Your remaining 16 normal cells rip into the benign cells and begin to replace them, absorbing them for energy along the way.
Your braincells take the place of the benign cells.
It would appear that these are similar in makeup to your 8 remaining braincells.
You have 2800 energy remaining.

Continue to construct base made out of normal cells with brain cells in the center. But first ve must spend energy. Spend 2500 energy replicating, making ten brain cells and 15 normal cells.

You divide into 10 more braincells and 15 more normal cells.
You now have 300 energy remaining.
Your cells continue to devour the benign cells as the braincells take their place.
You now have 1000 energy remaining.

Next round you better tell me if the benign cells have special 'bilities. Consume floating cells until we have full energy.

send some cells (packs of 2 or 3) downstream and possibly upstream to search for cells with interesting traits possibly divide into a few more and make them into "guard posts" a little further up and down stream to give us early warning. continue construction of the "brain base".

You send 3 cells downstream as a warning group.
You consume benign cells, replacing them with your own.
You now have 6200 energy.

Use all but 100 energy to make new cells. 122 cells fyi

Fully upgrade as much as possible, THEN divide.

4000 Energy spent on brain upgrade.
Traits without absorbtion learned.
42 cells divided.
You are now 73 in number of normal cells.
You are 18 in number of brain cells.
100 energy remaining.
1000 energy replenished by replacement of benign cells.
1100 energy remaining.

Surroundings and exploration report.

Spend 1000 energy to make more brain cells. We need em.

Surroundings
Large orb of benign cells surrounded by some kind of goo.
Exploration
Only 3 cells downstream to warn of impending attacks.
You divide 20 more brain cells.
You are 73 in number of normal cells.
You are now 38 in number of brain cells.
Possible energy storage equals 14,600.
100 energy remaining.

EAT ♥♥♥♥ EVERYTHING replenish energy and ♥♥♥♥.

Do not eat cells in goo. That is the brain. We do not want to kill our host.

With the number of cells we have? Right now, the most we can do is probably make him forget the smell of burnt toast. IF we are lucky.