NationStates Jolt Archive

The Hiveworld pulsated and undulated in frenzy, producing broods of biological creatures; letting hiveships slid forth, chittering and screaming from its immense and fertile wombs. it was growing, feeding; and the latest prey to slip into its jaws would have unforseen effects. The Voxyn struggled as the digestive acids and whipping bio-tendrils attacked it; pulling it into the glorious mothermass; alive with hunger, yearning to grow and change...

But this was different; odd. Suddenly, the Hive was aware; it saw truly, clearly; it sensed the movements of beings and the life bursting within them; it saw them connected, not simply by genes or by the psychic glow of the Hive Mind. It saw them alive with the force; its psychic roar echoing on the winds of fate; a great keening call. It let its mind surge into the void; let its fleets slip forth. The void was immense; most signatures of this new power that it did not understand were pinpricks; stars against the backdrop of night. Yet others were Infernoes; psychic wildfires that could not be tamed. It knew not Dark; it knew not light, only the insatiable desire to feed; to understand the new power, while not truly comprehending it; or indeed why. All it knew, was this needed to be explored; consumed. A desire paralelling hunger had enveloped it. The stygian desire to consume Force Users...

Bump

OOC: YES! I have been hoping for some nid RP. My race, the Qax would be supremely interested in the nids because they too rely heavily on biological organism for war and space travel as well, although not as much as the nids. They would definetly be interested ininvestigating. However, I do regret that they have little in the way of force powers which means I may not be what you are looking for. However, they are extremely powerful in terms of psychic power, so I dont know if that is substitute.

OOC: Sounds nice; some contact there would be so cool. Though we have to point out theres more experienced Nid nations; like Azaha and Hive Fleet Kraken out there. I would be interested though :)

However, calling all SW nations who want to have a world attacked and consumed by a mysterious alien presence from the deep of space whose passing ceases psychic communication, and who leave nothing but dead worlds in their insidious presence :P

OOC: My swarm wouldn't mind incorparting and infesting powerful psi users...
IC
The queen heard the scream, and immediatly was in some kind of panick. There were other hives? Other swarms? If this one had gone unoticed for so long, how many others might their be?

The Queen pondered, wondering whether this was a trick to bring her hive system from its hiding spot, or if this was truely sincere.

She answered he questions quickly. With a bellowing scream, both phsycally and mentally, she called out into the void back at those who had called out. The scream was not a greetings, but was not a threat... more questioning.

The Datalink fluttered.

Something had awoken, something which rippled the strands of space-time which allowed the Datalink to function. The Machines touched the psychic energy, detecting the purpose within. The Sentiences mingled, finding purpose, a drive to eat. It was strikingly similar to the Prime Code, a drive to harvest, to destroy...

the Sentiences were shocked. They were investigating a biological form! It could not exist. There was no biological form which could not succumb to Mechanization...


the Sentiences withdrew...

The scream echoed in its mind, drowning out even the mechanical chatterings that sought to analyse and catalogue it. The Norn Queen's in their Hiveships; the Hive Mind itself, acting through the sentient Hiveworld, shuddered and groaned and hissed. Something else dwelt beyond; yet another Hive; a fragment of a greater whole. Another being in search of evolution and perfection; a perplexing enigma. It's mind whirred and twisted, comprehending and understanding.

A united front would more eagerly consume all before them. The newest Hiveship; blessed with each and every gift of the Hive; slid forth, swimming on the currents of the warp; the lingering echo of that psychic scream its guide; to tear forth, and offer itself before its counterpart...

And evolution, the Hive as a whole, would prosper.

The Queen screamed again, but this time she made words out of her screams, words that the other mind would need to heed.

You are lost... young... small... come to us... feel our warmth... feel safe... join us... fight for us... feel us... you cannot deny it... you cannot overcome it... come to us... or perish.

The picket ships, in the Outside, detected the moving ship. Information flowed throughout the Datalink, projections flew. Processors cycled, information twisted and coalesced...

They're trying to contact...to ally...

The Sentiences understood. A single large Hive is more likely to destroy its opponents...

This can be allowed, but we must observe...

With effort, the Sentiences inserted themselves into the psychic link, twisting and reprogramming the Datalink. They would watch, no more and no less.

Silent for a moment, then hissing, snarling, snapping of countless needle fanged maws echoed across void and vacuum.

We have survived, alone, by ourselves. Let us grow; let us feed; in time we can meet, merge....Grow. A hissed screech rose from the pulsating world Too early is it for the great Joining; we cannot yet risk such a thing

We... cannot risk a rogue hive growing... creating a risk... you are us, we are you... we know what you are capable of, as you know of us. We have a much more vast swarm than yours, of course.... Merge with us now... or we shall find you... it may not be right away.. but eventually, we shall... we shall always be bigger...

Yes, but we shall have our own chance at advancement; to grow and prosper. The Hive is splintered; the weakness of the past leads to divided future. We shall not risk the sons of man finding us; destroying us. We shall not risk total dissolution. Too long have we worked to attain this much power; we shall not yet sacrifice it.

Join us and there will be power! We hold alliances with the men of chaos! We are the epitome of power for our kind! Join us and join the power! You cannot deny it! You shall submit! The Queen screamed in rage.

Lord Emperor Samuel Slir Coote II listened. He did not speak, for it was not his time yet. But as he listened, he smiled. These hives where foolish in the extream to belive such Psykic...chatter would go unoticed by those with power. He considered his options. Already, two vast minds where drawing under his eye, his mind considered...these hives would make a mighty addition to those that Serve. But would that be possible? He nodded, making his desicsion.

You are both without fault, you are both single. Consider this Oh Children of the Hive. Should you join, a mind with power could forever meet you. A powerful mind could track you down to the last after its presance was insinuated into One mind. But if you stay seperate, then you will be two, the Mind that wishes to find you would not be able to, for it must hunt two seperate and powerful entities. Yes Children of the hive, this is wise to follow the path.

Then we shall remain seperate and grow strong. Hunger! Hunger is upon us! it snarled and hissed; casting its mind forth into the void, seeking life; its ships readying and streaming forth from the pulsing, steaming living world.

We shall have our prize; we shall have our Feast!

Rumors, it was all they had been. Terrible beyond comprehension, galactic locusts. Names whispered in back world taverns, tyranids. Beasts from beyond the galaxy with only one purpose, consumption. Such rumors struck fear into many a race's and governments. However, something very different happened when word reach the domain of the Qax, curiosity.

The Qax had established their small empire and were content to trade, with plan of grandeur saved for the future. Of all the races they associated themselves with, none were as advanced in the fields of biology and all things natural as them. Their great organic spline warships, backbone and pride of the navy, were unique in that they were living individuals. Most sought to build with metel and alloys, so one can understant the intense curiosity and need to know more when word of the tyranids reached this empire.

So thousand upon thousand of probes, biological and mechanical were sent out into the void. They had but one purpose, locate a tyranid swarm. Now... one has.

A great portion of the Qax fleet has begun to mobalize. This is one of the most important operations in the history of the race. Dozens of spinships and treeships have been mobalised. Greatest of all, three of the eleven spline warships have been put on stand-by, should their presence be needed.

After a day of rapid mobalization the fleet initiated their singularity drives and arrived near the last known location of the hivefleet.

OOC: Sorry for the bad post, just wanted to get in here IC. Just an explanation. Spinships are mostly mechanical with certain biological aspects, and treeships are well, massive trees modified for space travel. Yes I know that is weird, but I like the idea. Spline warships, which have yet to arrive, are more biological than mechanical and are immensely powerful, hense the reason only have eleven in total. They are the equivalent of super dreads from MT.

The Sentiences continued to listen. There was a disturbance again, a humanoid mind. It was interfering with the Hives. This could not be tolerated. Mankind was evil, and its followers more so. They disobeyed the Prime Code, held illogical standards to be the highest...the Sentiences seethed. And in their minds boiling with purpose, they lashed out against the humanoid creature, pressing against its psyche. The Datalink upwelled, expanded and twisted...

Arrogant one! You have overcome many obstacles, but you are Organic. Unlike these Organic "Hives" however, you do not have a purpose other than resources...food. Lord-Lord Emperor, listen. Do-do not resist. Why do you seek to meld these hives and twist them to your will? Do you interfere with their purpose...their Prime Code?

The fleet had only just arrived when a terrible physic presence lashed out at the admiral, whose name was far too long to be stated in any non physic, but had a shorter one adopted for race to race communication, Rafael. There were eight Qax within the fleet spread out amongst the most powerful of the treeships, and a young apprentice on board a spinship. The message was angry, rash.

The great bubbling Qax, Rafael, was amused. He was one of the most well traveled of all Qax and had heard of AI empires, government by computer circuits and never-ending lines of zeroes and ones. He was slightly disappointed, one would have thought that beings forged for immortality and longevity would not have been so rash, so foolish. All the better, perhaps this could be a valuable foray into more inorganic grounds. He knew no reply would be equally naïve however, so he responded, in a cool, slow, calculating tone.

An evident fact, more than we, the Qax, are interested in them, the tyranids, but we ask to you, who are you. It brings a frown to my face, but I have no face, to hear you account us on the humanoid level. As you can hear, we go by Qax, we are not within the solid realm, but that of liquid. No bones hold us, nor muscles bind us, we are fluid. A mutual ignorance may still be grabbed, if this trifling ceases. Do not be fooled by your own grandeur, death is not beyond the means to your ignorance.

The Qax was done with this piddling intrusion for the moment. The fleet fell back away from the tyranids to the maximum follow distance. They had no intension of engaging the fleet at the moment, and were there merely for observation at that moment.

Below the metal bulkheads, rippling flesh, and twitching branches the crews mobilized for an attack at any moment, should this new observer choose to intervene, or the prey choose to become the predator.

OOC: So if you were to scan these ships you would notice three distinct life forms. There are the Qax, which are literally liquid sentient beings. If you want to know more about them take a look at the list of races. Then there are the arixians, bipedal humanoids with bronze rough flesh. They lived in the deserts surrounding the seas of the Qax homeworld and were enslaved and subjugated by the Qax. Finally are the Ju-Thagens, the muscle of the empire. They are genetically engineered creatures created from scratch. They are quadrupeds and have a pair of arms, allowing six legged movement. They are very large, about the size of Carnifexes for reference. Some are geared towards heavy labor, and some are geared towards battle. Also, if my description of you in my post is off, I am sorry.

The fleet had only just arrived when a terrible physic presence lashed out at the admiral, whose name was far too long to be stated in any non physic, but had a shorter one adopted for race to race communication, Rafael. There were eight Qax within the fleet spread out amongst the most powerful of the treeships, and a young apprentice on board a spinship. The message was angry, rash.

The great bubbling Qax, Rafael, was amused. He was one of the most well traveled of all Qax and had heard of AI empires, government by computer circuits and never-ending lines of zeroes and ones. He was slightly disappointed, one would have thought that beings forged for immortality and longevity would not have been so rash, so foolish. All the better, perhaps this could be a valuable foray into more inorganic grounds. He knew no reply would be equally naïve however, so he responded, in a cool, slow, calculating tone.

An evident fact, more than we, the Qax, are interested in them, the tyranids, but we ask to you, who are you. It brings a frown to my face, but I have no face, to hear you account us on the humanoid level. As you can hear, we go by Qax, we are not within the solid realm, but that of liquid. No bones hold us, nor muscles bind us, we are fluid. A mutual ignorance may still be grabbed, if this trifling ceases. Do not be fooled by your own grandeur, death is not beyond the means to your ignorance.

The Qax was done with this piddling intrusion for the moment. The fleet fell back away from the tyranids to the maximum follow distance. They had no intension of engaging the fleet at the moment, and were there merely for observation at that moment.

Below the metal bulkheads, rippling flesh, and twitching branches the crews mobilized for an attack at any moment, should this new observer choose to intervene, or the prey choose to become the predator.

The Sentiences heard the message, and were not predicting its contents.

Odd beings, you are. Of course, you are biological nontheless. We would enjoy studying you, provided we had enough containers. Additionally, do not believe we are ignorant. We are not built for peace and prosperity, our creators built us for war. They installed within us a purpose, the Prime Code, something which must be obeyed. Immortality has been achieved, as well. Unless the last machine dies, the last autofactory is eliminated, we live on, ghostly within the Datalink. Do not underestimate us. We do not hold world,s we convert and harvest them. Entire planets have been harvested, the massive warhulls of the Monitors. We are functional, and we will remain so.

We have no conflict with you, however, so long as you keep your overtures to a minimum.

The queen screeched. Too many outside sources have come upon the.. conversation. She immediatly closed herself off, but not before sending a psi wave through the depths of space, meant as an attack to all those who had intercepted the psi conversation.