Chapter 1

1

More than 50,000 meteorites have been found on planet Earth, scattered around the world. While seen as a distant cosmic phenomenon by most people, the planet is being bombarded all the time.

Most objects burn up in the upper atmosphere, but every so often, something makes it through. Upon impact, there is no telling what might linger within the craggy rock and ice.

From high above Bailey College on the coast of Virginia, one such object made it through. It tumbled down at high velocity, expelling its outer layers as it prepares for impact.

The rock, approximately the size of a bowling ball on impact, slammed into the Earth with a loud thump in South Woods, just off campus. The blast formed a crater the size of a mid-sized car a couple feet away from the quiet stream. The contents within were mercifully spared from the heat and impact.

For a moment, the small meteorite glowed in the darkness. Then, without warning, the rock split, sending an echoing crack through the woods. Steam emanated from the opening along with something else.

It was green and viscous, glowing slightly in the gloom. It slid onto the dusty ground below the rock and began its slow, lurching trek. It desperately needed life-giving water and sensed a body nearby.

It plopped into the stream, letting its body ride with the current. Though it appeared like a green blob of slime, it never dissolved into the cold water. Instead, it condensed its form, moving as a near solid sphere.

As it moved, it absorbed bits and pieces of organic matter, taking the nutrients into its body, allowing it grow and mutate. Life surrounded the thing, mostly small forms capable of serving as vessels. Further off though, it sensed disruptions in the psychic field. Intelligence. Instincts kicked in.

2

Across campus, Haley Lewis had just watched a fallen star.

It was nearly eight o’clock in the evening on a Saturday night and the campus waited in pre-game heavy slumber.

The flash had come quick, cutting through the early Autumn air almost like a red bolt of lightning. It terminated near the woods to the south of the campus. It was there for a moment, then gone in another, leaving Haley to stair at her own reflection in the window pane.

Haley stared at herself for a moment. She had a round, pale face with curly brown hair cut short and glasses magnified comically by a pair of large glasses. Nothing to write home about.

There was a knock at the door. Haley turned around to catch her roommate Eliza opening the door to their small dorm room. In the doorway was Bethany Eastwood.

Bethany was an exceptionally tall and scrawny girl. She had a face that was almost beautiful and a bright, sunny, good-natured smile. It was a rare day to see Bethany lose that smile.

“Hey guys, so Melissa and I were going to do a few shots. Do you guys want to join?”

Eliza shook out her curly red hair and burst into a smile.

“You know it,” she said.

“Haley?” Bethany asked.

Hayley shrugged. She didn’t drink, but she needed the company. From the sounds in the hallway, she could tell that the freshman girls’ dorm was waking up.

3

There were now sixteen textbooks stacked on Sarah Decker’s desk. Most were rented from the library in the past week. The first milestone of her senior project was rapidly approaching and she had very little to show for it.

Sarah felt the stress mounting inside of her. Her veins throbbed and her head ached. Her heart felt like it was beating the percussion parts to the sound Barracuda.

She took a deep breath and pushed her dirty-blonde hair out of her eyes.

One step at a time, she whispered to herself.

The door opened and in walked Jenny, Sarah’s housemate.

“Hey, do you want to take break?” Jenny asked.

“I want to,” Sarah said, sounding as if she were on the brink of tears. “I just have so much.”

“Come on,” Jenny said with a soft smile. “You need a break.”

Sarah nodded and followed Jenny wordlessly out of the room.

4

The thing from the meteorite now approached a much larger body of water. It sensed the teaming amount of life inside and felt the first pang of caution. In this state, it was vulnerable.

It needed another biological organism to provide a scaffolding.

The creature slipped onto the muddy bank of the stream, which had grown in size considerably. It waited in the muck, sensing the surroundings for living creature suitable to its task.

Soon, it sensed a small, crawling thing only a couple feet away. It mustered up its energy and slithered in the direction.

It caught the earthworm unawares, draping itself over the creature and invading its flesh through the pores. The small creature struggled for several seconds, but the meteorite organism prevailed.