[Science] Bioengineered Fungus Discovered Growing in Noveria Wildernes

Bioengineered Fungus Discovered Growing in Noveria Wilderness

Palindrus Mok, Noveria Inquisitor

Port Hanshan, Noveria – Pickal Topographics reports that AT-CCAEF-0143, a genetically altered fungus colloquially called “AzuMold,” has established a colony 43 kilometers north of Port Hanshan. AzuMold was developed by the AzuTech Corporation as a levo-amino food source that could grow in the harsh climate of Noveria. The fungus was initially used to supplement the planet’s food supplies during the Year of Isolation, but was found to be lethal to non-krogan and asari upon consumption. Its use has since been discontinued.

“Our satellites noticed a large blue patch of ground we hadn’t seen before,” said Vor Malu, a geological administrator at Pickal. “We sent a team in to investigate, and found the ‘Mold. Our biologists aren’t sure how it got out there yet, but based on its current size and growth rate, it’s at least two months old.” Large portions of the fungal patch are currently covered with snow, but Pickal scientists estimate a coverage of 750 hectares. In an official statement, the NDC reassured Noverian investors that the fungus is completely harmless if left uneaten, and should pose no threat to Port Hanshan corporations or their employees. AzuTech declined to comment upon this story.

Intriguing, but unworthy of such paranoia.

Further research would likely ease concerns; the journal appears to be of a sensationalist variety.

Fuck. This stuff killed two of my people last year. Have you ever seem someone's stomach expand because an undigestable fungus is growing inside of it? AzuMold is nasty shit.

And you say you're not just paranoid.

it can still grow inside of people.

that not food that bio-weapon.

People are definitely overreacting. No need to fecking nuke the planet. But definitely burn that bloody shit out whatever it takes. If that shit can grow inside someone's stomach murder becomes so easy. All you need to do is sneak a fleck of it into your target's food.

Huh. If they could get it to grow at the right pace and not kill everybody, whoever ate it might never need to eat again (because they'd always be full, not, y'know, dead). Neat. Terrifying, but neat.

I'm not.

That would violate conservation of energy. From what I understand, the fungus fuels its growth from inside the stomach by absorbing carbohydrates from the environs - first from the contents of the stomach, then from the stomach itself.

Mekan, say it with me. AzuMold is not the yellow death fungus in disguise. It is a Noverian food experiment gone bad, not a malevolent threat to the galaxy.

Pick one.

I suppose that makes sense. Not a biologist, obviously.

... okay, why the hell is everybody talking about the color yellow.

The key words there are 'malevolent' and 'to the galaxy'. For one, it's certainly not an intelligent monster fungus, and for two, as far as we know it's restricted to Noveria.

You, sir, are being paranoid.

...I'm kind of embarassed that I seem to have knee jerk "Agh, fungus!" sort of thing, but yeah. Gotta wonder at all the color schemed fungi threats.

Only questions I have is why there is so many of it at a spot where no one has any idea how it got there. The fact that its already been used as a weapon concerns me.

Great. A bioweapon on the loose and now everyone knows about it.

This does not bring back good memories, regardless of what it is.

Fungus on Noveria. Could be worse, I suppose - Space Dragons, perhaps?

It's... It's food. Just not very good food. Haven't you been paying attention? There's nothing in the article about it being used as a weapon, and before you decide "but it says lethal to non-asari non-krogan so that means it was tested on them" I'd like to point out that that is leaping to the wrong conclusion and even if it were live-tested on actual turians or whatever-the-fuck, tested is not the same as "used as a weapon".

Seriously, you "Templar" people are all dumb as shit. Are you *trying* to incite a needless panic strictly to justify your own mostly-pointless existence?

Send lots of hungry krogan and hungry baby krogan to Noveria! There's lots of food for them there! And it'll make it so that the fungus is under control!

If I remember right, the last time a krogan went out in the cold on Noveria, they came back as Dwick. I think sending lots of them out there probably *would* qualify as using the fungus as a weapon.

Come now, TechOptryx, what are the odds it'll happen again?

Haw.

Haw.

Haw.