Surviving Albia: Eggs and Bacteria in Creatures

I continued the second phase of the first generation by hatching another egg. The ultimate goal is to have a fertile male and female of five different Norn types form the foundation. Meet Ingelill, which is pronounced [ING-eh-lil] and is a Norse name for little Inge! She wore a very friendly face right out of the incubator. Some Norns are born with sad faces, yet the happy ones add a little more excitement. I felt like I wouldn’t have to worry about Ingelill too much! The only danger was the coffeepot, which was actually quite addictive and not very healthy. It was a subtle motion that moved it out of her reach… I was taking no chances with a baby caffeine addict! That sounded like a living nightmare. Ingelill was all set to enter Albia with a bang, however. There was just one more thing for me to do: I noticed two mutations, listed on top of the standard genes below. Let’s jump into these genes!

Lobes

Brain lobes include important information about how the different parts of the brain work, from how concepts are learned to how a Norn goes through the decision process. These genes can greatly affect the learning process.

Mutation: 121 6 0 Emb B MutDup Lobe #=7 Relax State Rule: …. 255
Default: 121 6 0 Emb B MutDup Lobe #=7 Relax State Rule: …. end

Stimuli

Stimuli genes define the chemicals that a Creature expects to receive in response to an action. These actions can range from interactions with the hand to involuntary actions like coughing or sneezing.

Mutation: 243 23 0 Emb B Mut ‘Invol 2=’sneeze” causes sig=0 GS neu=255 int=1 ….
Default: 243 23 0 Emb B Mut ‘Invol 2=’sneeze” causes sig=0 GS neu=255 int=0 ….

The first gene appeared to have no effect, since the remainder of the State Variable Rule contained end. As I understood it, any variables after an end would be ignored. Still, this could prove to be an interesting mutation should the same State Variable Rule be mutated further. The second gene appeared just as minor: The difference existed in the intensity of the stimulus. With a range of 0 to 255, the change in intensity seemed relatively minor. Ingelill might only have slightly more discomfort when she sneezes. I hoped her life would be healthy!

Dagny laid a shiny blue egg high atop the one bridge in Albia. It looked like the perfect spot for her, and she seemed quite pleased with her accomplishment! I was in for another rude surprise regarding her, though, and this was her last peaceful moment before another catastrophe broke loose. Creatures was out to get me! In a way, though, these events have made me a better Norn caretaker. Nothing can be taken for granted in Creatures 1: Health is something that can deteriorate all too quickly. I shared in Dagny’s excitement about her first egg, yet danger was already lurking nearby.

I had to race over to the desert island to keep an eye on Bera. Not pictured here is her white and purple spotted egg: It took a lot of patience to make sure that neither of the new eggs ended up hatching. The world was not quite ready for them. Keir made another friend in Bera, who seemed very willing to stay with the lone Grendel. He even appeared to bow his head in her direction! I was still surprised at the fact that he refused to leave his island: Most of the Norns had already met him, yet they always left him via the boat or submarine. Keir reminded me of a kind, quiet hermit who would never leave his beloved home.

I was alerted to an illness that Dagny had contracted. It took me a bit of time to track down exactly what was ailing her, and it was an absolute mess. Her life force fell to about 40%, she fell asleep at odd intervals, and she sneezed with no end in sight. Luckily, she had headed off on her own and created her own quarantine. I was forced to keep a watchful eye on her and virtually force her to eat as many carrots as possible. Even after I left her for a bit to photograph the final images for this entry, she was still ill. Antibody 2 rose extremely slowly, although it appeared that Dagny would pull through. What is it with my horrible luck with Albian illnesses?! I knew that this would not be the last one, but I was glad that only one Norn was affected. As is clear, this could have been much worse.

Arik and Eydis wasted no time in finding one another and getting pregnant again! Perhaps it was the presence of Ingelill that inspired them: I do hope to introduce them to at least one of their children before they die. That is the one downside to completely separating the generations. At least they will definitely live on through their children. In any event, I found two mutations that would affect this Norn. One was almost unnoticeable: When he or she reaches old age, traveling will make him or her slightly more tired. Perhaps that will be a little more realistic, since elder Norns are supposed to slow down anyway!

The second mutation was much more worrying. Normally, Reward creates Reinforcement and RewardEcho. In this Norn, Reward will create Reinforcement and PunishmentEcho. In effect, he or she will be punished for both good and bad actions, which will add another serious learning disability into the mix. It is possible, and often recommended, that undesirable genetics be excluded from the breeding population. I could simply leave the eggs or export the babies immediately, and only keep those Norns who exhibit positive mutations. It would most likely lead to smarter and more capable Norns, yet I enjoy the challenge of caring for special needs creatures. Their lives are not always destined to be horrible: Creatures can adapt and learn to a certain extent. Although I do enjoy studying and experimenting with Norns to a certain degree, I also grow attached to them. Whatever their genetics, I hope to populate Albia with unique Norns and share the stories of their lives.

Truett also appeared to be deep in thought as he rested in the damp underground cavern of the desert island. Although he was successful in passing along his genes, it occurred to me that he was much more content with exploration. Arik was, in essence, the alpha male of the group, yet Truett didn’t seem to mind. With Folkvar on his way to adulthood, the genetic diversity of the group continued to grow. I was determined to spend more time with Truett, who always enjoyed the company of the hand. First, though, I had to ensure that Dagny would make a full recovery. No one could die of an illness on my watch: Not this time!