Chapter 5: Virus Sample

Returning to James' perspective, he was secretly joyful that he had made contact with a group. He could use them to do something he could not if they lowered their weapons and backed away but didn't leave. The only thing that came to mind was that they'd try to contact Wickerman-01. 'Then…Wickerman-01,' James connected with the first Wickerman connection with him, noticing the Wickerman slightly flinching and glancing its eyes towards his direction. James continued, 'Notify me immediately if they send out someone to talk to you. You can send the other Wickermen to hide in the entrance while you stay in front of the entrance.' The Wickerman, to send in a reply, slightly tilted its head. It had understood James' order and conveyed its understanding. 'It always surprises me that the first members of the newer types were also the ones with the most intelligence.' 

James moved without a second thought and changed his perspective back to the pool. 'It's time I return to studying the sample I got.' James rolled his viewpoint to the deeper part of the pool; from the deepest part was a pit 30 meters deep and 20 meters in length. In the center of the pit was a glowing purple sphere. It was the only thing that was different in the encompassing blackness. It writhed and squirmed in every direction like it was trying to escape. 'After months of studying it and gathering information, the only thing I've gathered was that it came from space.' James thought to himself. 

During the first month, he had the sample filled with continuous information gathering. Every time he tried to pierce through the sample and understand it more deeply, the sample's cells fought back and obstructed the pool's body from gathering anymore. But from what little he had gathered, after analyzing it for a few days, he deduced that it came from space since he noticed a considerable amount of solar radiation that can only be possible if you were in space and being hit by the sunlight at full force. After three months, he managed to gather intel on the sample's cells and noticed that it looked like a licorice that was twisted far too tightly; it had a sort of tentacles that aided it in quickly moving through the victim's bloodstream and situating itself in the heart and brain before multiplying itself and spreading throughout the body. 

Other than that, he noted and seared it in his brain that either the more prolonged the infection or the weaker the victim's immune system, once the virus settled, it would quickly evolve and mutate into the different aberants James has faced. Be it Human or not. After finding out about it, he focused on creating the newer types that perfectly counter the abilities of the mutant infected. Although there were still casualties, it was impossible to do so without such losses. Every chance he had to study it further was slow, but he was patient. In the long run, it was adequate enough.

James looked at the sample again with narrowed eyes and began to think to himself. 'So far, patiently gathering information this slow is currently acceptable to me,' James moved his perspective closer to the sample and gathered a small twisting whirlpool near it. 'Maybe it's time to fully digest it.' He thought resolutely before creating varying sizes of whirlpools and began to insert the tips like a needle into the sample from all sides. The best example is like a Ferrofluid slowly encompassing a spherical magnet. From what James felt, the sample began to counterattack the whirlpools. From the little bits of energy he sensed disappearing, he concluded that the sample was absorbing the energy from the invader and using it to multiply as quickly as possible. 'What forlorn endeavor.' He thought before raising the pressure and force of the whirlpools. 

The sample, from the rising pressure and force, was ripped apart and slowly consumed by the pool. Following that was information of different kinds. James now understood how the virus spread and created such a wasteland of this world. Apparently and unsurprisingly, the virus came from a meteor that landed on this planet. It was not a singular meteor but an entire shower of them that spread into different parts of the world. With it, a primitive and non-evolved version of the virus spread out from the wreckage and spread through the air. What surprised James, of course, was that the virus released by the meteor did not affect the things around it and was even suppressed by this planet's micro-organisms. Unsurprisingly, after a brief respite of continuous micro-war, the virus managed to invade a nearly dying mushroom. Through it and gathering energy to multiply itself, it began to use the mushroom's spores to travel without losing numbers from its opponents. 

After successfully using the spores to further travel from the crash site and growing in number once the luckier spores turned into mushrooms, the virus only evolved to its first stage. The first stage was that of a parasitic germ that attached itself to these mushrooms. With continuous generations, the mushrooms these parasites attached transformed into varying types and effects, with an elimination round of survival of the fittest.

The First stage of the parasites had 5 types. The Poison type could release spores of poison spores that will spread for 5 meters, but with enough Poison type mushrooms, it can cover an entire forest; the next type was the Sparrow type infected mushroom, which has the ability to shoot out spines to attack anything moving within its vicinity. These spines are as thin as needles but as long as 40 cm; the spine also can infect its victims, and the victim will slowly die from the infection, and from its corpse, new mushrooms would grow. The next type was the Wreaver, which could control its roots to continuously move and prey upon its victims smaller or weaker than itself. James classified this type as a Carrion eater; from the information, the flesh it eats is used to sustain it and create a separate Wreaver by tearing off certain roots. The next type was the Flyer type, the mushroom evolved into thinning its cap and spinning itself to hover from the ground; it attacks by falling from great heights with the pointed edge of its volva to stab its opponent and use its mycelium to attach itself to the victim. If forcefully removed, flesh, muscle, and even bone that the mycelium attaches itself to come with it.

All four types are limited in the environment they began in; they need the ability to adapt quickly enough to different environments. Like the Flyer type, which prefers dark mossy areas or swaps, the mycelium acts like its sensory organ but stays still to mimic vines or moss hanging from trees. The Poison type prefers a rainforest to crawl up trees and absorb water and humidity as its energy source. Its growth process is slower, with its survivability a fifty-fifty chance. The sparrow prefers dryer areas to absorb sunlight and convert it to energy, thus generating its spikes. And lastly, the Wreaver type likes far more open areas to wander and spread.

Meanwhile, the last type of the First stage was remarkable; James called it "Hollow." The more prominent and adaptable virus evolved endlessly as long as it had a host; this type is where the infected and mutants came from. It first started to infect insects, which infected reptiles by eating them, then moved to their predators, and so on until now. James had yet to see any other type other than the Hollow. 'The information stops there…Something is not right,' He thought before regaining the information again to ensure. After a moment, only then did James let out a metaphorical sigh. 'The information is cut off; I can tell that not all was in that sample.'

James moved his perspective above the pool and glanced at the drone with the children. 'They're still giving them fruits.' He noted to himself. The drone in question was the one that took the children from James when he was controlling a drone and hid with them between a siege beast and a tanker. 'Maybe I need a more concentrated and larger sample?' He wondered before he felt a slight tug on his consciousness before speedily switching his perspective to the mountain pool.

What first greeted him were bodies strewn about, leaking blue and red blood, and the Template he made standing in front of the bodies a few meters away with their hands to the side, encased in a distorted blade that was dripping swirling blood to the ground. 'What the…'