Chapter 16: To Make a Better Brood
Kay and Virid followed after Corvurn as he lead the two out of the tower, coming to the evolution chamber created just for his purposes. There were four queens that have gathered in front of the evolution chamber, and Kay could only guess why they were there. Virid didn't seem to have an idea as to why, but she went along all the same. Once Corvurn stopped at the gathered queens, he turned to Kay and Virid. Both Kay and Virid didn't notice the huge thing that was behind the evolution chamber and next to the hatchery.
Once Kay and Virid met up with Corvurn, Kay decided to pipe up. "... So uh... Does the new strain mutation involve the queens?"
Corvurn pleaded his fingers. "Yes and no. Presenting modified strain. Intestinal evolution. No major physical changes required for queens." Corvurn turned to the gathered zerg queens and gestured to them. The four queens laid down their creep tumors all at once, and then moved away from the tumors to allow Kay and Virid to look at them.
Kay's face soured into a scowl. "Ewww, Corvurn, what the hell? You could have warned me before those queens did that!"
Corvurn was indifferent. "Was presenting modified strain. Discomfort irrelevant. Creep tumor modified to mutate when clustered. Minimum of four required in adjacent pattern. Merges and mutates into resource tumor." As Corvurn said this, the four creep tumors merged together when they were finished developing. After a slightly longer gestation period than what a creep tumor would normally take, the resource tumor emerged. It looked like an even bigger creep tumor, except it had small vines growing out of it that dug into the creep around itself. Tiny small marbles on top of the bio-structure slowly appeared and pulsed, becoming visibly bigger as time passed.
Kay noticed that the creep next to it seemed to shift more than normally before it settled. "Kay. So what does it do?"
"Resource tumor creates resource veins. Translucent vines spread beneath creep." Corvurn explained. "Spreads under established creep. Absorbs ambient kinetic and radioactive energies. Also absorbs electricity, thermal, magnetism, gravity, compression, nuclear, and chemical energies to lesser extent. Elements found in manifestation altars converts energy into bio-fuel. Resource tumor recreates altar element, resource vein uses altar element. Bio-fuel made in veins. Veins pump bio-fuel to resource tumor. Converts bio-fuel into bio-matter within resource tumor. One drawback. Resource tumor cannot burrow."
Kay raised his eyebrow and nodded. "Oh... You know, I think I might appreciate creep tumors a little more, now that I know that they can turn into this and make bio-matter for us. Though we might have to place them close to the hatcheries anyway. Anything else I should know about these tumors?"
Corvurn nodded. How he did that with no neck, Kay would never know. "Requires creep infested areas. No radial distance limit, compared to creep tumor creep spreading pattern. Requires area coverage only. Spreads long distances, or spreads in circular pattern. Veins spreads ten times more than creep tumor spread distance."
Kay nodded. "Sounds to me like it requires a big area in order to absorb enough ambient energy to convert into bio-matter."
Corvurn held up a hand. "There is more. Can grant adjacency bonus. More resource tumors expands vein spread. Two adjacent tumors increases resource vein reach, factor of two. Maximum of twenty adjacent resource tumors recommended per hatchery, per forward hive-cluster."
Kay paused for four seconds. "That's a BIG area."
"Indeed." Virid said, sounding pleased with the new strain of creep tumor. "By my estimation, if the maximum amount of resource tumors are morphed next to an established hive cluster, they could use the creep on the surface as one large solar energy collection organ. All we need is a few square kilometers of creep for the resource tumors to thrive off of!"
Corvurn started slithering away. "Follow." As per Corvurn's request, Kay and Virid started following him again.
Kay was surprised when he finally noticed the new, huge structure before him. "Waaaaah~?!"
Corvurn turned to Kay and Virid, gesturing to what looked like two extractors fused together perpendicularly in the middle, and then quadrupled in size. "New extractor variant. Dubbed 'carbonation extractor'. Uses manifestation altar elements. Energy and bio-fuel stored in carbonation extractor. Pressurized, electrified, boiled, and agitated. Accelerant element created. Not exact to vespene gas. Lesser alternative. However, accelerant alternative can be used for evolution."
Kay could feel his smile stretch to both his ears. "Oh hell yes. I've been wanting a means to generate our own accelerant." Kay said, coming up to the brainless creature and petting its side.
Virid seemed more pleased than before. "A means to generate our own accelerant would be greatly beneficial. It was wise to have an evolution master formed so early."
Corvurn continued. "Requires bio-matter to operate. Accelerant production exponential. Bio-matter input, relative. More bio-matter required for abundant accelerant resource creation in short time-span. Organism size necessary for changes. Helps compression of bio-matter. Larger target, problematic. Need for accelerant, more problematic. Made compromise."
After looking over the massive bio-structure once more, Kay turned to his evolution master. "You have done wonderful work, Corvurn. Thank you."
Corvurn made a dismissive gesture. "Gratitude not required. Live to serve swarm. Purposed to assist swarm. Query. Establish mutations into swarm?"
Kay nodded. "Go ahead. And once you're done with that, you can unlock the spore cannons and the rest of the locked zerg strains. I'm thinking that our moon-bound overlord, and its cargo traveling with it, might want the genetic information to make their own resource tumors and carbonation extractors."
Corvurn bowed. "I obey." After that, Corvurn turned and headed back to the evolution chamber.
Kay turned to Virid with a smile. "So Virid? Are you happy?"
Virid turned to Kay and trilled. "You would know your answer if you used your hivemind connection more often. However, having these new strains shall benefit our brood greatly."
Kay sighed and nodded. "Yeah yeah. ... But I also agree with you." He said, turning around and deciding to take the nydus worm to the surface. "Now that we will have an abundance in accelerant soon, perhaps now we can have more zerg strains assist us? Let's go and meet them!"
The queens in the underground cavern went to work creating creep tumors in clusters of four around the hatchery. Those creep tumors, grouped in fours, merged together and eventually transformed into resource tumors. The vein rivulets had went under the creep to spread out at a slow pace, but the twenty resource tumors was already slowly creating bio-matter in the form of slimy, slightly translucent legume shaped pods. They were light grey and purple colored. These resource pods were easily collected by the drones near the hatchery, and were absorbed by the hatchery shortly after. The resource veins wormed their way under the creep fields in the underground village cavern floor, drawing on the heat and air pressure and turning it into bio-fuel. It took a little more than half an hour, but the resource veins had completely spread to every available square area that had creep infesting it in the underground village. The resource veins even began spreading through the cavernous tunnels, even reaching to the dedicated hatchery that was at the second spring underground.
Once the resource tumors were set in the underground village and had finally stopped spreading beneath the underground creep, the queens began laying more creep tumors that would merge and turn into more resource tumors near the lair, the which formed the first hive cluster that was on the surface of Kiln. The hatcheries that were five kilometers away from the main hive cluster also prepared by the queens, with resource tumors surrounding the hatcheries. Based on the growth of the resource veins, Kay found out that the less ambient energy there was in the environment, the farther the veins would spread. If he were to guess how much the veins themselves could occupy underneath the creep fields, he would estimate that a single resource tumor could spread their veins under the creep by a total area of 250-300 meters squared.
The hatcheries that were ten kilometers away from the main hive-cluster were also given resource tumors, but the available space for the resource veins became quickly contested, which told Kay that there was no longer any room for the veins to grow. But the answer to this problem was simple: To spread more creep on more ground.
Once the resource veins had completely spread their roots underneath every square meter of creep, the carbonation extractor was created next to the lair. It was quickly filled with bio-matter produced from the resource tumors. It was creating vast amounts of accelerant at an accelerated rate. The plethora of drones that once collected creep to feed the hatcheries were finally given the means to relax, and many of them hovered near the hatchery and the new extractor. The need to acquire nutrient rich creep was made into a completely forgone solution, now that the drones had resource tumors to harvest from. But they also had a carbonation extractor to work with too, and accelerant was being produced at dizzying amounts.
Once resources became a negligible problem for the Swarm, the need for more numbers began to rise.
There was already a plethora of zerglings, queens, drones, spine crawlers, and spore crawlers to work with. Instead of making more of those zerg strains, the hatcheries produced other strains, organisms that Kay and Virid's brood desperately needed. Roaches, hydralisks, banelings, infestors, and some new bio-structures and faces that Kay had completely forgotten. That, or had his memories of them dissolved in a slowly disintegrating void.
The hydralisk den was created in the hidden underground village, and it bore the resemblance of a giant, heavily carapaced structure with five clawed 'fingers' hovering over it like a giant palm. It was a bio-structure that enabled the larvae to transform into hydralisks. However, such a structure acquired a new neighbor shortly after. After a time of quick morphing, the lurker den was later formed. It bore a similar appearance to the hydralisk den, under the exception that it bore even more carapace than before. It had no 'fingers', unlike its bio-structure cousin, but it instead sported large spikes that dotted its sides.
First and foremost of the new cast of monsters joining the zerg were the lurkers. The evolved form of the hydralisks enabled their serpentine bodies to transform into a multiple limbed organism. It crawled along the ground with long insect legs and a hunched, spiked shell that gave it its telltale look. Despite their horrendous visage, the monsters are only ever dangerous when they were burrowed in the ground. It was inside of the ground that this zerg strain truly shines. When they burrow themselves, they would send forth subterranean spines that can unleash an enema of pain and suffering to their enemies.
The next organisms to come were the ravagers. They were dangerous looking creatures with many long spikes growing out of their backs, and on the center of their backs had an intense glowing light coming out of an orifice located there. Despite losing the ability to move while burrowed, since they are a strain that have evolved from roaches, it has resulted in their carapace to slightly decrease in protection. They instead had gained the power to throw plasma at their enemies! Their plasma discharge might be very fearsome, but their most powerful attack happened to be their artillery, which was a corrosive bile-like projectile that could destroy entrenched positions easily. They could even aim their corrosive bile with such precision that they could knock planes out of the sky. If they were lucky enough to aim their shots beforehand. Kay and Virid didn't have the means to morph a roach into a ravager, due to the constraint of resources they were limited by. That was no longer the case for them, since they can generate resources so freely.
Another monster that joined the zerg swarm army came from the infestation pit. The infestor might be a dangerous monster that specializes in anti-infantry combat, this other organism that spawned after the forming of the infestation pit was the perfect siege unit, which was otherwise known as the swarm host. Giant fore-claws and hind-claws granted this creature movement forward, while its large, triangular skull was partially covered by its main weapon. An overly enlarged abdomen that was a semi-spherical shape was carried on its back, which contained many indented pockets on its surface. Within those pockets, a sphere-like membrane formed over a tiny creature. These creatures are known to the zerg as locusts, which crawled around with fat abdomens, and are able to launch acidic spit. These locusts had plump bodies and crawled forward with the single-minded determination of finding nearby enemies and shooting their acidic saliva at them. They were quite similar to the infestor's infested in that respect, but the locusts could only attack ground-based enemies when on the ground, but had the ability to temporarily fly to meet their enemies in the air in air-to-air combat. A dangerous strain of zerg that would endlessly threaten the enemies of the zerg.
Then came another monster that was sorely wanted by the zerg brood. The skies quickly filled with the beating wings and screeching calls of an airborne strain of zerg. Mutalisks. The mutalisk are a dangerous creature, seeing as though it can attack both land and air units. With its leathery wings to keep it aloft, armed by its specialized ovipositor 'tail' capable of launching its most devastating weapon. Mutalisks would become greatly feared as their sharp, spinning, acid drenched ammunition were known to come out of the mutalisk's ovipositor, its ammo capable of redirecting itself to another enemy after striking the first and second foes. They were its glaive worms.
And then there was the anti-air flying zerg strain. Resembling a squid almost slightly, this tentacled beast had a jagged maw with various sharp cutting mandibles that help projects and directs its parasitic spores, which it can use against flying enemies or against massive enemies. Or against flying massive enemies to great effect. It was also capable of targeting structures, using a caustic spray to dissolve enemy buildings. The creature would float about, using its gravity defying cancer cells in its tentacles to move in its environment. This monster was truly grotesque in its appearance! It was almost like the spirit of a calamari dish returned from hell to seek vengeance on the people that ate its flesh in a past life. They were known as corruptors.
Kay's grin was stretched ear-to-ear as he witnessed the birth of each of these creatures as the new bio-structures responsible for their forming already formed in the hive cluster inside the underground village. "This is like... I don't know... Some kind of ceremonial holiday event or something."
Virid hissed in indifference. "The swarm does not celebrate holidays."
Kay turned to Virid with a concerned glare. "... And you had to ruin the moment."
Virid cocked her head. "I ruined the moment? What moment did I ruin?"
Kay turned back to the new zerg organisms with a sigh. "Because I was reminded that I'm zerg too."
Virid paused. "... It was not my intention to agitate you."
Kay scoffed. "Funny way of saying that you're sorry."
Virid hissed. "Shall you explain the semantics further, or must I fetch the zerglings?"
Kay sighed and nodded, but smiled. "No need to. I get what you mean."
There was a pause before Virid spoke again. "Shall we evolve the lair into a hive? If we do, we will finally acquire the remaining core zerg skirmishing strains. We will become an unstoppable brood in doing so."
"... Actually... I'm thinking we can wait to do that." Kay said, smiling ear-to-ear again. "Sometimes, you just have to appreciate the little things that fate gives you. I mean, what else could we possibly get after we upgrade our lair into a hive anyway?"
Virid answered. "If the lair mutates into a hive, we will have the next, and final, set of mutations that will increase our offense and defense. Well will be able to gain the ability to morphe brood lords, and spawn vipers and ultralisks."
Kay turned around to look at Virid. "What are those?"
Virid responded and bowed. "The brood lords are heavy-assault organisms that can launch broodlings at ground forces. It is the brood lords' primary means of attack. The vipers are flying support organisms that have the power to change the battlefield to suit the Swarm's needs, such as abducting enemy forces to swarm infested areas, transporting swarm organisms to areas that cannot be easily accessed, create a blinding cloud that limits vision, or launch parasitic bombs that can destroy several aerial units. And then there are the ultralisks. The ultralisks are heavy ground units that have impressively strong armor. They are also the largest ground combat units available to the swarm. Nearly nothing can withstand an attack from an ultralisk."
Kay paused for what felt like ten seconds before blinking and opening his mouth. He then closed his mouth. He then finally decided to speak after shaking his head. "No, I don't think so. Not now. Nope. I'm gonna wait till I really feel like I want those guys helping us."
Virid paused. "... Is there a real reason to procrastinate from evolving our forces? I will fetch the zerglings if you don't give me a sufficient answer." She warned.
Kay stood still for a second before turning. "Well uh... Um... Because... Because uh... Because then Emperor Gollog would take us seriously and be more destructive to our forces?" Kay said with a shrug.
Virid paused for five seconds before sighing. "I will allow this uncertain tactic of yours to play out. But head me well. If we do not further the evolution of our swarm soon, then you will have more to worry about than the zerglings chewing the ends of your limbs. Especially since we now know that Emperor Gollog has a purifying beam attack he can use against us. We don't know what other tricks he may still have at his disposal. Be careful with yourself, Kay. The future for our brood is still uncertain, even now." Virid said, turning away and heading into the nydus network.
Kay stared at Virid as she left him there, and continued looking at the nydus network for about eleven seconds. After he returned his gaze at the new batch of organisms, he couldn't help but start smiling again.
But playing with the new units will have to wait. There was a certain zergling that has some needed screen-time.
The captured zergling was still aware over what was happening around itself. It laid in its cage convincingly well, fooling the gilanians around itself that it was still tranquilized by the tranquilizer gun. However, Kay figured that sitting still indefinitely might give its captors unnecessary data. They might suggest that zerglings are a hivemind animal, or that they are smarter than previously thought. That would certainly be the case if they posit the theory that zerglings could 'act' when given invisible instructions sent to them by their masters. Better to be a witty fool, than have a foolish wit.
With new-found purpose, the zergling would slowly 'wake up' and investigate its surroundings. It was still traveling in Commander Kralluf's desert platform, though the day was slowly shifting into dusk. The zergling could see that two armed soldiers stood at the sides of its cage. Slowly getting up, it looked around to investigate the topography of the land it was in. It didn't find anything meaningful, but it knew that it was far away from the zerg hive cluster.
Nobody on the desert platform knew that the zergling was awake, so Kay decided to let the zergling create some mischief. Might as well allow it to enjoy itself. The zergling slowly reached through the bars of its cage and slowly grabbed at the uniform of the gilanian that was stationed next to it.
And then the screaming started. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~! GET IT OFF ME GET IT OFF ME GET IT OFF ME GET IT OFF ME GET IT OFF ME!"
Kralluf turned around to see a zergling pulling the gilanian soldier's uniform through the bars of its cage. He immediately strode forward and used the hilt of his sharp hammer to bludgeon the zergling's head, instantly making it let go of the, now ruined, uniform of its victim. "Looks like our captive animal is now alive. Keep your wits about you, lads! I want four officers here keeping their eyes on this blade hound! If it starts eating or tearing the cage up, tranquilize it or kill it!"
Four soldiers with tranquilizer rifles and precision rifles quickly came to the scene and aimed their weapons at the zergling. It hissed at their appearances, but it kept its eyes mainly focused on the commander. The commander went back to his installed desk, typing away on his keyboard and remaining silent. After staring at the commander for twenty seven seconds, the zergling became bored and started to look at one of the soldiers that were training their rifles at it. It trilled softly as it waved its paw through the bars.
"Nuh-uh, you ain't getting a bite outta me, ya jag." The officer said, cocking his gun and stepping back. The zergling whimpered a little, but then started clawing the floor next to the cage. The zergling quickly clawed around itself, ripping out heavy slivers of metal with its claws and making horrendous screeching sounds as it did so. The sniper officers stepped back when the zergling started doing this. "Uh... Sir? It's scratching up the floor."
"Hit his nose and tell him he's been naughty." Commander Kralluf replied in a sarcastic tone.
The officer smiled, then reared back his rifle to butt the zergling, only for the zergling to react fast enough to bite at the butt of the officer's gun. The rifle now had a chunk missing from its stock. After looking at the damage done to his own weapon, the officer shook his head and decided to punish the zergling in a different way. Silenced shots were fired at the zergling's attack-claws, which made the monster screech in pain. After six or seven shots, the zergling's attack-claws were quickly sheared off. With a quick motion, the officer then grabbed at an amputated zergling attack-claw from the cage and pulled it out in a fluid motion. The officer then waved one of the zergling's attack-claw around, and gave the wounded zergling an evil glare. "Mine now."
The zergling hissed at the offending officer, but didn't move since it was severely wounded. It was de-clawed in both of its limbs. Kralluf turned when he heard muffled rifle rounds being fired, and then shook his head when he pieced together what happened. "If that blade hound bleeds out before we get to Faddoh, you best believe that I will let him perform his experiments on you with my express permission. With that said, curb your sadism." He said, only to turn and going back to typing on his computer desk.
The officer stepped back and got his pistol out. "Doesn't matter. He's a jag animal. Jags don't deserve to live." He turned toward the caged zergling with a smile, but raised an eyebrow when he saw that the zergling was already eating its amputated attack claw.
Kralluf sighed. "Where the hell did that word come from?!"
Eventually, another officer came up to his commander. He saluted to his commanding officer before relaying his report. "Sir. I regret to inform you that we haven't found the mole that was transferring our strategy and plans to the bug-man beast-master."
Kralluf sighed. "Have you and the other officers traveled to every other Desert Platforms, and relayed through the shadow frequency communication net that there was a mole in our ranks?"
The officer sighed. "Yes sir, I have. If you don't mind my saying so, sir, but it could be possible that the bug-man had a hidden radio receiver that listened into our conversations."
Kralluf nodded and gotten out of his desk. "If that was the case, then I would agree. However, it also presents an easier solution for us."
The officer tilted his head. "Uh... How so, sir?"
Kralluf turned and pointed at the zergling. "Let me answer you by asking you a rhetorical question. How the hell did the blade hounds know that they were carrying a bomb? I once assumed that the bug-man was using some kind of implanted transmitters that controlled the beasts, and directed their actions to make off with the explosive. Yet you said you didn't find the mole that transmitted information to him. OUR OBSERVATION OR SURVEILLANCE STAFF DIDN'T EVEN FIND ANY ROGUE SIGNALS EMITTED WITHIN THE ZERG TERRITORY!" Kralluf shouted at his staff. They averted their eyes and quickly went back to their work. Kralluf turned back to his officer. "So now, you have led me to believe that he had used a radio receiver to listen into our conversations. It would have to be a powerful piece of machinery to intercept radio signals more than fifteen kilometers away, with its energy signature being easily detectable from our scientific imaging equipment. Therefore, that would lead me to come to the logical conclusion that he had a listening device installed or had a mole that was sending a directed signal towards him, using a signal sending device. And you just now told me you found no such mole that collaborated with our enemy, even after I had initiated shadow communications mode. Now, hear me out on my next question." Kralluf said, walking toward his officer. "Would General Pallax be elated to know that our 98 desert platforms we had sent on an assault mission, was felled by nothing more but queer little beasts?"
The officer paled, finding no courage to say a word back to his commander.
Kralluf had his answer. "Just as I thought. It's obvious by now that there are more things going on that we don't understand. My personal advice for you: Stay professional, and don't ask stupid questions."
The officer nodded quickly, then took a step back. "Sir, yes sir. I understand completely, sir."
Kralluf shook his head and grumbled. "Bring the girl out of containment. Tell her that I'm sorry to imprison her under the accusation of being a double-crossing bitch. She is obviously clean in this."
"Right away, sir." The officer said, turning around and running off to where Lieutenant Jub was.
Kay had to admit, Kralluf was much smarter than he looked. Kralluf turned to look at the zergling and paused. "... Wait a minute. Didn't you shoot off the blade hound's extra claws?"
Everyone turned to the zergling that was now sporting a new set of smaller attack-claws. It trilled as it was given attention.
"... I might need to contact Faddoh about this." Kralluf said, going onto his computer desk again and typing on his keyboard like a madman. "When do we reach Faddoh's forward research site?"
One of his officers piped up. "It will take one more hour, sir. Dusk will arrive by then."
Kralluf nodded. "Good. We're earlier than I expected."
Kay was surprised with the information he gathered from the zergling's perspective.
But alas, once Kralluf has transported the zergling to Commander Faddoh's forward research base, Kay decided that the ambush would have to be sprung there.
A/N: Was it a good idea to get rid of the resource restriction, but kept Kay and Virid's brood restricted to the lair tech level?