As Progenitor spoke, the scalpel form swung slowly, coming to a full stop once his argument ended. A moment in silence passed, as Sever's mind ran several different scenarios and theorized possible outcomes. The time taken to answer, nonetheless, was due to nothing else but amusement, and the words quickly followed.
"Complacency. The apocalyptic conditions present may provide the mutagenic background for scientific credibility and the requested discretion. Satisfaction resides on results, however."
The scalpel dismantled, leaving nothing but floating text on it's wake. What replaced it was the visual materialization of different scenarios visible in individual holograms, letting imagination run wild. Sever spoke, provoking chain reactions on each and every one of them, and were not for the cold tone one could risk saying it was enjoying itself.
"Could use pathogenic atmosphere as catalyst. Ascertain lack of interest in metallic compounds. Reinforce muscular tissues. Motivate aggression. Affirm volatility. Ensure territorialism. Simplicity."
One incapable of processing several images at once would be confused by so many holograms running together, but the task became easier as time went on. The reason being, after suffering uncontrollable cancerous growths, premature crystallizations, erratic changes or psychotic tendencies most of the creatures shown were simply dying or killing themselves.
In one of the screens a four legged creature, fat as a pig would look like, squirmed as something akin to insect-like claws sprouted from it's back, dragging it's tangly corpse around until it was no longer moving. On another, a pair of creatures with leathery wings had their heads replaced by something only describable as tentacles that ended with stingers, no longer able to fly and flopping on the ground.
"Some destined to failure. Useful for observation purposes, tests or food for others. Natural occurrence."
Several overly aggressive mutations were also noticed in some of the screens, one dying earlier than the other. The long scaly beast, with eight extra legs, that fed on it's own kin after killing them with his scythe-like singular claw because it was unable to control it. A massive flying insect, with two abdomens and a head replaced by a huge compound, dead due to light exposure. One enormous carapace, exhuming bacterial conglomerates as it struggled with it's own weight, dying of hunger. A fish with no head.
Then there was the promising one, seeming to last longer than the rest, which had started as a small rodent but no longer looked like anything previously shown. It's fur had fallen off, showing the dark oily skin underneath. It's teeth turned outside, with a long pointy tongue that followed, piercing the skin of other bodies that had been left for it to experiment. Vaporous fumes flowed from his back as if either his skin was on fire or was not something a human would want to breath.
Then it just exploded, showering its immediacies with bits and pieces, finally exposed to sound.
"Create Apex."
Finally, there was only one.
"Will start dispatching probes. Acquiring samples. Much to do."
