Flood Super Cell
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
The Flood Super Cell[1], often referred to using the acronym FSC, is an undifferentiated cell type that serves as the basis of all Flood biomass.
Biology
The Flood Super Cell is often described as "thinking muscle", and closely resembles both neurons and glial cells in terms of its physical structure.[2] The Flood have demonstrated on numerous occasions that they have the ability to arrange these cells to mimic any organ that may be needed. Apparently, it is also capable of intelligent discourse with artificial intelligences, such as Mendicant Bias.
An important capability essential to the Flood's survival is its ability to convert other life forms into more Flood cells, which can be used in a wide variety of ways. This is accomplished via the Flood Super Cells attaching themselves to the target's cells, and transferring its genetic material into its target, transforming it into another Flood cell. This converted cell then spreads the Flood's DNA to other cells, and this generates a chain-reaction of transformation until the target is fully converted.
When first inserted into a victim, primarily by the Infection Form, the Flood cells are in an encapsulated "spore" state before they become active in the victim.[3]
History
The Gravemind was the entity that communicated with the Forerunner AI 032 Mendicant Bias during the Forerunner-Flood War to convince it into rampancy and to turn it into a weapon against the Forerunners, using the Flood super cell to initiate communications. For a time, Mendicant Bias took faith in the Gravemind, believing the Forerunners were obstinate, unyielding, and blocking evolution's progress in the galaxy. However, after the firing of the Halo Array, Mendicant Bias realized how far he had fallen and denounced the Flood, pleading for the forgiveness of the Reclaimer in order to redeem his actions against his long-lost creators.
Trivia
- The Flood Super Cell is most likley based off of the 1982 film, The Thing. This alien cell is in fact a replica of what it once was; a perfect copy which can take over (via changing the cell) and mimic any other organism. The only differences are that the cell in the movie can mimic any organism perfectly. The alien can reconstruct the matter of the victim however it chooses, similar to the Flood's biomass. Also, just like the Flood, there is no known cure.
- The Thing also has Keith David (voice of The Arbiter) playing one of the American reaserchers in the movie.
- The Flood Super Cell's ability to transfer its genetic material into the cells of its target closely mirrors that of real-world viruses and even some bacteria, specifically those of the Agrobacterium genus. Viruses, in the process of reproducing through a cell's molecular machinery, occasionally leave behind code that changes the cell's DNA instead of destroying it. Also, Agrobacteria utilize a similar process, specifically Gene Transfer, to insert harmful DNA into plants, causing tumors.
