The aleworm is a symbiotic microorganism historically valued chiefly for its linguistic and narcotic properties. Upon infection, the aleworm rapidly colonizes the host’s frontal lobe and spinal column, eventually generating a low-level telepathic field which allows for instantaneous translation of nearly any spoken language. It also greatly increases endorphin production while suppressing that of adrenaline, producing increased feelings of serenity and passivity while diminishing fight-or-flight response.

Initially introduced to the sector by emissaries of the Tomorrow Hive, the aleworm quickly supplanted the more cumbersome omni-linguist as the inter-species translator of choice, and proved wildly popular in both diplomatic and recreational circles. It was the latter usage which would ultimately prove controversial among the Parliament of Worlds, which cited “dangerously high levels of contentment” as reason to regulate the aleworm trade and more thoroughly investigate the microbe’s origins. These measures were consistently blocked by representatives of the Hive, however, who dismissed such proposals as pointless bureaucratic interventionism.

While aleworm addiction has certainly been a well-documented phenomenon, it was likely not nearly as widespread at its peak as contemporary accounts often suggest. All evidence appears to indicate that genuine cases of microbial freebasing were relatively rare, and the side effects fell well short of those reported by self-styled wormheads, whose lurid descriptions of aleworm-induced communication with common house pets, insects, and other apparitions are far too sensational to credit.

—Recorder 3000-21