"Rise, Favuxo. The Inabilin has begun."
Favuxo, placed back in the physical form of a human, opened his eyes to see the Elder standing over him. Thousands of human forms, which he knew to actually be favuxians, stood in a large circle around him. The whole of the favuxian species had already assembled, prepared to watch him enter the body of a human.
Fear began to grow again within Favuxo. Panicked, he tried to leave his physical form and escape to a far away galaxy, even though he knew that the Elder would keep him in place exactly as he was.
As Favuxo watched, the crowd parted in one spot to make room for several favuxians to bring a single human inside the circle. The face of the human was contorted into a grotesque expression. The human jerked its head about and let out the cries of an injured animal. Favuxo stared at it, examining it as carefully as he could at such a distance. It was male, average height, slightly above average weight, and bald. Its skin was a medium dark brown, the same color as its eyes. It looked to be about thirty to forty years old. Favuxo knew that he would live in that body for as long as it would last.
The group of favuxians dropped the human onto the ground near Favuxo, and then dissolved themselves back into the crowd. The will of the Elder prevented the human body from any further noise or movement. Several favuxians quickly made minor surgical changes to the appearance of the human, in order to avoid any problems that might arise if Favuxo were to meet someone who had known the person.
Favuxo stared at this scene he'd witnessed dozens of times before, and found a new terror in it. He feared the moment when he would go inside the body. He knew that he would not be able to make himself do it.
Standing between Favuxo and the human, the Elder addressed the crowd. The speech was familiar, as it was almost unchanged from those used at previous Inabilins.
"This is the defining moment in the life of one of us. It is both the end and the beginning of his life." The Elder paused for several seconds to add emphasis. "From the moment of creation, each favuxian prepares himself for the Inabilin. It is the goal of life -- it is the ultimate point towards which we work. The Inabilin takes a long and full life, and through finality gives it unquestionable importance. After ten billion years of sacrificing himself to the cause of expanding favuxian knowledge, one of us has reached his reward. While he could have turned his back on us in selfishness, he sensed the greater meaning that the collection and sharing of knowledge gave to his life. In exchange for his commitment to us, we give him the one thing that will make him truly complete."
The Elder paused again, for a longer time than before. It appeared that he wanted to allow time for the importance of the occasion to sink in. Favuxo wondered if the Elder was also trying to give him time to get control of himself, so that he could do what would be required of him. Finally, the Elder resumed his speech. "We are gathered here today on the planet Earth because it is the choice of Favuxo to live and die as a human. In accordance with his wishes, we have secured a human body for his use. For as long as this body lasts, Favuxo will live on. He will know the innocent and carefree ways of mortals. When the body ceases to function, Favuxo will experience the mercifully quick and predictable death of mortal species. At that point his life will exist only in our memories, but the memories will be of a well lived, thoroughly meaningful life." The Elder turned away from the crowd and towards Favuxo, though he was still speaking to the crowd. "Favuxo will now leave his current form and enter the human body which has been provided, beginning his life anew as a human."
Favuxo remained where he was, frozen in place by his fear. Without lifting his head to look at the Elder, he protested meekly. "I can't. I won't."
The Elder came towards him, reached down, lifted up Favuxo's chin with his hand, and fixed his gaze on a point just behind Favuxo's eyes. To Favuxo the Elder seemed sad -- regretful, yet firmly set in his ways. "You must do it. All of us understand that recent events have been difficult for you. You will be better soon, once the Inabilin is complete and you have achieved what all favuxians so anxiously await."
Favuxo tried to say more, tried to respond, but the Elder cut him off. The Elder had determined that he would not speak again. Forced out of physical form, he found himself slowly drifting towards the human. He did all that he could to resist, but the Elder's will was far stronger than his own. He entered the mind of the human, and knew then that it was impossible to ever escape. His mind was to be intertwined with the material brain for as long as it would endure.
The mind of the human lingered, mingling with Favuxo's for a few milliseconds. Favuxo could sense a strong emotion in it. He knew it to be either terror or anger, but he could not be sure which.