Veer-myn are rat-like humaniods
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DOSSIER 38446/13/VMN; GCPS COUNCIL [RESTRICTED: SECURITY LEVEL DELTA]
SUBJECT: VEER-MYN; EXPOSING THE MYTH OF THE RAT-MEN: A TREATISE ON THE VEER-MYN
FROM THE NOTES OF DR SANJAY ABHYANKAR, HOUSE GUPTA.
Until recently, it was impossible to write any scientific report on the strange, rat-like creatures known commonly as ‘Veer-myn’, without inviting ridicule. For as long as mankind has plied the spacelanes, the Veer-myn have been regarded nothing more than stories told by freight crews and miners who have spent too long off-world. And yet it now transpires that the Veer-myn are real. They are an alien intelligence quite unlike anything we have ever seen – a secretive, stealthy race that thrives in the shadows, living off other space-faring species like parasites, rarely making themselves known.
Yet in our efforts to understand these strange creatures, we have thrust them unwillingly into the light, and made a deadly enemy in the process.
It is impossible to know when the race we would come to know as Veer-myn was first truly encountered. Stories of creatures stealing ship supplies, gnawing circuitry and pawing through cargo have been reported since the earliest voyages beyond the Core Worlds. These were often ascribed to drunkenness, or psychological unsuitability to the long-term isolation of space travel. It was not until the crew of the general cargo vessel Sitakund returned from a voyage with the upper torso of an unidentified creature stored in deep freeze that these tales were given any real credence. After entering Council custody, the Sitakund and its crew were never heard from again, but the remains were hard evidence that the stories of creatures on human ships, so long ignored, were true. This confirmation of the existence of things previously disregarded as superstition gave rise to an increased frequency of reports, and it was not long before first contact was made.
Studies of Veer-myn frequently end in disaster. The Panopticon experiment, however, has allowed us to observe the natural behaviour of these creatures for over a year. The Veer-Myn are notoriously difficult to trick, and only by refitting an entire spacecraft as my laboratory have I been able to watch the spread of this intricate race. Filled with sophisticated surveillance, the Panopticon is heavily reinforced throughout, with an isolated laboratory deck built into a secret level. Otherwise, it resembles any one of a thousand Corporate, inter-system light transit ships, down to a carefully selected cargo and crew. By docking the Panopticon with a known infested freighter, we were able to record a group of Veer-myn sneaking aboard and stowing away. Loading and lift off proceeded normally, before a carefully faked accident left the Panopticon drifting in space. Though we have not yet been able to glean the secrets of the Veer-myn chemical weaponry, we have learned much about their strange culture.
Veer-myn society is comprised of several strata of rigid castes. A Veer-myn’s position in a brood is decided upon by its breed, much the same way of an ant colony. The smaller Veer-myn make up the majority of a brood, and its lowest rank. This is the caste mostly encountered by humans, and labelled ‘Night-Crawlers’ by Corporation troops. Higher up the social ladder are the Maligni. The use of disease and chemistry permeates Veer-myn life, and these individuals appear to be treated with respect. That is to say, for reasons unknown, they seem to be spared the casual violence which is the day-to-day life within a brood. There are many other castes, most of which appear to be dependent on the brood’s size as not all types of Veer-myn have been recovered from every extinct nest. The most important figure in the nest, however, is the Brood Mother. Brood Mothers are the matriarchs, the one binding factor relating every member of a Veer-myn brood, for it is through her that every member is related. That is not to say that the Brood Mother gives birth to each member of the brood personally. Instead there is a caste of females within each nest whose sole purpose is to aid the Mother in populating the brood. Most conflict with Veer-myn stems from their desire to safeguard the Brood Mother, and hiding her is their overriding priority.
The most startling observation we have made so far is that the Veer-myn population expands at an exponential rate. Left to their own devices, a handful of stowaways has already infested the ship, and the numbers of Veer-myn would surely be greater if there were space for them. Every corridor is a writhing mass of fur and claws; every rec-room has become a nest; every lab is now a chittering factory for the Veer-myn’s strange chemical weaponry. For even when left entirely alone, the race seems bent on preparing for war.
It’s a common misconception among GCPS troops that the Veer-myn are mindless savages. The truth is the Veer-myn are neither mindless, nor savages. They are, however, lacking in complex manufacturing facilities, and thus resort to making the best of limited resources through ingenious methods.
Veer-myn weapons appear at first glance to be throwbacks to martial technology long-abandoned by humanity.
The types most often encountered in the field are ‘Chem-Throwers’ and ‘Ray Guns.’
Chem-Throwers demonstrate the Veer-myn affinity for chemistry to an impressive degree. The Veer-myn are masters of chemistry. The guns are prone to self-destruction, and are limited in shots, but are perfectly devastating. The Throwers use a series of chemical chambers capable of ejecting their pressurised fuel over a remarkable range, saturating whole areas with acid-like substances which can melt rock or armour.
Then there are the Ray Guns. A kind of fractal laser rifle, working on the same basic principle of the main armament of combat forces Sphere-wide, but with the focussed light split through a broader band. This results in less penetrative power per shot, but a greater rate of fire. The ray gun can douse a wide target area in laser bolts, shredding lightly armoured troops.
If the Veer-myn are masters of chemistry, it would seem that biological manipulation is also within their means. The Veer-myn aboard the Panopticon are now accompanied by terrible monstrosities – giant rats the size of dogs, and hulking brutes, like rat-headed giants and other, worse things. Where these creatures came from is unclear, but there were no such species in the initial sample group. Over the last few weeks, the Veer-myn have been patrolling the Panopticon in organised groups, using their chem-weapons to destroy any hidden cameras that they find. They are searching for something – I believe they are searching for us. Though I am assured we are quite safe, I fear what might happen if the Veer-myn were to gain control of our labs, and or communications equipment. Past incidents suggest that there is a Veer-myn force somewhere out in the galaxy, waiting for the call to arms.
Propagating the myth that the Veer-myn are nothing more than a manageable irritant in human galactic expansion is dangerous indeed. Many within Corporation Central are satisfied to ignore the issue, however there are some who accept the reality of the situation; that the Veer-myn offer a very real and growing threat to Corporation operations, not only in the outer Spheres, but within the core worlds. In that regard the Veer-myn have achieved what all other races have failed so far to do. It was once considered by superstitious crewmen bad luck to kill Veer-Myn if they were encountered aboard a vessel. How wrong that superstition was, for knowing what we know now, extermination of these creatures must be our only recourse.
The Jindal Manjula Incident
A 950,000DWT chemical tanker, the Manjula was contracted to ferry frozen hydrogen to Singh Corp’s new colonies. Two months into its voyage a visual comm recording from the Manjula reached Corporation Central’s Spacegoing Control Agency advising of unusually high Veer-myn activity. Shortly after that communication came another, more panicked addendum; two of the Manjula’s engineers had been ambushed in the ship’s access holds and dragged into the shadows by a pack of Veer-myn, and their boatswain had also gone missing. This second burst informed the Control Agency that the Captain was breaking out the emergency weapons, and would advise further. The third message came from the Second Mate. The Captain, she said, was dead, as was the navigator. The remaining crew were barricading themselves in the bridge and would set a course for the closest military outpost. There were no further transmissions.
The Manjula was found twelve standard months later, adrift in interstellar space. Otherwise intact, its main tanker was missing and its habitation compartments devoid of life, human or otherwise. It was the first time a coordinated hostile action had ever been taken by the mysterious Veer-myn, and the last time they their presence was tolerated aboard a GCPS vessel.
Veer-myn Pirates
The Shadowspite Deep Exploration Corporation operated as a salvage and retrieval company on the edge of Fourth Sphere space. Its single vessel, the CSS Shadowspite, was responding to a distress call from a mining vessel, the Foskin, when it was officially lost with all hands. Corporation Central records show the Shadowspite as being written off due to ‘unexplained events’, but in fact it was the victim of a Veer-myn infestation. Led by the Malignus known as ‘Chemclaw’ the Veer-myn from the Foskin killed the Shadowspite’s crew and took the ship for their own. Why they felt the need to take such a large vessel and where they intend to take it is unknown. But rumours abound in the Fourth Sphere of ‘pirate Veer-myn’ and all captains would do well to steer clear of any unidentified ships, particularly those with unusual radiation profiles, attempting to approach them or requesting aid.
Gallery
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Veer-myn Model -
Veer-myn Art
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