Post by ash on Mar 23, 2018 1:56:56 GMT
Cereverebrum assecula is a species of artificial sentient parasite whose members are colloquially known as “Brain Worms.” They were genetically engineered by members of the Raven Syndicate, for whom they were intended to carry out assassinations, and infiltrate organizations for both espionage and control.
Their colloquial name comes from their need to burrow into another sentient creature’s body, allowing them not only to siphon nutrition from the host’s digestive system, but more importantly to steal sensory and memory information from the host’s brain, and take complete control of the victim’s body. This process does not interfere with the host’s awareness. However, unless the worm willfully relinquishes control, the host has no way of combating the worm’s influence, and must watch from inside their own body as it is piloted according to the worm’s wishes. If the worm does relinquish control, he remains aware of everything the host senses and may reestablish control at any time.
Brain worms are tubular, being about three meters long and four centimeters in diameter, though they can compress their bodies to be millimeters think. They are also capable of changing color and texture to match their surroundings. This makes it possible for them to sneak up on and burrow into an unconscious target without the target realizing.
Despite this, their usefulness as assassins and infiltrators is limited by four design flaws. First, a fault in the worm’s digestive system cases the worm’s waste is easily distinguishable by its green color and liquid consistency, making it easy to detect brain worm infection via a fecal test. Second, that same fault causes a sterile biproduct of their digestion to be present in the host’s bloodstream, where it is easily detected by a blood test. Third, while the worm is invisible to X-Ray scanners, more sophisticated scanning technology, including magnetic resonance imaging, can detect it. Finally, the aforementioned biproducts of the worm’s metabolism tend to turn the host’s body fluids and skin visibly green over time. This change in coloration generally becomes obvious within three months, preventing the worms from maintaining secrecy for extended periods of time.
Changes in behavior can also give away a worm’s presence. While brain-worms theoretically have access to all of the information in the host’s brain about how they speak and behave, convincingly imitating someone is still a difficult skill that must be acquired. Hosts will also display increased appetite, and often weight loss. The worm requires about fifteen-hundred calories per day to sustain itself.
While many brain worms inhabit the role intended for them, either for the syndicate who created them or for other organizations, including governments, who have acquired them, many others have no desire to engage in such difficult and dangerous work and would rather live safer, more mundane lives. Most such worms inhabit criminals or slaves. Kinder individuals may allow their hosts time with their own body under controlled circumstances. Still kinder worms, or worms who can afford to constantly buy younger, healthier bodies as their hosts age, may buy slaves to serve as hosts for a time before freeing them and moving to another host. That said, worms with the means to regularly change bodies are also known to carelessly abuse them. These worms leave their hosts injured, addicted, and diseased. If the host is a slave, they rarely have the market value to be worth reselling and are usually put down.
Rarely, brain worms develop personal, or in some cases, even romantic bonds with their hosts. These bonded pairs share time in their mutual body freely with one another. These worms may remain in their host’s bodies even as they or otherwise become undesirable, and such hosts will willingly allow their worms to leave and enter their bodies for a variety of reasons.
Their colloquial name comes from their need to burrow into another sentient creature’s body, allowing them not only to siphon nutrition from the host’s digestive system, but more importantly to steal sensory and memory information from the host’s brain, and take complete control of the victim’s body. This process does not interfere with the host’s awareness. However, unless the worm willfully relinquishes control, the host has no way of combating the worm’s influence, and must watch from inside their own body as it is piloted according to the worm’s wishes. If the worm does relinquish control, he remains aware of everything the host senses and may reestablish control at any time.
Brain worms are tubular, being about three meters long and four centimeters in diameter, though they can compress their bodies to be millimeters think. They are also capable of changing color and texture to match their surroundings. This makes it possible for them to sneak up on and burrow into an unconscious target without the target realizing.
Despite this, their usefulness as assassins and infiltrators is limited by four design flaws. First, a fault in the worm’s digestive system cases the worm’s waste is easily distinguishable by its green color and liquid consistency, making it easy to detect brain worm infection via a fecal test. Second, that same fault causes a sterile biproduct of their digestion to be present in the host’s bloodstream, where it is easily detected by a blood test. Third, while the worm is invisible to X-Ray scanners, more sophisticated scanning technology, including magnetic resonance imaging, can detect it. Finally, the aforementioned biproducts of the worm’s metabolism tend to turn the host’s body fluids and skin visibly green over time. This change in coloration generally becomes obvious within three months, preventing the worms from maintaining secrecy for extended periods of time.
Changes in behavior can also give away a worm’s presence. While brain-worms theoretically have access to all of the information in the host’s brain about how they speak and behave, convincingly imitating someone is still a difficult skill that must be acquired. Hosts will also display increased appetite, and often weight loss. The worm requires about fifteen-hundred calories per day to sustain itself.
While many brain worms inhabit the role intended for them, either for the syndicate who created them or for other organizations, including governments, who have acquired them, many others have no desire to engage in such difficult and dangerous work and would rather live safer, more mundane lives. Most such worms inhabit criminals or slaves. Kinder individuals may allow their hosts time with their own body under controlled circumstances. Still kinder worms, or worms who can afford to constantly buy younger, healthier bodies as their hosts age, may buy slaves to serve as hosts for a time before freeing them and moving to another host. That said, worms with the means to regularly change bodies are also known to carelessly abuse them. These worms leave their hosts injured, addicted, and diseased. If the host is a slave, they rarely have the market value to be worth reselling and are usually put down.
Rarely, brain worms develop personal, or in some cases, even romantic bonds with their hosts. These bonded pairs share time in their mutual body freely with one another. These worms may remain in their host’s bodies even as they or otherwise become undesirable, and such hosts will willingly allow their worms to leave and enter their bodies for a variety of reasons.