Clodia found a perfectly shaped seat for herself in one of the worm’s five hearts, each of which were cathedrals of energy and life. As she got settled, she began to sense the worm’s complicated network of blood vessels, muscles, and cells light up with activity and purpose around her. She began to play an active role in breathing and feeding the worm’s entire body. Clodia realized that over the last few hours she had stopped being an adventurous asteroid and now shared a heart and mind with an adventurous worm — basically just was a worm now. Clodia/the worm felt a little grief for the past along with excitement for the future. She had never felt so powerful.

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