Our power and life support technician returns but there's something different about him.

There was a space settlement mission that lacked a good supply of extreme-environments heavy machinery but possessed an ample supply of modification nano. This resulted in a team of space "monsters" optimized for working in a dangerous environment. Twenty meters it was. Sleek. Powerful. Beautiful creatures. This was thought to be a good size for dealing with heavier things, clearing away the green hell, and taking down what they thought was the most powerful megafauna. Planetfall was made.

It wasn't enough. Native fauna and flora proved more stroppy than expected. They were nearly overrun by a territorial monstrosity and its brood. The spec was increased to 50m. A more powerful digestive tract. More integral weapons and armor. More exotic forms. An improved ability to "live off the land." Regenerative capabilities. More thiccness to handle the increased size, weight, and equipment. Massive. Stunning creatures.

That last one coupled with a digestive tract that could pull nutrition out of seemingly indigestible materials was where things went wrong. Someone failed to specify a stopping point, or decided that their lovable bioweapons had to be even bigger. The high energy density of the distant planet's native life (not otherwise digestible) resulted in further growth and an unfortunate degree of...expansion. They finally stabilized in the 150-200m range, much to everyone's relief. Especially the "monsters". The feeling of growth, expansion, and power is really enjoyable, right up until you realize that you're going to go the way of an overinflated balloon if you do much more growing. That armor-plated hide can only contain so much pressure... Bloated mountains of armor-plating, muscle, point defense emplacements, claws, teeth, and blubber.

This also pushed them out of their original intended application, because while they were really good against the local kaiju population, they were too large, too heavy, and too clumsy to be near the bases. It was what it was.

I feel like he's going to disrupt all my plans. There's something about a friend-shaped big squeezable pseudo-insectoid space monster that calls to me. The suit. I must have it. Complete with a chloroprene balloon in the "tail" segment so it bobs and jiggles salaciously as I waddle around. Time to work on some reference sheets and pin several thousand dollarpounds to the budget chart.

Artwork, Ori © of me