About the Essential

The first step almost ended in a fall. This aspect puzzled me—why would that happen? Then it dawned on me: while using the body in its "basic configuration," the muscle memory and vestibular system of the host, finely tuned to a specific center of gravity, allowed me to move and orient myself in space. But then an overly enthusiastic intruder decided to "upgrade" the body, altering its center of gravity, and now I was dealing with the consequences. And the consequences weren't pleasant—I not only had to learn how to walk again, but I also had an insatiable hunger. And the worst part was that it wasn't just my new body craving food—I was terribly hungry myself.

And now, the million-dollar question: what do those wandering bundles of who-knows-what called Symbiotes feed on after centuries of drifting through deep space? Any guesses? Silence? Well, I don't know either. And if I don't find out soon, this world might never see its ruler. (Which would undoubtedly disappoint him greatly.) And why didn't I think of the possibility that after a long journey and then Parker's antics, Venom might not be in the best shape? Ah, what's the use of regrets? As one necromancer with a sick sense of humor used to say, "If I knew where I would fall, I would have put zombie carriers there."

Alright, enough complaining about the imperfections of the world and the principle of instant karma (didn't think about it—got burned). I needed to reach people and find food, even if it was just for one of my bodies. Clenching my teeth, mentally urging my rebellious stomach to hold on a little longer, I walked with the gait of a proud descendant of nomads who had become a seasoned seafarer and never left the ship's deck, heading towards the nearest street.

Trying to distract myself from the feeling of hunger, I started contemplating my future plans (assuming I wouldn't die anytime soon). I had a multitude of plans: I needed to understand myself, somewhat legalize my situation, acquire means of sustenance and legal access to public amenities, ranging from simple stores to transportation. I also needed to compile a list of individuals whose genetic material would be very useful to me... and, perhaps, a list of people I should steer clear of, at least initially.

So, understanding myself. I definitely didn't have enough knowledge on my own—I'm no scientist, and a basic biology and anatomy course won't cut it here. We're in the Marvel universe, which means the concentration of mad scientists per square kilometer exceeds all reasonable limits... well, it should, at least. I understand that cartoons and comics are contradictory in themselves, let alone their reliability as a source of life-defining information. Just take Reed Richards, the leader of the Fantastic Four, for example, who launches into space on a three-stage rocket from his house roof one day a week, fully equipped with spacesuits, helmets, pre-flight preparations—the whole deal. And then, a couple of days later in story time, he's built an anti-gravity spaceship that splits into autonomous four-seater ships capable of traveling into space or descending to the ocean floor, where the pilots don't need anything except the ability to turn a steering wheel. In general, any knowledge, even the most canonical, must be scrutinized through the critical lens of a rational reality. But the fact remains: in the Marvel universe, there should be a ton of brilliant scientists. In the history of the Hulk alone, almost every episode of the first season featured a genius trying to help Bruce Banner solve his problem, from the famous Tony Stark to some really strange guys, like Canadian hermits studying ice or green-haired minimum-wage Supermen who answered to "Doctor Samson." On the other hand, not all of them can be found, even with the knowledge of their names and appearances. I remember that events in different series take place in different parallel worlds according to the same animated canon. In the 1994 Fantastic Four series, for instance, Spider-Man is not the local Peter Parker but an alternative version, wearing a simpler costume with a blue vest. She-Hulk also works with Iron Man, and the Hulk's story is quite strange, as he seems to be running away from everyone, but Bruce Banner continues his scientific work calmly, and his colleagues can easily get in touch with him and invite him to collaborate. In short, everything is complicated, and it's essential to rely only on what is known about this world from Parker's memories.

Suppressing another painful spasm from my hungry stomach, I forced myself to delve into Spider-Man's memories, which weren't particularly rich in volume.

So... Norman Osborn—on one hand, he's not a bad option—a solid scientific background, available resources, and he's more of an administrator and businessman, which means I could potentially negotiate with him. But on the other hand... dealing with a full-blown schizophrenic could lead to various unpleasant consequences (like death or something worse, as it goes with us psychos). Plus, he's more into technical stuff than biology, although he did create his own mutagenic gas that turns people into super soldiers, which requires considerable knowledge of genetics. Overall, a complicated option.

The Brainiac(Alistair Smythe). The guy is a genius, knowledgeable in many fields, and finding a way to approach him would be easy—he had some problems with his legs, and his father is sick, which I could potentially solve with my current abilities. But here's the problem—he's involved with Kingpin, the local kingpin, having essentially sold himself to him for the laboratory. I don't want to get involved with Kingpin at the moment—I'm not sure if I have enough experience to suppress the consciousness of such a person, and with his resources, he could easily find a way to get rid of me. And the Brainiac himself is called Brainiac for a reason—he could inadvertently expose me to all sorts of unpleasant things, and what would I do then? No, dealing with characters like him should be a last resort.

Who else? Tony Stark? Not even funny. Firstly, I won't be able to get close to him, as he doesn't live in New York, and I don't even know where exactly he resides. Secondly, he's two hundred years ahead of the rest of the world in terms of technology, which presents obvious problems in bypassing his security systems and ensuring my own safety in case of our interaction. And thirdly, he's simply a paranoid who's almost like Batman, except he's Tony Stark, and there's no way he'll trust me until he trusts a black alien puddle capable of taking over bodies. If I were in his shoes, I definitely wouldn't either, no matter how that puddle was bubbling. Moreover, there was nothing about Iron Man in Peter's memories, so Stark might not have even created the suit and, consequently, didn't compromise his health during captivity. In other words, I have nothing to offer him—he's a young and healthy bull with billions in his pocket and the reputation of a genius. Why would he need me, except as an interesting specimen in a laboratory?

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One more option that came to mind was Hulk, or rather his "good side" - Bruce Banner. Parker had heard something about Hulk, but as far as he remembered, Hulk was more focused on radiation and was currently hiding somewhere in the deserts of Central America, evading the military.

Then there's Beast from the X-Men, Hank McCoy, who would be an ideal choice! He has a laboratory, and his scientific experiments are almost like second nature to him. He has experience with genetic deviations, transformations, and mutations. Plus, there's a whole team of incredible individuals with various genetic structures around him.

As my mouth filled with saliva and my stomach growled, I knew I needed to focus on the task at hand.

But there are a couple of downsides to consider. For one, Beast has a boss who enjoys meddling in other people's minds and washing brains, all in the name of promoting friendship between humans and mutants. He also doesn't shy away from sending almost children to the front lines for his idea of the greater good. And secondly, I have no idea where to find Beast or the rest of the team, even if they exist in this world. According to the cartoon's plot, they should be around, but who knows?

The situation is disheartening - there are plenty of scientists, but I have no one to turn to. Should I devour all the knowledge at a biology faculty in some university?...

At the thought of "devouring," my gut twisted in a painful spasm, causing me to hiss irritably.

Am I a hidden masochist, constantly reminding myself of food, or is it my memory starting to fail? Okay, don't dwell on it...

In any case, the biology faculty... Assimilating collective knowledge, so to speak... The idea is good, very good. But once I acquire a vast amount of knowledge, it's uncertain how much my consciousness will be able to digest (what on earth?! >_<). Besides, even with acquired knowledge, there's no guarantee I will think like a scientist. Although that's also untested data.

Every direction seems to be a dead-end, not good. It seems I'll have to discover my abilities the good old-fashioned way - through scientific trial and error, which has often come to our aid during lab work. Okay, let's leave the question of microscope and test tube heroes open. It seems the second item on the list is acquiring a material base...

My thoughts were interrupted by someone's coarse voice.

"Hey, rich boy, didn't your parents tell you that walking around the city at night can be dangerous? But don't worry, my friends and I will gladly accompany you... for a small fee, of course. Right, guys?" From behind the man, who stood around six feet tall, came a chorus of laughter and a couple of suggestions regarding the exact fee that could be extracted from such a charming "boy."