The Infection Arc — Angel Combs, Bloom Cankers, Proteavirus beta
- Angel Comb: massive sessile alien plant. Provides DNA adaptations to compatible humans. Three known specimens drive story progression.
- Bloom Canker (Viroblast gaggraina): colonial choanoflagellate-like organism infected with Proteavirus beta. Spreads via root tendrils between hosts; stores virion as solid crystals destroyed by sonic resonance. Armored variant uses crab-shell genes scavenged from other infected organisms.
- Proteavirus behaves less like a disease and more like a planetary neural network — transfers genes between species, accelerating evolution. The whole moon may function as a distributed consciousness.
- Some colonists believe the World Tree (a central hive-mind structure) is the planet's true intelligence. NoA opposes any contact with it. Masefield Syndrome: colonists hear "whispers," develop obsessive behavior, feel pulled north. Some deliberately infect themselves to merge with the Proteus consciousness rather than face eternal corporate resurrection.