Ambition is a poison. So insidious a normal man, woman or child doesn't even know their goal can be harmful or blind them in the process of reaching said goal. But what if human's weren't the only one's to be ambitious? What if being's with much more power and resources were caught in their visions?
Dr. Hein's Log: 8th of Jinfen: Today Master Lore has given me a very special task. He's assigned me to create a counter to the evergrowing threat from HIM. And I got just the thing! For a long time now I've been toying with the idea of a living bio-weapon that will turn the fallen warriors of our army and any enemies and...repurposing them for better means. Coleptera Cranium....or 'Brain Beetle' shall be a genetically modified insectoid that will burrow and breed into the corpses of animals as well as release a chemical that shall slow the decay process and allow the flesh to loosen and thus move. Some borrowed cells from Ophiocordyceps will enable Coleptera Cranium to control the animated body and seek out and kill other being to gain new bodies to breed and feed in. Now to get started on creation.
Dr. Hein's Log: 21st of Jinfen: Genetic Altercation has been complete and Coleptera Cranium has been properly created. A few setbacks were found when the genomes and hormone production genes clashed but a stablisation has been created. A specific gene has also been implanted into the Coleptera Cranium's DNA to be averted to a special chemical created for this certain task, dubbed Xolterin. Xolterin was designed to allow to easily contain Coleptera Cranium as to not lose our own warriors to the Coleptera Cranium's survival instinct to kill for new hosts. Testing will begin in due time.
Dr. Hein's Log: 15th of Rubdash: Coleptera Cranium has shown to fufill it's function. It can enter a host and using the grey matter, lay it's eggs for breeding. However, Coleptera Cranium appears to need several specimens to control the host. As little as ten are needed for smaller fauna such as mice, rabbits, and chipmunks to as numerous as several million for large animals like elephants and giraffes. Testing has also shown Coleptera Cranium has shown either refusal or inability to infest hosts that are not warm blooded. Scorpions, snakes, and any other cold blooded animal or insect have yet to be seen infested by Coleptera Cranium. Xolterin works as expected and Coleptera Cranium have shown to be so averted to it that they leave a host when said host is sprayed by Xolterin. Coleptera Cranium has shown no natural defense outside of a host and is easily preyed on by birds, reptiles, and large insects.
Dr. Hein's Log: 14th of Solhyme: Coleptera Cranium so far has progressed exactly as expected. However, recently Coleptera Cranium has evolved. While previously akin to the Scarab, it has grown and now has the structure of Deathwatch Beetle and has also grown wings and no the needed number of Coleptera Cranium needed to control a host has decreased due to the size increase. Xolterin has also shown to have less of an affect on Coleptera Cranium. Coleptera Cranium now no longer flees a Xolterin sprayed corpse but the operates the corpse away from the Xolterin. Xolterin shall no longer be sprayed after every test to prevent further resistance adapted.
Dr. Hein's Log: 1st of Dashesh: Coleptera Cranium has further evolved. Now being the size of a average human head, they can now only infest small animals during the larval and pupa stages. A full Coleptera Cranium life span has been increased by ten years, though no reason for this can be found. Coleptera Cranium's exoskeleton has also toughened, now being able to protect it in full from Xolterin, implying it also somehow evolved to shed the gene implanted in it's DNA that make's it naturally avert Xolterin. Deceased bodies infested by Coleptera Cranium now also are hardier and Coleptera Cranium can operate them more naturally, movements seeming human and have shown to be able to keep bodies in working order longer. Coleptera Cranium's egg number per clutch has increased from one hundred ten to three hundred and number of clutches a month has grown from a mere two to fifty a month. Thinning Coleptera Cranium's number seems the best coruse of action to prevent the testing lab and containment unit from being overrun.
Dr. Hein's Log: 30th of Dashesh: Master Lore has stated the project has gotten out of hand and insists we discontinue the project. Five months of work down the drain. Oh well, there's always the Mana Ark Project to work on. Master Lore has suggested dumping Coleptera Cranium on a Exo-World with no inter Exo-world travel under the pretense to return to observe it's evolution in a few years time. I fear what poor Exo-world get's chosen for such a task but may their god help them.
*Project Brain Beetle Discontinued*
Well...that won't come back to bite them in the ass...right? Isn't that a concept? Insects that burrow into carrion and use them as food, mating grounds, defense, and camouflage seems like some thing out of a bad zombie story. But tell me, do you Dr. Hein's project could prove useful?
YOU ARE READING
Tales From Babalangion
SpiritualA collection of stories from the world of The Reigning Fear. Expanding on lore of the world. Delve deeper into madness as you enter a world where fear is supreme and humans are unknowing to the plights that will be caused by beings they can't hope t...
