Exterminator

Exterminators are the much feared race created by the Reapers for the purpose of infiltration and combating the Xenecromorphs. Originally adapted from a unnamed grub like alien found on a undesignated radiation blasted world orbiting a Neutron star called XLK-177. where they were subjected to gruesome experiments causing these grubs to be reformed and raised to sentience with the DNA of other galactic species. All to be used as deadly tools geared towards a single purpose. To accomplish this they have had specific emotions selectively edited out of their genetic code, and in their place have pre-programed instructions they unknowingly fulfill. To help them hide they are capable of altering their DNA in the presences of scans to hide their true origins making them nearly undetectable, with many of them not even knowing they are in fact Exterminator sleeper agents.

While only appearing around twenty years ago across the galactic fringe, many people are terrified at the prospect of Exterminators as they could look like anybody or any species and yet are unknowingly gathering data for the Reapers, some even replacing key officials. Yet the greatest fear that people have is that a single Exterminator can from a simple phrase code enter their 'exterminate mode' violently mutating and going on a systematic and near unstoppable rampage. As ever exterminator, no matter the purpose, is designed for combat.

## Biology

Exterminators at their core are bio-engineered race assembled from a primitive grub like animal and 'parts' of other sentient species, but are capable of three amazing things. They firstly have a brain that possess sixteen lobes and are capable of making around ten trillion calculations every second. Alongside this they possess a near total adaptability rate to all environments and most DNA types, regardless if they use Carbon, Calcium or even gasses as their primary building blocks. This due to the octuplet helix DNA structure which will 'switch' to suit the environment and has been modified by the reapers to appear as a different species when subjected to scans. Finally though Not only can they regenerate but they can 'add' parts of different species to them to heal themselves, with the grub part of them having a near flawless acceptance of any foreign material grafted onto it. In short given enough time a Exterminator can look like any species provided they can get the 'parts.' As a side effect of this exterminators are also very good at receiving cybernetic implants, with a 0% rejection rate.

However the process to create them is a long and painful one, that can take decades to reach fruition.

### Larval State

The grubby larval creatures used to make the Exterminators are very small, usually only around a meter long and are fleshy and rather grotesque looking things. On their radiation blasted home world day and night only last 5 hours as it flies round its hyper dense neutron star at 500Km a second. The planet is highly unstable, being subject to all forms of radiation bombardment, stray solar flares piercing its near non-existent magnetic core and the intense gravity of the star causing frequent volcanic eruptions and nuclear winters that last only a few weeks before the gasses are burned away. On such a world very little could survive, but these grubs do.

In this state they are blind, having no way to hear or smell and are simple minded creatures, with nearly all their incredible brain power diverted to calculating the safest route across their dangerous home to make sure they follow the sun rise or sun set, all in the attempt to avoid getting scorched by their horrid star or swallowed up in pyroclastic flows or acid pools. Showing almost zero sentience the grubs are driven by the simple urge to eat rocks, minerals and even acid that collects in pools on the planets surface. However it has been seen that the grubs do show a sense of 'care' for one another, helping push the elderly or carry their young on their back, the species has no form of communication and are only blessed with the most rudimentary drive to survive. However its this simple drive to survive and extreme adaptability which got them noticed by the reapers, as their ability to switch their DNA to suit the environment made them the perfect bonding agent in a cross species fusion project.

### Tank life

Rounded up in the tens of thousands the grubs are herded onto the reapers bio ships and then placed in cramped small pens on top of one another. Each grub is then selectively taken and experimented on, having his eight helix's of DNA altered to a separate species. Then it is placed in a nutrient tank and force grown until it is almost double its size after which large chunks of its bulbous flesh are cut off to make a 'torso' and the brain is visibly removed from the body and left to dangle still attached to its mouth and organs.

From here the reapers do two things. On one hand they take the parts of other species they have collected and then surgically attach them to the fleshy mass that was the grub, implanting to them skeletons, eyes noses, new mouths and other traits needed to give them a more mobile form. At the same time they begin the precision process of developing and cultivating the brain of grub raising it to sentience and then selectively adding and removing emotions from the new living creature to custom design it to the exact specifications needed. Finally it is then has its exposed brain plugged into a 'brain leech' which forcefully implants memories skills and even identities into the creature, wiping away its old life if any semblance is left after the traumatic experience.

And slowly over time a new creature begins to take form. The flesh of the various species bonds together around the grubs adaptable form, altering and being changed by the grubs natural hardy and adaptable nature. And at the same time this new 'things' is slowly turned from a harmless scavenger species dedicated to following the setting sun into whatever the Reapers want it to be, from a stealthy assassin, long time sleeper agent and even a bloodthirsty warrior. And thus an Exterminator is made.

Throughout this whole process the Exterminators are kept in isolation in their sound proof tanks, as even while dismembered and hooked up to who knows how many bio computers, they scream.

### 'Life' and 'Death'

Immediately after being finished made the Reapers then take a finished Exterminator and then dump him on the nearest world to his target. Some are deliberately give amnesia, others are given an identity and through contacts even a job. At times some are even altered to look like a targets family, having their memories selectively ripped out via a brain leech and forced into the mind of a Exterminator.

However try as the Reapers might some Exterminators have flashes of their lives in the 'tanks' and being poked an prodded. While few ever discover what they are, some have and often then commit suicide because of pre-programed genetic commands implanted by the Reapers to hide them. Some however resist the command and then enter a state of genetic mutation, with the various implanted genetic codes fusing and forcing a rapid change in their forms in a process known as 'Rampancy' which drives the Exterminators insane and sends them on a mad feral killing spree. Even then the Reapers are reluctant to let a Exterminator live long after its finished its mission, and those who the Reapers loose track are subject to advanced cellular degeneration after only ten years.

Despite the complexity to make them the Exterminators are readily expendable in the eyes of most Reapers.

## Abilities

### Genetic Catalyst

The grub all Exterminators are formed from will absorb anything into its Octuplet genetic structure, as such they can easily bond with any DNA no matter how complex or even if it is made of a unusual material like pure diamond. As such the grubs can act as 'bonding agents' for the merging of different species into their new forms.

### Genetic Invisibility

Due to their Octuplet genetic structure the and genetic modification by the Reapers the Exterminators possess nearly eight different alien gene codes within a single cell in their body, which is normally used to adapt them to any environment. However it is also rigged to confuse scans of their DNA making it appear they are a specific species, and thus hide their genetic modification from medical probing.

### Genetic Absorption

Exterminators will unknowingly absorb genetic traits through simple day to day actions, like picking up skin cells from dust particles, eating food and simply touching a person, thus adding to their 'genetic library; in their complex DNA. However some models if injured and exposed to dead or living flesh the body will be able to graft this flesh onto their forms and then over time regenerate it into a replacement for whatever was lost. Some have even grafted entrails onto themselves or things like extra hearts or the organs of other species to gain their abilities. This however is a rare trait usually only shown by newer combat models.

### Near perfect digestion

Many Exterminators models that are not meant to infiltrate regular society are designed to be able to have a near 99% ability to eat anything and gain nourishment from it. They can digest metals, rocks and even acids and use they as fuel for their bodies and as such can go a long time without needing to eat. The few things they cannot digest these models will collect this substance in their stomach and then expel it as a pellet to be discarded from the mouth. Infiltration models typically do not have this function and use the natural form of waste disposal used by the species they imitate.

### Regeneration

Exterminators are all capable of limited regeneration. While they cannot regrow whole limbs, many can rapidly heal major wounds and through complicated muscle control divert things like bullet and shrapnel to their digestive tracks to be 'eaten.'

### Near Total Immunity

Due to the grubs robust nature it is immune to nearly all known forms of radiation, diseases and even toxins. However its only weakness is advanced cellular degeneration, unless a treatment is provided to stop it. As a result of this the Reapers often use them as Commando shock troops against Xenecromorphs, as they are one of the few races to show 100% immunity to infection.

### Absolute adaptation

Exterminators can adapt to any known atmospheric condition, with specific breeds like combat models being able to comfortably survive in atmospheres that mimic acid and are fully able of breathing in and using toxic meshes of gas to run their repertory system. No environment known has been discovered that a Exterminator cannot survive and function with at least 80% effectiveness at the least. They also hold the record for any species surviving in space without suits, with Reaper testing putting some of their more durable creations surviving up to two hours before expiring.

### Twenty year lifespans

Exterminators spend ten years in their tanks being made and then are left with only a ten years of life before the genetic modification they were subjected to rips their cells apart killing them, a process that usually causes rampancy. This can be extended with a special treatment, but only the Reapers or the creators or the have the genetic understanding to perform.

### Hyper brains

Exterminators are incredibly intelligent, with brains capable of making ten trillion calculations every second. As such all Exterminators, even those who have entered rampancy, are capable of advanced levels of logical and tactical thinking. Many have an innate understanding of technology, being able to rapidly analyses and guess what different technology is and what it does. In short their brains are biological super computers.

### Genetic and mental tailoring/limited emotional range

The Reapers to keep control of Exterminators have imposed a high degree of genetic tailoring into their design and construction. As such within their DNA are pre-programed orders which they will carry out unknowingly, and due to it being genetically imposed such orders cannot be removed via telepathic and can only be read by Reaper bio computers, the only machines that can read the complicated programming.

They also selectively remove emotions from many Reapers or have systems in place to repress emotions under certain situations. As such many Exterminators lack certain emotions or have other emotions increased to improve their performance. Like with combat models having ideas like empathy and love removed, while having things like hate, anger and cunning increased massively.

### Sterility

To prevent another mishap, like what happened with the Xenomon, the Exterminators were all typically produced sterile, many lacking sexual organs or glands that encourage sexual behavior in species. As such the race is dependent on the Reapers making them to survive, however one or two Exterminators who managed to escape the Reapers or have been modified at a later date, do possess sexual organs. However the treatment to modify Exterminators is fairly simple if requires prior knowledge of the race.

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