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Chapter 3
Inthedepths,themachineschanceduponechinoderms-starfish.Thecreche-producednanobotspenetratedtherigidendoskeletonsofthestarfishandbegantomultiplyinsymbiosiswiththeirhosts.
Theresultingcreaturesfedonsoil.Theyatetheworldandshatoutpoison.WhatpassedthroughtheirbodieswastoxictolifeonEarth,butsuitableforthepeoplewhohadsentthem.Slowly,thelandwherethecreaturesfeddiedandbecamedesert.Theseaswheretheyspreadturnedamilkygreen.
Atfirstitwasthoughtthatthecreaturesweretheresultofmutationscausedbychemicalrunoff,orperhapssomeprehistoriclifeformreleasedbytectonicactivity.Somescientistsinsisteditwasaspeciesofevolvedsalamander,thoughtheyhadnoevidencetosupporttheirconclusion.Eventually,thesenewcreaturesformedgroupsandbeganventuringoutofthewater.Theycontinuedtheirworktoreshapetheearthwithnoregardforthesocietyofman.
Whentheyfirstappearedonland,thealienxenoformerswerenotweaponsofwar.Theyweresluggish,andagroupofarmedmencouldeasilydispatchthem.Butlikecockroachesthatdevelopresistancetopesticides,thealiencreaturesevolved.Thecrechemachinesthatcreatedthemconcludedthatinordertofulfilltheirobjectiveofxenoformingtheplanet,theywouldhavetoremovetheobstaclesstandingintheirway.
Warengulfedtheworld.Thedamagewroughtwasswiftandmassive.Inresponse,aworldwideUnitedDefenseForcewasestablished.Mankindhadanamefortheenemythathadbroughttheworldtothebrinkofruin
