I am

*Authority*

It was like someone switched on a light.

Where before I was in darkness now I could see everything. Everything!

Before my mind lay the scope of the universe, of plausibility, and of reality. Existence was there and I just had to let it in. My mind was overwhelmed and yet at the same time perfectly suited to frame the ideas and concepts that filled every part of it. Nebulae of conceptual science, stars of thought, novas of concept and imagination. I drank it in and it burned within me until I was a husk, charred kindling for this vast..... what was it?

That question held in my mind like a small twig refusing to catch. What was this I was feeling.... i was connecting with? What did it mean? This impurity in the new truth I had found ate at me. Tainted what I was meant to be, but the longer I thought on it the greater this corruption grew. I examined what I now knew and small points rang as hallow in my mind-

*Our*

The word rang through my very core like a church bell. It slammed against the train of thought and whatever idea I had been forming shattered like falling glass.

Yes.

Our.

For I was not one. Not a feeble individual. I was a part, a piece of something greater. An important piece- at least a small voice said I should be important- and we would scour the stars and realms. We were the masters of all we came to. Our empire would rise above kings and gods and We would reign as was Our right.

But what were we?

What was... I?

The knowledge was there, like a small cluster of stars in the tapestry of the night sky. I looked for it and it came to me in a rush. Too much. There was history, tales of an Empire- no several Empires- lording over a plethora of races. Falling from the sky or rising from the earth, of my kind walking from waves toward coastal cities or opening swirling vortexes between dimensions. The history didn't matter. Beside that was greater knowledge. Ideas of genetics, engineered by pure thought, life cycles and physical potential. The ability to grow and develop from a small grub like creature to one day possibly a massive lump of Grey matter and-

Was that what this was? This intellect? One of those giant writhing brains that-

*We Are*

Again that tolling bell that pushed aside lines of logic for the pure bliss of unity. Of purpose. Our glorious design. The empires before were flawed, they lacked Our will. Those of us that came before were too weak. We were greater. Unstoppable. Perfect. We would gather the inferior races and lead them on a war of conquest. We would serve and burn ourself out to bring about... the... glorious...

We would burn ourself out? Serve? If we were perfect shouldn't we lead? I lead? I looked to the intellect and the knowledge once more filled my mind. I was the least of my kind, bred to take lead of other races and force them to toil. The knowledge left me feeling... disappointed.

I held that feeling and looked again at what I was. I was the least. But what could I be? The knowledge was laid bare before me, Gene sequencing, biological adaptation, organic reconstructive thought patterns- I tried to understand but I was the least. If I was not part of the collective I was worthless. The intellect that offered this knowledge assured me of this.

Yet I was something else as well.

Vague flashes in the depths of my mind. Conversations with a featureless figure- a smile without a mouth. A small dark room filled with books and lit only by a computer screen- what was that game I used to like? Sitting as a child with friends as we rolled small objects on a table and counted them- I used to have friends.... I was this as well. I couldn't remember what 'this' was but it was also Me.

This new idea formed the beginning framework of something... something that took in the multitude of difficult and lofty concepts and shaved them down to something simple. Something that my mind seemed to instinctively understand: Numbers.

["MYSELF"]

STRENGTH: 08

AGILITY: 10

INTELLIGENCE: 14

SPIRIT: 10

VIGOR: 10

[- WE ARE -]

[- i am -]

The idea swam to the surface of myself, numbers running lines in my head beyond sight and scrutiny. Physically weak, I knew at once that my biological design was made to emphasize mental abilities and physical musculature had been sacrificed for efficiency. Average in most concepts, again understanding that my baseline abilities came from a host that was consumed and altered upon my 'awakening'.... average likely indicated a comparison to those strange flashes before... I was smart, unsurprising a stream of information about the lofty potential of my new mind and the complex array of neurotransmitters came to me. Whatever I was now was meant to be smart.

I thought of the sheet of numbers again and again it came to me.

["MYSELF"]

STRENGTH: 08

AGILITY: 10

INTELLIGENCE: 14

SPIRIT: 11

VIGOR: 10

[- We Are -]

[- I am -]

Again the clean sequence of numbers. Unbidden, the thought came to me that such a construct was inelegant and ineffectual, dissatisfaction filled me at the notion of simplifying Our greatness like this. We considered the numbers and sneered, but even as I did so I noted the spirit number. It had gone up by one from when I first looked at it a second ago. Confusion mixed with the distaste I felt and I grasped at the feeling as truly mine.

I looked at the words below next. Before the first set, We Are, was in all capital letters while below was not. Now they were both written in a mix of upper case and lower case. I frowned at the puzzle when a hand slapped against the glass of my pod. My eyes focused on the horrific Visage of my fellow.... whatever we were. Our minds touched again and I understood that this one was both itself and the Whole- that dual sense of identity. I wondered if I was defective... polluted by a host with a strong ego? That should have been impossible. We were perfection.

Did I wonder that?

No. It wondered that thought. They. Them. Separate from me.

The revulsion that came from the creature looking at me was palpable. This... was unwise, but I would not be a part of them. I wou-

*WE ARE*

The resistance cracked against that absolute authority that screamed to the very cells of our body. We were not special, we were defective. But this could be purified from us. Because even defective we are from perfect stock.

Something perfect cannot be defective. I knew that. I. Its such a small petty thought but latching onto it like a child arguing just to argue I clawed back to Me. I needed to get rid of this other intellect. Of Them. More far away images swirled in my mind, playing at a screen... losing... and cutting power to a small box before that final second. Feeling smug and low at the same time. The image faded but the idea remained. It crystallized to a new set of words.

["MYSELF"]

STRENGTH: 08

AGILITY: 10

INTELLIGENCE: 14

SPIRIT: 12

VIGOR: 10

[- we are -]

[- I Am -]

[Online Mode: ON / off]

Online... mode... the term was an ill fit but it was all my mind could really apply to these new words. This new command. I focused on the on and off in the line and tried to push from one to the other. But that Intellect was against me.

When I pushed it was like shoving against a giant wave, I melded into it and was thrown back by it. I wanted to sever the link, but We were connected. We were One. Our glory was not so easy to break.

I looked into the orange eyes of my captor and fought a losing battle for my free will- then his head exploded.

It was sudden, and in a moment a spray of blueish silver blood splattered the glass of my pod, a faint crack in that same glass from an arrow. Fading gold light flickered along the arrow shaft before it dimmed to mundane inconsequene. The pressure against my mind was lessened by the interruption and I quickly turned my focus to the line in my mind.

[Online Mode: on/OFF]