He looked out of the small featureless window. The Earth as he knew it grew farther and farther away. The view was breathtaking, and he would have been excited, were he not in full understanding of what was to come, what they were about to do.

Silence reigned on the shuttle as it exited the atmosphere. Did they have any private, traitorous thoughts? Perhaps, but no one said a word. Not when the order came through, not when the shuttle landed, and not when they first began gunning down colonists.

Not a word.

Gaston woke with a start. How long had he slept? He tried to sleep as little as possible for a reason. Flashbacks, memories, and regrets.

Things he didn't want to see or remember. Faces he would rather keep in the far reaches of his mind.

He shook his head clear of those thoughts and put it as to where the sac had gone. Not even remnants lay upon the fluid-like substance on the ground. Gaston stretched out his limbs, feeling fairly refreshed despite his dream.

He stalked his way to the place where the cave began to climb, stepping over sharp rocks and other annoying obstacles. He sheltered his eyes from the sunlight as he exited the mouth of the cave while taking in his surroundings.

Gaston could plainly see where trees had been uprooted and dragged away, even now the drones were hard at work, their efficiency as laborers showing.

Conservationists would have a field day over this. Nature itself uprooting nature. But could the Zerg truly be considered natural? Food for thought.

He glanced around, and only now realized his tactical vulnerability. Should a band of slavers or bandits come, he didn't know if he'd be able to fight them off. Sure the Drones had a thick carapace and wickedly sharp claws, but it was reminiscent to converting a plastic water gun into a flamethrower. It would work, but only for some time before it destroyed itself. Drones just weren't built for fighting. He'd have to look into defenses against post apocalyptic Earth's predators some time soon.

But first, to find where the creature in the sac went. Gaston searched, but couldn't seem to find it. Only when a shadow cast itself over him did he think to look up.

OH CR- Calm down! Calm down!

He stared at the floating, yet towering creature that hovered before him. With it's claws that looked like they could crush a tank between the unnatural face, it would have been menacing were it not for the utterly amusing bodily form it had. It was like someone took a fleshy balloon and slapped a face and claws on it.

"So uh, hello. You Zerg seem quite big on the claws around here, I seem to have missed the dress code memo. Who, or what exactly are you?"

A deep, gravelly voice echoed through the confines of his mind. "I am an Overlord. Seemingly the first. Overlords are the administrators and tactical minds of the Zerg Swarm. However, Overlords in past Swarms have been used for transport, recon, and even carpet bombing. One thing has stayed the same, however. We are yours to command, Overmind."

"Overmind? I'm an Overmind?"

"You are the Overmind. The one and only, the leader and parent of all the Zerg Swarm. For a millennia, the Zerg legions have conquered planet after planet in the name of the Overmind. We are merely the instruments of your will."

"Huh. Overmind... leader... me... What do you deem the best course of action at this time?"

The Overlord hovered silently for a few moments, contemplating the best strategy. "In order for this hive cluster to survive and prosper on this harsh world, adequate defenses and a proper understanding of our surroundings would be the best course of action, unless the Overmind has something else planned."

Gaston noted how the Overlord added that last phrase. He could feel the creature's dedication to him. He temporarily pondered how the world would be if all humans were so loyal, but quickly returned to the matter at hand. "What would you deem adequate for these missions?"

"I am grateful for your continued interest in my opinions. This shows that I please you, and I shall continue to please you in any way you deem fit. Fast attack organisms would fit both needs well. There are several organisms that could fit the description, but I feel that the Zergling template is the best, unless the Overmind wishes for a different template."

"No, I'll take your advice. If we have the adequate resources, produce eight. Four for scouting, four for defense."

"As you command, Overmind."

All was silent for a moment, until Gaston felt a small presence blink into his mind.

"Did you feel that?"

"Yes, that was the morphing of the Zerglings initiating, adding eight minds to the collective. While the original larvae that they were spawned from were still a part of the collective, the Zerglings have a more developed mind, though still lacking when compared to an Overlord or Queen, thus becoming more notable."

"You said there were multiple templates. What other templates are there?"

"For fast attacks, Zerglings, Roaches, and Hydralisks excel. While Zerglings are definitely the fastest of the three, the Roach's carapace and the Hydralisk's needle spines make up for any speed they may lack. There are also several evolutions available to the templates, however, most evolutions are best developed on the field, so that they may fit the purpose needed perfectly."

"Evolutions, huh." He liked the conversation with the Overlord, but it felt like it lacked any real personality. "What evolutions are available?"

"Currently, the hive mind of the Swarm contains the Raptor and Swarmling evolutions for the Zergling. The Roaches have Vile and Corpser evolutions, while among Hydralisks there are the Impaler and Lurker strains."

"I don't suppose any of those are relevant to our current situation?"

"The only strains available for immediate morphing are the Zergling strains, but we do not require them yet."

"I see." Gaston's stomach rumbled quite suddenly. "I don't suppose that there is any food around here..."

"There is creep."

"Creep?"

"The substance that lines the ground."

Gaston hadn't even noticed that the creep had spread all the way beneath his feet and farther, stretching into the distance.

"I eat this?"

"You can."

Gaston looked suspiciously at the purplish substance. To eat, or not to eat?

"I guess I'll never find out if I don't try." He pried a piece, which actually was surprisingly sturdy despite it's appearances, and placed it in his mouth.

To him, creep could taste like whatever he wanted it to taste like. One moment it tasted like a pre-war danish, while another time it tasted like a citrus fruit that had somehow avoided poisoning. It finally decided on grilled Khaiko, a type of bird local to the surrounding areas that surfaced after the war. (Some guess it was the result of mutation, but all agree it taste good.)

"Huh. So that's how the guy who first tried chicken felt like."

"Chicken?"

"Nothing."

"As you say." The Overlord didn't sound convinced, however. Quite surprising to Gaston, who had believed it to be a complete and utter bore.

"So while the Zerglings morph, what should we do?"

"How well developed are your psionic skills?"


Apologies for the long wait, but lots of things happened. Like ARMA, and school, and helping people move, and rewriting this chapter.

Tell me if it lived up to your expectations, what you want to see out of it, and what you don't want to see. Primarily what you DON'T want to see.

Eulaliaaaaa-is-that-enough-A's?: Happy Faces abound!

Abyssal Angel: New, unique, and exciting is how I roll. Remember to tell me if there's something you wanna see.

I think that about wraps up any reviews that require a response, and remember:

REVIEWS FOR THE REVIEW THRONE!

-SyntheticLegion