Ganglion

The Hive are a parasitic species that feature in Dark Skies.

History
At some unknown point in the past, the Hive also known as Ganglions infiltrated the Grey species which they conquered and began to use as hosts for their higher intelligence. (Episode: Awakening) First contact with Humanity came just outside the Roswell Army Air Base on July 2, 1947. It was during this moment that the Grey hosts were discovered though the true nature of the Hive was not known to the first contact team. The Grey ambassador made use of a strange device which sent a telepathic demand to United States President Truman for their unconditional surrender. However, the United States reacted violently and attacked the saucer and caused it to crash as well as kill its crew. It was at that moment that the President created Majestic 12 in order to cover up the incident and any other sign of alien infiltrations on the planet. (Episode: Moving Targets) Earth became aware of the existence of extraterrestrial life in the year 1947 during an incident where one of the alien saucers crash landed at Roswell near a United States nuclear bomber base. After its discovery, a covert mission was assembled and became known as Majestic 12 which quickly covered up the alien presence as well as made the local farmer retract his story and also remove any further pieces of evidence on the subject. From the crashed saucer, they found the remains of one of the Grey aliens as well as a dead Hive Ganglion parasite along with a number of advanced technology which they kept in storage. The Roswell incident became considered little more than a hoax and led to the formation of Project: Blue Book where Majestic 12 continued to monitor, locate and combat any threat from such aliens in the future. Whilst this was happening, the Hive were involved in a covert infiltration and invasion of the planet Earth in the 1960s. At this point, for reasons unknown, the Ganglions were involved with placing bizarre crop circles in isolated regions of the planet Earth. (Episode: Awakening) During the course of the 1960s, Majestic 12 stepped up its operations at discovering the nature of the alien threat. Initially, they attempted to dissuade John Loengard from interfering in their operations but later recruited him. They later sent him to investigate a crop circle where he was attacked by a local farmer. During the course of events, the farmer was killed by Majestic 12 agents and the body taken for study in order to learn why he became violent. Before the dissection could commence in Majestic's headquarters, the body reacted strangely and attacked the leading doctor. After which, the parasite emerged and attempted to forcibly take a Majestic 12 agent as a host. However, the actions of Loengard led to the capture of the parasite before it could accomplish its act and Majestic 12 revealed that the parasite was identical to the one recovered from the Roswell Grey alien. Upon learning the existence of the parasite, the nickname of Ganglion was attributed to the Hive parasites with Majestic 12 taking steps to learn more about this threat to the United States. (Episode: Awakening) When a danger emerged that might had led to the exposure of their existence to the human race, the Ganglions used infiltrated host agents to assassinate President Kennedy in order to remove that opposition. (Episode: Moving Targets)

Biology
Initial study of the Ganglions by scientists revealed them to be a type of insect type lifeform. (Episode: Moving Targets) The creature itself resembled a hand sized pinkish insectile mass of tentacles that emitted clicking noises. It possessed at least four such legs on either side of its body as well as a long tail. These tentacles were remarkably fast and fluid in their movements. A number of its tentacles were able to shoot out allowing it to grab onto projectile weapons such as pistols in order to stop them firing. It had two such tentacles which these creatures used to latch onto hosts and force their way into their body by way of the mouth. During such actions, the creature was highly aggressive in its desire to enter into a shell body and typically attacked a prospective hosts face in order to latch onto them whereupon they intended to invade the throat and thus take residence within the body. If anyone attempted to trap the parasite in a container, the creature reacted extremely violently and attempted to shatter its prison in order to escape. These parasites worked by entering into the body of a host which they used as a shell for their operations. Such hosts were capable of being killed in car accidents but this left the parasite unharmed and it remained within its body as well as continued to operate it despite the death of the host. (Episode: Awakening) Its shown that the Ganglion parasite acted aggressively against any actions used to remove it from the body with tools penetrating organs such as the ears being grabbed by the creature and forced out. Hive parasite was able to take control of the limbs of the body and choke any intruder despite the fact that the host shell was dead. This made the parasite extremely dangerous even when its shell was seemingly killed so long as the body remained intact. If endangered, the parasite was able to leave the body from an orifice such as a mouth and quickly take control of another host shell. One visible sign of infestation was blood coming from the nose as the creature embedded itself in the amygdala portion of the brain stem which was also the emotional center amongst humans. (Episode: Awakening) Its shown that surgical acts to remove the Ganglion were unsuccessful as the host typically died from such a procedure. There was a technique designed injecting a substance within the Ganglion in order to kill it but this rejection procedure was also not successful and brought only about the death of the host. However, by increasing the PH level within the blood and introducing toxic and acidic compounds in the body, it was possible to kill the Ganglion which escaped from the mouth only to die as its body was a burnt out husk. (Episode: Awakening) This process was not universal as there were occasions where it was conducted and failed to kill the parasite. (Episode: Moving Targets) Furthermore, the injection of Throwback blood into a Ganglion led to the Hive parasites body acting violently whereupon it dissolves. (Episode: Dark Days Night)

Hosts
The Hive made use of a variety of beings as use of host shells for their operations. In addition to humans, Ganglions made regular use of the Greys as host shells for their operations. The Greys were named due to their grey skin and had black eyes, five fingers arranged in a circular manner and were shorter than humans. Whilst these were their preferred hosts, the Hive were equally able to take possession of animals such as monkeys for their needs. Hosts received an large increase in their strength and functions allowing them to overpower others. A host when suffering from possession was unable to recall at times the act which prevented them from notifying others of the Ganglion presence in their bodies. A theory held that there was a link between the parasites being lodged in the emotional center of the brain and the emotional as well as intellectual scrambling faced when they took possession of a human host. New hosts typically face a level of confusion and were typically watched over by more established hosts in order to ease the Ganglion's control over the new shell. Initially, the parasite did not gain complete control; though it had the capacity to influence the host and control the limbs in order to prevent certain actions, it did not gain complete possession over the shell. Those more fully infected by a Ganglion were stated to experience the joy of "singularity". (Episode: Awakening) If a host managed to be freed from the parasites possession, they retained several pieces of knowledge from the Ganglion though initially were not aware of this as it was typically a subconscious action such as drawing alien symbols without knowing about it. (Episode: Mercury Rising) Whilst the Ganglions were able to take a number of beings as hosts, there was a small minority called Throwbacks that were resistant to Hive infestation. This was believed to be due to a biological incompatibility. A violent rejection process occurred where the Ganglion dissolved into an acidic slime and exploded. (Episode: Dark Days Night)

Culture
A Ganglion was intelligent enough to make use of its hosts to deceive others into believing that they were normal human beings. Typically, they only revealed their true identity when there was a danger to their operations or a risk of discovery. At such moments, the parasites worked to eliminate any potential threats or to escape. In one case, a Ganglion parasite was forced to take possession of a monkey as a host and managed to use the creature to escape its cage. Furthermore, it used its opportunity to escape to bring others into the laboratory so it could ambush them and gain access to further locations in its facility. During the course of its actions, the creature worked to eliminate any enemies present by various means such as ripping a pipe from the ceiling to use as a club against an armed target and later confiscating their weapon to kill them. More grander strategies involved the deliberate targeting of individuals close to their enemies in order to forcibly take possession of them as hosts and use them against their foes. (Episode: Awakening)

Whilst Ganglions were able to speak in the language of their hosts, they did possess their own language. (Episode: Awakening) This was used as a means of communication through technological means between Hive members. (Episode: Moving Targets) This was known as Thtmaa.

Technology
They possessed the capacity to create saucer shaped interstellar craft that were far superior to 20th century Earth technology in terms of speed and other such capabilities. Small craft were the size of Human fighter planes but were able to accelerate and maneovure to extreme levels. These smaller saucers were but scout ships which docked with a much larger mothership that was reported to be the size of at least three cruiser ships. The larger vessel contained a huge hanger beneath it near the center and emitted a strange energy that overwhelmed normal Human instruments. (Episode: Awakening) This mothership was black, and triangular in shape, estimated by astronaut Ty Yount to be bigger than a football stadium. (Episode: Mercury Rising) The mothership was the place where most abductees were taken for implantation, and functioned as the Hive's base of operations in the Solar System. Their smaller saucer shaped ships were able to clock in excess of 1700 knots. (Episode: Moving Target) One unique weapon used by the Hive was an organic orb carried in the hand of the host. These orbs were harvested from alien plants grown in secret locations. (Episode: We Shall Overcome) They contain a viscous, motile slime that is squeezed out onto the floor by the Hive member. The slime quickly moves across the floor to a targets feet, whereupon it expands from the floor up the target's legs, quickly encasing the individual. This was a method through which the Hive managed to capture important targets and hosts as they were literally cocooned yet alive. Once entrapped in this manner, the Ganglions were free to use anti-gravity technology to levitate the target into their ships. (Episode: Awakneing) Smaller items include a plastic-type object, roughly the size of a finger nail, which when exposed to open air expands itself into a triangular shaped piece of transparent foil, as thin as a graphene sheet, that levitated from its surroundings until compressed back to its original form. The purpose of these devices were not known though it highlighted the advanced nature of their technology. (Episode: Awakening) This was actually a form of communication and translation device which required users to use three fingers to tap several of the hexagonal sequences at once. When done, a visible ripple was seen on the devices surface and it imparted the thoughts of the Hive to its user. (Episode: Moving Targets) They were also able to create constructs from light that formed into a spherical device with glowing hexagonical patterns on its surface. These machines were stated to impart their knowledge on its users and were capable of disintegrating at a moments notice. (Episode: Awakening) The advanced technology of the Ganglions allowed them to send transmissions to other races such as mid-20th century Earth with instructions to arrive at certain locations. Their science even allowed them to create technical failures in such technology and thus prevent tracking devices from getting a lock on their vessels. Furthermore, it created a disturbance in electrical equipment thus causing it to shut down. (Episode: Moving Targets) Ganglions were also aware of the effects of subliminal messages embedded in videos which they were able to use to brainwash humans. (Episode: Dark Days Night)


 * Its not entirely known whether the Ganglion parasites invented their technology or simply they stole their technology from their host races. 


 * The presence of recognisable 'Hive' glyphs on a ship predating the Hive takeover of the Grey species shows that, at least some aspects of Hive culture are stolen. (Epsiode: Ancient Future)