Ren reviews footage of the “Roach” specimens captured from Mars. They’re in cryo-storage. His superior, (cold, bureaucratic), explains:
Ren, unarmed, uses a thermobaric grenade to collapse a tunnel section, separating the Progenitor from the main swarm.
She shows a hologram: “Progenitor” – a human-sized Terra Formar with pale, translucent skin, human-like eyes, and a pulsating ovipositor. It can reproduce via airborne spores. Terra Formars- Earth-hen Episode 1
It gestures – the Child Roaches attack. Action sequence: soldiers use mantis-arm blades and bombardier beetle chemical sprays. Brutal, limbs fly, but the soldiers are overwhelmed. One soldier is infected – he screams as his eyes turn compound.
“Then let’s make it a three-way war.” Ren reviews footage of the “Roach” specimens captured
Ren stands on the platform. The station is empty – but on the tracks, dozens of Child Roaches burrow through the concrete. The Progenitor’s face appears on a cracked LCD advertisement screen (hive-mind broadcast).
He discovers encrypted files: “Project Mother Nest” – a secret U.N. initiative to weaponize Terra Formars for Earth-based warfare. The Progenitor wasn’t stolen – it was released intentionally as a field test. She shows a hologram: “Progenitor” – a human-sized
“Let’s show the roaches what real pests look like.”
Ren’s stoic mask cracks. Just slightly.
Ren leads a small strike team (4 armed soldiers with modified insect DNA – first glimpse of “Earth-hen” M.O. users). They wear gas masks and bug-jackets – no full roach-mods yet.
“I didn’t know what it was! The buyer… she wasn’t human anymore. Her skin… it moved . She said, ‘We are the true inheritors of Earth. The Progenitor awakens.’”