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"Beautiful, isn't it? The scientists called it the "Nexus". They thought these bigger specimens acted as conduits for the [Marker's] control signal, broadcasting it to the smaller forms."
Jennifer Santos[1]
Hive minds

Two known nexus forms.

Nexus Organisms, also known as Hive Minds, are massive Necromorphs that are able to receive and broadcast the control signal from the Markers and the Brethren Moons to smaller Necromorph variants, telepathically coordinating large-scale outbreaks.[1]

The Ubermorph encountered on Titan Station bore numerous similarities to these Hive Minds and was likely an early stage of the creature.

Overview[]

"The Nexus experiment is... well, it's incredible! [...] We're learning so much about how these "Necromorphs" communicated. The whole species seems to have been connected by some telepathic signal - from the lowliest foot soldier, to the mightiest specimens!"
—Dr. Earl Serrano[2]
0191 ovs specimeninteriordisplaysign01 c

A SCAF guide showing the Tau Volantis Nexus.

Based on the provided biomass, the appearance of the nexus may vary. The outcome may be completely different to the anatomy of the original hosts or somewhat similar to it, as is the case with the Tau Volantis Nexus, which bears some resemblance to the Tau Volantis natives it was created from.

No matter the differences, all nexus variants have a set of massive, antenna-like appendages on their backs. The purpose of these is unknown, but it is likely that they serve as antennas helping in broadcasting the Marker signal to other beings as well as forwarding commands to the other Necromorphs. Other common characteristics seen with the Hive Minds include a prominent rib cage and several weak spots made from sacks filled with yellow liquid that are vulnerable to damage.

Nerve cluster

A nerve cluster inside of a Hive Mind, used for relaying Marker signals.

All Hive Minds possess nerve clusters inside their bodies containing synapses that are able to emit and receive bioelectric signals;[3] using this neural network, the nexus' role is to serve as the second-in-command during Necromorph outbreaks, answering to the Marker and relaying its directives to the smaller creatures.[4]

The Aegis VII Hive Mind[]

Main article: The Hive Mind
HiveMind-DERE-2023 (5)

The Aegis VII Hive Mind.

The Aegis VII Hive Mind, which was based on humans, resembled a worm-like creature with a round mouth filled with long flytrap-like teeth. The head was rounded with "eyes" made from sacks containing yellow liquid. It had a rib cage filled with sacks made from the same material as the "eyes", possibly serving as its heart.

Marker 3A maintained its connection to the Hive Mind through a signal-amplifying pedestal. When the Marker was removed from its pedestal, the connection was severed and it could no longer relay orders to the massive creature,[5][6] most likely due to the reduced intensity of the signal.[7]

The Ubermorph[]

Main article: The Ubermorph
Uberconcept

The Ubermorph.

The Ubermorph was a Regenerator-type Necromorph seen during the Titan Station outbreak and greatly resembled the Aegis VII Hive Mind on a much smaller scale. Like the previous creature, it was based on humans and had a round mouth with five "eyes", a prominent rib cage and several appendages resembling antennae on its back.

The Ubermorph was seen seemingly leading the Necromorph assault on the Government Sector to clear the way to the Site 12 Marker prior to the start of the Convergence Event, indicating it may have been a Hive Mind variant as it filled a similar commanding role.

The Tau Volantis Nexus[]

Main article: The Nexus
Dead Space 3 Nexus Beast top and side concept

The Tau Volantis Nexus.

The Nexus on Tau Volantis appeared significantly different from the Aegis VII Hive Mind. Like the first one, it resembled an insect, although this one did more than the Hive Mind. It had four blades and mantis-like feet used in traveling. The head was of the original host's with few modifications (as opposed to the Aegis VII Hive Mind), with yellow sacks as "eyes" around its mouth. It also had a large sack inside its rib cage serving as its heart, a digestive system, a stomach containing three nests, and a chamber located in its belly containing nerve clusters that received Marker signals.

By the time humanity discovered Tau Volantis, all of the Nexus forms on the planet lay inactive and frozen by the Alien Machine, although one was later thawed by Isaac Clarke's team before being killed.

Trivia[]

  • It is possible that The Boss from Dead Space (mobile) was an immature nexus; the creature's roars and theme song were the same as those heard with the Hive Mind in the original game. The Boss also featured yellow sacks surrounding its mouth and a rib cage protecting a large, yellow "heart".
  • In the graphic novel, Dead Space: Salvage, an apparent Hive Mind was seen on the Ishimura while Stefan Schneider was crossing the outside of the ship. It was swiftly repelled by the Oracles.

Gallery[]

Sources[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Dead Space 3
  2. Log:Serrano discusses Facility One
  3. Dead Space 3 - Isaac's Journal: The aiming system of the Specimen Probe seems to be tuned to the bioelectric signals of the [Nexus]'s synapses. I need to find some of these synapses and fire a probe into them to extract the information from the creature's neural network.
  4. Dead Space (2023) - "Nicole": The Hive Mind will obey.
  5. Log:Nexus Organism
  6. Dead Space Remake writer Jo Berry: "The Hive Mind and the Marker aren't necessarily on the same page."
  7. Dead Space (2023) - "Nicole": [The pedestal] amplifies. The Marker's pulse will be felt across the planet.

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