STAGE II: FACEHUGGER
Manumala noxhydria is a parasitic form of Xenomorph designed for one task only—the implantation of Plagiarus bacteria within a living host. Coming in a variety of sickly yellowish to brown flesh tones, a Facehugger has a small body, eight spider or crab-like fingers, two large breathing sacks, and a long and powerful tail which it uses to spring itself onto a startled host’s face. The Facehugger clutches its fingers around the victim's head, wraps its tail around their throat, and emits an anesthetic that renders the host unconscious, before inserting its proboscis down the creature’s throat. There are several different Facehugger types which appear to vary only slightly in appearance. The major difference is the type of seed they carry—be it for a Praetomorph, Xenomorph Drone, or Queen.
FACEHUGGER AND PRAETO-FACEHUGGER
These typical creatures are described above. The Praeto-Facehugger is slightly bigger than the standard one but otherwise functions the same and is less dexterous.ROYAL FACEHUGGER
The royal variety of Facehugger has eight webbed fingers and is much larger than the standard type. Armored, it also possesses two serrated fingertips and a bladed tail with which to defend itself. Some specimens have also been known to have spikes on their back and spots on their air bladders. While it is theorized that a regular Facehugger can produce a P. praepotens with the ability to transmute into a Queen if necessary, the larger and more powerful Royal Facehuggers are known to specifically produce Queens, and hypothesized to carry not one but two P. praepotens spores—allowing the royal Facehugger to not only produce a Queen, but also a protector for the newborn royalty.EMBRYO IMPLANTATION
Weyland-Yutani surgical scientist Dr. Matshuita believes that a Facehugger deposits a Chestburster embryo within its victim, making them the same species. Others believe what is deposited to be a cancerous growth that mutates and transforms into a Chestburster, while former W-Y geneticist Dr. Blue Grace Marsalis hypothesized a controversial third theory. Dr. Marsalis believes there is a symbiotic relationship between the Facehugger and the Chestburster, calling the former Manumala noxhydria and the later P. praepotens. She postulated that it is neither an embryo nor an implanted cancer, but an injected bacteria that is the beginnings of P. praepotens.FACEHUGGING
The Stage II Xeno will automatically facehug any immobilized potential host within ENGAGED range. In combat, a successful signature attack #6 will do the trick. If the victim is facehugged, the Xenomorph infects its host via its proboscis, inseminating them deep within their chest cavity. There the host’s own cells mutate to form and incubate the Xenomorph until its next stage. The victim is rendered unconscious. Within one Shift, the Facehugger dies and falls off. The victim wakes up, typically very hungry. After another Shift has passed, a Chestburster (Stage III) is born, killing the host.CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL
A Facehugger is incredibly fast and strong for its size, and in most cases it cannot be removed from a host’s face without killing the host itself. While its polarized silicon skin protects it from most forms of melee attack, it is helpless against pulse rounds and laser tools. Again, fire works wonders.DUELING DOCTORS
The following messages were intercepted by ICC Comm Control on 5.23.82. These coded signals were sent through redundant comm arrays and rerouted to colonial carrier beacons on the Network, thereby making their point of origin untraceable. Taking place in a reoccurring dark network node called 1010121, the dialogue is believed to be a partial discussion between two competing scientists. Cross corporation nodes like this pop up now and then, where scientists at rival companies discuss and compare notes on similar projects. This one appears to be a debate over various theories on alien propagation. Partaking in such a discussion is tantamount to corporate espionage. While the encryption code was broken by the FBI, joint jurisdiction to apprehend the offenders was awarded to W-Y and the Colonial Marshal Bureau.
TO: WYNTONJAZZ232 — [UNDEFINED]— FROM NETWORK COMCON NODE 1010121 — EIJA44146537 MESSAGE RECEIVED HYPOTHESIS REVIEWED. CONCEPT OF TWO SPECIES IS NONSENSE. FACEHUGGER STAGE OF INTERNECIVUS RAPTUS DEPOSITS EMBRYO IN HOST ORGANISM. EMBRYO MATURES TO CHESTBURSTER STAGE AND IS BORN, KILLING SAID HOST. AWAITING ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO: —EIJA44146537 [UNDEFINED]— FROM NETWORK COMCON NODE 1010121— WYNTONjazz232 MESSAGE RECEIVED ANALYSIS INCORRECT. FACEHUGGER PROPER NAME MANUMALA NOXHYDRIA. DOES NOT DEPOSIT. INSTEAD INSEMINATES VICTIM WITH BACTERIA. SAID BACTERIA THEN MUTATES HOST ORGANS INTO PLAGIARUS PRAEPOTENS SO CALLED CHESTBURSTER STAGE. QUERY INTERNECIVUS RAPTUS—MURDEROUS THIEF? NAMING CONVENTION IS INCORRECT. WHERE DID YOU GRADUATE FROM, DOCTOR? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HOW TO DERIVE SIMPLE SPECIES NOMENCLATURE? AWAITING ACKNOWLEDGMENT AWAITING ACKNOWLEDGMENT AWAITING ACKNOWLEDGMENT CONNECTION TERMINATED
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Scientific Name
Manumala noxhydria
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