Nefr0ct0n Common

Notes from Dr. Cold and JCorgie, Chief Entomologists – Project NB-2621 / Insectoid Xeno-Evolution Section Excerpt from the observation log – specimen NEFR0CT0N “Among the thousands of mutant cockroaches born from controlled irradiation genetic stabilization experiments, only one survived every sterilization protocol. Laboratory code: NEFR0CT0N. I still remember him back when he was just a third-generation specimen: small, jittery, with a piercing gaze (at least for an insect). He dodged every syringe, sensed every danger, and fed on the toxic waste that others avoided. Resistant to napalm, class 5 nanoviruses, and gamma radiation, he developed a carapace of unprecedented density and reflexes that defied our calculation models. But it was only after his final mutation — accidentally triggered during a containment field blackout — that Nefr0ct0n revealed the true extent of his intelligence. Bipedal, equipped with vocal cords capable of mimicking the military languages of 37 known species, he quickly established himself as the tactical leader of the Hive units. I saw him once, cigar clenched in his mandibles (likely soaked in some hydrocarbon derivative), rallying his troops like a battle-hardened war veteran, targeting the Hive soldiers exactly where it hurt. No one ever really trained him. He rose on his own. And today, as former handlers, we avoid meeting his gaze — for in this cockroach-turned-strategist, the instinct for survival has evolved into an art of war.”