Fiction:Sentient Virus Collective

"If you can't fight us... join us."

The Sentient Virus Collective, otherwise known as the Phylaxon or the SVC is a collective mind society that behaves much like a virus, hence their name. They are known as one of the most adaptable creatures in the universe, able to hijack a hosts' conscience and transfer it's control to the collective. Because of this, the SVC can adapt to any foe and very quickly spread and kill a foe or victim empire.

History
In the early days of the Phylaxon, they were mostly a hive of parasitic organisms that had little dominance over even the planet of their origin, Phylaxon. However, sometime during a period of the 'Phylaxonian Enlightenment', the race attained a lethal adaptation, gaining the ability to create copies of themselves in other creatures, much like a virus would spread. This allowed them to eventually, unchallengeable to their ease of adaptation, take dominance over the planet. Having gained much collective intelligence through this process of adaptation, the Phylaxon made their way out of their planet of origin, eventually "infecting" their system, and various niches of ecology and sentience, allowing them to sweep across nearby system after system, replicating themselves in every empire and race in their galaxy, until they had spread throughout the entire galaxy and replicated trillions of copies of themselves.

Eventually, the inevitable happened, and the Phylaxon became able to extend their reach beyond their galaxy, having amassed an impressive extent of technology, energy and intelligence. It is likely that they will continue on until they replicate themselves among the entire multiverse or are exterminated.

Technology
The mass-replication of the Phylaxon has allowed them to at will level the physical constants and properties of their galaxy, including bending the laws of physics and traveling across dimensions and time.

Hypernovae
The main energy of the Phylaxon are hypernovae, which give off long-term amounts of gamma rays which are utilized for energy by the Phylaxon. Their primary systems are usually centered around these giants, which poses a weakness, as the hypernovae may ultimately destroy said systems.

Hyperspace
While the only "real" holds the Phylaxon posses are in their home galaxy, which exists on a plane of relative limbo, they have been cited as appearing through portal rifts in many parts of other galaxies, although they have yet to establish a real hold in any system outside of their own galaxy, mostly limited by the fact they have yet to find a sufficent hypernovae or power source, nor have they had enough time to adapt by hijacking hosts' conscienceless and replicating themselves.

Collective Mind
The Phylaxon operate via a collective mind, and seem to have a sort of sense of mass "swarm", and interpersonal sense. Phylaxon, however, are often adapted specfically based on their host's original niche and their own adaptations. As such, certain Phylaxon are often specific to attack of a certain race, empire, niche, or condition, and often other waves will not attack when these conditions are presented. It is unknown if this is intelligence to know that they would not be as likely to survive, or similar behavior of that to host-specific pathogens, however this strategy of "attacking with your best cards" is extremely successful, and allows that specialized "sub-mind" to adapt and become exceedingly efficient at replicating under a set of criteria specific to them.

This is why a single host being hijacked of a certain species can easily lead to the eventual destruction of the entire group by the Phylaxon, as a single Phylaxon may infect inumberable hosts, who in turn, as copies, will infect and adapt more and more hosts.

Mortality
All Phylaxon may be killed, however if not killed they are immortal. The best way to kill a Phylaxon is comprehensive intellectual strength: It has been known that certain individuals may "repel" a Phylaxon hijacking by sheer mental defense, as if certain consciences had developed an "immune system" to the "viruses". If this happens, it is likely one of two things will occur: the Phylaxon will be killed, or will be unable to infect the host and likely be killed by secondary means. It is likely, however, that determination and fate play a large role in whom is strong or weak. The concept of "opposites" and "balance" in fate is another possibility.

Despite their parasitic abilities, the Phylaxon are a relatively physically weak race apart from their multitude of various adaptations via hosts. This means it is most probable for the Phylaxon to be repelled and defeated if it is done before they have gained adaptations or infected anyone of the opposing race.

Appearance
The Phylaxon may vary in appearance, as they merely hijack the conscience of the host, and most Phylaxon can retain the physical appearance of their host, (of course, depending on the host). Even in their theoretical "native form", they often varied, as natural selection took hold as they adapted to a very diverse set of evolutionary and ecological niches.