Book 2: Chapter Thirty Two “Superorganism”


    Last chapter recap: Lin experiences a tsunami.


    This unique thing was half the size of the mothership, appearing like a hemispherical rock and had a regr circle of openings on the surface.


    Lin had never seen this before on the beach near the base. Lin remembered each kind of organism near the base. This thing was so special Lin could not have seen it before. It was sure that this appeared after this ind rose out of the water.


    Strange, but Lin ignored it. The warheads quickly climbed back to the rock where the base was. Lin had to modify them.


    Lin had used apletely enclosed shell to stop water froming out of the warhead. However, this also produced some problems. They could not obtain oxygen which caused them to move slowly.


    Lin found that the cells of many organisms would die without oxygen but Lins wouldnt. It would only be slower.


    But this didnt mean Lin didnt need oxygen. Lin first made openings on the warheads shell but taking in oxygen would cause some water to be lost. So it had to make a new typea water supplier warhead. It would be responsible for going to the edge of the ind to absorbing water and then delivering it to other warheads.


    Lin nned on building all kinds of structures on the ind following this but building in this ce would not be easy. In the water, regardless of position, Lin couldbine cells as it wished. But on thend, Lin had to provide water for cells to move andbine, and also shells to block ultraviolet light


    Lin would use the warheads to build.


    Lin had several warheads eatrge amounts of chitin substance inside the base and then climb out. They brushed the chitin substance on the sand in a circle and then built inyers to form a cylindrical shape.


    This kind of chitin substance hardened slowly and was extremely sticky. Lin could mix in sand to reduce the use of the chitin substance. But it had to ensure the density to avoid losing water.


    Then Lin had the water warhead go to the edge of the ind to absorb water, and transport it back to put into this barrel. Following this, Lin was able to have the basic cells start dividing in the barrel. Then it could create something that could open and close at the top of the barrel.


    Not a bad idea. Primarily because the giant shield tentacle around the base could not be opened, Lin had to build reproduction chambers outside to create bigger things and type. In the end, Lin nned to build around the entire ind to create an enormousnd base.


    While Lin didnt feel there was any meaning to constructing such arge base onnd, it meant that at least, Lin was adjusting to this ce.


    Lin had the warheads start to work. Some of them were responsible for putting down chitin substance and mixing in sand, some were responsible for getting water and creating an enormous reproduction barrel. Lin nned to make the structure as big as the mothership. However, Lin had toplete this before day time. If the ultraviolet light came, it would kill everything and Lins work would all be for nothing.


    The warheads quickly worked under the light of the night time stars. They had already built about 10% of the height beside the bases enormous stone. At this time, a warhead that was responsible forying down chitin substance suddenly passed over a thought. Something seemed to be gripping it. The force caused its shell to crack and it immediately leaked out water and cells.


    The warheads were empty structures filled with water. When it cracked, all the cells, including the organisms, could leak out. But Lin was more concerned with what attacked the warhead.


    The other warheads immediately gathered towards the point of attack. Lin found the culpritthat hemispherical stone it had seen before.


    No, this wasnt a stone   it was an organism. It had eight thick limbs supporting its hemispherical body. It also had two enormous forelimbs with pincers. Its pincer had gripped onto the warhead and now the warhead was almost snapped in half.


    It had put its limbs inside its body so Lin hadnt recognized it as an organism. But this thing didnt have a mouth.


    Its hemispherical body only had a row of holes. Due to this, Lin had thought it was something like the corals that could not move. Lin hadnt expected this organism to contain such power.


    The warhead shells were not especially resilient. They were made to block the ultraviolet light. Lin hadnt thought there would be any hunters onnd so it hadnt reinforced the warhead shells.


    The trapped warhead was snapped into two by the enormous pincer. Lin immediately had the surrounding warheads retreat back towards the base. They could not deal with a fully-armed organism like this.


    The other didnt give chase but stayed where it was. It threw the broken warhead onto the ground.


    It would not eat the warhead?


    Lin was puzzled and then suddenly sawrge numbers of small organisms charge out of the holes in the hemisphere. These organisms appeared the same as therger one, a hemispherical body, eight limbs and forelimbs with pincers. However, they all had small mouths filled with hooked teeth. Some of them went to eat the warhead others chased after Lins fleeing warheads.


    The organisms


    Lin saw this phenomenon and was surprised. This organism was extremely simr to how Lin acted. Arge main body, and then releasing small units to consume or attack?


    Maybe the term corps ball was suited to them. But they were still different from Lin. The corps ball released subordinate units that were the exact same as therger one, and they did not seem to have specialized.


    The small corpse balls were about the same size as the warheads. This meant the warheads didnt have to retreat. They could fight back!


    The warheads turned collectively and charged towards the corps ball. There were around thirty corps balls but Lin had simr numbers of warheads. This was an evenly matched battle.


    The warheads shaper heads were conducive to collisions. Lin had them charge towards corps balls and target the bottom part of the small corps balls to flip them over. Once the corps balls hemispherical bodies were turned over, they had a difficult time righting themselves. At this time, the warheads would thrust their sharp segmented limbs into the mouths of the corps balls.


    The pincers of the small corps balls were too small to damage the warheads; shells. The moment the warheads fought back, they copsed.


    The corps balls discovered this was an unfavorable situation. The remainder fled back into the body of therge corps ball. Then therge corps ball charged towards the warheads.


    It understood when to retreat


    Lin had the warheads climb back onto the rock and return into the base. Therge corps ball chased after the warheads, shoving its segmented limbs into the rocks cracks and climbing up!


    Seeing this, Lin was slightly surprised. The corps balls must be used to climbing up on thend. Otherwise, if it climbed up, its legs would snap due to being unustomed to the weight of its body.


    This organism was so strange. Why hadnt Lin seen it before? Lin wanted to capture and study it.


    Lins warheads quickly climbed into the base through the small opening. Therge corps ball also climbed up. It didnt have any eyes and most likely tracked by other means. It used its pincers to tap on the other shell of the base. When it felt that its attacks couldnt damage the shell, it stayed motionless.


    What was it doing? Waiting for the warheads toe out? Lin peeked out a small eyeball to observe this corps ball. It was in a position where the pincers were near the opening the warheads had went through. It seemed to be waiting for the warheads toe out from here.


    Extremely smart. But it would soon be daylight. How would it deal with ultraviolet light?


    Maybe it had a way to avoid the ultraviolet light, or be killed by the ultraviolet light. But none of these choices were ones Lin wanted.


    Lin wanted to study a living corps ball so


    Lin suddenly opened the giant shield tentacles. Before the corps ball could react, it fell into the base. Lin then closed all the giant shield tentacles and trapped the corps ball inside the base.


    The moment it had opened the base, Lin had lost a great amount of water. But it had captured the corps ball. Immediately, countless tentacles inside the base wrapped around the corps ball. Lin had reinforced these tentacles with muscle so they could move even when there was no water.


    In the darkness, the corps ball furiously struggled. Even though it was able to pinch off one or two tentacles, Lin had dozens wrapped around it. The stinger cells pierced into the segmented limb joints of the corps ball, making it weak. At the same time, Lin blocked the holes so the small corps balls could note out.


    Right now, the corps ball could not move at all. Next would be deconstructing it.


    But Lin most likely had to wait a while.


    The primary organisms of the base were inside the rock, and the water inside had not spilled. But the water in the upper part of the base was almostpletely gone. Lin had to fill this ce with water and then use cells to deconstruct the corps ball. That way, it would be able to observe the structures in detail.


    However, daytime was near. Lin could not go out to get water when ultraviolet light was present.


    Then it would wait for night time, a long time off.


    In this waiting period, Lin turned its attention back to the Leviathan.


    Trantor Ramblings: Once again, these chapters were prompted by a reader asking for updates. Guilt trips appear to work really well on me.