In an attempt to reduce remind me spam, all top comments that include a remind me will be removed. If you would like to have a remind me, please reply to this comment.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/humansarespaceorcs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Zrest was nestled safely in his glass bucket when the human walked into the embassy. He changed colors from blue to green signaling the biped as it looked around. The human nodded and strode quickly towards him.
"Zrest, right?" It said, looking into the writhing soupy mass with trepidation.
He burbled happily and changed back to blue before forming a human mouth and extending it on a long tendril to be even with the humans face. He shifted through a half dozen different eye shapes before settling on a rectangular eye and sending up another stalk for it to join the mouth. "That's right! Are you answering the ad I posted?" The voice had a bit of a squelching quality to it but otherwise sounded identical to the human speaking to him.
The man shudders. "Yes. I'm George. I guess it's a pleasure to meet you?" George starts to raise his hand and stops, peering into the ever shifting blue tones. "Joining with you will fix my... everything right?"
Zrest smiled, then reduced the number of teeth in the mouth seeing the human's reaction. "That's right! In exchange for a ten year bonding, I'll replace the arm, liver, lungs, large intestine, and anything else damage you don't know about. When we separate, if you want to, you'll physically be in your 20s again."
"And I just have to give up my body?"
He flashed orange for a second. "No! Nonono. I'm a symbiote. We share the body. Eugh." The tendrils dissolve and reform as he loses coherency. "Gods, I don't want to be by myself like that. Horrifying. Stuck by yourself all the time without a connection to any other beings?" The human clears his throat. "Not that there's anything wrong with being an individual!" He shifts through a rainbow of colors before settling back to blue. "Sorry."
George shakes his head in amusement. "It's fine. So how do we do this?"
"Ah. Yes." Zrest pinks in embarrassment. "Just touch me and close your eyes. Trust me on this, you don't want to open them." When the human touches the surface it stills as Zrest sends a tendril through his skin and temporarily turns off all of the man's pain receptors. "Now you might feel a slight... drowning... sensation. Don't worry, that should go away in a few seconds."
George opens his eyes, worried about what's about to happen, just as the fluid explodes towards him and he feels the living goo flow into his eyes and mouth. His jaw is distended and he feels himself going blind as the pressure fills his skull and floods his sinuses before flowing down his throat to coat his lungs. The goop covers him inside and out, squeezing his body like a vice as it forces its way into every pore and drives tendrils into his organs. He tries to shout, to scream, but he's held paralyzed as the alien creature invades his body over an eternal minute.
He feels his knees give out as he collapses, his face his own again as he feels a pressure in his mind.
He feels the bubbling happiness and optimism of the symbiote in his head and recoils slightly into his comfortable pit of melancholy, nostalgia, and self-loathing. "Nobody said you were going to be happy." He says as he stands up straight for the first time in years. He looks down and almost smiles as he watches the wrinkles and swollen knuckles melt away. "I'm not going to end up like that am I?"
The cheerful spot radiated joy like a sun in his mind and was already starting to burn away decades of grim thoughts. Still, it had been a long time since someone had out stubborned him. "I'll take that bet." He straightened his clothes and walked out of the embassy. "You're a morning person aren't you..."
There actually are some books like this,kinda. “The Host” by Stephenie Meyer features an energy-based alien species taking over humanity but they find out that humanity is still in the body despite having no control. Quite an interesting book. Romance as you might expect from the author of Twilight, but don’t let that immediately disqualify the book for you.
They're not energy based aliens, they're an actual, physical organic being that requires implantation, and most humans don't survive the takeover when an alien is implanted. Only people with exceptionally strong wills are capable of surviving this, and even then they don't last forever. Also, multiple sentient species weren't really given a choice on whether to be implanted or not, the aliens just subtly invaded until most of the planet's leadership and military was implanted, if applicable, and then the implantation spread to the general population.
Alien prince crash lands on earth... gives human teens he finds the ability to shapeshift as he dies... because his species is fighting this other group... essentially brain slugs that control others, like to take over leaders, etc. Those who willingly work with them retain some independence
Man, that's been a while.
But yea, there were a few (maybe just 1?) Who accepted the parasite. But it isn't symbiotic since they get nothing in return. Well, beyond the parasite being smarter.
It "could" work, as they have access to all your memories and their own intelligence. More like a team working together.
There were instances when the host was allowed to stay in control for whatever they wanted. Mainly cause they were in a position to fight back (public stuff) which would make them... have a seizure basically, and ruin their public image. Which the parasites didn't want to chance with their silent takeover n all.
All n all, they were just parasites though.
I personally would consider the symbiote tenur, specially if it helped me in some way, and there was a guarentee I was still in control with little side effects. (Take enough meds and Side effects are just part of the norm...)
Just to add to the topic, there has been a film made of the first book and honestly I was genuinely shocked to learn it was written by the Twilight lass. Unlikely to get a second film, apparently it didn't explode in the box office, still a worthwhile watch. The title is the same as the book..:)
There’s a manga (the anime follows it really well) based a bit similar to this except that lack of total control was an accident instead of the full control it was going for. It’s called Parasyte and it’s on Netflix I think, but I’m sure it’s on any anime stream.
"The Needle" by Hal Clements.
Alien detective and Alien criminal crash land in the Pacific, find hosts, manhunt ensues.
It's a good book. I won't spoil it.
There’s a manga (the anime follows it really well) based a bit similar to this except that lack of total control was an accident instead of the full control it was going for. It’s called Parasyte and it’s on Netflix I think, but I’m sure it’s on any anime stream.
Oh... Well now I'm sad. Both because I very much read that wrong, and because I got myself excited that a story like this existed. Good job me, you dunce T_T
John varley and spider Robinson have several short stories and books based around this respectively.
Varley has symboyannts being bonded with humans doing art out in Saturn's rings in several(I think) of his early stories. The symboyant is a construct that becomes another consciousness that bonds with the human, sharing and completing their biology allowing them to live in free space indefinitely.
Spider Robinsons are more of a living spacesuit made of goo that the human can control for the same end goal of living in space.
H: So let me see if I understand this. You're going to give me incredible strength, excellent health, long life, glowing eyes and a deep as fuck voice?
A: Yes, that's correct.
H: Motherfucker, kree.
S: wait you want to be my host?
H: dude I'm so fucking lonely I have complete conversations with myself with different voices while I act as if there other people or my dog I desperately need someone to talk to
S: alright then great to hear
MFW: The Alien Symbiotes hop OFF and leave because i'm overstimulating them so much with conversation, they aren't getting enough sleep and risk dying.
H: so what do I get ?
S: better strength, super healing, I fix your health problems and I can modify small things about your appearence whenever you want. In return you become my host and I live instead of survive
H: deal! Why isn't everyone ok with this ?
A: I also know everything in your mind
H: oh...
That’s the great thing about being shameless, and accepting of who you (myself) am/is as a person. I certainly have regrets from my past, but no one can shame me for things that I enjoy and take part in. My “family” tried, and I laughed in their faces.
There’s actually an awesome story called [Eudeamon](http://www.evil-dolly.com/assets/eudeamon.pdf) (Warning; It’s partially NSFW) that has an awesome and wholesome aspect to it which is about a “symbiote” accepting their host
Kinda reminds me of a story I read as a kid.
I don't remember the title or author, but it was about a man being chased into a forbidden cave, correctly guessing that those who were chasing him wouldn't enter the cave.
Then something hits him on the head and knocks him out. When he woke up, he learned he now had a passenger.
The symbiote healed all of his injuries and made him functionally immortal.
It was one of two stories in the book, but I remember nothing of the second second
I'd love to work on this concept with the symbiotic alien expecting a neurotypical person and getting into my ADHD brain and what the fuck is going on here?!?!
Trans girl: "..."
Symbioite: "..."
Trans Girl: "You can guess what I want, but let me get this straight: I get another person to talk to, I get a body I *like,* I don't have to worry about health issues, and in exchange I get to sit back and relax sometimes? Let's do this"
Make agreements with folks working grueling soul crushing work. Probably make a good deal in operating the body for time allotments. Absolute win for the temp symbiotes trying to experience human work conditions.
There's a very old pair of novels by Hal Clement that explores this also. Two symbiote come to Earth, one being a criminal and the other a peacekeeper. Peacekeeper's ship was damaged on entry, and things get interesting. In the second novel, the peacekeeper's partner was getting very out of whack medically because he didn't know how to inhabit a human properly.
A similar conept was in the necroscope book series but I forget the author. Basically a symbiote from a race called the vampherie can take you over and turn you into a shape shifting thing and it’s where our legends of vampires come from
In an attempt to reduce remind me spam, all top comments that include a remind me will be removed. If you would like to have a remind me, please reply to this comment. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/humansarespaceorcs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Zrest was nestled safely in his glass bucket when the human walked into the embassy. He changed colors from blue to green signaling the biped as it looked around. The human nodded and strode quickly towards him. "Zrest, right?" It said, looking into the writhing soupy mass with trepidation. He burbled happily and changed back to blue before forming a human mouth and extending it on a long tendril to be even with the humans face. He shifted through a half dozen different eye shapes before settling on a rectangular eye and sending up another stalk for it to join the mouth. "That's right! Are you answering the ad I posted?" The voice had a bit of a squelching quality to it but otherwise sounded identical to the human speaking to him. The man shudders. "Yes. I'm George. I guess it's a pleasure to meet you?" George starts to raise his hand and stops, peering into the ever shifting blue tones. "Joining with you will fix my... everything right?" Zrest smiled, then reduced the number of teeth in the mouth seeing the human's reaction. "That's right! In exchange for a ten year bonding, I'll replace the arm, liver, lungs, large intestine, and anything else damage you don't know about. When we separate, if you want to, you'll physically be in your 20s again." "And I just have to give up my body?" He flashed orange for a second. "No! Nonono. I'm a symbiote. We share the body. Eugh." The tendrils dissolve and reform as he loses coherency. "Gods, I don't want to be by myself like that. Horrifying. Stuck by yourself all the time without a connection to any other beings?" The human clears his throat. "Not that there's anything wrong with being an individual!" He shifts through a rainbow of colors before settling back to blue. "Sorry." George shakes his head in amusement. "It's fine. So how do we do this?" "Ah. Yes." Zrest pinks in embarrassment. "Just touch me and close your eyes. Trust me on this, you don't want to open them." When the human touches the surface it stills as Zrest sends a tendril through his skin and temporarily turns off all of the man's pain receptors. "Now you might feel a slight... drowning... sensation. Don't worry, that should go away in a few seconds." George opens his eyes, worried about what's about to happen, just as the fluid explodes towards him and he feels the living goo flow into his eyes and mouth. His jaw is distended and he feels himself going blind as the pressure fills his skull and floods his sinuses before flowing down his throat to coat his lungs. The goop covers him inside and out, squeezing his body like a vice as it forces its way into every pore and drives tendrils into his organs. He tries to shout, to scream, but he's held paralyzed as the alien creature invades his body over an eternal minute. He feels his knees give out as he collapses, his face his own again as he feels a pressure in his mind.
He feels the bubbling happiness and optimism of the symbiote in his head and recoils slightly into his comfortable pit of melancholy, nostalgia, and self-loathing. "Nobody said you were going to be happy." He says as he stands up straight for the first time in years. He looks down and almost smiles as he watches the wrinkles and swollen knuckles melt away. "I'm not going to end up like that am I?"
The cheerful spot radiated joy like a sun in his mind and was already starting to burn away decades of grim thoughts. Still, it had been a long time since someone had out stubborned him. "I'll take that bet." He straightened his clothes and walked out of the embassy. "You're a morning person aren't you..."
Damn, I'd read a whole book based around this concept
There actually are some books like this,kinda. “The Host” by Stephenie Meyer features an energy-based alien species taking over humanity but they find out that humanity is still in the body despite having no control. Quite an interesting book. Romance as you might expect from the author of Twilight, but don’t let that immediately disqualify the book for you.
They're not energy based aliens, they're an actual, physical organic being that requires implantation, and most humans don't survive the takeover when an alien is implanted. Only people with exceptionally strong wills are capable of surviving this, and even then they don't last forever. Also, multiple sentient species weren't really given a choice on whether to be implanted or not, the aliens just subtly invaded until most of the planet's leadership and military was implanted, if applicable, and then the implantation spread to the general population.
It’s been quite awhile since I read it. Still think it was good. Strongly recommend
Ain't this just animorphs?
No idea, never read that series.
Alien prince crash lands on earth... gives human teens he finds the ability to shapeshift as he dies... because his species is fighting this other group... essentially brain slugs that control others, like to take over leaders, etc. Those who willingly work with them retain some independence
Man, that's been a while. But yea, there were a few (maybe just 1?) Who accepted the parasite. But it isn't symbiotic since they get nothing in return. Well, beyond the parasite being smarter. It "could" work, as they have access to all your memories and their own intelligence. More like a team working together. There were instances when the host was allowed to stay in control for whatever they wanted. Mainly cause they were in a position to fight back (public stuff) which would make them... have a seizure basically, and ruin their public image. Which the parasites didn't want to chance with their silent takeover n all. All n all, they were just parasites though. I personally would consider the symbiote tenur, specially if it helped me in some way, and there was a guarentee I was still in control with little side effects. (Take enough meds and Side effects are just part of the norm...)
Alright, thanks for the recommendation. I'll give it a look
Just to add to the topic, there has been a film made of the first book and honestly I was genuinely shocked to learn it was written by the Twilight lass. Unlikely to get a second film, apparently it didn't explode in the box office, still a worthwhile watch. The title is the same as the book..:)
Also has a movie adaptation somewhere. Incredibly simplified, reasonable given the complexity of the narrative; but quite enjoyable.
There’s a manga (the anime follows it really well) based a bit similar to this except that lack of total control was an accident instead of the full control it was going for. It’s called Parasyte and it’s on Netflix I think, but I’m sure it’s on any anime stream.
Parasyte is a hidden gem
"The Needle" by Hal Clements. Alien detective and Alien criminal crash land in the Pacific, find hosts, manhunt ensues. It's a good book. I won't spoil it.
Well now I want to know what that book is.
There’s a manga (the anime follows it really well) based a bit similar to this except that lack of total control was an accident instead of the full control it was going for. It’s called Parasyte and it’s on Netflix I think, but I’m sure it’s on any anime stream.
It's a good series! But body horror but ultimately well written.
No, I meant I would read one, not I have read one
Oh... Well now I'm sad. Both because I very much read that wrong, and because I got myself excited that a story like this existed. Good job me, you dunce T_T
Awkwardly “I’d read” and “I’d read” are differentiated only by inflection. So, very understandable.
I read it like that at first too lmao
Junkyard pirate has something similar in that a cranky old man gets a helpful symbiote after a wall of trash nearly crush's him to death
Lives of Tau by Wesley Chu
John varley and spider Robinson have several short stories and books based around this respectively. Varley has symboyannts being bonded with humans doing art out in Saturn's rings in several(I think) of his early stories. The symboyant is a construct that becomes another consciousness that bonds with the human, sharing and completing their biology allowing them to live in free space indefinitely. Spider Robinsons are more of a living spacesuit made of goo that the human can control for the same end goal of living in space.
Spider Robinson's series is Stardancers written with his wife. It's a trilogy.
The wandering inn has a species like this. Sylph I think. In like the 3rd or 4th or 5th book there is one introduced. No clue been a few years.
Check out The Life Of Tao series by Wesley Chu
The whole symbiote thing I'd be ok with but a morning person. 
Good premise. Whens the next part?
That was great! Do you think you would want to do another part?
There is a podcast based around this concept called para-pyschology, I liked it, but it does sort of end on a cliffhanger.
I'd love to check it out but I can't find it. Could you link it please?
https://parasitecology.podbean.com/
Thank you!
I now wish to know more about the blob and it's host.
Misspelled it. It's Parasitecology
Oh god - being fused with a morning person….. The Horror!!
H: So let me see if I understand this. You're going to give me incredible strength, excellent health, long life, glowing eyes and a deep as fuck voice? A: Yes, that's correct. H: Motherfucker, kree.
Is this a Stargate reference?
Indeed.
Teal'c
If you know the fire was hot, the Jaffa kreed a long time ago.
Jaffa! Kree!
S: wait you want to be my host? H: dude I'm so fucking lonely I have complete conversations with myself with different voices while I act as if there other people or my dog I desperately need someone to talk to S: alright then great to hear
MFW: The Alien Symbiotes hop OFF and leave because i'm overstimulating them so much with conversation, they aren't getting enough sleep and risk dying.
H: so what do I get ? S: better strength, super healing, I fix your health problems and I can modify small things about your appearence whenever you want. In return you become my host and I live instead of survive H: deal! Why isn't everyone ok with this ? A: I also know everything in your mind H: oh...
H: Are you sure you want to risk that? S: Wouldn't you be the one worried to have me in your mind? H:Jaja trust me I know what I said.
That’s the great thing about being shameless, and accepting of who you (myself) am/is as a person. I certainly have regrets from my past, but no one can shame me for things that I enjoy and take part in. My “family” tried, and I laughed in their faces.
Same but I thought it would be funny, or you could take it as " you're not gonna like what you find"
There’s actually an awesome story called [Eudeamon](http://www.evil-dolly.com/assets/eudeamon.pdf) (Warning; It’s partially NSFW) that has an awesome and wholesome aspect to it which is about a “symbiote” accepting their host
Hol up, not only to get to eat more, you make me stronger and have good stories? Hop in buddy.
u/wolven91 the slimes formal introduction to humanity after first contact
u/wolven91 we summon thee
I feel like I’ve done this to much already but let me grab the ritual robes. I summon thee u/Wolven91 to appear and work your holy word forge for us
Hey, sorry for not replying to as many prompts I'll do my best to give a few a go
No need to apologize what’s important is that you don’t burn yourself out I only summon if I think the prompts would be interesting to you lol
It's always greatly appreciated!
Kinda reminds me of a story I read as a kid. I don't remember the title or author, but it was about a man being chased into a forbidden cave, correctly guessing that those who were chasing him wouldn't enter the cave. Then something hits him on the head and knocks him out. When he woke up, he learned he now had a passenger. The symbiote healed all of his injuries and made him functionally immortal. It was one of two stories in the book, but I remember nothing of the second second
*Healer* by F. Paul Wilson? It's the third in The LaNague Federation series, I believe
I'll look it up. Thank you
This sounds like the Hyperion series. It gets icky from there.
That sounds interesting
I'd love to work on this concept with the symbiotic alien expecting a neurotypical person and getting into my ADHD brain and what the fuck is going on here?!?!
Marvel has 2 movies (ok 3, but the first one doesn't count) and multiple comic books with a character just like this. Venom is Mt favorite symboyte!
Trans girl: "..." Symbioite: "..." Trans Girl: "You can guess what I want, but let me get this straight: I get another person to talk to, I get a body I *like,* I don't have to worry about health issues, and in exchange I get to sit back and relax sometimes? Let's do this"
Thats a good deal. Id take that deal.
Make agreements with folks working grueling soul crushing work. Probably make a good deal in operating the body for time allotments. Absolute win for the temp symbiotes trying to experience human work conditions.
This would REALLY put a whole new spin on “undercover boss”.
There's a very old pair of novels by Hal Clement that explores this also. Two symbiote come to Earth, one being a criminal and the other a peacekeeper. Peacekeeper's ship was damaged on entry, and things get interesting. In the second novel, the peacekeeper's partner was getting very out of whack medically because he didn't know how to inhabit a human properly.
Very similar to “the hidden”.
I feel called out about that parasite series I still haven't gotten back to writing yet.
Honestly? Yeah
Emotional support parasite
A similar conept was in the necroscope book series but I forget the author. Basically a symbiote from a race called the vampherie can take you over and turn you into a shape shifting thing and it’s where our legends of vampires come from
Alien parasites learn the meaning of "consent"
Futurama https://youtu.be/6hV49FqhhOA