Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 393: The Thing

In the wreckage of a spacecraft the size of a warship. A form floated. There were tendrils coming off of it and attached to various asteroids and pieces of the ship. These tendrils were not solid but were made of several miniature robots that normally could not be seen.

But because of the way they were being used. Someone could clearly see that the tendrils were not made up of a liquid but a massive amount of small solids instead. The reason for this was because of the user’s low comprehension of their abilities. It had only now reawakened.

It used to be a man. A human who vied for knowledge. A human whose journey gained him numerous enemies. A human who had much knowledge but lacked a decent body. A human who was seen as violating these ’morals’ that all beings comprehend. A hated human. A human that died at the hands of another being that was more than it should be. The Hunter.

The being also used to be another man. A human who was getting by. A human who worked every day to provide. Who was not intellectually gifted but was talented in other areas. This human would categorize the first one as a ’criminal’ or ’scum’ or maybe even both. A human that was both hated and loved by many but not for the same reasons as the first one. What was the distinction?

The being also used to be another person. A woman. A human who worked for the military. There were many like her that were absorbed. But this one was unique. It was strange when she absorbed that she was a devoted woman. She just wanted the best for her family and to protect her country, her superiors that were being consumed were not the same. They were the same as the first being by these human standards.

But she was unique because she was a mother. Now many of the people being consumed were parents. Either fathers or mothers. Some were even grandparents. That title was merely something the humans used to grasp the passage of time.

But back to the issue. The woman was more unique because she carried an almost imperceptible life within her. She probably did not know. The being would not have known either if it was not dissecting her.

This life was floating in an orange tube as it grew. It was still alive. It was not consumed. Using the first human’s knowledge the being decided to keep it. But for some reason the being felt it was necessary to ’care’ for this being.

It was an odd concept. One that was clearly coming from its mother’s feelings.

[User has changed. New Identification is necessary. Contacting Administrator... Failure... Contacting Administrator... Failure... Necros Determines Administrator is unreachable...]

What should I do now? Consume? Adapt? Evolve? Spread?

[Negative. Change Objective: Spread. Core programming adapt? Failure.]

[Need Objective.]

I lack knowledge. I cannot help you. There is another of those frigates coming. Should I spread it like the others? The being looked over at a massive fleet of ships and debris that were covered in its puppets and the same thing that made up its tendrils.

[Objective Found. New Objective: Collect Knowledge. Override core objective?]

[Failure. Reason Needed. Insufficient Reason Found.]

[Knowledge is necessary to comprehend reason for objective: Spread.]

[Comprehending... Agreed. Changing Objective. Spread is Canceled. Seek Knowledge.]

Hmm... There must be a being that could communicate amicably without consumption. Then it thought of a figure. A figure that caused its entire being to shiver in fear. It would know. That being would know something. It felt better than the being. The Hunter would know.

The being needed to find The Hunter. Just as the being was this Hunter’s Prey.

[User Designation Changed from Lord Hoodwink to The Prey? Y/N]

The being agreed with the system.

[Sending Identification To Administrator. Failure. Temporary Measures Necessary...]

[Necros System is designating The Prey as Temporary Administrator.]

[The Prey has two objectives: Seek Knowledge. Secondary: Find The Hunter.]

Prey agrees with these objectives.

As if getting its own name changed something. The being turned from an amalgamation of human and machine parts into a hunched figure with claws. Its head had razor sharp teeth while its head had a number of eyes covering it. Instead of legs it has tentacles that will give it far more mobility. As for its form. It was a mix of masculine and feminine parts.

There was a grating noise in the void of space as it opened its mouth and spoke for the first time since coming into existence. "How amusing that The Prey would need to seek out The Hunter. Now what should I do with this?" The existence waved a hand at the container where the fetus was still growing.

[The human fetus is still alive. Necros System has already connected to the new user. Still unnamed. Keep unnamed? Y/N]

"Might as well. I need more knowledge. What should I do with it?"

[Use knowledge and raise it. Rediscover... humanity? Comprehend Humanity.] 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"I can do that. I will need to make a lab where it can grow without issue. But it will also need a breathable environment. The thing’s mother has many ideas and knowledge regarding the topic. I will adapt it with the first’s knowledge as I grow the thing." Prey decided.

Prey then looked toward the fleet of ships. "What should I do with them?" He was talking about the enemy ships that were slowly coming towards him. They were already launching smaller ships, projectiles, and firing lasers.

[Necros System does not care. Necros System does suggest Temporary Administrator spreads the system to encompass the entire system.]

Prey waved its hand. The dormant ships it had taken over began moving. But as they did it was reminded of another being it had absorbed.

Unlike the others, it was not a human. It was something called Artificial Intelligence. Something not born but created. It was inhabiting a mechanical body. Just like Prey was. But it could not create its own organic body like Prey managed to do.

But unlike the others only its local knowledge was available. It seemed to have suffered a full system failure when it encountered Prey. A bit of Prey’s mind followed its knowledge as it cut itself off. But that bit of Prey seemed to have disappeared into the void like the Artificial Intelligence’s main mind did.