Ligma

"Ligma"is the Vannish word for "small worker", and applies in practice to both bacteria and nanomachines, leading to years of confusing AO-BASE as a type of nanite, when it was in fact a microorganism. The more famously extreme effects of AO-BASE are attributed to an actual nanomachine, which for continuity's sake is referred to as AO-00B, while Ligma is officially referred to as AO-00A. It was introduced to Earth by the Vannai as a means of cultivating the bacteria, as it was essential to their life cycles. 
==Relationship with the Vannai==
On Earth, a key part in the formation of complex lifeforms came from the endosymbiosis of proto-mitochondrion prokaryotic cells with eukaryotic cells roughly 2 billion years ago, and had since become a natural function in all but a handful of multicellular organisms.
The evolutionary history of the Vannai follows a similar pattern. However, the endosymbiosis that occurred on Earth did not occur with the same level of integration on Vann. While endosymbiosis did occur, the mitochondrial bacteria had to be acquired from the wild. Thus when reckless, rapid technological advancement left Vann unable to support life any longer and the Vannai took to the stars and became a spacefaring species, it was only then that the sterile environment of the mothership lacked the bacteria needed by the Vannai's biological functions. This was less an issue for the Vannai currently alive, as it had long been customary to replace their blood with nanites (indeed, the Vannish words for "cell" and "nanite" are the same), and more a problem for creating new Vannai, as Vannai cells without either the nanites or the bacteria lacked the energy for aggressive division to occur.
Thus began the desperate search for a way to prevent the Vannai species from dying out without resorting to total digitization (which is basically extinction, in a different manner). The bulk of the Vannai population was put into cryosleep while Vannish scientists and officials worked to find a solution. Several options were presented, one of which was to borrow the genes of another species to remove the weakness from their own DNA. Another was to rebuild the missing bacteria from scratch, or to use a similar example as a baseline. While the future of the Vannai was being discussed, it was also realized that as the last surviving members of their species, the Vannai were highly vulnerable to falling prey to other, more warlike species, necessitating development of a neglected war-fighting capability...
==Relationship With Humans==
In humans, Ligma is toxic in anything but small amounts, and infection with it in any degree causes a condition known as Wilder Syndrome, which eventually leads to death anyways without treatment. The Hybrids were created by the Vannai as a means to cultivate Ligma from their blood, or perhaps to act as some kind of stepping stone for the Vannai's own evolution, and do not appear to suffer from the effects of this condition as a result. The addition of Ligma to the host appears to be the reason for, or at least a major factor in the Hybrid's superior physical capabilities.
Category:PACYOA: TE
Category:Vannai