RPC-865

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RPC-865 as it appears infesting a crab

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Registered Phenomena Code: 865

Object Class: Gamma-Black

Hazard Types: Aquatic Hazard, Organic Hazard, Bio-Hazard, Mind-Control Hazard

Containment Protocols: RPC-865 is to be contained in an artificial ecosystem within Site-095's Deep Storage sector. The only complex animal life that may inhabit this ecosystem besides RPC-865 are green crabs. This supply is to be replenished on a weekly basis. Testing is not permitted unless approved by Site-095's director. Human testing is not permitted under any circumstances.

Should an RPC-865 strain be found uncontained, all humans and any complex life within a 25 kilometer radius are to be evacuated and the region quarantined. Any complex life seen following are to be terminated until the infection is eliminated. Should RPC-865 become airborne, nuclear force is cleared for use to terminate the threat.

Description: RPC-865 is an anomalous species of barnacle of the genus Sacculina. Under natural circumstances, RPC-865 functions identically to its non-anomalous relatives. Newly born RPC-865 will seek out green crabs as a host. Females will seek out a crab and attempt to establish itself within the crab's egg-sack. It will then proceed to construct an externa, which will emerge from the egg sack, as a point from which males may attach themselves to the externa and degenerate into their simple adult form, which acts solely as a sperm producer. Simultaneously, an interna will be constructed, consisting of several strands from which to extract nutrients from the host as well as infest the host's nervous system. This is done to convince the host that the externa is a clutch of eggs rather than a parasite, as well as activating maternal instincts in the host. This causes the host to protect the externa and help to release the offspring of the parasite. Additionally, the parasite will interrupt the crab's molting cycle to prevent it from being lost in the molt. Should a male be infested, the parasite will activate the host's maternal instincts to the best of its abilities. This includes influencing hormones and converting testes to ovaries in some cases. RPC-865 particularly excels in this field.

RPC-865 differs most from its non-anomalous relatives in its ability to infect all species large enough to host it, though it will prioritize crabs. Of note is its ability to infect humans. In human hosts, designated RPC-865-11, RPC-865 will infest not only reproductive regions but also the womb and bladder. The externa will form at a proportional size, making it difficult for infected individuals to hide. An interna is also generated, serving an identical purpose as it does in natural hosts. The interna also takes on the additional task of expelling waste, given that the externa significantly impedes the natural method of doing so. The interna will infest the nervous system, and possess proportionally more control and refined methods to deal with the more advanced human conscious. In addition to activating maternal instincts, RPC-865 will specifically instruct the host to protect it, hide it, and react violently to attempts to inspect or remove it. It will also fill the host with adrenaline if threatened, allowing RPC-865-1 to be adequately able to defend itself and RPC-865.

As it does in crabs, RPC-865 will attempt to activate maternal instincts in male hosts. While it is significantly less capable of accomplishing this in humans, being incapable of converting genitalia, it is capable of altering hormones significantly. The host will not express distress over this due to the influence of RPC-865, mostly being entirely unaware of the changes.

Upon reaching sexual maturity, RPC-865 will influence the host to enter a body of water, which has been an ocean or sea in all documented cases. Both RPC-865 males and non-anomalous parasitic barnacles are capable of fertilizing RPC-865 via entering the externa. When ready to release its offspring, RPC-865 will again attempt to influence the host to enter an ocean. However, it is less insistent on this, and if it fails it will release its offspring regardless of location. Upon doing so, the offspring differ in being less dense than air, creating an airborne strain of RPC-865. As of yet, this has only occurred in testing environments. In the presence of an airborne strain, RPC-865 will not influence the host to enter water. After this process is complete, RPC-865 is capable of repeating it until the host expires or RPC-865 is destroyed, which will result in the host's expiration regardless.

RPC-865 will live a similar life cycle in all organisms, adjusted for said organism's reproductive methods. In all organisms, an RPC-865 infection results in effective sterilization. In effect, were RPC-865 to breach containment, it would result in the extinction of most complex marine species. If it were to go airborne, it would result in the total extinction of complex animal life, including itself after the loss of hosts.

Addendum-865-A: RPC-865 was initially discovered in ██████, Florida, when a woman was reported to have a strange growth in her reproductive region. Authority agents working in the hospital she was admitted to reported this and she was taken in for testing. After identifying the cause of the infection, the subject became extremely violent and attempted to escape, releasing an airborne strain of RPC-865 into the testing room, resulting in 3 infections. The subject and 2 of the infected personnel were terminated and the testing room was quarantined until the RPC-865 larvae died off. The region near where the initial infection occurred was investigated thoroughly, but only non-anomalous parasitic barnacles were found. The remaining staff member was transferred to Site-095 and kept for testing, but was terminated when containment procedures had been approved and green crab hosts had been infected.

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