Alternates are a hivemind. They have individual intelligence and sentience, but are ultimately controlled by a higher force. Survivors of Metaphysical Awareness Disorder don’t stay human. The 3% that don’t commit suicide slowly become one of them. And they do not just replace humans. They feed on their bodies. They ensure no trace of their victim is left behind.

And you wake up in a field, where a sign reading “Welcome to Mandela County, Wisconsin!” sat, with a town in the distance.