February 4, 2010

Two lumpy masses of pale gray rock enter the Kuiper belt. The visitors from a distant star share a similar shape and size, each measuring several meters in diameter. The first follows a trajectory that will send it towards the Sun, while the other moves tangent to the outer ring of the solar system. The latter is travelling fast enough to escape the Sun’s gravitational pull, remaining on course to pass through Kuiper belt and exit the solar system without incident. That is, until it crosses paths with a dwarf planet much larger than itself. Just hours after arriving in the belt, it crashes violently into an unforgiving hunk of ice and rock.

In that instant, the second asteroid’s thousand-year journey comes to an end. Much of it is destroyed on impact, vaporizing or crushing many of the organisms housed within. Those that escape this violent end are still jettisoned from their stone cocoons, left to die of exposure in the unforgiving vacuum of space.

Only one small piece of the rock cluster is spared, sent hurtling toward the center of the solar system. The meteoroid’s only inhabitant, the sole survivor of the crash, is roused from its stasis by the collision. It’s cells are weakened by the resulting shockwaves, but it remains unaware of the catastrophe that has just taken place. As the heat generated by the impact dissipates, the creature quickly forgets the event and drifts back into hibernation.

***

November 18, 2017

Having avoided the brutal fate of its partner, the surviving asteroid rapidly approaches the Earth. It begins to burn up upon entering the planet’s atmosphere, breaking into hundreds of round chunks as the immense heat destroys the chemical binding which held the rock cluster together. They slowly spread out over the course of their descent, drawing ever closer to their target.

Soon, the Earth’s surface is peppered with meteorites no larger than basketballs. Many are plunged into the depths of the ocean, but some make impact on land. Awoken from their long slumbers by the sudden influx of thermal energy, the organisms held within each begin to emerge from their stone cocoons. They open their beady red eyes, searching for signs of sentient life.

Meanwhile, a young woman sits hunched over her computer, working late into the night. Her long hair is drawn back in a tight ponytail to keep it out of her face as she stares intensely at the screen. Suddenly, she’s startled by a loud crash outside, strong enough to vibrate her chair for a moment. She springs out of her seat and peers through her bedroom window. Squinting, she notices a pillar of smoke billowing out from her yard, dimly illuminated by a nearby streetlamp. She rushes downstairs, slips into a pair of sneakers, and heads out the back door to investigate.

***

April 3, 2019

The meteoroid finally reaches Earth, bringing an end to its solitary voyage. It streaks through the sky and lands in a forest on the outskirts of a small college town. The rock’s alien inhabitant emerges, its cells still weakened from the collision all those years ago and rattled even further by the harsh landing. It must find a host soon, or it will die. It opens its eyes and begins to take in its new environment. It quickly notices a motionless hunk of flesh, set apart from its surroundings by the infrared signal it exudes—warmth. Following an instinctual directive, the creature moves towards the body and enters the largest orifice it can find.

Its cells should be destroying and consuming those of its host, but the creature is far too weak, having used the last of its energy to enter the body. However, circulation in the host has ceased. The host’s cells are cut off from the nutrients needed to survive and are drowning in their own waste products. A compromise is reached between the two dying organisms—symbiosis. The host’s cells cede control to the creature’s as it assimilates first with the brain, then the rest of the body, forcing the heart to pump and the lungs to suck in air once more.

Though most of the host’s neurons have died, the structure of their connections remains preserved as the creature’s own nerve cells slowly replace them. Soon, it is able to control the muscles of its new body. In no time at all, it learns to stand, to walk, and even to use human technology. All the while, someone watches from the shadows with rapt attention, staying far enough away to escape the creature’s notice, but close enough to observe every fascinating detail.