Helmacron reincarnation?

[DinosaurNothlit]

Remember in book #24, when Visser Three mentioned that the Helmacrons were a 'fungible' species, thus when one died it would be absorbed into the rest of the species?  I always thought that was an interesting detail, and that lack of the finality of death seemed to explain an awful lot about the Helmacrons.  Such as why they're so retardedly arrogant, why they solve literally ALL their problems with violence, why they routinely murder their leaders without a second thought, etc.

But, at the same time, I was never really sure what exactly that meant.  Does it mean that each Helmacron's mind is composed of thousands of bits and pieces of the thoughts and memories of each previous generation?  Or does it mean that each Helmacron is basically reincarnated into a new body when they die?  And how is either option even biologically possible?

In earth species, information is generally stored by patterns in the connections in the neurons of our brains.  Thus, if Helmacron brains were wired the same way, it would be exceedingly difficult to transfer that information from one individual into another, let alone doing so 'wirelessly.'  This leads me to believe that Helmacron brains are perhaps more similar to cell phones or computers (or perhaps even Howler brains, which employ a very similar concept with their collective memory) than to standard earth-issue biological brains.  And perhaps there's something similar to a 'thought-speak' signal that transfers Helmacron memories and personality information upon death.  It would have to be an instantaneous reflex, because anything less would not happen quickly enough to guarantee that it would occur before the Helmacron was dead.

Other ideas?  Discuss.

[Ouroboros]

I just assumed it was a sort of hive-mind, and the helmacrons kinda remind me of the Tyranids from Warhammer 40k. They are operated by a hive-mind, and once they are done demolishing a planet they are dissolved and eaten (along with all the other organic material on said planet) so their genetic material can be re-used in later invasions.

Here's a little bit about them, via the Lexicanum:

[spoiler]The Tyranids are an extragalactic alien race, whose sole purpose is the consumption of all forms of genetic and biological material in order to evolve and reproduce. Tyranid technology is based entirely on biological engineering. Every function is carried out by living, engineered creatures, each of which collectively forms the Hive Fleet, directed by a single Hive Mind.

(snip)

In the process of assimilating a planet's biological and inorganic materials, the most important part for the Tyranids is the location of a suitable target. One method by which they accomplish this is the spectral analysis of distant stars to determine its likelihood of supporting life. However, the fastest and most common method is the use of vanguard organisms, millions of which range hundreds of light-years ahead of each Hive Fleet, investigating each star system they encounter for signs of life. Once a suitable world has been detected, these bio-vessels spawn infiltrator-organisms, such as Lictors, Genestealers, or specialized Gaunt strains, and launch them onto the world via Mycetic Spores. Once inserted, these organisms will seek out all life and target those of a highly-organized nature, such as humans, restricting themselves to lone targets so as to avoid revealing their presence. Genestealers in particular will seek to infiltrate communities and create cults, not only to signal the planet is ripe for consumption but to weaken its defenses against the Hive Fleet's arrival.

As the psychic beacon of the infiltrator-organisms flourishes, indicating a rich feeding ground, so does Hive Fleet home in on it, in the process cutting off all interstellar communications as the Shadow in the Warp blankets the target system. Upon arrival to the planet, the Hive Fleet will disperse within the planet's upper atmosphere and begin launching millions upon millions of Mycetic Spores. Many will contain Tyranid warriors of various strains, from Rippers to Bio-Titans, and so come in a multitude of sizes. Others will deliver zoomorphic symbiotes and parasites, which target and mutate the planet's flora at a rapid rate. Within hours verdant forests are replaced with highly-aggressive alien vegetation, including Capillary Towers, which begins the process of transforming the planet's atmosphere into a hothouse, turning the sky a sickly red and raising temperatures at an accelerating rate. Other spores are nothing more than giant cyst-bombs, filled with viral and poisonous organisms which burst over population centers, killing millions of people in the opening hours of the attack. Each one will cover an area many hundreds of meters across with acidic digestive bile, starting the process of future ingestion.

After the initial attack, vast swarms of flying Gargoyles will herd the native population into the path of fast-moving hordes of Gaunts to be viciously slaughter. The defender, often underestimating the Tyranid's intelligence, make fighting retreats to buy themselves time to regroup from the onslaught, only to be encircled and destroyed as it becomes apparent they were merely herded into prepared killing grounds. These last pockets of resistance will become the targets of larger Tyranid species, from Warriors to Carnifexes and Bio-Titans, which eradicate the defenders with sheer offensive power.

With resistance ended, consumption of the planet's resources begins. Bacterial agents and vast tracts of feeder organisms, pupated from the carcasses of native life forms, ravage the landscape of every ounce of biological matter before being collected into Reclamation Pools, where the matter is rendered into a thick, nutrient-rich gruel. This includes all mutated plant-life, which has finished altering the atmosphere into an oxygen-rich environment, and any infested organisms, who march blank-faced into pools' depths to be consumed by the Hive Fleet. As the digestion pools swell, the Hive Fleet's ships cluster in low orbit as vast capillary towers emerge to link with proboscis-like feeding tubes and pump the biomass into them. The final stage of the harvest is the consumption of the world's atmosphere and seas, with vast drone-ship haulers descending to low orbit and sucking up every useful element left. Eventually the Hive Fleet will depart, having left the world a desolate airless rock stripped down to the molecular level, to begin the consumption process on another world.

Below is a general outline of a typical Tyranid planetary assault (in particular, this data is collected from the Tyranid invasion of Dalki-Prime):

Day 00: Initial mycetic spores are dropped, generally containing Lictors or Genestealers. Infiltration force led by a synapse creature of some kind; reproduction of Tyranid creatures likely begins immediately.

Day 09: By day 9, Tyranids will have expanded to around 200 km from the drop point, and will likely present a significant threat to planetary defence forces troopers and resident Imperial Guard.

Day 13: Tyranids will have expanded to 700 km from the drop point; may begin infesting local water sources.

Day 37: Tyranids control area within 2000 km radius of the drop point; basolithic infestation to 5000 km radius.

Day 48: Tyranid population growth skyrockets, with population doubling approximately every 2.5 days.

Day 50: Main Hive Fleet arrives, craft generally numbering around 1.5 billion. Psychic contact with planet is cut off by the shadow of the Hive Mind. Any attempts to escape are quickly stopped by the Hive Fleet.

Day 51: Primary consumption of bio-mass begins (resistance has generally been eliminated by day 51). Brood ships land, releasing Ripper swarms, which consume all remaining organic material and depositing them at the reclamation pools. Capillary towers (and the Brood ships) send the material into orbit.

Day 80: The hive ships descend into the upper atmosphere and begin collecting it. Reduction in atmospheric pressure causes oceans to boil away, which are also collected. Lack of oceans causes plate tectonic shifts, dramatically increasing volcanic activity. Upon completion, the Hive Fleet move out of the system in search of fresh prey.

Day 100: Imperial navy arrives in response to the distress call to find the world lifeless.
[/spoiler]

I'm not entirely sure how a hive-mind works, but usually there's a centrally located being of sorts when any kind of hive-mind is involved. The Tyranids have the Hive Mind, the Zerg have the Overmind, the LGMs from Toy Story have the UniMind (in the Buzz Lightyear cartoon series), etc. The central part is what guides and drives and controls the species.

The idea of a hive-mind or group mind isn't really anything new, and there's countless examples of it throughout all types of literature.

I would assume that it's an alien biological function, and that's the beautiful thing about it. We are free to speculate and wonder about aliens and their forms and functions.

I like to think that the Helmacrons are a hive collective of sorts, and somehow they can re-use the genetic materials of those who die, and they can also use the memories and experiences in some way. Whether or not the memories and brain information is shared constantly or only upon death, I have no idea.

[DinosaurNothlit]

Interesting!  I'll have to look into Warhammer 40k, because the Tyranids you describe sound fascinating.  Horrifying, but fascinating.  Which is really the very best kind of fascinating if you ask me.

However, I have a feeling that the Helmacrons don't employ that sort of hive-mind.  The two ships featured in #24 were in constant conflict, and even within a single ship, disagreements would arise that had to be settled with violence.  I don't think this would happen if they shared thoughts, because then they would have to be in agreement on everything.

As a side-note, now that I'm thinking of that, it occurs to me that the Helmacron ships' rivalry supports the idea that each individual Helmacron incorporates bits and pieces of the minds of previous generations.  Note that the rivalry between the two ships lasted until one ship was massacred, at which point suddenly the surviving ship (can't remember off the top of my head which one survived, and am too lazy to look it up) started idolizing their fallen 'comrades.'  Granted, humans do the same thing to some extent, idolizing the dead far more than the living, but the Helmacrons vastly exaggerated that tendency.  Which would make some sense if the minds of those dead Helmacrons had suddenly become assimilated into the still-living ones.

Oh, and here's another question.  Do you think that male and female Helmacrons have different sets of minds for purposes of reincarnation/assimilation?  You'd think that they'd be connected, since they are the same species, but the two genders seem to identify so little with each other that it kind of seems as though they are not.

[Ouroboros]

However, I have a feeling that the Helmacrons don't employ that sort of hive-mind.  The two ships featured in #24 were in constant conflict, and even within a single ship, disagreements would arise that had to be settled with violence.  I don't think this would happen if they shared thoughts, because then they would have to be in agreement on everything.

That's a good point, I hadn't considered that.

As a side-note, now that I'm thinking of that, it occurs to me that the Helmacron ships' rivalry supports the idea that each individual Helmacron incorporates bits and pieces of the minds of previous generations.  Note that the rivalry between the two ships lasted until one ship was massacred, at which point suddenly the surviving ship (can't remember off the top of my head which one survived, and am too lazy to look it up) started idolizing their fallen 'comrades.'  Granted, humans do the same thing to some extent, idolizing the dead far more than the living, but the Helmacrons vastly exaggerated that tendency.  Which would make some sense if the minds of those dead Helmacrons had suddenly become assimilated into the still-living ones.

So it's more like an assimilation of past knowledge and such, but with the freedom to make your own choices. The emphasis on the dead and the idolization thereof is interesting as well. Maybe it's a means of explaining how they work, or maybe it's just another alien idiosyncrasy.

Oh, and here's another question.  Do you think that male and female Helmacrons have different sets of minds for purposes of reincarnation/assimilation?  You'd think that they'd be connected, since they are the same species, but the two genders seem to identify so little with each other that it kind of seems as though they are not.

I have no idea. I would imagine that there isn't much distinction at all.

Interesting!  I'll have to look into Warhammer 40k, because the Tyranids you describe sound fascinating.  Horrifying, but fascinating.  Which is really the very best kind of fascinating if you ask me.

If you have any WH40k questions, feel free to ask I've been immersing myself in that universe and the lore and all for the better part of a decade.

[NateSean]

Going with another mythology, the Goa'uld of Stargate have individual minds but they're born with the knowledge of the entire species.

Even the ones that lived on the home planet their entire lives and grew up in the swamps had the basic understanding of trying to infest a sentient host body with the hope of rising to become of one of the "System Lords". And like the Helmacrons, the Goa'uld had a high opinion of thesmelves. Some actually believed themselves to be gods even though they were basically helpless in their natural states.

[Ouroboros]

^That's awesome and seems to fit a little better.

I'm gonna go re-read #24 tonight and take a better look at the Helmacrons.

[DinosaurNothlit]

So it's more like an assimilation of past knowledge and such, but with the freedom to make your own choices. The emphasis on the dead and the idolization thereof is interesting as well. Maybe it's a means of explaining how they work, or maybe it's just another alien idiosyncrasy.

Well put.  And it could be either one, really.  The Helmacrons are a pretty idiosyncratic race.

Oh, and here's another question.  Do you think that male and female Helmacrons have different sets of minds for purposes of reincarnation/assimilation?  You'd think that they'd be connected, since they are the same species, but the two genders seem to identify so little with each other that it kind of seems as though they are not.

I have no idea. I would imagine that there isn't much distinction at all.

Eh, I think I didn't word myself very clearly.  I was referring to the treatment of male Helmacrons by the females.  Remember how the females were in charge, and the males were basically slaves?  I just was thinking that, if they shared experiences across generations and across genders, some previous males would be incorporated into the current generation of females (or, alternately, the females would realize that they could in the future be incorporated into the males), and that should, hypothetically, lead to females treating males more equally.  Assuming, of course, that the Helmacrons actually make sense.  Which might be assuming too much, I realize.

Going with another mythology, the Goa'uld of Stargate have individual minds but they're born with the knowledge of the entire species.

Even the ones that lived on the home planet their entire lives and grew up in the swamps had the basic understanding of trying to infest a sentient host body with the hope of rising to become of one of the "System Lords". And like the Helmacrons, the Goa'uld had a high opinion of thesmelves. Some actually believed themselves to be gods even though they were basically helpless in their natural states.

Interesting, I didn't know that about the Goa'uld.  I need to watch more Stargate.  And yeah, that last sentence sounds exactly like the Helmacrons, lol.

[Ouroboros]

Eh, I think I didn't word myself very clearly.  I was referring to the treatment of male Helmacrons by the females.  Remember how the females were in charge, and the males were basically slaves?  I just was thinking that, if they shared experiences across generations and across genders, some previous males would be incorporated into the current generation of females (or, alternately, the females would realize that they could in the future be incorporated into the males), and that should, hypothetically, lead to females treating males more equally.  Assuming, of course, that the Helmacrons actually make sense.  Which might be assuming too much, I realize.

I had forgotten about the matriarchal structure of the Helmacrons. I'm planning on re-reading the book soon, maybe that will give me a little more insight than my flaky memory

It might very well be a conscious decision to ignore the sensible equality. The females like being in charge, the males put up with it because maybe one day their consciousness will be female, I dunno. It seems like their method of sexism works for them, even though it is a little odd.

[Darth Zakryn]

I think the Helmacrons share one mind, but they are all each individuals. Like the Borg as individuals. When one dies, I think its mind is transferred to the new body. The only way this could make sense, though, is if Helmacrons are reproducing like mad, for each generation to be absorbed as well as new ones springing into existence every so often at an average rate.