Greys

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Convergence Brute

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The Convergence Brute is an engineered subspecies of Grey designed for heavy labor. Their genetic makeup shares considerable overlap with Cielioid Boxers, though any direct relation is, at this point, impossible to establish. Study of the Brute genome has consistently pointed to the likelihood that they originated in the Convergence. One distinct upgrade the Brute has over the boxer is the presence of multiple enlarged nostrils to facilitate rapid air intake during acts of extreme exertion. Brutes are rare in Grey clades outside the Convergence, but not entirely unheard of.

Standing at a towering 4 meters tall, the Brute is powerful enough to push over a tree or pick up and carry a cow.

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Convergence Node

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Convergence Nodes are genetically engineered and cybernetically enhanced life-forms, developed by the greys that formed the Convergence. Convergence Nodes form the communication backbone of the Convergence hive-mind. Each node has a group of connected greys and other organisms that it oversees, and any Convergence ship larger than a short-range scout contains at least one node for coordination.

Convergence Nodes were engineered to solve the problem of long-distance communication, and their massive brains contain specialized organs that can send and receive spatial compression radio signals which they use to network with one another over astronomical distances. Convergence Nodes are little more than massive brains, though they do have a full grey body attached to the brain. The body is largely vestigial, as all the Node’s biological functions are handled through attached biomechanical systems.

Occasionally, (usually related to accident or violence) a Node dies without handing off its connected entities to another. In those cases the attached organisms are, at least temporarily, separated from the Convergence. If the separated organisms remain isolated from the Convergence long enough (which can happen naturally or through deliberate intervention), the attached organisms become a distinct hive-mind of their own with a unique personality. Typically, though, a transition to a new node happens in a planned and efficient manner, and all remain connected to the Convergence.

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Spring-heeled Jack

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The Spring-heeled Jack is a terrifying subspecies of Grey, engineered to hunt dissidents within the domain of the Convergence. Standing quite tall, (average height is about three meters), Jacks are capable of high speed and able to make extraordinary vertical leaps with their long legs. Spring-heeled Jacks have six arms, and two legs, and tend to be nocturnal. As a part of their horrific design, spring-heeled jacks have been engineered to be almost entirely carnivorous, preferring the challenge of hunting sentient prey.

Spring-heeled Jacks are a non-reproductive subspecies of Grey. They lack the spore-depositor gland in the center of their chests that other Greys have, but do have a vestigial nub of sensitive flesh in the same location that is one of the few vulnerabilities they possess in hand-to-hand combat. This is guarded, however, by their long, sharp tongues that never retract fully into their mouths, but are often used as a deadly weapon.

Spring-heeled Jacks were first deployed against the Bleen during the war that founded the Iblexian Empire, as a way to terrorize them into accepting Convergence rule. This did not end well for the Convergence, but the Spring-heeled Jack has remained a viable tool in their campaigns of dominance and manipulation ever since.

Their tall stature and eerie appearance earned them the name in comparison to the figure from Victorian folklore, and at a distance, their coloration may cause one to mistake a Spring-heeled Jack for a tall, slim man in a suit. Although no clear records are intact, the stories have caused some speculation if the Convergence may have visited Earth as early as the 19th century.

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Bravaxian Garbage-fruit

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Bravaxian garbage-fruit is a large melon, notable for its pungent odor (similar to rotting garbage).  The Melon's skin is bright red with white spots, the flesh is pure white, with small, black seeds.  The foul scent of the melon can be removed by steaming off the skin.

Garbage-fruit grows on short vines with square leaves that grow in the marshy quarters of the Wind-forests on Bravaxia.  The garbage-fruit vine has small, deep-red flowers.  When the Greys arrived on Bravaxia, garbage-fruit was a commonly gathered food. It turned out to be relatively easy to domesticate, and became a cornerstone crop of the agricultural economy.

Even when de-scented and carefully prepared, garbage-fruit is unpalatable to humans due to its bland flavor and soggy, pulpy texture.  The experience of eating it is said to be similar to eating wet cardboard.  Greys, and Bravaxians on the other hand thoroughly enjoy garbage-fruit, savoring its odor and texture. 

Growing garbage-fruit was one of the main occupations of Bravaxian slaves during the Convergence occupation of Bravaxia.  Even after the occupation ended during the third Convergence War, Garbage-fruit remained one of Bravaxia's chief exports.  For Bravaxians, garbage-fruit is a staple of their diet.  Among Greys, garbage-fruit is a sought-after delicacy.  On human worlds, its pulpy texture made it useful for the production of cheap paper, and its low price often made it a foodstuff of last resort for the desperately poor.

 

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To the extent possible under law, Matt Ahlschwede has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to Beyond the Spozak. This work is published from: United States.