by Addison Smith

The alien thing adheres to my arm, digging into my flesh and joining with muscle and nerve. It extends in a sweeping arc, a great pincer that responds to signals from my own human brain.

When I squeeze I feel its force and pressure, like that of our enemy—the great crustacean creatures we battle in endless fields of death. From tooth-like protrusions I feel the thirst for violence. It is infected with their ideals and they burrow into my mind, just as they were intended to.

I agree to their terms. We will join them. The war will end.

Addson Smith is an author of speculative fiction whose work has appeared in Fantasy Magazine, Fireside Magazine, and others. You can find him on Twitter @AddisonCSmith.