"Time is up." His voice held the tone of an experienced commander as he looked over the group of already shocked faces with cold amusement. The two characters behind him with both of their left hands reaching in their coats, non discernible expressions beyond matching cocky grins. "Jwocpu." He tipped his chin up as he spoke the code, hands pulling out of their hiding spots in a gesture of a relaxed shrug. Moving with slow deliberate steps around the backs of the board members.
"I guess I was wrong," Mr. Billion spoke with little care. "There is intelligence on this blue and green gem." He eyed the two men at the front as he continued strolling to the back of the room. "Who was it? That cracked our native tongue?" He asked sounding almost eager, a grin spreading across his face, showing a set of sharp teeth that glowed in the dimly lit side of the room.
Dipper and Stanford shared a concerned glance. What would happen if he knew?
"Well don't keep me in suspense." Mr. Billion huffed with a dramatic eye roll, pausing his steps. "I'm curious to know who has potential."
Potential?
Finally, Dipper stepped forward again closer to the table. "I did it." He declared with forced calm.
Icy blue eyes squinted at him for a moment then the grin returned almost splitting his face in half. "And who are you intern?" He asked slowly, testing each word as he said them.
Dipper's grip tightened around his tablet, an action that didn't go unnoticed, he kept a schooled expression. "Mason Pines, sir." Stanford looked at the young man with surprise of his answer.
Mr. Billion squinted at him again as if judging whether or not the truth was spoken, silent for several moments.
"Who are you?" Dipper asked, cutting through the silence.
Another moment of silence, then, the corner of his mouth twitched, he continued his leisurely pace to the back of the room. "That's fair, I suppose." He spoke quietly, looking away from the intern for but a minute. "I am Billion, a Hivemind entity. I am but one of a... A few units of other Hiveminds working together. Also known as "Brother Y.""
"Hivemind?" One of the researchers asked catching Billion off guard.
The admitted alien took a moment to compose himself again. "Believe me I know movies and books don't give our race much accuracy or a good image. But, I can guarantee none of us need to vomit into your mouth to gain control over your will." He gave a shudder in disgust. "It could be as simple as a handshake," he leaned against one of the chairs at the table, terrifying the board member seated in it, "or even a slight brush upon flesh." Saying that, he leaned in close to the board member.
Then, he stood up straight again walking away from the trembling creature. "But that is only if I so desire to." Billion chuckled waving a hand in the air. "But anyway madam general," he finally reached the farthest seat at the table, gripping the back cushion of the chair.
"Where was I?" He asked lightheartedly tapping his chin with a knuckle of his free hand. "I was wrong. Intelligence -oh right ..." He nodded coming to a conclusion with his thoughts, focusing back on the General, his eyes beginning to glow pale blue. "I've seen some pretty miserable planets, but this one? By far the worst!"
He yanked back the chair as he said that, scaring the woman in it causing her to whip her pistol from its holster and stab the barrel of the pistol into his forehead. Billion only grinned wider silently daring the woman to pull the trigger. "Afraid, madam general?" He asked softly in a mocking tone. "Good." Slowly, he raised a hand to touch hers.
Some jumped back, others ducked beneath the table, as a gunshot rang out in the room. Billion smacked the gun out of her hand, sending the weapon flying into the projector before turning with both hands clapped over the sides of his head. Dipper felt himself get pulled back as the small weapon crashed into the machine at his side.
"Uqp qh c dkvej!" The words were bellowed in three different voices.
Dipper looked to the two other inhuman beings that matched Billion's stance of deafening pain. Cocky grins wiped clean and replaced with uncomfortable grimaces as they crouched into each other. Looking back to where the gunshot sourced, it had only taken the Hivemind short seconds to recover before snapping back to face the woman, very much unamused.
A wheeze of a laugh forced out of his lungs, a cruel grin stretched over his face, his forehead was split open but not from a bullethole, no. The hole glowed blue identical to his eyes. "You know what?" Billion asked breathless, a madness glinting in the blue glow of his eyes. "I was going to make this at least decent no injuries," his hand lunged for her throat, gripping tight, "not a thought of bloodshed, but even you should know," he pulled her face-to-face, mere millimeters apart and with an animalistic growl, he finished with, "plans change."
"No!" Dipper heard himself shout, empty hand flailing outward in their direction.
The entity slowly, oh so slowly, turned his head to face the intern a face of pure fury and thinning restraint.
"Sh-she-" The words died in his throat.
Why is he trying to stop this? She never listened. Her death could cause an intergalactic war. She laughed at their work. It would cause a planetary panic. She is one of them. More lives than hers would be wasted.
"She's important!" He began his attempt at reason. "I-important enough that it would be chaos." Dipper swallowed the lump in his throat as the entity's expression seemed to relax in thought, even the general was glancing at the intern with slight hope in her eyes. "The... The president could call a state of emergency and call for the forces and resources of other nations. Think about it, innumerable intelligent men and women working tirelessly to upgrade our technology to match yours, sir, wasting even more resources of this miserable planet. Militaries training together to battle you in your own realm, pointlessly wasting lives." He kept his eyes on Billion, desperately hoping that the weak reasoning would work.
It felt like eons before Billion released the general from his grip, letting her drop to the ground hidden by the tabletop but her gasps were audible. He eyed Dipper with evaluation, a more relaxed grin on his lips. "Very clever there young Dr. Pines." He spoke with a playful tone.
A hand fell on Dipper's shoulder, it wasn't anywhere near as heavy or as large as Stanford's though. The intern stiffened, first in pride to be able to reason and receive respect from an inhuman being, then, at the realization someone else was touching him. His head snapped to look at the limb then the owner of said limb.
One of Billion's companions stood invasively close, a gloved hand with a relaxed hold on his clean white labcoat. The other one stood the same way beside his uncle, both had blank expressions.
"I hope you are proud, elder Dr. Pines," he spoke again adjusting his coat around his shoulders. "Your great-nephew brought about a redemption for this planet, giving it an unknown hope."
Stanford nodded hastily, fearfully. "I am, I have been for years." Dipper could barely see his uncle's smile behind the built inhuman between them.
"Good." Approval warmed his voice, momentarily. Then, the general was hoisted up and roughly placed on her feet. "Which also means," his lip curled up in a sneer, "you get to live." Billion's eyes snapped to the assistant secretary, who sunk into his chair under the entity's gaze. "You aren't her assistant, yes?" He asked, tilted his head.
He nodded instantly. "I'm here in Secretary Shanahan's stead."
Billion nodded, understanding clear in his features. "Right, of course." The entity pulled back his chair more kindly than he had with the madam general. "You will be joining us."
"W-what?"
Things happened quickly from that point. Dipper, Stanford, the assistant secretary, and the general were forcefully guided out of the meeting room. Any attempt to disrupt the exit was met with a fatal promise.
A sleek black vehicle met them at the building's door, temporarily blinding those who looked upon the sun's reflection in the polished surface.
"The assistant can sit up front." Billion stated opening one of the rear doors and lightly pushing the general inside. "Let's get moving."
"A-are you abducting us?" The assistant asked fearfully.
Billion rolled his eyes and pressed two fingers to his left ear. "Beam us up Scottie." He said, sarcascism dripping from each word.
Despite the terrifying probabilities this situation was turning to, Dipper snorted at the response as he was helped into the car by one of Billion's companions. He missed the look of surprise the entity had when he heard the sound, falling silent to watch the brunette be followed by his uncle into the backseat.
Billion waited, watching as the assistant secretary made his way into the car, then climbed in finding himself beside the now glowering general.
"Do not underestimate me, monster." She warned vaguely.
"Do not overestimate yourself, human." He shot back.
It was difficult to keep his face blank with the casual air surrounding the tense situation. Billion showing up the general was incredibly entertaining, karma at her finest.
What is wrong with me?
"Where are we headed?" Stanford asked calmly before ducking his head down sheepishly. "If I may inquire?"
Billion leaned into the door, resting his chin in the palm of his hand, and bringing his right leg to cross over the left, ankle resting atop his knee. "This is the part where I would have said, 'take me to you leader.'" He watched Stanford's expression flush lightly with embarrassment. "But," He inhaled deeply, "that isn't necessary since I'm taking you to your leader."
Dipper had to cover his mouth to muffle the bout of chuckles that had overrun him.
The general narrowed her eyes at the intern angrily. "How do you find any of this funny, Pines?" She demanded with a low growl. "He is plotting to take away our home."
"No, no, no." Billion spoke up, shaking his head. "I'm not taking anything away, madam general." His head turned to her, an insulted expression on his face. "My plan is to heal the damage done and make it great again." He paused a moment then an inspired sparkle lit his eyes. "No, greater. I will make it greater than before."
The general scoffed in disbelief, straightening her posture to at least appear more composed. Dipper uncovered his mouth, resting his hand over the other atop his tablet in his lap, he eyed Billion curiously. The entity's plan for grandeur was an inspired idea as it was only dream-like for many. It is a wonder what his home is like.
"If..." Billion paused his reverie immediately as the intern spoke. "If I may, what does your home planet look like?" Dipper asked.
Billion was silent, weighing out his next words carefully. "Rubble, I imagine." He answered, letting the words hang in the air. "It wasn't pretty when I left but then, it was far worse off than this planet is now." His eyes travelled to the window, watching the facility buildings pass by. "I merely did as was necessary." He shrugged in a seemingly careless way.
"Do you ever miss it?" Dipper asked. He didn't buy the entity's behavior towards his history.
Cold blue eyes narrowed with a sparkle of something dark in them, the entity leaned forward slowly, baring his teeth to the young adult. "There was nothing on that rock to miss." He spoke lowly before settling back into his seat as the car slowed to a stop.
Looking out the window, Dipper realized that they were at the main gates. A soldier walked around their side of the vehicle and knocked on the window.
"Don't do anything foolish madam general." Billion warned pressing on the controls in his door to roll down the opposite window.
"ID badges, please." The soldier requested politely once the window was completely down.
Reluctantly, the general pulled her ID badge from her breast pocket and handed it to the man, Billion passed over his guest badge, and Dipper and Stanford handed over their own badges. The soldier took them with a nodded thanks and stepped away from the vehicle, disappearing from view.
Silence overtook the backseat tense and thick; the lady general glaring at each of the men and the hivemind, more so at Billion than the researchers; the alien stared boredly out his window, ignoring the dagger-like glares. The two researchers eyed both the raging general and the entity, waiting for someone to break the silence.
And break it did, when the polite soldier returned with their ID badges, the general snatched the walkie talkie off of his belt and clicked the button. "This is General Mattson, a threat is attempting to leave the compound. I repeat, a threat is attempting to leave the compound!" She shouted into the device. The soldier at the door stood stunned for just a moment before pulling a pistol from it holder strapped to his leg and aiming it in the backseat.
Billion didn't seemed fazed, just annoyed, as he stared down another gun. Dipper felt an arm stretch across his chest pressing him back into the seat, her looked down at the limb and followed it to the petrified expression on his great uncle's face. The general eyed the entity with an awfully smug look in her eyes.
"You had to do it, didn't you?" He calmly, seething rage turning his already icy blue eyes even icier that they almost glowed. His eyes snapped to the armed soldier and the door opened on him, knocking the man back as the window rolled up. "To Washington, DC." Billion ordered facing forward, his eyes narrowed. "Now."
Then, there was a sound. The sound of something powering up, like in a sci-fi movie. There was a revving, almost like a warning, then, there was a snap. Everything twisted, squashed together then far apart, they all morphed into one thing and another in a sickening mind numbing liquid mesh.
It all stopped as quickly as it started that Dipper felt bile rise from his throat.