For once I didn't rise with the sun. Despite the late start getting to sleep last night, I ended up sleeping well past sunrise. I guess I needed it, all things considered. I did a quick checkover of my Zerg. At the rate they're going, my recalled Overlords should get here sometime tonight.
With my morning rituals completed, I contemplated what to do. 420 bio energy is enough for a Hatchery, and while I'd like to finish the Creep ring, I really need to get started on spreading more Creep. Something tells me finishing the ring will give me 10 more bio energy income, but if I set a new Hatchery down a precise distance away from this Hive, I'll be getting an extra 300 to that income. 10, or 300. No brainer right?
Technically I could do both, considering my ability to spawn a hatchery using PSI energy, but that would take 12 hours to finish, putting it well beyond nightfall, and I don't want a defenseless Hatchery to be hit by the sheer amount of Creepers that have been running around lately.
Speaking of Creepers, here comes another one. My Overlord promptly descends out of the sky and kills it. Considering how slow Overlords are it's kind of sad to watch, even if it does use those tendrils to great effect once it's actually in range. Maybe that's why they're never used for offense in the game. Nearly everything is faster than an Overlord. Well I'll just have to fix that, but later.
Watching it reminds me though. If I'm going to make another Hatchery, it's going to need defenses of some sort, preferably an Overlord. Unfortunately if I'm going to be purchasing a Drone and a Hatchery, 350 bio energy total, that only leaves me 70 bio energy to work with. Not to mention I'd really like to get some body guards, particularly if anything like yesterday happens again.
I shuddered and thought about waiting a day and putting all my bio energy into some Zerglings for now. After a bit, I decided against it. As fast as they are, a pair of Zerglings should serve well to defend both me and the new Hatchery. Considering a Hatchery born of bio energy only takes two hours to complete, I have some time though to check an idea I had last night. If it works, this may be more important than building a Hatchery right now.
I quickly called my Overlord down to hover just over my head. Now with a guard and lookout, I cautiously stepped off the Creep. I then bent down and using my hands I got to work. I worked my hands into the dirt and pulled up a large patch of grass, roots and all.
With my collected piece of turf in hand, I made a beeline for the Evolution Chamber. Once inside, I stopped in front of the Analysis pool, and without any ceremony, dropped the whole thing in, dirt and all. That done, I connected myself to the Zerg Genetic Archive in the left brain room. Once there, I opened the tab for new projects, and found the patch of grass right next to the tree I'd thrown in once upon a time.
Grinning, I maneuvered the example of Creep onto the circular platform. Then I took the representation of grass and planted it into the Creep. I then expanded the grass to cover all the Creep. To my surprise, the grass seemed to shift and change as it snapped in place. It seemed to grow more green and vibrant, becoming thick and lush. Like my Overlords before taking what I wanted from my subconscious, I think this interface is taking my idea straight from my head and integrating it.
See, I had the idea that if the Creep overtook the current ecosystem, why couldn't it just replace it with a copy of the ecosystem it's replacing, only better and improved? That way it could be argued that the ecosystem isn't being destroyed but made better, plus with the grass directly integrated in the Creep, it'll actually thrive and reach a symbiosis between the two, that way the land beneath will be enriched rather than be stripped barren as the Creep leeches out nutrients and minerals, since the grass'll utilize both and create a cycle of replacing nutrients as fast as they're removed. That's the idea anyway. Probably not how grass works in reality, but considering what I'm looking at now the idea seems viable. Now if I add trees to this, the problem of the Creep destroying the ecosystem will be completely fixed. However, I can't do trees yet since I don't want to give any mobs shelter from the sun to spawn in and avoid burning away. Better wait until I get some glowstone into the Creep before I do that.
Grinning, I looked over at the price tag for my changes and I felt my grin promptly drop. 800 Bio energy is the price tag for the change. I hadn't thought I'd changed that much, but I guess I was wrong.
Frowning, I removed the grass from the Creep and watched it drop back to zero. I then placed the grass back on the Creep, watching it, and the counter closely.
Upon initial placing of the grass, the counter jumped to 100 bio energy. Then as it changed to become more thick, vibrant, and develop symbiosis with the Creep and the ground, that price jumped to 700. Expanding the grass to cover all the Creep jumped it to 800. Why would the first and last change cost 100 a piece but whatever the system did to integrate what I wanted cost 500? I think about it for a while, but I can't come up with any good theories.
Sighing, I exit the Zerg Genetic Archive and leave the Evolution Chamber. I could just save what I have now and wait until tomorrow when I'll have just over 800, but if I just get another Hatchery out, I'll be able to get more Bio energy faster. So I can wait till tomorrow, or wait till the day after. Honestly, it's not like it's that long, plus I'd really like to get some fast guards now rather than later.
Walking back to my Hatchery, I place the order for a pair of Zerglings and a Drone. All three creatures bound over to me once they're born, ready and eager. I frown, noticing that the Zerglings are just barely faster than the Drone. I thought they'd be faster. Then I remembered the speed for Zerglings I'm thinking of requires an upgrade. I glanced over at the Spawning Pool with Oversight and see the available upgrade, metabolic boost for upgrading speed for 300 bio energy. I glance at the Zerglings, considering. Well, it's not like they're slow… it should be ok for now. I'll upgrade their speed later.
I took this moment to examine the Zerglings. They're roughly half my size, equal to the largest of dogs. They're like mini raptors with an extra limb girdle on their back, only instead of wings, they have front facing scythe like blades, pinned back and ready to launch forward at lightning speed like a grasshopper leg. Their eyes glow the same yellow as the Drone and that globe of energy surrounding me in Oversight. They have two large tusks jutting from the sides of their mouth, and they're drooling. Ugh.
One of them cocks their head to the side and another starts wagging its tongue around like it's trying to lick up the drool. It's both gross and comical looking and I chuckle and pat their heads. Now both their tongues are lolling out. Sighing, I pat them both on the heads. Then I pat the Drone as well when it looks disappointed, causing it to perk up, and I barely succeed in not rolling my eyes.
Going to Oversight view, I send the three off to a spot to the north that, if I'm picturing it correctly, when the Drone becomes a Hatchery, with two added rings of Creep Colonies, the outer rings should just overlap. I thought about just having the Creep overlap, but since I plan to set up the hatcheries in a grid formation, that would leave the corners without Creep.
I hit my first snag in the plan immediately. Upon reaching the spot I indicated, the Drone sent a negative sound and directed me to the problem with its eyes. It's staring at the trees. I didn't get it until I noticed a new block of text on my globe of light.
Not enough room.
I facepalmed. This again? They're just trees! Why can't the Hatchery just push them out of the way as it expands? It's at this point I abruptly realize I'm not going to be able to expand at all without tearing the entire forest down. I spent a few moments calming myself down and reminding myself I'd already come up with a plan to negate that issue.
I pondered the problem for a few minutes, trying to figure out some way to just have the Hatchery build anyway regardless of the trees. Unfortunately my mind is drawing a blank. I sighed. Nothing else for it then. I ordered the Zerglings and Drone to start cutting down the trees.
A few moments later I was gaping at the scene before me. When I gave the order to start clearing a spot in the forest, I didn't expect them to be so… efficient about it! The Drones claws are sheering through tree trunks in one pinch, while the Zerglings are practically dashing about slicing through tree trunks so fast they'd already moved on to the next tree before the first one started to tilt! In hindsight, I should've expected this. Drones normally scrape and break off pieces of solid crystal and Zerglings sheer through tanks and power armor. Trees wouldn't even be a challenge after that.
In what seems like no time at all, a large patch of the forest to the north of my Hive Cluster is strewn with crashed trees and spiky looking tree trunks. Since they're still continuing, I order the trio to stop. After all that, this had better work. I ordered the Drone back to the original spot from before and ordered it to morph into a Hatchery. To my relief it did so this time, pushing aside the fallen logs and seemingly absorbing the tree trunks. I'm grateful for that at least. If I had to dig up the tree trunks too, I'd have been fairly upset. Not that it would have been me doing the digging, it just seems like too much. The effort wouldn't have seemed worth it.
Two hours of waiting and my new Hatchery finished. While I waited, I grew a bit bored and since my Zerglings are busy, I wandered over to the Spawning Pool. It's like a giant elevated fleshy swimming pool. The comparison makes me wonder if it's actually safe to swim in. The smell is a little weird though. It smells tangy and leaves a weird after taste in my mouth just from having breathed it in. With a little less than two hours to kill, I wandered off the Creep and grabbed a stick. Dipping it into the liquid did nothing except swirl it around a bit, kind of like a gross looking green soup.
Shrugging, I stuck the tip of my finger in, knowing that if it melted off I could grow it back. Luckily nothing like that happened. If anything, the liquid feels nice and warm. Pulling my finger out, I watched as the green liquid dripped back into the pool, leaving my finger surprisingly dry, as if I hadn't stuck my finger in at all.
Going off a vague suspicion, I grabbed the stick and rubbed my hand against it, getting bits of wood on my skin. I then dipped my hand in and pulled it out. Squeaky clean! Awesome! But then why didn't it do anything to the stick? I examined it, curious. I again walked off the Creep and rubbed the stick into a patch of dirt. I then went back and stuck the dirty end in and removed it. A clean stick. It seems whatever this liquid is, it separates foreign matter from each other. I bet if I got a microscope, I'd see a bunch of mini bacteria like creatures in the liquid. Now I just have to wonder, what does separating foreign matter from each other have to do with making Zerglings? I haven't the foggiest idea. Least I've got the ultimate way to bathe now though!
Pulling my shirt off, I tested a corner of the sleeve in it. It came out seemingly unharmed, so taking the plunge, I completely submerged the shirt. Pulling it out, I waited for the green stuff to drip off then gave it a sniff. It doesn't smell like anything. Odd. I suppose fabrics wouldn't normally have a smell come to think of it. The 'clean' smell I'm used to must've come from the detergent.
I spent the next hour and a half killing time by floating in the Spawning Pool. Once the Hatchery hatched, I hopped out and called my Zerglings over. A quick tour of my new Hatchery shows everything went smoothly. The Creep is spreading rapidly and absorbing the tree logs lying around. I briefly wonder what the Creep does with the matter it absorbs, but then I figure Creep has to eat too. Maybe that's where it's getting the bio energy from?
I spent the majority of the day floating in the Spawning Pool. It's quite relaxing. I hardly have to hold my breath to stay afloat. In the meantime I watched the progress of my other three Overlords. I finally called a halt to the Satellite Overlord once it got all of the borders of the forest in sight. To say the forest is massive would be an understatement. I have no idea how big it is, but considering if I didn't already know exactly where I am from that Overlord's point of view, I wouldn't be able to tell where my Hive is, it must be flipping massive! I can't see my Hive from up there at all!
Nothing else really interesting happened. I floated around, dozed off a few times, and entertained the idle thought of future plans. I let my imagination run wild a lot when it comes to how I want to evolve the Swarm. I even have a to-do list I keep in my head for the really good ones that cross my mind. I even have a few ideas for how I'd want to evolve myself if I can figure out how. It'll be cool.
Just before night fell, I climbed out of the Spawning Pool and my Zerglings trailed me inside the Hatchery. I watched for a bit as monsters showed up in droves. I'm so glad my Creep walls are doing so well in keeping the monsters out. I'm not sure how long it'll last but I'm glad it's working so far. I soon drop off to sleep.
-END CHAPTER-
Overmind Matthew
PSI Energy – 50/50
Status – Normal
Abilities
- Spawn Hatchery – 50psi – 12 hour build
- Regeneration – Passive – Heals anything not instantly fatal; time needed depends on extent of injury.
- Anaerobic – Passive – No longer requires breathable atmosphere to survive.
- Temperature Resistance – Passive – Currently able to survive temperatures between -450 and 118 F.
- PSI Regeneration – Passive – Regenerate energy at .5 points per second.
Zerg Swarm
Bio-Energy – 20/Income rate - 690
Support – 1/45
Entities
5x Hatchery
1x Evolution Chamber
1x Spawning Pool
8x Creep Colony
6x Overlord
2x Zerglings