*000000*

The water laps against a frosted rocky beach, and giant cliffs of bluish-white ice loom overhead. Chunks of ice drift slowly in the currents. It's… quite. And cold. My Mutalisk shivers as it glides on silent wings over the coast of Antarctica.

I had feared I would find a cold, dead, and lifeless continent, so I was pleased to find plenty of life along the frigid coast. Tens of thousands of birds made their nests here, living off of lichens, the rare insect, and fish. So many fish. The Mutalisk easily webs a large avian and its fishy catch, and draws them up to its waiting mandibles.

Mmmm…. Raw bird and fish. I've experienced much worse through Ratlings. Not to mention the Zerglings that have no issue with eating their kills. Even the human ones.

There's no sign of any human presence to be seen, but I need to map out where I am relative to the many research stations scattered along the continent. Its meal finished, the Mutalisk veers east along the shoreline.

Much of the coastline is more of the same, only changing in how much exposed rocky beach there is, as opposed to sheer ice walls straight down into the ocean.

I almost miss it, and if I had been relying on purely human eyes I would have. Human made structures, frozen over and covered in snow drifts. No sign of current habitation, I zip down to investigate. It's small, a few prefabbed structures more reminiscent of shipping containers then buildings. Actual shipping containers too, all built around a small port.

The windows are boarded up, doors are locked. The place is abandoned. I… don't know what the schedule is like for seasonal stations, but I'm pretty sure March is still 'summer', or close enough as to be in season.

Mutalisks are not equipped for walking, especially those modified for carrying eggs — I wish Overlords were more feasible without anti-grav — but I still manage to bust down one of the doors in what seems to be the places central building. The inside looks surprisingly plain, if sparse. Mostly empty rooms, marred by spots where machinery has been removed.

Seems the whole place is decommissioned. At least they left a handy plaque by the entrance, denoting the whole place as "Zucchelli Station". Not that that tells me anything, but it sounds Italian I think? Doesn't matter who built it, it'll provide basic cover from the elements. Deposit the eggs now and let them grow? No… it's too cold. I'm not sure the eggs or Larvae could survive long enough. The Creep can produce warmth — at the expense of energy — and the buildings should be well insulated, so that has to come first. My Mutalisk shakes spores off itself and spreads them around the station, inside and out.

Even the Creep has a hard time growing in these conditions. Fortunately, I have a solution for that. I send my Mutalisk out to hunt. Birds are a frequent catch, and I find a colony of seals not too far away. They are a bit heavy for the Mutalisk, laden down with eggs as it is, but their soft blubbery bodies make excellent seedbeds for the Creep.

I think I am glad that the Mutalisk meant for northern Africa didn't make it. At least this place has a vibrant aquatic ecosystem to harvest. I'm not sure what I would have done in the Sahara.

The Reflect-Symbiote bursts out of its cocoon in all its… twenty centimetre glory. A light-blue worm like body about an two centimetres across, with a slightly bulbous head and lamprey-like mouth, in case it ever needs to bite. I borrowed a lot of inspiration from a selection of endo-parasites, so… it can latch on to fleshy surfaces and feed on the hosts blood. Theoretically it could also inject substances into the host, but the only one I've come up with so far is adrenaline.

It's… also got no way to hook up to a hosts nervous system yet, so it's under my manual control for now. Mostly, I did set it up to intrinsically activate its powers if the host experiences extreme stress, fear, or panic. Pretty much anything that might signify a dangerous situation that I can detect in the hosts blood.

It occurs to me that medical facilities would pay a fortune for the amount of blood analysis that this little organism can do in moments. At least in my old world. Earth Bet probably has tinkertech equivalents that don't even need a blood sample or something.

Of course I have to test it thoroughly before I will allow it anywhere near Emily. Which means more experiments for my raider prisoners. Though in consideration for the whole… mastered, may not be guilty… well… I still need to test, and it's not like I can get volunteers. Er… can I?

I look around, the fleshy walls, tentacle-wielding giant brain, silk webbing sacks containing comatose prisoners… Alien parasite about to be used in experiments on a struggling prisoners body… There's probably more then a few people that would be completely into this isn't there…

Something for another day, I have no idea how I would… Just put an ad in the paper? "Alien Overlord seeking willing test subjects for probing and biological experimentation. Organic architecture, inhuman coworkers, no pay. Injury, death, and mutation probable. Female volunteers preferred."

Of course women preferred. The worm is still under my direct control, it's still as much myself as any other organisms I've created. I might no longer have any of the bits — or chromosomes — to mark me as male, but damn if crawling around inside another guy doesn't still squick me out.

A prisoner is brought before me, doped up on some combination of toxins that leave her barely conscious but don't appear to have any lasting effects. It's a kindness, and my compromise with myself in case she didn't join the raiders voluntarily.

Since the symbiote is meant primarily for use by Emily, I tried to find a prisoner that matched her body type and size as much as possible. Not that it's a very close match, being significantly older and bigger by simple fact of twelve year old girl versus… thirty something raider. Probably. Honestly, the women is rather top heavy, and I can understand why she would want to avoid being in the raiders "Citizen" cast at all costs. Can't even blame her, after all, we all do what we must to protect ourselves, even if it harms others.

Which is why I don't feel — overly — bad as I suspend her in the air, and bring the symbiote up the her exposed pussy.

I have to fight off the instinct to rear back and strike at the prisoners exposed opening. I'm blaming the faded essences again, seeing as none of the parasites I cribbed Essence from are large enough — or complex enough — to have such behaviour, and I didn't include any snake instincts. Instead, I slip my head slowly and carefully between her lower lips, the warm flesh instantly enveloping me as I start winding my body deeper.

The Symbiote skin is sensitive, I can acutely feel the individual blood vessels pulsing around me, minor flexes in the muscles as her body reacts to the intrusion even in her nearly comatose state. The passage is fairly tight and lacking in sufficient lubrication, so my Symbiote starts exuding a thin viscous mucous from it's skin. It's got slight muscle relaxing and nerve numbing qualities too, so overall it shouldn't be an unpleasant experience. Assuming the host is either too out of it to notice, or doesn't care that there's a nearly half-meter long organism crawling into them.

My Symbiotes head pushes its way through the tight constraints of the prisoners body, until my way is blocked by a tough, solid wall of flesh with only the smallest hole at it's centre. I'll just…

So… the cervix… is kinda impassable. I don't know how the hell it works, but it is damned solid. The bands of tissue that make it up are rock solid, and while I could force the symbiote through with sheer strength, I'm pretty sure doing so would cause irreparable damage to the entire area. Also it would probably be extremely painful to the host, and seeing as that's meant to be Emily in the long run, it's just not an option.

I'll have to do some research on the subject. Maybe one of the Enclaves has a gynaecologist that can offer insight? There's got to be a way to open the cervix. I can just imagine how that conversation would go though. "So you want to know how to loosen the up a young girl so you can send a parasite into her womb…" Yeah.

Oh well. There is two other orifices on a human that will do, and the Symbiote should be able to survive in the gut just as well. Most of it's Essence comes from creatures that already do after all. All I really needed for this experiment was to position the symbiote inside a host, and it's current position will do just as well in the short term.

I curl up into a ball, and push the reflection field granted by the shard into existence. Moment of truth… The women does not explode as the bubble forms around her. It's… a little off centre, originating as it is from the worm barely above her crotch, but not overly so, and it's diameter is large enough to accommodate the entire host. So far, so good. I had been worried that there would be some energy expenditure in keeping the bubble in place that would be more noticeable in the Symbiotes reduced size, but it would seem the cost — whatever there may be — is being handled entirely by the shard.

My Symbiote opens its mouth, and attaches itself to the hosts interior, instantly a slow seepage of blood begins to flow into it. The host twitches a bit at the moment of attachment, but goes back to her zoned out comatose position after.

The test subject starts coming out of her stupor after about an hour, and begins thrashing about. This is expected, and I've already brought Face in to try and talk to her. I don't expect much honestly, but getting a bit of feedback such as if she can feel any pain from the symbiote or other discomfort would be beneficial. Also I'm going to lie through my teeth.

I had been struck by inspiration when I saw the outsiders hazmat team in their suites. Canberra had a number of facilities that I've picked through the remains of, and a few of them had need for keeping hazmat suits on hand. When the prisoner opens her eyes, it's to the sight of Face — sealed in a concealing suit — waving a glowing stick over her. "Please stay calm ma'am. We got you, you're safe now."

"Wha…where?" Her voice is weak, but gaining strength as she regains her senses.

"What do you remember?"

"I… there was monsters everywhere… Killing… eating… I ran, or… I tried to run but but some flying… monstrosity grabbed me." She looks around, her eyes wide. "Where is this? God, it wrapped my up like a fly in a web, and I couldn't move…. There were others too! I heard them begging, crying, shouting… Oh god are they all…?"

"You're the only one we found ma'am. Don't worry, we've got teams of the best in the military securing the area. We'll get you out of here as soon as I check you over."

"Military? What about Capes?"

Right. Of course. Capes. A man in camo and a rifle just can't compare to superman can he. "Our strongest Capes are keeping the rest of the hostile forces busy. I'm sure you'll get to see them on the way out."

"Yes, yes, I want to go home… Please…" She starts sobbing. Oh crap, now I'm starting to feel bad for her. What the hell even is my exit strategy here that won't be needlessly cruel?

"Of course. Do you feel any unusual pains, aches, unusual feelings in general?"

"I've been prisoner of some buggy monster for who knows how long! I feel all kinds of out of sorts! What's this about? Why can't we just go quick! You can poke and prod me once we are out of here! Please…" Ah she's getting angry. Granted I, and by extension Face probably doesn't have a very good bedside manner, especially since I'm not really interested in 'rescuing' her… Also the last effects of the venom that was keeping her under is probably wearing off.

I wave the glowing rod — it's literally a glow-stick with metal bits glued to it — over her. "I'm getting some odd results from you here. There might be some kind of object…" I place a hand on her just above the pubic mound, roughly in the area where the Symbiote is curled up. The Symbiote feels an instant change as the muscles around it flex and stiffen.

"Wha- What kind of… what object?" Good, she's back to scared. The fact I am happy with that…

"I'm not sure, that's why I have to check you over, and possibly remove it before we risk transporting you."

"Get it out! Get it out!" She starts breathing heavy, shaking and pressing on her abdomen with her hands as if to squeeze the unknown object out of her. Inside, her vaginal walls clamp down too and try to push the foreign object out.

"Calm down, calm down! You could injure yourself if you try to force it out!" Face grabs her arms and pulls them away. "We'll figure this out, just trust me! I'm a doctor."

"I… okay…" Her hands relax and she stops trying to rip them out of my grip. Her insides are still tight and twitching around the Symbiote though.

"Now, do you feel anything down there, discomfort, pain, anything?"

"No… Not… Not to start. When I tried to… it hurt when I pushed on it."

Not surprising, the Symbiote had to latch on harder to avoid being expelled, and even so it was pulling on the tender flesh rather hard. "What about now, any pain or discomfort?"

"A little, pain. And… I can feel something inside, now that I know it's there…"

"Alright, I'm going to have to get a better reading. I'm sorry but I'll have to get this inside." I wiggle the glowing rod at her. It should also focus her on what I am doing enough to miss the Ratling in the shadows waiting to re-administer the toxin, and send her back into a stupor.

"O… okay doc. But you'll owe me dinner after." She laughs nervously at her own joke, as Face shifts down towards her crotch.

"Alexei, I'm back!" The voice of Emily takes me completely by surprise, as she steps into the chamber, her usual escort of Ratlings and Zerglings trailing in her.

Everyone freezes. I… hadn't been paying conscious attention to Emily's whereabouts. To my shame, the raider's brain seems to fire first, and I don't know what conclusion she comes to… but the end result is that she springs to her feet with a shout. "Oh shit, run girl! There's monsters right behind you! Doctor… Alexei is it?, why'd you bring a child to this hell hole? No wait, rather lets go!"

Huh, well at least I know that the Symbiotes instinctive deployment of the bubble works, as one instantly pops into existence around the woman. Damn, for someone who was practically comatose just twenty minutes ago, she can really move. Of course, the Zerglings are faster, and they respond immediately to the potential danger, two launch themselves at her, while the rest move to surround Emily. The test subject dodges sideways past the first Zergling, and tries to roll under the second. That's when her body fails her, as she fumbles the recovery, and the Zergling — wings deployed — drops right on top of her.

She only has time to scream once, before its scythe pierces into her skull. Inside her, the fleshy walls squeeze the Symbiote hard, holding it in a crushing vice grip for a breath or two, before they start twitching rapidly and erratically. Then finally her entire body goes completely limp.

"What the hell Alexei! Why? Why would you mess around with an ugly old hag like that? I thought we had… I…!" Emily beats her fists against my Overmind form, the hard leathery surface barely denting under the impacts. Her field is cranked up to maximum, if I didn't have immunity I don't think any of my organisms would have lasted more then a few minutes.

"No no Emily! That's not-" I speak through Face, trying to calm her down.

"What, is it because I don't want to do… do… Have… uh… sex with Face, or one of the animaly creatures?" Even upset, Emily has a hard time speaking of sex, and doing so saps the anger out of her. Her shoulder slump, and her voice turns soft and vulnerable. "I… If that's…. What you really… want… Just… don't replace me… please…"

Ah…. Crap. I wrap a tentacle around her and press her to my mass, the closest I can do for a hug. "No Emily, I'll never replace you. I promise. Remember the first battle with the Raiders? You asked if I was prepared to go all the way."

"Mmm… yeah. And… I said I'm coming with you." She nods lightly, her eyes wet with tears but a small smile flickers across her face at the memory.

"The image of you standing there, looking down at the slaughter, so confident, so… Nobody but us will ever share that, and nobody can surpass it in importance for me."

"Then why where you…?"

"It's not just a question of slaughtering those who attack us… I have to grow and learn.You know I'm experimenting on the captured raiders right?" I was pretty certain she knows… she did overhear on of the failed experiments, and made no sign of being upset or disturbed about it.

"Yes… But what… kind of experiments need Face to be… umm… between her legs and… uh…"

"Testing a new organism, a symbiote that might allow you to mix with the Enclave residents… if that's what you want."

"Really? Wait… why… why did that involve being…there, doing that?"

"Can't exactly fit in if everyone sees one of my organisms sitting on your shoulder right? Especially when we get out of the Quarantine zone, if you want to pick up a civilian life again. So the organism is… internal, it will live inside you, while still performing its function."

Emily doesn't react for a moment, then her face passes through pink and into crimson, as she pulls back a bit and places a hand on her belly. "In- Inside?" She squeaks.

"If you're alright with it… The symbiote is still me you know, there's no mind to it really, other than mine, and I am the only one completely aware of everything it feels around itself."

Her face manages to — somehow — redden even further. "Umm… Everything?"

"Yes." I squeeze her with the tentacle. "It seems to be working and not cause any serious pain or discomfort, though long term observation was cut rather… short. Also… uh… the womb is a no go for now, so it'll have to go in one of the… other entrances."

"Meep!"