The Nexus
Necromorph Hive Mind of Tau Volantis
The Nexus was a gargantuan Necromorph Hive Mind form created from the remains of the extinct natives of Tau Volantis. Like the Hive Mind of Aegis VII, the Nexus served as a ground commander for lesser Necromorphs, broadcasting and receiving Marker signals across the infestation.
The Nexus was a Necromorph Hive Mind form created on Tau Volantis from the remains of the planet's extinct natives. It belonged to the same hive mind sub-species as the Hive Mind that had risen on Aegis VII, and like that creature it functioned as a ground commander for lesser Necromorph forms, telepathically broadcasting Marker signals and coordinating the infestation. Several Nexus forms were left flash frozen on the surface of Tau Volantis, and the signals locked inside their bodies later guided the people who came to the planet. (Dead Space 3)
Origin and anatomy#
The Nexus forms were gargantuan crustacean-like Necromorphs assembled from at least one corpse of the extinct alien species of Tau Volantis. The creature's head resembled the skulls of the alien skeletons found across the planet, which set it apart in appearance from the human-derived Hive Mind of Aegis VII even though the two were of the same sub-species. The head was mantis-like, with four eyes separated by fleshy openings down a crowned forehead and a vertically split set of mandibles that opened to reveal large claws and a ring of pustules around the mouth. (Dead Space 3)
The body carried four long limbs used to attack, with two blade-like arms held behind the head, and a chest cavity that opened onto a large pulsating sac much like the one on the Aegis VII creature. Several appendages rose from its back. The interior held hollow chambers laced with Corruption strands, and within them sat Nests and cyst-like nerve clusters. The Nexus drew prey toward its mouth or smashed at them with its limbs, swallowing victims down into a stomach filled with acidic liquid where the internal Nests would finish them. (Dead Space 3)
Role as a Marker relay#
The appendages on the Nexus acted as antennas. They broadcast the Marker signal to the lesser Necromorph pawns and received it in turn from the Markers and the Brethren Moons, making the creature a command node within the wider infestation. The cyst-like nerve clusters in its interior were directly involved in carrying the signal, and they were sensitive to damage. When struck, they summoned enhanced Feeders that had grown stronger by feeding on the Nexus from the inside, defending the body much as white cells defend a wound. (Dead Space 3)
Because these signals persisted even in the frozen specimens, they became a tool of research rather than only a weapon. The Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces, studying the recovered Necromorph at Excavation Site 1, traced the signal that the Nexus received to triangulate the source of the Marker transmissions, which led them to the Alien Machine buried beneath a nearby mountain and paved the way for the building of Facility Two. (Dead Space 3)
The frozen specimens and Nexus-001#
When the Convergence on Tau Volantis ended in the flash freezing of the whole world, several Nexus forms were caught and preserved. Three were found at the base of the frozen mountain that concealed the Alien Machine, frozen in postures that looked as though they had been climbing toward the mountain or tearing at it when the freeze took hold. (Dead Space 3)
One specimen was designated Nexus-001 by the research teams, the number marking it as one of several. Two centuries after the Sovereign Colonies expedition, Isaac Clarke and John Carver reached this frozen Hive Mind in an effort to thaw it and triangulate the signal still held within its body. The creature thawed and revived, and in the confusion of a clash with Robert Norton and the soldiers of the Circle, it turned on everyone present. Isaac was pulled into its body and forced to fight his way back out. After a sustained struggle Isaac and Carver brought the enormous creature down, and it collapsed dead. (Dead Space 3)
Frequently asked questions
- What was the Nexus in Dead Space?
- The Nexus was a Necromorph Hive Mind form encountered on Tau Volantis. It was a gargantuan crustacean-like creature built from the corpses of the planet's extinct natives, of the same sub-species as the Hive Mind that had appeared on Aegis VII. The Nexus forms acted as ground commanders for lesser Necromorphs, telepathically broadcasting Marker signals and coordinating the infestation.
- How was the Nexus connected to the Markers?
- Cyst-like nerve clusters inside a Nexus broadcast the Marker signal to lesser Necromorphs and received it from the Markers and the Brethren Moons. Because the frozen Nexus bodies still carried these signals, the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces used them to triangulate the location of the Alien Machine buried beneath the mountain.
- What happened to the Nexus on Tau Volantis?
- Several Nexus forms were found flash frozen on Tau Volantis, three of them at the base of the mountain that hid the Alien Machine. One specimen, designated Nexus-001 by the Sovereign Colonies research teams, later thawed and revived. It attacked Isaac Clarke and John Carver while they tried to trace its signal, and the two killed it.
Sources
- GameDead Space 3, Visceral Games, 2013
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
Brethren Moons
The Brethren Moons were gigantic, intelligent space-faring Necromorphs and the ultimate source of every Marker signal. Formed by a Convergence Event, they spread Black Markers across the stars to seed new civilizations, harvest them, and birth more of their kind in an endless cycle of extinction.
Feeder
The Feeder was a Necromorph formed from a human who had eaten Necromorph flesh. Emaciated, light-sensitive, and guided by sound, Feeders rose from starving Sovereign Colonies soldiers on Tau Volantis who consumed the creatures they had killed.
Necromorph
Necromorphs were aggressive creatures formed when the Markers' electromagnetic signal reshaped dead tissue into monstrous new forms. Driven to kill the living and gather corpses for Convergence, they were the recurring plague that destroyed the Aegis VII colony, the USG Ishimura, and Titan Station.
Nest
The Nest was a sessile Necromorph form found only in zero gravity, anchored to a surface and serving as an area denial sentinel. It launched swarms of small exploding Necromorphs from bulbous arms and could be killed only by destroying those arms.
Nexus
The Nexus, also called a Nexus Organism or Hive Mind, was the commander-tier Necromorph that received and broadcast the Marker signal to lesser forms. The best-known specimen was raised from the natives of Tau Volantis and frozen beneath the planet alongside the Alien Machine.
The Hive Mind
The Hive Mind was a massive Nexus Necromorph created by Marker 3A on Aegis VII, a worm-like behemoth that resided in the planet's core and commanded the Necromorph hordes. It coordinated the assault on the CEC colony and the USG Ishimura before Isaac Clarke destroyed it in 2508.
Mentioned in5 entries
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Medusa: Zero Gravity Necromorph of Tau Volantis
The Medusa was a Necromorph form found only in the zero gravity spaces of Tau Volantis, a drifting mass of limbs and yellow sacs believed to be raised from a native lifeform of the planet's ancient oceans. Survivors learned to avoid it, for its limbs could tear a person apart and its sacs launched projectiles that chased targets through the void.
Nexus
The Nexus, also called a Nexus Organism or Hive Mind, was the commander-tier Necromorph that received and broadcast the Marker signal to lesser forms. The best-known specimen was raised from the natives of Tau Volantis and frozen beneath the planet alongside the Alien Machine.
Nexus Organism
Nexus organisms, also called Hive Minds, were massive Necromorphs that received the control signal of the Markers and Brethren Moons and relayed it to the smaller Necromorph forms. They served as the second in command of an outbreak, coordinating the horde across whole worlds and ships.
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