"Zerg Skin" or the "Cerberus Project" refers to a secret special program once conducted by Arcturus Mengsk.
To put it simply: [By removing the primary neural organs of captured Zerg and using mechanical instruments to take over the nervous system, Zerg units could be controlled by humans.]
This was the core of the project. Since it relied entirely on physical control, it had nothing to do with the Hive Mind.
However, some might have already noticed the flaw.
Capture a Zerg? Remove its nervous system? Install mechanical controls?
It feels a bit like [eating food, vomiting it back up, and then shoving it directly up your backside to be absorbed by the rectum]. It's not just redundant; it's nonsensical.
Capturing Zerg requires manpower, the Zerg still need to eat for daily maintenance, producing mechanical devices requires resources, and any damage requires extra maintenance.
You spend twice the resources, and in the end, all you get is... one Zergling?
Others get two 'dogs' per egg; you get one 'dog' for two eggs?
"Yeah, that's it. It's likely the same principle as the Cerberus Project. Does Warhammer 40K have tech like this?"
It probably does, considering the principle of the Butcher's Nails is also to influence the nervous system—even when that system is perfectly intact.
But as for whether the exact same technology exists, no one knows.
"Wait, did that Terran bro's technology leak out? Or is it..."
The Overmind looked toward the distant Hive City. Drop pods were incessantly raining down from the sky into the city's interior. These contained not just Zerg units, but Tyranid units as well.
"Could this Hive City belong to the Starcraft 2 Terrans? Is this planet a Terran colony?"
It was a bold thought, but not impossible.
The Overmind began to focus its attention on the planet, preparing to take it.
This wouldn't be difficult. The Tyranid fleet wasn't large; once this fleet was wiped out, the planet could be easily seized.
But...
Things did not go as the Overmind wished. Just as it prepared to send more Leviathans to reinforce the Zerg fleet, a Warp rift exit appeared in the stars outside the planet.
An Ultramarines Battle Barge and over a dozen Imperial ships of various classes appeared within the Leviathans' line of sight.
This planet was no ordinary human world; it was once one of the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar, now a planet that had gradually gained autonomy as the Ultramarines' grip weakened.
Now, the Overmind's forces had ventured deep into the Ultramarines' jurisdiction. Contact with the Imperium of Man was once again inevitable.
"Zasz, take care of the human and Tyranid fleets outside the planet. Kanth, Zath, I want this planet. Take it."
"As you command, Overmind."
The joint operation of three Cerebrates felt a bit like watching three AI teammates carry you through a campaign.
The Overmind didn't plan to command personally—it was starting to grow a bit lazy—but it would constantly monitor the battlefield for details, searching for any intelligence potentially related to the Terran Confederacy.
"One 'Tyranid' [Tàilún] Swarm, one 'Terran' [Tàilún] Confederacy... two 'Tyranids.' The name overlap is real."
The Overmind controlled an Overseer to survey the battlefield from high altitude. The battle outside the Hive City had actually already reached a conclusion. The Zerg were now much better equipped. Even without deploying Titan-class units like the Ultralisk, they could easily force back the Tyranid "Old Three"—Hormagaunts, Termagants, and Tyranid Warriors—using their own "Old Three": Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Roaches.
The best thing about fighting Tyranids is that you don't care about casualties; as long as you win, you can recycle the biomass.
"Looking at the fighting style and location of these Tyranids, they should be a branch of Hive Fleet Leviathan. Heh, 'Leviathan' fleet vs. 'Leviathan' fleet. This name overlap is enough to make your head spin."
Hive Fleet Leviathan is currently the largest known Tyranid fleet. They are presently launching a massive offensive in the Eastern Fringe, devouring every planet in their path.
The Overmind's forces had encountered small splinter fleets of Hive Fleet Leviathan several times, and the result was naturally victory.
Incidentally, the Zerg are also divided into Broods, and one of them is also called the Leviathan Brood.
One can only say that the word "Leviathan" is quite popular.
"Well, unless you bring me a Tyranid fleet with nearly ten thousand bioships right now, I'm really not afraid of them."
The Overmind kept trying to find electromagnetic or missile-based defense systems within the Hive City. Those were the strengths of the SC2 Terrans, and a weakness of Warhammer humanity.
The strengths of Warhammer humans were Bolters, Torpedoes, and Lascannons.
In the end, it still couldn't find any.
"Hmm... did I guess wrong? There aren't any Railgun Turrets or Missile Turrets? A normal Terran player should have turned this city into an iron bucket by now. If it were me, never mind this tiny Tyranid fleet—even with a hundred ships, I'd show them the meaning of 'urbanization.'"
The Hive City's defenses were too weak. Through the Overseer's eyes, the street fighting was clearly visible.
The local Planetary Defense Force (PDF) was barely holding back the Zergling assault using cover and heavy firepower, but their lines were being pushed back bit by bit.
Occasional explosions throughout the streets slowed the Zerglings' advance, but they couldn't stop the follow-up Roaches and Hydralisks.
"Standard Warhammer Imperial defense style. Sigh, not even a Siege Tank. Looks like I guessed wrong; this definitely isn't that human..."
Just as the thought finished, the Overseer suddenly spotted something—something that made the Overmind's massive single eye tremble with excitement.
In a corner of the Hive City, roughly in a plaza area, sat a relatively intact SC2 Terran Battlecruiser.
Though it was weathered and its external armor had been modified, there was no mistaking it—the structure of a Behemoth-class Battlecruiser was far too easy to recognize.
Most importantly, the Imperium of Man didn't have ships this small. The smallest Imperial ships start at one kilometer long, while Behemoth-class Battlecruisers are generally just over five or six hundred meters.
"It really involves that Terran brother? Zath, I want that ship. Do not destroy it."
"Yes, Overmind. I shall reclaim that ship from the humans."
The Cerebrates would not question the Overmind's purpose; they would only execute.
"Abathur."
The Overmind thought of something else and summoned the working Abathur.
"Command me, Overmind."
"I will send you a batch of human samples. Help me check their DNA sequences. See if they match the humans we encountered before."
The Overmind couldn't tell if these humans were from the Terran Confederacy or their descendants just by looking at them.
But DNA could answer that.
After all, how "non-human" the DNA sequences of Warhammer 40K humans are has become a meme in the Warhammer community.
As for the Terran Confederacy, they differ from modern humans, but the gap isn't nearly that drastic.