Changelings

A highly unusual lifeform characterized by their ability to alter their shape as needed. Changelings are Pilots that, though an unclear method involving their Suits, have gained the ability to alter their appearance as they wish. The mechanism by which Changelings accomplish this is poorly understood, as such individuals are almost impossible to identify as long as they wish to remain undiscovered and have never consented to being examined or experimented on in anything more than cursory detail. Because Changelings are structurally identical to humans (ie. there are no differences in skeletal, muscular or tissue makeup and arrangement) as revealed by X-ray scans, it is clear that there is no special organ or similar macroscopic mechanism at play. It is suspected that the difference is instead on the molecular level, with Changelings somehow possessing the ability to subconsciously influence gene arrangement and expression to a remarkable degree. 
Changelings have been documented mimicking the appearance of people they have seen pictures of but have never met in person, safely invalidating theories that Changelings must absorb the genetic information of a person they wish to mimic. They instead appear to only need at minimum a reference picture or strong mental image; attempts to mimic specific individuals from memory alone ended with variously imperfect results, while attempts made when presented with a photograph of the target produced very close results. Vocal reproductions were rarely correct on the very first attempt but were quickly corrected even without recorded audio being made available.
Aside from changes to facial structure and voice, overall body morphology could also be changed, though unsurprisingly extreme changes in body size, weight and structure would require more time and energy to conduct safely. Rapid or frequent transformation was exhausting and even dangerous, with rushed transitions resulting in organ failure or similar complications. 
In cases where size and mass were required to decrease, most of this mass was expelled from the lungs as carbon dioxide and excreted through the skin as sweat. In cases where size and mass were required to increase, water was the most frequent substance used for expediting transformation until normal nutritional intake would allow the Changeling to "fill out" the new body. Given sufficient time, space and substance, however, there was theoretically no appearance within human range that a Changeling could not take on for as long as suited them. Many Changelings have professed to switching between male and female genders at least once. However, the addition of non-human structures seems impossible, reinforcing the theory that this ability relies in manipulation of the genes already present within the body, and no Changeling has been documented going beyond the human bodyplan (ie. having four arms or two heads).
Category:PACYOA: TE
Category:TE Species