We Are One
- - Note: This chapter of Dr. McFile's Memoirs was classified under the Special Intelligence Decree. For Your Eyes Only - -
I
I would like to begin by warning the reader that this is by far the strangest incident I ever encountered during the long journey back to our home system. It would also account for the rather strange behavior of two of my fellows, Hibiki Tokai and Dita Liebely.
It began during an otherwise unremarkable skirmish between our forces and a group of the aliens later known as Harvesters. As was usual during a battle, Tokai fused with another Dread, in this case Liebely's. As I observed, the fusion commenced normally… then something went wrong. The enemy launched a missile of unknown design, damaging the Vanguard midfusion. There was a strange blue flash. When the sensors recovered, we saw a shapeless, many-limbed machine fighting the enemy. It seemed to be… devouring the Harvester, rending the hull and shunting the debris down a number of openings along the strange ship's hull. Once the attacking vessel had been completely annihilated, the strange new ship became completely inert.
II
After this bizarre incident, the fused craft was brought aboard. We found it to be covered with a strange fungus. We did locate the cockpit, but this fungus covered it completely, sealing Dita and Hibiki inside. We also discovered that the enemy had crushed the communication array, destroying all hope of indirect communication.
We sliced some of the fungal matter off, finding it to have a weak consistency, and took it to sick bay. There, I made an unsettling discovery: the fungus had, in equal parts, Dita's and Hibiki's DNA. It was, biologically, their child. After a few hours deliberation with me and BC, the captain resolved to use a laser to cut open the cockpit. It was a solemn moment, as the canopy was cut away. The fungus charred and pealed away away. Many of Dita's comrades came to watch.
Finally, the canopy was removed. Parfait oversaw the procedure, and was the first to see the horror within. She stared, shocked, and then passed out, falling from the surface of the fused Dread, luckily being caught by Meia on her way down. I hurriedly climbed on top of the ship, and looked inside.
I will never forget that first scene. As I looked in, I saw Hibiki and Dita. They were both naked, with scraps of scorched clothing still attached to their bodies. They were normal, from the knees up… From the knees down, they shared the same legs. I was rendered speechless… When I recovered, I ordered that all nonessentials be cleared out of room and them be carried from the cockpit to sickbay. I remember wondering if I could amputate one of them. I imagined that would be difficult, deciding who got the legs.
III
Later that day, I made a very unsettling discovery. As I examined the sensor feeds from their bodies, I found that their actual circulatory systems were connected. They were sharing the same blood. At the time, I had not yet dispelled the illusion that men and women were, fundamentally, different species, so this was worrisome to me; I feared that prolonged exposure between the two 'alien' biologies would cause permanent damage. On a hunch, I took a look at their respective nervous systems. Sure enough, those were connected too.
However, this fusion reached a level of grotesqueness that cannot quite be explained with printed word. There was no scar tissue around the connection. It was as if they had never been separated, and they were meant to be linked in this way. For a time, I kept they-it apart from the crew, hidden behind a curtain. Only a few members of my trusted staff and the command crew were allowed to view Dita-Hibiki.
Later that day, I decided to let Dita's various closer friends, mostly squadmates, visit her. All were deeply unnerved, one even vomiting. I myself spent virtually all my time working on this medical horror. Dita and Hibiki remained unconscious, almost catatonic, except for brief moments when they would whisper gibberish in their sleep. It was around this time that an unknown crew member coined the term 'Ditabiki'. I recall that much of the ship's upper echelon disapproved of this name, but soon everyone was using it.
IV
A few days later, Dita woke up. She looked up and around. I hurried over.
"Huh- what's happening-" She looked down. I'll never forget the looked on her face as she saw her legs. Her face froze, eyes wide and staring, and then she screamed, unleashing such a cacophony as I had never heard before or since. However, I remember the expression best; the look of extreme disgust that crossed her face. I quickly sedated her.
I summoned the captain, Meia, and BC. We disgusted the issue closely. Meia thought that we should attempt to surgically disconnect the two. I did not think this was wise, due to the major blood vessel that connected the two of them. BC thought we should awaken both of them and discuss the issue. Eventually, the elderly captain sided with BC. I was apprehensive as I administered the drugs. Dita woke up first, perhaps because she was in the coma for the least period of time. I expected her to scream, but this time, she simply looked down and her-their legs.
"It wasn't a dream, was it?" she asked, resignedly.
"No," I said, apologetically.
We discussed the issue for a time. Tokai failed to awaken.
Then, a very peculiar facet of this case was revealed. "Mr. Alien says that the Missile had some strange warhead in it," said Dita, conversationally. "He suspects that it was designed to screw up the fusion."
We all stared at her.
"Dita," asked BC, slowly, "How do you know what Hibiki is thinking?"
Dita looked confused, then, with an expression of sudden shock, realized the inherent strangeness of this. "Umm… I… don't know… really…"
We continued to discuss the matter. I theorized that the connection between their respective nervous systems went much deeper than I had originally suspected. However, at the time, this carried other frightening implications. If they could interpret one another's nerve impulses, they had similar brains, and if a man and a woman had similar brains…
However, I resolved to save that issue for another time and concentrated on separating them. Naturally, when I awoke the next morning, I was shocked to discover that the strange fusion of their bodies had progressed all the way to their hips. Now, Dita would bend forward from Hibiki's midsection. I resolved not to wake them, fearing that their brief spell of consciousness had accelerated the process. I was also alarmed to find that 'Ditabiki' had developed both male and female genitalia. Their skin had become a strange jaundiced color, and their eyes had both become a dull grey, the pupils unresponsive to stimuli.
V
It was around this time that another strange revealment had occurred. Parfait called me to report that the fungus's growth had been gradually slowing while Ditabiki was separated from it, but overnight, it had increased sharply. It was clear to me that the progressive fusion and the fungal growth was connected.
Which led me and Parfait to another theory: the fungus was contained within the missile's warhead, and had brought about some twisted alien growth, which had connected Tokai and Liebely in some terrible and fundamental way. We devised a plan to systematically eliminate the fungus by burning it off the ship. This plan was quickly thwarted when Parfait and her fellows discovered that the fungus would, upon destruction, regenerate elsewhere in equal or greater measure.
Another plan was created, this time to destroy all of the biomass in one fel swoop. However, as this occurred, Dita woke screaming, demanding that we stop hurting her child. Highly disturbed, I ordered the plan aborted.
VI
The end of this nightmare was almost… anticlimactic. Powerless to act against the strange organism, we simply watched as Dita and Hibiki started sharing the same stomach. The fungus had reappeared rapidly after our futile attempts at its destruction.
Finally, as we nearly gave up hope of ever separating them, Hibiki woke up for the first time. He was in a strange, dreamlike state, jumping from topic to topic almost randomly, until we finally called his attention to his predicament.
"ah yes that is why we-she woke me up" he said. To remove all punctuation and capitalization can only begin to describe his manner of speech. "i-we think we can be separated we need to return to the vanguard aren't the stars pretty this time of year"
"Should I sedate you?" I asked.
"ah yes probably i wonder what food is at the cafeteria so much has changed-"
VII
The Dread flew out, and floated through the depths of space for almost ten minutes. We were preparing to recover it when there was a series of harsh blue flashes, briefly blinding our sensors. When the visual feed was recovered, we found that the Vanguard and the Dread were separated, and the fungus had been annihilated. When the respective units were recovered, Dita and Hibiki had returned to their separate selves.
Epilogue
However, that was not the end of the strange behavior of my two comrades. They exhibited a number of strange idiosyncrasies; first, if they were in close proximity, their body language would become almost identical. Second, if one were in discomfort or danger, the other would come into the room to check of the other was alright. Third, they moved into the same apartment. Fourth, they worked with near perfect synergy in later battles. And finally, they both disappeared shortly after our return home.
Draw your own conclusions.