Megumi reviewed her databases on magical medicines, bringing the information back into active memory. As she began reprocessing older data to decide the best method of reversing the procedures she had just witnessed. Thankfully the Solean people were very old and their knowledge quite vast. It was part of why their Empire had been as vast as it was. There was only one precursor race whose knowledge rivaled their own, the Altean Directorate. Of course that is referring to known species, the Empire had spread to many galaxies, and ships were also heading further out into the universe, but the universe was vast, far larger than the Empire could ever hope to fully explore. Although that was not true of every reality, as the First Lords could attest to. The secrets of crossing realms was lost with them, but the doorways to the pocket dimensions they had created remained. Not to mention some other secrets of the First Lords remained. They were the first to explore combining the esoteric energies used in transcendent psionics with the practices of modern medicine. Learning how infusing mana, and intent could change ingredients, and the effects of medicines. What ingredients you chose mattered, as they would prove especially effective if their properties were in line with your intent.

Thankfully Megumi’s ability to work with mystical energies meant that she could produce such medicines, and in fair quantities as well. Even if that wasn’t the intent behind giving her psionic ability. That was actually mainly intended to benefit her defensive systems, and provide her an additional form of communication. Not to mention it helped improve her ability to respond to the needs of her crew. The defensive system that benefited most from this was in fact her shields, since they were designed to be partially psionic in nature. Allowing them to not only better resist magical attacks, but also enhancing their effectiveness. That aspect of her abilities, also meant that she was naturally reluctant to actually produce such medicines unless there was a clear need for them. Not due to any programming on the part of her creators, but rather a result of her own natural evolution from centuries of combat experience.

True mana was an endlessly renewable source of energy. As long as living beings existed in the universe there would be mana, and it also dwelled in limitless quantities in the depths of hyperspace. However, she could only draw and hold so much at a given moment. Being down on reserves had cost her before, while she felt little threat here, that made her no less comfortable to risk being down when she lacked an immediate need for such medicines.

With those factors in mind, she considered her options. One person quickly came to mind, Melia her current ‘captain’ and apprentice in the magical arts. They had not gotten particularly far with her lessons. Still mostly focused on theory rather than application, but she had made quite a bit of progress. This was different from actual spellwork, but it would be an application nonetheless. Something that could prove useful to gauge her progress. With a plan coming together, she gathered the materials, prepared one of her unused medical labs, and then materialized an avatar to talk with Melia.

As it turned out Melia was reading a book, on parasites of all things, when Megumi arrived. Noting the title she frowned, “Enjoying the book?”

“I was just browsing the library, and thought this seemed interesting.”

Megumi glanced at the page she was on, and blinked, “Most would likely find it rather creepy, especially the parasite you are reading about.”

Melia frowned, “I guess? Just there is something fascinating about them as well.”

Megumi settled her avatar into a chair, and stretched. She took a moment to consider her response. Melia was reading about a small hive-minded parasitic insect one that is remarkably intelligent. Not individually, but rather collectively. With one exception, the queen, which is rather special. The parasite in question, known colloquially by the somewhat inaccurate name of Pussybug, thrived by colonizing in the genitals of female hosts. At least initially, the colony starts there, and expands throughout the body over time, often concentrating in the genitals, breasts, and brain of the host. The bugs are noted for having a psionic hivemind, that grows stronger with numbers. Often times they have influence over the host long before they actually reach the brain.

They were considered a somewhat nasty parasite due to their habits. A colony often begins by infesting the genitals of an unaware female, where it begins to alter them and make them into a home for the colony. The host will experience swelling, increased sensitivity, and boosted sex drive as the colony settles in. Studies have noted that the host will not experience any pain from the process. 

As the colony grows, it will take advantage of any males mating with the female they have infected to transfer eggs to other females. Being psionic in nature, it's not hard for them to implant suggestions in a nearby male. Often smaller colonies can’t do more than that, and the influence is minimal. But their secretions have certain effects on any male mating with their host that lowers their resistance, while also making it easier to plant their eggs on him. Which he can then plant in another female to start the process in another host.

Eventually, the colony would migrate deeper into the host, especially as the queen begins to mature. For the queen, they will seek out the brain, creating passages straight towards it where they modify the brain to play host to the queen's chamber. Using the host's own brain tissue to enhance the growing queen’s psionic ability. As the colony grows to this stage they often also colonize the breasts, modifying them for their own use as well. By this point the colony also has control of the host... Usually. This is also a critical mass point for the colony in terms of intelligence and psionic ability. With the colony growing significantly more powerful once it spreads to the brain, even more so in a sapient host, especially if that host has psionic potential.

Of course that focuses on just one host. As she was well aware a single host leads to others, who end up forming part of a greater colony. Infected females will congregate together, and often mate with each other to allow the colonies to exchange eggs, and the queens to interact. In these greater colonies, the ruler or Great Queen is the queen of the host with the greatest psionic ability as she is the most powerful queen. If a greater colony is left unnoticed and allowed to grow, it will eventually begin removing the local male population. As males of the host species are often considered to be a threat, and beyond being a method to move eggs, useless. Cleaning up an established greater colony was often a pain, especially in cases when they have grown to the point that they have started producing new hosts from the host population. With even more pain associated with locating any migrant queens the colony may have produced, a real danger. As those can produce new colonies in a neighboring population of hosts, or even jump species for new hosts.

Megumi shook her head, “Honestly I don’t find them fascinating. Bit of a pest, really. They can do a surprising amount of damage to a population, in a remarkably short period of time as well. Cleaning that up is always a pain too.”

“Anyway, I didn’t come here to discuss nasty parasites. I wanted to discuss magical medicines.”

Melia blinked, “Interesting, I was reading about those. This chapter is discussing how magical medicines can be used to treat a host post-infection to reverse the numerous alterations the bugs make to their hosts.”

“It is not the only method, but certainly a more effective way to do that. I don’t need them for that, but to reverse something disturbing nonetheless.”

Melia frowned, “Something disturbing? What did you find?”

She let out a simulated breath, “Something I can’t mention to Kiru. With what we already found she has enough to worry about.”

“Why not?”

Megumi didn’t say a word, she merely projected a few files, which Melia quickly read. “And these are relevant how?”

Megumi played the video of what she had just witnessed in that black lab. Melia’s face flipped through a few emotions, before she simply said, “I see. Yeah telling Kiru might not be the best idea.”

“Glad you understand. Now I was hoping you might be interested in helping me make something that would reverse what they did to that poor girl, and those like her. What do you say?”

Melia closed her book, “I’d love to!