"Ship's Engineer's
Report 1.2- With the CLEE-SAN and their science team lost,
my engineers are now analyzing the subversion entity we have
codenamed 'The Beast.' The
Beast seems to infect vessels with a kind of particle beam
that layers the target with techno-organic robots. Once
these entities make contact with a compatible surface they
begin to absorb material and infiltrate the target
structure. When they make contact with organic matter, they
use the mass to form a neural control network that then
takes control of the ship. Each
beast cell functions like a bio-mechanical virus. It's
capable of using and subverting living cells in much the
same way that it subverts and uses non-organic technology.
More studies need to be done ... but we are engineers, not
biologists. Analysis of
the infection attack indicates that the Beast particles ride
the charged plasma beam and then coat the target. The
charged nature of the beam allows it to jump from target to
target. Infection per shot seems based on the mass of the
target ships. Again, more qualified analysis is desperately
needed if we are to find a counter to this beam."
The Beast
doesn't build and acquire technology like human forces. Left
entirely alone with no contact with other races, the Beast
wouldn't be able to produce any ships at all. It must have
"parts" to add to itself.
The infection
beam can undermine the systems of a targeted ship and turn
control of the ship over to the Beast. The beam's effects
can even jump from ship to ship -- one shot can easily
infect an entire squadron of fighters in tight formation.
The Beast
infection beam has limited power. Larger ships can't be
turned by it. Command and Super Capital ships stuck by the
beam aren't subverted; instead they're damaged by the beam's
destructive qualities.
Ships struck
with the beam can be incorporated into the Beast, eventually
being added to the list of ships the Beast can construct.
First, however, the Beast must reverse-engineer the ship to
research its basic and upgraded technologies for the Beast's
own use.
Another way
for the Beast to infect an enemy vessel is to use the Cruise
Missile.
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