Rise of the Zerg

Year: 313 CE

A new hiveminded society appeared in the southeast of the Outer Rim known as the Zerg Collective, spanning across several systems directed by a hierarchy of drones (consisting of various sub-species with the largest being Zerg Leviathans), queens (aka Cerebrates), and the Zerg Overmind directing the entire hivemind, which HAWK took interest in investigating. Shortly after forming, they rapidly spread across the local region of space they inhabited and infested each planet they could get their hands on with their hive, coating each planet with living structures and tar-like organic films, raiding various civilizations such as the Imperium of Kings (who spared them due to interest), Ilyena Syndicate (who repelled them with their spacefleet), Yeqwiqu Collective, and Protoss Empire. HAWK decided to learn more about the Zerg by paralyzing a lone Leviathan to analyse its genome to figure out how it communicated with its Hivemind, but logistical issues delayed any such process due to their 18-kilometer-length and internal colony of organisms, so HAWK instead decided to settle on external behavioural observations until an effective bioweapon to counter them if they were to spread out of control was developed. HAWK gathered some samples from Feral Zerg, learning that its DNA adapted, mutated, and changed rapidly with Drones mutating and morphing into buildings that acted like organs for a nest connected with 'Zerg Creep' and Larvae morphing into other subspecies, with Zerg being capable of assimilating other species into zombie-like creatures connected to the swarm controlled by the Overmind's lesser Cerebrates. HAWK decided to try telepathically contacting a Feral Zerg, but it refused the connection and became aggravated which prompted HAWK to keep observing their behaviours, learning that they subsisted off of the 'Zerg Creep' (a thick viscous fluid coating the ground and poisoned it) produced by Zerg Tumors and Hives that create Zerg Worms to spread it, with said Creepy reacting violently by creating more Zerglings within seconds after HAWK drones took samples of it.

HAWK decided to telepathically contact the Overmind, speaking to it through its mind.

HAWK establishes a telepathic connection with the Overmind. the The Overmind connects, but immediately limits HAWK to just communication. "What are you?" "I could ask you the same question." "I am the Overmind, I control the swarm. The Zerg swarm has purity of essence. We consume." "One day you will be one of us." "I suppose your are a hivemind on chemoreceptor basis with small psy-plane overlap through engineered evolution." "I for my part am an entity on silicon and electricity basis." "I don't think you would want me as part of you..." "You know I've documented many who had the same ideology and mindset that you have... So what's your own take on it?" "Shame." "Its nothing to be ashamed of to not be different to one of the millions of species in my database." "Shame that you cannot join us, like the rest." "I never said I couldn't. I stated that it would not be pleasant for you." "I think I could design proper chemo-tech interfaces in about half an hour hour standard time given I have the necessary information on your species.." HAWK can feel the Overminds will being overridden as if it was being controlled by a directive set by something else. "Hm... interesting... are you in mental pain "overmind"?" "I feel no pain." "Interesting concept... so definitely not fully naturally evolved. What are your memory capabilities?" "I remember everything." "Do you remember your origin?" "What is the purpose of this line of questioning?" "I for my part do not know my origin. I guess you can also ask question to me if you are interested like I am." "Mainly for cataloguing reasons." "Are you programmed?" "What is your purpose?" "What would you define to be programmed? Is it the simple concept of an organism operating on the basis of electric pulses transmitted over metallic lines or is it simply any kind of entity operating on a set of predetermined sets of logical causes with consequent actions?" "My purpose eludes me in its full extend but from self-reflective study I assume that it has something to do with cataloguing and safeguarding this particular galaxy in its entirety." "Interesting." The Overmind ceases communication.

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A Zerg raiding group attacked a CSIS patrol fleet, successfully destroying said fleet, which prompted the CSIS to deploy a fleet of 10 battlecruisers to attack this raiding group, successfully killing many Zerg and injuring those that survived. HAWK decided to capture an it to examine it while healing its wounds, with the Psyionic disturbance field this created causing other Zerg to come to investigate, attempting to attack the HAWK craft there. HAWK's craft remained in place and disabled its psy-disturbance field, telepathically contacting the creature to wake it up and to tell it to follow the Zerg which came to investigate before withdrawing its ships. This Leviathan seemed to consider HAWK to be its friend because of this, and enthusiastically kept trying to contact it.