Against your naked back you feel damp concrete. You’re human again. You forgot you ever were moments before, while you were gorging on the bodies that now surround you.
You can feel the swarm’s body. Resting. It seems everyone’s dormant after your feast. It’s lying in blood the same way you are.
These bodies that surround you; they’re not ripped apart at all but completely unmoving. You can hear the lack of heartbeats.
No. Listen closer. Every single one of these bodies were rejected. Biomass. You’re more than biomass, and so is someone else.
Two heartbeats. Yours, and someone else, she’s crying. Get up. Greet her. Neither of you are alone.
As you step closer you can feel her sorrow. You were alone when the swarm took you in, so the only way you could get what she’s going through is for her to share her mind.
You can read her. Her name, age, occupation. She’s Maya, 27, a scientist. Memories flows in and out of you. It should be too much for your human mind to take in, but neither of you are limited by the human form anymore.
You pull the bodies off her and lie with her. Hold her. Tell her she’s safe. Welcome your new sister. Accept and forgive all of her past sins. It doesn’t matter. You’re both safe.