Stage 4 of Replication completed!

Vessel is ready for use

It took nearly three full weeks before the Hivemind could feel the new vessel overturn completely. As time had shown, it seemed that Manipulation users had additional resistance to its effects, the brain-structure confusing the Parasite. It was figured out in the end, of course, but the promise of more complexity wasn’t reassuring. Turning Augmentation users would likely be harder as well, though that was pure speculation.

The Parasite had in the meantime prepared another egg to be used but hadn’t found a proper time to implant it into another potential vessel. Due to the attack on the Biomancer, the watchful eyes of security had increased to incredible amounts, any divergence from normal patterns questioned. The new vessel wasn’t disciplined enough to make any random wandering suspicious but the Hivemind had no desire to test the superiors’ patience with it. Using the new vessel well, the Parasite had started to make the Biomancer more productive overall, not slouching on requested tasks. The waiting list of several weeks had been turned into mere hours the second that the actual working hours had been respected. It forced the Parasite to manually control the vessel instead of letting the former mind act but the benefits were too significant to ignore.

“Could I ask why you have such a sudden change in mood?” Markus, the co-leader of the farm, had asked the Biomancer during one of the lunch periods. The Manipulation User wasn’t to be found anywhere near official business before afternoon had come around yet the Parasite had slowly started changing the status quo. Productivity was the way all great things came forth.

Oak blinked at the co-leader. Even when being in control of the powered being, the Hivemind was still shocked at the pure mass of the human. Having weighed the body on a scale, it was nearly double the mass of Tom.

“I’m not criticising it, of course,” the co-leader continued. It seemed that more physically built humans with the power of nature were feared more than the average person. If it didn’t bring in negative emotions when used in excess, the Parasite would’ve made more use of it. “It’s just that you’ve changed a bit this past week. Have you lost weight?”

The vessel had indeed. As it turned out, stopping the abuse of alcoholic beverages had lessened the caloric intake of the body incredibly. The Parasite was still attempting to consume a diet of sufficient protein to keep up the muscle mass but it seemed that weight loss was a side-effect regardless. More studies needed to be made about the subject, the online services being rather abstract about the effects of powers on the human body. Too many things weren’t allowed in public eyes. Experimentation was the only thing forward.

“I have lost one point three kilograms in the last seven days, yes,” the Parasite answered through the Biomancer. It noted the grimace it got in return. Even after having observed human interactions for over a month, it was still unable to fully form sentences without a hint of awkwardness. “And, to tell you the truth, I believe I’ve just figured out what truly matters. Wasting hours of my assigned working hours and still getting compensated for them seemed too wasteful. As I still wanted the money to buy various alcoholic beverages, I decided that the best recourse was to work as efficiently as possible while not straining my own body or power.”

“Right…” Markus said, but the man looked more than a little uncomfortable. Since the relationship between the two humans hadn’t previously showed signs of being more than professional, the Parasite didn’t see it too negatively. “Well, I would’ve said to take care of yourself but you’re already well on that path.”

The Hivemind realised three seconds too late that it was supposed to laugh at that, instead deciding to stare directly at the man. It even forgot to blink during it. A classic mistake during elongated take-overs of the body. The cornea must have been close to inflamed by now, the sensory data from the organ not being entirely standard.

“I’ll see you around?” the co-leader said. The Biomancer nodded in acknowledgement before returning to their lunch of baked beans, rice and chicken. The Parasite had noted the higher amount of protein in such a dish and had seen no larger negatives by it.

Unsurprisingly, the use of powers did cause the physical some amount of discomfort. The Parasite didn’t notice when first testing the powers of the Biomancer yet prolonged use had made the arms weaker and had caused a growing headache to start sprouting, with the pain spreading out the longer it was ignored. While the Hivemind was more than able to separate itself from physical sensations, the local nervous system didn’t have the same ability. Moderate use had shown itself as the way forward.

The power itself felt like an extension of the body rather than something foreign. Much like how the Parasite could make Arthur’s fist close, it could make the energies of nature sprout various seeds from the ground, twisting how it grew at rapid rates. Likewise, it could command the plants to wither, dissolving as they shared their nutrients with the earth around them to increase the growth of all nearby life.

There were limits to how quickly it could make plants grow, of course. A full tree could take nearly ten minutes to grow to its maximum height, thirty if the root system needed to be made sustainable. Vines could be made on the fly but the durability of plants was still something to consider. The Biomancer’s original mind clearly knew tricks on how to make the power work more efficiently but the Hivemind had trouble truly investigating that subject. More interactions between the vessels were required for a full interview.

Through the different tests, one singular fact had settled in, however. The ways that the powers were channelled, the ways they were sent out of the body, and the ways they regenerated were all flawed. There were mistakes everywhere, ones that the Parasite couldn’t fix at the current moment yet all the same understood they were there. It was a fundamental problem that needed to be rectified yet it was wholly unable to even consider how to start it. The biological composition of the body needed to be manipulated for any improvements that would have any chance of increasing the effectiveness of the power yet the Hivemind was nonetheless unsure of how to do such a thing. More time needed to be spent on study, several sources on the digital landscape seemed promising. If the Hivemind could figure out how to upgrade powers, it would rebalance scales already put in place. It had already planned to get its vessels to their physical peak but the idea of their powers getting the same treatment was entirely new.

Basic Information

Name

Oak Williams

Species

Human(Variant)

Age

29

Stats

Strength

12

Speed

9

Dexterity

9

Abilities

Biomancy

Has the ability to manipulate natural flora

Still getting through the daily allotted lunch period, the Hivemind checked up on the egg it had produced not so long ago. The outer shell was entirely undamaged and pristine as ever but the insides were showing signs of age. It seemed that the eggs needed to be used quickly, else they wither and become a waste of spent resources. Which meant a new vessel had to be found as quickly as possible.

What vessel that the Hivemind desired was entirely without issue, the idea of getting the co-leader or outright leader of the farm under control being at the forefront of the priorities. The ability to move in and out of the farm without having any issues about surveillance or lacking written permission was a topic that the Parasite enjoyed quite a bit. The actual, however, was just how the Hivemind would get an opportunity to insert the egg into the brainstem without being caught.

Arthur and Tom were, without question, useless in this endeavour. The Hivemind had nearly entirely been using them for their regular activities as cover while having them do physical exercise or reading up on current news and databooks in their free time. With how severely all normal workers were being watched, there was little chance they could assist.

Oak, the newest vessel, had other opportunities. As previously established, the man was without much rhythm in his day-to-day life. While the Parasite had indeed optimised his work to fit in more tasks, a lot of time was still spent sitting around in the area hidden from all cameras and obligations. No actual alcohol was consumed at the location, though the Parasite had several bottles if it needed to play the role of a drunkard.

“Actually,” Oak said with a raised voice as Markus began to leave. The co-leader turned around, clearly surprised at the sudden objection to his walking away. “How about you join me at my spot this afternoon? I have been wondering about a few parts of my contract that I wish to discuss with you.”

“Oh? That sounds like something that would fit my office more,” Markus replied with an unsure tone. The Parasite saw the chance it needed and raised an eyebrow while tilting the Biomancer’s head by two and a half degrees. “But… if you feel more comfortable in your area, I see no reason not to join you. I’ll be around in an hour or so. I have to get a copy of your contract ready and all.”

Another nod was sent out as the Hivemind planned a quick method to get the egg from Tom, the main host, and over to the Biomancer. One of the hydro-balancers was found to have some grass jammed into one of the circuits, the new vessel quick to help the two older get rid of it, being handed a certain object in the process. The actual storage of the eggs was quite handy, the roof of the vessels’ mouths able to open up into where the Parasites stayed. Having the small pieces of alien flesh hang onto them also helped keep the egg fresh for a longer period. The Hivemind had noticed the extreme rate of decay when in the open air. Mere minutes seemed able to cause it to be infertile, the life inside destroyed by the outside conditions.

Bringing along actual glasses, the Hivemind had everything prepared by the time Markus finally found his way into the hidden part of the farm. The co-leader seemed rather stressed, though that might have been due to the environment around him more than anything. Research had indicated that a group of lawn chairs hidden in a dark corner of the farm would bring some form of discomfort to a human. A peculiar reaction to a comfortable place to sit while not in the direct sun but it wasn’t like the Hivemind could simply ask the human population of the world to stop such things. No, that was later on in its journey.

“I finally made the printer obey me and got this made,” Markus said, shaking the bundle of papers held together by a paperclip. Handing it to the Biomancer and sitting down, the co-leader seemed to gain some kind of confidence. “I have to guess there was some part in it that confused or agitated you. While I can’t promise too many changes, the company I am representing wouldn’t be too against manipulating a few choice words if you truly want it.”

The Parasite did skim through the first few pages, not having been able to see an actual contract before. The words used through most of it were entirely foreign, to the degree where the other two vessels would’ve been required to constantly search online for the meaning if the Hivemind was to have any chance of understanding any of it. Nevertheless, the next step was easy. Having already placed the glasses on the small table, the Biomancer grabbed one of many prepared bottles on the ground and poured the contents into the glasses to the brim.

“Drink. Then we can talk,” Oak commanded. The co-leader seemed to want to complain yet the situation helpfully undermined such desires. The effects of group pressure were too great, even when it was just a single person. A single sip of the concoction was had at first, Markus grimacing at the taste.

When the largest of the two downed the entire thing, however, the co-leader did the same. Maybe that was due to good faith it wasn’t that strong a drink. Either way, a lower body mass didn’t do anybody well in that situation. Filling up the glass again but not outright touching them, the Biomancer leaned forward to start talking.

“I have worked harder than ever before at this farm. I have helped take the efficiency of this place to levels you haven’t seen in nearly a decade,” The Parasite started with, feeling that overestimations were the best approach to delaying the co-leader's leave. He needed him drunk and the effects of the drink needed to settle in before that.

Time did pass, the Biomancer continued to make his case. The co-leader seemed quite focused on being an active listener, nodding along and even agreeing with a few points. At the seven-minute mark, where the Parasite noted that its senses had become slightly diluted, it took the second round of downing the glass. The co-leader did the same after some encouragement.

Only thirty more minutes passed until the true effects truly settled in. A few more drinks, not many of them consumed by both, and the co-leader was down on the ground without the ability to even think. If it wasn’t for the cost of the Biomancer being affected by the alcohol as well, it would have been a flawless success.

A small scalpel was brought out from the pocket, making the needed cut before the egg could be inserted. Everything was done in just a few minutes, the alcohol helping keep the co-leader quiet.

Stage 1 of Replication completed!

Starting Stage 2 of Replication

Putting the co-leader back onto the chair, the Biomancer expelled their inner contents before doing the same. The day was only halfway and it needed to wait out the most extreme effects of alcohol. Helping the co-leader do the same wouldn’t be too bad either. Letting a future vessel sit unprotected was a potential waste of resources, after all.