*000000*

While Emily blue screens, I review the experiment's results. In short… and to quote, am I the baddie?

I had intended to be more humane in treatment of prisoners — as far as possible when still needing to run experiments — since Master powers are a thing. That didn't last nearly as long as it should have, and I might have to admit that… the mountain of corpses I will leave behind me will not be entirely physical. At least the test subject didn't suffer in her last moments, the Zergling was as efficient as it was brutal. The terror she felt before that however… Mengele would be proud, I'm sure.

I could use a morality adviser, but all I have is a girl that is more worried about me cheating on her, apparently — or replacing her — than she is about the… extremely unethical experiments and brutal death of a living person. I don't even know what to blame, is it the broken shard attached to what passes for my brain nowadays? Or maybe something to do with being the Overmind of a planet-eating swarm? I'd… really like to point the finger at some third party, but… I recall several conversations with friends — and how long has it been since I thought of them — from before I ended up in Earth Bet. I think it might just be me.

I guess mad scientists are recruited from somewhere, and at the end of the day… I'm more invested in surviving and prospering than in morality and ethics. After all, if you win, its displaying sangfroid and dedication to the cause. It's only a cold-blooded war crime if you lose.

"Alright Emily, please increase the strength of your Aura slowly." I ask the girl. She's got the symbiote wrapped around her shoulders at the moment. Since we only need to test and make sure that the symbiote and her powers will interact properly, it's sufficient for now. It would be really unfortunate if I went through all this work, and then the Reflect bubble didn't work with Emily's power at all. Really should have tested this before now, and possibly spared one person a traumatizing death.

"Mmm!" Emily scrunches her face in intense concentration. She's asked to put off the whole symbiote-host thing for now, and I saw no reason to push. It'll still have to happen eventually, at least if she wants to fit in with regular civilization once outside the quarantine. Assuming that ever becomes a valid option.

The Ratling, which is standing just outside the bubble, is completely unaffected after a few minutes, but that's to be expected. My organism's immunity has far surpassed the point where there are any symptoms or sign of her power being active. Another Ratling enters the chamber, dragging a young kangaroo wrapped up in Mutalisk web. No human test subjects needed here… and cats and dogs are getting really hard to find in the city. Somehow the damn kangaroos are still keeping an active population despite being the fresh meat of choice for everyone, including the Enclaves.

I watch the animal with anticipation… It's still alive, hard to see if there's any damage occurring under the webbing but its head is free and shows no sign of melting, nor any signs of distress beyond struggling to get out of the bindings.

"Alexei, won't it be… kinda weird… having you inside me? We haven't even had… r-real s-sex yet. Not… really." Emily fidgets in her spot while we observe the animal.

"Emily, I'm a giant tentacled brain with an army of bio-engineered organisms that are all extensions of my will. Everything I do will be weird." I'd give her a hug, but this test is — for obvious reasons — being conducted in a remote part of the bunker. Just in case. "But don't worry. I know our first time is special, you want it to be with a form that's as human as possible, right?".

When she nods quietly in confirmation, I continue. "If the idea of it being inside you is too much for you… You can tell me if it is, I'll work out something different. Maybe I can work out a way for it to be completely independent and not rely on my mind to control it. Would that make it easier?"

"N-no? Yes? I… I don't know. It's… scary… and really embarrassing… maybe just a teensy bit exciting too…" The last part is said so quietly, it's little more than an exhale over barely moving lips.

"Hmm… think of the intimacy. No hug, or act of sex can ever bring too beings as close as a symbiote and its host. No human lovers can ever come even close to such intimate contact." Even if there is some cape with powers that allows for the size difference… the inside of a human body is not a safe place for any organism not designed for it.

"That makes it more embarrassing! And it's probably all… icky inside!" Despite her protest, her cheeks have a light pink blush, and my Ratlings can smell a hint of arousal in her scent.

"Don't worry about it for now, there's no rush. At the very least, we can put it off until after Abzu finishes developing."

We chat for a while longer, but after half an hour there still has been no change in the test animal, except for it exhausting itself struggling. It's still alive though, and reacts when my Ratling prods it, so… "I think that's good Emily. You kept your aura up as strong as you could the whole time, right?"

"Yup! So… it works, right? The roo looks fine! Poor thing must be so confused and terrified about what we are doing."

"Yes it does. There… is one more thing we need to check, though."

"What?"

"The symbiotes bubble doesn't allow energy or whatever your aura is, to pass through it, in either direction, apparently. But from the outside, it reflects and amplifies. I wonder if it does the same to energy coming from the inside."

"I… don't feel any different?"

"You wouldn't. I think it's the… Manton Limit or Law or… something. I'm pretty confident powers that affect other people generally can't affect the user, and vice versa. It's the only reason I even considered using this particular power to control yours."

"Oh. So…. Inside this bubble…"

"Probably. The Symbiote is in it with you, of course, and it has suffered no ill effects, but the immunity my organisms have has continued to develop. The kangaroo…" While I speak, my Ratling drags that subject closer to the bubble.

Emily must have realized the most likely result, as she turns her back. "Sorry Alexei… I… I can't watch." She whispers.

Huh? That's odd. She has no issue with watching people being brutally slaughtered, but seeing an animal melt from exposure… ah, she saw people she knew die to her. That's… Ah, probably some serious trauma there. The Ratling pauses just outside the bubble, struggling kangaroo in paw. I walk Face forwards, only pausing for a moment to try the bubble with a finger to make sure his immunity is keeping up too, then step in and wrap my arms around her in support. "It's alright Emily. We don't have to try this. Would you prefer we end it here? We already know the Symbiote contains your aura. That's enough for now."

Emily is quiet for a while, but eventually, she shakes her head. "No… Let's get it over with. I… need to know."

I say nothing more, just hold her as the Ratling shoves the kangaroo into the bubble.

It's like I pressed it into an industrial juicer. Where the kangaroos flesh comes in contact with the bubbles surface — or more accurately, the moment it passes through — solid tissue ceases to exist and only liquefied orange goop remains, dripping to the ground with a wet noise.

Emily shudders at the sound. "That sounds… bad. No hugs with friends then?"

"… Sorry. Look at the bright side. Previously, anyone in the same room or sometimes the next room over was in danger of fatal or crippling damage, especially if you lost control for a moment."

"I don't! I've been practicing. I can control it really well now!" She burrows a bit into Face's wrappings. "But… still can't turn it off."

"I know you have. You've been doing great. Look, with the symbiote, at least people only have to stay outside of arm's reach, and the bubble is visible, so accidents are less likely."

"Unless someone trips into it… then… it sounded really fast."

"It was. Way faster than anything I've seen happen before. Hey, it's a step in the right direction, right?"

Truth be told, I'm a bit scarred of what happens when she is completely safe around others. She's been doing much better mentally since I found her, but humans are communal creatures by nature, and only having one person to talk with can't be good for her mental health, especially at her age.

What if she's only been so on-board with everything — with us — because I'm her only chance at talking to another person? I hate to think about it, but… she has to have the option.

That evening, Face is on its way to check in with Hewson when I come across Benjamin, hiding out in a dark alley between two creep-overgrown buildings. "Hey Face, get over here quick." His voice has that stained quality of a person trying to shout in a whisper.

I quickly switch focus onto a Mutalisk overhead, and check the surroundings. No sign of any danger, except for the Encalve a couple blocks down. Benjamin is the only person here. The only other activity is the drones that have been circling outside the Dome structure.

"Benjamin. What is it? You smell… agitated?" I ask as soon as I slip into the alley with him.

"You can…? Of course you can." He shakes his head. "We have an… unexpected visitor at the Enclave."

I raise an eyebrow, then remember he can't see that, so tilt my head and urge him to continue.

"A Cape just popped up in front of the gates, out of thin air. Insisted on speaking to Hewson right away."

"Anyone you recognise? I've been hoping to run into Doctor… Solaris? Yes Solaris, I don't suppose…" "Naw, wasn't the doctor. I don't remember his name, but I've seen this guy on the telly a few times. He's a government cape. Doubt the quarantine caught him if he can teleport or whatever he did."

"Oh. Did he ask for Hewson by name? I'm guessing he's still there?" Of course the government would have a Cape capable of some form of teleportation, and I can't exactly watch for people that just… skip through my territory without actually existing in it.

"Yes."

"I see…" What the hell? I was waiting for capes to come down from the skies, or the tanks to roll in, and instead, they send a single cape to… talk to Hewson? Oh wait… shit, of course. If they are lacking in information about me, who else would they go to but the Enclaves to gather intelligence? And, since Hewson has been my primary contact with the other Enclaves, whoever they visited first would point them in his direction. "Alright, I'm going to stay clear for a bit. Let me know when he's gone. I need to know what this cape and Hewson talked about."

"Sure, I'll just mosey back in, and give you a wave when… if he's gone."

It's over an hour before Benjamin shows up again, with word that the cape — Goes by Transit — has left. Hewson also wants to talk to Abzu as soon as possible, but he'll have to make do with Face for a couple more days.

The Watson Enclave is doing well by the looks of it, signs of battle damage are practically gone now, and even their building is taking on a more… built look, as opposed to the patchwork scavenger aesthetic it — and most of the Encalves — had going on. There's a smell of uncertainty and tension in the air though.

"Face, I'm glad you came by." Hewson says, pouring a glass of liquor for himself. After a moment's hesitation, he pours another and pushes it across the table towards me.

I pick it up, and carefully, so as not to reveal my face to him, take a drink. Alcohol, it turns out after earlier tests, has practically no effect on my organisms. The basic enhancement Essences seem to handle the minor poison without issue. "What's got everyone so nervous today?" I ask him, feigning ignorance, just in case Benjamin was keeping his involvement quiet.

"Hmm…" Hewson drains his glass in one go before speaking. "We had a visitor, first time since the quarantine went up, that someone from outside bothered to talk with any of us. At least as far as I am aware."

"Outside the quarantine?"

"Just so. Transit, government Hero, popped in. Apparently, the Australian Government has decided to… offer extraction from the quarantine zone and relocation to a safe site for anyone who can give them information on your boss. Well, they called it the 'biotinker threat'."

"I see. You going to take him up on the offer?" I ask bluntly.

Hewson pours another glass for himself. "God knows I'm tempted. I've got family out west you know? They likely think I'm dead. I might as well be, locked up in this damn city. They said they could allow limited contact. After proper screening to make sure I'm not a Simurgh-Bomb."

"And the rest of the Enclave, the people that rely on you to hold them together?" I try not to think too much about the fact that everyone left in the city might be a Simurgh sleeper agent. It makes me… uncomfortable. Thankfully, I have seen no sign of… whatever that would look like.

"They offered to pull out anyone willing to co-operate against the threat."

We sit in silence for a while. It's awkward, I'm not really sure what to say, and he seems content to watch the liquid swirl in his glass. "So…" I leave the words unfinished.

"It occurs to me, Face… that if they have a way to screen for people being… manipulated by the Simurgh, then they could have been working on getting us all out slowly. Instead, they sealed us in, and that great gigantic dome they were building doesn't exactly suggest it's a temporary measure. You know why?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Me? I bet it's money. It's cheaper to build a giant dome then it is to put thousands of people under whatever this screening process is. If it even exists at all."

I feel a bit of tension leave Face's body at that. "So you think they're lying?"

"Might be. Even if they aren't… I'm not inclined to side with the people that left me, left all of us here to rot. They watched from outside while the riots happened. Even after we did their dirty work and decimated ourselves, they still left us in here."

"I'm guessing they aren't happy about being refused."

"I didn't tell them no to their face! Hah, I've had more than enough practice in the political game to know how to spend a significant amount of debate saying nothing. More than Transit, for sure. Other Enclaves however… the promise of getting out of here will tempt them. Sure, most will probably carry a grudge against the government too, but... They don't know you, and certainly not Abzu. Even I've never met the man."

They'll also have a lot less information, though I suspect living within the city alongside me has given most a functional understanding by now, and word of mouth will have spread between Enclaves too. Worse perhaps, the Enclaves could provide a base of operations for troops and cover for clandestine operations. Since the presence of non-combatant 'innocent' humans is the only defence I have against surface bombardment at the moment… Wiping them out would not be ideal. I think I can see what he's getting at. "You are suggesting that Abzu needs to speak to the other Enclave leaders, right?"

A smile touches the corners of his mouth for a moment. "Exactly. Abzu needs to get out of his seclusion or whatever the fuck he is doing, and get out here and shake some hands. Make some promises. I believe that nobody will want to take the governments offer, but some might if they see no other option. Even just reliable shipments of food would be tempting payment as is."

"Alright. I'll speak with Abzu. If I have to drag him out on my own back." Hopefully not, I think depositing a cocoon in front of the gathered Enclave leaders would… not go over so well. Introducing my actual self would be just as bad. Somehow I don't think there's be a lot of trust for the giant tentacled brain. "Can you get me two days? I'll get Abzu to hold a meeting at… the parliament building should suffice."

"Two days, the nineteenth… I'll try to keep anyone from signing on till then, but it had better be early in the day. I don't think Transit or his bosses are going to be patient with this."

Of course not, they must be aware by now of how rapid my growth can be. Two days is a long time, I doubt they're going to sit on their hands and wait for the Enclaves to take up their offer.

The next day finds me passively observing my eastward bound Mutalisks, as they wing across the Pacific Ocean, and reach the first milestone of their journey. A mountain range rises out of the ocean and stretches as far north and south as they can see. I could be wrong, but that should be the Andes, beyond which lies the very bio-rich Amazon. Assuming it's as relatively wild as my original world's Amazon basin. And hasn't been blown up by some cape. It'll make an excellent location for a tertiary Hive.

Or… secondary, considering that the Antarctic Hive is very slow to develop. My Mutalisk is feeding birds, seals, and anything else that it can catch to the struggling creep that's slowly overtaking the abandoned station. Internal temperatures are slowly rising, but they have only just reached a point where the eggs can be safely prepared for hatching.

Two of my Mutalisks gain altitude as they continue eastwards over the imposing mountains, their eyes alert for any potential hive-sites. The last turns north, following a rough path I've plotted out on a world map the Ratlings dug up. It doesn't show much except the major cities, but I'm pretty sure I need to reach the east coast of the States.

It's a long way to North America, but the Mutalisks have impressed me with the amount of distance they can cover in a single day of constant flying. That said, it's going to need to pause and eat soon.

Too bad that Mutalisk transport is not a reliable way to move matured organisms. I need something like an Overlord, but nothing big enough to transport a significantly useful number of organisms is going to be stealthy.

Till now, my bet on letting the Hazmat team capture one of the Ratlings has been a failure. Turns out that despite what Hollywood says, major offensives are generally not planned in laboratories next to a conveniently located captured specimens.

Not having full Taylor-grade multitasking is an issue as well, as I simply can't be paying attention to everything said in the lab they took the organism to, while also working on new evolutions, monitoring Emily, and interacting with the Enclaves. I'm getting the idea behind stuff like Evolution Chambers, Abathur, hell even the Cerebrates when I imagine running multiple planets of worth of organisms. Delegation is useful if I don't want to just throw a massive swarm of organisms at a problem and let them deal with it in the most simple and violent manner possible. Maybe I should poke around at the idea of creating some independently intelligent organisms to help manage things…

Most of the times I've focused on the Ratling and listened in, they've been running various tests on it. There's a battery of scanning by many machines. I recognise an MRI, and I think there were a few x-rays in there, but the rest escape me entirely.

Still, since this is my only current opening to gather information on my opposition, as they are trying to do as well, I try to pay attention to the Ratling, hoping to catch some useful intelligence. So far all I have gotten is the… nearly soap opera worthy tales of office politics in the lab.

Finally, I catch a break, as the usual scientists in the observation room are joined by quite a few suits that just scream G-Man, a handful of capes, and a smattering of what must be military brass, going by the uniforms.

"When analysing the specimen's genetic material, we've identified sequences that suggest an assortment of gene modifications with a unique combination of sources. It's only thanks to tinkertech instruments that we could trace some of those to their origin, that being predominantly the common sewer rat, but augmented with other sequences such as the crawfish native to the Molonglo River. As you can see, the lower pair of eyes look eerily human. They are in fact completely so, likely used to give the creature better depth perception then it's other, more sideways facing eyes would give it."

The doctor giving the briefing pauses and flips through her notes while taking a drink of water. "However, without further research into the purpose behind these modifications, we cannot determine if they were created solely for purposes such as combat as the exoskeleton would imply, or scavenging as the opposable thumbs would, or if there are additional reasons behind their creation. Opposable thumbs are uncommon amongst creatures outside of primates, showing a level of dexterity usually reserved for tool usage, which has rather concerning implications entirely on its own."

"The specimen's speed is exceptional when compared to other creatures of its size. Through further analysis, we have discovered that this organism's enhanced agility and endurance come from a combination of altered muscle fibres with enhanced tension and range of motions, as well as increased oxygen-carrying capacity via replacing haemoglobin with a new, unknown protein molecule." The doctor raises a vial of purple blood for the room to see. "This gives the specimen's blood its unique coloration, and considering its vastly improved oxygen capacity, I find it likely we will see the same protein in all the organisms.

"These adaptations suggest the creature was specifically designed to operate in environments where agility would be an asset. This possibility is supported by the creature's second pair of eyes, which can see well into the ultraviolet range, which could be used for detecting prey or threats even in extremely limited visibility.

"Additional samples may provide us with insights into how these organisms' unique gene modifications relate to their specific evolutionary context or if there were any trade-offs between different traits during their engineering process. Nevertheless, it remains likely that these characteristics represent deliberate choices made when designing these organisms rather than random mutations."

The doctor's on a roll now. "The absence of any clear indicators for control mechanisms raises significant questions about the organisms' behaviour, making obtaining additional information essential. With only this single specimen to study and evaluate, it is nearly impossible to determine if any centralised command structure or control system exists. It may be the organisms are all working off of a simple pheromone-driven emergent 'hive mind', much like you would see with ants or other swarming insects. Recent history is also replete with examples of villains that cannot control their creations and end up the first of many victims. It is only fortunate that most of those do not create creatures capable of reproduction, and so the damage caused is limited."

She's interrupted by one of the capes. "Wait, it can breed?"

The doctor frowns at the interruption, but answers regardless. "Ah, yes and no. It has the organs, but the gametes seem to be malformed. It's extremely unlikely it could breed successfully. At risk of repeating myself, we can't know if that is a flaw in this specimen, the entire strain, or all the creatures without additional samples."

I was still figuring things out! Hatcheries are more efficient for scale anyway. The rest of my organisms I designed to be properly neutered, except for the Face clones, which were supposed to fit in with humans, and Abzu, who I took painstaking effort to make sure was anatomically complete and fully functional.

With no more interruptions, the Doctor continues where she left off. "If a central processing system exists within this organism's population, locating a member with more advanced neurological capabilities may provide key insights into their intelligence structure. At present, we can confirm from observations in the field that a degree of strong cooperation occurs; however, categorising the method of such will remain dubious until additional samples can be studied.

"Acquiring additional specimens is a top priority for further research. The additional samples would allow us to compare and contrast the biological adaptations of different creatures in the bio-tinker's menagerie.

"With more specimen to work with, we could begin the creation of simulations based on existing data which should provide insight into their likely behaviour and intelligence. The lack of data present provides limited opportunity for expanding our understanding of these organisms beyond mere speculation. However, each new sample that we receive will help fill gaps in our knowledge."

Wow, she just keeps going, uh… I think I got most of that. Not much… useful for me, I don't think, except… they're going to be trying to capture more of my organisms. Yeah, I saw that coming. The fact they aren't able to figure out how the organisms are controlled — yet — is good. Mostly a lot of supposition and requests for more specimen to be collected. I think I'll try to prevent that for the immediate future.

There's a dull murmur of conversation in the room until one of the suits raises her hand. "Is it sentient?"

"Well, yes, but most living things are, starting from insects and onwards. I assume you meant to ask if it is sapient, capable of understanding and self-awareness. No, we do not believe so. It's failed most of the tests we administered for such, and does not seem to express any deeper understanding of itself."

"What about problem-solving abilities?" the suit follows up.

"Learned behaviours, with little to no experimentation or comprehension of the acts. Cats and dogs show more understanding when they learn to pull open doors or undo their chains. In fact, we've had a harder time keeping the fungal samples contained, but even there we believe that to be the simply emergent behaviour."

She's wrong on that front, a Rattling would be quite clever and investigative, but I want this one to be boring and lacking in initiative, and so it is. I… suppose that might send the researchers sniffing down the trail of a hive mind, but based on something relatively shot range or physical such as the pheromones she already mentioned.

Eventually the meeting winds down, and they take the Ratling back to its containment enclosure. I leave it to its devices and lose focus, lest I have to hear — and smell — the doctor and her intern going at it like rabbits. Apparently showing off the results of her research gets her all hot and bothered. The intern is a lot less receptive, but has little choice in the matter if the late night rants I've heard from him are to be believed.

"Alexei! I haven't seen my house since… well, since this all happened. I want to go take a look!" Emily says, throwing herself against my main body.

I wrap a few tentacles around the smooth, tender skin of her exposed midriff. She's taken to wearing a short shirt and jean shorts because of the heat inside the hive. The regular supply of food has helped her recover a healthier figure than the depressed, starved, and filthy girl I first came across. I also summon Face to the chamber. "Are you sure? The odds of it still standing unlooted are… not great. Also… anything organic…"

"I know. I won't stay long." Emily rolls her eyes. "I just want to see if… some gifts and pictures. Daddy used to send me stuff from America."

Huh, I hadn't ever heard her talk about her father before and had assumed she'd never known him. "Your dad? You never mentioned him before."

"Mmm. I don't know a lot about how he and mom met. He was in the Navy, umm, the American Navy. Before they left because of Leviathan. Mom and him weren't… together for a while already, but he sends me pictures and gifts for Christmas and my birthdays."

"I.. See." Okay, I'd kind of been assuming she was a complete orphan, not that a father somewhere in the States makes much of a difference. Guy better not be some big name villain or hero nowadays. In fact… "Is… is he a Cape too?"

Emily giggles at my questing. "No, at least… he never mentioned anything like that? Besides, if he was, he would have definitely found me when the Simurgh showed up, right?"

"Yeah, that would make sense. If I had a daughter in a place being attacked by an Endbringer, I'd definitely sign up to help only to spend the entire time searching for her instead. You know, pictures won't last with your aura…"

"I'll bring a couple of Ratlings to carry stuff and… can I take Reflect with me?"

I can certainly understand that desire to collect at least bits of her pre-quarantine life. "Of course, just be careful with it. It's not fragile, none of my organisms are, but it was designed primarily to live inside a host. It doesn't even have a carapace! If something happens to it, I don't have any other immediately useful leads to help limit your powers for now." I am in no hurry to poke the can of worms that are the Slaughterhouse Nine by trying to kidnap Hatchetface, or the attention that would put on me from certain clandestine organisations.

"Jesus, this is the bloody quarantine zone? Looks like it copped a real beating." Darren says to Juul, her ghostly form chilling his body from within as she keeps him aloft over the city and hidden from the external drones and those dragonfly looking things. The setting sun casts long shadows between the broken buildings, dark spots illuminated by the subtle glow of whatever that mossy stuff is.

"It's also giving me some proper heebie-jeebies." His sister says with his mouth. "What's with the glowy shite that's takin' over everything?"

"Let's bring 'er down and take a squiz at what we're dealin' with. We need to split up anyways."

They drop below the jagged buildings until his feet touch down on the soft squishy material. He shivers as she pulls herself out of his body and drops her breaker state, leaving him feeling empty. As soon as she returns to physical, she drops to the ground exhausted.

"Strewth, that was a bloody long journey, Dazza." Juul gasps out, fighting to pull in air.

"You seen the government patrols? Those cunts ain't messin' around." He takes the bag off his back and pulls out a green coloured can, popping the tab. "Give this a whack. It's supposed to be some sorta tinkered-up super-juice."

Juul takes a gulp of the liquid and almost chokes. "Oi, this shit tastes like some bloke went and chucked coffee beans in petrol and mixed it all up together!"

While she finishes the can off with a grimace, Darren unpacks his camera gear. "Gonna be bloody worth it. These journos are offerin' one-fifty for photos of the zone. Might even chuck a few more bucks our way if we got somethin' real spiffy in 'em."

As soon as Juul stands up, Darren snaps a picture of her in her costume, standing in the shadows of a crumbling building, the dim glowing plant-stuff giving the picture an otherworldly feel.

"Ey, Dazza! No need to waste film on any old random shots, aye? Save it for somethin' really worth shootin'."

"Don't be such a nong, sis. That pic I just took is worth one-fifty bucks. We'll make a bloody killing today."

The two bicker light hardheartedly while walking down the street, weaving between strange alien plants and overgrown wreckage. Every few meters, Darren stops and snaps a picture of something that catches his interest. Strange bulbs growing on fleshy trees, or a kangaroo nibbling on an overgrown wa