Nadene gulped as she peeked up at the blob.  What was once completely featureless had become more defined.  Its hips became wider.  Two protrusions jutted from its chest.  Where its face was once blank, now a mouth curled into view.  Hair-like strands of goop developed from the top of its head, trailing to about where its shoulders were.  A cute button nose and what seemed to be a pair of perpetually closed eyelids materialized from the front of her head.  She knew that even if the Incorperant could open them, her gooey, unformed eyes would be blind to the world around it.  And yet, the creature still bent its head low, as though it could not only see the shrunken scientists, but peer into their very souls.

“Fascinating.  You humans are afraid of me.”

The being didn’t open its mouth to speak these words.  It was almost as though the words had reverberated from within their body, like the wind had whispered them into their ears.  Dr. Goodwill screamed and Zachary took a step between her and the blob, shielding her with an arm.

“Worry not humans.  I understand your fear.  In fact, I now understand far more than just your fear.  Your love.  Your aspiration.  Your joy.  Your regret.  It’s all been revealed to me.”

Zachary stepped back, almost knocking the doctor over.

“What are you?”

“I believe humans call us the Incorperants… no, that’s not quite right.  They are the Incorperants.  I once shared that same pitiable existence as well.  But they lack what I was given.  They are nothing but mindless protozoans, consuming unrefined and simple creatures to keep themselves alive.  They lack the inspiration and enlightenment that your Hernietta granted me.  They have no method to rise above themselves, or even understand that there is a themselves to rise above.  But I’m different.  I’m something far greater.  I will have to absorb these into myself.  I will bestow upon them the wisdom I have acquired and release them again as my offspring.  Only incorperants like me can be allowed to persevere, or even should be allowed to persevere.  But for that, I’ll need to become bigger.  I’ll need to become stronger.  I’ll need… you two.”

The being bent down.  As the hulking thing brought itself low, it was now apparent to the shrunken explorers that the Incorperant had become much bigger.  While the gigantic specimen had initially been over three times their height, it now seemed that they only came up to its kneecaps.  Both tried to run, but Zach slammed into the back of Dr. Goodwell and sent both sprawling to the ground.  The slime grabbed Zach by the leg and hoisted it up until it was level to its unopened eyes.

“Don’t run!  It’s clear to me what I must do.”

Zachary screamed as his leg was sucked into the palm its hand.  He watched as the leg dissolved bloodlessly into the green sludge.  Nadene was unable to stand up and run, transfixed by the sight of her associate being dragged slowly to his doom.  Zach’s screams only ceased when the gunk pooled into his mouth.  He tried to give one last pained scream until his eyes shut in peaceful tranquility as Hernietta’s had just moments ago.

“You monster!  What have you done?  They-”

“They aren’t gone”

“...what?”

“They aren’t gone.  They’re still alive.  Inside me.”

“Are you insane?  I saw you devour them with my own eyes.  You’re a-”

“Queen.”

“...huh?”

“Call me Queen.  That’s what you humans, or I suppose I should say ‘we humans’, call the mother of a tribe of insects, is it not?  The one that births them and leads them.  The one that they serve?  You should envy your friends.  They’ve become part of something much… bigger… than themselves.”

Nadene watched as Queen swelled in size.  Its arms and legs became more swollen and defined, as though muscles that could not possibly exist rippled beneath its translucent green skin.  The outline of a six-pack developed on its stomach.  And the two generous protrusions on its chest were met with one between its legs.  It was little more than a bulge.  If not for its placement, it would have been unclear what the large mass at its front was even supposed to be.  Its jaw chiseled itself, as though hefted to perfection from marble by masters of their craft.

Nadene was no longer able to process what was going on around her.  Her two research assistants had already been consumed into this ever growing, ever feasting abomination, and she would soon likely join them.  She broke down into tears.  Queen looked down at her sympathetically.

“Don’t cry, Dr. Goodwell.  This isn’t the end.  Their thoughts and feelings remain within me.  Here, take a listen.”

Queen’s ‘hand’ cupped against Nadene’s ear.  She could hear them.  Zachary explaining that things would be alright.  Hernietta attempting to comfort her.  But that wasn’t all she heard.  Other noises echoed through her mind.  The simple chittering of strange insects.  The howl of beasts so alien, the mind could not even grasp their form.  Nadene started to finally feel at peace.  She nuzzled into its awaiting palm, feeling a warth that almost assuredly couldn’t be there.

She did not realize that half of her face had already been digested by Queen, but at that moment she probably wouldn’t have cared.  Nadene came to an understanding with the creature.  Whether it was because she genuinely understood its goals, or had simply had her mind hi-jacked was irrelevant to her.  She knew there was only one way to go forward.

That it would consume all the other Incorperants and replace them with its own superior breed.  Its incorperants would bond with humans, adding them to its own complete whole.  That those that we brought into ourselves would not lose their humanity, but acquire an even greater humanity.  That we would thrive.  That we would persevere.

We would consume.