| Item#27: Aranea Corpus | |||
| Size | Average of 15 centimeters | Type | Anomalous Arthropod |
| Living | Yes | Conscious | No Unknown |
| Hazards | Attacks on insurgent personnel | Gear | HAZMAT Protective Suit and Industrial Pesticides |
| Location | Zone-2, Base-7 | Anomaly | Anomalous Creation of Mass Materials |
| An instance of the Article. |
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Usage
Item instances must remain within Zone-2, and must not be removed from their special ecosystem at the observation posts Because Zone-2 has been compromised, the entire area surrounding the wall must now be monitored. For this purpose, six (6) monitoring cameras and a patrol of four (4) guards plus two (2) guards have been placed to guard the main entrance to Zone-2. Each personnel member entering Zone-2 must go through the cleaning procedure before leaving the area. Entry into Zone-2 can only be carried out by authorization of Gamma personnel or higher and only for testing and extraction of materials.
As of ██/██/2020 all bodies handled by the Corpse Disposal Staff must ensure that all bodies that pass the cleaning tests1 are sent to Zone-2 where they will be deposited using a crane in the area, near the outer wall.
Report
It is a spider Heteropoda Maxima2 of the species Sparassidae3 which, unlike the common spider of the same species, have fangs filled with a latrotoxin4 as well as a gland for the creation of silk. Its most characteristic aspect is that the chitin of its exoskeleton is lighter in color than that of other species. The diet of the instances consists mainly of insects, birds and small animals, however they have also been observed consuming humans. In case there is no other food available, the instances will consume each other.
During the reproduction phase, the instances will spread pheromones that cause a hallucinogenic effect on all living beings around 3-4 meters from the instance. Taking advantage of the stupor caused by the pheromone, the instances will approach the subject and bite it, releasing their venom. The venom of the instances is 200% more potent than the common venom of the black widow, being able to cause pulmonary edema, cerebral edema and brain death in just twenty-five minutes. Sometimes the instances surround the body with their web, but this is not so common.
| Body in an advanced state of decomposition previously abandoned by the Article's especimens within Zone-2. |
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Their method of reproduction is by inserting their previously fertilized eggs into the body of the dead subject. The instances burrow into the body of the subject heading towards the head and into the skull. Once there they will release a number of between 3,000 and 3,5000 of their eggs onto the surface of the brain. Through an unknown process the spiders manage to fuse the gray matter of the brain with the pupa that surrounds the spiders during gestation until the entire brain is replaced by a large egg sac. The instances that lay the eggs usually expire after this.
These eggs will hatch an hour later. The instances usually live inside the corpse for the next two years feeding on all the organs inside and after this period, spiders will emerge from the mouth, nose and eyes. These spiders immediately spread out into the surrounding area and try to find high locations to spin their webs before they reach sexual maturity within another six months and restart the cycle.
The thread created by the instances is much stronger than any other to the point of emulating the hardness of steel and titanium with a density of 1,000,000 k/cm³ despite having a lower mass and maintaining its flexible properties. Tests have shown that it is also an excellent conductor of electricity better than copper. It is believed that by an unknown procedure the spiders assimilate the iron within the blood of the body and metabolize it to then secrete it along with the thread transforming it into its current form. The thread has been sold obtaining profits of █, ███, ███$ and a part has been used by the Insurgency in the creation of more resistant bulletproof vests, micro-conductors and optical fibers.
Appendix 1: Discovery
On ██/10/2020 during the disposal of bodies at the landfill located in █████, Chile5, one of the previously dumped bodies was discovered surrounded in a giant spider web. When examined by Corpse Disposal Personnel, hundreds of instances emerged from the body's disfigured face and bit two personnel who were later used as hosts for the instances. The third surviving member sent a distress signal to Base-7 who dispatched a Collection Team. Subsequent investigation has failed to reveal the origin of the anomaly, but through testing and behavioral observation it has been theorized that the Item may have been an anomaly manufactured by an as yet unknown group.
Appendix 2: Incident-Zone-2
During routine maintenance of Zone-2 conducted on day ██ on the instances' habitats, it was discovered that they had managed to infiltrate several fissures created by the instances and invaded virtually all of the ventilation systems, sending their endorphins into the air which ended up compromising █ of the ██ insurgent personnel who were subsequently bitten and used by the instances to lay their eggs. The Controlled Biological Response Team "Eco Terrorists" was sent to combat the potential breach and managed to contain the instances within the walled area of Zone-2. Current procedures have since been put in place.
Appendix 3: Area of Zone-2
| Drone image of the southern wall of Zone-2. |
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Zone-2 is an outpost originally created for the storage of mundane weaponry and laboratory items. It spans an area of 800 square meters and is surrounded by a 7 meter wall. It was later transformed into a functional laboratory and research facility for use in conjunction with Base-7's Research Department.
So far 93% of Zone-2 has been taken over by Article instances. Central Command has no plans for a recapture attempt.
Investigation of the interior using remote drones has revealed that all nine buildings within Zone-2 have been entirely occupied by Article instances, with the central building containing the instances' ecosystem habitats being the most infested by the instances. Several bodies can be seen in the center of the front yard6 although some are seen scattered around various parts of the area. Trees planted in various areas surrounding the area have been taken over by the instances who have built gigantic webs on and between them, where they trap insects, birds and bats to consume. Some of these contain some of the discarded bodies.
The section near the north wall, which connects to two rear buildings, appears to be the most heavily infested by the instances, making it virtually impossible for drones to enter there without getting caught in the intricate webs created there.
Some of the staff monitoring Zone-2 via drones have not been able to help but notice that some of the instances seem to have demonstrated some sort of intelligence. Some of the spiders have been seen bypassing security systems that were kept on by biting specific wires from power boxes as well as covering security cameras with their webs or lights that are kept on by the emergency generator so that they do not shine on where they make their nests. They have also been noted to put their webs in places where drones usually pass so that they will be captured or prevented from passing. We need to make more observations but we will probably have to take into account the possibility of sentience.
- Doctor Eyzy
Original: Aranea Corpus
Date: 18 Oct 2020
Author: Yorick1
Translator: Yorick1