Chapter 19: Mind Game

Kragnon patiently listened as Kay explained the events that occurred, from the day that the zerg came to Kiln three days ago using a void portal that brought them here, to the now where a nydus worm had created a forward base in a place called Whisper Stones, 80 kilometers from the main hive-cluster. Once Kay finished his story with how a zergling, now named 'Blixon', was delivered to a research cube that was also in whisper stones, and how the zerg creep had expanded closer to Kralluf's perimeter defense of three thousand desert platforms, Kragnon nodded and sighed. "I can hardly believe that the zerg can expand that far and quickly."

Kay sighed as well, sitting in the creep. "That's pretty much our history on this world. You looked quite impressed with our ability to fend off that assault force of a hundred desert platforms."

Kragnon nodded. "I was impressed, yes. However, I also have some concerns I would like to discus."

Kay smirked. "Concerns? Ha ha, oh come now! Are you afraid that I'm not being chivalrous enough to Gollog's empire forces?" He said sarcastically.

Kragnon scoffed and scowled. "Gollog can suck his own hemipenes for all I care. What I am more concerned about is why Gollog is not using the full extent of his power to eradicate you. I might also be against your decision to let them capture your zergling named Blixon, or how you made a forward base from so far away, but my former concern is more important."

Kay nodded, looking bemused. "Alright then. Please explain."

Kragnon leaned forward and pleaded his fingers. "You see, Emperor Gollog has a habit of being a very showy and prideful ruler. If he doesn't get what he wants, then he would take it by force with a show of power. If he knows that you are a threat to his empire, then he would use his sun smite attack to graze your lands and limit your forces. Judging from your means of expansion, I would predict that, if left unopposed, you are very well capable of infesting this entire world in a week. If Gollog was serious about your presence, then he would definitely target your hive clusters when the light cycle is so much as 55% waxed. I'm thinking there is something we are not realizing here that is making Gollog limit his power. It's some kind of element, or some political puzzle piece, that is beyond our understanding and we don't know what it is."

Kay's face changed into that of surprised realization. Kay got up and paced around. "Really? Hmm... Then that must mean... Then that must mean there must be something here that he wants intact. If what you say is true, then it could only mean that he has narrowed down his search of the Hidden Water Spring Tribe to this location. I heard his men talk about trying to find the headquarters of the village, but I don't think he knows about the entrance that leads into it."

Kragnon scrunched his face into a confused expression. He held up his hand to his info-lens. "Maiden. Have you submitted any anonymous questions to the information network?" Kay paused to look at Kragnon, tilting his head. "Show all anonymous questions from most recent." A pause later, Kragnon paled. "... Welp. Looks like I found out why Kragnon is so interested in keeping this area intact."

Kay walked forward. "What is it?"

"Maiden submitted data to the anonymous network with a picture of you and your zerglings, and the image happens to contain the interior of the council chambers. Gollog must have acquired this data, acquiring definite proof that the underground village is here. He's not using his sun smite attack because he doesn't want to risk damage to the tribe's ancestral home." Kragnon replied.

"... So uh... Is water really that precious of a resource or something? Or does he want your computer lady?" Kay asked slowly.

Kragnon shook his head. "No gods-damn idea. Altar technology can create water very easily, if you have the energy for it. I doubt it's that, but it doesn't relinquish the fact that there is something Gollog is trying to acquire. If he's trying to capture you, he would have acted by now. Whatever he's trying to achieve, we don't know what it is."

Kay paused before speaking. "Didn't you say that you escaped his rule before you went into a cold-pod? Maybe he's trying to find you?"

Kragnon sighed. "An awful amount of trouble to look for someone that's a hundred and five years old."

Kay gestured dismissively. "Well, no but... What about something that belonged to you? You know, something that he might be interested in having?"

Kragnon paused thoughtfully before giving an answer. "Again... No gods-damn idea."

Kay sighed and nodded his head. "... Then I guess I'll have to continue as I am now."

"About that." Kragnon said, telling Kay to wait. "I want to make a request before you start escalating this war with the empire. Please don't harm or infest anyone that is not affiliated with Gollog and his allies. The last thing I want is the remaining resistance groups, if they are still around after all this time, to start attacking your zerg organisms. Even provoking them just so they could attack your animals would be something I would look down on."

Kay turned around, looking hurt. "What? Come on, Kragnon! The zerg are not animals!"

Kragnon sighed. "You say that, and I would normally have no trouble believing in you. But from your description, the zerg ARE animals that have been infested, are psionically linked to a hivemind intelligence with you and Virid set as its hierarchy, and, last time I checked, the zerg won't be winning any kind of friends with charming good looks alone."

Kay crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow at Kragnon.

Kragnon sighed. "The sad truth is, if I view them as animals, then the other gilanians will. You could use that to your advantage as much as you want, but it won't get you any allies to assist your efforts any time soon."

It was then that Corvurn approached Kay and Kragnon from out of their view. "Assistance can be achieved."

Kragnon jumped. "GAH! ... Oh, it's just you."

Kay turned to face the evolution master. "Corvurn, there you are. Why are you interrupting my conversation with Kragnon?"

Corvurn pleaded his fingers. "Eavesdropped. Heard topic regarding assistance. My purpose: Assist swarm. Proposal: Assist resistance groups and non-empire affiliates. Chance of alliance. Can assist swarm."

Kay nodded. "So... We help people in need to bring them to our side? Sounds like a good way to get more leverage against Gollog, but I'm not sure how we can do that when many zerg strains are incapable of talking. And using the changelings as they are now would just be a very temporary method!"

Corvurn nodded. "New zerg organism created. Mitochondrial introduction. Organism lifespan indefinite. Used for long-term reconnaissance. Mutation of changeling. Dubbed 'changelisk'."

Kay smiled. "Oh, that's what I'm talking about! Have you been talking to Virid?"

"Correct."

"Can it self destruct?"

"Correct."

"What else should I know about it?" Kay said with a brighter smile.

"Changelisk requires small amount of bio-matter and accelerant. Requires four times more energy from overseers. Need to retrieve to integrate with swarm."

Kay paused and furrowed his brows. "... Retrieve? What uh... What does that mean? You mean we need to get it in order to make them?"

"Correct. Changelisk organism product of gilanian experimentation. Gilanian infected with changeling protoplasm. Protoplasm absorbed gilanian mitochondria. New organism formed. Contained in empire research facility. Must extract for genetic data." Corvurn replied.

Kragnon blinked a few times. "Changelisk?"

Kay turned to Kragnon and sighed. "Sounds like I'm going to be busy for the moment. See you again some other time." Kay said, turning around and leaving.

Kragnon switched his gaze between Corvurn and a leaving Kay before shaking his head. "What about the resistance groups?! Will you tell your zerg to not harm them?"

Kay stopped to turn around. He gave a smirk to Kragnon. "I'll just focus on any gilanian that wears empire colors or attacks my zerg. Is that good enough for you?"

Kragnon didn't answer. Kay paused for a little bit before nodding and finally taking his leave. After watching Kay enter into the mouth of the nydus worm, Kragnon finally broke his timid silence. "Corvurn, please answer this question."

Corvurn turned to Kragnon. "State question."

Kragnon paused before he started asking. "What is going to become of Kiln?"

Corvurn didn't hesitate. "Infestation likely scenario. Gilanians resistant to empire spared. Can allow infestation by choice. Less aggressive mutations. Allowed free will. Swarm brood will attempt to leave Kiln. Success unknown."

If Kragnon's albino colored scales could pale any more than before, it would and did just then.

Faddoh, the commander of The Cube Research Division, was eagerly going through page after page of the scientists' reports on Blixon's name, and their theories that surrounded the creature. Possibilities on what its nest might look like or how it bred, what kind of sociology it had and what language it used with its pack, and what kind of dietary needs it had were all speculative. Besides, speculation is key to, and half of, science. To test those speculations is the other half!

The scientists were busy ensnaring the zergling with several capture nooses, while the lucky sap that was drawn from a lottery was chosen to draw its blood with a needle. With several ruined needles later, the scientist decided to use a knife to draw the blood they needed instead. It was less ceremonious than using a medical needle, but the team of researchers really needed that blood. They didn't want to disappoint Commander Faddoh after all!

Hektar, on the other hand, was working by himself. He took a small sample from the five vials of corpse fluid from the 'melted gilanian', and sandwiched a drop from one of the samples between two thin glasses before putting it into the microscope. Hektar adjusted the scope for several seconds, and he saw several wiggly things swimming under the glass subjected to his scrutiny. "... Hmm. Computer of this facility. State your name."

[Query detected. Designation: T'gai.]

"T'gai, take video and still images of the sample in this microscope for analysis. Scan material composition of sample and tell me what it is."

[Commands detected. Video and images compiling. Scanning microscope sample operated by head biologist, Hektar. Scanning... Scanning... Scan complete. Sample consists of protoplasmic substances. Organic. Microbial organisms detected.]

Hektar cocked his head. "Hmm... Let's test this stuff to see if it has gilanian DNA still remaining." Hektar took a small sample from the same vial and introduced the sample to something that looked like a gene sequencing device. After putting the sample into the machine, Hektar turned the device on and sat comfortably. "T'gai, list the DNA sequences of the microorganisms in the organic sampler. Also, try to look for any DNA sequences belonging to a gilanian that are either intact or fragmented."

[Command detected. Scanning... Scanning... Scanning... Scanning... Scanning... Scan complete. Detecting more than one thousand unidentified microorganisms. Analysis: Microorganisms are a combination of viral infection agents of bacteria and parasites. No gilanian DNA detected.]

Hektar paused. "... No gilanian DNA? Not even a fragment?"

[Query detected. Full segments or fragmented segments of gilanian DNA not found. Conclusion: Sample has been taken from organism that is not gilanian.]

Hektar paused again, with a pang of worry traveling up his spine. "... Uh... Commander Faddoh? I think you might want to come in here."

The mechanical footsteps of a mechanical commander echoed in the copper halls, and they neared Hektar soon enough. "What's this now? Do you need your hand to be held while you alphabetize the germ examination dishes? You know that I don't tolerate any hand holding. Metal hands defeat the purpose of tactile touching, you know."

Hektar got up from his seat. "Commander Faddoh, sir. Are you sure that these samples were taken from a gilanian that had melted?"

Faddoh's LED face raised an eyebrow. "Well, that is what Commander Kralluf had said when his colonel transported the samples to one of my forward bases. I believe there is even a recorded event that detailed the gilanian melting on the spot, and the medic scooping up the corpse-goop into five vials. Now, unless you have definitive proof that that gilanian in particular was not gilanian, then I want to hear an explanation, Hektar."

Hektar nodded. "T'gai, relay your last response."

[Command detected. Response: Query detected. Full segments or fragmented segments of gilanian DNA not found. Conclusion: Sample has been taken from organism that is not gilanian.]

Faddoh pushed Hektar out of the way and inspected the organic sampler. "Ooh. Very interesting! I don't understand what that means, but it's still very interesting! This can mean one of two things. One is that the gilanian that had melted had his DNA fragmented so much that it was unable to be scanned!" Faddoh turned to Hektar. "If that's the case, then I would have to re-assess your contribution to my division." Faddoh turned back to the organic sampler. "But this could also mean that this sample in particular didn't originally come from a gilanian. ... Unless the sample was switched with something else. T'gai, what was the analysis data of the melted gilanian samples?"

[Query detected. Sample consists of protoplasmic substances. Organic. Microbial organisms detected. Detected more than one thousand unidentified microorganisms. Analysis: Microorganisms are a combination of viral infection agents of bacteria and parasites. No gilanian DNA detected.]

Faddoh looked as though he was going to have a casket burst. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?! This is absolutely absurd! Would this mean that the gilanian was infested with these parasites and was turned into MORE parasites?!" Faddoh ran to Hektar and grabbed him. "Don't you know what this means?!"

As Hektar was shaken around, he managed to squeak his reply. "What?!"

Faddoh dropped Hektar. "It means that these zerg organisms are much more dangerous than I previously thought! Hektar, could you tell me which of your researchers that you brought to my cube is your least favorite?"

Hektar hesitated. "Uhh... Polteg?"

Faddoh turned around. "POLTEG! GET IN HERE NOW, OR YOU ARE GOING TO BE REMOVED FROM YOUR DIVISION AND ALL SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS IN THE FUTURE!" Faddoh shouted.

Cluttering was heard, followed by a very sudden entrance of a gilanian scientist. He saluted a split second later. "Polteg reporting, sir!"

Polteg was grabbed by the neck with Faddoh's mechanical hand and hoisted up in the air. Faddoh had also taken a vial of the melted corpse and a syringe with him. Hektar watched in horrified surprise as Faddoh made off with his least favorite researcher. "What are you doing?!" He yelled after the mechanical commander.

Faddoh went to an empty slave cage, stabbed a syringe into the sample, injected the sample into the scientist, and then sealed the cage with the scientist still inside. "Science, Hektar. Glorious science. A scientist must sacrifice everything in order to pursue his theories, and that would include the men that works under him. And now that we have a patient, we shall see what kind of reaction an injection of that corpse fluid does to him."

Once Polteg got his bearings, and rubbed a spot on his arm where a needle had jabbed him, he turned around and slammed on the cage. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! I DIDN'T COME HERE TO BE SOME ANIMAL TO BE TESTED ON! GET ME OUT OF HERE NOW, YOU FUCKING ANIMALS!"

Faddoh dismissively gestured to Polteg. "Now now, Polteg. We need to document everything that happens here. Since I have a theory that the 'poison' that killed that gilanian was, in fact, parasites and viruses, I hypothesize that you would die similarly if you were injected with the fluid just administered to you."

"WHAT?!" "WHAT?!" Both Hektar and Polteg exclaimed.

Faddoh nodded. "Think about it. If it WAS the parasites that rapidly destabilized the previous host's body into a fluid state, then perhaps we can get a similar result when the parasites have a new host to play around in. However, I will have to warn you, Polteg. Any kind of name calling or attempt to break out of this modified slave cage will prompt me to turn on the electric containment generator. You have been warned."

Both Hektar and Polteg were at a loss for words.

Faddoh smiled innocently. "Now then. Polteg. Describe to me what you are feeling now?"

Polteg hissed and bared his teeth. "Like I was betrayed by the empire, dammit."

Faddoh nodded. "I am aware of your emotional distress. I want to know about your physical condition. Any itchiness? Swelling? Rashes? Cracking between the scales? Indigestion?"

Polteg sighed, but his expression slowly changed to an uncertain mixture of surprise and shock. "Uh... There is something else that I am feeling. Like... Aching in my chest, almost."

Faddoh smiled widely. "Really? Could you describe the feeling?"

Polteg clutched his chest. "Feels like it's getting worse. Oh. OH! OW! OW! AAAUGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAH~!" Polteg lurched over, clutching his chest harder as he screamed. "I THINK-cough-, I THINK I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK!"

"Is that so?" Faddoh motioned for Hektar to come closer. "Hektar, over here. I want you to take notes of your dying research associate."

Polteg screamed for a minute before collapsing to the ground and started having a seizure. Faddoh and Hektar could see that several parts of his chest started expanding and contracting at uneven intervals. Polteg gagged horrendously and coughed blood. It was only until five minutes later that Polteg became motionless. After another two minutes, Polteg slowly got up. "... Ow."

Faddoh looked at his current test subject with predatory intrigue. "Oh good. You're alive. I honestly thought that you were going to perish, and that we would have an autopsy on our hands. Either way, this is great information! Since you're awake, can you tell me how you feel now?"

Polteg clutched at his chest and groaned. "Like... someone was... stabbing my heart and veins with... tiny needles. Ugh... My head... also feels a little congested."

Faddoh nodded while Hektar looked on in complete horror. "That is good to know." Faddoh said. "The symptoms of acquiring the parasites and viruses in your bloodstream seems to have an immediate effect. Pulsations of the chest and abdomen were detected, which must relate to your organs being shifted around by the parasites themselves. Seizures and convulsions were also witnessed, which must relate to complete muscle and nervous system reorientation. And finally, your coughing and gagging must be a result of the sudden sickness changing the composition of your lungs and/or larynx. I have to admit, these parasites and viruses can adapt very quickly!"

Polteg sat on the cage flooring and relaxed. "Hektar. Can you make a cure to get rid of the parasites in me?"

Hektar paused before saying something. "It's too soon to tell, Polteg."

Faddoh smiled and walked away. "T'gai, please record the new patient, and start the recording at five seconds before he entered the modified slave cage."

[Command detected. Documenting video recording from designated time.]

"I'll leave Polteg in your capable hands, Hektar! Make sure he's comfortable! Feed him well! Entertain him until he's turned into fluid! Collect the fluid if he does melt. I'll be doing research with the blade hound and your remaining science team. Take care!" Faddoh said, leaving Hektar with Polteg stuck inside of a modified slave cage.

Hektar and Polteg looked at each other for several seconds before sighing. Commander Faddoh was well known for his eccentricity and his unorthodox methods of getting results in his scientific pursuits.

Faddoh was walking down a short hallway, eventually coming into another room with several scientists and another modified slave cage, this time containing a zergling within it. It was busily chewing on the shryik serpent jawbone. No matter how much the science team tried to pry it from the zergling, it seemed to clamp down on the jawbone even harder. The scientists assumed that it found a dead shryik skeleton, and the beast took the jawbone because it was teething at the time. But that didn't bother Faddoh as he spreads his coppery arms widely and smiled. "Hello, my science team! Any progress discovered?"

A lady gilanian in an orange copper and green science coat spoke, nodding. "Yes, Commander Faddoh sir. We discovered that the blade hound's blood contained several microorganisms that have not been identified."

"Is that so?" Faddoh said in a curiously piqued tone. "Let me ask my computerized artificial intelligence. Oh T'gai? What can you say about these microorganisms in the blade hound?"

[Query detected. Organic microbial organisms detected. Detected more than one thousand unidentified microorganisms. Analysis: Microorganisms are a combination of viral infection agents, bacteria and parasites.]

Faddoh blinked a few times. "... Hmm. Either this blade hound is going to melt sometime in the future, or I have accidentally introduced a sickness to a patient without fully understanding the consequences."

The lady scientist cocked her head. "... Sir?"

Faddoh shook his head. "Oh, never mind. Continue with your research and tests! I expect reports at the end of the day. Once I get those reports, I will allow you to eat, sleep, and take your breaks! That is until the next day after, where you will pretty much have to continue with your work in a similar manner. Fret not, however! You will be easily rewarded with your efforts done here. After all, doing hard work will put you in good favor with Emperor Gollog. He may be terrible to his enemies, but he is also fair to his allies. And his love knows no bounds. He's like the ultimate father figure than no-one ever knew they had! Although, I do look up to him as a very wealthy uncle, occasionally. And yet, family does make us do crazy things sometimes. Why, I remember a little lass who was no more than two years of age-"

Everybody groaned when Commander Faddoh began his story about a two year old girl, for seemingly the umpteenth time.

Meanwhile, the overlord that was sent to the hexagonal moon made landfall.

Well... It tried to. Apparently, the celestial body didn't have any gravity to begin with. All it had was the centrifugal force that rotated around Kiln, since all it was is a completely flat land. In order to actually land on the artificial moon, the queen had several of the drones hold on tight to her while she flung herself off of the overlord. The moment that the queen, and the drones holding onto her, landed off-center on the hexagonal moon, one of the drones instantly became a hatchery cocoon and embedded itself into the fake ground. It was impossibly clean, consisting of several glass hexagonal tiles, and these white glass tiles seemed to stretch on into the endless, bright, horizon. Kiln itself was in a constant eclipse, but both twilight and dusk could be seen on the planet's silhouetted surface, as the sun's corona on the other side was barely seen.

The queen and several of the drones held onto the developing hatchery, desperate to keep from sliding off of the hexagonal moon and enter the black of the night, or risk the fall back toward Kiln. Only two drones were unlucky as their grasps faltered, and they screeched as they slid away to the distance, their own pincers or webbed legs finding no purchase on the surface of the hexagonal moon. In fact, the remaining drones had to turn off their anti-gravity producing organs just to further stabilize themselves in this new environment.

Once the hatchery was fully developed, its embryonic cocoon exploded open in a shower of gore, and the creep it produced began spreading itself around, allowing the queen and the drones more stable ground to walk on. The centrifugal force might produce an artificial gravity, but the surface was simply too slick for spindly insect legs to walk on normally. With creep being produced, it would enable the drones and queen the ability to move around freely. That is at least on areas that has established creep. Once the creep had extended far enough, the queen had went to work producing creep tumors.

Sadly, this queen, or the drones and hatchery, did not have the necessary elements to produce resource tumors or carbonation extractors. Specifically, the elements that were only found in manifestation altars. All the queen could do at the moment is lay creep tumors and expand the creep, but were incapable of creating resource tumors.

However, Corvurn was close to solving that problem soon. With the unlocking of a certain advanced strain of bio-structure, known as the spore cannon, Corvurn would have the ability to solve that problem of theirs. Corvurn commanded a drone to turn into the specialized strain, and it obeyed its evolution master.

Virid was the one that had relayed this news to Kay. 'Kay. Our evolution master has mutated a drone into a spore cannon. It shall be used to deliver the altar elements, and the genetic information needed for the established hive cluster on the hexagonal moon to flourish.'

'Kay! Glad to know that we have friends in far-off places now!' Kay sounded impressed. 'Will that be the only function for the spore cannon?'

'The spore cannon can also provide defense from orbital enemies, or strike at foes from great distances away anywhere on the planet itself, provided that we know of their position first. If we are to become stronger, I recommend acquiring another useful strain to have with our forces, like the bile launcher. It can provide an effective short range defense against the desert platforms.'

'Tell Corvurn to get the bile launcher whenever it's convenient. ... So does this mean we can attack the sun now?'

'Theoretically, yes. The spore cannon projectiles might burn in the event of our attempt, but that is to be expected.'

'Good to know. First, we send the materials and genetic information to the hive cluster on the moon. Once we can confirm that they have the genetic data and altar elements, we can then attack the sun, or anywhere we want.'

'Agreed.'

Kay smiled. Emperor Gollog would never expect an attack from the moon.

A/N: THREE DAYS...