Sweeping Away the Gloom

If a creature consumed all the biomass on a planet with gravity roughly equal to Earth's, and if it had no conventional metabolic system, with all that biomass converted into part of its body, then how massive would that creature become? It was a question Salomon had been considering ever since Hive had devoured every animal and plant on this planet—some driven extinct by ecological collapse—causing the biosphere to collapse and the climate to spiral completely out of control. The number of nano-parasites bred by Hive had to be staggering, perhaps enough to alter the course of sandstorms simply through their sheer volume.

Salomon knew that if his Artificial Human armed squad encountered such a monster alone, death would be their only outcome. The Power Armor's air filtration systems would be clogged by endless nano-parasites, while Servo Motors and chips would short-circuit once the parasites burrowed inside. It was precisely because of their tiny size that Hive had overcome this planet's technology and devoured every alien. Salomon did not believe the City of Immortals' technology would be an exception; even Wakanda's Vibranium-based technology could potentially be damaged by the omnipresent parasites.

He did not understand why the Kree had abandoned such a terrifying Biological Weapon. Perhaps its cultivation costs were too high, perhaps it was political infighting, or some other mess. In any case, the Kree had left this disaster on Earth for Salomon to deal with. Fortunately, this problem was not without a solution. Because Hive's parasites were so minute, a single breath could scatter a swarm that was not too dense. Fire could also destroy the parasites, which were essentially Organic Matter.

To save the Artificial Humans he had created, he had to draw Hive's attention.

They should not die here. That monster's opponent was him.

He raised