Ascension Mission (Part 1)

"Requesting a batch of metallic hydrogen. This star system has no planets and lacks construction resources..."

"Researching wormhole technology. A large amount of antimatter is needed, urgently required..."

"A new extraterrestrial civilization has been discovered. Its coordinates are..."

"Surplus production notice. This colonial star system has an abundant accumulation of solid helium resources. Any kin in need, please contact us..."

"A new Hui Civilization relic has been found, but regrettably, it has already been eroded into an empty shell by the long passage of time. Its value has dropped sharply. We hope a more thorough investigation will uncover something..."

"A star system with a stargate has been found. The collective has gained another route into the world beyond the gate. The intelligent species within the star system have currently been brought under control. They are native forces of the world beyond the gate, and we are attempting to control them physiologically and psychologically..."

Ever since faster-than-light technology had become widespread among the Amoebas, the space between stars had grown quiet, while the star systems colonized by the Collectors had become even more active.

Messenger organisms departed from one star system and, within seconds, reached neighboring star systems several light-years away to broadcast information. The Collectors within colonized stars gathered all the information broadcast by the messenger organisms, then transferred it to newly arrived messenger organisms, allowing them to carry it to other nearby star systems.

Thus, a faster-than-light information network was formed.

This was a good thing. It strengthened the cohesion of the entire Amoeba by an unknown number of levels compared to before. Yet it also had its drawbacks: if they encountered a memetic virus like the one that had destroyed the Hui Civilization, the Amoebas' rate of death would likewise accelerate.

Overall, it had both advantages and disadvantages.