Akestos
Surge Lord
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Infecting Bacteria. Stage One, Class 1 Mutation, of the SwarmSurge | Membranes for Cushioning, Structures or Ships.
Image Credit: Broadband Bacteria | Video: Plague Inc Computer Game | Custom Text
Canon: Bacteria Mutation | Microbial Mat | Vongspawn Virus | Terminus D15
Links: [member="The Hive Mind"] | Akestos | [member="Kylraya"] | SwarmSurge | The Infection | Wildgrowth | The Seeding
GENERAL INFORMATION
Name: Infection Agent #1b - Top Secret Classification TerminusFlux D-15b: Directive Level 15b. - Class 1 Mutation
Designation: Non-Sentient
Origins: The Hive Mind, also known as the Swarm's Will when speaking collectively.
Average Lifespan: 12 Hours
Estimated Population: Common
Description: Bacteria. Technically called a Bacteriophage being a carrier itself. Dividing every hour. Roughly 10 times bigger than a Terminus Microbe under the microscope it is still blue as with the terminus microbe, however, it has shades of purple and importantly carries other hive viruses, as bacteria are known to sometimes do. These viruses both alter the bacteria as they often do, helping it to adapt or mutate but also are carried by the bacteria to other hosts. Making it a dangerous Virus carrier as well as very unstable and likely to mutate quickly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1SerCnEWSM
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
Breathes: N/A Vacuum is fine.
Average Height of Adults: 0.2 Micrometers
Average Length of Adults: 0.4 Micrometers
Skin color: N/A
Hair color: N/A
Distinctions: The Swarm works in stages. Infection is the first, the agents the Hive Mind uses for this task are always being developed or mutating, but it prefers small. This Bacteria originates in hive fungi and other secondary hive organisms such as those surrounding the Centax Purifying liquids. There is an element of wildgrowth here that the hive had not experienced. The concept of wildgrowth is a struggle within the greater consciousness of the hive, whereby mutations occur that have not yet been integrated into the greater consciousness. Sometimes the Hive will consume these mutations, causing secondary effects, other times the hive will exterminate them as threats and very occasionally they exist outside of the Hive Mind's node connection, in pure Swarm Will. In the case of TerminusFlux, the mutation has been consumed but is still unstable wildgrowth DNA.
Stage one
Bacteria infect differently to smaller microbes such as viruses. They do not require a host or cell to live, able to exist and grow on their own. Stage one is done for them. With no need to integrate into a host such as a virus might. In stage one they simply infect the bloodstream and split into more bacteria, at this stage no outward signs of infection are likely. Immediately however the immune system will fight the bacteria, and any viruses it is carrying.
3 Days.
Stage Two
The infection is more visible under a microscope. The bacteria have no special properties in this stage. They are dividing rapidly, however, faster than a regular Terminus Microbe. The rate of this really depends on the host, its immune system, and how many bacteria the host has consumed or picked up. The time indicated here a likely average. It is also likely at this stage still the host has no idea what's going on, but it is easier to spot a TerminusFlux infection than a Terminus infection for medical personnel. Due to its level of mutation, it is also likely harder to stop one. The immune system will be in full swing here, and fighting hard.
6 Days - Contagious.
Stage Three
Coughing, Sneezing, the patient is contagious. The bacteria is less subtle than a regular Terminus microbe. It is however also more resilient to antibacterials and cures. Building up resistances as they come, through mutation. A brute force approach is taken by the infection. Usually, a battle occurs here within the patient and often any doctor. Sadly for the patient, it represents as a minor cold still, whatever that would be for the species. For example, it would come as a sore throat, tickling cough or running nose in a human. Here the bacteria is beginning to replace the Hosts own bacteria with copies of itself, early stages though, the host body begins to adapt to the new bacteria and slowly over time new cells are produced. Viruses carried on the bacteriophage assist with this, but it is mostly down to the bacteria causing the host's own body to adapt to it. The immune system tends to be slowly overwhelmed here, with it being a primary target.
9 Days - Contagious.
Stage Four
The Bacteria at this stage likely have a good hold on the host's body. There may have been some internal adaptation, but nothing serious. Again brute force is the approach of the infection but more important mutation. Mutation and unstable wildgrowth DNA happens, quite likely causing small visible signs, certainly internally if not externally. Rashes for example, or soreness inside a host creature. This is in part reflecting the wildgrowth and the Hive's own struggles with each other to find a balance within the Swarm's collective will. Any flu symptoms are very serious here. The bacteria has a good hold on the body and has replaced a good portion of the hosts own bacteria with copies of its own. The immune system may well be assisting the infection at this stage, a tipping point from swarm to surge.
12 Days - Contagious.
Stage Five
It's very difficult not to notice a stage five infection. Outward signs are very very likely all over the body, exoskeleton growth for example. Inward signs as the bodies cells adapt to the bacteria, changing how they operate and thus becoming the Terminus organism. Any carried viruses still assist with this. It is likely the immune system has been overrun. The patient will likely be extremely ill and needs immediate medical assistance. Get them into quarantine fast! The bacteria are so numerous and very well established, they come back almost as fast as they are destroyed. This is a Surge bacteria at this stage, seemingly unending amounts of new bacteria to fill what you remove. However, the patient can be saved, don't give up on them!
15 Days (Directive 15) - Usually Not Contagious.
Stage Six
Stage Six does not officially exist. At this point, there is little left of what they were before the infection, they are part of the Swarm's will, the Surge's impulse, and the Hive's focus. With perhaps wildgrowth tendencies. To a greater or lesser degree intelligence or autonomy can remain, depending on what the Hive was wanting to do with the specific individual, species or creature. At stage six there is much more peace within the body, and so the host isn't near as contagious as it was. Most host species end up not contagious at all when fully integrated, depending on the species, it is usually down to specific host species to carry infection to a new environment.
Races: Infection Agent #1b - Top secret classification: TerminusFlux D-15b: Directive Level 15b. - Class 1 Mutation
Force Sensitivity: Non-Sensitive
Strengths:
+Fast Mutators. These Bacteriophages mutate significantly faster than the Terminus Microbe or virus. Which means treating them requires different methods and technology. Just throwing antibacterials at them, can cause strains of them to build up immunity.
+Virus Carrier. As with other bacteriophages. Hive Viruses can assist with the Bacteriophages evolution, it also carries them.
+The bacteria spread on their own. Not just from Plants or Creatures. Because they don't need a host creature, they are much harder to remove from a biosphere, from circulating around a population or for that matter hitching a ride aboard a ship, or in a vacuum. Fire is advised. Lots of fire.
+Very Resistant to Cold or extreme temperatures. Vacuum for example. They linger and do well in chilled environments, extending their lifespan by 50%.
+Is used to grow various Terminus Armors around organisms. Taking 15 days or more depending on the size. Sometimes the bacteria are also used for cushioning and protecting more fragile creatures or constructions.
Weaknesses:
-Bacteria are bigger. While still needing equipment to see, TerminusFlux is ten times larger than the Terminus Microbe and easier to spot by medical staff.
-Not Airborne. Though they can be coughed, sneezed or otherwise sent a short distance. They must spread across a surface. Ocean worlds, for example, are much less affected. Birds are great carriers of the TerminusFlux! Insects as expected as well, but birds even more so.
-Takes 15 Days to Establish itself fully. Its methods are more brute force than the Terminus Microbe.
-Vulnerable to a good cleaner! At least until it's in the body.
-Vulnerable to a Doctor who knows what they are doing.
-Short lifespan. 12 Hours. Being a living organism, they live and die quickly, sometimes mutating as they do.
CULTURE
Diet: Other Bacteria. Picture drops in an ocean, some of those drops are eating other drops, but they are still few in number overall.
Communication: None but contact with Cell(s) around it.
Technology level: None Existant.
Religion/Beliefs: Wildgrowth. The Swarm's Will, The Surge's Impulse and The Hive's Mind.
General behavior: Infect Brute Force | Seed Target Creatures
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
As doctors around the galaxy begin to look for cures to the terminus microbe. The first signs appearing, and pairs of eyes beginning working out what is going on. Things are changing. While most are still oblivious to the infection spreading day by day or have yet to experience it. The Hive has noted some attempts from the forward thinkers emerging and has responded. Technically its noticed parts of itself missing, disconnection. So has begun what might be a very long battle of biological warfare, plague vs medicine, doctor vs drone, to see who comes out on top.
Enter what certain interested parties are calling the TerminusFlux Bacteria. This bacteria spreads from Fungus, for example, those located around Centax Purifying liquid, or other secondary plant infections. Usually, plants are the most common carriers, fungus even more so, but occasionally creatures are bio-engineered for carrying TerminusFlux. Wildgrowth, so far, has been limited to plants, so far.
While the Bacteria feeds off other bacteria, the scale and number of regular everyday bacteria in any area is beyond imagining. A normal human in one hour will put thirty-seven million regular bacteria into the room around them, a million or more of these might be TerminusFlux. So the number of bacteria is still relatively small, even in heavily infested areas. The ecosystem doesn't die off but does take a small hit till things stabilize.
Wildgrowth. A peculiar concept that the hive is struggling with internally. The Swarm's greater Will seems ready to accept it, but the Hive's Mind does not. Whether growth that seeds the Hive's reach outside of its immediate control is acceptable or not, is a matter that is being experimented upon now.