…

Loud.

Awake! Out of stasis!

Hungry.

Developed brain consumes too much biomass! Whyyyy!?

Objectively, this one… stop it. Don’t like thinking like kin-prey.

Know why developed brain consumes so much. Processing speed greatly increased, ideas constantly flowing. But still, why? Inefficient. Annoyed.

…

Idea.

Maybe only use developed brain when the main body is in danger? Keep simple brain for other times?

Mmm… Possibility. Requires further deliberation.

“X1, move to testing grounds.”

Think more later. For now, move to edge of home.

Home opens. Move to center of testing grounds.

Wave eye tentacles. Push against clear walls of testing grounds - glass? Recall interferers calling it such earlier - and discover that…! Still not free.

Only slightly disappointed.

But more interferers now.

Many more.

Strange.

New interferer and Doc are displaying aggressive behaviors. No cowardice.

“Hoh hoh hoh! I’d forgotten how… quaint, lab one’s research facility was. It’s rather cozy. I must say, being in a lab with so little equipment is refreshing in a way. It reminds me of when I first began working here.”

“Indeed. Being able to produce such a promising test subject despite not being equipped with the latest technology like lab three has been an eye opening process for me. Quality of our researchers over the quantity of your equipment truly is the most valuable thing, wouldn’t you agree? Ha ha!”

… Strange. Such aggressive behaviors, but no violence? It would seem the interferers are engaging in a battle of some kind. Superior design?

“Tsk. Still as arrogant as ever, Doctor Rester.”

“And still the prick I remember, Junior Researcher Grant.”

“Ah, it seems you’re going senile Doctor. I completed my doctorate quite some time ago.”

“Ah, forgive this old mind of mine. It keeps reminiscing on when you were the starry eyed new whelp that first walked through our doors.”

“Here you are Doctor. The energy consumption levels of X1 during inter-testing periods that you requested.”

“Thank you Rose.”

“Ah, Ms. Cavish! Apologies for the rather sudden transference to lab one. I hope you’re doing well?”

“I’m doing quite well, Doctor Grant. Working here has been fucking spectacular in comparison to lab three. Doctor Rester truly is the fucking genius I’ve always heard of. No apologies for my language.”

“Ha!”

“... right.”

“I’ll be returning to my station, Doctor Rester.”

“Please do, Rose. Perhaps we should begin, Junior Re- right, sorry, Doctor Grant?”

“Indeed. I truly hope our specimen - one of many, I might add - doesn’t end up terminating... X1, you call it? That would be a shame, you only have the one, after all.”

“It certainly will be interesting to observe what new structures X1 attains after consuming your specimen. What was it again? The Shadow Stalker?”

“... wait, go back to your previous statement. What do you mean it attains new structures?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear? X1’s Core ability is absorbing and retaining the structure of anything it eats. We haven’t been able to discern what his secondary Core ability is, however.”

“...Doctor Rester, X1 hasn’t developed a brain has it?”

“Of course not. We removed that function when we observed it was growing one.”

“... let’s just begin the test.”

Mmm. It seems the battle has ended. Unsure who won.

Vibrations in air.

Prey?

Must prepare.

Develop all structures used against previous prey. Refine all structures. Develop acid… no. Is cowardice. Won’t use, even if… reluctant to admit.

Even if superior design.

Frustrated. IS COWARDICE! WILL NOT USE!

But will develop corrosion immunic tissue.

Pleasant.

ACID NO LONGER WILL HARM MAIN BODY! SATISFACTION!

Mmm… New brain develops structures faster. Much faster.

Thinking of… sort through information provided by combining new Core with original Core.

New Core abilities: Psionic link. Psionic assault. Minor Telekinesis. (Active use consumes Core energy).

Mmm…

Uncertain how to utilize. Must test against prey. But telekinesis…

Is this how the kin-prey flew? Even with no wings?

But kin-prey was slow. Inferior design to wings. Unless…

Idea.

Influence prey with telekinesis?

Must test when possibl-

PAIN!

Legs attacked!

But from where!?

Where is prey!?

Wave eye tentacles, search for newest prey.

Can’t find. There is no prey?

PAIN!

One eye tentacle severed.

But NO PREY!?

NO STRANGE STRUCTURES!?

IMPOSSI-

PAAAIIIINNN!

Right foreleg has been severed.

50% of mass is resting on remaining foreleg, main foreleg sinking. Must repair right foreleg.

Relief. Stop sinking.

…

Prey hides from sight.

Unsure how, prey is here, but not visible.

COWARDICE!

Prey still must make some form of sound. All preys do.

Remove audio perceptor.

Develop auditory nervous system.

Legs and paws step against ground. In circling pattern around main body.

Sounds stop.

SOUNDS APPROACH! FAST! BUT FROM WHERE!?

PAIN!

Left foreleg has been severed STAB!

Missed. Sounds resume, circling around main body.

Mmm…

Remove all structures except for armor, brain and auditory nervous system.

IS COWARDICE, BUT MUST!

Hide.

Developed brain is thinking at maximum speed.

Can’t see prey.

Can’t predict where prey will be.

How to find this COWARD prey that hides from sight?

…

IDEA!

Develop tentacles, endurance muscle, twitch muscle, teeth on tentacles, refine endurance and twitch muscles, sharpen tentacles, sharpen teeth, refine endurance muscles again, lengthen tentacles.

Main body shrinks by 78%. But 300% increase in usual tentacle amount.

Remove armor. Main body restores in size by 20%

Search for prey with tentacles. Tentacles blanket testing grounds.

“Well that’s absolutely horrifying. You sure we can’t purge X1?”

SHUT UP MR. STANDESH! CONCENTRATING!

The circling sounds have paused. Vibrations in air.

SEND ALL TENTACLES TO VIBRATIONS!

FOUND! SATISFACTION!

GRAB!

Prey struggles. Is surprisingly large, larger than main body, even after shrinkage. Tentacles are PAAAAAIIIINNNN severed in large amounts. DOES NOT MATTER!

VIBRATE TENTACLES. REND FLESH! TEAR APART!

SHRRIIIEEEEKKK!

Smug. Does not matter, your distressed sounds.

TEAR!

RIP!

CRUSH!

Prey stills.

Is finally visible to eye tentacles.

Recognize structure. Forelegs, hindlegs, same body as earlier prey that had these structures. Four eyes on head structure, nose.

But two structures on either side of main body. Similar to tentacles in nature, but tips end in long claw-like structures.

Drag to main body.

EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT CORE! HIDE CORE! EAT EAT EAT!

...

No interferers enter testing grounds?

…

Strange.

Move back to home anyways?

Home closes.

Smug.

Ate all of prey. Remove excess tentacles, but leave usual amount remaining. 100% increase in main body size. Enough biomass to keep all structures functional during stasis.

“Doctor… I know I’m usually biased against X1, but I think you’ve created something truly horrifying here. We should probably kill it just to be safe, before it murders everyone here.”

SHUT! UP! MR! STANDESH!

“You know, Hunt is usually an idiot-”

“Hey…”

“- but for once I share his sentiment. X1 may become uncontrollable in the near future. Perhaps releasing it upon the Rift soon is the best course of action?”

Rift?

This communication has occurred rather often recently.

Curious.

What is Rift?

“Well Doctor Grant!? HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT! HAHAHAHA!”

“He’s not listening to us.”

“... well Doctor Rester. Congratulations. X1 barely succeeded-”

“Barely!?”

“Fuck you Doctor Grant. No apologies-”

“-in terminating our weakest specimen. Maybe another joint test in the future is appropriate?”

“Gladly, Junior Researcher Grant. Good day.”

“Tsk.”

…

New structure: Scything tentacles, complete quadrupedal skeletal system, vascular system, digestive tract, compacted pink tissue muscle system, complete musculature system.

And new Core.

But...

Still hungry here. Please give biomass?

“What’s up guys? I just got a break from my jig over in lab two. Passed by the lab three blokes on my way here… aww, did I miss the test? Can’t believe I missed the bugger in action. How did he do?”

“Yo.”

“Greetings.”

“You missed it, yes. Speaking of, Doctor, did you hear what we were saying?”

“Yes. But X1 is currently too valuable of a specimen to release. Still, perhaps a new addition to the X-series is in order. To establish a new baseline.”

“Doc, no offense, but that’s a terrible idea.”

“And that is why you are currently regulated to security detail, Mr. Standesh.”

“Doc, I did some thinking, and I really think we should give X1 a tophat. Don’t you-”

“Carl, go back to lab two.”

“... come on Doc, please?”

“No. And Devon, feed-”

FEED! Satisfaction!

“-the new standard amount of biomass.”

“...Doctor, we were actually thinking, we should probably release X1 to the Rift.”

“And remove further chances of testing? I think not.”

“...Doctor, you saw what X1 did, right?”

“I did, and it was perfect.”

“...sure doc.”

While waiting for biomass, combine Cores.

PAINNNN!

New Core ability: Invisibility (Active use consumes Core energy).

Biomass comes.

Devour.

“T̸h̶a̵n̴k̵ ̸y̸o̴u̴ ̷D̵o̸c̶t̷o̴r̸”

“That’s it! Devon, give me all of the audio logs from X1’s inter-testing chambers for the past 186 hours.”

"Yes, Doctor."

Stasis.

...