"Cerebrate α, an advanced psychic creature, the mastermind of the insect swarm, and the final choice of the insect swarm's millions of years of evolutionary history."
After the elevator down to the ground floor laboratory stopped, Dr. Francos and his student Egon Steitmann led Augustus to the demonstration platform in the center. The soldiers and researchers around him paid tribute with respect.
Their marshal gave way.
This modern laboratory is equipped with workbenches, high-precision research facilities, glass test tubes and other utensils. Researchers in white robes all wear gloves, and soldiers are always on alert.
The temperature and humidity in the laboratory are controlled within strict standards, the air is fresh, and under the blue-white light, the running machines make a slight buzzing sound.
Some workstations are preparing certain medicines, while others are assembling sophisticated electronic equipment. There are more than a dozen different screens on the walls of the lower laboratory to monitor the latest progress of each team. There are two crossed rods inside the laboratory.
Revolutionary Army flags, every flag is always kept clean, tidy, and flawless.
"It is very difficult to capture a brain worm, and you must make great sacrifices. In my entire life, I may not have the opportunity to see a second brain worm captured by humans." Francos walked as he walked.
explain.
"It is priceless."
"A brainworm is a swarm." Raynor said: "A worker bee can create an army of swarms. Fortunately, it did not fall into the hands of those with evil hearts."
"Such as the Federation."
While listening to Francos' words, Augustus nodded to the people present and walked towards where Kerrigan and Zeratul were standing.
Kerrigan stared closely at the Cerebrate that was restrained by a hemispherical energy shield in the center of the laboratory, and the Cerebrate in the shield was also staring at Kerrigan with its multiple pairs of insect eyes.
This is a strange picture. A huge, gray and fat worm is looking at a beauty with long fiery red hair. Kerrigan's green eyes are bright and energetic, and the brain worm has multiple pairs of small eyes.
His eyes will show a fierce look.
"You despicable bipedal worker bee!" The brainworm's psychic scream could be heard clearly by Augustus in the upper laboratory.
This brainworm has fallen into a desperate situation. The environment and light here are far from the warm, moist and soft nest it was once familiar with. It is bound in a small cage for human study. As the master of the swarm,
All dignity is lost.
This place is also very far away from Char. The Hyperion has already sailed out of Char and flew to Aiur, and the Cerebrate can no longer sense the thoughts of its group and other Cerebrates. Without the help of group members, even if
Several Hydra Hydralisks can easily kill a Cerebrate.
What the brainworm can do is to use verbal weapons to attack its enemies. It has tried to please these humans, or deceived them into releasing themselves, but the results have proven that any conspiracy is just a trick in front of humans.
.
"You're just going to hide behind this shiny carapace, like Char's crab," it yelled, "Let me out!"
"Do you think this metal main nest can contain a great brainworm? Ah——"
"Then try to see if you can get out." Kerrigan crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Please, don't eat us all when you come out."
"Ah——" The brainworm let out a chilling scream that made the hairs on the hair stand on end. Even if it was blocked by the energy shield, it made everyone around it feel dizzy and sick.
The Cerebrate tried clumsily to use the small stumps that did not exist on its abdomen to support its upper body so that it could hit the energy shield, but it failed after a period of futile struggle.
So, it just turned over.
Brainworm straightened his posture, pretending that nothing had happened, and emphasized angrily:
"You wait!"
"It's so cute." Augustus laughed, and the researchers and followers around him also laughed.
"You actually treat a brain worm as a joke." A brain worm is a creature with extremely strong psychic abilities. It can also hear the voices of others like high-level human psykers, let alone laugh at something as simple as this.
understand the meaning.
These weak humans, the springtails of the tribe can kill several of them, disembowel them, and make the place become a river of blood. Now, they think it's funny in their hearts, and they actually laugh out loud with their noisy vocal organs.
Voice.
"I won't let you go! No!"
"This guy seems to be quite energetic. I've been worried about it dying." Augustus shrugged.
"The brainworm lacks the ability to defend itself. In this cage that is monitored at all times, it cannot even commit suicide." Hearing Augustus's voice, Kerrigan withdrew his gaze and walked to Austria.
Next to Augustus, she held Augustus's left hand with her two palms.
"After all, it is still a too young brain worm." Dr. Francos also smiled, his eyes shining when he looked at the brain worm.
"The baby is only a few months old." Kerrigan hummed.
"Salute to Adun, elder, you have brought a great gift." At this moment, Augustus looked at Zeratul who was standing not far away, and said in his heart that he could not ignore this distinguished guest.
Sometimes Zeratul would visit the Hyperion, which was as normal as visiting a neighbor. He even knew more about the warship than some of the Hyperion engineers who had just arrived.
road.
"Salute to Adun." Zeratul's voice was as deep and vicissitudes of life as ever: "It was Vorazun who led the Shadow Guard who brought back this brainworm, and it was she who immediately thought of our human friends."
"What a good girl. Where is Lord Volazun?" Raynor, who was talking to Dr. Francos, looked at Zeratul and said.
"Vorazun has returned to Sagurath, the home of the Dark Templar, with our clan's sacred object, the Kalis Crystal. This treasure was lost by Nerazim a long time ago." Zeratul answered.
Said: "It is said that this crystal was once a sacred object given to the protoss clan by Xel'Naga, a visitor from afar."
"It's another Xel'Naga thing." Renault expressed his true feelings: "Ancient, mysterious and powerful, their history can be traced back to the beginning of Chaos and the birth of the universe. However, in the end, the Xel'Naga went again
Where?"
"No one knows." Zeratul replied briefly: "Xel'Naga has long gone, leaving only the ruins of the once glorious city. But the Dark Templar always believe that Xel'Naga is still watching us, and those who came from
The enlightenment of the void is the testimony.”
"Maybe the Xel'Naga were just sleeping. After they took a nap, countless civilizations rose and fell." Augustus expressed his opinion.
"Xel'Naga, we once destroyed their entire fleet." When the brainworm who was still talking trash heard this, he immediately said it through sharp mental language.
"How is that possible?" Zeratul immediately retorted: "Zerg, you actually attacked your own creator."
"That's right, that's the picture that was engraved in the memory when the master created me." The brainworm said proudly: "Just like this, you still dare to ignore a brainworm?"
"We are not ignoring you." Augustus said, spreading his hands.
"You have." As a new cerebrate, α is far less experienced than the older cerebrates like Sars and Dagoth.
"What happened at that time?" Zeratul didn't seem to suspect that this cerebrate was telling lies. Among the protoss and zerg, there have never been as many lies as among humans.
"We, the swarm, destroyed all the Xel'Naga fleets in the orbit of Zerus." The brainworm said: "Then I tore them into pieces and ate them. The knowledge and wisdom of the Xel'Naga belong to the master.
, the insect swarm also became more powerful, until we crossed the galaxy."
"Your god was eaten by us."
"Absurd!" Zeratul could not accept this fact at all, and he refused to believe that all the Xel'Naga had passed away.
"The Xel'Naga, they must still be there, they are immortal." He asked the brainworm: "Are all the Xel'Naga dead?"
"I don't know. After all, I'm just a newly born brainworm." The brainworm thought for a while: "Besides, I don't need to answer your question."
"Isn't this completely ignorant?" Augustus shook his head.
"They should all be dead." Brain Worm emphasized, "I'm sure."
"Incredibly sad." Zeratul let out a sigh that reached everyone's hearts: "If this is true, then this will be a heavy blow to my people."
"If the zerg can completely destroy the Xel'Naga fleet, then how terrifying the enemy the protoss will face will be."
"In that case, I have reason to believe that the Xel'Naga created the Zerg after leaving Aiur, and were then devoured by the species they created. This is why they never came back."
"Looking at the bright side, maybe they simply don't want to return to Aiur." Augustus comforted Zeratul and said.
"...Hmm." Zeratul was silent.
Augustus once again observed the brain worm through the transparent energy cage, and found that it was significantly smaller than the brain worm Sars of the Gamu swarm he had seen before, with white moist skin.
It is also much softer and tender.
Admittedly, apart from the sharp and tiny teeth in this brainworm's mouth, the brainworm does not look threatening in any way.
"Hey, it's time for you to lose weight, fat boy." At this time, Renault said while stroking the stubble on his chin.
"..." The brainworm ignored Renault.
"Among the brainworms I have ever seen, Cerebrate Alpha is the most extraordinary one." Augustus looked at the brainworm and said, "It may even be the smartest and deadliest one."
"All it lacks is time to grow." He said: "If you hadn't brought it back, it would probably have become the most powerful enemy that humans and protoss have ever faced.
"Sweet words." Brainworm paused: "Do you think these sweet words can please me?"
"Francos, what are you going to do with this brainworm?" Augustus changed the subject.
"I heard that you all like to study slices, or cut one half and put the other half in the nutrient solution to continue the experiment." Renault said in a low voice.
The brainworm shook its head, its head stiffened, and its body shrank into the corner. It knew that humans were bluffing.
"If you have the guts, then kill me." Brainworm said.
"Once the brainworm dies, it won't take long for the master to resurrect." Francos adjusted his glasses and said, "So, we must always keep it alive."
"I believe that there has never been an individual among the zerg that died naturally due to aging." He looked at the brainworm's eyes without wavering for a moment: "I swear, after my death, my students, my students
The students will still guard it! Even if it cannot bring any benefits to mankind, it must not become a monster that will bring countless destruction and death."
"Weakness, weakness of limbs, degeneration, and functional decline." The brainworm spoke incoherently with extreme anger: "I curse you, your body will age until you die. This is a miserable human being, because mortals must die."
"Relax, kid, there's nothing wrong with having a bunch of nannies." Renault said with a smile.
"The original plan is to transform this cerebrate into a Cerberus cyborg cerebrate, so that we can easily obtain an army of swarms." Dr. Francos continued.
In the plan to control the zerg, there are two completely different plans. One is top-down, that is, controlling the zerg by controlling the cerebrates or the overlord, and the other is bottom-up, which is to transform the huge zerg.
For the bottom insect swarm, a master brain is artificially established to control them.
The Cerberus Project was originally a bottom-up plan, but Nayak said that it was just because they were unable to capture a single cerebrate and could only conduct experiments on some low-level zerg individuals.
"What are the chances of success?" Augustus asked.
"The Cerberus Project has been able to control Springtails and Hydra Hydralisks, but the Cerebrate is completely different from those lower zerg. It is a psychic creature." Dr. Francos said: "The Cerberus experiment
The people in the room can’t guarantee that they can succeed in the first attempt.”
"What is the other plan?" Augustus asked again: "If the probability of success is not 100%, then it is failure."
"Let me control it." Kerrigan said suddenly at this time.
"Can you do it?" Augustus didn't think Kerrigan's psychic power could surpass that of a cerebrate.
"I'm trying to do that." Kerrigan nodded: "Just like I control the worker bees, I can feel the connection with this brainworm."
"This is challenging the authority of the Overlord." The Cerebrate moved its body and was shocked by Kerrigan's words: "The Overlord is the creator of all Cerebrates, and we are like an extension and other parts of its will."
However, it can completely pretend to be controlled by humans first and just wait for them to take it lightly...
"A brainworm will never betray."
"But what if the master dies?" Augustus looked into the eyes of the brainworm.
"The master will never die." The brainworm said in an unquestionable tone: "The master is eternal."
"..." Augustus glanced at the brainworm a few more times and said to Kerrigan: "Try that first. My suggestion is to see how the circus trainer tames the beast.
Of tigers and lions.”
"I won't let you go!" The brainworm's whole body was trembling as he endured unprecedented humiliation.
"Let's do it this way. You are a smart brainworm and you know what to do that is more beneficial to you now." When Augustus spoke, the Hyperion's hull trembled slightly.
This is the first time the Hyperion has entered the physical universe since it entered the hyperspace route from the Char Galaxy. They will stop for a while in Luria, a mining world in the Kemerian complex, and head to the planet after completing the last ammunition supply.
El, the home planet of spirits.
And this is also to fulfill Augustus' promise to help Tassadar and help the protoss defend Aiur.