It was here. Of course it was, they covered all of Eridanus now with their mycelia and all parts of the cave were under their careful watch. But they were particularly observent of the three chrysalis that had grown - some quite large. But this small one, by far the smallest of the three, was the first to hatch.

And...well, they weren't quite sure what to make of it. They'd had little sense of what was growing within the crystal, only aware of its growth from the fungal cords wrapped loosely around it. But now it was emerging from the soil, emerging from stone, and the Consul rushed to show the proud parent what their kid looked like. They could see...well, nothing of them. No, no that was not true. The rat's eyes focused on the foot, where they could see strands like their own wrapped tightly around.

What that meant was not clear to them now.

"Hello," the rat echoed their thoughts. "You are awake. We are The Chorus, and you come from Us. How are you feeling?" They wanted to probe, to discover how this thing would function. What they would do with it once they figured out its capabilities.