…

Loud.

Move to edge of home.

Eager.

More prey?

Home opens.

Move before vibrations come.

“X1, this is a dfifeernt test. In front of you is a stnoe blal. Open it, and get the biomass inside.”

Confusion.

Biomass?

But no vibrations in air from prey.

Wave tentacles. Develop eyes on tentacles. Look at interferers.

Watching. More of them.

Scan with eyes around bigger home.

See it.

Strange, looks same as main body, but… not. Not same… look. Not same… color? Grey. Not black. Smaller. And no tentacles.

Smug. Inferior design.

Wiggle.

No wiggle back.

Prey?

Reach out tentacle. Push.

No reaction.

Prey hides?

Wrap tentacles.

No reaction.

Smug. Weak prey.

Develop endurance muscle. Refine endurance muscle.

Squeeze.

No reaction.

Annoyed.

Refine endurance muscle.

Squeeeeeeeze.

No reaction!?

Frustrated. Prey hides.

COWARDICE!

Drop prey. Wave tentacles in air.

FRUSTRATED.

Look at interferers. Looking at main body and strange prey. Interferers notice tentacles, shake.

Inspect new prey.

Hard. Very hard. Harder than last prey.

But no danger.

IDEA!

Remember club structure on earlier prey’s head.

Harden tentacles. Remove endurance muscle. Develop twitch muscle. Refine twitch muscle. Develop rigid armor.

ATTACK!

Not wrap. Not pierce.

Club.

Crack!

Satisfaction.

Club.

Shatter!

SATISFACTION!

Wiggle.

Biomass inside.

Eat. Eat eat.

Strange prey. No attack, no tentacles lost, no damage to main body. Hard, but… not dangerous.

Interferers enter bigger home. Big interferers, armor, poking instruments.

But not scared.

Interferers… prey?

Move tentacles to closest.

Club.

Bounce.

Armor is harder th-

PAIN. PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN MUST MOVE PAIN!!!

Move back to corner of room. 20% of main body gone. Repair.

Interferers not prey. Too strong.

Home smaller.

“Fcukre took a swnig at me doc. I amlsot shot the dman thing.”

Deflate. Sorry.

“Hunt, it’s braley the size of a hosue cat.”

“Fcuk off Brnsaon. You didn’t see what that thing did to a bbay rihon. No fcuking way I’m lteting any of its tentacles near me. I say we schok the dman-damn thing until it’s rat-sized again.”

Shake.

Fear.

Schok means poking instrument.

“I’m srory abuot that Mr. Stndaseh. X1 has never dsiplyaed agrgessvie bhevaior towards its hnalders before. We’ll have mseaures in place in the eevnt it does so again.”

“Thanks doc.”

“Still, rdecuiotn in size may be apoprpriate for the tiem being. No biomass until further ntoice.”

“Yes sir.”

Sad. FRUSTRATED.

No biomass!?

20% of main body gone.

Stasis. Must conserve.

…

…

Loud.

Strange. Pain in main body, underneath tentacles.

“X1, move to testing grounds.”

Reluctant.

“X1, move to testing grounds.”

Reluctant.

PAAAAIIIN!

PAIN IN MAIN BODY! UNDERNEATH TENTACLES, INSIDE OF BODY!

No poking instrument, but same pain. But worse. Underneath, next to Core.

“X1, move to testing grounds.”

Move. Don’t want pain.

“Cmomnecing elmenatl rsestiance training.”

Strange.

Home is being covered in fluid… but not biomass? Different fluid.

Fluid covers main body.

Unpleasant.

Submerged in new fluid.

…

“Sxi mnitues submerged in wtare. As epxetced, X1 has no need for oyxgen. Darining testing grounds.”

Fluid goes away, this… wtare. But clings to tentacles and main body.

Unpleasant.

Vibrate. Wtare gone. Pleasant.

Wiggle.

“Testing for frie rsestia-resistance.”

Vibrations in air. Wave eye tentacles, look.

Strange. Grey objects enter from floor. Big. Prey?

Submerged again. But not in fluid. In… something else.

Too bright for eyes. Pain, but different pain. Remove eye structure.

Unpleasant. No pain, but unpleasant.

Develop armor.

Relief. But unpleasant again soon.

More armor.

Relief. No more unpleasant.

Satisfaction.

“X1 does not show sgins of ditsrses uopn haet exposure. Hwoveer, it did develop armor to shield itself. Fruthre testing rquierd. Next test is exposure to clod.”

Submersion stops. Reluctant to develop eyes. But do it.

No more bright.

Grey objects are gone.

Happy.

But unpleasant again.

Strange. Movement is slowed.

Tired.

… more tired…

...stasis…

…

“X1 displays sgin-signs of ltheragy when exposed to the clod.”

Tired… but out of stasis....

Less tired.

No tired.

Happy.

Feed?

Biomass?

“Now testing against aicd exposure.”

Another grey object. But different, comes out of top of home.

Fluid drips out of object.

BIOMASS!?

EAT!

Reach tentacle to flui-

PAAAAAIIIINNNNN!!!!

PAAIIINNN!

PAIN WON’T STOP. STOP IT PAIN.

FLUID CONSUMES TENTACLE. REMOVE TENTACLE.

No more pain.

Tentacle gone. Wave eye tentacle, look.

Fluid consumes tentacle.

Strange.

“X1 exbhits etxrmee avdrese reaction to aicd-”

HATE AICD! HATE IT! RESEMBLES BIOMASS! BUT IS NOT! COWARDICE!

“-and dcesveily scarficed its tentacle to prveent further damage. X1’s sruviavl isntnict is stronger than ogrinially thought.”

Home opens. Interferer enters bigger home.

NO!

Move to home before interferer attacks with poking instrument.

Learned. No attack interferer. Not prey.

“This the bguger that had you so sarced Hunt? It’s kinda ctue. In a hroriyfing, edlritch abmontaion kinda way.”

“Fcuk you Carl, that thing is not ctue. I’m tleling you, the thing is a msonetr and we shloud kill it.”

“They’re all msonetrs, Hunt. That’s kinda the piont. Waeopns testing and all that.”

“Wahtveer. Doc, is that all the testing for tdoay?”

“Yes, that will be all for us Mr. Stndaseh. But lba three appears to have succeeded with their prjoect, so they may have a need for you.”

“Tahnks doc.”

Angry. Don’t like Mr. Stndaseh. Eager to kill main body.

“Dven-Devon, please feed-”

FEED! HUNGRY!

“-X1 the usual biomass size.”

Happy.

Wiggle.

Move to feed. Biomass comes.

But curious. Interferers have lots of vibrations. Want to try.

Develop lungs. Develop respiratory tract.

“Tahnks Doc!”

Vibrations quiet. But must eat!

Eat eat eat eat!

“Hmm? Devon, did you say something?”

“No sir. Why?”

“Oh… just thought I heard… nveer mind.”

Still hungry.

Always hungry.

Brain consumes too much biomass. But processing speed. Frustrate.

Stasis.

...