The Unwilling Insectoid Swarm

The Collectors' goal was to swiftly occupy the planet's surface, so they could not rely solely on the Rhizome to expand.

No matter how much the Rhizome grew, could it possibly expand at supersonic speed? Clearly not.

To solve this problem and complete the global occupation as quickly as possible, the Collectors deployed biological rockets carrying their kin and developmental resources.

Like intercontinental missiles, these rockets flew high into the sky before falling back to the ground, establishing new footholds and extending the Rhizome.

The Collectors dug deep wells, used water pressure to produce solid helium, then used the solid helium to cool the occupied surface environment.

From an observer's perspective, the Collectors looked very much like the insectoid swarm. The only difference was that the Collectors did not have all those bizarre, low-intelligence organisms running around on the ground.

The Collectors had no need for such things. To them, they were nothing more than a wasteful excess of resources.

Once the inland Collectors' expanding Rhizome connected with their kin in the ocean, a planet-spanning water transport channel was complete. They erected towering water towers and used the communicating properties of liquid water to transport it inland.

At the same time, the insectoid swarm was also making its move. Large, elongated organisms emerged from underground in great numbers.

These were insectoid organisms capable of stretching their bodies, responsible for transporting the swarm's forces underground.

Having long lived inside a nest-like organism deep beneath the earth, they would contract and extend their bodies upon receiving orders from the insectoid command echelon, stretching themselves to astonishing lengths and forming passages out of their own flesh and blood.

All insectoid organisms could enter underground through the head of any elongated organism, then rapidly travel through the subterranean tunnels by relying on the elongated