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Specimen Gamma: 74, Scurge

Ahem, I, Bedgy Golong, shall lecture on of the enigmatic organisms of space; the Scurge.

These creatures can have some physical resemblance towards Earth tadpoles or some forms of larvae. Unlike tadpoles, though, these creatures do not simply have a head and all of a sudden have a tail. Rather, the head, or complete body in this case, would be much longer than a tadpoles and would gradually thin out to a whip-like tail – this solemnly imagining the organism on the same scale as a tadpole, which isn’t true. Most general forms of, say, “Adult” Scurge are around that of a bear, or even bigger; they can, however, grow very large under certain ‘circumstances’.

Their bodies are nearly completely blood red, their skin having a kind a smooth but blubber texture. Their bodies will often sport many tentacles with a similar aspect to their whip-like tail, only that some will have darker, hooked ends on them. These tentacles are used to capture other organisms, and are generally their method of movement. Their face, only having a gaping mouth and two completely blue eyes, is in a position more fitted for a creature that can stand up right.

A picture of them can be seen in this picture (The creature in the tank): *Click*

Despite these creatures’ bodies being made up of the same organic, carbon-based material that most other creatures have, Scurge act very differently from carbon-based life-forms. The most obvious is that they do not require to ‘feed’ or ‘sleep’ like other organisms do; all they simply need to do to live is ‘breath’ these free floating energy particles. It is possibly due to this that they lack many of the five sense other organisms have, in particular, they have no sense of taste, smell, hearing (Although they may later on ‘develop’ the hearing ability). They do have the sensation of touch, as well as an alternate vision spectrum that allows them to see energy and the ability to sense concentrated amounts of the stuff around them (Bio, electrical, and a few others).

However, they are generally “in the dark,” as the ranges of these few sense are extremely limited to a small radius around it. Even its vision does not go very far.

It is often speculated by scientists that due this lack of senses, these organisms have develop one of their most profane and defining aspects. An aspect that is what great greatly separates them from carbon-based life-form: they have no cellular DNA. The idea of this would sound poposterous, and it even baffled many scientist that were unable to find any DNA (They did find some, but it was mostly from the bone mass, and the size and complication of the strands can in no way contribute towards their mass and structure).

It was only after some time of studying them those scientists were surprised to discover that the creature’s form was dictated by a kind of energy within them. In fact, it was soon noted that this was actually kind of bio-energy, but is very different from ours. Where ours is mostly mundane, like electricity, the Scurge’s is actually ‘alive’ like a cellular organism.

It’s this energy, which is bonded to the creature’s organic structure on a molecular level, that acts like the Scurge’s DNA, dictating the form, and perhaps acting like a nervous system. This energy is very reactionary towards other subtle energy sources, such as reactor impulse energy or generators, and can cause a few various changes to occur to the organism, this mostly being growth. In fact, later studies have shown that the average form of these creatures contains around 30 to even 50 times the amount a normal human has. This has led researchers to believe the energy is very thick or ‘dense’, and this is easily held up by the fact that their bio-energy can actually be seen in a condensed form when they day, where everyone else’s doesn’t.

This phenomenon is also what makes scientists call the Scurge “Virulent Organisms.” This energy, or perhaps some other energetic anomaly generated by it, is capable of spreading not only into biological systems, but mechanical and energy based systems as well; it has yet to be observed what other types of systems they can infect.

The results that occur from full infection widely differ from creature to creature, and from system to system. Biological are the most dramatic, as many features can be lost (Any hair always goes), and the creature will barely recognizable at all (An exception can for many insectoids); mechanical can be more subtle at times, though some can get really ‘messy’ (Many can mistaken the organic bio-matter in electrical equipment as a parasitic infestation. What’s actually happening is that infected micro organisms (I.E. Bacteria) are fusing with the electrical systems, essentially becoming a part of the machine. Simply think the machine grew an organ); energy-based are the least noticeable, and most changes that usually occur is a swap in color.

Further more (As mentioned above with the machines), the virus can affect many single-celled organisms. This can cause them closely group cells to fuse with another, and even smaller ones begin to multiply rapidly; the end result can leave a bright, blood red, organic matter visible to the naked eye. The texture of it will look like coagulated blood left to ferment, and will give off a low, slow, dim pulsing light, as thought it were actually breathing.

Contact with this matter can leave people infected (Symptoms can include a bizarre, pulsing within sections of the body, which slowly grow until it felt all around. When this happens, one will begin to quickly get weaker, and even have moments of double vision). This is one of the methods in how the virus can propagate so fast, as it can be piggybacked from one creature to another.

We like to call of these victims “Scurge variants,” as they have many of the common traits the Scurge ‘Source’ would have; in particular, the ‘no-need’ to feed and sleep, as well as the same energetic ‘DNA’. Above all else, however, the greatest, common asset between all Scurge organisms is that they are ‘manipulated’ by the Source. No matter what their system, their behavior patter will obey that of the Source’s commands – the subjects can almost thought to be part of a body, while the Source is the brain, influencing their behavior. Our understanding of the psychology between the variants and the source is limited, but we know enough that they can follow the Source’s whims.

Their method of communication with one another is also limited to our understanding. We only know they share some kind of empathy with the Source, and that the communication with one another is related to the energetic virus. Some theorize it could be some kind of energy wave that can’t be detected by normal sensors, or is perhaps too minute for even the most sensitive equipment up-to-date.

However, we do know the Source itself can hijack communications systems, like satellite relays, and can manipulate the radio frequency to have a very strange, unique signature; variants appear to be capable of picking up this signature, whether they have radio receiving equipment impeded into them or not. The frequency can only recognized and not deciphered like other signals, most likely due to its nature.

Let it be strongly noted that when a Scurge Source does hijack your communications, it doesn’t do it out of pure instinct-based intelligence; it does it because it knows what it’s doing. One of the major misconception and dangers about the Scurge is their intelligence. Initially, they seem to be rather bumbling, dumb creatures, but give the creature enough to time assimilate other organisms and bits of information into their mass, you’ll soon observe a merging collective.

These creatures are capable of gaining sentient, and it was their deceptive nature that had killed hundreds of research personnel that were the first to study it on a remote planet. Though the scientists had noticed a gradual rise in intelligence, they were unable to realize its potential until it was too late. Thankfully, the creature had been dispatched by a bounty hunter whose name I will not conceive at the moment.

The Source does appear to be able to learn on its own, but its ability to do so in it’s ordinary state is greatly limited. It is the assimilation of other organisms that help accommodate for this problem; it is also what allows the other variants, and as well as the rest of the infected organisms as a whole, to adapt in profound, sometimes unforeseen – and occasionally considered ‘impossible’ – ways.

It is this frightening flexibility that makes the study of the Source and the variants as a whole a real problem for scientists. To have them together, observing what they do naturally, and having the freedom to experiment with the creatures, can surely lead to more pleasing results; but is obviously extremely. Having constraints on what experiments can be done and what specimens can remain in the facility can greatly limit the results.

The few recent experiments that are being conducted in secrecy usually choose the ladder method, at least to begin with; it is hoped that by gradually giving more freedom, the Confederation will be able to use the former approach due to there being more background knowledge. All the labs that Scurge are studied in have a specific design that makes them relatively resistant towards the virus, and many of the personal have to wear a unique lab suit.

Where the Scurge were discovered has been disclosed to only a few scientists and high ranking officials. This is done to prevent any information leak, and quite frankly, many scientists agree that the knowledge of the location should be left to the top hats of the military, as they believe with barely any information floating about, the chances of some idiot picking up these creatures for their own personal desires (And quickly regretting it) are nil.