Infestation

One of the single most odd instances of Xeno-biologic matter could be very easily considered to be what are simply refered to as Infestations. These 'aliens' are a rapidly-spreading biological matter which have very unique and usually detrimental properties to anything which they catch hold onto. Almost algae-like in certain aspects, this type of growth can double or triple itself in size within mere hours of latching onto almost any surface, scavenging nutrients out of seemingly nowhere. Most strains tend to be at least caustic enough to cause serious damage to infrastructure over the period of days or weeks of being left unchecked, and exposure to exposed tissue almost always ends exceedingly poorly for the victim. Most of the time, severe chemical burns ensue shortly after exposure, and ocassionaly, the Infestation will simply latch onto the exposed tissue and make short work of devouring the subject over the course of the next week or so if drastic measures are not taken immediately.

There are actually more than simply a few strains of Infestation, likely in part to their rapid spread and cellular division. New strains and outbreaks are always examined briefly by a scientific detail to see if any advancements to science might be gleaned from these new-found mutations. At least forty different breakthroughs in a number of different fields can be traced back to some form on Infestation. Currently, teams are intent on finding some form of Infestation which might be easier for them to contain (with less 'digestive' enzymes being released onto the surfaces they cling to) so that they might be able to study that variant more in-depth and do more work on seeing how it might be contained. UPDF protocols on Infestations are very clear, and all science-teams which are sent to examine these growths are accompanied by UPDF troops who then do a complete flash-burn of the site. All of these procedures have been put into effect after the unfortunate events during 122 AFTL.

Decontamination Teams are specially trained to flash-burn Infestations at their source.

There are, though extraordinarily rarely, a number of species which appear to be able to effectively 'live with' Infestations. Although no species has yet been found which can effectively either control the spread of Infestation, nor anything which actively eats it, there are a few which appear to be able to at least co-exist with it. Generally, these species are already incredibly hardy in their natural environments, and are able to very easily 'shrug off' the caustic effects of Infestations and keep it from eating the organism alive. This can make certain areas with Infestations that much more dangerous, as these species can be aggressive, territorial, and rather hard to kill.