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Pod infector: Difference between revisions
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Encapsulated [[LF.Xx.3273 Flood Super Cell|Flood Super Cells]] are then released into the host organism, transforming into full-functioning Flood cells. These cells interface with the host's cells, analyze their genetic code, and then digest them, overtaking the victim's biomass at rapid, chain-reaction speeds. This process leads to the host being overtaken by the Flood infection, allowing the infection form to use the host corpse as it sees fit, because of the horrific thought of this happening to a host it is evident that most [[Human]]s would rather commit suicide than going through the pain of infection. | Encapsulated [[LF.Xx.3273 Flood Super Cell|Flood Super Cells]] are then released into the host organism, transforming into full-functioning Flood cells. These cells interface with the host's cells, analyze their genetic code, and then digest them, overtaking the victim's biomass at rapid, chain-reaction speeds. This process leads to the host being overtaken by the Flood infection, allowing the infection form to use the host corpse as it sees fit, because of the horrific thought of this happening to a host it is evident that most [[Human]]s would rather commit suicide than going through the pain of infection. | ||
After this is accomplished, the infection form burrows into the host body, moving aside the internal organs and taking up residence within the chest cavity. In order to facilitate further use of the infected organism, the Flood infection consumes the host's biomass as fuel for further sustenance and as material for further modifications of the infected life form. Common examples of these include the partially-transformed state of a combat form, whose body is host to Flood-generated structures, and the creation of a | After this is accomplished, the infection form burrows into the host body, moving aside the internal organs and taking up residence within the chest cavity. In order to facilitate further use of the infected organism, the Flood infection consumes the host's biomass as fuel for further sustenance and as material for further modifications of the infected life form. Common examples of these include the partially-transformed state of a combat form, whose body is host to Flood-generated structures, and the creation of a Carrier Form, which serves as a mobile, explosive incubator for more infection forms. | ||
In exceedingly rare cases, such as if the infection form has been damaged or is incredibly old, it will go through this process ''without'' killing the host, leaving them at least partially aware of what is going on, but unable to move or act. This was the fate of UNSC Private [[Wallace A. Jenkins]] during the raid on the "[[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] weapons cache" on [[Installation 04]].<ref>''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', page 176</ref> This aged version of the infection form must have been kept in captivity for far too long, thereby reducing its potential of complete transformation of its host into a [[The Flood|Flood]] [[Flood combat form|Combat Form]]. Jenkins survived infection, and even remained conscious, with short periods of time where he could exert control over his mutated body. | In exceedingly rare cases, such as if the infection form has been damaged or is incredibly old, it will go through this process ''without'' killing the host, leaving them at least partially aware of what is going on, but unable to move or act. This was the fate of UNSC Private [[Wallace A. Jenkins]] during the raid on the "[[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] weapons cache" on [[Installation 04]].<ref>''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', page 176</ref> This aged version of the infection form must have been kept in captivity for far too long, thereby reducing its potential of complete transformation of its host into a [[The Flood|Flood]] [[Flood combat form|Combat Form]]. Jenkins survived infection, and even remained conscious, with short periods of time where he could exert control over his mutated body. | ||
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An infection form may abandon its host if the corpse has been heavily damaged, and look for a new one. If the infection form inside a combat form has been destroyed, but the combat form itself is intact enough to continue serving its purpose, loose infection forms may burrow inside the body and take the place of the one that mutated it, effectively "re-animating" the combat form. Infection forms appear at first glance to be quite small, but if compared with the size of an average [[human]], their true size is revealed, comparable to the size of an average human upper torso. | An infection form may abandon its host if the corpse has been heavily damaged, and look for a new one. If the infection form inside a combat form has been destroyed, but the combat form itself is intact enough to continue serving its purpose, loose infection forms may burrow inside the body and take the place of the one that mutated it, effectively "re-animating" the combat form. Infection forms appear at first glance to be quite small, but if compared with the size of an average [[human]], their true size is revealed, comparable to the size of an average human upper torso. | ||
While infection forms are essential in early stages of infecting a population, they are by no means the only way the Flood can facilitate infection. It appears that merely introducing any Flood biomatter into the body of a host will begin the infection process. However, it seems no other method of infection is able to instantaneously kill and transform a host like an infection form can.<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''' - ''[[The Mona Lisa]]''</ref> | While infection forms are essential in early stages of infecting a population, they are by no means the only way the Flood can facilitate infection. It appears that merely introducing any Flood biomatter into the body of a host will begin the infection process. However, it seems no other method of infection is able to instantaneously kill and transform a host like an infection form can.<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''' - ''[[The Mona Lisa]]''</ref> | ||
===Immunities and defenses | |||
==Weaker Host Forms== | |||
While any large life form with some level of awareness and/or sentience can be infected by an Infection Form, not all of them are suitable to serve the function of Combat Forms, the Flood's signature and preferred mobile form utulized during the Feral Stage. While these hosts are transformed in a similar fashion to the traditional Combat Forms, these forms are not often employed in front line combat for several reasons. | |||
The first of these would be the fact that such life forms, despite their sophisticated nervous systems and adequate levels of sentience, simply lack the necessary biomass, calcium reserves, and physical strength to make first-choice combat units. More specifically, when a host life form is transformed, the activities of the Infection Form require not only the aforementioned levels of biomass, calcium content, and physical strength, but that the host has the physical endurance and stamina to withstand the process. Species such as the Forerunner, Humanity, Sangheili, and the Jiralhanae are almost always turned into Combat Forms because their biology and physical properties enable them to withstand the Infection Forms' abilities, which are violent and resource-intensive. | |||
In contrast, weaker life forms, such as the [[Kig-Yar]], [[Unggoy]], and perhaps the [[Yanme'e]], lack these important qualities despite their perfectly adequate levels of sentience and neural complexity. Because of these factors, these lesser hosts are primarily used for other but equally important purposes. These involve multiple mission profiles that are essential to the development of Flood outgrowth: establishment of mobile incubators, biomass and calcium reserves, hive structures, and the components of a [[Proto-Gravemind|coordinating and controlling intelligence]]. | |||
When utilized for the creation of the hive and the central intelligence, the weaker hosts gather together and merge into single mass or a collection of masses spread around whatever environment the Flood have established themselves in. In this way, the weaker host forms serve as 'building blocks' for the creation of a Flood Hive, which if all goes according to its logical conclusion, will spawn a fully-developed collective and the next stage of the Flood's development: the [[Coordinated Stage]] and its crowning achievement, a [[Gravemind]]. Surrounding life forms such as significantly smaller animals as well as the full range of plants, microbes, lichens, and fungi, are seized by the growing Flood collective and digested as raw material to create more generic Flood biomass. | |||
The next vital use for lesser hosts is to serve as the second signature form of the Feral Stage, the mobile Infection Form incubator known as a Carrier Form. While these are usually formed from weakened, damaged, and/or aged Combat Forms, weaker host forms are just as frequently employed for this purpose. The first step in the creation of a Carrier Form by this method involves a single appropriate host to function as a nucleus, which is then followed by one or more other weaker forms attaching themselves to the leading unit. The congregated hosts then fuse, with the external host forms being rapidly digested by the central form, with the result being that the other hosts have been reduced to extra, generic biomass, contributing to the structure of the now significantly distorted, bloated incubator.<ref>''''[[Halo: The Flood]]'''', page 291.</ref> | |||
While this complex methodology is largely standard procedure for the Flood, there are occasionally exceptions to these rules. In at least one[[Battle of the Flood-controlled Shield World|notable campaign]]<ref>'''''Halo Wars'''''</ref> early in the Human-Covenant War, this mode of operation was contradicted by the Flood. The outbreak present on this installation employed Kig-Yar and Unggoy quite frequently as front line combat units despite their inadequate status, and was also distinct from other outbreaks with the fact that it was predominantly formed out of life forms lacking sentience such as plants, fungi, etc., or those possessing lower levels of sentience, such as the wide range of animals living there. | |||
==Immunities and defenses== | |||
[[Energy shielding]] negates the effect of the infection form by causing it to explode on contact in a small, damaging cloud of gas. However, if no shield system is present on the target, the infection process begins. | [[Energy shielding]] negates the effect of the infection form by causing it to explode on contact in a small, damaging cloud of gas. However, if no shield system is present on the target, the infection process begins. | ||