#red conquest

My mind. It’s mine, but I guess it’s also theirs. I can’t tell where the line is anymore.

My body. It’s still mine, I think. They nourish me, they’ve suspended me in a sort of life pod inside one of their bodies. It’s a pretty strong one, too. Do they even think of their bodies as individuals?

We do.

!!

That’s really creepy. You’ve been quiet this whole time... are you always listening to my thoughts? Why wait until now to speak to me?

Yes, always.

Until now you asked no questions. You desired survival, as we all do. We provided survival. You are one of us.

...

My privacy. It’s gone, I guess.

My home. Good Lord, my home... It must be destroyed by now. If not by me, then those Green ships must have finished off the Earth by now. My family... my sister... are they still alive?

Yes.

What!? How do you know?

We can hear them all. They are loud.

You’ll have to let me listen sometime. Wait, no - I shouldn’t do that. But I could... maybe I can just talk to them? Not listen to their thoughts?

No. They are not one of us. They cannot listen.

...

My humanity... am I still human?

You are one of us.

I’m not sure you know what that means to me.

...

It scares me.

...

You all scare me.

We are like you. You are one of us. Come to the stars with us.

Well that’s new, you haven’t expressed a desire until now. Is that what you do? You just tour the galaxy?

We feed. We go to new stars. We do not understand “tour”.

Perhaps that means I am still human.

Good...

Good.

...

But I can’t go back.

No. It would harm you. We will keep you safe. You are one of us.

...

I can’t go back.

So what, I live here now? Among the stars?

You are one of us.

My home... my home is here.

This was composed by my good friend, groomsman, and former coworker, Henry Truong. It was designed as a piece for the unreleased fourth episode of Red Conquest, specifically the levels in which Red and Blue forces gloriously work together to repel the Green fleet.

You can even hear it in the composition - the orchestral composition and themes from Red overlay with the guitar and piano sounds and themes from Blue. Together, they are perfect, enthusiastic, triumphant.

Harmonious!

This song is one of the many things that keeps the flame alive for me - my desire to finish Red Conquest and present the complete arc to the world. It reminds me of the story I wanted to tell, the tragic and redemptive arc of Red, the supportive and balancing role of Blue, and the dark yet inescapable fate and history of Green.