Dudu Fadende
Proton
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2019
- Messages
- 147
- Nebulae
- 347
OVERVIEW
Parasitics are the designation given to the headcrab family of organisms by the Union. Parasitics are, as the name implies, parasitic in nature. There are multiple subspecies of parasitics, each which affect their hosts in different ways and produce different kinds of necrotics. Necrotics are the result of a parasitic attaching to a host, and are referred to as such because of their resemblance to the undead of pre-war popular culture.
NORMAL HEADCRAB/ZOMBIE
The typical headcrab is a predatory parasitic species that relies on a host to provide itself with sustenance. A single headcrab is not too much of a threat if the potential victim has time to see it coming, though the true threat comes from its sneaky nature. Headcrabs often lie in wait for prey rather than actively seeking them out, preferring to hide in dark places such as crawl spaces or air vents. Once a suitable host happens upon the headcrab, it will use its deceptively powerful hind legs to launch itself through the air in an attempt to latch onto the host's head. The headcrab will then dig its barbed front talons into the victim's shoulders, ensuring that prying it from the host is extremely difficult. At the same time, the headcrab will inject a potent paralytic agent into the host's blood stream, which will render them unconscious and immobile so that the headcrab may begin symbiosis uninterrupted. Once the headcrab has begun the process of symbiosis, removal of the creature will result in the death of the host. Once a successful "coupling" has been achieved, the headcrab will then use its sharp inner beak to puncture the skull of the host and begin injecting genetic material into the bloodstream. This material will bond with the host's DNA and begin to reconfigure it to suit the needs of the headcrab. At the same time, a powerful necrotic agent is used to break down unnecessary bodily structures to be converted into a nutritious slurry for the headcrab to consumed via the host's repurposed digestive system. After some time the host body will effectively die, and the headcrab will be left in control of the vessel's motor functions. The bones of the hand will reconfigure into grotesque razor-sharp claws that the necrotic will use to tear apart prey. The abdomen will split open, (or is ripped open by the necrotic itself, which is the case is unknown) and incoming nutrients will be shoved directly into the stomach through this new maw. Despite more or less clinical death of the subject, "zombies" (as they're colloquially known among the human population) have been known to vocalize from time to time. More often than not these are simply gutteral utterances such as growls and snarls when attacking prey or when struck with a weapon, or low moans and mutters when idle. It has occasionally been observed that a zombie will scream as if in agony when set ablaze, with some claiming that the host can be heard screaming out for help or to be put out of their misery. Whether the host is still conscious and aware of their actions or if this is simply reflex action from the body is unknown. Due to the breakdown of vital organs no longer necessary for the necrotic's function, their bodies are extremely durable to physical damage. Necrotics have been observed being severed at the waist with no negative repercussions, still being able to drag itself along the ground with its claws. On a side note; the rapid putrefaction of the host body produces an excess amount of bodily gasses, which as a result makes necrotics extremely flammable.
ZOMBINE
The zombine (colloquial term) is somewhat of an anomaly amongst necrotics. The result of the coupling of a normal headcrab and a transhuman soldier, the zombine retains some vestigial traits of its host that other necrotics do not. The zombine lends credence to the idea that necrotics may still be semi-aware while under the influence of the parasitic, as the zombine can sometimes be heard uttering broken phrases that are applicable to their situation. When spotting prey they can be heard to bellow "Contact!", or "Sector is... *long breath* Not secure..." Upon sight of prey, the zombine will initially hobble toward them slowly with a gait similar to that of a common zombie. After a few steps, the zombine will then break into a startling gallop, capable of closing the distance in a matter of seconds. Why the zombine retains this level of mobility compared to the common zombie is unknown, though this could be because of the various augmentations the body received during the conversion process to a transhuman. Another sign that the zombine may still retain some semblances of its past life is that when close to a prey that it cannot reach with its claws, it will proceed to pull out and arm a grenade in a suicidal charge. Curiously, when the parasitic is detached from the host's head, it can be seen that the top half of the skull has been broken away completely.
FAST HEADCRAB/ZOMBIE
The fast headcrab is a much more agile and aggressive subspecies of headcrab. It is unknown if this subspecies is the result of natural evolution or forced genetic engineering by the Combine, as there was no record of this subspecies being present during the Black Mesa Incident. Fast headcrabs forgo the stealthy hunting tactics of their cousins in favor of a more proactive approach. The extremely fast metabolism of this headcrab means that it is in a constant state of starvation, which results in an emaciated appearance and heightened aggressive behavior. Once attached to a host, the headcrab will initiate a similar symbiosis to that of their more widespread cousin, though the resulting necrotic is vastly different. The necrotic result of this parasitic's coupling is a horrific sight to behold. The necrotic agent used by the fast headcrab is far more powerful than that of the normal headcrab, and as a result the host's tissue is dissolved and absorbed by the parasitic at an alarming rate. Rather than break down what is needed for nutrition at the time and continue to use the host to seek out new sources of food, this parasitic will siphon the nutrients out of a host over a very rapid period of time and detach itself immediately after the host has run out of consumable material. Despite its use of a host purely as a food source, the fast headcrab will still induce defensive mutations. The resulting necrotic is extremely skeletal in appearance, with almost all muscle and organ tissue having completely rotted away. The hands are again contorted into a set of vicious claws that are used to eviscerate threats to the parasitic. Despite the significant lack of any muscle tissue, the necrotic possesses a far higher degree of mobility than its counterparts. It is capable of leaping great heights and absorbing the impact of falls that would severely injure most other organisms.
POISON HEADCRAB/ZOMBIE
The poison headcrab is arguably the most dangerous subspecies of parasitic. The paralytic agent used by this parasitic is so powerful that it can cause near-immediate shutdown of the host's vital systems once introduced into the nervous system. Poison headcrabs are even more cautious and evasive than their typical cousins, almost never actively pursuing a victim and waiting for them around corners and in dark spots. Once attached to the host, the symbiosis will result in massive swelling of the body tissue. It is theorized that this is due to the large amounts of neurotoxin coursing through the victim. Once reanimated, the host body will audibly continue respiration through a series of ragged, phlegm-filled breaths. Respiration seems to serve no purpose in the other necrotics, so why this one continues to breathe remains a mystery. It is theorized that perhaps the parasitic itself cannot produce its own toxins, and therefore uses the lungs of the host as a factory of sorts to produce them. Multiple parasitics have been observed to hitch a ride on a necrotic, which results in a hunched-over posture. It is unknown whether they simply use this as a means of transportation, acquire nutrition from the host, or if they are refilling their toxin reserves.
Parasitics are the designation given to the headcrab family of organisms by the Union. Parasitics are, as the name implies, parasitic in nature. There are multiple subspecies of parasitics, each which affect their hosts in different ways and produce different kinds of necrotics. Necrotics are the result of a parasitic attaching to a host, and are referred to as such because of their resemblance to the undead of pre-war popular culture.
NORMAL HEADCRAB/ZOMBIE
The typical headcrab is a predatory parasitic species that relies on a host to provide itself with sustenance. A single headcrab is not too much of a threat if the potential victim has time to see it coming, though the true threat comes from its sneaky nature. Headcrabs often lie in wait for prey rather than actively seeking them out, preferring to hide in dark places such as crawl spaces or air vents. Once a suitable host happens upon the headcrab, it will use its deceptively powerful hind legs to launch itself through the air in an attempt to latch onto the host's head. The headcrab will then dig its barbed front talons into the victim's shoulders, ensuring that prying it from the host is extremely difficult. At the same time, the headcrab will inject a potent paralytic agent into the host's blood stream, which will render them unconscious and immobile so that the headcrab may begin symbiosis uninterrupted. Once the headcrab has begun the process of symbiosis, removal of the creature will result in the death of the host. Once a successful "coupling" has been achieved, the headcrab will then use its sharp inner beak to puncture the skull of the host and begin injecting genetic material into the bloodstream. This material will bond with the host's DNA and begin to reconfigure it to suit the needs of the headcrab. At the same time, a powerful necrotic agent is used to break down unnecessary bodily structures to be converted into a nutritious slurry for the headcrab to consumed via the host's repurposed digestive system. After some time the host body will effectively die, and the headcrab will be left in control of the vessel's motor functions. The bones of the hand will reconfigure into grotesque razor-sharp claws that the necrotic will use to tear apart prey. The abdomen will split open, (or is ripped open by the necrotic itself, which is the case is unknown) and incoming nutrients will be shoved directly into the stomach through this new maw. Despite more or less clinical death of the subject, "zombies" (as they're colloquially known among the human population) have been known to vocalize from time to time. More often than not these are simply gutteral utterances such as growls and snarls when attacking prey or when struck with a weapon, or low moans and mutters when idle. It has occasionally been observed that a zombie will scream as if in agony when set ablaze, with some claiming that the host can be heard screaming out for help or to be put out of their misery. Whether the host is still conscious and aware of their actions or if this is simply reflex action from the body is unknown. Due to the breakdown of vital organs no longer necessary for the necrotic's function, their bodies are extremely durable to physical damage. Necrotics have been observed being severed at the waist with no negative repercussions, still being able to drag itself along the ground with its claws. On a side note; the rapid putrefaction of the host body produces an excess amount of bodily gasses, which as a result makes necrotics extremely flammable.
ZOMBINE
The zombine (colloquial term) is somewhat of an anomaly amongst necrotics. The result of the coupling of a normal headcrab and a transhuman soldier, the zombine retains some vestigial traits of its host that other necrotics do not. The zombine lends credence to the idea that necrotics may still be semi-aware while under the influence of the parasitic, as the zombine can sometimes be heard uttering broken phrases that are applicable to their situation. When spotting prey they can be heard to bellow "Contact!", or "Sector is... *long breath* Not secure..." Upon sight of prey, the zombine will initially hobble toward them slowly with a gait similar to that of a common zombie. After a few steps, the zombine will then break into a startling gallop, capable of closing the distance in a matter of seconds. Why the zombine retains this level of mobility compared to the common zombie is unknown, though this could be because of the various augmentations the body received during the conversion process to a transhuman. Another sign that the zombine may still retain some semblances of its past life is that when close to a prey that it cannot reach with its claws, it will proceed to pull out and arm a grenade in a suicidal charge. Curiously, when the parasitic is detached from the host's head, it can be seen that the top half of the skull has been broken away completely.
FAST HEADCRAB/ZOMBIE
The fast headcrab is a much more agile and aggressive subspecies of headcrab. It is unknown if this subspecies is the result of natural evolution or forced genetic engineering by the Combine, as there was no record of this subspecies being present during the Black Mesa Incident. Fast headcrabs forgo the stealthy hunting tactics of their cousins in favor of a more proactive approach. The extremely fast metabolism of this headcrab means that it is in a constant state of starvation, which results in an emaciated appearance and heightened aggressive behavior. Once attached to a host, the headcrab will initiate a similar symbiosis to that of their more widespread cousin, though the resulting necrotic is vastly different. The necrotic result of this parasitic's coupling is a horrific sight to behold. The necrotic agent used by the fast headcrab is far more powerful than that of the normal headcrab, and as a result the host's tissue is dissolved and absorbed by the parasitic at an alarming rate. Rather than break down what is needed for nutrition at the time and continue to use the host to seek out new sources of food, this parasitic will siphon the nutrients out of a host over a very rapid period of time and detach itself immediately after the host has run out of consumable material. Despite its use of a host purely as a food source, the fast headcrab will still induce defensive mutations. The resulting necrotic is extremely skeletal in appearance, with almost all muscle and organ tissue having completely rotted away. The hands are again contorted into a set of vicious claws that are used to eviscerate threats to the parasitic. Despite the significant lack of any muscle tissue, the necrotic possesses a far higher degree of mobility than its counterparts. It is capable of leaping great heights and absorbing the impact of falls that would severely injure most other organisms.
POISON HEADCRAB/ZOMBIE
The poison headcrab is arguably the most dangerous subspecies of parasitic. The paralytic agent used by this parasitic is so powerful that it can cause near-immediate shutdown of the host's vital systems once introduced into the nervous system. Poison headcrabs are even more cautious and evasive than their typical cousins, almost never actively pursuing a victim and waiting for them around corners and in dark spots. Once attached to the host, the symbiosis will result in massive swelling of the body tissue. It is theorized that this is due to the large amounts of neurotoxin coursing through the victim. Once reanimated, the host body will audibly continue respiration through a series of ragged, phlegm-filled breaths. Respiration seems to serve no purpose in the other necrotics, so why this one continues to breathe remains a mystery. It is theorized that perhaps the parasitic itself cannot produce its own toxins, and therefore uses the lungs of the host as a factory of sorts to produce them. Multiple parasitics have been observed to hitch a ride on a necrotic, which results in a hunched-over posture. It is unknown whether they simply use this as a means of transportation, acquire nutrition from the host, or if they are refilling their toxin reserves.
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