush his men, he changed tactics. They had been prepared to save the captives and try to take the queen if possible. The goal had become hunt the queen and her officers, taking out anything in the way. He was overseeing his men, as they loaded their prizes.

“Have you seen the queen, sergeant?” He asked one of the men that had just dropped a green armored alien by the truck.

“No sir. This is the last one we’ve gotten. He’s got fancier armor than some of the others, but no queen. We’ve run out of tranquilizer darts out here. The alpha team has a few still, but they’re keeping the warped busy.”

“I’ve got one dose left with me.” he looked down at the pistol in his hand. “I was hoping we’d flush her out. Get that last alien bastard on the truck.” They were out of time. He barked, “Richards, give the orders. We’re done here.”

Jack was going to give Doc Seden his best bottle of scotch when he got back. Elysium had ended up being their ace in the hole. It completely incapacitated any alien it was used on. He looked down at the iridescent green armor on the alien that his men had just tossed into the truck with him. It was a much better quality than he’d seen.

There was a shout from outside and suddenly the back of the truck was filled with one of the hover trikes used by the aliens. The alien riding the bike was focused on grabbing the green armored bastard. Jack’s instincts took over. As he pulled the trigger, he realized the prize had come to him. This was the queen they had been looking for. How and why she ended up on his truck didn’t matter, only that she was there.

“Gotcha now, bitch.” He snarled as the Tor’ni queen fell twitching to the floor. “Welcome to the human condition.”


**********

This is my entry for LJ Idol: S9 Week 20. This week was an intersection. My partner is the lovely [livejournal.com profile] dmousey. The topics used were Intersubjectivity (by dmousey) and Rapture of the Deep.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-07 07:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] redqueenofevil.livejournal.com
Just wanted to let you know that [livejournal.com profile] dmousey's entry is locked.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-07 08:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thanks! I think we have it sorted out now.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-08 02:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-08 06:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beeker121.livejournal.com
I really like the concept of this - the idea of a hive mind vs. individuality and how changing from one to the other could be devastating. Brilliant final line, too.

One typo fix: in the first longish paragraph you've got a duplication "They've have warped their minds."

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-08 06:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thanks! That last line helped me figure out where I was going with this. I had it before I had half the story done.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-08 10:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shimmerdream.livejournal.com
I really enjoyed this story.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-09 12:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thank you!

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-10 02:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kickthehobbit.livejournal.com
This is weird and wonderful.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-10 12:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thanks! lol

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-10 02:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jem0000000.livejournal.com
I like the idea of turning them human, rather than outright killing them. Although I imagine it's still pretty traumatic for the aliens.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-10 12:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Ha, traumatic might be an understatement. The idea of rapture as a drug sent me off in this direction. I knew it was going to affect my partners aliens, but until I wrote it out, I wasn't sure how.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-10 07:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mistearyusdiva2.livejournal.com
Oh well u had me feeling sorry for the aliens .... they lose their charm by turning mere human .... Loved what you have churned out here.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-10 12:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thank you!

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-10 02:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ryl.livejournal.com
I'm sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what happens next? How will the hive react when the queen gets an individual personality? I bet it would be chaos.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 05:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thanks. Chaos sound about right.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-10 03:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kehlen-crow.livejournal.com
Very nice. I enjoyed reading the two sides of the same story.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 05:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thank you.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-10 03:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] adoptedwriter.livejournal.com
Great story! AW

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 05:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-11 02:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rayaso.livejournal.com
Excellent use of the prompt, and a wonderful story. I loved the idea of a drug that broke the hive mind, creating individuals, but at a cost of euphoria.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 05:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thanks! I had fun with it.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-11 02:44 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tatdatcm.livejournal.com
I enjoyed this. I liked the idea of the drug being useless on them, but effective against the aliens.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 05:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thanks, I did too.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-11 06:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] i-17bingo.livejournal.com
Right away the concept of dehumanizing (or dealienizing) is front and center, but when the twist of "humanizing" brings with it unhappiness, this is fantastic.

And, as a compliment to [livejournal.com profile] dmousey's piece is perfect, because the theme to both is forced assimilation, for "the good of the assimilated."

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 05:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Thanks! Of course it's for their own good. ;)

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-11 09:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cheshire23.livejournal.com
After reading the other half of this story, this part left me with a gigantic grin. Gotcha, indeed.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 05:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
lol Yes indeed.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-11 10:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] karmasoup.livejournal.com
This reminds me a bit of a star trek episode... an entire cube of borg were undone by individuality, not because of a drug, but because they separated one drone and instilled it in him (easy enough to "reprogram" the subconscious of someone who used to be human once you get him alone), and then released him back to the cube, where that mentality was "assimilated." The human condition can indeed be devastating to a hive mind, and, naturally, I love any aspect of a story that gets to reference karma! ;)

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 05:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
I of course know who the borg are, because otherwise my husband might take away what geek cred I do have. However, I didn't watch much Star Trek. Weird since have always been very into sci-fi and fantasy.

I am glad you liked it.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 03:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alycewilson.livejournal.com
This reminds me of the Borg from Star Trek. Can't wait to see things from their POV!

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-12 05:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kajel.livejournal.com
Glad you liked it!

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-15 01:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] n3m3sis43.livejournal.com
It was really cool seeing both sides of this story! The whole concept of the drug and the way the humans ended up using it was just so creative and fabulous.

(no subject)

Date: 2014-09-16 07:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dmousey.livejournal.com
I don't know if I left a comment or not! Just wanted to pop by and say thank you again for being my partner! Anytime you'd like to expand on 'our collaboration' let me know. :) <3.
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