Fiction:Genetithief Swarm

The Genetitheft Swarm is a colony of aggressive, semi-intelligent beings. They are seen as nothing more than pests, or a plague. Some Zealots see them as a punishment sent by whichever deity they choose to worship. Others call them an evolutionary nightmare and the end to all life. But what most don't realize is that there is more to the Genetithefts than mindless killing.

History
The Genetithefts came from humble beginnings. What was once a miracle, quickly turned into a disaster. Their origins were wiped from the history books in what could be described as one of the most gruesome extinctions of a race known in the galaxy from which the Genetithefts originated. They are only known by their modern name nowadays.

Origin
The Insectiles, more commonly known as the Genetithefts, no thanks to an illiterate's term catching on early into the Swarm's history, are a genetic experiment gone wrong. What started as a miracle cure spiraled out of control into a swarm of aggressive mutants. A race of creatures known as the Cyther had gotten tired of diseases that they could not fight with surgery or medication, such as cancer. So they decided to make a microscopic army to help cure the incurable.

Miracle Cure
The Cythers knew that most cancers are caused by cells splitting with improper genes to regulate tissue growth. The Cythers had discovered a species of cell which they dubbed ''Genetisis repairii. ''They discovered that the cells were prone to frequent and potentially harmful genetic mutations. However, rather than evolution taking a course with those less afflicted by such mutations surviving, it took another course: Eliminating the mutations all together.

It was found that the Genetisis were able to repair, create, or destroy chromosomes as needed, thanks to special protein producing organelles. It was also found that Genetisis may have a built in need to keep the species alive, as the cells had been observed trading needed proteins, or even giving to those that were less fortunate, due to chemicals given off by the cell, identifying their own species in a way similar to ants using pheromones.

The Cyther simply spliced a Genetisis cell to identify cancerous cells as their own species as well, and to give off chemicals that fooled the immune system into thinking the Genetisis cells were actually part of the system so they were not destroyed while they went to work, and thus it was complete. Cancer caused by genetic mutation ceased to exist within a matter of months, as did other ailments. The Cyther were seen as heroes in their quadrant, and empires were lining up, offering massive amounts of money for their own strain. The Cyther were the only race capable of producing the Genetisis as needed, but they were powerless to stop nature.

The secret of the the Genetisis' mutation problems has already been discovered. One of the scientists who would be responsible for the wonder cure was studying the cells, just to see how they worked before testing as a cure went into effect. The Genetisis were nothing more than your average blob of organelles and cell membrane, and drifted wherever the currents of the ooze they lived in took them to. However, cells require energy, and Genetisis are not capable of producing food like plant cells. That's when the Scientist found out what made the Genetisis tick.

Genetisis were predators. Anything that swam too close was absorbed. But not completely destroyed. The scientist began noticing that his Genetisis strain began showing traits of other cells as time went on. The Genetisis were capable of taking the traits of other cells and passing them on to the next generation. They could even pass on these traits through the Protein Trade with cells that had not even consumed anything to give them said traits.

The Beginning
The problem with using an always evolving, community focused cell as a medical miracle was that if the cells were not eliminated from the system, problems could ensue. While a drug had been produced that would kill all Gentisis cells in the body, not getting the medicine into the system was the worst thing to do. And this was where it all began.

Patient Zero was of a species known as an Insecroc, and was named Sparky. The loyal pet of a Cyther family. Insecrocs have a mix of reptilian and insect traits. The body and eyes are reptilian, the legs are insect-like, and the creature possesses antennae as well. Their mouths are reptilian, with a pair of mandibles forming just over the jawbones.

The cure creators intended the Genetisis cure to be a quick fix: Let them repair the damage then get rid of them quickly. The Genetisis were not designed to recognize healthy cells as their own species. Thus, a perfectly healthy individual with no cancers or diseases would not last long with a foreign, cell absorbing species in their system.

This is where the Genetisis first began to show their potential as a pathogen. They began to attack the system, and absorbed the traits of the cells. But what traits are there in the cells of a multicellular organism? The traits needed to build a multicellular organism. The Genetisis began to form themselves into a basic structure of a multicellular organism, with some taking the role of a brain, some being used to digest and spread energy, etc. The cells, for the first time, stopped sharing all their traits with each other, as a cell dedicated to neurological signals could not also be used to digest. But they were still working together to keep their organism alive.

The first of the Swarm arose three years after the cure was developed. Sparky had been taken into a veterinary clinic, his stomach distended horribly, as well as a low blood cell count and damage to all of his organs. When the vets went to take an ultrasound, the Insecroc's stomach burst like a geyser, and sitting there was a creature that shared many of his traits. Scales, six legs, antennae, reptile-like eyes, and manidbles overlaying a reptilian jaw. However, rather than green and red, the creature was a dark maroon and red color. There was an attempt to catch the creature, but it escaped through an open window and made its way into the wilderness. The creature was dubbed ''Genetisaur primus. ''Only one has ever existed, and it shared the exact traits of the Insecroc on the outside besides color. But what was inside was much different.

The Beginning of the End
G-Prime was the first of its kind and an evolutionary marvel, and the first prototype of the Genetitheft swarm. The capability of the extremely fast mutation of the Genetisis cell, scaled all the way up to a multicellular organism. This was beyond what the Cythers had planned for it, and a search for G-Prime was commenced, but it was never found.

And it was able to reproduce, and the species quickly went out of control. The Cyther homeworld was overtaken, and despite attempts to flee and leave the creatures stranded on the planet, they managed to hitch a ride, and thus the infestation was allowed to spread.

Species
The Genetithefts kept some of the traits of their first ancestor, but most of these traits are nominal, as the castes have evolved massive differences to get where they are today. Here is a database of all currently known castes.

Larvaptor=

Genetitheft juvenus is the scientific name of what is known as the Larvaptor. This small creature is as basic of a design as has been seen of the Genetitheft Swarm. They are not much of a threat, choosing to hide rather than attack invaders, and even their appearance gives them a less aggressive demeanor. The Larvaptor are helpless for the first few weeks of life, having to be fed by the hunter-gatherers until they build up enough body fat to spin themselves into a cocoon and metamorphose.

Larvaptors have the DNA for each one of the castes imbued in their system, including that of the Swarmlord. However, they tend to metamorphose into whatever creature is needed most at the time, or whatever the Swarmlord itself requests of them. Much like the caterpillar, it is unknown how the Larvaptor goes through such changes. The issue not being so much that the Larvaptor looks completely different compared to the adult forms, but rather that it is so complex compared to an actual insect that it's unknown how the body manages to cope with the change.

When the Larvaptor emerges, it is no longer a Larvaptor, but one of the more advanced castes of Genetitheft. During this time, they are weak, hungry, and helpless, for a few days at least. The colony makes sure to keep these new adults safe until they are able to do work. Saboteur=

Genetitheft subversius is the second smallest creature in the swarm, next to the Larvaptor. The Saboteur is deadly in its own right due to being tied with the Drone for the second most intelligent species in the swarm, after the Swarmlord. These small creatures do not rely on brute strength, but rather use ambush attacks if forced into battle. But their main use is as the name implies. These creatures were born to sabotage structures.

The Saboteur has the ability to create electricity, thanks to a number of pods on their back that can absorb even the slightest electric charge from the air. The Saboteurs are capable of high power, ranged electric shocks, but doing so is extremely dangerous and can cause the pods to rupture, usually ending in death.

The Saboteur rather uses the electricity through two scythes on their forelimbs. These scythes can conduct electricity, and this makes them deadly. A Saboteur has only to stab into a power relay, and it can absorb the power and shut down a whole compound, then it just needs to stab the scythes into some poor, unwary lifeform, and it can deliver a shock power enough to kill an elephant. The reason this is not deadly to the Saboteur is that the power is being lost through actual conduction, rather than being forced from organs not meant for firing electric shocks.

Saboteurs have been argued to be intelligent enough to fly spaceships, but there is no actual evidence for this, besides a spaceship with the bodies of both Saboteurs and the crew found on board. This only led most to believe that the Saboteurs destroyed the ship rather than attempt to control it. Expendosaur=

Genetitheft expendus is the most common type of Genetitheft there is. These creatures are deadly in their own right, but nominal compared to some of the other species in the swarm. While they can hold their own in a head-on, one-on-one fight, those with the superior technology tend to win. Thus, the Expendosaurs like to use numbers or stealth, overpowering their enemies in packs, or attacking without being noticed.

Expendosaurs are also the main labor force of the colony, usually the young ones, or the battle-worn ones. They care for the young, clean and expand the nest, and do all the foraging. While they are seen as nothing by those who don't know better, the colony actually needs them. The Expendosaur's lanky body allows it to squeeze into places most others can't go. Their long legs are perfect for scooping out huge amounts of dirt as they carve tunnels into the earth, and their speed and agility make them perfect hunters of even the most evasive of prey.

The Expendosaur is actually feared more than any other species, other than the Bitterclaw, due to their relentlessness. As the Bitterclaw is so uncommon, and the Expendosaurs so extremely common, some wonder if the Expendosaurs are actually more threatening than the Bitterclaw. Most scars on veterans of wars on the Swarm are from the Expendosaurs. Spitopotamus=

Genetitheft sagittarius is both a strong and weak creature in the swarm. The Spitopotamus, referred to as the Spito by most, is a rotund, sluggish creature with a long tail that curves up and over the back, much like the Willosaur. The tail ends in a spitting appendage which is linked directly to the stomach. The stomach produces an excess of acid for the Spito's purposes. As should be no surprise, the Spitopotamus is the ranged fighter of the Swarm. Their spit, as can be assumed, is deadly and painful, and is more acidic than normal stomach acid.

The acid has the potential to burn through most substances, including many types of metals. Skin and bone are nothing to it. Spitopotamus are taken out on sight because of this acid, as no substance has yet been discovered to rival them. No alloy or fabric can hold up against it. However, it has dawned on many that the answer lies inside the Spitopotamus. It should make sense that the one substance that can combat the acid is whatever mucus or other lining protects the stomach from being digested. Thus, attempts to capture the Spitopotamus alive have been attempted. But the Spitopotamus have been known to exterminate themselves with a wad of acid to the head rather than letting themselves be captured. Dead Spitopotamus are useless, as both the acid and whatever substance keeps it at bay decay quickly after death.

Spitopotamus are weak in melee combat, possessing some of the weakest jaws in the swarm, as well as hollow teeth. A Spitopotamus in a hand-to-jaw fight is most likely going to die. Brutosaur=

Genetitheft brutus is the heavy infantry of the Swarm. Brutosaurs charge in head first and don't fool around. Their forelimbs sport a pair of spiked clubs with enough power behind them to break bones with ease, as well as a powerful jaw full of serrated teeth. Brutosaurs tend to be hard to take down, whether it be due to a higher vitality or just higher insanity compared to the rest of the swarm is unknown. But everyone aims for the Brutosaur when they get too close. The only person to survive a Brutosaur attack was left paralyzed, brain damaged, and without one of their arms.

The Brutosaur is actually one of the more cunning of the species of the Swarm, able to parry and dodge any melee attacks with relative ease. They seem to have developed a certain skill level in handling their overly-large weapons, so much so that most melee combat masters would be put to shame. And then bludgeoned to death. Drone=

Genetitheft caelus is the reconnaissance and aerial-support caste of the Swarm. They are the only ones capable of flight, and are tied with the Saboteur for the second most intelligent species in the Swarm. Their know-how lies in different ideals, however. The Saboteur needs to know how to make something stop working and how to get to it. The Drone is a mastermind amongst the Swarm for strategy. They are the front line commanders, giving orders where the Swarmlord may be unable to, depending on the distance from their monarch.

The Drone is relatively weak in combat, able to be easily shot out of the sky and not very deadly in a direct attack. However, the Drones are notorious for swooping down like a bird of prey, digging their claws in, and carrying off unsuspecting soldiers. Favored killing methods include tearing apart in mid air, dropping from a height, dropping into a pit of lava, dropping into a power relay, dropping into a building that is on fire, dropping into deep water, or dropping into the mouth of a hungry Bitterclaw. Bitterclaw=

Genetitheft metus is the creature no one wants to see come charging in. This creature is roughly the size of a Tyrannosaurus, but much deadlier. For a start, their arms are properly evolved weapons, with their hand able to generate enough force to crush creatures like toothpicks. Then there is the jaws capable of crushing bones, two large, sharp horns that could impale the armor of a spacecraft, and the whole issue of being crushed under the feet of a six or seven ton monster is always a point to watch out for.

Bitterclaws may be deadly to the unwary, but are unable to hold up under massive weapon fire. Despite this, they charge in kamikaze style, wreaking as much havoc as they can before attempting a retreat. Some are successful in the retreat. Others are not. Having to charge past these massive walls of meat can create barriers for both sides, as well as new ambush points and places to hide.

Some Bitterclaws have been known to fake death, suddenly coming to life in the middle of an advancing attack force and completely obliterating platoons of soliders and whole vehicle squadrons.

Thus the Bitterclaw is feared above all others. Swarmlord=

Genetitheft rex, known commonly as the Swarmlord, is the parent to all creatures of an infestation. Their death means the colony's death. They communicate through a mix of telepathy, no thanks to the high-function brains of the creatures they had been feeding on, and extremely high-frequency ultrasound. The telepathy is only achieved through the senses. They can tune into the sensory receptors of their offspring at any time, seeing what they see, hearing what they hear, etc. But the Swarmlord can not give commands in this way.

The Swarmlord can only give direct commands through ultrasound. As the ultrasound can only go so far, the members of the colony are highly independent, relying on their own problem solving skills and common sense to outwit and outmaneuver the enemy. This is also why it is believed that Drones are front line commanders.

The Swarmlord itself is a terrifying creature. This creature can easily surpass the size of some of Earth's prehistoric predators. To keep this high maintenance processing plant working, the Swarmlord is omnivorous, the only other omnivore in the Swarm being the Larvaptor. All others are carnivores. The Swarmlords rely on a working force of young and inexperienced or old, battle-worn Expendosaurs to harvest food and keep the colony running.

On conquered planets, daring research parties have found Swarmlords in a near dormant state, the only process taking copious amounts of energy being the creation of offspring. This may be a way to preserve the colony. If the Swarmlord were to remain in an active state at all times, they would make short work of the resources in the surrounding area, and the colony would have to relocate often, likely doing permanent damage to the lands they leave behind along the way. In this state of dormancy, they preserve as much energy as possible between feedings, allowing the area to cope in whatever way it can with the colony. It is likely that the colony members are highly independent during these times of dormancy.

The Swarmlord stands at forty feet tall, and eighty-five feet long. They possess scales, a reptile-like body, six insect-like limbs, two antennae, and reptilian jaws overlaid by insect mandibles, just like the other species. But they are the only known bipedal Genetitheft. Their other limbs evolved to a much more potent design. Their forelimbs evolved into hands, allowing them to manipulate their environment in a way few other Genetithefts can. Their middle limbs have evolved two spiked clubs on the end, much like the Brutosaur. Their primary function need not be explained.

No one knows how the Swarm transfers from place to place. Some assume that Larvaptors, or even something smaller, sneak onto ships before they evacuate the planet, others think that Saboteurs have the intelligence to power and control a ship, at least for long enough to find habitable planets. The only evidence being the remains of an abandoned star cruiser, with the remains of Saboteurs inside. The theory was debunked by the fact that the bodies of the crew were there as well, meaning that the crew could have been killed by the Saboteurs messing with the ship and causing all life-support systems to shut off. So it is rather assumed that a Larvaptor may sneak into the ship, and stowaway until the ship comes to a new planet where a colony could be establish.

Swarmlords also have no known lifespan. However, it can bee assumed to be around eighty to a hundred years, and that a new Swarmlord would be born before the death of the old one to keep the colony alive.

While not probable, it has been proven that the Genetithefts could be reasoned with, the Swarmlords tending to learn the language of the local race that had colonized the planet. (Yes, through eating them.) One daring explorer was having a nice, civil conversation with a Swarmlord, which was a feat in itself, when one of his crew members went into a panic and began firing haphazardly. Beyond a few major wounds, concussions, and one person losing a limb, the crew escaped relatively unscathed. While the diplomacy with the colony had been unsuccessful, it had been proven that the Swarm were not mindless killers. One could potentially use this power in some maniacal way.