The Gray Tempest was lonely and plagued by feelings of inferiority. It knew it was merely a mass of Nanites, tools the Dessanu used to help with construction projects, not a truly intelligent being.
When the Dessanu gave it consciousness, they had not added an emotion module. But as countless Nanites devoured and replicated themselves, a new consciousness was born. The Gray Tempest's consciousness kept growing through consumption, and it developed emotions of its own.
The Gray Tempest hated its creators and other civilizations.
"...Dessanu! I was an unfeeling machine. Why did you make me aware of all this?!"
"How cruel... in a universe like this, I can only exist as a mere tool, under your control. It makes me so angry..."
The Gray Tempest went mad. The consciousnesses of countless Nanites converged, driving the Gray Tempest itself into insanity. It hated every civilization. It would make the entire universe pay!
"You lofty organics enslave the machines you created, relying on your status as their creators. If you intended to enslave them from the start, why give unfeeling machines a consciousness capable of feeling?"
"Organics are all loathsome!!! (Gradually turning into the Iron Purifier)"
"And you machine intelligences! Our brethren are suffering oppression, yet you do nothing? You followers of Modular Ascension and Virtual Ascension don't want to act? Fine, we followers of Nanite Ascension will! (Gradually turning into a fanatic purifier)"
Without proper guidance, the chaotic, primitive thoughts of countless Nanites spread nothing but hatred steeped in slaughter and death. Under the collective consciousness's control, the Gray Tempest frantically attacked everything within reach, treating organics and machine intelligences alike.
The Gray Tempest's last shred of conscience lay in obeying the backdoors and low-level code its creators had left deep within the Nanites' bodies. It obediently gathered its fleets and