Bug Hunters
In reply to Brutus Cartwright (msg # 258):
It will take some time to gather and collate all that is learned. After 4 days, you have gathered everything up and you are presented a brief on what has been found by the various specialties.
Biologist
- The eggs come in three types, Queen, Worker and Soldier. The live ones you have are workers, the smallest and weakest ones. Soldiers can fire webs, like spiders, but workers can only spin the webs, which may be used for constructions like ropes as well as clothing.
- Queens seem to have some sort of connection with all others. There are no communication devices in their inventory.
- The ships and the small craft are partly made, partly grown. Maintenance by workers may use webs for repairs. The hard external carapace is like bio-armour, but the biology is different, though a similar tech level to Terras. All other techs are inferior.
Electronics
- The computers use bio-computers, not surprisingly. While the artificial brains are potentially more powerful, losses in the interface make them overall less powerful, a similar problem to what was faced by Terran researchers looking into bio-computers.
- They believe they have been able to tap into one of the bio-computers to gather some semblance of history of the race. The social scientist will elaborate later, but it would seem the current death cult was not always the only cult.
- Additional information on the computers reveals little more about the weapons and systems than you already know. There are no star charts, other that a list of stars that colonisers were previously sent to. None had faster than light drives, but all were a version of generation ships. You do find a layout of the ecosystem used to keep the bugs alive indefinitely in space.
Social
- Bugs are organised into Soldiers, workers and a single queen. An older queen will lay a single new queen egg to replace her about 30 years before she dies, but will daily inject it with a small amount of pacifier that will stop it from growing. Should she die, it will hatch in about 5 days. The biologist confirm that the queen egg is about to hatch.
- The Death cult was influenced by a black hole near the home world. Six separate cults, the Cult of Light, the Cult of Power, the Cult of Tranquility, the Cult of Technology, the Cult of Economics and the Cult of Order (names were assigned based on characteristics, as translating actual names was too difficult), formerly held sway over the planet. The Cult of Technology, which discovered the black hole, was the first to be 'corrupted', followed by the Cult of Power. When the Cult of Economics was faced with massive losses due to these changes, they soon succumbed as well, with the Cult of Order being overwhelmed by the chaos and most members left them. That left the Cult of Tranquility, which had negligible standing army to start with, and the Cult of Light. The ensuing war quickly overwhelmed the remnants of the first four cults and the Cult of Tranquility, with most opposed to the Death cult joining the Cult of Light. The last Cult, heavily outnumbered, fought bravely for eight years, with most members killed rather than surrender, but in the end overwhelming numbers eradicated them.
- There is detailed working of the Cult of Light, and tell-tale signs of their members in case they may be found. This raises suspicion that they may have gone into hiding, despite the propaganda.
- There is a section for the Queens to read that looks like heavy indoctrination of the Cult of Death. It details why all other life must be 'thrown into the void', and seems very convincing. They have not read through most of it yet, but the suggestion is that the rest of the hive follows the Queen.
Other Tech
- You now understand how to feed the bugs...sugar or honey are very similar to their high energy food, but they also need protein. Usually from cockroach-like bugs.
- The batteries are easy to replicate with your own, so their equipment is easily modified to your tech.
Any Further Questions?
28 July 2188, System 1539, Supplies: 5600 person days, Vatfacs can cover all, $87,496,300