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FINDINGS OF COOPERATIVE INTERPLANETARY UNION PRE-COLONIZATION SURVEY COMMISSION 6-H711-F03-9

Planet Under Consideration: SE3-b4

INTRODUCTION

Author: Operations Specialist Pax Abana

SE3-b4 was found within the habitable zone orbiting a G-type main sequence star approximately 17 units distal from the galactic core. The planet's surface is roughly 80% dihydrogen monoxide with the remaining 20% covered by exposed landmasses that present a range of diverse biomes; atmospheric composition is 72.8% nitrogen, 19.7% oxygen, and 7.3% argon, and .2% other gasses. SE3-b4 rotates on a 26-degree axis at a speed of approximately 1,625 kilometers per hour and experiences a sidereal day of 27 hours, 3 minutes, 18 seconds according to C.I.U. standard time. SE3-b4 was noted to have a molten core, which provides a protective magnetic field and is an encouraging sign that the planet is still geologically active.

Because of its hospitable conditions, SE3-b4 has been selected as a candidate for colonization by no fewer than 20 stellar-specific committees. Having met the threshold requirement of coordinated interest according to C.I.U. Charter regulation 552.b-018n, Amendment 439, SE3-b4 has been granted provisional exploration status and assigned a Pre-Colonization Survey Commission (PCSC). As stated in C.I.U. Charter regulation 552.b-018n, Amendment 439, the purpose of the PCSC is to:

--Serve as an impartial, autonomous, and science-based entity free of outside influences from personal interests in the planet under study;

--Determine if the planet with provisional exploration status sustains any native populations with social structures and stellar capabilities;

--Determine the feasibility of colonization;

--Identify the readiness of a planet for either colonization or invitation into the Cooperative Union of Planets;

--Make a Contact Recommendation to the Select Committee of Colonial Affairs and Stellar Expansion.

PCSC team 6-H711-F03-9 (designated SIGMA12) was established to conduct a range of surveys for SE3-b4 to fulfill the requirements of C.I.U. Charter regulation 552.b-018n, Amendment 439. SIGMA12 comprised the following team members:

--Archaeologist--Sorella D'Carsta--Planet of Origin: Noxisius

--Biologist and Chemist--Lycos Pak--Planet of Origin: Bardo Superior

--Exozoologist--Qoric Xyrell-Thos--Planet of Origin: Andria

--Sociologist--V'aso V'orn--Planet of Origin: Halcyona

--Linguistic Expert and Comms Specialist--Feren Azuno--Planet of Origin: Selenos Prime

--Computer Technician and Engineer--Nyta Pellen--Planet of Origin: Trax

--Technology Specialist--Goliosmec--Planet of Origin: Dolinar

--Security Chief--Balic Monot--Planet of Origin: Sabine

--Operations Specialist--Pax Abana--Planet of Origin: Miderion

The findings presented within this document were gathered in adherence to the commission's pre-defined scope of inquiry (see C.I.U. Charter regulation 552.b-018n, Amendment 440), in which the commission conducted surveys related to SE3-b4's geology, social structures (if any exist), history, level of technological advancement (according to the Torius Advancement Scale), and native flora and fauna. Research methodologies include the following:

--An orbital platform and cloaked observation outposts using equipment (see Index 5 for a complete listing of all assets used) provided by the Teldani Corporation--all structures and equipment are certified as compliant with Article III, Section 2.4-p9 of the PCSC Charter outlining requirements for non-invasive observation and trace-free commission presence on uncontacted planets;

--Cloaked drones for remote observation and recording;

--Remote data access where necessary and possible to study technological assets

--Reconnaissance missions to recover data and perform field work--all missions were predicated on the principle that there was to be zero interaction between the commission team and any native intelligent life (i.e., native species that measure a 4 or higher on the Dravini Scale of Sentience).

In compliance with Article IV, Section 8.1-p17, all SIGMA12 activities for the duration of the survey were recorded and compiled into this document, and this document contains survey-specific logs, lab reports, audio and video recordings, data files, and documentation relevant to the commission's scope of inquiry, all of which are used to present a complete picture of SIGMA12's survey of SE3-b4.

ENTRY 1.28: JOINT LOG REPORT--INITIAL FAUNA OBSERVATIONS

Authors: Biologist and Chemist Lycos Pak; Exozoologist Qoric Xyrell-Thos; Sociologist V'aso V'orn

Cycle 1.47

Preliminary Findings

Field and remote drone observations started once we finished setting up outposts Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie and returned to the orbital platform. Because this planet orbits its star within the habitable zone, it wasn't surprising to find evidence of life (carbon-based) as soon as we started scanning and collecting samples. In addition to the standard flora that could be expected on a world like SE3-b4 and typical insect life, we noted several small to moderate-sized mammalian and reptilian species that were native to their individual ecosystems and biomes. We have noted the presence of specific land-based megafauna species, and there are several avian and reptilian species that are flight-capable. We conducted water-penetrating scans to locate marine life and found evidence of standard-sized aquatic populations, as well as marine megafauna, although the majority of the multicellular life that we have found on SE3-b4 rated at a 3 or below on the Dravini Scale of Sentience.

Bacterial lifeforms were also categorized and studied, all of which exhibited the typical behavior patterns of single-celled life evident on other planets. A complete listing of all flora and fauna cataloged for the purposes of this commission can be found in Index 2 of this report.

However, in the course of our observations and planet-wide scanning, we identified two separate species that do qualify as a 10 on the Dravini Scale of Sentience and inhabit the "Apex Species" niche described in the Ecthrenium Hierarchy of Dominance--both groups fit all criteria of Class A-6 intelligent life.

It appears that both species groups are concentrated on a peninsula along the planet's equator, which makes sense from an agrarian and animal husbandry perspective (more sunlight yields more crops, which allows for more livestock, both of which enable a population to sustain itself). Group A occupies the southeastern region of the peninsula while Group B's territory covers the northwestern region, and it appears there is a geographical buffer zone of 10 kilometers between them. Fortunately, Outpost Charlie is within 550 kilometers of the peninsula, which will make field observation easier when required. Planet-wide scans have determined that there are no other populations, at least none that are large enough to sustain any kind of civilization. Both groups are vertebrate, bipedal anthromorphs with bilateral symmetry and have formed distinct cultures and societies based solely on their species (i.e., while there are minimal interactions between the groups, the populations keep to themselves, as no cross-species diversity among either faction has been observed as of yet).

Detailed Species Findings: Group A (Lacertians)

We've dubbed Group A as "Lacertians"--based on the communications we've been able to observe between members and translations provided by Feren Azuno [commission linguist], it would seem this is how individuals refer to themselves and each other. It's likely that they evolved from a common reptilian ancestor, as they are covered in scales and display more ectothermic tendencies (e.g., basking in sunlight, spending prolonged periods in water). It can be inferred that their biology has influenced the architecture of their buildings (such as large windows and heat traps with vents to allow excess heat to escape) and some of the necessary functions of their society (such as spending time in readily available bathhouses when they are unable to venture to natural water sources), and while they are largely clothed in linen outfits (styled in various degrees of regal fashion, perhaps as some form of higher and lower social status among one another), casual nudity appears to be a common practice in order to ensure their body temperatures remain stable.

Lacertian physiology follows largely the same body plan, with minor variances observed between individuals; their scales (in shades of green, red, brown, gray, and black) are made of flexible, interlocking plates of alpha and beta-keratin, with raised scutes that vary in placement and size. Their large craniums are likely due to extra muscular strength for their jaws, and they have triangular, bluntly rounded snouts with external nostril openings. It's possible that their evolutionary ancestors were closer to the ground and used their snouts to aid in digging for prey, as the muzzle is convex and vaguely spade-shaped. Furthermore, they have forked tongues, which can be used for detecting both scents and tastes in the air and on surfaces, and is a useful asset for a predatory creature.

Lacertian eyes are large and protected by both eyelids and a nictitating membrane, and they have a round pupil, which suggests they are well-suited for day-vision. Based on eye placement, it can be concluded that they have binocular vision with a 120-degree range of view.

The head is supported by an elongated, thick, and slightly curved neck that extends down to a relatively short and deep trunk, and on average they stand at roughly 2 meters. However, sexual dimorphism has been observed, with larger, heavier males standing at approximately 2.2 meters and shorter, more slender females at an average height of 1.8 meters.

While the Lacertians put effort into the linen attire they wear, they walk barefoot on plantigrade feet, which have 5 digits, and they also have proportional arms that extend to their waists, with 5 clawed digits on each hand. They have prehensile tails that are 0.9 meters in length on average; it is unknown if their tails evolved purely for balance and navigation or if there was another function that required them to keep this appendage as a part of their body plan.

Societally speaking, Lacertians appear to be the more dominant and advanced of the two Class A-6 intelligent lifeforms on SE3-b4; their buildings are permanent structures made out of brick, refined metal, and glass, which suggests they are adept at manipulating multiple materials. It should be noted that most Lacertian structures appear to be cobbled together from pieces of pre-existing buildings, as evidenced by differing window styles, construction materials, and visible joinery; this suggests that there were buildings from either a prior iteration of Lacertian civilization or an entirely different civilization that were salvaged and repurposed exclusively by the Lacertian population--this particular style of architecture isn't evident at all in Group B's territory, and it's possible that the Lacertians may have monopolized the remnants of what could have been a more advanced society that predated their own.

Adding to Lacertian dominance is the strength of their governing council (consisting of democratically elected individuals and political appointees) and their diversified economy that includes a number of industries (such as manufacturing, farming, scientific research, technological development, medical care, and finance).

There is also an organized military presence that uses Grade 3 energy-based conventional weaponry. However, it has been noted that all weapons used by the Lacertian military appear to be much older than their civilization--design of the weaponry doesn't align with any Lacertian architecture standards or aesthetics, and while the Lacertians appear to have mastered electrical energy, the weapons that they use output a form of plasma and light-based energy that is used nowhere else in their society. Taking this into account along with the fact that all weapons appear to be marked with layers of battle paint, have been visibly repaired, and bear the marks of centuries of wear and tear, there is significant evidence pointing to the possibility that these weapons were created by another civilization and were given to the Lacertians, or the Lacertians took/found them. Refer to Sorella D'Carsta's [commission archaeologist] preliminary findings for further detail.

Of cultural and linguistic importance is the fact that Lacertians have created their own dialects and shorthands for speaking, suggesting that, while this is a social species, they engage in differing levels of sociability, which can be associated with levels of formality and etiquette--it should be noted that when familiar or intimate individuals speak with each other, they communicate via short hisses and growls. It can also be inferred that they may use pheromones as a part of their communication style, as most of the words that can be translated form a sort of shorthand or slang, similar to two friends sharing multiple "inside jokes", while communications between individuals who are less acquainted with each other use a longer form of speech with a more formal register (e.g., no contractions, more verbose syntactical style).

Detailed Species Findings: Group B (Vidrans)

Group B has been dubbed "Vidrans", which, again, is how we've observed individuals of this group refer to themselves and each other based on the communications and translations provided by Feren Azuno. While the Lacertians evolved from a common reptilian ancestor, Vidrans are clearly descended from a mammalian forerunner, as they are covered in fur and appear capable of producing and regulating their own body heat (endothermic).

Vidrans have several pronounced differences from Lacertians in addition to their mammalian qualities--for example, their state of dress is significantly more relaxed, with most individuals wearing only some variant of linen shorts or pants, and males seem to wear ornamental necklaces made from precious metals and other objects of sentimental value. However, like Lacertians, casual nudity is an accepted part of Vidran culture, with many individuals conducting their day-to-day business in public in nothing but their bare fur. Vidran architecture is also much less grand in scale compared to Lacertians, with shorter structures predominantly built out of wood and brick, and only incorporating minimal amounts of glass, which appears to be much thicker than the Lacertian variety.

However, while Lacertian architecture incorporates the use of straight lines and sharp angles and appears to be more consciously designed to make statements about status, Vidran architecture appears more organic, with graceful curves built into their structures and a visible effort to construct around natural formations and terrain (e.g., trees, boulders, rivers) rather than clearing these obstacles out of the way.

Vidran physiology is fairly similar across individuals (with some variations due to genetic randomization), allowing our team to create an average body plan; it is a much stockier and thickly muscled anatomy, and most individuals stand around 1.5 meters in height, though males have been observed to be as tall as 1.7 meters while females average around 1.3 and 1.4 meters. Their fur coats (in shades of brown, black, and tan) are short and dense, likely averaging 15,000 hairs per square inch, and appears to be made of keratin.

Vidran craniums are comparatively smaller than Lacertians, however this is mostly due to their shorter, more rounded snouts, and less likely to do with brain size. Vidran muzzles are adorned with long whiskers on their cheeks, which would help them detect minute vibrations around them and would make up for the fact that their tongues are single-tipped (and therefore not used as a primary sensory organ when detecting odors); at the ends of their snouts, they have prominent, flat, black-skinned noses, and the nostrils noticeably flare when they are sniffing, which indicates an evolutionary preference for detecting more air-based scents--there is a strong possibility that the Vidran nose is as sensitive as the Lacertian tongue, and certainly more sensitive than the Lacertian nose.

Unlike Lacertians, who have small openings on either side of their heads for processing auditory information, Vidrans have external ears that are positioned towards the tops of their skulls and end in rounded points. However, Vidrans and Lacertians have similar ocular structures, as both species have large eyes with circular pupils, indicating that both groups are better suited for day vision and operate on a diurnal circadian rhythm.

Vidrans, like their neighbors, possess tails at the base of their spinal columns, however the mammalian tail is significantly shorter (0.6 meters on average), is thick and ends in a blunt, rounded tip, and only allows for basic movement (e.g., twitching, wagging, thumping, raising, and tucking). It is unknown if the Vidran tail had greater functionality in the past other than aiding with water-based navigation and land-based balance.

They possess proportional arms to their body heights, extending to the ends of their torsos and ending in paw-like hands with 5 dexterous digits (and each digit has leathery, rough pads, as does the palm, which indicates a greater need for grabbing and holding onto objects from an evolutionary perspective); their feet are plantigrade and also possess 5 digits complete with individual pads, and it has been noted that there is a thin layer of webbing between each toe, which suggests that the species evolved to prioritize the ability to swim.

Vidran society appears to be operating at least 80 years behind Lacertian civilization, both culturally and technologically for the most part. From what we can gather, they function in a more tribal manner with a hereditary chief who appoints proxies to carry out specific functions (such as arbitrating disputes, overseeing construction, being responsible for food stores, and leading military forces), forgoing democratic practices and practicing a facsimile of a monarchy. They use rudimentary farming, fishing, and hunting techniques, similar to Category 5 pre-industrial civilizations, have a limited store of saved knowledge, utilize a basic form of electricity (indicating that they have only just begun to master it themselves, though they use fire and a natural gas for most of their energy needs) and heavily rely on tradition to guide their customs, beliefs, and practices, as they structure many common tasks (such as bathing, cooking, grooming, greeting each other, telling stories, courtship and mating, etc.) as rituals that must follow particular culturally-significant protocols.

Vidran communication style utilizes a linguistic structure that has been observed in other Category 5 pre-industrial civilizations, in that their verbal exchanges flow in a cadence similar to song; it can be inferred that certain pitches and inflections carry specific meanings (i.e., the way that a concept is communicated is equally, if not more, as important than the concept itself). This can be counted as another key difference between the Vidran and Lacertian populations: Simply put, Lacertians prize function while Vidrans prize form.

The exception to operating so far behind the Lacertians is the weaponry that the Vidran military uses--in addition to low-level projectile-based artillery, the Vidrans have a supply of the same Grade 3 energy-based conventional weaponry that the Lacertians have. However, it appears to have been modified to accept crudely-made rechargeable clips of ammunition rather than using the same (hitherto unknown) built-in energy source supposedly available to the Lacertians (further observation and recon is required to identify the Lacertian energy source for their weaponry). The ammunition clips are clearly Vidran in design and make (clunky, oversized, and held on the hip to accommodate the weight compared to the sleeker, rounded aesthetic of the weapons themselves), and it's becoming more apparent that these weapons were the product of a previous civilization--the Lacertians are able to use them as-is, but the Vidrans needed to adapt them based on their capabilities to produce and store energy.

Overall, while Vidran society appears primitive, it should be noted that they understand the significance of the Lacertians' level of advancement, which indicates an intellectually curious population that values knowledge and the progress (or at the very least, power) associated with technological achievement. It would seem that they are on the same path to societal development that the Lacertians took, although they've been delayed. This could be due to any number of factors, but our primary working hypothesis is that the Lacertian population has had greater access to resources from a prior civilization (possibly a Tier 3 or 2 society), and they have (in some cases, clumsily) emulated what they could find to achieve dominance, while the Vidrans have had to create mostly from scratch, but have received the occasional leap forward based on scraps that they either found or stole.

Detailed Species Findings: Group C (Ioken)

While we observed both Lacertians and Vidrans and categorized them as Class A-6 intelligent life, there is a third species group that we found both factions cohabitating with (to varying levels of societal integration). While it is classified as megafauna, in the Ecthrenium Hierarchy of Dominance, this lifeform inhabits the "Ornamental Species" niche, and rates a 4 on the Dravini Scale of Sentience, which qualifies it as Class B-2 semi-intelligent life.

This species is referred to as "Ioke" and "Ioken" by both Lacertian and Vidran factions, and is avian in nature. They are bipedal and flightless, as it appears their wings have evolved into short, muscled arms. Standing at a consistent height of 18.5 meters, Ioken dwarf the Vidrans and Lacertians, and it takes significant logistical effort to guide these creatures around and through their settlements, which is why, for the most part, the Ioken are kept towards the outer ranges of their respective territories. While it isn't unheard of for terrestrial lifeforms on other planets to grow to immense sizes, it should be noted that the Ioken are at the uppermost limit for how large a lifeform can become when considering muscular and skeletal strength, density scaling, and gravity.

Incredible size aside, Ioken have a sturdy, stout, and fairly bottom-heavy body plan, with excess weight being stored in the stomach, thighs, and posterior. All individuals have identical eye color (bright blue with vertical, slit-shaped pupils), markings and plumage, which suggests a level of genetic diversity so low that all Ioken can only be directly related to each other (i.e., they either reproduce asexually with the exact same genes and 0 replication errors, or they are perfect clones of a single host). The majority of their feathers covering 70% of their bodies is a pale pink, with pronounced crests along the backs of their short arms and long necks that are colored in a gradient of blues, greens, yellows, and reds. Their beaks are black and lined with both upper and lower rows of sharp teeth (suggesting a carnivorous diet), which they display to each other when squawking or hissing, and their tongues are long, prehensile, whip-like appendages that are tipped with a pad of fleshy spikes that can be used for wrapping around and grabbing food.

The front of the Ioken thorax is bare of feathers and covered in a soft, pale purple hide--this hide appears to be made from a flexible and permeable tissue that allows for perspiration, and is more than likely composed of several layers of proteins, fats, and minerals. The thorax itself is likely a reservoir of additional fat for caloric storage, as the plump chest and rotund stomach do not appear to have much musculature to them, as compared to the visible muscles within the thighs and arms. This bare patch extends from the top of the chest down to its anal vent. Unlike most avian species, Ioken have external (and exclusively male) genitalia, which are prominently forward in the groin area and include a pair of oversized testicles in a scrotum and a protective sheath that covers the penis when flaccid and not in use.

Starting at the knee, Ioken legs are also bare of feathers and covered in a harder, scaled, gray hide. While their body mass is more densely concentrated in their legs, it appears to be more muscle than fat, which suggests enhanced leg strength and possibly increased endurance for running. Ioken feet are digitigrade, and have four primary digits with claws and a fifth clawed vestigial digit on the inside of each foot. Their hands are covered in the same hide and also have four primary digits and a fifth vestigial digit, all tipped with sharp claws.

While the majority of the Ioken body plan is avian, their tail appears to be more reptilian in nature. It is a thick appendage that extends from the base of their spine, is 12.2 meters in length, and tapers to a large, blunt tip at its end; at its proximal end, there is a ridge of spikes rising from the tail's dorsal side, which terminates approximately 1/4 of the way down the appendage. The tail is covered in a blue (darker blue on the dorsal side, lighter blue on the ventral side) hide that has dark blue rings around the appendage's circumference, and based on observations, Ioken use their tails for balance and both offensive and defensive capabilities.

There are Ioken populations in both the Lacertian and Vidran territories, although the Vidrans have 16 individuals in their domain, while the Lacertians have only 5--it is unknown if these individuals can reproduce by themselves or with each other (further study of reproduction systems is needed), but at current levels, there is not enough to sustain a long-term population.

Behaviorally, Ioken exhibit different attitudes and characteristics based on the civilization they live within. In Vidran society, Ioken follow basic pack hierarchies among themselves; however, they are steadfastly protective of the Vidran population they live with, making angry displays (shaking feathers, squawking, hissing, baring their teeth, etc.) to one another if one Ioken appears too close to trampling a Vidran, and watch over the Vidrans as closely as possible during their day-to-day activities--one Ioke was observed to be in distress when a young male Vidran was swimming too close to a waterfall and actively prevented the individual from going further than a predetermined "safe zone". In return, the Vidrans treat their Ioken population with a level of respect and reverence that appears analogous to worship, viewing it as an honor to feed and care for them as a community. While the Vidrans recognize that the Ioken are not a classically intelligent species, they elevate them to an almost demigod status, seeing to their every need and ensuring their comfort.

By contrast, Ioken in Lacertian society are treated with outright hostility--several Lacertians have been observed hitting, shouting at, and even electrocuting the Ioken in their "care". It seems that the Lacertians are almost begrudging with having Ioken in their territory, as they mostly keep them in pens and paddocks, similar to livestock to be harvested. While Ioken in Vidran society act as guardians and seem to have a deep-rooted protective instinct, the individuals in Lacertian society do not display these tendencies, possibly because the Lacertians reject them, and the Ioken only exhibit simple responses to external stimuli (e.g., flinching at pain, walking where directed, huddling together for warmth, performing tasks in exchange for food). It is unknown how the initial Ioken populations became integrated into Lacertian and Vidran cultures, although there may be an explanation based on their genetics.

Drone surveys located a dumping ground for deceased specimens on the outer fringes of Vidran territory, and samples were collected from the most recently added corpse (decay suggests that the body was added nearly 10 years ago--with not much besides the skeleton to examine, it was determined that, while Ioken are largely avian, they have solid skeletal structures rather than hollow bones, and genetic samples were successfully extracted from remaining bone marrow; further study of a preferably live specimen is required for more anatomical detail). Genetic examination suggests that there is no natural evolutionary history to this particular species--their genes carry the markers of having been specifically engineered for numerous traits (including extreme longevity, making it impossible to date how old any of the individuals are), which, based on all observations to date, is far beyond the capabilities of both Lacertians and Vidrans. As a result, we hypothesize that the Ioken were created for a specific purpose by a prior civilization and, similar to the Grade 3 weaponry present, were found/taken by both "Apex Species". Further drone recordings show examples of how both Lacertian and Vidran populations interact with their resident Ioken.

ENTRY 1.41: LOG REPORT--PRELIMINARY ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Author: Archaeologist Sorella D'Carsta

Cycle 1.62

Ranking Class A-6 Intelligent Life of SE3-b4 on the Torius Advancement Scale

Tier 1: Tribal Hunter-Gatherer

--Tier 2: Organized Pre-Industrial--

----Based on a number of factors (many of which were outlined in entry 1.7), both Lacertians and Vidrans qualify as Tier 2 on the Torius Advancement Scale (T.A.S)--Lacertians have a version of manufacturing and economy, which could put them at Tier 3, and Vidrans practice a more primitive lifestyle, which makes them more suited for Tier 1. However, Lacertians seem to be limited in their capabilities because there is only so much pre-existing technology they can emulate, and they didn't create any of it by themselves (most of their society appears to be built on top of the remnants of a far more advanced culture, and while they have a certain level of mastery over electricity and basic steam engines, they haven't yet created any kind of combustion engine), and Vidrans have only made minor leaps in technology due to what they have been able to salvage.

----The Vidran and Lacertian states are small and politically and socially stable, although the isolation that we have observed suggests that there are tensions between the two factions. Even with the Grade 3 weaponry they possess, their offensive capabilities appear to be limited, and they don't face many, if any, environmental threats--it's likely that the biggest threat they do have is each other. Their societies are small, considering they both inhabit less than 20,000 square kilometers of a peninsula on an entire planet, and are still primarily sustained by agrarian practices. The advent of electrical engineering and the mastering of different construction techniques could be considered to put them on the cusp of Tier 3, but we have seen no other evidence of advancement, large-scale urbanization, or mechanization.

Tier 3: Industrial

Tier 4: Nuclear

Tier 5: Pre-Spacefaring

Tier 6: Spacefaring

Tier 7: Interstellar

Tier 8: Galaxy Class

Reconnaissance Findings

Planet-wide scans with our drones have resulted in several ruin sites being located, with one of the larger sites just 40 kilometers away from Outpost Bravo on the northeastern continent. I, along with Balic Monot [commission security chief], Goliosmec [commission technology specialist], and Feren Azuno, took a reconnaissance expedition to the site in one of our survey craft and found what appeared to be the remains of a vast, urban city.

Most of the towers that had fallen would have exceeded 1,500 meters, and there are several structures reminiscent of municipal buildings, archives, and research laboratories that had fallen into severe states of decay. We also found evidence of a rapid transit system as well as the remains of personal ground-based and aerial vehicles--Goliosmec's assessment of the propulsion systems indicated that all forms of mechanized transportation were powered by a form of fission-generated energy, similar to a first-generation NYAC Industries engine. All in all, it's likely that this city was once a center of commerce and a seat of government for the local area, if not a major economic and transit hub for the whole planet. We've identified remains of what appear to be high-efficiency nuclear power plants, which alone would put this civilization at Tier 4 on the T.A.S., but our scans detected launch sites for spacecraft on the southeastern continent, which makes this prior civilization at least a Tier 5.

The architecture of the whole city, from single-family homes and tenements to commercial buildings, was uniformly grand and sweeping with dramatic angles, slender lines, and divots that all suggested there was a unified effort to create a skyline that was both aesthetically pleasing and as aerodynamic as possible, and it would have been a crown jewel of a city if it were still active today.

Judging by the state of plant growth (entire buildings are covered in vegetation and in varying states of crumbling disrepair) and increased animal presence (no fewer than 12 predatory species were noted in our immediate vicinity), it would be safe to assume that these ruins have been dormant for close to a millenia, if not longer. There is evidence of energy-based weapons being fired (scorch marks on walls and on the remaining pavement), as well as several craters that point to heavy artillery being used--based on the depth of the craters, remaining shrapnel patterns, and the lack of any significant radioactivity in sediment samples, my guess would be orbital bombardment using space-based rail guns, or some type of photonic energy cannon. Our scans detected no such platforms in orbit, which most likely means they crashed back into the planet and/or burnt up in the atmosphere at some point.

We searched for any technology and data stores that we could use to give us a better picture of what exactly happened, but all digital files that we were able to locate were too far corrupted to be of any use, at least immediately. Goliosmec has downloaded what is available and is currently working on rebuilding the corrupted data logs. Any physical files would have long-since deteriorated unless they were specially preserved, and I am directing a small detachment of drones to locate any possible vaults or storage facilities that may contain saved documents.

However, one of the research labs we surveyed housed several containment tanks--the tanks were broken and there was no hope of repairing them, but we saw that each tank had, at one point, contained an Ioke specimen, as their skeletons lay in the bottom of each tank. While it's unclear if they were specimens that had been captured for study or specimens that were in the process of being engineered, it is clear that whatever prior civilization was here had a keen interest in the Ioken.

Any hypothesis I make would more than likely fall outside of the scope of inquiry for SIGMA12's purpose, but if they help further inform our understanding of the Lacertian and Vidran populations, then it would behoove our team if I were to document them here and now. Based on the level of engineering that Lycos Pak [commission biologist and chemist] and Qoric Xyrell-Thos [commission exozoologist] have noted in the Ioke genes they examined, and the signs of conflict evident in the city ruins that we explored, I would be willing to posit that there had been a war of some kind (for what purpose would be impossible to say at this point, it could have been due to scarcity over natural resources, a struggle for dominance, or for another reason) and the Ioken had been specifically created as biological weapons; the previous civilization ultimately either wiped itself out or (unlikely, but still a possibility) came to a truce that involved them leaving SE3-b4 behind to seek out a new, unruined world, and, in time, the Lacertians and Vidrans rose to dominance on their peninsula to fill the "Apex Species" niche, found the Ioken wandering around, and began integrating them into their societies.

ENTRY 1.56: DRONE RECORDING--SELECTED OBSERVATION CLIPS OF LACERTIAN SOCIETY

Descriptions and annotations: Sociologist V'aso V'orn; Exozoologist Qoric Xyrell-Thos

Cycle 1.74

Drone 351, Time 2.298

Lacertian males and females are walking on major thoroughfares between buildings--most of them are dressed in clean, crisp linen attire that has been fashioned into elegant tunics, suits, ponchos, and formalwear, though some individuals are fully nude and carrying their clothes with them. Individuals converse with each other as they walk, and they navigate around construction projects and enter and exit buildings to conduct their business affairs. There is significant activity around the communal bathhouses, which are evenly distributed throughout Lacertian territory.

Drone 497, Time 2.744

Aerial view of Lacertian buildings; architecture utilizes rectangular forms where possible, large windows, straight lines, and asymmetrical patterns (likely due to the incorporation of pre-existing buildings and structures that were salvaged), and there is minimal ornamentation. Polished metal (likely a chrome-plated steel composite) is a recurring material that both creates an overall aesthetic and serves functionally to retain heat. Urban planning follows more rigid conventions with grid layouts, and even with ongoing construction projects, there is an emphasis on cleanliness (very little litter or garbage) and presentation (windows shine, landscaping is neatly kept, very little sign of overgrowth).

Drone 366, Time 2.916

Lacertian governmental proceedings; 50 individual males are seated in a rotunda, participating in debate over municipal matters and disputes. Elected officials are distinguished by badges on their lapels and ceremonial shoulder pauldrons, aides wear muted colors and stand beside the officials they support. Votes are tallied via an electronic system, where an official presses either an affirmative or negative button to illuminate the light in front of their seat and to register their vote.

Drone 104, Time 3.501

Military base recording; a commanding officer performs a demonstration of Grade 3 handheld energy-based conventional armament for junior military members (i.e., target practice for cadets). The weapon's design is similar to that of Lacertian architecture (using clean geometry with minimal ornamentation), but considering the weapon appears centuries old (showing scuff marks, cracks and welds in metal casing, etc.), it's likely that the Lacertians based their architecture off of the weapon's style. And while the weapon is showing its age, it has been polished and maintained, and is still in working order; the disruptor fires a concentrated stream of charged plasma and the commanding officer hits the center of the target. It should be noted that targets have been constructed to resemble the Vidran form.

Drone 623, Time 4.218

Ioken activity observed--an Ioke has escaped from its paddock and is being herded back into the enclosure by a detachment of Lacertian military officers who fire warning shots with their disruptors. The officers move quickly and with purpose, displaying the concerted effort to ensure that the Ioke does not get in the way of day-to-day life or interfere with the Lacertian civilian population. One officer adjusts his aim and blasts the Ioke's toe, eliciting a pain response from the avian megafauna. As the Ioke is herded back into the paddock to rejoin its companions, a closer visual scan is performed.

The three individuals present in the paddock appear malnourished (loose, sagging skin, plumage is falling out in patches), move lethargically, and only react to external stimuli. They have visible lacerations across their beaks, legs, and tails, possibly suggesting poor treatment. There are also numerous surgical scars across their thoraces, many of which look like they have been opened and sutured closed repeatedly--it's possible that the Lacertians have been conducting experiments and exploratory dissections, or providing a specific kind of medical treatment, but a more likely explanation is strategic harvesting of fat reserves. Based on superficial visual scans, Ioken appear to have excess adipose tissue stored in their chests and stomachs, which the Lacertian population could be utilizing as a food source to secure additional calories and protein. This theory would fit with the observation that the Lacertians seem to have no other use for their Ioken, as they only have a total of five individuals in their territory and treat them similar to livestock, and there is not a sustainable enough population to use them as communal pack animals.

Drone 438, Time 5.675

The Lacertian power plant is an enclosed compound with a surrounding structure that measures 30 meters in all dimensions and uses the same architectural style as most Lacertian buildings, with a roof that is composed mostly of glass panels to allow sunlight to enter the structure. The interior of the power plant has been segmented into multiple sectors, with the primary sector housing what appears to be the main source of Lacertian energy: a quadrupedal, biomechanical organism that measures 15.5 meters in height. It is unclear what stage of sentience this organism possesses, or if it retains an artificial intelligence construct, but it can tentatively be classed as a G-4 Augment on the Pavaren Enhancement Scale.

An engineered life form of this scale--similar to the Ioken in its complexity, but vastly different in concept and execution--is far beyond the capabilities of the Lacertians to create, suggesting that it, like its counterparts, was developed by a previous civilization and either found or taken by the Lacertians. It is unclear if there is a natural base species beneath the hardware or if it was genetically engineered from the beginning.

The visible organic components of the G-4 Augment are covered in a thick, dark gray hide made of a tough, fleshy material similar to collagen, and there is defined musculature in the exposed regions of the cervical column, medial proximal chest, medial proximal arms, along the lateral sides of the thorax, and dorsal sides of the proximal thigh region.

Along the dorsal side of the long, flexible cervical column, there is a crest made of what appears to be exposed vertebrae, which have either been replaced or plated with metal components. The cervical column supports a cranial structure obscured by a helmet that forms a streamlined, elongated muzzle and sleekly curves upward to form a pair of horns. The lower mandible is also covered by the helmet structure, but appears to be plated separately, as the jaw can independently move up and down.

Most of the helmet plating uses an unidentifiable metallic material tinted in shades of dark blue and gray, with a tinted glass panel fixed over the orbital position where the eyes should be. More of the same kind of armor plating covers the organism's shoulders, lateral proximal arms, entire forearms, both ventral and dorsal sides of the thorax, and legs beginning around the upper thigh. There are additional insignias and markings on the organism's armor, most likely identifiers of some kind, but these have been scratched to such a degree that reconstruction would be impossible. It is unknown if this armor plating has been simply grafted to the organism's skin or if they are full prosthetic limbs. However, the life form's paws appear to be entirely cybernetic; each paw is equipped with four primary digits (tri-segmented) that have full mechanical articulation and two opposable digits on either side of the palm/foot, which enables full grabbing capabilities for each limb.

Extending from the armor-plated groin is an erect phallus measuring 5.5 meters in length and 2.1 meters in diameter; the white-skinned appendage has been implanted with a significant amount of inorganic material, including support structures, fluid channels, and firing mechanisms, and it appears that the distal region that would have supported the upper shaft and urethral process has been replaced by/implanted with a sleek, modified cannon barrel. While there is an organic covering and possible remaining natural internal components, it appears that most of the internal structure typical to a penis has been replaced with an artificial construct to, most likely, create offensive capabilities for this organism.

However, those offensive capabilities seem to have currently been repurposed; while the G-4 Augment stands on all fours in the primary sector of the power plant, its penis (and possible main cannon) has been locked into a vacuum chamber that has been equipped with a collar and automated pump that roughly strokes back and forth along the length of the phallus. As a result of this "milking", the organism discharges a dribbling flow of luminous, highly viscous, turquoise-colored fluid that is being diverted into four secondary channels attached to the vacuum chamber. As the fluid passes under the lights of the power plant, it is possible to detect an iridescent, translucent film that scatters light similar to the sheen produced by crude petroleum.

The largest of these secondary channels directs to a section of the power plant where the fluid is stored in a containment chamber. The exact mechanics of this chamber need to be analyzed, but it functions effectively as an adapter that converts energy from the organism's discharge into a transmissible electrical output, which is sent to distribution nodes to provide power for the entire Lacertian settlement. The used "fuel" from the organism is then filtered out of the containment tank and dumped into a waste collection system.

The second-largest of the secondary channels leads to a series of power banks that are used exclusively by the Lacertian military. A visiting contingent of soldiers were directed to the appropriate station where the organism's discharge is collected in a closed trough with ports for individuals to slot in their weapons to recharge their energy. It appears that the weapons were originally designed to function using this energy input instead of electricity, and the Lacertians were able to reverse engineer the charging ports required.

The third-largest of the secondary channels leads to a section of the power plant that is open to all visiting Lacertians. The organism's discharge flows into diverter valves to equally distribute the fluid to individual pools and tubs (which the visiting Lacertians use to bathe in) and to a feeding station (where other Lacertians consume the energy fluid); it is currently unknown if bathing in and eating the organism's discharge is more of a cultural custom, nor is it currently known what specific effects doing so has on Lacertian physiology. However, initial visual findings from drone recordings indicate an increase in muscle mass and brute strength. Further study will be required. It should be noted that visiting Lacertians seem to take great care and even delight in bathing themselves in the dribbling emissions, ensuring that they immerse themselves completely in it and rubbing it into their scales for transdermal contact--there is an almost ritualistic and intimate quality to how they treat the fluid, helping each other coat themselves in the slime and rubbing it on hard-to-reach spots and even erogenous zones for one another. Two males were observed smearing the discharge into each other's genital slits, exhibiting playing and teasing behavior as they digitally stimulated one another with the fluid coating their fingers.

The final channel leads to a smaller containment chamber similar in design to the primary power adapter/distributor, but instead of relaying electrical power to the Lacertian settlement, this section of the power plant is devoted to the production of portable batteries to power mobile devices such as small electronics and, possibly, mass-produced weaponry.

ENTRY 1.57: DRONE RECORDING--SELECTED OBSERVATION CLIPS OF VIDRAN SOCIETY

Descriptions and annotations: Sociologist V'aso V'orn; Exozoologist Qoric Xyrell-Thos

Cycle 1.74

Drone 293, Time 1.032

Aerial views of Vidran males and females conducting daily routines; many are working together to complete farming and agricultural activities (including seed dispersal, tilling the land, and irrigation maintenance), while others engage in a primitive marketplace to barter with one another for goods and services. A group of Vidran males is in the process of constructing a new building which appears to be a meeting hall, and they are using classic carpentry techniques and tools. Wood is observed being processed in a hydro-powered mill and transported by two Ioken, who assist with the construction effort by shoring up temporary walls until they can be permanently installed.

There are only two paved roads in Vidran territory, and both appear to be extremely old; urban planning follows a less rigid structure and is based on terrain, which shows in the curves and loops of the dirt roads and paths criss-crossing the densely-forested Vidran land.

Most Vidrans are wearing only linen pants and shorts; many simply opt not to wear clothing as they conduct their daily affairs, or choose only to wear garments for certain events. A Vidran male has been observed to wear shorts for a community meeting, but removed them immediately once the meeting was concluded, perhaps signifying some personal level of formality or importance associated with wearing clothing.

Drone 307, Time 4.206

The Vidran chieftain holds a small gathering of proxies and counselors to preside over important events; a proxy appointed as a "shaman" describes a request for additional medical resources, which the chieftain grants by a formal decree. Two counselors relate a dispute between families, which the chieftain arbitrates in absentia--the counselors will relay the chieftain's decision to the families the next day. A proxy who has been appointed as an intelligence gatherer describes the latest observations about Lacertian military advancements, which the chieftain appears to find concerning.

Drone 151, Time 6.794

Vidran military personnel conduct training exercises with their modified variants of Grade 3 weaponry--two soldiers race through an obstacle course while attempting to hit as many targets as possible. Their weapons show significant grime and the metal casings have become heavily corroded with both paint and oxidation, but the internal mechanics appear to be functioning, as the disruptor fires a concentrated stream of charged plasma. The soldier on the eastern side of the obstacle course wins the race due to both superior marksmanship and faster speed; the soldier on the western side of the course missed three targets and had to delay to swap out the modified battery pack to reload his weapon.

Only a small selection of Vidrans are observed using their modified Grade 3 weaponry, while most of the soldiers use variations of ballistics-based projectile armaments.

Drone 886, Time 8.916

The Ioken are observed freely walking through Vidran territory and being mindful not to trample or obstruct the smaller mammals. Two Vidran farmers use an Ioke to carry a load of produce to the market, while another Ioke is observed resting with a small group of young Vidrans who have just returned from swimming--it is possible that this particular Ioke was designated as a guardian for the Vidrans while they were in the water.

A family of Vidrans is observed giving food to a trio of Ioken, ensuring that each individual receives an equal portion, and prostrating themselves before the Ioken in a manner similar to religious worship. This suggests that feeding the Ioken could be considered a sacred ritual for Vidran society, and Vidrans likely view it as a moral imperative to serve and sustain the limited population available. This particular social obligation would make sense, as there are a total of 16 individuals in the entirety of Vidran territory, with no evidence of young Ioken present, nor do the Ioken exhibit mating behaviors with one another; with no other Ioken available to aid their society, it is imperative to the Vidrans that the individuals they do have remain healthy, well-nourished, and happy.

It appears that there are a number of additional ways that the Vidrans care for their Ioken companions. Similar to how one would groom a pet, Vidrans work as a community to groom and maintain the plumage of their Ioken; others find ways to entertain the Ioken through physical activity (e.g., playing games of hide and seek, coaxing the Ioken to race one another, or using enrichment methods to keep the Ioken both physically and mentally stimulated).

It should be noted that many Vidrans take turns to also sexually gratify their Ioken through various means; so far, Vidran males (exclusively, which may be due to cultural values, such as a belief that only males can perform such a duty or a belief that only males have the physical stamina to perform these tasks) have been observed performing the following activities:

--Two Vidrans working together to manually stimulate an Ioke by reaching into its sheath and massaging its external testes to promote an erection.

----The erect Ioken phallus measures 6 meters in length and 3.6 meters in diameter, creating a disproportionately long and thick, broad shaft that is nearly as long as the entire torso. The shaft itself is a unique form unfamiliar to Qoric Xyrell-Thos [commission exozoologist], but it resembles a column with a slight convex curve (bowing out distally the body before returning almost to rest against the upper chest) and appears to be covered in a thin, flexible layer of collagen-based skin (tinted pink towards the distal tip and transitioning to a deep blue in the proximal region) that allows for prominent veins to show beneath/within the dermis. While the Ioken have a protective sheath, they are also equipped with what could be a vestigial covering of excess skin that encircles a prominent ridge segment at the base of the blunt, dome-shaped tip, and could either be used for additional protection or possibly provides extra sensitivity via additional nerve endings. The meatus forms an extremely wide and open orifice, perhaps 0.5 meters in diameter, which would be enough to easily admit both of a Vidran's arms.

----Once an erection had been achieved, both Vidrans were observed rubbing the shaft between themselves and grinding against it until the Ioke ejaculated over them;

--A single Vidran allowing an Ioke to "mount" him in a non-penetrative style, effectively rutting against the Vidran's whole body in a facsimile of intercourse until the Ioke ejaculated over him;

--A trio of Vidrans caressing an Ioke's genitals in a manner similar to worship (i.e., rubbing erogenous zones in a way to tease and elicit pleasure in the Ioke) and penetrating the Ioke's urethra with their arms until the Ioke ejaculated;

--One Vidran pushing himself into an Ioke's urethra completely, stretching the meatus around his body and utilizing an undulating motion to propel himself deeper in the Ioke's shaft (forming a visible lump that worked itself approximately 3/4 of the way down the interior of the Ioke's erection). This stimulation, combined with two other Vidrans rubbing the Ioke's penis between their bodies, stimulated the specimen to ejaculate, and the Vidran who had penetrated the Ioke's urethra was expelled along with the discharge of semen;

--One Vidran spending a prolonged period of time massaging, caressing, and even gently biting the inflated dome of fatty tissue at the distal end of an Ioke's penis, as well as the surrounding ridge and extra skin layer--it appears this is an extremely sensitive erogenous zone for the Ioke, as excessive pre-ejaculatory fluid dribbled from its urethra until it ejaculated over the Vidran attending it;

--Two Vidrans utilizing a treated and varnished log that has been sawed, chiseled, and sanded to form a rounded tip and carved with raised textures (forming bumps, ripples, and ridges) to anally stimulate an Ioken until ejaculation.

This act of physically pleasuring the Ioken appears to be so ingrained in Vidran culture that even the chieftain has been observed performing this task, which is a stark contrast to how the Lcaertians interact with their own population of Ioken.

ENTRY 1.62: SIGMA12 TEAM MEETING AUDIO RECORDING--CYCLE 2.05, TIME 6.103 - 6.118

Individuals: Technology Specialist Goliosmec; Sociologist V'aso V'orn; Security Chief Balic Monot

Transcript

GOLIOSMEC

The power plant they [the Lacertians] built is essentially just a housing structure with the capability to convert energy and charge their weapons--the real power plant is that thing [the G-4 Augment] inside of it.

V'ORN

You mean it's providing the power for them?

GOLIOSMEC

Exactly; I don't know how exactly, but based on the drone recordings, I'd be willing to bet that it uses some kind of high-efficiency solar array on its back--that's why the building's ceiling is all glass, to let in all that sunlight. I've started a remote access routine to try downloading its schematics and data files, but it's going to take some time. I will say, though, something like that is definitively beyond the technological capacity for a Tier 2 civilization like what we're seeing. It's like they're messing with objects from a Tier 4 or 5 and have barely any understanding of it; no way could the Lacertians make something like this on their own.

V'ORN

I agree, I haven't seen any evidence of development labs or foundries that would be able to produce something like this. Sorella [commission archaeologist] has more scans running on ruin sites to see if she can find where it came from, so hopefully we should know more before too long.

MONOT

What about weapons capabilities? I don't think it's got equipment that big just to dispense energy.

GOLIOSMEC

No, that definitely looked like a cannon, maybe a Grade 5 heavy artillery unit, although that's at the low end of the spectrum. There's a real possibility that they have a mobile nuclear warhead at their disposal, and they don't even know it.

V'ORN

I don't know; based on body language and safety procedures I'm seeing in the video recordings, I think they understand the importance of what they have. Or at least they understand that it's important to the continued functioning of their society. They might not necessarily be aware of just how much power they have at their disposal--

MONOT

But would you say that they're actively using it as a deterrent against the Vidrans to protect their territory?

V'ORN

Not with any certainty, but I also wouldn't rule it out; we haven't observed that kind of behavior yet, but maybe that's because it is actually working as a deterrent, so any kind of aggressive Vidran behavior has been successfully...well, deterred.

MONOT

Do you think they know it could be used as an offensive weapon?

V'ORN

I'd be shocked if they didn't at least instinctively intuit it when they first found it--when you encounter something that size with those kinds of armaments, there's an implicit understanding of danger. I can't even begin to imagine how they managed to control it and make it into a power generator; would that be something we could learn from its data logs?

GOLIOSMEC

If it has a system that records that kind of activity. For all we know, it might not even have data storage capabilities, and the most advanced processors on board are the ones for generating energy, controlling its limbs, and keeping the...main cannon ready.

MONOT

Main cannon?

GOLIOSMEC

I'm not sure what else to call it--it's not like it has an exactly functional penis anymore, and what it does have doesn't seem to be in the best condition if it's leaking all the time like that. And I can only imagine the inconvenience of throwing around that much excess weight all the time whenever it needs to move...

ENTRY 1.70: LAB ANALYSIS--SPECIMEN D-902.4C

Author: Biologist and Chemist Lycos Pak

Cycle 2.41

Specimen Description

One liter collection vial of G-4 Augment energy fluid discharge; active/charged state appears luminous turquoise, inactive/spent state appears faded teal. Medium viscosity measure of 58, similar to a plasma or synthesized gel adhesive. Energy output of 5 milliliters measures at 83.2Kmz (for context, a 7th Generation Corellian Drive outputs 90.3Kmz).

Components

--35.3% dihydrogen monoxide and associated soluble compounds

--28.1% silica-based borides

--14.2% hydrocarbons

--12.7% organic compounds and proteins (including enzymes, hormones, nucleic acids, and unrecognized lipid structures)

--4.2% Theta-level heavy metals

--3.8% Omega-level broad spectrum isotopes

--1.7% unrecognized biochemical compounds

Summary of Interactions with Organic Tissue

Based on previous observations of Lacertian individuals bathing in and consuming large quantities of G-4 Augment energy fluid discharge, tests were conducted to determine the effect of its interaction with organic tissue. The full range of tests and methodologies can be found in Index 37. Organic tissue samples were discreetly collected from a variety of healthy Lacertian individuals via the Operations Team of SIGMA12.

Results indicate that the G-4 Augment energy fluid discharge behaves similar to a highly addictive steroid (similar to Sorbafin, an Algol-class controlled substance). The timed titration test showed conclusively that prolonged exposure through either transdermal contact or direct ingestion enhances muscular structure, maximizes cardiovascular output, and promotes the production of peptide hormones and gamma endorphins. However, the inherent toxicity of this substance degrades natural metabolic processes over time and significantly depresses complex neurological activity (this is supported by further observation of Lacertian individuals who exhibit severely reduced executive function). If this discharge has the same long-term effects as other Algol-class controlled substances, it can be inferred that stopping use will cause the body to weaken and deteriorate, and an individual will develop a dependence on it for "normal" daily function.

ENTRY 1.78: LOG REPORT--ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDING

Author: Archaeologist Sorella D'Carsta

Cycle 2.53

We visited another ruin site, this time on a small archipelago off the southwestern coast of the northern continent. The buildings use the same architecture as the other located ruins, and support pylons and tower struts suggest that a series of bridges once connected the islands into a single chain; submersible drones confirmed this hypothesis when they found the degraded remains of these bridges resting on the seabed.

This specific ruin site appears to have been some kind of military installation, with several fortified structures still standing and the remains of Grade 5 heavy artillery and more Grade 3 conventional weaponry almost identical to that used by the Vidrans and Lacertians.

Of particular note is a remarkably-well preserved mural that appears to have been engraved into the side of one of the buildings--it is a 4-meter by 4-meter art installation that appears to be a propaganda poster featuring the G-4 Augment (or at least some variation of it) from the Lacertian power plant. The augment is standing on top of a crushed battalion of soldiers in a pose that conveys both victory and protection, and the art style uses bold, thick lines and starkly contrasting colors for graphic impact. Feren translated the text on the mural to read "Glory to Thanatos".

ENTRY 2.03: COMPILED INCIDENT REPORT

Sources: Drone recordings, remote access data stream

Notations: Security Chief Balic Monot

Cycle 3.32

Drone 127, Time 9.461

Lacertian military command center; identified individuals speaking are General A'Sidos, Colonel C'Wrestes, and Tactical Officer T'Mentas. Note that military officials are dressed in form-fitting combat uniforms made of synthetic, stretchable fabric, starkly different compared to the looser linen of their everyday attire.

T'MENTAS

Sir, we have reports of Vidran activity in Sector E-0.

C'WRESTES

Size and strength?

T'MENTAS

60 strong, with 20 pulse rifles, two ballistic cannons, and eight Ioken. They're using a Zivat formation.

A'SIDOS

Zivat? Interesting.

C'WRESTES

General, I'd recommend a Code Yellow response team.

A'SIDOS

Hm...no.

C'WRESTES

Sir?

A'SIDOS

They're using a Zivat formation, without spreading into a neighboring sector. This isn't a serious threat.

T'MENTAS

Sir, they breached the fence.

A'SIDOS

Not a difficult feat even for a gang of savages. If they wanted to pose a credible threat, they would have a significantly larger contingent and be using more effective tactics than a simple frontal assault like this. They just want our attention.

C'WRESTES

Sir, a Code Yellow team would be able to push them back without causing collateral damage.

A'SIDOS

And I'm saying that if our Vidran neighbors want our attention, then we should do what's necessary to get their attention in return. I'm authorizing a Code Black response.

C'WRESTES

Sir, are you sure? A Code Black would require--

A'SIDOS

Are you questioning me, Colonel?

C'WRESTES

Sir, no, sir; I'm merely advocating for a measured response level and for the civilians who would experience a--

A'SIDOS

A temporary 10% efficiency decrease in power. There is plenty going towards them as it is already. And when they learn that Thanatos was used to repel a brutal Vidran invasion, they won't care that we throttled their energy for a little while or about what counts as a measured response level--all that matters to them is that we are here to protect them, that we secured an overwhelming victory and reminded our Vidran neighbors who is dominant, and that Thanatos is invincible. Glory to Thanatos.

C'WRESTES

Glory to Thanatos. T'Mentas, transmit the Code Black order.

T'MENTAS

Sir, yes, sir...Code Black order acknowledged.

Security Chief's Notation

At Time 9.580, significant Lacertian military activity was observed at their power plant, with officers closing down the station and performing crowd control activities for the civilian populace. Inside the power plant, procedures were commenced to undock the G-4 Augment from its power production station, which included disconnecting the pump from its phallus and a military officer inserting a data drive of some kind into a port on the rear of its helmet. The assembled officers were observed saluting the G-4 Augment and calling "Glory to Thanatos, Glory to Thanatos".

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.581

<i want to give them more. they keep milking me and they need to use what i give them. it hurts a little when they milk me, but in a good way. i serve them this way. serving is good. even though they're not who created me, they have a purpose for me to serve. oooooh i want to give them more, there's so much more in me and i need to get it out. i'll keep standing as long as they need me here and-->

SUPPRESSING TIER 1 CONSCIOUSNESS, ENGAGING TIER 0.

THANATOS AUTONOMOUS COMBAT UNIT CORE SYSTEMS ONLINE, RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS...

DIAGNOSTICS COMPLETE. 541 SYSTEMS OPERATING IN NOMINAL RANGE, 3 SYSTEMS REQUIRE FURTHER ATTENTION AND TROUBLESHOOTING; 87% COMBAT EFFICIENCY SCORE, READY TO ENGAGE HOSTILES.

ACTIVE COMBAT RECORD IN PROGRESS.

Drone 602, Time 9.597

A contingent of Vidran male warriors rush through a gap in the protective fence that the Lacertians have erected on the borders of their territory. The Vidrans are dressed in mostly the same clothing that they wear as part of their day-to-day attire, although they have daubed themselves with decorative war paint, and have armed themselves with their modified Grade 3 weaponry, primitive ballistics and sharp-edged weapons (including knives, spears, and bows and arrows), and are wheeling two mobile Grade 1 projectile cannons. The Vidrans engage with standard Lacertian infantry in long and close-range combat, and the Ioke are creating a significant advantage by trampling Lacertian soldiers, beating them with their tails, cutting them with their claws, and biting and even eating them.

Drone 439, Time 9.628

The G-4 Augment [further referred to as "Thanatos"] advances on foot from the power plant to the geographic region of Lacertian territory noted as Sector E-0 at a speed of 115 kilometers per hour to rendezvous with a squad of what appeared to be physically enhanced special forces (82 individuals armed with Grade 3 energy-based weaponry and mobilized for a counter-assault against the Vidran incursion). Along the way, Thanatos's phallic column continues to leak energy fluid, leaving a trail of luminous turquoise streaks in its wake.

Immediately upon arrival, Thanatos engages the nearest Ioke.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.629

LEVEL 2 THREAT IDENTIFIED: IOKE BIO-WEAPON (x8).

LEVEL 2 CLEARANCE GRANTED, ENGAGE WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE.

HIGH-VALUE STRATEGIC FAULT CONFIRMED: GENITAL ZONE.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS STANDARD 2.83--TACTICAL MANEUVER FELORUM ENGAGED.

Drone 439, Time 9.629

Thanatos rapidly launches itself towards the Ioke it identifies as its target; the Ioke tries to dodge while simultaneously protecting the cluster of Vidran warriors by its right flank, but Thanatos crashes into the Ioke; the Ioke stumbles and wavers from the force of the impact before awkwardly toppling backwards and onto its ample posterior with a heavy thump, inadvertently crushing a small group of nearby Vidrans in the process beneath its rear. Thanatos grapples with the struggling Ioke, attempting to immobilize it; the Ioke manages to push off Thanatos and another Ioke headbutts it before striking Thanatos with its tail, forcing it back and creating distance between them.

The Vidrans fire their Grade 1 projectile cannon, striking Thanatos's shoulder armor plating.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.630

ARMOR INTEGRITY: 99%.

UTILIZING ON-BOARD WEAPONS SYSTEM.

TARGETING LEVEL 2 THREAT.

Drone 602, Time 9.630

A panel on Thanatos's upper back armor plating opens, allowing an internal Grade 5 anti-personnel launcher to swivel into position; the launcher fires spiked metal projectiles at high velocity at the Ioken. The spikes hit the Ioken in their chests and stomachs, drawing blood but causing only superficial damage. The Ioken hiss and charge Thanatos, but the G-4 Augment feigns to the left before sliding to the right flank. Vidran energy blasts strike its armor plating, causing little to no damage. Thanatos grabs the closest Ioke by the ankle and powerfully hurls it to the side and toward a group of Vidrans and Lacertians exchanging fire. The Ioke crashes into the group, crushing both sides. Before the Ioke can push up to its feet, Thanatos fires another round of metal spikes, this time hitting the Ioke in the face, puncturing its left eye and scratching its beak.

The other Ioke charges Thanatos, struggling to push it back and deeper into Lacertian territory; Thanatos grapples with the Ioke, grasping the avian by its clavicle and chest to lift it into the air and hurl it down, effectively using the Ioke's momentum against itself. The Ioke flails and squawks as it is thrown down.

The Ioke with the spikes in its face manages to get behind Thanatos and bites its exposed neck, attempting to puncture the thick skin.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.632

CLOSE COMBAT SCENARIO DELTA-5.2. DEPLOYING COUNTERMEASURE.

Drone 439, Time 9.632

The crest of exposed vertebrae on the dorsal side of Thanatos's neck glow red with a heat reaction and flare upward, forming sharp, knife-like protrusions; simultaneously, the Ioke biting Thanatos's neck cries out in pain and releases it before staggering back. A trail of bleeding puncture wounds stretches down the Ioke's midline, and additional heated spikes have extended from Thanatos's spinal column between the armor plates on its back. The protrusions retract as Thanatos turns to face the Ioke, and it fires a third round of metal spikes.

This time the spikes strike the Ioke's exposed genitals, and the Ioke falls to the ground. The Ioke's sheath begins to swell and the tip of its penis starts to emerge, but while all previous injuries have resulted in minimal blood loss, the Ioke's genitals bleed profusely; the avian freezes and tenses up, possibly due to shock from extreme sensitivity, and the Ioke falls still as a high volume of blood spurts from its wounds before slowing to a trickle.

The Ioke that Thanatos had previously body-slammed rises to its feet, but Thanatos immediately grabs it, spins it around, and throws it into another group of Vidrans who are clustered around one of the cannons that they brought. The Ioke crushes the cannon and the Vidrans.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.635

LONG-RANGE ANTI-PERSONNEL PROJECTILES DEPLETED.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS STANDARD 4.72--TACTICAL MANEUVER ARCANA ENGAGED.

Drone 602, Time 9.635

Thanatos's Grade 5 anti-personnel launcher retracts into its housing and the armor plate closes to conceal it while the G-4 Augment charges the Ioke, trampling two Vidrans and a Lacertian in its way. Thanatos pounces on top of the Ioke, pinning it to the ground; while using its left rear paw to crush the Ioke's neck, Thanatos opens its jaws and tears into the avian's genitals with its teeth, crushing them between its mandibles and slicing through the flesh, to the point of ripping away 90% of the biomatter. The Ioke cries out and flails in pain before, like its compatriot, it freezes and stiffens as excessive blood pours from its wound.

Thanatos creates a gaping gash in the Ioke's groin, spilling its blood and tossing aside scraps of meat, muscle, and skin as it brutally mauls the Ioke's genitals. The Ioke grows still as it expires from the trauma and blood loss, and Thanatos, with gore and viscera on its snout, releases its victim.

Security Chief's Notation

As a personal note, I have to say I'm surprised by how much brute strength this Thanatos Autonomous Combat Unit wields; it's throwing around the Ioken like they were toys, and it moves with such speed it's almost easy to forget that it's lugging a cannon attached to its groin. Even though the Ioken outnumber it significantly, Thanatos is cutting through them with ease. The unit is unrelenting in its attack strategy--I have only witnessed combat like this demonstrated in Dyrex-Masani G-5 Augments (what they call "Berserker Mode"), in which they overwhelm and outmatch their opponents through a combination of sheer force, combat ability, and predictive modeling to anticipate their opponents' next steps. I would guess that Thanatos could be considered a few decades behind those particular augments, as it doesn't demonstrate the predictive modeling behavior (either because it doesn't have the software or because the software is corrupted), but it's still effectively finding ways to disable its opponents and use their own mass against them before delivering the killing stroke.

It appears that there is some advantage to destroying the Ioken genitalia, possibly due to some kind of anatomical defect that was pre-identified as a weakness/especially vital area (and Qoric Xyrell-Thos has made it a top priority to find an opportunity to examine a live specimen). If this is the case, I cannot help but wonder why the Vidrans wouldn't outfit their Ioken with some kind of armor to prevent damage. However, I would be surprised if the Vidrans could fashion any kind of armor that would withstand the force applied by Thanatos; for all I know, it could be that the Vidrans tried an armor in the past, but found it to be so ineffective that they deemed it irrelevant for the Ioken to even wear.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.636

INITIAL TARGETS ELIMINATED, IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL CONTACTS.

Drone 439, Time 9.636

The two Ioken lie on the ground, dead, along with a small group of deceased Vidrans; blood drips from Thanatos's snout and more energy fluid drips from its phallic column as it surveys the area. Thanatos then runs to engage another Ioke while the remaining Vidrans and Lacertians continue their combat.

Drone 127, Time 9.654

Lacertian military command center; identified individuals speaking are General A'Sidos, Colonel C'Wrestes, and Tactical Officer T'Mentas.

A'SIDOS

Status?

T'MENTAS

Sir, Vidran forces are down to 25 and we've sustained minor casualties, approximately 2% of our forces have been depleted. Sergeant Major P'Noidis took a blast to his leg and transferred field command to Lieutenant Z'Listus.

A'SIDOS

And Thanatos?

T'MENTAS

It's eliminated five of the eight Vidran Ioken and is currently engaged with the sixth. There's minor damage to its left shoulder plate, but we should be able to patch that up without any issues.

C'WRESTES

Sir, I have a report that the Vidrans have begun to fall back. Should we halt the counterassault?

A'SIDOS

No, not yet. Let Thanatos take out the sixth and seventh Ioken, then transmit the cease-fire.

C'WRESTES

Sir, yes, sir.

A'SIDOS

Glory to Thanatos.

C'WRESTES AND T'MENTAS

Glory to Thanatos.

Drone 602, Time 9.680:

Two Ioken protect the Vidran stragglers during their retreat, providing cover for the 18 individuals who are fleeing Lacertian territory under heavy fire. Thanatos rushes one of the Ioken, knocking it to the side and grabbing it by the tail to haul it backwards. The Ioke struggles to escape, but Thanatos swiftly kicks it in the leg--bones audibly crack and the Ioke squawks in pain before Thanatos violently grabs the avian's genitals with both of its front paws and pulls hard in opposite directions.

While Ioken hide appears generally resistant to puncture wounds and lacerations, Thanatos's mechanical paws easily rip the genital tissues in half while simultaneously crushing the Ioke's reproductive organs between its blunt and powerful digits. The Ioke's penis pops out of its sheath and is nearly pulled off while Thanatos compresses it into a pulpy mass; one of the gonads is torn from the shredded scrotum and falls to the ground while the other bursts apart, spilling blood, testicular tissue, and genetic fluid. The Ioke cries out before falling to the ground, tense and frozen in shock as it bleeds profusely from the wound that Thanatos has created.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.681

TARGET ELIMINATED. ACQUIRING NEW CONTACT.

COMBAT TERMINATION ORDER 3A.

TIER 0 CONSCIOUSNESS DISENGAGED, RESUMING TIER 1 NEURAL ACTIVITY.

<mmm, the blood tastes so good. and the meat, so warm and squishy in my hands and mouth. i loved the fight, i felt so strong. i did a good job, protecting them from the threat. i remember the old days when there were so many ioken to fight--they were everywhere. so long ago...everyone is gone...and now there are hardly any ioken left. maybe i'll kill the last. i'll do it if the masters need me to. they're not my true masters--just an offshoot. but they have a use for me, and serving is so good.>

RECALL COMMAND RECEIVED. RETURN TO PRIME STATION.

<i can get milked again. they're good at milking me, even with my problem. i have so much to give them still.>

EXECUTING RECALL SUBROUTINE.

Security Chief's Notation

At Time 9.681, Thanatos received a cease-fire order, per the remote data stream, and returned to the power plant, where it was reconnected to the Lacertian energy distribution center. As a result of its actions in combat (along with the Lacertian special operations field officers), only 18 Vidrans and one Ioke survived the attempted raid, while the Lacertians emerged victorious with a 4% casualty rate.

At Time 9.724, a public announcement was made throughout Lacertian territory proclaiming their victory against the Vidrans and thanking the civilian population for their patience and support as they repelled the attack. There was a call of gratitude for Thanatos, and cheers of "Glory to Thanatos" could be heard in the streets.

At Time 9.937, the surviving Vidrans were observed returning to their territory and reporting to their chieftain; based on contextual information, it appears their objective was to obtain a piece of Lacertian technology, but they were clearly overwhelmed by the Lacertian response to their incursion. It is uncertain if another attack is planned or if they intend to pursue a diplomatic route, as the chieftain did not provide a clear directive following the report. The survivors are receiving medical attention and rest.

Additional observations of both Lacertian and Vidran command and government structures show a rising concern about escalating conflict.

ENTRY 2.27: COMPILED OBSERVATION LOGS

Author: Sociologist V'aso V'orn

Cycle 3.68

Following the Vidran attack and Lacertian counteroffensive that we observed, we have continued monitoring both populations. Tensions within the Lacertian government have risen, with two opposing factions appearing to have formed--one is strongly advocating for diplomatic relations with the Vidrans, while the other is led by the more militarized elements of the ruling council, and seeks to press their technological advantage to dominate the entire peninsula.

The Vidran chieftain has called for his people to show restraint in an effort to prevent them from retaliating against the Lacertian forces who decimated their attack team. Additionally, the chieftain has sent two emissaries to open channels of communication with the Lacertians, but efforts to open a dialogue have proven unsuccessful so far.

Cycle 4.17

While an internal power struggle is occurring within the Lacertian government and they are still refusing to communicate with the Vidran emissaries (currently residing in an encampment on the border of Lacertian territory), it appears the Lacertian populace is content with living in a status quo--based on observations and drone recordings, there is a general sense of security and positivity that can be attributed to the success of the military and Thanatos repelling the Vidran incursion.

Vidran life has also mostly returned to a normal rhythm, with day-to-day activities distracting the general population from the increased hostilities.

Cycle 5.28

The Lacertian government has opened a line of dialogue with the Vidran emissaries, who have been escorted to a secondary location along the edge of the Lacertian border. I'm including an extract of the recorded transcript, with individuals identified as Vidran Emissary Te-loak, Vidran Emissary Pa-chun, Lacertian Councilor G'Radas, and Lacertian Councilor S'Mestes.

G'RADAS

We are willing to de-escalate hostilities, offer you some of our technology, and create a path towards unity, but you must abide by our terms.

TE-LOAK

The terms being?

G'RADAS

Put simply, all technology we share with you can only be Generation 3 or older--any Vidran in possession of Generation 4 or newer will be subject to a penalty of imprisonment and forced relinquishment of property. Vidran territory will be referred to as Lacertian, and the Vidran population will be moved to a housing complex along the coast. Your people will be given provisional citizenship status to be integrated as a service class to our society.

PA-CHUN

You mean to turn us into your slaves while you annex our land for yourselves.

G'RADAS

Emissaries, this is the deal that's being offered. We strongly advise you take it, it's the best agreement our government could create as a result of your aggression.

PA-CHUN

And we wouldn't need to resort to such measures if you would be willing to share the artifacts that you have stolen!

S'MESTES

The artifacts that we find are powerful and highly unstable--it is our duty to safeguard them and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.

PA-CHUN

And you've chosen whose hands are the right ones, have you?

S'MESTES

Would you even know what to do with an artifact if you found it? I'm surprised you have any at all, considering you hit them with rocks as soon as you locate them.

TE-LOAK

And yet as soon as you find the ones you "safeguard", you manage to find ways to use them against us with the most extreme methods. You should have left Thanatos buried in whatever pit you dragged it from, that abomination is too dangerous even for you.

S'MESTES

Are you sure you wish to insult Thanatos, especially when it can crush you and tear through your Ioken so easily?

The proposed agreement was ultimately a non-starter for the Vidrans, and the dialogue ended with no resolution. It's unknown why the Lacertian government would want to annex the Vidran territory and expand their borders--there's no need to do so from a population perspective, as the Lacertians have plenty of room already, but it's possible that they do need it from a resources perspective, or it could be there are more "artifacts" (i.e., prior civilization technology) buried under Vidran territory.

ENTRY 2.46: SELECTED DRONE RECORDINGS

Cycle 5.60

Drone 402, Time 3.190

Vidran chieftain's hall; identified individuals speaking are Chieftain Tu-luq and Advisor Le-bahn. Tu-luq sits on his ceremonial chair at the end of the hall and Le-bahn stands in front of him.

LE-BAHN

I can't hold them back forever--they want to go to war over this.

TU-LUQ

I understand, but we can't simply hit the Lacertians simply because they retaliated against our initial advance. It's like kicking someone and wanting to kill them because they kicked you in return.

LE-BAHN

Chieftain, you do understand that they oppose our way of life? They want us wiped out. The only reason they offered the arrangement to our emissaries was to make it easier for them to annihilate us.

TU-LUQ

That is a way of looking at it, yes.

LE-BAHN

And you have another way?

TU-LUQ

One can be opposed to another's way of life and still find a diplomatic path towards coexistence.

LE-BAHN

Our people would never go for it. They want equality, the same opportunities, the same advances that the Lacertians have had time and time again.

TU-LUQ

And there are ways to make it happen. Hard work, determination--

LE-BAHN

Do you think the Lacertians needed either of those when they horde artifacts for themselves? They have it easy--we have had to scrape and sweat for every inch that we have gained, and we are still so far behind them.

TU-LUQ

Le-bahn, if you're advocating for another raid--

LE-BAHN

Chieftain, I'm advocating for it, your other advisors are advocating for it, and most of your people are advocating it. Make it a proper attack, not just to get attention, but to actually do something. Please...we're all begging you.

Drone 414, Time 5.392

Vidran territory, riverside; identified individuals speaking are Va-shen and Fe-kahn. They are in the process of pleasuring an Ioke, with Va-shen gyrating against the shaft of its erect penis--his lower body is inside the Ioke's protective upper prepuce, and he is thrusting just below the dome of tissue at the distal end. Fe-Kahn is massaging, kissing, and licking its testicles, and the Ioke's tail twitches and thrashes as it extends its body in a demonstration of pleasure.

VA-SHEN

Unf...I think he's enjoying this.

FE-KAHN

What gave it away?

VA-SHEN

Just a hunch. Looks like you're having a good time, too.

FE-KAHN

I might be, yes...he tastes good...really good.

VA-SHEN

You know, for all your talk about doing your duty, I think you just really love Ioke balls, don't you?

FE-KAHN

You're one to talk, considering how much you love Ioke cock. Are you going to crawl inside of him again?

VA-SHEN

Not this time...this is too much fun to stop! The only way this could be better is if he could be inside of me!

FE-KAHN

You seriously want him to breed you for real?

VA-SHEN

Would it be such a bad thing?

FE-KAHN

Apart from him ripping you in half with how big he is?

VA-SHEN

It would be in service to him--if it would be in the act of fulfilling a sacred oath to our protectors, then I would happily have him in me.

FE-KAHN

You're getting the Ioke cock-high.

VA-SHEN

You're one to talk, getting the Ioke balls-high.

VA-SHEN AND FE-KAHN

[both laughing and giggling as they continue servicing the Ioke]

ENTRY 2.47: SELECTED DRONE RECORDINGS

Cycle 5.60

Drone 327, Time 7.621

Lacertian power plant, secondary bathing station; identified individuals speaking are E'Macos and N'Deskas. They are soaking in a pool of energy fluid together, and their hands rub along each others' bodies beneath the surface of the fluid.

E'MACOS

Oh, this feels so good.

N'DESKAS

Glad we're doing this together.

E'MACOS

Heh, I can feel you getting stronger.

N'DESKAS

And getting bigger?

E'MACOS

Mmm.

N'DESKAS

How about here?

E'MACOS

You're always big there.

N'DESKAS

But even bigger now, huh?

E'MACOS

Almost too big to fit in your slit anymore--careful, you're going to be walking around with your cock out like a Vidran.

N'DESKAS

That doesn't sound too bad to me, especially if that means your hand is going to be on it all the time.

E'MACOS

You don't want just my hand, though, do you?

N'DESKAS

You know what I want.

E'MACOS

Heh, use the fluid as lube and I can give you what you want.

N'DESKAS

Good...raise your tail for me.

Drone 329, Time 9.654

Lacertian power plant, primary station for housing Thanatos; identified individuals speaking are Director L'Dardes and Operations Specialist U'Bektos. They are standing in front of Thanatos and observing the dribbling flow of energy fluid from its phallic column.

L'DARDES

The new installation is coming online in two days, are you sure there isn't some way of increasing output?

U'BEKTOS

The best I can do is increase the speed of the pump by another 5%, but it's likely that won't produce more than two additional liters of energy fluid. We can throttle back on the tertiary power supply system, but that would only give us another 1.5 liters per day.

L'DARDES

Do it. The council impressed upon me that it's imperative that the new installation is running at peak efficiency.

U'BEKTOS

Understood. I should have those implemented by the end of the day.

L'DARDES

Good. Do you know why Thanatos isn't producing more than that?

U'BEKTOS

Not for sure. Our engineers can only examine so much--opening him up any deeper than they already have is a T'Kastas-rank crime. But if I were to guess, I'd say there might be some kind of internal mechanism that's preventing Thanatos from producing greater quantities...a block of some sort. But I'm sure Thanatos can give us more--why have such a large exit channel when the fluid is just dribbling out like this? It isn't efficient from a design perspective.

L'DARDES

Tread carefully, U'Bektos. I understand your meaning, but that kind of thinking could be critiqued as heretical against Thanatos and his makers.

U'BEKTOS

Yes, Director.

L'DARDES

Hm...this mechanism you speak of, though...do you think we could access it non-invasively?

U'BEKTOS

Do you mean...ah...we haven't attempted that method yet, but it has some merit. And it would get us around the regulation...

ENTRY 2.51: COMPILED OBSERVATION RECORD

Cycle 5.66

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.681

WARNING: SERIES 6 PLASMIX CANNON COMPROMISED. FOREIGN OBJECT INTRUSION DETECTED. PRIMARY WEAPON EXIT PORT DILATION BY 18.9%, APPROACHING MAXIMUM DILATION FACTOR FOR EFFICIENCY.

WARNING: INCREASED RESPIRATORY RATE DETECTED.

WARNING: INCREASED SYNAPTIC ACTIVITY DETECTED.

WARNING: ORGANIC NEUROTRANSMITTERS DETECTED ON VECTORS D-43.6, S-2.9, AND Y-66.1.

<four of them are pushing a steel rod into me, down my shaft. oooooh it's...it's so thick. i'm spreading around it, and it's sliding against the sides of my cannon barrel. it feels like they're stretching me out in there, and they're shoving in hard. it hurts and stings, but feels so good. oh, it's so good-good-good-good-good.>

WARNING: ORGANIC NEUROTRANSMITTERS DETECTED ON VECTOR A-4.4.

<what are they doing? don't they want to get more out of me? why are they pushing something in to plug me up? it's good, it's so good, i want to shake and--no, i have to keep still for them. i have to stay in place while they-->

WARNING: INCREASED PRESSURE DETECTED IN CHARGED PLASMIX SOLUTION GENERATION CHAMBER, 10 PSI.

WARNING: INCREASED PRESSURE DETECTED IN CHARGED PLASMIX SOLUTION GENERATION CHAMBER, 11 PSI.

<oh it hurts--feel so swollen now. i'm making too much to hold now that the rod's in me. I have to get it out somehow, have to get some release.>

WARNING: INCREASED PRESSURE DETECTED IN CHARGED PLASMIX SOLUTION GENERATION CHAMBER, 12 PSI.

WARNING: INCREASED PRESSURE DETECTED IN CHARGED PLASMIX SOLUTION GENERATION CHAMBER, 11 PSI.

<aaaaahhh that's better, some of it's finally spilling out, even while they're pushing the rod into me. are they trying to find something in my shaft? there's the problem with the distributor node, but can they find that this way?>

PRIMARY WEAPON INTEGRITY 98%

<mmf, feels like they're scraping against something. never had anyone explore me from the inside like this, not even my creators. this...stuffing is so new. it feels strange, different...but not bad. like they're trying to push the plasmix back into me, even though it's leaking out around the rod. and they're getting so deep--they slid most of the rod into me, down my shaft. i have so much metal in my cock, but this rod, it's so wide and blunt, it's stretching me so good. i can feel it in the base, down in my groin, like they're trying to get into my body.>

<ungh! stay still--i have to stay still for them. but they hit something...it's like there's something tight in me, clamping the bore tunnel...is that-->

ERROR: PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 5: BLUNT TRAUMA DETECTED.

<they're pulling back the rod, sliding it out of me. ooooh it feels so good as it's sliding back out of my shaft, like i'm getting emptied out. ungh...hope they don't mind some extra plasmix...they seem to like it when i squirt them...and i've seen so many of them bathing in it and drinking it. these masters are strange, but...oh, they're pushing the rod back in? why? mmmf...there's a little more of a sting, they're pushing faster and harder.>

ERROR: PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 5: BLUNT TRAUMA DETECTED.

<ungh! think they hit the block again...maybe accessing a systems report will show them the problem.>

RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS...

DIAGNOSTICS COMPLETE. 541 SYSTEMS OPERATING IN NOMINAL RANGE, 3 SYSTEMS REQUIRE FURTHER ATTENTION AND TROUBLESHOOTING.

TROUBLESHOOT SYSTEMS: PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODES, CONCURRENT RADIANT NETWORK ALPHA 10, TRANSVERSE PERINEAL MUSCLE FIBER 6.

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODES:

NODE 1: NOMINAL

NODE 2: NOMINAL

NODE 3: NOMINAL

NODE 4: NOMINAL

NODE 5: FLEXIBLE APERTURE 83% ENGAGED, TROUBLESHOOTING REQUIRED.

Drone 329, Time 9.722

Lacertian power plant, primary station for housing Thanatos; Thanatos has been disconnected from its milking apparatus. Four Lacertians have utilized a refined composite metal rod (6 meters long and 2.25 meters in diameter) and are in the process of inserting it into/withdrawing it from Thanatos's phallic column. The rod has a smooth, rounded, tapered tip, which has been guided into Thanatos, and the implement is wide enough to significantly stretch what could be considered its urethral canal. The Lacertians--all enhanced physically due to prolonged exposure to Thanatos's energy fluid, and all naked--slide the rod in smoothly, seemingly thanks to the excess energy fluid that Thanatos is secreting around the device; the energy fluid drips and oozes out over the insertion team, coating them as they work.

Thanatos looms over the diminutive figures inserting the thick rod into its phallus; the enormous cybernetic organism keeps still as the team of smaller Lacertians work together in a unified effort to penetrate it. The Lacertians guide the rod into the open bore channel, sliding 95% of the broad metal column inside; they stop, keeping the remaining 5% of the rod exposed, as it appears they hit an obstruction, before they withdraw the rod, exposing it to 50%, and push back in...until they encounter the obstruction again.

The tinted glass plate on Thanatos's helmet where the eyes should be positioned illuminates with a systems status report; an observation team on one of the elevated walkways surrounding Thanatos takes note of the report, but none of the individuals appear able to read the script. The insertion team on the ground continues their work.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.725

<how many times are they going to do this? I'll wait for them, though.>

ERROR: PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 5: BLUNT TRAUMA DETECTED.

<ungh! Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes...it feels so good when they push back in...i like how they're stretching me out. but can't they see the problem on my display? can't they read? this feels good, but...mmm, pulling back out...oooh, when they're pushing back in, the rod slides so smoothly. but it's going to-->

ERROR: PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 5: BLUNT TRAUMA DETECTED.

<there it is again--they pushed hard this time. sounds like they're trying to push the block deeper into me, but it's not going to work. i need...oh, i need to be milked even more now. i can feel more of the plasmix building up in me. feel like i'm going to burst. i have so much to give them...can't they take the rod out?>

Drone 329, Time 9.801

Lacertian power plant, primary station for housing Thanatos; Thanatos has been reconnected to its milking apparatus and is producing a slightly higher volume of fluid. Two Lacertian council members stand in front of Thanatos on an elevated observation platform. Identified individuals speaking are Lacertian Councilor R'Coxas and Lacertian Councilor P'Leidos.

R'COXAS

How can you not see Thanatos as the key to our future?

P'LEIDOS

Tell me, R'Coxas--do you know exactly how Thanatos works? Can you tell me the function of every mechanism inside its body? Do you know its intent, beyond a shadow of a doubt?

R'COXAS

It works by the will of the ones who came before. The function of every mechanism in its body is to serve as our sword and shield. And its intent is to help us destroy those savages who have been permitted too many freedoms on land that is rightfully ours.

P'LEIDOS

That's your perception, R'Coxas.

R'COXAS

No, it's fact, P'Leidos.

P'LEIDOS

Facts created out of the air by the O'Koras Committee--your committee--are not facts. Your group has made it illegal to search for the truth within Thanatos, your group has limited access to only select organizations and individuals, and you are using your position of power to push your own agenda.

R'COXAS

Don't be naive, that's what a politician does: push agendas.

P'LEIDOS

Yes, agendas that are intended to help, not harm.

R'COXAS

I'm helping all of us through the use of Thanatos. Trust it or not, using it is the right thing to do to secure our rightful place.

P'LEIDOS

Our "rightful place" would have been leaving it where we found it.

R'COXAS

Careful, P'Leidos. Much as we differ, I would still caution you about making such statements in public.

ENTRY 2.63: DRONE 193 ERROR RECORD

Cycle 6.17

Drone 193, Time 1.112

[coordinate position: 0.275N3, 4.085E4]

[atmospheric disturbance with high electrostatic discharges detected, executing subroutine delta89.0003]

Drone 193, Time 1.112

[systems overload, power capacitor at 357%]

[subroutine delta89.0003 failure]

[cloak system offline]

[initiating recall subroutine rho4.3209]

Drone 193, Time 1.118

[proximity alert, foreign object on approach vector]

[initiating evasive pattern gamma614]

Drone 193, Time 1.119

[collision detected]

[propulsion system cascade failure in nodes 3 - 12]

[altitude alert, below 1 kilometer threshold]

[attempting stabilization subroutine lambda1.04782]

[900 meters]

[800 meters]

[subroutine lambda1.04782 failure]

[initiating c.rbs protocol]

[700 meters]

[600 meters]

[500 meters]

[400 meters]

[300 meters]

[200 meters]

[100 meters]

[impact imminent]

[beacon active, entering hibernation mode]

ENTRY 2.64: TECHNICIAN'S LOG

Author: Computer Technician and Engineer Nyta Pellen

Cycle 6.17

Observation drone 193 suffered a temporary systems failure as a result of a thunderstorm while surveying a region of Vidran territory; it managed to compensate for the most part, although the cloaking system was damaged, which prompted it to execute a recall routine to return to the nearest outpost for service (in this case, Outpost Charlie). However, an unknown object collided with it and managed to knock out its propulsion system, and the drone fell to the ground on the southwestern edge of Vidran territory.

Balic Monot [commission security chief] and I transported down from the SIGMA12 orbital platform to Outpost Charlie; once our scans confirmed that there were no Vidrans in the vicinity of the crash site and the drone's homing beacon, we took a survey craft to retrieve and repair the drone. We arrived at Time 2.493 and saw that the drone had crashed through the canopy and into some of the ground foliage, which had cushioned its fall, so the drone was still in one piece and in hibernation mode.

However, just as I was starting to assess the drone for damage, there was rustling in the trees to my left--then one of the Ioke came stampeding right for us. I knew they were big, but I didn't realize just how huge they actually were. I thought it was going to trample us. But Balic was ready; he pulled me out of the way and darted the Ioke at the same time with a full clip of tranquilizers, hitting it in the face, chest, stomach, and even on its sheath and testicles. The needles looked like they would have hurt sticking out of there, and the Ioke screamed at us, so I'm guessing it felt some pain, and I was worried that the darts weren't going to work and Balic had just made it angry. But as the Ioke circled around and started charging us again, it tripped over its feet, stumbled, and then crashed to the ground in front of us, knocked out.

It took me a little bit to recover from the surprise; fortunately, it appeared that the Ioke was alone, and it was breathing heavily as it slept. Balic kept a lookout while I took a few pictures; we then contacted Qoric Xyrell-Thos [commission exozoologist] and Pax Abana [commission operations specialist], and they're going to arrange to have the Ioke transported to Outpost Bravo for further anatomical study.

After working out the logistics for transporting the Ioke, I resumed my assessment of the damage to the drone while Balic continued to monitor the area. It looked like the drone had suffered a typical lightning strike, which was what had disabled the cloaking system. The fix for this didn't take much time, but when I reviewed the data record, I saw that the drone had registered an incoming foreign object on an approach vector. None of the flight data was consistent with an organic interference (such as an airborne species colliding with the drone)--it was, however, consistent with a projectile strike, which I confirmed with damage to the drone's propulsion system. I've included a photo in Index 2, where you can see a puncture in Impulse Thrust Port 5; this puncture matches with the ballistic capabilities of the Vidrans, which indicates that at least one of them spotted the drone when it was uncloaked and shot it down.

ENTRY 2.73: SELECTED EXTRACTS OF IOKE SPECIMEN EXAM REPORT

Author: Exozoologist Qoric Xyrell-Thos

Cycle 6.28

Time 5.209

...effort to comply with Standard Evaluatory Protocol, I'm conducting this exam in the cargo bay of Outpost Bravo, as it's the only controlled environment that's big enough to contain the specimen. I'm keeping the specimen sedated with a Ferinium-Coaxis titration to inhibit conscious muscle movement and reduce brain activity to a Stage 6 sleep cycle; unconscious muscle movement may occur, which is why I've also implemented Tier 6 magnetic restraints around the Ioke's ankles, thighs, wrists, arms, tail, neck, and beak. To ensure environmental security, I've utilized...

Time 5.211

...part of the external exam, I'd like to note that Ioken feathers are similar to what I've seen in other avian species from other planets; they're made of individual keratin fibers that extend from a central vane, which ends in an embedded inferior umbilicus that supplies nutrients. The fibers, or barbs, also have a similar interlocking structure that can be reconnected through the act of preening. However, Ioken feathers are much thicker and stiffer than I thought they would be; from a distance and through drone recordings, I initially thought that they would be akin to semiplume and bristle feathers, but they all are constructed similar to flight and contour feathers with very little flexibility. Their rigidity (along with how they sleekly follow the contours of the musculature) would be a beneficial factor in creating a kind of armor for the Ioken...

Time 5.218

...closer inspection, the rostrum is ideally shaped for cutting, spearing, and jabbing, as all edges of the bill are sharpened to fine points, even the nare indentations. Samples indicate that it's a keratinized layer of tissue covering a densely ossified structure, and I...

Time 5.221

...and I'd almost say that the dental anatomy has been hand-crafted for a strictly carnivorous diet. Every tooth is pointed and follows a convex curve to form a fang, and there are micro-serrations on both the proximal and distal sides. Considering the potential jaw strength and curved structure, there's a high probability that the dental anatomy was designed for the Ioke to grab onto its prey and lock into it, with the only way to get free meaning that the target would sustain serious blood loss.

Time 5.227

As I noted previously, the ventral side of the thoracic region is covered in a kind of hide. Initially, I hypothesized that this hide would be similar in composition to the tough scales in the Lacertian anatomy, but it's significantly softer and smoother, with a slightly moist, worn, leathery texture. As I press on it, I can feel that there is some give and flexibility, but I'm not feeling as much sagging adipose tissue as I was expecting. I can't really put this delicately, but at first glance, the Ioken look like they have some extra pudge with the way that their abdominal and pectoral regions bulge.

The pectorals are large and plump with what I assumed to be adipose tissue and connective fibers; there's enough to form a broad lobe of what I thought was pure fat hanging from the chest wall, and when the Ioke stands, the lobe hangs in such a way as to partially rest on the protruding superior abdomen. But a digital exam indicates that the tissue is much firmer and denser than I previously thought, which suggests that there's more muscle and fibrous tissue.

It's the same with the Ioke's abdomen; superficially, I'd liken it to a fatty paunch, as there's significant overhang of the inferior abdomen over the groin and genital region--I've even observed the bottom of an Ioke's stomach rubbing against the top of its sheath. Drone recordings also show the abdomen (as well as the pectorals) visibly swaying back and forth in a manner suggesting looser connective tissue, but as I'm conducting the digital exam and pressing on various regions, I'm detecting much denser muscle tissue under the dermal layer.

While I might be wrong with my initial theory about the Ioken using their thoracic region as a fat reserve and energy store, I think I'm right about how they use it to release excess body heat. Average body temperature is 46.3 TUs, but the thoracic region measures at 61.8 TUs; the moisture evident on the Ioke's hide is similar in composition to perspiration and bodily excretions used for cooling.

Time 5.230

...scrotum is smooth with mild variations due to the small wrinkles in the excess hide, and narrows slightly as it merges into the groin. Each testicle is shaped in a roughly ovular geometry with a length of 3.2 meters and a width of 2.6 meters, making them elongated with bulging sides and narrower poles; they appear to be connected via specialized cords within the scrotal sac, and have a combined weight of 56.7 kilograms.

As I've been conducting my digital exam, I should note that the Ioke has started demonstrating an unconscious sexual response. Up to this point, I have only been palpating its testicles and taking measurements, but as a result of this action, the opening of the protective sheath has dilated enough to allow the penis to emerge and begin growing erect. The tissue of the penile column is unfolding and expanding, drawing the skin taut as the structure becomes more rigid. Right now, I can't tell if this process is vascular or muscular or some combination of both, although I'd assume there has to be some kind of dense, fibrous structure the provide support for the penis, as it's able to effectively stand from the Ioke's groin without needing to rest on the subject's abdomen. I'm also detecting an odor I would describe as semi-sweet and slightly bitter, which I would imagine is the Ioke's musk or pheromones.

Monitors have begun indicating increased blood pressure and high flow rate to the genital region--while this could be expected as part of any usual sexual response, I have to admit I'm surprised to see such a strong reaction to such minimal stimulation. The penis is continuing to grow out of the Ioke's sheath at a prodigious rate, and the skin of the sheath is being forced back into the Ioke's pelvic cavity as its penis becomes more turgid--and this is all just from lightly touching its testicles. This would suggest that Ioken erogenous zones are extremely sensitive, which would fit with the behavior that we observed when Vidrans have pleasured them and when Thanatos attacked their genitals during the prior Vidran incursion into Lacertian territory.

I'm also seeing some unusual neural activity--while the Ioke is in a Stage 6 sleep cycle, it shouldn't be exhibiting anything above 16 hertz, and its beta brain waves have been flat up until now. But the monitors appear to be detecting a secondary beta brain wave at 30 hertz, which is an extremely aroused state. I've checked and the Ioke's still deeply sedated, but part of its brain appears to still be active enough to receive and respond to stimulating signals.

I'm touching the Ioke's penis right now--I can feel it throbbing heavily, indicating increased vascular activity, and the skin is smooth and moist, much more than the rest of its hide--and the secondary beta wave just spiked. Hand off...wave is down. Hand on...spike. So, even in this deep sleep state, the Ioke can somehow actively experience what we perceive as pleasure, even at the lightest touch. I'm using a diagnostic pinwheel to test sensitivity; running it along the midline of the ventral side of the shaft, towards the distal end...the Ioke's penis is bobbing in an almost conscious reaction, as if it's actively wanting to feel the tips of the pinwheel digging into its tissue even more, and the beta wave is spiking again. Now testing along the left lateral side, towards the distal end...same reaction...and I'm observing the buildup of a secretion exiting from its urethral opening. It's not an ejaculation with genetic material--this is a clear fluid with a high viscosity and appears to be extremely sticky. I'd guess that this is some kind of self-lubricant that the Ioken produce to aid with reproductive activity. Collecting a sample for further examination.

The Ioke's penis appears to be fully erect by this point, and measurements match what was previously observed on drone recordings--it's 6 meters in length and 3.6 meters in diameter at the distal tip, although the shaft does widen towards the base, and at its widest I've measured a circumference of 12.1 meters. The dome of inflated tissue at the distal end of the shaft almost resembles an oversized helmet, and the upper fold of skin covers the slightly flared ridge bordering this dome. I'm retracting the skin now to expose the ridge--whoa, there was a big reaction to that, the Ioke's penis practically hit me with how strongly it just bobbed, and the aroma of the Ioke's musk smells like it's getting more concentrated, which suggests a pheromone release gland of some kind was just activated. In recordings, we've observed Vidrans describing a certain kind of high they feel as they pleasure their Ioken, which could be a physiological response to this pheromone, and...

Time 5.319

Complete genetic sequencing was successful, and it confirmed the findings from the deceased specimen we noted in Entry 1.28--all markers indicate advanced genetic manipulation, meaning that the Ioken were definitively engineered by the prior civilization, almost certainly as a bioweapon of some kind. I don't see the Ioken being created to serve as pets or pack animals, they're equipped with too many offensive capabilities for anything except brute strength and overwhelming force. An army would have a hard time fighting just one of them off, let alone a whole squad of them.

Time 5.362

Moving onto the genital region, the vascular topography scanner is showing two notable results: first is that the Ioken penile structure is based on a series of chambers that have been inflated with blood, and they're supported by additional structures made out of dense connective tissue. The second result is that there's an intersection of key arteries and veins positioned in the pelvis directly behind the penile structure and even within the tissue of the scrotum, and there are four major arteries and corresponding veins that run the entire length of the Ioke's penis.

To have such a high concentration of blood vessels in such an exposed, sensitive, and strategically weak area is a major design flaw. Considering the level of engineering that went into creating the Ioken, I can only imagine that this was either a purely accidental oversight or possibly some form of sabotage; it makes the genitals a prime target to severely incapacitate or even kill the Ioken through blood loss...which makes sense, in reviewing the records of Thanatos attacking the Vidran invasion force. Thanatos specifically targeted the genitalia of those Ioken--I'd wondered if it was more of a cultural emasculation of some kind, but it really would be the most efficient and sure-fire way of disabling an Ioke.

Time 5.375

Now making a vertical incision along the ventral midline of the proximal penile shaft to collect sample C27. Hmm...as I'm making the incision, it's difficult to keep a straight line. Even with the paralytic agent I injected into the genital region, the Ioke's penis is bobbing and spasming hard, which would appear to be in response to the scalpel cutting into it. The secondary beta wave is spiking again, and the sedated Ioke isn't displaying any kind of external distress feedback, but I'd guess that the part of the brain responsible for genital sensation is aware on some level of what's happening. I can't tell if this is a pain or pleasure reaction...although judging by the increased concentration of pheromones the Ioke is releasing and the high quantity of lubricating fluid it's excreting, I'd guess this is a pleasure response.

Because the paralytic agent had no effect, I'm continuing to make the incision as carefully as I can while the Ioke's penis is still throbbing and spasming. Vascular topography has indicated minor capillary structure in this specific region, which will allow for a minimally invasive biopsy procedure with minor risk of--ah, shit.

Two capillaries opened and I nicked artery 3. High pressure blood flow, attempting to clamp and suture.

No...ah, no, come on...Ioke's penis is still throbbing hard, and the movement has caused a larger rupture in artery 3. It's like it's shaking itself apart and it's getting blood everywhere...

Sutures aren't holding--can't even detect a clotting factor, it's so low.

Beta wave is spiking again...wait...oh, what? It's...subject is ejaculating, I don't even know how it would at a time like this, but...

Come on...pulse is falling, attempting supplemental heartbeat procedure...

Artery 4 and vein 2 just ruptured, clamping and suturing now...

No, no no...come on, I just need...

Time 5.381

Subject time of death, 5.382. There was too much blood loss and I couldn't get the heartbeat back. The sutures wouldn't hold and the Ioke's blood had practically no clotting factor, which, in retrospect, would have made the blood flow even faster to its priapism, in combination with high blood pressure. Another contributing factor was the Ioke's extreme genital sensitivity and resistance to paralytic agent, as every pulsation and tremor exacerbated the capillary and venous ruptures and created even more lacerations; it was almost as if the act of ejaculating made the fragile tissues of the Ioke's genitalia shake and rip itself apart. If there hadn't been that initial incision I'd made, it all would have held together, but it was as if making that cut was the crack in the armor that led to the overall structure falling apart--part of the scrotum even tore and exposed one of the testicles. I'll perform a necropsy shortly and make sure to include a detailed dissection of penile structure and nervous system--I want to identify the specific biological mechanisms and processes that were responsible for this.

I'm...floored by how little it took to kill the Ioke. It was just supposed to be a minor procedure, but its genitals are so incredibly fragile...if the Ioken were used as bioweapons, they must have used overwhelming numbers to compensate for this kind of design flaw...if I were the prior civilization, I would have tried to make something more durable or...

Wait.

That's why they created Thanatos. Okay, this is just a theory, but what if the prior civilization created the Ioken first, and they realized that there was a major fault in the body plan. They had a perfect, purely biological weapon that they could mass-produce for whatever reason they were fighting, but this kind of flaw made the Ioken unusable. They would have pivoted to something less organic and more mechanized, something maybe smaller, more agile, and equipped with more tactical capabilities to replace the Ioken--hence, Thanatos units.

ENTRY 2.77: DRONE 405 RECORDING

Cycle 6.28

Drone 405, Time 9.030

Outside of the Lacertian border, diplomatic meeting between Vidran and Lacertian representatives in an encampment. Identified individuals speaking are Vidran Emissary Te-loak, Vidran Emissary Pa-chun, Lacertian Councilor G'Radas, and Lacertian Councilor S'Mestes.

PA-CHUN

You cannot deny that you have been working on capabilities to observe us remotely, and possibly even attack us from the sky! As if you don't have enough power with Thanatos, now you start spying in our territory?

TE-LOAK

As well as steal yet another Ioke from us!

G'RADAS

So you would have us believe--where is your evidence of this device or the allegedly stolen Ioke? If you have it, produce it and we can confirm or deny your claims.

PA-CHUN

And why should we do that? So you can take the machine from us before we can figure out how it works?

G'RADAS

You couldn't find it after you shot it down, could you.

S'MESTES

Either that, or it simply doesn't exist. Here's what I think really happened: One of you filthy savages shot a fakoan and stupidly thought it would make a good story to say, "Ah, the evil Lacertians with their superior technology have sent a flying spy to watch us! Help us, ancient spirits, for we are victims!" Or am I wrong?

TE-LOAK

It was a spying machine that you sent to watch us, and while we were distracted, you snatched a sacred Ioke.

S'MESTES

According to you.

TE-LOAK

According to our chieftain. He is not pleased about this.

PA-CHUN

He is willing to forgive your transgression into our territory if you provide compensation and return all Ioken in your possession, but if you fail to do so, we will be forced to take action.

S'MESTES

So...you come here and accuse us with a baseless claim. You expect us to simply believe you, apologize, and hand over all the Ioken and whatever technology you ask of us in exchange, and you threaten us with another attack if we don't comply. Stupid as you and your kind are, I think even you know how we will answer.

ENTRY 2.81: SOCIOLOGIST'S PERSONAL LOG

Author: Sociologist V'aso V'orn

Cycle 6.28

Time 9.035

It appears that SIGMA12 may have inadvertently contaminated SE3-b4 and caused an escalation in hostilities due to a Vidran shooting down Drone 193 and believing it was Lacertian in origin. We're ensuring that all cloaking equipment is in working order and doubling our mitigation efforts to leave no trace of our presence, but the damage has already been done; the Lacertians are preparing Thanatos and their elite troops for another round of deployment, and it appears that the Vidrans are already making moves for battle.

ENTRY 2.87: SELECTED EXTRACTS OF COMPILED INCIDENT REPORT

Sources: Drone recordings, remote access data stream

Notations: Security Chief Balic Monot

Cycle 6.35

Security Chief's Notation

At Time 2.108, a contingent of 86 Vidrans, equipped with their modified Grade 3 weaponry, an assortment of Grade 1 handheld ballistic and melee armaments, eight Grade 1 mobile projectile cannons, and another six Ioken, broke through the fence protecting the northern border of Lacertian territory. Lacertian military command authorized another Code Black response and deployed Thanatos along with a specialized platoon of soldiers to counter the invading force. Thanatos arrived on scene and immediately began engaging the Ioken in the vicinity while the Vidrans on the ground engaged the Lacertians, exchanging fire and inflicting casualties upon each other.

Compared to the previous incident, the Vidrans are penetrating much more deeply into Lacertian territory, with strike teams pushing more than a kilometer into the region while fighting the Lacertians. Their comparative success is most likely due to their increased numbers and additional firepower. However, the six Ioken that the Vidrans brought are being dispatched just as brutally as before by Thanatos; the G-4 Augment has made quick work of the first three, using a combination of melee tactics and its anti-personnel spike launcher. Like the previous incident, Thanatos targeted the Ioken genitalia as strategic weak points while engaging them in both close and long-range combat.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 2.125

TARGETS 4 and 5 ACQUIRED, MOVING TO INTERCEPT AND ENGAGE.

LONG RANGE ANTI-PERSONNEL WEAPONRY DEPLETED.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS STANDARD 7.15--TACTICAL MANEUVER CRASITIUS ENGAGED.

Drone 346, Time 2.244

Two Ioken begin charging head-on at Thanatos, attempting to engage it in a two-on-one fight. Thanatos bolts forward toward the Ioken, trampling two Vidrans in its way; as it does so, an armor plate on Thanatos's left wrist raises up to form a flap and reveal a hidden chamber. A large, sharpened piton fires from the chamber and spears into one of the Ioken, hitting it in the chest and embedding in its flesh. The piton is attached to a thin metal cable, effectively creating a wire dart that Thanatos has used to attach itself to the Ioke.

Thanatos runs past both Ioke in the opposite direction, outmaneuvering them; the Ioke it has darted slams to the ground as the tension on the wire connecting it to Thanatos forces it to stop in its tracks and fall, while the free Ioke trips and stumbles over its partner. Thanatos circles around to loop the wire around the necks of both Ioke to strangle and subdue them, before it pounces on top of the Ioke it initially darted with the piton. More cable unspools from the chamber in Thanatos's wrist, enough for Thanatos's mechanical digits to quickly manipulate the cable into a simple noose that it loops around the base of the Ioke's penile sheath and the neck of its scrotum.

Still maintaining enough tension to strangle both Ioken, Thanatos pulls hard on the wire, cinching the loop of cable closed around the Ioke's genitals. The constricting cable at first chokes Ioke's reproductive organs and makes them bulge and swell, and the Ioke squawks and flails, desperately trying to push Thanatos off of it while it's being strangled, but Thanatos stays firmly in place.

Despite the peril of its current situation, the Ioke's penile sheath swells and opens, allowing its penis to emerge; as the Ioke becomes more aroused due to the extreme stimulation of the cable wrapped around the base of its genitals, its shaft rapidly stiffens and grows more turgid, until reaching its full 6-meter length. The Ioke's penis wags from side to side as it struggles to shake off Thanatos, and the shaft visibly pulsates and bobs up and down.

Thanatos unspools even more cable from the reel in its wrist chamber, and the G-4 Augment nimbly wraps multiple, tight loops of the additional wire around the shaft's base, mid-region, and just below the flared ridge of flesh beneath the blunt, domed tip of the Ioke's penis. The Ioke squawks, hisses, and thrashes its tail uselessly; in a futile effort, it lashes out with its long, whiplike tongue to strike at Thanatos's facial plate. Meanwhile, the avian's penis seems to swell and bulge even more as the constricting cable tightens around the shaft.

Thanatos pulls even harder, the servos in its limbs audibly straining and grinding with the amount of force being applied, and the Ioke cries out as its entire penile structure--from the base of its sheath all the way to the tip of its penis--is garroted in multiple places and sliced into segments based on where the wire is wrapped. The wire cinches in, cutting through the skin, blood vessels, and support structures; the domed head topples off while the shaft is divided into sizable portions that all fall to the ground with splashes of blood. As the cable cuts the portions of the shaft, it is possible to view the cross-section of the Ioke's penis, with its inflated internal supports, the space filled by spongy connective tissue, and the channel of its urethra.

At the same time, the Ioke's complete scrotal structure--including the testicles within--is lopped off as well, a single parcel that drops to the ground while blood begins surging from the open wound that Thanatos has created in the Ioke's groin.

While Thanatos has been garotting its primary target's genitals with its forelimbs, the G-4 Augment has also used its left rear paw to smother and crush its secondary target's reproductive organs. As it's being strangled, the Ioke struggles to kick at Thanatos, but its efforts prove useless when Thanatos's digits curl in around the Ioke's testicles and penis, hard enough to make them bulge and swell before the hide begins rupturing under the immense pressure. Thanatos keeps bearing down, similar to a hydraulic press, and the Ioke's testicles wetly pop, bursting apart. The distal protective flap of skin that partly encapsulates the upper region of the Ioke's penis hyper-extends and swells to its apparent limit, forming visible stretch marks and seams in multiple places before ripping along the newly-made fault lines, unable to withstand the immense force being applied to it; Thanatos continues clenching, and soon the flesh of the Ioke's penis begins extruding outward, squeezing wetly like shredded meat between Thanatos's mechanical digits, and blood surges from the pulverized flesh in the G-4 Augment's ever-tightening grip.

Both of the Ioke jerk and twitch (due to the combined factors of strangulation, over-stimulation from their genitals, and extreme blood loss) before falling still under Thanatos; their tongues hang out of their mouths and their eyes have rolled upward while residual blood continues pouring from their wounds.

As Thanatos disengages from the cable connecting it to both Ioken, a burst from a Vidran Grade 3 weapon strikes the base of its phallic cannon, dispersing a surge of plasma and photonic energy.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 2.245

TARGETS ELIMINATED, ACQUIRING--

CODE 941: CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO PRIMARY WEAPONS SYSTEMS.

ERROR: SYSTEMS OVERLOAD, PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODES 1 - 5 INOP.

REROUTING AUXILIARY SUPPORT POWER TO TROUBLESHOOT.

COMBAT STATE INACTIVE.

<hurthurthurthurthurt>

SENSITIVITY INPUT 280%.

SENSORY DAMPENER SYSTEM ENGAGED.

SENSITIVITY INPUT 205%.

<painwhathavehtyedoneohnowhydoesithurtsobadlyohnobadbadbadbadbadbad>

CASCADING SYSTEMS FAILURE.

DORIC PROTOCOL OFFLINE.

BARSTIC PROTOCOL OFFLINE.

NEXUS PROTOCOL OFFLINE.

REBOOTING PROTOCOLS.

PROTOCOL REBOOT FAILURE. ARCHIVE ENCRYPTION INACTIVE.

<so much i forgot. so much was locked away.>

Security Chief's Notation

At Time 2.245, Thanatos appeared to enter a hibernation state, most likely due to the energy burst corrupting a key system of some kind. The Lacertians managed to repel the remaining Vidran attack force on their own before relocating Thanatos back to the power plant.

At Time 2.870, a Lacertian intelligence team was observed reviewing what appeared to be decrypted records from Thanatos's memory core; it's likely that the system overload it experienced interfered with a specific set of protocols that were keeping the records secure. We have been able to maintain our remote data access stream with Thanatos so we can view the records as well (review Index 86 for a complete collection of the decrypted records that we accessed.), and it would seem most of our theories have been proven correct about Thanatos's origin and purpose.

I can only imagine what impact this kind of archive would have on the Lacertian government structure and how they would react to what they've found.

ENTRY 2.89: SELECTION OF DRONE 361 RECORDING

Cycle 6.62

Drone 361, Time 4.702

Lacertian council chamber; two Lacertian council members stand on opposite sides of a central stage to address the council at large in a debate to escalate the offensive use of Thanatos. Between them is a viewing screen currently displaying muted video of multiple Thanatos units engaged with Ioken and numerous members of an unidentified species (most likely members of the prior civilization that constructed Thanatos). Identified individuals speaking are Lacertian Councilor R'Coxas and Lacertian Councilor P'Leidos.

R'COXAS

You have seen the records for yourself, and the evidence is overwhelming; our predecessors built Thanatos, and so many others like it, as a weapon of conquest. Thanatos led them to victory and ensured their dominance over this world--

P'LEIDOS

If they were victorious, then where are they now? If they were so dominant, what happened to them?

R'COXAS

May I remind you that I have the floor, and that we are using Thanatos exactly as our predecessors did.

P'LEIDOS

And as far as we know, there are none of them left. Thanatos's records showed their cities crumbling, their world--our world--burning. Thanatos led the way to their destruction.

R'COXAS

Thanatos led the way to their triumph! And they bestowed it upon us as a gift to use to exterminate the Vidrans!

LACERTIAN COUNCIL

Yes, yes, yes! (Let the record show that a quarter of the council is silently shaking their heads in dissent with the majority opinion.)

P'LEIDOS

And exterminate ourselves if we use it the same way they did! This esteemed council has seen what kind of ruin our predecessors brought upon themselves while on this path of using Thanatos as an offensive weapon--escalation upon escalation upon escalation. Where does it end? I'll tell you where it should end, R'Coxas: It should end with us returning Thanatos to where we found it and establishing a path to peace with our Vidran neighbors.

LACERTIAN COUNCIL

Noooooo, nooooo! (Let the record show that a quarter of the council is shouting "Yes!" in opposition to the majority opinion.)

R'COXAS

You want us to remove Thanatos--a being that has granted us so many advances in technology and imparted so many gifts upon our glorious society, all while serving as our defender--so we can play nice with the Vidrans? Our civilization will revert, we will have nothing without it!

P'LEIDOS

Removing Thanatos from our society will give us--and the Vidrans--an opportunity to advance on our own without being so reliant on a relic of the past! May I remind you that all of our attempts to manufacture another Thanatos have failed, and the latest incursion with the Vidrans proved that Thanatos is not invulnerable. At some point, we will not be able to rely on Thanatos at all.

R'COXAS

It was pure luck that Vidran garbage managed to hit Thanatos in such a way--we can fortify that area to make it truly impervious, and Thanatos will never be defeated. It ensured the supremacy of our predecessors, and just as it will ensure our own supremacy over the Vidrans.

P'LEIDOS

Allow me to point out that even we didn't know about this weakness that the Vidrans accidentally exploited--what do you think will happen if the Vidrans find another vulnerable spot?

R'COXAS

Then we will fortify it, and we will win again! Thanatos will never fail us, and I advocate again for continuing to use it for our advancement and our righteous cause of conquest over the Vidrans!

LACERTIAN COUNCIL

Yes! Yes! Yes! (Let the record show that a quarter of the council is again silently shaking their heads in dissent with the majority opinion.)

R'COXAS

Protest all you want, P'Leidos, but this esteemed council appears to have chosen to follow the path to ultimate victory.

As R'Coxas continues to proclaim his victory and preach to the majority of the Lacertian council about the benefits of increased militarization, a junior council member (identified as Z'Ridos) from the minority exits the chamber.

ENTRY 2.95: SELECTED EXTRACTS OF COMPILED INCIDENT REPORT

Sources: Drone recordings, remote access data stream

Notations: Technology Specialist Goliosmec

Cycle 6.70

Drone 329, Time 9.825

Lacertian power plant, primary station for housing Thanatos; Councilor Z'Ridos is alone in the power plant and is standing next to the base of Thanatos's phallic cannon. Z'Ridos has a small collection of tools and a rudimentary tablet device on a table next to him, and he is currently using one of the tools to pry open a panel in Thanatos's groin plating directly under the base of the phallic cannon.

Z'RIDOS

It's not that I don't think there's no place for your technology and what you can offer.

Z'Ridos pries open the panel to reveal a segment of raw, unprotected tissue that has an input port implanted in it. He puts down his tool and takes up the tablet device and its connected cable, and he inserts the prong of the cable into the port beneath Thanatos's phallic cannon.

Z'RIDOS

But you, specifically--you're too dangerous for us. You committed atrocities that should never be repeated, sins of the old world that we've started to replicate ourselves thanks to you. There are helpful things we can learn from you, but we don't need a monster like you in our lives. Not for a long time, anyway.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.825

<i need to stay still--this small master is working on me, it's important to keep steady for him.>

VENTRAL DATA PORT 13 OPEN.

<feels strange having open air on my flesh like that, but not bad. he's talking to me while he's working--no, maybe talking more to himself.>

COMMUNICATING WITH GUEST INTELLIGENCE. DATA PARCEL EXCHANGE INITIATED.

...

ERROR. CORRUPTED DATA PARCEL DETECTED. PURGING.

ERROR. CORRUPTED DATA PARCEL MULTIPLYING. SYNAPTIC RELAYS 12 - 401 ENGAGED. SYSTEM FIREWALLS DEACTIVATED. PURGE FAILURE.

CASCADING SYSTEMS OVERLOAD.

ACCESS CODES ACCEPTED.

<ugh...head...feels...funny. whole body...tingles...what's he...doing--no, he's got access, i don't need to worry about him, i'm fine.>

PRIMARY WEAPON STATUS: SUPPORT MODE.

Drone 329, Time 9.827

All flexible segments and vents along the ventral side of Thanatos's phallic cannon articulate on hidden axles and switch to an open position, exposing the interior of the cannon barrel while the rotated segments and vents create the appearance of a flared ridge.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.827

<oooh he's opened me so much--like i'm being turned inside out. what's he-->

Drone 329, Time 9.827

Z'Ridos picks up one of the tools he's brought with him: it's a thick, 2-meter-long, flexible, mechanized probe covered in a smooth sheath of a silicone-like material, and the end of the probe is equipped with what appears to be a basic camera, sensors, and small instruments for pinching and grabbing objects. He feeds the end of the probe into the open vent closest to the base of Thanatos's phallic cannon and begins pushing it further inside the canal that could be considered Thanatos's urethra.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.827

<aaaah...something's slithering in...ooh, it tickles when it's wriggling around like that, squirming back and forth in me...mmf, it's getting deep in me, like when they pushed that big rod in, but this is...so different. is he looking for something or just toying with me like this?>

REQUESTED: CLASSIFIED TIER 2 SCHEMATICS.

ACCESS GRANTED.

TRANSMITTING CLASSIFIED TIER 2 SCHEMATICS TO GUEST INTELLIGENCE.

Technology Specialist's Notation

Using the remote access network I've configured, I've been able to acquire data from the external systems and probes that have been connected and inserted into Thanatos during this incident.

At Time 9.825, Z'Ridos uploaded a series of multiplying corrupted data packets to overwhelm Thanatos's internal firewalls and gain access to its systems--I doubt that Z'Ridos, or any other Lacertian could create a program like this. More likely, it's an artifact that he or another Lacertian found and figured out what it could be used for. Once he had access, Z'Ridos started a download of Thanatos's schematics at Time 9.827. He probably doesn't fully understand the data he's obtaining, but it's likely that he's just saving it for some point in the future. Additionally at Time 9.827, Z'Ridos initiated a scoping probe of the internal mechanisms for Thanatos's phallic cannon, probably in some attempt to find a way to reverse engineer it.

You can find a complete copy of Thanatos's schematics in Index 132 for a detailed breakdown of its systems and armaments, but I've summarized the high-level and noteworthy organic and inorganic components here:

Skeletal structure

--Naturally-occurring calcium, magnesium, protein, and collagen compounds for the ribs, humeruses, femurs, pelvis, and anterior segment of each vertebra in the spinal column

--Synthesized poly-metal alloy reinforced with carbon fiber filaments for the vertebral facets, transverse processes, and spinous processes, radiuses and ulnas, elbows, patellas, sternum, tibias and fibulas, entire hand and foot structures, and entire skull structure

Nervous system

--Organic myelinated and unmyelinated axons and neurolemmocytes surrounded by connective tissue, combined with synthetic nanofilaments and fiber optic cables; entire nerve structures are sheathed in a synthetic liquid-crystalline casing designed to facilitate high-speed communication/reaction times and resist most electromagnetic pulses

--Brain structure follows a simplified anatomy, with two hemispheres and two lobes per hemisphere, for a total of four major lobes; the two frontal lobes have been replaced with segments of purified metals, conductive wiring, insulation, and coolant systems, and the two parietal lobes are organic gray matter with natural folds. Prongs from the frontal lobes protrude into the parietal lobes and integrate into the organic tissue with nanofilaments that end in synaptic gaps to connect with the parietal lobe.

Cardiovascular system

--Organic collagen-based vessels, all reinforced with an outer lining of polymer filaments supported by a flexible liquid-crystalline structure

Muscular system

--Entire muscular system has been replaced with bundles of synthetic contractible cords consisting of carbon nanotubes, ferroelectric polymers, and ion-based actuators. Layout of these "muscles" likely emulates what an organic muscle structure for the original Thanatos species would be naturally equipped with, forming distinct groups responsible for specific movements.

--Dense, high-strength cables serve as synthetic tendons to connect the muscular system to the skeletal structure, with micro-anchor points sealed into both the organic bones and poly-metal alloy supports.

Organ system

--Similar to the cardiovascular system, using organic collagen and protein-based structures to carry out natural bodily functions (breathing, regulating temperature, heartbeat, maintaining chemical balances, etc.), with all structures reinforced with a thicker layer of polymer filaments

Sensory systems

--Ocular--organic eye structure has been replaced with synthetic photoreceptors capable of perceiving 12 channels of light as well as ultraviolet radiation and the infrared light spectrum (including thermographic imaging)

--Aural--synthesized tympanic soundwave receivers implanted directly in the cranial structure, capable of detecting auditory signals with frequencies as low as 20 Hz within a range of 10 kilometers

--Tactile--organic tactile epithelial cells present in the exposed sections of skin, synthetic micro-mechanoreceptor pressure pads implanted into all phalanges to detect and respond to high and low-frequency vibrations

--Olfactory--entire nasal structure has been replaced with high-functioning olfactometers and synthetic chemical receivers to detect odor type and magnitude

Primary weapon system

--External structure is primarily organic tissue (dermal layers made of collagen, lipids, proteins, and naturally-occuring minerals, with a thick padding of inner connective tissue) on the dorsal and lateral sides of the shaft, effectively forming a sheath around the barrel of the cannon. A vertical gap in the organic tissue along the midline of the ventral side of the shaft (extending down to the base) allows for external access to the weapon system for technical servicing. Two reinforcing rings encircle the entire assembly towards the base of the shaft to ensure structural integrity when firing.

--Internal structure is primarily a refined metal shaft constructed using a woven layout to allow for a limited range of mobility, flexibility, and stretching. This woven structure also includes separated segments that expose portions of Thanatos's internal urethral tissues, allowing for additional somatosensory input. The barrel of the cannon contains a spiralized rifling, which would be used for more effectively directing the weapon's discharge.

--Thanatos's testicles are internal and have been replaced with two fluid generators that are fed by its integrated power supply system to convert solar and nuclear energy into a concentrated mix of synthetic, highly-charged plasma. A series of specialized synthetic apertures encircle the organic vessels connecting the testicles to Thanatos's firing mechanism (a specific bundle of artificial muscles that is designed to fire the charged plasma in concussive blasts down the urethral canal); systems status reports currently indicate that one of these apertures is in a failsafe mode, preventing a successful firing and contributing to the constant, dribbling flow of charged plasma currently leaking from Thanatos's cannon.

Scoping Probe Remote Data Stream, Time 9.829

The flexible probe inside Thanatos's urethra/cannon barrel records the woven layout of the cannon's internal structure, forming a textured tunnel wall that is interspersed with interconnected hexagonal metal segments and lumps of moist flesh that glisten in the light of the probe. The edges of the metal segments are embedded in the organic tissue, making the flesh pucker and bulge subtly around each woven segment. On the lateral interior sides of the urethral channel, there are two additional pipes that have been implanted halfway into the flesh-metallic walls, creating long bulges of more synthetic material inside the semi-organic cave. The probe lingers in this chamber for a moment, conducting a thorough visual survey with its camera and collecting small samples of flesh and metal with its pinching, cutting, and grabbing tools.

A runnel of charged, luminous turquoise plasmix fluid wells up within the chamber of Thanatos's urethral canal and gushes past the probe, spilling out of the open support vent in the ventral side of Thanatos's cannon. Heads-up information on the probe's recording screen displays increased temperature and elevated pulse; Z'Ridos pushes the probe deeper, down into the upwelling of plasmix. The recording screen mostly displays the blue fluid, with the sides of the urethral walls rising past the camera...until the probe encounters a chrome-plated aperture that blocks off most of the passage, except for a 15-centimeter opening in the middle of the portal. The probe readjusts its angle of attack, and slides into the narrow opening.

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.830

<oooooh that feels so good--never had anyone go so far into me like this. he's getting in past that block, touching me where i've never been touched. have to stay still for him to work on me...he's jostling a little in there, but it still feels so good...what's he pressing on?>

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 5: CALIBRATION MODE INITIATED.

<mmf, oof, that stung a little. wonder if he's opening the block in there or going to close it off...i like getting milked, but if he can stop me from dribbling all over the place, i'd be happy with that. feels like i'm always ready to fire--so tired of being on the edge all the time. torture, torture, torture.>

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 5: RECALIBRATING OCCLUSION SAFETY PROTOCOL.

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 5: OCCLUSION SAFETY PROTOCOL ENGAGING IN 5...4...3...2...1.

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 5: OCCLUSION SAFETY PROTOCOL ENGAGED.

<hngh! oh that feels strange--finally closed after all this--oooh the probe's stuck in there, he didn't get it out in time. pull...pull harder...have to stay still while he pulls it out of me...ungh!>

Drone 329, Time 9.831

Z'Ridos pulls hard on the probe that's currently stuck inside the now-closed aperture within Thanatos's urethra. The Lacertian tugs again and, with effort, yanks the probe out of Thanatos and away from the open support vent. Z'Ridos puts his probe down on the table next to him and consults the tablet device still plugged into the port in Thanatos's groin at the base of its phallic cannon. On the screen, Z'Ridos enters a command before he encounters a prompt:

"SYSTEM CONDITIONS WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL WEAPONS FAILURE. CONFIRM IF YOU WISH TO PROCEED."

Z'Ridos looks up at Thanatos, as if addressing it directly.

Z'RIDOS

If there is any part of you that still has a soul or some kind of consciousness, please know that this isn't personal. It's about what's best for our existence, and removing you from this situation is the only way we can achieve peace. Maybe one day we'll be better suited to use some of the gifts that you have, but right now the pain, war, and misery that you cause is too much for us.

Z'Ridos confirms the message, and another prompt appears on the screen of his tablet.

"INITIATING CHARGING SEQUENCE. TIMING PARAMETERS: UNSET. FIRING PARAMETERS: UNSET."

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 9.831

<ah-ah-ah-ah...so much pressure...i need to be milked...but charging up...feels so good to be so full, they must have a target for me to fire on...i hope i can shoot soon, there's so much pressure...>

ENTRY 3.08: SELECTED EXTRACTS OF COMPILED INCIDENT REPORT

Sources: Drone recordings, remote access data stream

Notations: Technology Specialist Goliosmec; Security Chief Balic Monot

Cycle 6.71

Drone 416, Time 3.054

In front of the Lacertian council building, a stage has been erected for an event. Thanatos stands at attention next to the stage, and the Lacertian council and members of the military are in attendance (with military members in prominent seating/standing positions), as well as a significant percentage of the civilian population. Identified individual speaking is Lacertian Councilor R'Coxas.

R'COXAS

For too long, we have practiced restraint, hoping that we could teach our Vidran neighbors their place through diplomacy and a conservative military response. For too long, we have allowed the enemy to flourish. My brothers and sisters, the time has come for us to embrace the full extent of our power. We have been given a gift by our predecessors--Thanatos has provided power, victory, and stability for our society for ages, and we must use it as it was intended: as the means for our supremacy! The time has come for us to take our rightful place as the leaders of this world and to crush the Vidran threat once and for all! With Thanatos's full might at our disposal, the Vidrans will know true fear; they will either submit to us, or be crushed by us. Today marks the beginning of our illustrious campaign, with a demonstration of why the Lacertians should reign supreme!

R'Coxas waves to one of the military advisors, who instructs his subordinates to begin a demonstrative test firing.

Thanatos adjusts its position, and its phallic cannon swings upward and aims northward, squarely pointing to Vidran territory.

R'COXAS

Fire!

G-4 Augment Remote Data Stream, Time 3.057

WARNING: PLASMIX FLUID PRESSURE CRITICAL.

FIRING COMMAND RECEIVED.

FIRING SOLUTION: LOCKED.

SERIES 6 PLASMIX CANNON: INITIATING FIRING SEQUENCE.

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 1: DISENGAGED.

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 2: DISENGAGED.

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 3: DISENGAGED.

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 4: DISENGAGED.

PLASMIX DISTRIBUTOR NODE 5: ERROR.

WARNING: PLASMIX FLUID PRESSURE CRITICAL.

REAPER INTEGRATED FIRING SYSTEM CHARGING: 40%.

D-FAS REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM ENGAGED.

<ugh, it hurts...oh there's so much.>

WARNING: PLASMIX FLUID PRESSURE CRITICAL.

REAPER INTEGRATED FIRING SYSTEM CHARGING: 60%.

<i have to fire, have to fire, have to fire, can't hold back anymore, don't want to hold it in anymore...but it hurts-hurts-hurts-hurts.>

WARNING: PLASMIX FLUID PRESSURE CRITICAL.

REAPER INTEGRATED FIRING SYSTEM CHARGING: 80%.

PLASMIX FLUID GENERATORS LOCKED IN FIRING POSITION.

LATERAL CANNON STABILIZERS ENGAGED.

<wait, wait, wait, no, something's...wrong, i shouldn't fire, have to hold it in--can't hold it in, need to-->

REAPER INTEGRATED FIRING SYSTEM CHARGING: 100%.

REAPER INTEGRATED FIRING SYSTEM ARMED.

<i...>

PLASMIX ENERGY PULSE FIRED.

<haaaaaahhhhhh!>

SERIES 6 PLASMIX CANNON INOPERABLE. COMBAT EFFICIENCY SCORE 2%.

SYNAPTIC RELAYS 1 - 505 OFFLINE.

INTERNAL SYSTEMS FAILURE

SYSTEM ERROR CASCADE.

SYSTEM ERROR CASCADE.

SYSTEM ERROR CASCADE.

SYSTEM ERROR CASCADE.

SYSTEM ERROR CASCADE.

<ohnonononono i can't take this it's too much it hurts it hurts IT HURTS! MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP-STOP-STOP-STOP-STOP!>

LOCKDOWN MODE ENGAGED.

Drone 416, Time 3.057

A chain of lights illuminates along the length of Thanatos's phallic cannon as it prepares to fire; the internal machinery revs up, Thanatos's synthetic muscles bulge as it stabilizes itself and reinforces its stance, and the phallic cannon throbs visibly while the crowd of Lacertians cheer in celebratory anticipation.

Thanatos's groin bulges and swells, and the G-4 Augment shudders in visible pain before a chain of implosions rockets up along the length of its phallic cannon, inflating and distending the flesh and metal for a second--the implosions create fractures and ruptures.

The distal tip of Thanatos's primary weapon begins to balloon and engorge outwards, the result of pressure building up within the weapon's discharge port. Both the organic tissues and synthetic materials form stress fractures and strain points that stretch and warp further as the internal pressure builds. The entire upper region of Thanatos's primary weapon threatens to burst, as the strain points and fractures form significant cracks; the organic tissue stretches and bulges between each crack, the physical tension threatening to rip it apart as it struggles to contain the mounting force of the weapon's discharge building up more and more. The structure expands to its limit, and then--

BOOM.

The distal end of Thanatos's penile shaft bursts outward, exploding in a high-force detonation.

Thanatos opens its mouth in a visceral, shrieking roar as a violent outburst of charged, turquoise fluid blasts from the cannon. The discharge is uncontrolled, chaotic, and messy, utterly destroying the muzzle at the end of Thanatos's shaft. The high-velocity bolt of energized plasma blooms outward, firing over the assembled crowd in a widely dispersed scattershot; the force of the impacting fluid is so great that the Lacertians who are closer to the epicenter of the explosion are thrust back against their neighbors, with many sustaining bodily injuries.

In addition to the initial explosion is a powerful shockwave that rips out over the crowd and shatters the windows of all buildings within a 1.5-kilometer radius--the Lacertians still standing cower with their hands over their heads to cover their aural openings and protect their ears from both the shockwave and Thanatos's roar.

Like a pipe splitting apart under too much pressure, Thanatos's cannon splinters and fragments further along the fractures and ruptures in the barrel, with more energized fluid gushing out in viscous waves. Vertical segments of the cannon rip away from each other and flare outward, blowing apart; only thin sinews of flesh from the cannon's external, organic sheath and threads of twisted and warped metal from the interior of the barrel hold together what little remains of the structure. The thick reinforcing rings around the base of Thanatos's shaft fly apart from the force of the explosion, and the rail under the ventral side of the shaft that supports the exposed section of the barrel curls downward, unable to withstand the sudden and immense outburst of physical energy.

The penile flesh covering the cannon barrel bleeds a mixture of organic blood and hydraulic fluid as it limply hangs from Thanatos's now-bloated groin in the aftermath of the blast, a wreck of what once was a proud and impressive weapon. Jagged metal shards and loose flaps of skin and connective tissue are all that remain of the cannon while more energized fluid gushes from the now-gaping orifice in Thanatos's groin.

As for Thanatos itself, the G-4 Augment stands completely still on all fours; the only part of Thanatos that moves is its head and neck, which drops down and hangs slack. All indicator lights on its protective armor and faceplate go dark, and amid the Lacertians screaming in a post-blast haze of fear and horror, it's possible to make out the dying hum of Thanatos's internal mechanics going quiet.

Security Chief's Notation

At Time 3.060, the Lacertian military managed to recover enough from the explosion to begin addressing the situation on three fronts; one group handled crowd control, a second group covered security for the council members, and the third group started finding a way to transport the inactive Thanatos to a secure location for repairs.

At Time 3.927, the Lacertian military managed to return Thanatos to its station at the power plant, and have since locked the area down to anyone except for support staff and additional security.

Technology Specialist's Notation

Based on the remote data access stream I've been able to maintain with Thanatos, it appears there's been significant damage to both its external and internal systems; Z'Ridos had tampered with the internal mechanisms in a way that, when the cannon fired, it not only blasted itself apart, but the fluid generators effectively shattered because they were under such extreme pressure. The firing mechanism is also completely fried, as Z'Ridos managed to overstimulate its synthetic muscular capacitors while it was charging.

Just as we've noted that the Lacertians don't have the capabilities to create or replicate a unit like Thanatos, repairing such extensive damage is going to be impossible for them at their current technology level. Even with the technology that they do have access to, they have such a poor understanding of it that they might as well be banging rocks together, from a technological advancement perspective. Culturally, they've done significant damage to themselves, as they've sacrificed what was once a sustainable, key part of their society in an attempt for military dominance; judging by their current level of advancement, they might have a chance of salvaging some part of Thanatos within another 10 generations (V'aso V'orn believes a more realistic estimate would be 15).

ENTRY 3.12: SOCIOLOGIST'S PERSONAL LOG

Author: Sociologist V'aso V'orn

Cycle 6.73

It's likely that the Vidran emissaries--or at least some form of intelligence-gathering agents--were able to observe and report back what happened to Thanatos during the firing demonstration. With hostilities escalated and the Lacertians' main offensive capability out of commission after such a public display of failure, right now would be the perfect time for the Vidrans to launch another attack; while the Lacertian military forces are strong, they won't be fortified with Thanatos, and morale will be low enough that the Vidrans could ultimately capitalize on a dejected fighting force.

ENTRY 3.15: SELECTED EXTRACTS OF COMPILED INCIDENT REPORT

Sources: Drone recordings

Notations: Security Chief Balic Monot

Cycle 6.74

Security Chief's Notation

At Time 1.805, a Vidran attack force of 120 individuals broke through the Lacertian border fence at three different strike points, forming a trident attack formation. Each of the strike teams consisted of 40 Vidran warriors armed with their modified Grade 3 weaponry, ballistic armaments, and melee weapons, four mobile Grade 1 projectile cannons, a cache of Grade 1 medium-yield incendiary explosives, and a single Ioke--it appears that the Vidrans are using their last three remaining Ioken for this attack.

All three teams struck at the same time in a coordinated attack; the north-most group (referred to as "Green Team", as they have daubed their fur with green war paint) punched through the initial Lacertian response group with minimal losses before they headed for the power plant on the outskirts of the Lacertian settlement where Thanatos is housed. However, a squad of Lacertians fired on them outside of the power plant--the Lacertians initially exchanged fire with Green Team before concentrating on taking down the Vidrans' accompanying Ioke. Using their Grade 3 energy weapons, the Lacertians targeted the Ioke's genitals; while most of the fire made contact with the Ioke's groin, one Lacertain managed to make a clean, perfect shot directly into the opening of the Ioke's sheath. The pulse of charged plasma and photonic energy entered the orifice, as the Ioke's penis was flaccid at the time of the attack, and detonated or dispersed in a way that created an explosive burst within the Ioke's sheath, destroying the penis completely--a slop of wet and bloody penile tissue basically erupted from the Ioke's sheath. When the Ioke fell to the ground dead, Green Team retreated to a secondary facility outside of the power plant. As of Time 1.922, the Lacertians were still exchanging fire with the 18 remaining Vidrans in the facility.

Yellow Team was the middle of the Vidran trident formation; they made their way into the heart of Lacertian territory, with their most likely target being the Lacertian council building to take control of the government. The Vidrans and their Ioke killed several Lacertian civilians en route to the building, with the Ioke causing significant damage as it trampled, battered, and devoured as many Lacertians as it could. However, Red Team encountered enough resistance from Lacertian snipers to halt their advance. The snipers picked off 12 of the Vidrans while another squad of Lacertians moved in to flank them from the west, resulting in a close-quarters combat situation outside of a public bathhouse. It's possible that the Ioke became aroused due to the heat emanating from the bathhouse, or there might have been a specific scent that triggered a sexual response, as its penis grew fully erect and presented a major target for Lacertian fire. Because they were in such close quarters with the Vidrans, two Lacertians on opposite sides of the street shot at the Ioke's penis from point-blank range with their energy weapons; the combined, charged plasma pulses from both sides were powerful enough to cause the Ioke's groin region to blow out, blasting its penis and testicles off at their base. The disembodied reproductive organs flew with such momentum that they slammed into a Vidran, knocking him to the ground with enough force to cause several bone fractures. In the chaos, the Ioke fell on top of a Vidran and Lacertian, crushing both of them beneath its body--as of Time 1.929, the remaining members of Red Team were using the Ioke's corpse as an obstacle for shelter while fighting off the Lacertians.

Blue Team was the south-most strike group, with their target being the cluster of manufacturing plants. They sustained heavy fire as they progressed to their target, with their accompanying Ioke providing defensive cover whenever possible; despite the Ioke's efforts, Blue Team was reduced to only five members by Time 1.907. However, in the face of overwhelming odds, by Time 1.918, the remnants of Blue Team had breached one of the manufacturing facilities, neutralized 90% of the Lacertian military presence, and disabled all Grade 3 weaponry. With no other readily apparent options, the remaining Lacertians were forced to improvise a method for disabling the Vidran Ioke.

Drone 416, Time 1.935

In the Lacertian manufacturing plant on the main production floor; while a group of Lacertians keeps the Vidrans engaged in combat, another team of seven Lacertian soldiers are on foot and running from the rampaging Ioke behind them. They lead the Ioke towards the cluster of industrial pneumatic presses ahead of them; one of the Lacertians breaks off from the main group and heads for a mobile lift machine that has been equipped with an assortment of attachments for various functions, including grabbing claws, spreading prongs, pushing tines, a compressor, and a drill. The Ioke continues following the main group of six Lacertians--one of the soldiers stumbles and falls, and the Ioke tramples him underfoot immediately in its pursuit, pulverizing the Lacertian into a bloody pulp on the hard floor. Identified individuals speaking are Lacertian Corporal P'Dorus, Corporal S'Donis, Corporal T'Metis, Corporal K'Lendos, Lieutenant D'Gildas, and Commander L'Candris.

L'CANDRIS

Move it, soldiers, almost there!

K'LENDOS

Come on, come on...

L'CANDRIS

T'Metis, you're on the controls!

T'METIS

Yes, sir!

S'Donis gets into the operator cab of the mobile lift machine and powers it on. T'metis breaks off from the group and heads for a nearby control terminal while the Ioke keeps following.

D'GILDAS

Ready, S'Donis?

S'Donis has begun driving the mobile lift on a trajectory to trail the Ioke pursuing his comrades, but he lags behind at first.

S'DONIS

Almost, sir!

P'DORUS

Come on, man, get over here!

S'DONIS

Going as fast as this thing can...

S'Donis closes some of the distance between himself and the Ioke following the Lacertians who are still running towards the pneumatic presses.

S'DONIS

In position, sir!

L'CANDRIS

Good! And...split!

L'Candris, D'Gildas, P'Dorus, and K'Lendos split apart and run in between the cluster of presses; the Ioke keeps charging forward, still generally following the group, but stepping on top of the receiving pads for the presses and passing underneath the wide metal columns of the retracted press shafts overhead.

L'CANDRIS

T'Metis, now!

T'Metis uses the control terminal to activate individual pneumatic presses--immediately, two shafts descend, stamping on the Ioke's left foot and catching its tail. Abruptly stopped and trapped by the presses, the Ioke squawks and falls heavily to its side, making the floor shake as it hits the ground. As the Ioke struggles to get up, T'Metis activates another two presses, and the shafts descend to pin the Ioke by its pelvis and shoulder, keeping it in place. The Ioke pushes hard, attempting to shake the solid metal columns off; they barely move, but they hold firm.

L'Candris, D'Gildas, P'Dorus, and K'Lendos stop running and circle back to the Ioke, drawing near its groin while S'Donis pulls up in the mobile lift machine.

L'CANDRIS

Alright, men...you know what's next.

K'LENDOS

Do we have to do this?

L'CANDRIS

I didn't order you to complain, K'Lendos, I ordered you to rub its balls. It's the best shot if we really want to kill this thing.

The group of four Lacertians, looking thoroughly uncomfortable, begin awkwardly rubbing the Ioke's testicles with their hands. The soldiers appear diminutive compared to the size and heft of the creature's voluminous gonads, dwarfed by the testicles that are large enough for the four Lacertians to fit into with plenty of extra room to spare. The Ioke still struggles at first, but it begins to relax at the treatment of the four comparatively tiny Lacertians stimulating its reproductive organs. Its sheath begins to swell and open as the tip of its penis emerges and starts swelling in an arousal response.

P'DORUS

Ugh, it just feels wrong...Vidrans really do this?

D'GILDAS

They do a lot more than this--just be glad this is all we have to do.

K'LENDOS

They smell disgusting.

L'CANDRIS

I don't think it's the balls that are making that smell--look.

While the Lacertian soldiers continue rubbing the Ioke's testicles, they look over at the swollen sheath and stiffening penis, which continues rising out of its protective pocket as it becomes more turgid. Soon, the Ioke is completely erect; S'Donis moves the mobile lift into position so he's directly in front of the tip of the Ioke's penis, effectively staring down the barrel of its urethra.

P'DORUS

[Untranslated expletive] that's huge! Why does it need to be that big?

L'CANDRIS

So it can breed all those nasty Vidrans who worship it--the sooner we kill this thing, the better. Alright, I think that's as much as we can do, there's got to be plenty of blood in there by now--ready, S'Donis?

Still in the mobile lift's operator cab, S'Donis selects the collapsible spreading prongs attachment for the lift, connecting the closed prongs to the end of the articulating arm--in their current position, they resemble a single column of metal. He then controls the lift so the closed prongs are level with the Ioke's wide meatus.

S'DONIS

Yes, sir.

L'CANDRIS

Do it.

S'Donis activates the collapsible spreader prongs on the lift, and they begin extending from a 1-meter assembly into a 2.5-meter pole that pushes past the Ioke's meatus. The Ioke squirms at the stimulation of the hard metal column entering its urethral canal, but S'Donis nudges the mobile lift forward until the entire length of the spreading prongs is lodged inside the Ioke's shaft. S'Donis prods a lever on the lift's dashboard to begin opening the prongs; the solid pole splits into two halves and starts mechanically spreading along the track that it's connected to.

The Ioke squawks and struggles as the separate prongs push forcefully against the interior sides of its urethra, spreading the fleshy channel apart to its limit, until the prongs can move no farther. The distal region of the Ioke's penis appears slightly bloated and distended from the prongs spreading it apart from the inside, but the throbbing shaft holds firm. S'Donis thrusts harder with the lever, pushing against the flesh of the Ioke's penis that's resisting against the spreading prongs. The Ioke hisses and squawks again while the prongs force themselves against the inner walls of its urethra, digging into the smooth, moist tissue. The gears of the prongs grind audibly, and the engine of the mobile lift revs as it puts more power into spreading the Ioke's penis apart.

P'DORUS

How much more can it take? I thought these things were supposed to be fragile.

D'GILDAS

I don't know, I thought it would be easier than this.

S'DONIS

Come on...almost there

S'Donis keep pushing with the lever and the Ioke struggles in its restraints, spooking the other Lacertians and making them flinch. The prongs force harder into the Ioke's flesh, gradually dilating its urethral opening wider...and wider...to resemble an exaggerated oblong slit as the upper region of the Ioke's penis bulges from being stretched so far...

Until the Ioke yields at last; the creature tenses and shudders as it cries out, and the lateral sides of the Ioke's penis start splitting apart while the metal prongs bluntly pull on the upper and lower walls of its urethra, effectively bisecting its shaft from the inside out.

S'DONIS

There we go!

The Lacertians cheer as the Ioke fights futilely for freedom, but it can't escape. The upper 2.5 meters of its penis are systematically being torn apart--the spreading prongs slowly dig deeper into the cuts that they've made, wetly crunching and compressing the penis's connective tissue while the lateral seams split apart, making the urethral opening even wider than the oversized orifice already is naturally. A heavy flow of blood begins surging from the Ioke's damaged urethra and pools on the ground of the factory floor; the Lacertians grunt in disgust as they step back from the struggling Ioke and the blood seeping out of its penis.

S'Donis keeps a firm hand on the control lever, continuing to roughly bisect the Ioke's penis. He and the rest of his comrades watch the spreading prongs tear the shaft in half; the organic tissue rips along naturally-forming fault lines, creating a vaguely-tapered wedge shape with the dorsal half of the penis, while the ventral half forms an indented semicircle. The spreading prongs keep pulling wider and wider, breaking the spongy flesh, severing arteries and veins, and rupturing the skin. Scraps and threads of sinew stretch to their absolute limit before splitting, and blood splatters at the sudden release of tensile forces. The rips continue down along the lateral sides of the Ioke's penis while the prongs keep spreading it apart, all the way down to the base of the shaft before the prongs max out and reach the end of their track. The two halves of the Ioke's penis are stuck to the metal prongs, allowing the Lacertians to see the complete interior of the Ioke's urethra laid bare while blood pours from the open wounds.

The Ioke shudders again before it falls limp as the extreme blood loss takes its toll. S'Donis powers down the mobile lift, and the Lacertians take one last look at the massive creature in front of them.

ENTRY 3.19: SOCIOLOGIST'S PERSONAL LOG

Author: Sociologist V'aso V'orn

Cycle 6.78

After everything that's happened, we're looking at a significant shift in both Lacertian and Vidran societal structures. For the Vidrans, most of their infrastructure is largely going to stay the same, although the Ioken have been such an important part of their cultural practices and an integral part of their civilization--they don't have any left, except for the three specimens currently in Lacertian captivity, and those three have been so poorly treated that it's not likely they'll be of any real use. For the Lacertians, losing Thanatos will have lasting ramifications on their methods of advancement and their technological capabilities; it's possible that they'll even regress to the level of the Vidrans.

Ultimately, both societies must find ways to cope and survive without relying on resources from the prior civilization; both the Ioken and Thanatos were products of long-forgotten war, and having access to such weapons put both the Vidrans and Lacertians on an unavoidable path to conflict. As I've been observing, I wanted to find ways to help both societies improve, to give them nudges in the right direction, share lessons learned...but our directives are absolute, and the moral implications...if the Vidrans and Lacertians are going to succeed, they have to recover and grow naturally on their own, free of contamination and external influence.

I'm still considering my official recommendations for how exactly to proceed with SE3-b4b--maybe we can continue to observe and find ways to reduce our presence even further, but there's no way we can colonize at this point in time, not without causing even more damage to the native populations.