I was reading a fairly forgettable SF series, where one of the alien species is this giant centipede, that switches between “cooperative,” mode, and “competitiv

I was reading a fairly forgettable SF series, where one of the alien species is this giant centipede, that switches between “cooperative,” mode, and “competitive” mode. When “cooperative,” they are your best buddy. When “competitive,” you are fresh meat. And you can’t tell when they switch.