“I should preface this by saying I am not just one person,” responded Kome verbally in one perfect voice.

“I am what is considered a multi-conscience Calforn. The Calforn are the alien lifeforms responsible for all the mutations you have been seeing on this moon.”

I stared dumbfounded at the mutant, who just told me he was also an alien. I must have let some of my thoughts slip through out mental boundaries because Koma chuckled.

“I know it may be tough to believe, but the Calforn existed for millennia before Humankind. We’re very advanced. The fact that I exist is something akin to a miracle for a solar system that has been abandoned.” The man continued.

“Your existence, however, is the true miracle.” The last sentence was said in a different voice entirely.

“Wait… I thought the presence of other sentient species in the universe had been disproven!” I tried to rebuttal what the man was telling me.

He leaned back on his chair, waving his hands around, “That particular bit is somewhat muddled for me. You see, while I have some of the memories of the two Calforn that coexist within me there is no hive mind for me to connect to here. That fact is the only reason I have been able to maintain my human self instead of joining the ‘Great Mass’.”

I was reeling from what he told me. It had been proven that there was life in the Universe when Mars was colonized and probes reached further and further space, but after centuries of space exploration most had determined that true sapient life was absent. Koma was saying that there was intelligent life in the Universe and they had been in our solar system at some point in their history.

“Where are we then? You said that the Calforn lived in our solar system at some point, but this planet definitely is not in my solar system.”

Koma chuckled for a few seconds. I was tempted to use a mutated fist to punch some seriousness into the man, but he quickly straightened out.

“My apologies,” began a third voice, “we have not spoken with… anyone for quite some time. Koma has the memories from his Earth upbringing and when one of your flawed concepts is brought up my brother can’t help but laugh.”

I was really starting to get confused. It was as if I was talking to three people on the phone while they had it on speaker. Koma must have seen the confusion and frustration on my face because when he spoke again it was the eerie overlapping voice.

“We, together, are Koma. My human identity, Basten, was erased when we Calforn reached maturity. While we three may act different when in control of the body, we are one and the same.”

I felt the mental pressure from Koma increase, a vice holding my mind in place.

We are the relays for the hive mind.

“Or at least, were. We have been surviving off the animal life our ancestors left to thrive on this moon.” Koma stood and paced around the room, his bare feet silent on the stone.

“This moon is within your solar system. The gas planet you see from the surface is hidden inside your asteroid belt. This place is unreachable and undetectable unless coordinates are given by a Calforn command center. Much like this room actually, except actually functional.”

“I…” I was not sure how to respond. “Why are there other mutants then? What am I? Why did the Calforn leave this system? The others need to know!” I stood, questions flying by as my mind processed the information Koma gave me.

Before I was able to wake the others, Koma gripped my arm with two of his. “They are not ready. You are… Calforn, but also human. The Calforn’s control over their bodies is rooted in their ability to modify themselves at the genetic level. You seem to possess this, as well as a link to the hive mind. I do not have memories about my predecessors so I don’t know why they left. As far as why there are other humans, I am sure our dear Captain Starden has something to do with that.”

At the mention of the Captain, the pieces of what he had been answering my questions with clicked into place.

“How exactly do Calforn come to maturity?” I shook my arm free from Koma as I turned to look at him.

The man hesitated.

How do Calforn mature?

I pressed with my thoughts and Koma sighed before replying, “We are parasitic beings. We, somehow, enter your body and then attach to the nervous system. Within minutes of maturity control of the entity is completed.”

I stood shell shocked. “But the others! Starden said we were all given mutagens!”

“The maturation is not always successful. Considering the outcomes of the other Digits there were multiple Calforn attempting to control the body, what I am currently doing, but they all drove each other mad instead. Turning into those abominations you have been fighting.” I was happy we had all gotten lucky enough not to be turned into mutated Calforn-human messes but the fact that the Calforn took over people in the first place scared me more than I liked to admit.

“So, what now?” I asked grimly.

I still considered myself a human, and I still wanted to return to Earth with the others, but I did not know what Koma’s goal was.

“I want to live. I also want revenge. A large serving of revenge on the man responsible. My memories up until my arrival on Dun Lund have been foggy, but I need to know what happened.”

“You aren’t a Digit. You said your name was Basten before you mutated. What was your purpose, Named?” Anger rose in my chest when I realized Koma was actually a Named human.

Pulling up his arms in a placading gesture, Koma replied, “I was just a researching grunt. I was in charge of monitoring the geological behavior of this moon. I have nothing against Digits; I swear. Plus, it's not like you don’t have a name now, Alpha. We’re also no longer human, so we are both a bit outside of their rule.”

I could not argue with his explanation, so I did my best to relax.

“You will need to practice your control of the Calforn mutations. It will tax your body heavily, but I believe you can do it especially after seeing you fight. You handle that wrench like a pro by the way.”

“Ha! Have to work with what I have.”

I let myself smile briefly. There were still many questions left unanswered about the Calforn, but Koma only had so much information. It was obvious Starden knew something he was not telling us and I was determined to find out. I made sure to close off my mind as much as possible as I contemplated. Something Koma had said about finding this place, the hidden nature of Dun Lund and the gas planet, meant that the Government or the Bankers had found a command center somewhere on Earth or the Colonies.

My engineering mind wanted answers. The pieces were beginning to fall in place, but there were too many blanks as of yet. I knew Koma would be key in figuring out a way to return to Earth, but the path off world was still not clear.

“We will need to establish ourselves better here in the city. You said you lived off the existing species, we may be able to do the same to depart from the USG’s rations.” I said, the inkling of a plan forming in my mind.

“Indeed. I also believe that meeting with the survivors of previous drops would be beneficial,” replied Koma with a grim nod.

“There are survivors! What!?” I shouted, the entire group of Digits jumped to their feet in seconds, weapons in hand.