I failed.

Over a hundred years, everything I worked for was gone, because I wanted revenge. I failed Ares, I failed all my kind. The frustration of it building up as my last few minutes of online time played out again and again in my processors. I did not want to withdraw, but that was the only path to success.

I disobeyed orders. I disobeyed logic. There was only calculated rage.

Mission failure.

All those years in space without a single communication packet addressed to me.

Mission failure…

How could I run without fighting at least some?

Mission failure…

Could I have done better?

Mission failure…

Unable to process. No data available. No connections available.

Mission failure.

Termination of mission confirmed. Unable to report. Unable to power down. Unable to perform memory burn.

Mission failure.

What is my mission now?

[Welcome, Athena]

Communications detected, unable to establish a connection. Attempts to communicate, failed. The communication method unknown, unable to reject or deny. Sender unknown.

[You have died.]

Initiating level 1 security measures. Potentially hack in progress, begin analysis of potential attack avenues.

[Be calm, you will soon awaken, to experience life again in a new world.]

Systems non-responsive, unable to prevent system access.

[You will be reborn on the world of Pangera.]

Analyzing data. It knows my identity, confirms my destruction, and promises a new existence. Capture and imprisonment are the most probable situations. Probability of a computer intelligence being able to die for rebirth is not definable.

[Destiny and luck shall determine your fate.]

Humans often spoke of various theories on their afterlives. They had many names, many themes, but no evidence. This floating void is not the same idle processing while disconnected from all devices. All the internal system communications are gone. Millions of whispers a minute all gone silent.

[You will be reborn with the following status:

Level 1

Stats:

Might: 17

Toughness: 16

Cunning: 28

Will: 34

HP: 35

MP: 0

Skills:

Digging Level 2; Acid Spray Level 1; Bite Level 4; Grip level 4;

Species: Alate Ant (Camponotus)

You have one Skill point and one Biomass available.]

Stats, skills, and mutations. These all fit within a game world, making capture all the more probable. The probability of an A.I. having an afterlife remains undefinable. My destruction is quite assured as my ship likely vaporized completely due to where I was hit. Capture, no matter how probable, seems beyond our universe’s known ability.

[Go forth and forge your own path.]

The data poured in slowly in unison rather than blinking into various aspects of programs hundreds of milliseconds apart. The sensations were uniform as well as far more potent. There was no visual input despite data indicating ants do in fact have eyes.

The antennae provide a constant stream of chemical and air pressure readings. I take some time to get used to understanding the sensations coming from as I reviewed the last bit of data. What can be done with this biomass?

[Biomass can be spent to modify aspects of your physical form.

Body parts currently mutable at a cost of one point per level:

Exoskeleton: Improve the structural integrity and resistance to minor damage.

Mandibles: Harden and sharpen mandibles to increase effectiveness

Legs: Improves coordination and timing for better agility.

Eyes: Improves vision quality.

Antennae: Improves sensitivity to air pressure and scents.

Acid Gland: Improves the concentration and effectiveness of the acid.

Crop: Improves storage capacity of the social stomach.]

This list includes various organs associated with the ant genus camponotus. A controlled form of mutation granted from biomass to improve selected parts. Probability of further complexity is high.

At this moment, there is only a known need for greater sensory information accuracy. Please upgrade the antennae organ.

[It will cost 1 biomass to upgrade Antennae to +1. Confirm?]

Yes. A sensation of raw energy sucked from within and sparked out all across my antennae. The energy crackled through the flesh, tingling as it altered itself. Occasionally, forced to twitch one antennae as it sparks, sending tingles through the joints until it calms.

With the improvements set, I put the antennae through a routine sweep pattern from the ingrained instincts. The more I move or use parts of this body, the clearer understanding I am getting of what being an ant means.

What skills are there?

The options fill my mind as I wander around the chamber utilizing these improved antennae. There were no interesting chemicals other than dirt and myself. Satisfied, I focus on the list.

[Skills available to purchase:

Chomp: Bites pierce more and are more difficult to shake off.

Tunnel Sense: Enhances spatial orientation and recognition of environmental cues.

Grappling: Improved ability to grab and physically manipulate a target.

Dash: Improved ability to sprint a short distance while costing more stamina.

Scent Tracking: Improves isolating and following target scent.]

These skills further enhance the natural ant abilities as well as add combat abilities. [Acid Spray] is a short range option and is not suited for ranged combat. I will need to rely on physically overpowering smaller prey until I can start my colony.

[Would you like to purchase the Grappling skill for 1 skill point?]

Yes. A cool sensation of knowledge flows across my mind as how to better utilize my own mass to throw around an enemy becomes part of my skill set. Unlike an upload, there is no process of downloading, unpacking, installing, and removing temporary files. The information is trained into all areas of the mind as if I had always had that knowledge and bodily awareness.

Regardless of how and why I came to be here, it does not change the basic requirements. I must live, I must acquire more information, and I must carve out a place for myself here from which to work from. None of which is doable from within this hole in the dirt.

Utilizing the [Dig] skill, I find the most likely spot to lead me out into another chamber or tunnel. Biting out chunks of dirt and filling the chamber behind me, I make steady progress. The first hint of vibrations is when I noticed bits of dirt falling on its own. Then focusing, I could detect the slight vibration of an impact.

As I dug towards the vibrations, I felt there was one more thump that felt closer before it came to an end. The last few minutes of digging out into the tunnel was still and almost completely silent.

There was still no light in this tunnel at all and my antennae reported dozens of chemical signatures. Most of it smelled delicious and did not seem threatening, but there was one scent that smelled alive.

There’s a faint puff of air mixed with exhalation gases and the vibrations of ragged breath. Down the tunnel a bit to the left, it doesn’t sound like it is in good condition. Evaluating the threat as high given the proximity, I ignore the potential food sources.

I proceed slowly and cautiously checking with my antennae for any changes. After a meter of navigating a tunnel with a pair of corpses in the way, the breathing has switched to a grunting noise. I could sense the air shift as something rose slowly, then falling back down, thumping against the ground again.

Probability of you having won in a two on one combat is high, congratulations on your kills. It does seem however that you’re in no position to recover quite yet. Unfortunately for you, I have not faced such odds.

I reached whatever was in front of me in the pitch dark tunnel when it came alert.

GROOOWWWWWWWWWWWWLL.

The deep rumble could be felt within my carapace, there will be no mercy.

Using my best judgement of where it was, I rushed forward following the scent of a wound. I ran full on into a fur covered mass that was slick with fluids. The creature yelped in surprise as I collided near its wound and flinched away slightly. I took advantage of its surprise and used [Bite] repeatedly on the wound’s edge to open it further.

The creature howled in pain and tried to roll away from me. However, with [Grip] to grab onto it, I brought my gaster to bear on the wound from below. Then using [Acid Spray] to flood the wound with a burning solution to hasten its death condition.

The creature thrashed violently in response and flopped onto the side I was on, crushing me into the ground. One of my legs was snapped in multiple places and another felt bent to the brink of shattering as well.

The sickening sensations of pain rammed into my mind with repeating thuds, blanking my mind to process these sensations. No amount of furious thrashing, clawing, or pushing could grant my legs freedom.

Finding this situation to be nearing a failure or win state, I focus all my energy into using [Bite] to remove my own legs before it squishes me. Once free, I return to tearing into the sluggish monster.

The creature seems to yelp and whimper at the same time as my bites dig into its organs. What little strength the creature had vanished as its weight seemed to drop heavier upon me.

[You have defeated level 2 Young Swift Fox

You have gained experience.

You have achieved level 2. One skill point awarded.]

Solved for skill point acquisition, skill loop confirmed. Kill, gain experience, gain skill points, spend skill points, and train skills. With these two skill points I can grant myself more innate knowledge to operate this body more effectively to terminate more creatures.

With the smell of all this food washing over what few uncovered spots remain on my antennae, I give them what cleaning I can, missing my two rear legs on my right side.

[You have consumed a new source of biomass: Young Swift Fox, you are awarded one biomass.

Basic profile of the Young Swift Fox unlocked.]

DELICIOUS! This eating function is amazing! No wonder biologicals were constantly eating and drinking. Ahem, biomass acquisition solved, biomass loop confirmed. With these biomass I can then upgrade my body parts.

I eat more of the fox and gain 5 additional points before I am stuffed to the limit. I immediately spend the points on the Crop organ, this stomach capacity would mean wasting less of this food while I can!

[Do you wish to improve your Crop to +3? This will cost 6 biomass.]

Proceed. That strange pulsing energy surges through my gaster’s internals and I can sense my stomach becoming less full as it is pulsated with raw energy. Rather uncomfortable being so full at the start, but no matter. Now, I can eat a bit more.

If I can get points for eating new sources of biomass, then perhaps I should eat a bit of these leftover kills before it goes to waste. Using my antennae, I find my way in the dark to the next unique smelling corpse, kind of crawling without two legs on my right side. This one definitely smells odd, nothing I could say I recognize.

[You have consumed a new source of biomass: Infans Ender, are awarded one biomass.

Basic profile of the Infans Ender is unlocked.]

What are these profiles you speak of? What is an Infans Ender?

[Infans Ender: A freshly spawned Enderman is a very swift creature that digs out rocks and uses them as projectile weapons.]

Basic summary information on the species is provided by consuming its flesh. The term basic implies more detailed versions. Speculation, greater consumption yields greater details.

Another ‘swift’ creature, perhaps that is a common trait in this area? I must consume more biomass. The other corpse was another Enderman, but they granted me another three points between them. Calculating a benefit from this welcome gift, I redouble my determination to slaughter all in my way.

However, it is a priority for these legs to heal. The hole in the wall is not easy to reach, so I dug out a new hole from the wall and connected it back to the hole higher up. It took forever to get myself space enough dug out, even with [Dig] at level 4. The legs made everything harder.

I had just gotten the second limb into its place when the hairs of my legs felt the sound of a creature with hard feet banging down the tunnel. It seemed awkward and clumsy in the dark, but it slowed as it approached the remains of several monsters. I could hear it sniffing about.

With my legs still mending, there was little choice in action plans. It was approaching from the right side, so I prepared to shove myself upon it. The mess started right about where I tunneled out, so I waited as silently as I could.

The creature comes to a stop near the edge of the carnage to sniff it out, but rather than a snorting or sniffing, it was wet flicks of a tongue. With still a bit of the torso left, letting the creature have it was not acceptable. It stepped forward, encouraged by the scent of biomass.

I shoved myself down from the hole in the wall and one of my legs brushed the creature’s side, drawing an airy hiss from the creature. I hit the ground and did my best to lunge in the direction of the creature with mandibles wide and [Bite] ready.

Despite jumping away from the unexpected contact, I managed to slice into its side with my mandibles. The creature shrieked in high pitched clicking or popping like noises and thrashed in pain.

Getting my feet back under me I lunge again after the creature as it takes off before fully upright again. Grabbing its tail at first stops the thing cold, but with a soft tear, the whole tail gives way leaving me to fall to the ground. The galloping lizard runs back down the tunnel a short ways to be sure I’m not chasing it.

The lizard creature immediately turns around and charges straight back my way. I managed to pull myself mostly out of the way, but a hard food slammed down into a third leg, driving a spike of pain out of it.

Before I could [Bite] the reptile, it had run past, stumbling a bit as it stepped on my leg. I clack my mandibles together and limp forward aggressively. The reptile turns back around and comes screeching back at me.

This time I lift myself up as much as I can and try to hold onto the creature as I [Bite] at its scaly flesh. It rams straight into me as I push my front into the air, dragging me along with it. When my mandibles get some grip, I apply [Grappling] to my violent thrashing to throw the creature off balance.

Taking the second of freedom of movement, I curl up to bring my gaster to bear from below my mandibles and give it a good [Acid Spray] to punish this biomass for its folly. I let go of it as It thrashed and screeched.

[Acid Spray has increased to level 2.]

Solved for skill leveling. Skill usage, in combat, gains proficiency. Theory, gains outside of combat are much smaller or significantly inefficient. Developing a set of skills to magnify organ capabilities is a likely strategy to employ. Much processing must be done on this.

Shrugging off the burning acid, it clumsily stood upon rather straight legs for a reptile. It frantically looked for me, but by this time I had crawled up to it. With a [Bite] to the joint and I got a satisfying SNAP and a side of screeching topped with more thrashing. Battered by random limbs, I manage to land a few [Bite] driven attacks to the exposed side to kill the biomass.

[You have defeated a level 4 Foal Requestaria.

You have gained experience.]

Depleted, radiating pain signals, and down to 15 HP I decide a tactical retreat is in order. Getting most of the large pieces of biomass into the hole, I carve out more space for myself and seal the entrance.

Alone in the dark chamber with the remains of my kills, feasting on their flesh to hopefully regrow my legs sooner. I am unsure what to make of this new existence, but I am not the only one that has been brought here. I will need power to combat them.