In honor of Marie Vibbert's upcoming novella, Multitude, we hosted a microfiction contest inviting you to imagine a moment of alien contact. We got some amazing submissions, and after much trial and tribulations, narrowed it down to a top three. In second place was "The Salt of You on My Tongue" by Adrian Ward. You can read the piece and learn more about Adrian below! Congratulations to Adrian!
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"The Salt of You on My Tongue"
By Adrian Ward
The remainder of you have learned to hide, finding the corners of the starliner that I rarely see, but the Palatinate will arrive within days, and I am more determined than you are. I remind you of this as I stalk the kitchen, as I have been reminding you since the Palatinate first sent notification that the starliner's systems alerted them to your presence, but still you refuse to show your remaining selves.
"This is our [only] option," I say. My universal translator is imperfect, so perhaps my words are lost, but still—
A rustle, in the cabinet.
I throw open the door, and there you are: three of you, your beautiful pink zooids crammed into the corner.
"It's for the [best]," I say, and reach out.
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The translator could not pass on the nuances of [collect] and [specimen] and [scientific value], so you could not understand my panic.
It failed to translate [chronic] and [cost of treatment] and [debt-derived indenture], so perhaps you could never understand me, either.
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In a flash I have you in hand. Your zooids struggle, but I am more determined than you are, and before you can slip free I cram you between my teeth and bite down.
The Palatinate will not have you. There will be no first meeting with mankind. I will find all of you, and take you into myself, and the substance of your life will meet the substance of mine until there is nothing left of yours except for memory.
-Could your kind ever [love] a colony organism? you once asked me, and with the salt of you on my tongue I am sure of the answer, because what could this be if not [love]?
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Adrian Ward is a student and writer originally from North Carolina. His fiction has appeared in publications including Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Small Wonders, and previously with Apex. Ward can be found online at adrianwardwrites.wordpress.com and on Bluesky @adrianwardwrites.
