gens

Biological formations all switched over from their 'house-keeping' modes in the same moment as the Intelligence rapidly broken down the blueprints I had given it into a vast multitude of tasks that all needed to be carried out. Factory-glands all came online in the same instant, mass-producing vast quantities of retro-viruses and stem-cell slurries that flooded through the blood vessels of the Lair, their tasks already encoded into them upon their construction. Organ structures came to life moments later, growing fresh batches of nanoparticles bound to cell-specific ligands that would carry them to the rapidly developing growth sites within the chamber, acting as a nano-material coolant that would absorb the excess heat generated by the work done. Once full, these nanoparticle-heatsinks would return to the nearest manufacturing Organ that would then recycle the heat into more energy for the complex itself.

Elsewhere, similar Organs pulled from the well of surplus biomass under the chamber, transmuting the processed resources into more stem-cells linked to cell-specific ligands that would carry them to the required locations as feedstock for the ongoing growth. Bone marrows and several specifically cultured glands went into overdrive in turn, producing a whole slew of Omega cells, regeneratives and several enzymes designed to hunt down and eradicate any kind of cellular defect or mutation present within the new growth as it formed. Even after only a few seconds, I'd seen several such mutations forming, things that would have caused the new growth to be rendered down into little more than a mass of tumor-infested flesh. Fortunately, they'd all been purged before they could become a threat to the growing bio-device that was slowly extruding itself from the chamber's wall, pushing itself through a hard scab of rapidly decaying tissues. Steam rose from the mass of flesh as a literal heat haze surrounded it, causing gill-like structures to open around the chamber as hot and cold air circulated to keep the chamber at a reasonable temperature even as the work continued without pause.

Further afield from the new growth, I watched as entire organ clusters worked together to recycle the massive amounts of ATP-equivalents that were being used to fuel the insanely fast cellular division, allowing for the new bio-device to be birthed in the first place. Enough ATP-equivalent to fuel twenty grown men was being used, recycled and then used again every moment as I watched the processed with rapt attention, knowing that I was looking at the closest equivalent of my own abilities that I was bound to find, while still limited by the standards of semi-baseline biologies. Likewise, other organs worked away at DNA and RNA fragments as data was collected by dedicated monitor-organisms that slithered through blood vessels, making minute refinements as genetic-code fragments were assembled together by tens of thousands of microscopic tendrils and other organisms specifically made to do just this. Once done, the resulting retro-viruses were released into wider complex, slowly infecting the cells that made up the compound and ensuring that all future cells were built to the newest, and most up-to-date, blueprints before triggering rapid cellular decay as a way of clearing out the old cells from the biological framework.

It was an amazing process, one I watched with rapt attention as the growth process became more streamlined even as I observed it. Even then, it didn't come down to any one thing that could be pointed at and said to have made the process better, but a lot of little improvements that had a massive net gain for the process as everything just became a touch more efficient. The end result of it all came down to the newly grown bio-device being completed inside of ten minutes, it's flesh cooling slightly as the excess heat was drawn away until it reached a level that wouldn't flash burn a baseline Human on contact. Advancing from where I had stood at the centre of the chamber, my steps carried me forwards until I stood next to this new creation and placed my hand on it, reconnecting with the biology of my lair, but with a focus on this device in particular. Looking it over with my powers, I felt my smile grow as I checked and double checked it for fault, only to find minor things that wouldn't impede it's operation. Still, a quick correction removed them as I felt the Intelligence of the complex watching the chamber, it's nervous tension telling me everything I needed to know even as I reached back to it with my Psionics. I felt it, now knowing the 'flavor' of its mind as I forged a new connection with it. I felt it's surprise and interest, quickly followed by the query that I had expected.

{Query: Creator == Satisfied?} Even with the semi-concept-bound way it communicated, I could still feel the nervous energy and tentative hope that leaked through this connection, along with it's curiosity. Running a hand over a nearby wall, I respond with my own feelings and assurances even as I spoke the words aloud.

"Yes. Yes, I am." I confirmed, knowing that what I was looking at would vastly accelerate more than a few of my plans, opening up more than a few options that wouldn't be present otherwise. "It's exactly what I needed, and you did a very good job when you made it, so thank you for your hard work."

{Statement: Intelligence == Happy} {Query: Next Task?} Came the response from the Intelligence as I chuckled slightly at that. Eager puppy indeed.

"I'll be starting it up soon before I leave, for now, so I'll need you to keep an eye on things and follow some instructions for me. Think you can do that?" I asked, still watching as the bio-device came online as fresh nutrients and energy carriers flowed into it from newly connected blood vessels that grew in to accommodate the new addition to the complex. It came to life a moment later, as nerves finished forming and the Intelligence of my Lair finished integrating everything together.

{Statement: Intelligence == Understanding; Intelligence == Ready} With that said, I started feeding the Intelligence everything it needed to know about the process I wanted it to carry out passed through the connection and was rapidly assimilated into the knowledge-base of the Intelligence. Inside the bio-device, I saw the first stirrings of activity as internal chambers filled with DNA-substrates before assembler-glands started producing fresh crops of bacteria from predetermined designs. Raw biomass and various types of pure elements were pulled from storage and pushed into this singular device, allowing the construction of more and more exotic organisms before releasing them into the primordial soup that was quickly forming within the central cavity of the bio-device. Quickly, different strains started to turn on one another, fighting for survival as they moved along predicted lines of rapidly evolution and adaptation as desirable traits were assimilated by the victors of each clash. Secondary chambers soon came alive as they carried out a smaller repetition of what was taking place in the central cavity, creating other evolutionary lines of organisms before releasing them into the main chamber, to fight, die and evolve in turn. Entire generations were created and devoured as I watched, consumed through the constant fight for survival at a microscopic level, all for the sack of reaching a predetermined result that I was looking forwards to very much.

However, even at the rate they were working at, I could guess that it would be two weeks before the final product was ready, and that was without considering the amount of biomass and pure elements I'd need to throw into this singular bio-tech construct to get there. Hell, the only reason I was even able to start this quickly was thanks to the fact my Abysslings apparently liked the taste of whale, among other things, and had found a few good places to harvest elements seeping through the crust of the planet. Without those, I'd have had to wait a lot longer to even consider starting this process off, and I'd probably have had to stop and restart the process several times over, on account of lacking the needed resources.

Not that I was going to look a gift horse in the mouth, since I was happy to be this far ahead.

Reaching for my wrist, I pressed down at a specific segment of the organic strap that had sat tightly against my skin for most of the day, causing it to come undone. Miniature legs unfolded from under the leather-like surface of the engineered-creature as it skittered from around my wrist and into my waiting hand, rearing up slightly as it looked for where to go before I held it up to the construct before me. Immediately, it knew where to go, bolting from my hand and disappearing down an open slot before I felt it connect to the larger device before being consumed in turn in moments, having completed its purpose. In doing so, it processed my blood further, converting it into a new medium for the ongoing microscopic warfare and ensuring that the final product of two continuous weeks of said warfare would produce something tuned specifically for me, rather than producing a more generalized, but weaker, serum otherwise.

With that done, I took a step back and smiled for a moment, just enjoying the moment before I checked my watch. Quarter to four was the time on it, school having ended some forty-five minutes ago and I'd basically come directly from the school to the Docks in an effort to check on the growth rate of my Lair. Originally, anyway, since that plan had rapidly been derailed after seeing just how much progress had been made. Still, being able to start on my own augmentation plans sooner rather than later was a happy bonus, even if I would have to wait a bit longer until I could access the Transhuman Heritage.

Then again, nothing said that I couldn't be both a Primal Zerg Hybrid and a Biomorphic Transhuman...

XXX