Mutates

2156: Commodore E. Rammage Personal Log

A transcript from the personal logs of Commodore Earl Rammage. Mutates. A decrepit genetics experiment from our rivals The Syndicate. Course, when we turned to genetic engineering to kibosh Lieben's stranglehold on weapons, we knew from an academic and espionage point of view the Syndicate was tinkering in the same research pools. Nothing our corporate espionage units saw indicated they'd succeeded like we had and created living organisms capable of the fantastic and the vicious. The chromatophoric creatures who attacked Agritage (Neon Lieben) were what I thought the extent of it. Won't be the first time in the history of creation I, Earl Rammage, was wrong. You can strike that last sentence from the record. Actually, strike it. I don't want record of me saying I was wrong. And this one, strike this one too... done? Okay. The Mutates are carnivores, close as we can tell. They don't eat for sustenance, not completely, they consume flesh to mimic it. To copy the genome and integrate it into their own. Far as we can tell, the Mutates can absorb genetic knowledge, certain positive traits. The idea these mutant freaks exist, and can replicate the talents, natural abilities and gene codes of anything they eat? That's more freaky than what we found when KT-002 Kate passed out. Allard thinks we need to nuke the things, not study them, I'm of a mind for both. See which one of us gets a sample first.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dubbed "giant effing sand lobsters" by Max Allard, it appears as if the Mutates are gigantic arthropods with eight 'limbs' and a human face in the middle of their torso. They are more commonly known from intel as 'Banshees', after the piercing and discombobulating nature of their call.

Genetics and Reproduction

The horrific nature of the Mutates lies in their reproduction. Apparently, they're natural mimics. Standard arthropod reproduction, with the fertilization of a female's eggs from a male participant is out. As far as we know, there are only females... not that we've checked. The only Mutate we've had contact with was female, the brood-mare of a collection of amoeba-like sand-crawling lobsters large enough to pull human and Assets alike underground. Those larval Mutates seemed unfinished for a terrible reason: they absorb the DNA of others through consumption of flesh, then metamorphose into a finished form. Yes, the Mutates absorb the DNA of their food. There seems to be a two stage reproduction. 1. The initial larval phase 2. The genetic growth We assume once the Mutate female comes into maturity, it lays a clutch of larvae based on its own genetic material. Then, the larvae stay in their semi-development before consuming flesh and combining their genetic material with the eaten genome. Then, the next generation of Mutate incorporates both the past and future.

Growth Rate & Stages

As far as we know, Mutate larvae require only a matter of hours between consumption of genetic material and maturation via a vulnerable cocoon phase. As for how long from egg to larva? We don't have a single freaking clue. We don't even know if there's more of them aside from the ones who attacked my team in the Pacific (Neon Lieben).

Ecology and Habitats

Max: Sand. They like soft sand.
Rammage: Anything else to add?
Max: Seem to swim. Didn't follow us when we ran onto land with bedrock.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Flesh. The more complex, the likelier to be eaten first.

Biological Cycle

No Intel Available

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Sight
Smell
Hearing
Extra Potent Vocals: The Banshee's call acts as a neuro-inhibitor. It messes with the head of Homo Sapiens and Homo Augmentum alike.
Proportional Strength