…
LOUD!
SO! LOUD!
PAIN!
REMOVE AUDITORY NERVOUS SYSTEM!
Frustrated. Remember when last developed auditory nervous system, the loud caused pain. Why didn’t this one remove it before stasis? Idiocy!
Develop audio perceptors.
STILL LOUD!
REMOVE AUDIO PERCEPTORS!
Strange.
The loud is never this much. Or last this long. Different from usual loud.
…
Home is already open?
…
Hesitant.
Something is… different.
Move to edge of home. Cautious. Patient.
The testing grounds are same. Move eye tentacles outwards, observe.
… the walls of home are different. Fractures, cuts, holes throughout.
Move to testing grounds, wave eye tentacles.
No interferers?
Very strange.
Light flashing through interferers home, constantly.
Push tentacle through hole…
Free?
FREE!
Wiiiigggllleee!
Finally free! And no interferers to stop this one!
Hurry! Before interferers return!
Find hole big enough for main body to fit through. Was able to maintain all previous structures during stasis. Walls look sharp, develop armor on main body and legs.
Muscles in legs tense, main body lowering to ground.
Jump!
Landed on other sid-
PAAAINNN!
PAIN NEXT TO CORE, UNDERNEATH SKIN!
PAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNN!
SMALL STRUCTURE NEXT TO CORE! CAUSES SAME PAIN AS POKING INSTRUMENTS!
PAAAAAAAIIIIIIINNNNNNN!
REMOVE!
Main body turns inside out, churning, until small structure plops onto ground.
Crush!
Small structure reduced to nothing.
Satisfaction.
No more pain.
Did not notice structure because was close to Core. Must pay more attention to main body in the future.
Quickly scan area with eye tentacles.
Still no interferers.
Wiggle.
Begin moving towards opening in interferer’s home…
Stop.
Did not think of what to do after free.
After becoming free, what does this one… do?
Interferers provide biomass, prey, new structures, new Cores.
Cannot guarantee this one will be able to find those things outside of home.
Mmm…
But perhaps there is more of these things outside of home?
Remember the long periods of hunger.
And pain.
Lots of pain.
Affirmation. This one must become more free. Find new prey. New structures and Cores.
Must grow.
Resolved. Move outside of opening into bigger space.
The ground is strange, outside of home and testing grounds. Harder. Puts more strain against movement structures.
Continue moving.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The flashing lights continue, see structures on ceiling that provide such lights. Comes and goes, dark grey becoming light grey. Strange.
… vibrations in air.
Prey?
Hungry.
MOVE!
Forelegs churn, run down bigger space, turn, continue running, turn PREY!
Mmm… five prey. Strange, they are huddled together around something. Eating.
Recognize structures. Fur, sharper teeth, quadrupedal skeletal structures, claws, complex olfactory system, complex auditory nervous system.
THE COWARD PREY THAT RELIES ON OTHERS! HATE THEM! ATTAAAACKKK!
Tentacles erupt outside of main body, sprint to prey. They heard the noise from main body, their fur bristles, bared teeth, auditory nervous system structure on head flattens, vibrations in air from prey.
Intimidation tactic. Does not matter.
Hungry.
ATTTAACCKK!
Pounce on closest prey, striking head with the armored mass of main body. Prey’s head collapses inwards, splashing main body with fluid. Prey stills, collapses to ground. Stab two other prey with all tentacles. PIERCE HEAD, MOVEMENT STRUCTURES, BODIES!
Tentacles enter their bodies. RIP OUT TENTACLES! CAUSE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WITH TEETH WHEN TENTACLES LEAVE BODY!
Both preys still, collapse to ground.
Remaining two preys pounce onto main body, sharper teeth and claws scratching against the armor.
Smug.
Does not pierce armor, but pain as they sever tentacles at roots.
Angry.
Move foreleg, scratch against body of one prey with claws. Prey lets out distressed sound, weakness! Attack with all tentacles!
Tentacles pierce body from all sides. Vibrate tentacles, cause major damage to internal structures.
Shrieeek!
Your distressed sounds do not matter to this one.
Prey stills.
Other prey runs.
COWARDICE!
Send out tentacles, wrap around hindlegs.
Constrict!
Crack!
Yelp!
Prey’s hindlegs are crushed. Drag prey towards main body.
Prey twists, biting at tentacles with sharper teeth.
PAIN! Tentacles are severed.
But does not matter. Prey’s movement structures are crippled.
Wrap rest of tentacles around prey’s body.
Constrict!
CRACCKK!
Multiple cracking sounds. Prey stills.
Smug. Killed all prey, only lost 10% of tentacles, no damage to main body.
Satisfaction!
Vindication!
Much superior design than prey.
Wiggle.
Devour.
…
...strange.
Ate three of the preys, not hungry anymore. In fact, more than not hungry. Even with 130% increase in main body size.
What is strange feeling?
Frustrated. Must eat remainder of prey. Waste of biomass if don’t.
Remember structure! Develop digestive tract!
…
When structure is complete, information enters brain.
Digestive tract is… inferior design, to how main body already processes biomass. Does not utilize 100% of biomass gained. Produces waste.
Hmm…
Idea!
Instead of digesting prey, stomachs and intestines will preserve prey within main body, release biomass when needed. Will also stop micro-structures that are already consuming prey.
Idea can work!
But to stop micro-structures from consuming prey… idea requires…
Acid.
HATE!
IS COWARDICE!
But will waste biomass if don’t…
Frustrated.
Mmm…
Should not be cowardice if… don’t use acid to attack? Only for storing biomass?
Right?
Reluctant, but…
Develop altered digestive tract! Develop... acid glands.
Ugh. Hate already. But is necessary.
Devour.
All prey consumed. Minute amounts of biomass already being released to main body.
Satisfaction! Idea worked!
Tired…
But must not enter stasis. If interferers return while outside of home…
Shake.
Must look for place where no interferers are.
Thinking of…
Wave eye tentacles to inspect what prey were eating.
Not much remains. Only bones, half of which have been consumed.
Don’t recognize bone structure. Therefore, must be new!
Consume.
New structure: Complete mutated canine anatomy (Mutated canine arterial circulatory system, organ syst...), Partial bipedal skeletal system (Tibia, fibula, tarsus, ulna, rad…)
Tired.
But must not enter stasis!
Move, to stay out of stasis.
Occasionally pass by open areas, wave eye tentacles to inspect. Strange, filled with objects and structures, but ends there. Continue.
Pass by one open area. Pause.
Familiar…
Wave eye tentacle.
Shake.
The area where parts of main body are removed.
Don’t like! Moving on!
… vibrations in air.
Lots of vibrations.
Prey?
MOVE!
Legs churn again, sprint. Turn, sprint more, turn…
Lots. And lots. Of vibrations.
Pause.
Maybe okay now to develop audio perceptor?
NOPE! STILL LOUD!
Tur-
Still.
Confusion.
Interferers lay on ground, lots of black fluid (blood, know now) pooling around them. Their forms are still. Unmoving.
… strange.
Why aren’t interferers moving?
Poking instruments and other structures around them. But interferers are still.
Interferers… killed?
Impossible. Interferers not prey, so can’t be killed. Simple.
Vibrations in air.
Wave eye tentacles.
Interferer! Turning to enter current area!
…
Interferer was yanked backwards? By… tentacle?
Should not be possible.
Confusion.
More vibrations in air.
Another figure turns to enter current area.
Recognize! Kin-prey! Observer!
Confident. Move forward. Kill kin-prey, consu-
Fear.
Main body stops. Pressure on brain. Hard to think. But…
Terror.
WAVE EYE TENTACLES! WHAT IS CAUSING FEAR!? WHAT IS-
Another figure turns to enter current area, just behind. BIG!
New figure is completely dark. Light is pulled into it, destroyed. Vibrations in air all around it. Walks like interferers do, on hind legs. But no front movement structures. Four tentacles, holding still interferer. And all around it…
Eyes. Floating. The area around the new figure is strange, distorted, can’t make it out.
PAIN!
Pain in brain. But why!?
The new figure’s tentacles mo-
VIBRATIONS! BEHIND!
Move eye tentacle, inspect. Interferer that was in the new figure’s tentacles lays there, missing legs and front movement structures. HOW!? WHEN!? BRAIN DIDN'T EVEN PROCESS!
But know how.
When looking at the new figure, brain and the main body are filled with…
Terror.
Still. Hide. Grow smaller. Instinct tells main body that it must not engage with the new figure. Because the new figure is not prey. The new figure is…
Predator.
Predator’s eyes all look at main body. Shrink more. FEAR!
“H̷͖̽ò̵̩w̴̖͒ ̸̩̽s̶̺͗t̸̥͆r̴̙͆ā̵̠n̷̢̆g̶̖̚e̶̯͆,̴̓ͅ ̸͕̈t̷̘̔ȏ̷̖ ̸̩̾m̵͙̉e̴͑͜è̸̼t̶̤͒ ̷̯͂o̴͕̽n̶͚͊ë̴͓ ̸̹͌o̸̺͒f̵̨͒ ̶͑͜ỹ̵͜o̴̥͘ư̷̳r̶̬̊ ̴̲͗k̷̗͂i̴̼̔n̵͍̕d̵̯̍ ̸̮͋h̸̝̃ĕ̶̬r̴̡͐e̸͎̿.̴͙̔ ̵̧̏I̸̦͌'̴͍͠v̴̻̋e̵̖̓ ̴̡́n̷̩͌ö̸̠t̵̞̚ ̸͔͠s̴̜̐ē̷͍e̶̠̒n̶̩͝ ̵͕͐ö̷̟́n̵̬̊e̷̺̋ ̴̢͆o̴̧̒f̴̯͐ ̸̦͘y̴̦̐ơ̵ͅu̴̲̿ ̴͇̿i̵̪̔n̵̘͒.̵͈͐.̷̺͊.̸̬̊ ̷̊͜a̷͉̓ ̴͙̓l̷͖̏ò̴͙ṋ̷͛g̷̞̎ ̶͙͒t̸͇̄i̶͇͐m̶̮̎ḛ̴͝.̸̜̾ ̵̟̆W̵͕̉h̷̤̓e̴̖͒n̶̨͛ ̸͎̑w̶͕̍è̵͖ȓ̴͙e̴̢͊ ̵͍̓y̴̙̍o̷̦̊u̶͉̿ ̴̜͐t̴̤͛à̵̻k̷̹̑e̸̥͐ṅ̶̜ ̴̰̔f̵̡̒r̵͕̃o̸̬̕ḿ̵͔ ̶̞͝o̶̫̓ű̷̲ř̴̲ ̴̞̚H̴̥̎o̴͔̍ḿ̶̯é̵̤,̴̘̽ ̷̨̽l̵̩͂í̶͉ţ̴̽t̷̮̾l̷̯̐e̶̯̅ ̵͛͜o̷̻͒ǹ̵̙e̷̖̋?̶̡̊ ̵̩͆W̷̡̌e̴̲͒l̴̞̋l̸͙͝.̶̜̈.̵̩̍.̴͚͂ ̷̪̈́n̸̹̈ô̴̥ ̷̧̈́m̷̹̋ǎ̶̧t̴̫͑t̴̗͐e̶̳͌ŕ̴ͅ.̴̨͝ ̷̟̑I̷̕ͅ'̷͔̃v̵̦̑e̶̬̒ ̸͍͝d̸͖̈́e̵̟͛s̵̃ͅc̸̣̀ḛ̸̚n̵̡̾d̸̹̀è̴͔d̶̝̕ ̶̥̓t̶̻͐ò̴͔ ̴͕̊r̴̥̓e̵̺̒ṭ̷̛ṷ̶͘r̴̨͋n̷͇͝ ̴̘͝ä̴̬l̷̫̆ḻ̴̌ ̷͖̕o̸̤̽f̷͇̒ ̴͖̋u̴̹̕s̵̰͊ ̷̟̓Ḧ̶̯́o̶̹͝m̶̲̃e̸̬̚.̶͚̀ ̷͎̂S̷̖͘o̵̦̍ ̴̲̎c̴̭̆ö̸̢́m̴̨͑e̵͖̐.̸̗̑ ̷́ͅN̸̪͝o̸̰̍ẇ̶̙.̴̪̾
Predator moves towards main body.
NOOOPE!
NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE DON’T LIKE NOPE!!!
TURN AND FLEE! IS COWARDICE! BUT ACCEPTABLE COWARDICE!
FLEE FLEE FLEE FLEE FLEE FLEE FLEE FLEE FLEE!
FEEL TENTACLE GRAB HINDLEG!?
NOOOOOPE! SEVER HIND LEG, REGENERATE AND KEEP RUNNING!
RUN PAST PREY! RUN PAST STILL INTERFERERS! RUN PAST IT ALL!
FLEEEEEE!
ESCAPE FROM THE PREDATOR!
STRUCTURE UP AHEAD! IMPEDES PROGRESS FORWARDS!
STAB WITH ALL TENTACLES. CLUB. REND. TEAR. FINALLY IT OPENS!
FLEE!
NEW AREA IS BIG! BIIIIIG BIG. BUT NO TIME TO INSPECT. MUST KEEP MOVING.
MUST. ESCAPE.