The Thing in the Lab

> "*It is so rare I get visitors. I thought perhaps you wouldn't make it, after one of your friends removed the switch to get in the door. Clever, I'll admit. She used my own telepathy against me. But she joined us anyway, in the end. They always do.*
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> *Travelers...Jalana. Jheri. Nophiliander. I want to make you comfortable here. I want to be a good host. Why don't you come a little closer?*"
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The Thing in the Lab (otherwise known as simply The Thing) was a monster of unknown origin in the Silverscribe laboratory that was attempting to assimilate other creatures into itself through means both physical and psychic. The Thing was responsible for the destruction and emergency shutdown of the laboratory, although the exact events that took place during this period are unknown.

The Thing comes from another world, and claims to have been unwillingly pulled into the current one and then trapped there by researchers at the Silverscribe lab.

## Appearance & Abilities

The Thing is a large, spider-like creature with multiple legs and eyes, a large mouth of oversized teeth, and corded flesh. The skin moves and bulges frequently, as if disturbed by things fighting to break free beneath it. Each of the legs ends in a hook-like appendage which it uses to climb walls and ceilings. On the underside, it has a clutch of dextrous tentacles that it uses both to attack and grapple victims.

The Thing has several notable abilities:

* ***Telepathy***. The Thing has the ability to communicate telepathically and probe the minds of those near it. It uses the information it finds there to lure people into coming within range and submitting to assimilation, either willingly or unwillingly.
* ***Consume.***  By holding a victim close, the Thing can absorb their body and mind, learning all that they know and assimilating them into its own body. The victim stays alive during this process.
* ***Enslave.*** In lieu of complete consumption, the Thing has the option to release its victim and allow it to roam free, connected to the Thing's psychic hivemind. No trace of the victim's person remains in this new form, and their bodies are highly mutated.
* ***Breed.*** The Thing can implant a parasite into a grappled victim, which will consume their insides slowly until it is removed or grows large enough to break out. Parasites are connected to the hivemind and will attempt to eat or burrow into other creatures once they are large enough.

## In-Game

The Thing was in a sealed-off room labeled "Testing Chamber". Originally it would have been observed from the Viewing Room, but the room's glass had become covered in fleshy growths.

The Thing effectively killed the original group of scavengers sent by Omnias several days before the arrival of the Omniventuring Co. by implanting parasites in two of them and turning the other two into hivemind mutants. The Omniventuing Co. defeated the original scavengers with minimal damage, although one of the parasites bit Jheri in the ankle.

The Thing trapped the Omniventuring Co. in the room with it and attempted to convince them to join it. Upon their refusal, it became angry and vowed to consume them by force. It successfully knocked Jal out, but failed to complete the assimilation process with her. The three eventually defeated it and lit its body on fire to ensure that it was truly dead. They also harvested several body parts to sell to Omnias for further research, despite the fact that he did not want them.