Imposter System

[Spawn: Unnamed

Status: Grade 1 Wyrmling

Evolution Points: 5

Abilities: [Perfect Camouflage Lv. Max]

Skills: [Swarm Lv. 1]]

[Spawn: Unnamed

Status: Grade 1 Wyrmling

Evolution Points: 2

Abilities: [Perfect Camouflage Lv. Max]

Skills: [Swarm Lv. 1], [Blood Burst Lv. 1]]

After Alexis finished nurturing both spawns, Matt checked their status. Just like in the game, each spawn seemed to be randomized in their potential and skills. The first Wyrmling only had a single skill and wasted five evolution points. The second spawn had two skills and only wasted 2 points. The best roll would have no evolution points left over.

In a game, these two would be immediately reabsorbed and the Parasite player would reroll for better minions. However, looking at the way they rubbed their little heads up against Alexis's arm, and the soft expression on her face, he decided not to mention anything. In the game, the only resource was time. However, in reality, there is a biological factor too.

[Perfect Camouflage Lv. Max: Hiding in plain sight is as easy as breathing for you. Your whole existence is based around stealth. With a thought, change your scales color, texture, and consistency. You also have full control of your body's flexibility to be as tough or as soft as you choose. Squeezing into a container ten times smaller than your body is no problem.

]Toggle: On/Off]

[Swarm Lv. 1: The Wyrmling is the weakest of the Parasites spawns, however, it is not to be ignored. All Wyrmlings have the ability to form a swarm. When three or more Wyrmlings have formed a swarm, they will receive a boost in all attributes. Every additional Wyrmling in the swarm will increase the factor of the boost without limits. The highest level of Swarm will take priority in calculations.

]Attribute Bonus: 1.5

]Factor Increase: +0.1]

[Blood Burst Lv. 1: Increase your body's temperature to temporarily raise all attributes for a short duration, and then explode, weaponizing your flesh and blood. The shrapnel will cause damage to everything in a small area based on the total attributes at the time of the burst.

]Attribute Bonus: +100%

]Duration: 3 minutes

]Radius: 5 meters]

Matt was satisfied with what he read. It was exactly the same, so his plan worked out. Originally, he wasn't going to push Alexis to this path. But, since he was already on a unique evolution path, he thought that she would get a similar option and not have to turn into an alien egg laying creature. This, combined with the sheer strength of having your own army was too tempting. Therefore, when he convinced her to go down this path, he left out most of the cons.

Alexis frowned and looked over at Matt. "What should we name them?"

"We'll think about it later, quickly have them turn into something inconspicuous. It's too suspicious to have the jammer on for long periods of time." Matt said, playing with the device in his pocket. Since Scorch let him keep it, either he didn't mind Matt giving himself some privacy, or he had a way around it. If it was the latter, Matt figured he would already be taken out.

"Okay, got it." Alexis thought for a few seconds and commanded the two Wyrmlings telepathically. They crawled up her arm and suddenly turned to a neon green and neon blue colors. Their expressions went dead, their eyes turned to plastic beads, and their scales became soft like felt. In no time, the two scary looking dragon-like snakes turned into cute stuffed animals.

Alexis walked out of the bathroom and went toward Alex and the others. "Alex, look what mommy made for you!"

When she handed over the two 'stuffed animals' to Alex, he immediately got excited and grabbed them by their necks. He began giggling and flailing them around, bashing them into each other. It was truly impressive, since newborns didn't typically have that much gripping strength. The twins got excited seeing the toys too and wanted a turn to play. Alex ignored them and offered one of the snakes to Fran.

"Wow its so cute. Auntie you have to make me one too!" She had never seen a stuffed animal before, so she was very excited. Alexis laughed a bit and nodded her head.

"Sure, when I have time, I'll make you one."

However, Matt was one step ahead of her and already ordered some felt and fabric. Although it was in limited supply, there was enough to keep as a cover for a while. He didn't want anyone asking where the material to create these little toys came from.

"Fran, how about you name them since Alex is still too young." Alexis suggested.

The young girl's eyes beamed, and she almost answered immediately, but then paused. She bit her lip and pondered for a while. Matt was always impressed with how intelligent the young girl was. Since discovering the space gene, he was more interested in the children of this ship. He suddenly had the thought to turn Fran to his side. However, a tertiary spawn would be too much of a waste. Perhaps this was a potential use of the incomplete sub-body, Matt thought.

"I got it! This one will be Rene, and this one will be Trey!" Fran shouted out in excitement.

Matt spit out the coffee he had just started drinking and stared at her in confusion. However, he was in the back, so no one had noticed his action. Matt started to question reality until Alexis clapped her hands together.

"Naming them after the two physicists?" She asked curiously. Being familiar with them herself.

"That's right! We just learned about them in class. They are so awesome! Professor Reynolds said we wouldn't be here without their breakthrough!"

Meanwhile, Matt's head was spinning in confusion. He retreated to his office and closed the door behind him. Once he sat down in his chair, he activated Perfect Mimicry. Memories flowed in from school. It had been too long, so his memory of the two famous figured was limited. However, it was enough to look them up on the database.

On his tablet device, he searched the names of his friends from his past life and hundreds of results came up. He went through each and every one of them, reading about their whole lives as they were recorded in history. What he discovered shocked the very core of his being.

Professor Rene Menendez, leading expert in computer science and artificial intelligence, and Doctor Treyvon Boucher, leading expert in astrophysics and theoretical physics, worked together to solve the issue of faster-than-light travel. They even created a computer model which calculated the exact specifications needed to achieve FTL.

When Matt looked up pictures of them throughout their life, he was finally convinced. Their likeness was the exact same as his memories. Even the background from the photo he found was the same from his dream. The courtyard, the school building, the single tree, everything. Matt began to question his existence. He was on the verge of mental breakdown when Alexis came into his office.

"Matt, we are about to have lunch—Matt! What's wrong?" She saw his expression and feelings of anguish began to flow into her from their bond. She came over to him and held him. Her instincts were kicking in and she only thought to console him at this moment.

Matt's mind was completely chaotic. When he discovered that Matthew had the parasite in him since he was a child, it didn't feel very real to him, so he had a detached response to it. However, this concerned his perceived existence. Were all of his memories a lie? Did his family not exist? What was real?

However, when Alexis barged in and began to hold him, unconsciously releasing her ability on him, his mind began to clear up. The disturbance in his mind evened out and he began to see reason. If his memories were fake, how did he know about the game? It was nearly identical to reality. Either he existed in a simulation, or there was something wrong with his memory.

However, regardless of the answer, he was still real in this moment. He was determined to reach the end of this 'game' and discover the truth. For now, he would put this revelation to the back of his mind. He couldn't trust his 'memories' anymore. This situation proved that someone or something may have manipulated his memories without him realizing. He used his powerful mental power to scan his consciousness, soul, and mind for any foreign bodies.

To his surprise, he discovered a fragment that wasn't there before. It was completely foreign, protected in a bubble within his mind. He tried to approach and remove it, but the energy had seeped in too deep. It was like a dead man's switch. If he disturbed it, or the owner of the energy died, it would cause severe damage to his mind, even possible turning him into a vegetable.

'No way… these mental fluctuations… that bastard Willard…'