|
Nano-gridlock,
and the presence of larger lifeforms (humans)
seem to trigger the next stage of alien growth:
the Hive. There does not seem to be any malice
involved – the bacteria just reacts naturally
and aggressively to any competition. The hive
contains all the information and abilities necessary
to set off a cascade of events that rapidly leads
to full scale conflict.
Hives are large organic structures, that affix
to the walls and ceiling in locations selected
by the bacterium
(potential hive locations are usually marked by
mats of visible bacteria, sometimes completely
covering every surface and even stretching out
across nearby rooms and corridors). Once the first
is active, the Kharaa can grow new
hives. After observing images brought back
from the field, TSA scientists speculate that
hives are actually creatures that have been evolved
into this form over an incredibly long time, to
serve the bacteria's ends.
Though not actually "hives" in the
technical sense of the word, they do serve vital
roles to the creatures they spawn, and these creatures
cannot exist without them. Hives serve four crucial
functions:
|
