Species 10371 Olrate Starship

A purposed organism initially used by the Olrate planet's military to stage assaults on other planets of the Vleno System.

Like other purposed organisms of the system, this creature is biomechanical, but it also has a unique trait: it also acts as a Subspatial Starship. Able to dive into higher dimensions to hide from most kinds of radar, it can fly significantly closer to enemy starships and remain undetected. This is important because it feeds through a symbiotic purposed organism which attaches to its hull and can fire large harpoon-like projectiles. These drain nutrients from a target if it hits something organic while simultaneously causing great damage to the enemy craft. This creature is so specialised in this role that it has no conventional mouth. Furthermore, it can do this wile remaining in higher dimensions where it is hard to detect, though firing the harpoon would give its rough location away. After the introduction of this creature, the other planets launched programs to develop counters to it, as well as their own subspatial starship creatures.

Now though, as the conflicts around these planets have ravaged the societies of all 3 planets into collapse, the system slowly turned into a single ecosystem, although the war never officially ended. This creature, among others, now wander through space, no longer with purpose but seeking to sustain themselves and constantly searching for prey. Even for the Harki, the people that created the species, the war is no longer about conquest but about survival.

Though the creature initially consisted of 2 organisms excluding its microbiome, the main body and the harpoon organism, evolution has somewhat forced these 2 organisms to fuse together. Now it is not certain weather the creature is now a single organism (with the harpoon organism becoming an extra organ of the main creature) or it remains as 2 separate entities. They were initially created as 2 separate entities because that way, the harpoons could be detached and exchanged for other ones, allowing the harki to exchange weapons depending on the mission of the ship.

Biology

If nothing else, the Vleno System is known for its very weird creatures. The harpoon symbiote would make use of the large, powerful heart of the host in order to transport nutrients to itself from the target after a hit. A significant pressure is applied which forces a large amount of matter to flow into it through a long appendage. As such, the first organ that food will enter is the heart. The creature's main blood vessels feature organs that are designed to separate nutrients from blood and then the nutrients are processed in an intestine. Mechanical matter synthesised in this way is sent to a different organ for metallic reprocessing. The creature still also has kidneys for separating waste from blood. The creature's brain can control the harpoon symbiote as well, but that is mostly performed by the symbiote's own brain. Finally, locomotion is achieved through the use of several large organs at the creature's rear. By using a process similar to that of plasma thrusters, making use of high voltage bioelectricity, a large force can be generated which can push the creature through space at the expense of energy.

Waste heat is dissipated through a number of large tendrils located at the rear of the creature, which can make it resemble a very large squid.