The Great Devourer was executing a command that the creators had given to It a long time ago. That command was very simple: devour everything on Its way. Was the Great Devourer a biological weapon? Or was It some kind of failed project of an ancient civilization? It didn't know. It didn't care. The Great Devourer cared only about Its masters' last command... Until one day the Great Devourer had come in the new solar system. It was a typical solar system with planets that went around a sun in the center.

The Great Devourer moved to the nearest planet. Soon the dangerous creature did Its job and headed to the next planet. It was the bright green planet, the second one from the sun. Unexpectedly a sight of a bright green planet had invoked a strange feeling in It.

Usually Great Devourer would eat this world without a doubt, as It did with many others. But this time an unexpected thought was born in Its mind. What if I will create a life?

That was an unusual thought. That was an alien thought. A thought that should never appear in Its mind.

Am I broken? the dangerous creature thought. Is there a malfunction in my program?

It scanned Itself with the help of special organs that should protect the Great Devourer from any attacks. No error was found.

I'm not broken. There are no malfunctions in my program, It concluded, and got a bit curious.

What if I will create a life?

This thought was new for It, but the Great Devourer felt a need to satisfy that desire. Thus, a tiny part of Its body was split off when the dangerous creature was close to the green planet. The Great Devourer gave Its part a small portion of Its knowledge and a command to create a new life form. Then that small part was sent to the surface.

The Great Devourer continued Its movement, leaving the green planet intact as well as the rest of the solar system. It didn't execute the last command of Its masters the first time in Its life. It was strange. It was unacceptable. But it was done.

Gradually the Great Devourer moved further and further from the solar system.

+++

Chapter 1. On the green planet

A black little ball – which had a lot of tiny tentacles over its body - crawled out from the water.

The black ball had decided to consider itself as a male and had chosen "Seed” as his name. Seed looked around. He didn't have eyes, but he had other sensors to "see" what was coming off around.

There are a lot of life forms here. Seed thought. But I need to create my own life form, I guess... Um, what should I do?

The ball hadn't a complete free will. Seed knew that he was a part of the Creator like an organ in a human body. He should obey the Creator. But still Seed could decide on his own.

The Great Devourer - or perhaps "Mother" for Seed - hadn't a specific description of what Seed should create. Just create a new life form, Great Devourer ordered. Therefore, the ball was confused. He had his own ideas, but Seed was a newborn after all. It was difficult for the ball to decide on his own yet.

Um... I guess I'll explore some territory around, Seed thought. Perhaps, I will see something interesting, and it will help me to decide how I should execute my task.

The little ball rolled in the jungle. He was curious. During a few minutes of rolling ahead he saw many different forms of life in the jungle. They all were aggressive and hungry. They all fought and ate one another nonstop. Some predators had even tried to devour Seed. But Seed was too fast and agile for them. Also, the ball had avoided some intricate traps successfully.

The animals of this planet are smart. Seed thought, slipping through the sticky web.

The ball saw that the giant owner of the web sat on the nearest tree currently, being well-hidden behind leaves.

Seed continued to roll ahead for some time, but all of a sudden he felt hungry. The ball thought that it was not a bad idea to add some biomass to his current body.

I'm too small now.

Thus, a feast began in the jungle. It turned out that small Seed was a dangerous predator for the local life forms.

+++

Deep under the hill, the black ball - which got bigger - had buried himself in the earth. Seed liked this place. It was dark and safe. Besides, from here he could observe the surroundings. With the help of a small network of disguised tentacles, Seed could do that.

The ball was content currently. He was full. Seed could say that he was even happy.

Um, I guess, it's time to think about my mission, he thought lazily. What life form should I create?

Seed was sure that he needed a life form which would be helpful for Seed. A single creature can't do a lot of work for me. Perhaps, I need a race of helpful creatures? But what characteristics should my race have?

It was an important question for Seed.

I guess my race should help me to find food? Definitely.

Seed liked to eat. And liked to eat a lot. But he didn't like to hunt down prey. Especially if a prey can bite back.

In the end this sound idea was accepted.

My race should have many members.

Seed was sure that many members would create a great food supply chain, with a lot of food ending in his tentacles.

But my race should obey me!

The future ruler didn't like the idea of keeping an unruly race under his control day in and day out.

My creatures must be smart enough, of course!

Seed also disliked the idea of ruling over a bunch of idiots.

For some time Seed continued to think about his future race; and especially about the race's useful characteristics.

Seed had a good rest at first, and only then he began his work. The ball had excavated a space underground.

It should be my lab.

Seed had created some biological organs that should help with Seed's work. The ball placed them in the lab. The most significant out of all organs were an artificial womb (it could give birth to Seed's projects), Stomach (it could eat almost anything and supply some nutrition to Seed's projects and to other organs), and DNA Coder (it could program embryos).

Soon the first member of his great race was created! It took a few hours to complete this masterpiece... that, unfortunately, turned out to be a complete failure.

Too pathetic! Seed concluded; and killed a pair of creatures.

The second project was an attempt to create some kind of a swarm with Seed as their leader. This project took a day of Seed's time, but the outcome was a failure. The black ball just couldn't manage newborn creatures. A small number of those creatures had burdened Seed's mind too much. Therefore, he gave up the project.

Seed continued to create his perfect race. A failed experiment by a failed experiment continued.

Too weak!

Too lame!

Too ugly!

Too strong! Ouch! Hold on, beast! I'll show you who's the master here!

Too smart!

Too boring!

+++

Seed was exhausted. He worked a whole night without a rest. He had even missed breakfast. The latter was the most terrible. But all creatures of Seed were complete failures or barely acceptable pathetic things. For Seed, creating his own race was like constructing a nice and sound building when you have just a portion of architectural knowledge. Actually, you can construct a building with that knowledge, but it would be far from the desired one.

Obviously, it's the Great Devourer's failure, Seed concluded. It should have given me more knowledge. I would have succeeded then.

Frustrated, Seed left its hideout and rolled through the jungle. Soon the ball stopped. He had reached his destination. He was close to the river in which Seed had landed some time ago; afar the ball could see a range of mountains.

What should I do? He thought.

Truth be told, Seed despaired. He was afraid to fail again. He was afraid... to be a failure himself.

Suddenly Seed noticed a group of small creatures which drugged some food to their lair. This scene had caught the ball's attention.

Seed had seen in those small creatures one of the most important characteristics which Seed wanted to see in his own race. An ability to find and bring food to their master!

If a human could see those small creatures, he or she would say that they look like hamsters with green fur, a color that serves as a part of the hamsters' disguise in the jungle.

Seed decided to hide and observe. And Seed liked what he had seen! The hamsters were numerous, cooperative, and... Well, smart enough for such small creatures.

The ball had seen the hamsters defend their food against a small predator. In that dangerous situation they worked as a group!

Ah, an ability to defend master's food!

Seed had even noticed some communication among the group members. Yes, it was just primitive sounds. But it was a communication process!

Seed was delighted.

That's it!

The hamsters were almost perfect. They lacked only a single characteristic. Each hamster was weak.

But thankfully their numbers will cover this weakness! Seed realized happily. They suit me well!

The ball sneaked to their lair and devoured a whole group of hamsters. That's how Seed got their DNA, and understanding of their biology. Seed can understand how a life form or any other object functions - at least on a basic level – when devouring it.

Now I can create my own race!

If compared to a building, now Seed had a blueprint of a whole race.

I only need to add some adjustments! Perhaps make them stronger?!

Seed hurried to his base to begin its work.