Saharan Dread Worm

## Description:

There are currently no instances of Subject #22 in JPCU containment, but [REDACTED] instances located in the Sahara Desert are currently implanted with tracking chips and are under surveillance for further study. The Saharan Dread Worm, considered a distant evolutionary cousin of the Mongolian Death Worm, is an incredibly large desert-dwelling worm. All known instances of Saharan Dread Worms inhabit the Sahara Desert, and none have demonstrated the desire to move beyond the desert's borders.

Saharan Dread Worms have been recorded as reaching lengths of up to four hundred and fifty (450) feet, with a diameter of around one hundred (100) feet. The upperside of their bodies are covered in massive white or beige overlapping chitinous plates of armor that are often six (6) feet thick. This armor is recorded as being able to repel all conventional weaponry and even magical weapons, and appears to be almost indestructible. The underside of the creatures are usually a pale white, soft, and segmented body more commonly associated with mundane worms. Saharan Dread Worms have 2 black eyes on the lower half of their head that are three (3) feet in diameter; the eyesight of the creatures has been noted as quite poor. Several rows of serrated chitinous "teeth" line the interior of the creatures's mouths, these barbs ranging in size from several yards to a couple inches, and have been demonstrated as being capable of shredding armored vehicles in a single bite.

Saharan Dread Worms also possess a powerful acid-producing gland somewhere in their bodies that is capable of creating upwards of one hundred (100) gallons of the unidentified acidic fluid. This acid has been recorded as being capable of melting through reinforced steel, entire vehicles, and can glass the sand dunes of the desert. This acid is projected from the mouth of a Saharan Dread Worm as a means of self-defense, and is believed to be their digestive fluids being regurgitated at high velocities.

All recorded instances of Subject #22 have acted as nothing more than animals, and appear to possess only instincts. They sit under the surface layer of sand, winding their bodies into uneven positions to blend in with the sand dunes, and wait to detect the presence of vibrations on the surfsce above them. Once these vibrations are detected, the massive creature will reveal itself and devour the source of the disturbance; if the source of the disturbance is intimidating or of an unnatural material, the worm will eject its acidic stomach fluid and quickly liquify the prey. The worm then burrows into the ground and moves positions to repeat the process. Subjects have been recorded as sleeping for the entire night, at which point they seem to enter temporary hibernation and cannot be awoken through conventional means.

The mating and reproduction of Saharan Dread Worms have not been recorded as of the time of writing, and the creatures appear to possess no maximum lifespan; tested pieces of biological material scraped from the underside of sleeping Subjects have revealed ages as high as twenty-five thousand (25,000) years.

### History:

Saharan Dread Worms were first recorded by British archeologists and explorers as they made their way across the Sahara in search of buried ancient Egyptian treasure, although plenty of local nomadic tribes have oral traditions and legends about the worms dating back many millennia. Eventually, a JPCU expedition into the region stumbled upon a Saharan Dread Worm breeding grounds and were subsequently wiped out by the massive creatures. An investigation was launched, and it was quickly established that these creatures could be contained or killed by any measures available to the JPCU; this assessment remains true as of the time of writing.

### Containment Procedures:

1. No instances of Subject #22 are in containment, and none will be contained for the foreseeable future.
2. Twenty-five (25) instances of Subject #22 are to be implanted with tracking chips and surveilled remotely in order to gather further information regarding the species's behavior.
3. Should a Dread Worm be encountered in the wild, the worm should be left alone and the area immediately vacated as quickly and calmly as possible, making as few vibrations as possible; if a vehicle is present and currently active, it can be used as bait to draw the attention of the worm away from Personnel.

#### Addendum #1:

There are no known means of slaying these creatures, and making any further attempts to do so will only continue to end in the death of innumerable Staff and the wasting of uncounted resources that could be used elsewhere. As of [REDACTED], no further experimentation into the killing of these creatures is permitted without permission from a Wine-Level researcher or higher, and the cost of all wasted materials will be deducted from the paycheck of any researcher responsible for conducting additional tests.

-Dr. Jason van Hellsing