Enzymes in the Dense "Fog" (90+): 66 (Nope)
Dry Ice Creation (90+): 53 (Nope) [I couldn't think of a way to include this anyway so I just made the bacteria very adaptive to cold, so far]
Double Layered Cell Wall (90+): 56 (Nope)
Shock Production (90+): 22 (Nope)
Hive Mind Potential (90+): 73 (Nope)
Troll Regeneration (90+): 35 (Nope)
Multiple Flagella (90+): 22 (Nope)
Enzyme Cloud (90+): 82 (Nope)
Creation of Light (90+): 97
(Nope) Success!
OUR STORY THUS FAR...
One billion years have passed. In that time, the bacterium E. Goblinus Yenaeii has grown from a single celled near-invisible thing to a small (about the length of a middle finger) bacterium with multiple cells, with a central nucleus in the very center to coordinate things. On one end is a lamprey-like "mouth" that first inhales water, chills it to a very low temprature with special "chill cells" just inside the mouth, then sprays it back out as a dense, ice-cold blast that
Slows its prey down so that it can strike. This coldness also allows ice to form on its thick-membraned body and encase it in a thick "shell" that not only prevents enemies from piercing it, but is also buoyant... and by adjusting the amount of water that courses through various "corridors" in the ice and its body, allows for quick movement in spurts.
On the other end of the "finger" are several small flagella each tipped with electro-sensors that enable it to sense incoming movement (but only from that one direction); further away from these electro-sensors (roughly where a creature's waist would be) are two long flagella to allow for basic swimming movement, one to either side. Toward the end of the billion years these feelers developed photoreceptors that can both colorchange between light and dark patches like an octopus and regrow like a starfish. These are primarily used for transmitting information if another's feelers are lined up with it.
No recognizable eyes on the "front" of the bacteria, but sunlight doesn't penetrate this far down in the ocean, so it is not like you need them. Yet.
During the one billion years, several mutations came about but nothing stuck. The dense cold water sprayed out was mixed with the bacterium enzymes to dissolve prey faster, but the surrounding bacteria evolved quick defenses, including a repulsive skin that chemically repelled the enzymes back on the attacker. E. Goblinus Yenaii managed to evolve an answer to that, developing its enzymes to break down anything "toxic" in the area. This includes poisons such as oxygen, trace metals, and so on, which grants it a greater energy reserve.
Developing slightly thicker cell walls, the ice layer became thicker the more E. Goblinus stayed at the bottom of the ocean. As survival time lengthened, the ice then became too dense for it to move around, no matter how hollow the layers between body and ice. The same went for developing more than one cell wall layer, which required more energy to maintain than it could capture (even with the addition of the photoreceptors). For a brief time it evolved the ability to produce electroshocks from its feelers to defend itself but prey and predators got wise to this and approached from the mouth end instead. Prey was eaten (allowing the bacteria to survive) but larger predator bacteria were immune to the cold water blast (bringing its numbers down). In either case the bacterium's prey quickly became faster than it was (what with the ice shell) despite its movement.
The electro/photoreceptors almost brought the formation of a potential "shared thought" if the bacterium linked with others of itself but the predators around you began to band together in more numbers than previously done and this "groupthink" was quickly squashed by some very aggressive bacteria. Instead, the bacterium began using Bioluminescence in its photoreceptors which could absorb light for energy (very very little down this deep), reflect light energy, or flash warning patterns or blend in with what surroundings are available. This causes the creation of a larger central receptor at the back of the creature in order to receive such information; while it's not an eye, it's definitely a precursor to one.
Finally, E. Goblinus Yenaii evolved a quicker way to repair itself (and to quickly replicate if undamaged), but it's not enough to make a difference yet.
One good thing did come about from all this failed mutation. In order to quickly kill the slowed bacteria around it and defend itself from assault, E. Goblinus Yenaii developed two jellyfish-like stinger cells in its mouth. The first cell is filled with oxygen filtered from the bacteria's waste products; oxygen is a powerful toxin to bacteria. The other has a paralytic poison to both hold its prey fast and slow down or stall larger predator bacteria.
Now, E. Goblinus Yenaii flows along with the currents in a lower level of the ocean, but no longer does it bottom-feed. You have three choices from here --- maintain position (and streamline thyself), ascend to an upper water level (with more predators, forcing rapid evolution to survive), or return to the bottom where there is more dead bacteria to munch on (more food, but evolutions will be weaker). If you decide to remain on the bottom, thermal vents are available to "colonize".
► Show Spoiler
Known Abilities:
Moderate Cold Resistance
Minor Poison Resistance
Somewhat Fast Healing
Colorchange Photoreceptors w/Regeneration
Photoreceptors can recieve/reflect/send light (costs a lot of energy still)
Ice Shell "armor" (AC +1)
Paralytic Bite (Fortitude negates)
Oxygen Injection (Fortitude half)
Blindsight 3' Radius, can see light/dark changes from behind
Enemy Intel:
Enemy bacteria resistant to Acid, Electroshocks, Cold
Slightly resistant to Paralysis
Enemy Bacteria that hunt you are aggressive and attack in packs
Enemy Bacteria have not learned to penetrate ice shell yet
Prey Intel:
Evolved heat generation, becoming too hot to eat and melting the ice shell/damaging the stinger cells
Increased speed to escape, has evolved water-expelling holes in its cell wall on its back end
Repulsive, chemical-repelling outer cell wall
How Do You Evolve?
Ok, time to do this again. Round 2. One concept/evolution, one mutation. And of course the choice where to go from here, whether it be to remain on the bottom or start ascending the waters and into more dangerous territory. After another 8 votes or so, we'll advance One Billion Years.