Fish

Fred fished along a lakeshore with his dog Fido.

“Whatcha got in yer mouth, boy?”

Fido whined and growled. It looked like a fish, but its mouth contained giant fangs.

“Leave it!”

Fido dropped the fish.

Fred cut the fish in half with his pocket knife. The separated fish became two. Fred chopped the two in halves, and more fish appeared. He stoamped on them and crushed them, but smaller fish emerged. Fred loaded his shotgun and fired. Hundreds of tiny fish squirmed and flopped about ...

“C’mon boy. We’re gettin’ outta here!”

Fred tossed his gear into the back of his pickup truck, then he and Fido drove off.

————

Fred called the sheriff. The sheriff investigated and called state authorities who contacted the federal government. Soon afterward, military and white coats cordoned off the area to examine and try to destroy the organisms. But the creatures kept multiplying and getting smaller, invading every kind of material, penetrating and devouring their victims within.

The last survivor alerted HQ to initiate decontamination. HQ remotely detonated a nuclear device, obliterating the entire research camp and the organisms.

————

A cloaked alien ship hovered in the atmosphere.

“Report? Progress?”

“Yes, sir.” One of the subordinates handed the leader a tablet. “They took our bait. They’re a tenacious predator. Easily consumed by their will to destroy and dominate—their self-destruction’s imminent.”

“Very good. Proceed as planned. Drop more of our fish into their oceans.”