[SPOILERS] Carar - the aftermath
Lulzes
Join Date: 2017-07-25 Member: 232050Members
Join Date: 2017-07-25 Member: 232050Members
The young Sea Emperor swam clear of the warp gate. The space that greeted him on the other side overwhelmed him after long decades in the confines of the PCF aquarium, even though he had seen it through the eyes of many creatures during the long hours he had spent probing their minds. His mother had taught him well, to gently ease himself into the conciousness of another species, but recently he had found the experience disturbing. The first time he had entered the mind of an infected creature, the rage almost overcame him. Spasms of terror intertwined with a primal urge to kill - that was the effect of Carar on the primitive mind of his host. To him, it was like a bad taste, and it gave him a headache to experience it for too long.
But the space was invigorating: he sped off spontaneously, gliding above a landscape that was both familiar and alien - he knew each species of plant and animal, and he knew the natural processes that shaped the rocks and sand, but the scope of it and the experience of feeling the dim sunlight, the diverse scents of pheromones and decay - it was a playground, and he plunged into it like the child he was. He would have spent hours frolicking amongst the Creepvines, but suddenly he spotted a Stalker, and that taste came back to him again. Now he could smell it too, the green pustules on the creature leaking their toxic fluids into the water. He glimpsed into the Stalker's mind and a red mist descended, and before he knew what he was doing he had charged and ripped the Stalker in two.
He pulled back in horror at what he had done. The cure had come to late, he realised. The damage was done, and as he looked around again he started to notice signs he hadn't picked up in his initial enthusiasm. There were barren areas of reef, where only a few fish hid in the corals. The only fish that were thriving were the Biters and other parasites, feasting on the corpses of creatures who were both victims of Carar and victims of the rage it induced. The reef was dying.
There was something else he needed to see, something he'd only seen through the enraged eyes of Carar victims: a Warper. Those abonimations left behind by the Precursors had no mind he could enter, and their synthetic vocalisations were meaningless to him, but he knew their purpose and had studied their behaviour indirectly. They had done a good job wiping out infected populations, but without a sentient guide to direct their efforts, they had been indiscriminate, and their efforts had been localised. The result was an imbalance, whole areas devoid of life while others still teemed with infected creatures. The Warpers were also indiscriminate in their diets, and had almost wiped out certain species that supported their biome.
It wasn't too hard to find one. Its rasping vocalisations and distinctive warping movements didn't lend themselves to stealth, but it didn't need it. As he approached, the automaton turned and scanned him, a blank, cold stare that showed no fear or surprise. After a few seconds, a small movement caused both Leviathan and Warper to turn - a small fish had darted from the cover of a tube coral and was heading for a patch of Redwort nearby. Before he could react, the Warper blinked out of existence with a pop and a flash, and re-appeared in the path of the small fish. A claw flashed, there was a puff of yellow, and then two mandibles neatly picked the two halves of the dead fish out of the water as they drifted down.
The Warpers were now an invasive species, and one that couldn't be reasoned with.
Something had to be done. After taking care of the Warper, he found a nice cave, settled down gently and closed his eyes, and in his mind he searched for his family. They would probably all have seen what he had, and he knew a consensus would be easy to reach. There was one other mind they would have to reach out to, and hope that it was not too late.
But the space was invigorating: he sped off spontaneously, gliding above a landscape that was both familiar and alien - he knew each species of plant and animal, and he knew the natural processes that shaped the rocks and sand, but the scope of it and the experience of feeling the dim sunlight, the diverse scents of pheromones and decay - it was a playground, and he plunged into it like the child he was. He would have spent hours frolicking amongst the Creepvines, but suddenly he spotted a Stalker, and that taste came back to him again. Now he could smell it too, the green pustules on the creature leaking their toxic fluids into the water. He glimpsed into the Stalker's mind and a red mist descended, and before he knew what he was doing he had charged and ripped the Stalker in two.
He pulled back in horror at what he had done. The cure had come to late, he realised. The damage was done, and as he looked around again he started to notice signs he hadn't picked up in his initial enthusiasm. There were barren areas of reef, where only a few fish hid in the corals. The only fish that were thriving were the Biters and other parasites, feasting on the corpses of creatures who were both victims of Carar and victims of the rage it induced. The reef was dying.
There was something else he needed to see, something he'd only seen through the enraged eyes of Carar victims: a Warper. Those abonimations left behind by the Precursors had no mind he could enter, and their synthetic vocalisations were meaningless to him, but he knew their purpose and had studied their behaviour indirectly. They had done a good job wiping out infected populations, but without a sentient guide to direct their efforts, they had been indiscriminate, and their efforts had been localised. The result was an imbalance, whole areas devoid of life while others still teemed with infected creatures. The Warpers were also indiscriminate in their diets, and had almost wiped out certain species that supported their biome.
It wasn't too hard to find one. Its rasping vocalisations and distinctive warping movements didn't lend themselves to stealth, but it didn't need it. As he approached, the automaton turned and scanned him, a blank, cold stare that showed no fear or surprise. After a few seconds, a small movement caused both Leviathan and Warper to turn - a small fish had darted from the cover of a tube coral and was heading for a patch of Redwort nearby. Before he could react, the Warper blinked out of existence with a pop and a flash, and re-appeared in the path of the small fish. A claw flashed, there was a puff of yellow, and then two mandibles neatly picked the two halves of the dead fish out of the water as they drifted down.
The Warpers were now an invasive species, and one that couldn't be reasoned with.
Something had to be done. After taking care of the Warper, he found a nice cave, settled down gently and closed his eyes, and in his mind he searched for his family. They would probably all have seen what he had, and he knew a consensus would be easy to reach. There was one other mind they would have to reach out to, and hope that it was not too late.
Comments
It's not a fan story, it's an idea for an expansion/alternate ending.
Ah. Could you make it a fan story? Please?
It was just something that I thought better to explain through a narrative than by listing features or game mechanics. Never really been into fan fiction, but I'm flattered you think it's of that quality. Maybe?
I want to see what happens next! Thanks for considering. It's better than some fan fiction i've seen. you at least follow the storyline.