Chapter 1- What is a Human? / Disclosure to the Commander
Zasknar was delighted with its colony's progress. It now had a sizeable armada of all manner of Zerg under its control, yet it longed for more. But more what? There was everything any Zerg could ever dream of here in the colony, so why did it feel so inadequate...? That was the burning question that occupied most of Zasknar's thoughts now. It stood near the Lair and, with a loud hiss, commenced its metamorphosis into a Hive as it pondered the strange sensation.
"Zasknar..." Zasknar screeched in response, scaring two of the nearby Ultralisks and making them turn their razor-sharp scythes toward the sound. The Overmind had spoken once again! Zasknar turned its full attention to its lord, invisible and omniscient. "I am most impressed with your progress thus far. You have been most satisfying to the Swarm and myself. Well done." Zasknar gnashed its teeth in delight. The Overmind thought admiringly of its reign! What delightful rapture! Zasknar lashed its head and screeched its excitement to the sky with fervor, startling two of the nearby Hydralisks into snarl-pierced flight.
"However," Zasknar froze in place. Then, it sent a psionic order to a nearby group of Hydralisks to approach it. Zasknar somehow, in spite of the two Sunken Colonies and three Spore Colonies surrounding the infantile Hive, felt a bit insecure. It had the sense of impending danger, a completely alien phenomenon that it had never experienced before, yet it paid the emotion little heed. The Overmind was discoursing! "there exist those who wish the Swarm destruction." Zasknar snarled, baring its fangs imposingly. An enemy! What, or who was it!? The Hydralisks buzzed in angst, sensing their master's resentment. Zasknar vowed to destroy the threat, no matter what it could be. "These beings, those who call themselves 'humans' live in a colony to the south of the Lair." Zasknar squawked in surprise as an image appeared before him. In the vision, Zasknar saw an event as though it were looking out of an Overlord's ventral sac.
Flying high above the surface, moving at a speed that not even a Zergling could match, the dream vision moved forward. Blurring before it, just as if in reality, the ground metamorphosed into an indiscernible line of red. Then, the view froze, hovering above a cluster of strange, gray, globular structures. Zasknar uttered a cry of question, but its confusion was only temporary. Out of the central dome, a small, blue-suited, bipedal animal emerged. Zasknar cocked its head, querying mentally if this was a "human". It suddenly got its answer as the Overmind sensed Zasknar's question.
"Indeed, Cerebrate," said the Overmind, "this is one of the warrior class of humans. There appear to be several types of humans, but only two breeds. One must take caution, for when the two breeds of human combine, populations explode in number. This is what makes the humans so dangerous; their ability to generate large colonies rapidly." Zasknar was bewildered, contemplating the vision as it dissipated. How could such a simple species survive if only two types existed? "Humans are highly invasive, territorial, and steal our resources with no remorse. They think they are superior to us." Zasknar hissed. Superior? How utterly absurd! Zasknar felt as if he could easily crush one of these frail beings with a single swat of his tail. Then again, even rats can be a menace if populations are allowed to reach a prolific enough size... "Teach them how the Zerg deal with intruders. I want you to destroy their colony. Level it to the ground! Go now, my Cerebrate! Do not fail me..."
Zasknar snarled in fiendish cunning, hissing and gnashing both sets of jaws in ecstasy. A combat opportunity at long last! It knew that in order to destroy the colony, it would need more resources. The Drones were already mining two of the thickest crystal fields, but Zasknar needed more Vespene gas. Two of the Vespene geysers were empty, producing a fraction of the gas necessary for an army.
It was time. Zasknar yowled out a command to the smaller group of Ultralisks, calling them to join the Hydralisks. It was time to attack the humans' Vespene gas processor, and Zasknar was proudly confident that it would not fail the Overmind.
"What do you mean, 'he's a Marine now'?!?!" Kate demanded, pounding a fist on Commander Delta Biggs' desk in flabbergasted astonishment, "You know well that he lacks the training! Look at what happened earlier, Commander! He damn near amputated his own finger while accessing a Goliath's weapons compartment, and you expect to put him out on the field with such minimal-!?"
"Ms. Billings." Delta said crisply, her back to the Medic as the young blonde continued to stare out the window, "I am aware of the lack of field experience. I am also aware of his experience with Kerrigan; that is what we need from him."
Kate sighed and put a hand to her face in exasperation. "Look, I know we're kinda short-handed here," she tried, hoping to explain to the Commander the gravity of such a transfer, "but we also cannot afford any casualties. I know, I know. I'm only a Medic. What do I know about military strategy? But this is a matter of security too, don't you see?!" Kate folded her arms and leaned against the faux-mahogany wall. "Do you realize what harm he could cause if he decides to go blabbing this information he knows off to just anyone who'll listen? The Council's gonna have none of this 'Shade' business, to say nothing of the suspected Overmind! They'll want Saskri nuked to the core! Then what'll you have to say about the colonization? "
Delta idly wound a blond lock of hair around a finger. Slowly, she turned to Katrina, setting her sharp, steely-blue eyes on her face and leaning over the desk at her. "Do you always think we've been so ignorant, Ms. Billings?" She pulled a small remote out of her breast pocket. A wickedly proud and cunning look crept onto Delta's face as she tapped at the cover with one long, red fingernail. "With a single touch of this button, I can call our Shade."
"Now, what does the Shade have to do with Sakeó, you might say?" Delta sneered, a dangerous look on her pale, deceptively delicate face. "Our Shade has an...ability...which allows it to read into the thoughts of humans and Zerg. If it detects anything out of the ordinary, it will inform me promptly."
Katrina shook her head. "I still don't like this, Commander. I mean, we're breaking the chains of command here! I'm sure the Marines and Firebats won't have any of it. Hell, even the Ghosts are bound to get a bit pissy, and you know how hot-headed those Ghosts are... What's more, if someone decides to 'teach him a lesson'..." Katrina stamped a foot irately. "Commander, respectfully, I think this decision is nothing but madness. Everyone's gonna think its all part of some scandalous propaganda or lip-licking power scheme. I think-!"
"Does it really actually matter what you think?!" Delta roared, her face livid at Katrina's words. Katrina actually took a step back, shocked into a wide-eyed gawk by her superior's outburst. "Look, I know you don't get it. Hell, even I hardly know myself! It's all orders from the Council." Delta bent closer, putting her long, spidery hands onto her desk as she leaned face-to-face with the astonished Medic. "So," she hissed, locking eyes with Katrina piercingly, "if you wanna reason stay to stay alive out in this shithole of a colony, then I suggest you shut up and stand down, Lieutenant!"
Katrina blinked and set her jaw, which had dropped open. "Commander..."
"I said, SHUT UP!" Delta pounded her fist on the desk, shaking the entire metal faux-oak piece.
Katrina was unsure of what to say or do. Never before had she seen this normally mild-mannered young woman anywhere near this aggressive and hot under her collar. For just a moment, Katrina actually worried a bit for her life as Delta's red-clawed hand slid down to the level of the .45 pistol at her belt, but was secretly relieved when she merely pulled a handkerchief out of a waist-pocket and wiped at her sweating face. Blushing redder than a maraschino cherry, she shook her head.
"...I apologize for that..." She atoned, tucking the kerchief into her pocket again, "Please, understand that this order comes from a higher chain of command. I don't have the jurisdiction to overrule such a bizarre transfer. Hell, it's even got the Shade all riled up like an impatient child! Very difficult to control the damned thing when he's so edgy..." Delta slid bashfully off of her desk and shooed Katrina with a wave of her hand. "You are dismissed."
Katrina gulped and saluted, struggling not to show that she had just been scared out of her skin. "Yes'm." Forcing herself not to run screaming out of the room in an effort to escape another blast of rage from her superior, she only managed a robot-like strut as she walked out of the room and towards her quarters in the Barracks.
I was right...Thought an exasperated Kate as she flicked her lengthy hair back over her shoulder, It is going to be a long day...Oh joy, joy, rapturous joy. Feh.