Jackson stood motionless, his mind short circuiting at the sight of an alien standing before him, and one that wasn't trying to kill him, either. "uhhhhh" was all that he could manage.

The Jinisha chuckled lightly, an oddly human trait that further broke Jackson's brain. "I see you are a bit overwhelmed. It is understandable. I will keep speaking until you regain your faculties, is that OK?"

Jackson nodded, his helmet jerking forward and backward from the motion. Something deep within his brain kicked him, nodding may not be understood by this alien." Y-yes." It took tremendous effort to get that single word out, but there it was.

"My name is Oolyai." The alien pronounced his name slowly as ooh-lie-eh for Jackson benefit. "We have been at war with the Ascendant for many years, and obviously we have lost. As will your people, too, eventually. The Ascendant are relentless, a phage that is overtaking the galaxy." Oolyai gently motioned for Jackson to follow him as he turned to walk deeper into the lush greenery around them. Jackson followed, what choice did he have?

"For some years we maintained a stalemate with them, keeping them contained within a specific region. So long as they were left to ravage the region, they didn't push the boundaries we had established. Eventually they ran out of systems to feed their need for conquest. That's when our containment failed." The pair had reached creek, actual flowing water. Near them, a half meter tall waterfall added it's babbling to the sounds of a living space, something Jackson just now noticed.

There were creature calls, insects buzzing, and all the trappings of a living, breathing space. The primal yearning was still there, wanting to rip his suit off and embrace a living, natural space. But he did not give in to that primal urge, partially because his brain was rebooting from it's stunned state.

Oolyai gracefully sat upon a plant that Jackson expected to not support the large aliens body. Oolyai folded his hands in his lap and stared at the creek beside him, mesmerized by it.

"Compared to human technology, even ascendant technology, the Jinisha is a wonder of engineering and technology. I wish I could say that this ship is the counter to the Ascendant, but it is not. It is nothing more than a fancy luxury yacht." Jackson had almost gotten over his shock, but now that Oolyai showed hostile emotion a different circtuit tripped.

Jackson shook his head to clear it, a different emotion welled up burning away the confusion, shock and awe and replacing it with frustrated duty.

"So if this ship isn't some superweapon to help us in the war against the ascendant, why bring me here? Why reveal yourself to us? What is your motivation, purpose?"

Oolyai slumped, suddenly looking older than a moment before. Slowly he reached into the creek, his hand emerging with a small device cradled in his grasp.

"There are a thousand answers to those simple questions, Casey Jackson. I'm lonely. I'm dying. But most of all..." Oolyai gently stroked the device with his other hand lovingly, like a parent. "because my work is complete." he finished in a whisper.

Moments crawled by, then suddenly Oolyai snapped his focus back to Jackson. "This is the Pherelli seed, my life's work and a two fold answer to the Ascendant."

Jackson fought off the urge to take a step backwards, they way Oolyai spoke make it sound like the seed was dangerous, triggering his fight or flight response. "What does it do?" he surprised himself in how firm his voice was, belying his fear.

"Tell me, Casey Jackson, how much do you value your humanity?" Oolyai's question almost sounded pleading. A heartbeat passed and Oolyai continued before Jackson could respond, "Would you be willing to give it up, to become something else, possibly a monster, to save your species?" Oolyai grew visibly weaker, slowly he extended the seed to Jackson, small tremors causing the hand to visibly shake.

"Take the seed, human. Let it transform you." Oolyai's voice became weaker. "It will make you immune to the Ascendants phage, but also allow you to deliver the cure to them. The phage... Is the Ascendant." Oolyai took one last breath and then he was gone, his outstretched arm falling slowly to his side, seed still in it's grasp as his body slumped forward.

Jackson didn't move. A war raged within him, take the seed or leave it? Deliver the seed back to the navy or take it and use it on himself? How would he use it? How does it work? More questions than answers.

He was startled out of his reverie when the little bot appeared next to him. From no discernable source the bot was relaying transmissions from the fleet, they had arrived and were looking for him.

Throughout history, people did things they thought that they would never do. And for the rest of their lives they could never fully explain what drove them to do those things. Angels? Demons? The spirit of a loved one? God's? Biology? Instinct? Any and all answers could be correct, but never verified.

How would history look back upon this moment? Would it be re-written to make Jackson more heroic than following some unseen power driving him forward? No, there had to be a humanity in the future to look back on this moment, to have a history past this point. And that was all Jackson needed to decide - for better and for worse, he decided that humanity needed to survive. To have a history to look back to this moment.

Gingerly he plucked the seed from Oolyai's grasp. "Alright, I've made my decision Oolyai. How do I use the seed?"

"Grasp the seed in your hand. With your free hand press the top of the seed and an interface will appear." Oolyai's voice emanated from the small bot behind Jackson.

"OK, done. What do I enter?" The recording of Oolyai walked Jackson through entering the code despite the unfamiliar symbols. The last one was blue, the Jinisha's preference for a ready status. Taking a deep breath, Jackson pressed the last symbol.

The seed shot needles through his glove and stabbed into his flesh. Jackson would have yelped in surprise, but whatever the seed pumped into his body sent fire through his veins.

Time passed. Consciousness came and went, pain flared and went away. When he finally awoke, Jackson was different. He felt it, he knew it. And he had a new purpose. He rose, a feeling of strength and power coursed throughout his new body. The bot was nearby, waiting patiently for instructions.

"Come little bot, we have work to do." He said as he stalked out of the living chamber. Today was the beginning of the end of the Ascendant.

I really need to get better at being more succinct in my story telling, but as I dive into prompts like this I can't help but world build and delve deep into the story like this.

If you read this whole thing, thanks! See you on the next prompt!