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Infestation
From The StarCraft 2 Wiki
Zerg Infestation is a horrible and painful process where hyperevolutionary Zerg viruses rewrite the DNA of a biological target (living or dead), into a creature that is controlled by the Swarm.
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Background
The Zerg Swarm are specialized to adapt genetic strains from other creatures, and this is how it has become so powerful, only taking the best for itself. For the most part, they will wipe out the population of all life on a planet, and keep using the genes trains that are good enough to use. While the average Hive Cluster usually only have a range of up to 20 or so individual breeds, it's very likely that the Zerg has even more specialized versions on worlds where they are more safe and there is less need for flexibility in every single creature.
Infestation is different from this assimilation process, in that specific Zerg creatures, or mutated organs, are used to create a Zerg hyperevolutional virus, that doesn't assimilate the genes of the subject, but instead rewrites the DNA of the victim on the spot, making the creature dominated by the Swarm's control, but still uses most of its original genes and abilities. Infested creatures are used as bio-matter to throw at the enemies of the Swarm, much like they can do with other local animals and plants they come across on new worlds.
When the Zerg came across the Terrans, they didn't see much use of their genes, and so they were used as suicide units for the Zerg, evolving sacks of exploding gas, instead of using the inherent abilities of a human to use their weapons.
During the initial conflict with Terran and Protoss, the Zerg believed they needed the use of additional psionic powers to defeat their enemies. The only species with strong enough psionic abilities were the Terrans, but very few of them even have this ability. The other problem is that the general infestation of a being will among other things also completely crush their intelligence, logical reasoning and psionic abilities. The first truly carefully infested human was the Ghost Sarah Kerrigan, who retained and expanded her psionic strength miles beyond her initial capabilities.
Newer infestation made by Infestors will "just" infest the Terrans or Protoss warriors enough to control them (and adding claws or tentacles), and make use of what weapons they have at hand, rather than turning their torso into sacks of explosive gas. These Infested Terrans will use their weapons to open fire at any enemies of the Swarm within the vicinity.
Incubation
The Zerg uses a hyperevolutionary virus which will warp the genes of the victim's body and mind to serve the Swarm. In most cases, the receiver loses all of their intelligence, as their mind becomes consumed by the Zerg. This virus will race through the cells of the subject body, adapting to the local genes, and mutating the cells of the host. It is unknown how much resistance the immune system of Terrans or Protoss will mount against this virus, but it is certain that a properly infested building will almost guarantee that the inhabitants inside succumbs to the mutations.
About the Virus
These viruses seems quite demanding to produce by the Swarm, seeing as the Zerg would only infest everything on a planet from a distance if it was easy to come by. Zerg breeds seems to be specialized in producing relative minor quantities of these viruses, and sometimes it's just easier for them to produce other creatures, such as Zerglings, as they are extremely well adapted to be "cost effective" in terms of nourishment and time to mutate from Larvae.
The virus could possibly also have weaknesses to air exposure, or exposure to other gases commonly found in nature (as well as vacuum). This could also be a reason why the Zerg are not using the infestation virus in greater scale.
The spores of the Queen and the Swarm Guardian that produces Broodlings might seem to be similar but actually works in a very different way, and should not be mistaken for the Zerg genevirus infestation.
Physical Description and Abilities
In some cases the Infested Terran will develop huge sacks of explosive gases, similar to the Baneling. They act as suicide bombers for the Swarm and can burst themselves in a powerful explosion, splashing their of toxic fluids in a full radius of ten meters, capable of destroying small paristeel structures on its own.
Most Terrans that becomes infested will retain features similar to a humanoid, but growth of huge bony scythe-like blades as well as one or two tentacles are very common. Few parts of their bodies stay "human" in the end, and as they are not made to have a long lifespan. It is actually quite probable that they continue to mutate randomly from infection until their bodies expire. Many Marines naturally keep quite a human shape, besides tentacles and claws, as they remain locked in their Powered Combat Suits. The mutations to the face varies, and can range from a great fanged maw to a face that produces an elephantine "trunk".
There is very limited research done on Infested Protoss creatures.
Genetic Experiments
Besides the Xel'Naga, who shaped the Zerg and the Protoss (among many other unknown races) from their infancy, there are also others who have taken an interest in genetic experiments, mainly the Terran scientists and the Zerg Zerg mastermind (the Overmind, the Cerebrates or Sarah Kerrigan). Infested Terrans have been the subject of many experiments by both Terrans and Zerg.
Experiments by Protoss
Slightly more experienced than the Terrans, the Protoss are much more interested in destroying infested creatures, or, if possible, reverting the mutations. In a way to try and break the hold of infestation, and to reverse it completely, the Protoss developed a "Radical Nanotech Serum" which was used successfully on Infested Stukov, who was freed from his infestation.
Experiments by Terrans
The Terran Confederacy started experiments on the Zerg a long time before the actual conflict between the races, and their interaction with psionic humans (Ghosts), but full-out experiments on Infested Terrans or infestation in general did not occur until the Brood War. Remnant members of the former dictatorship worked at a secret facility on a means of "restoring faculties in Infested Terrans" and used the Terran Morik to perform horrible experiments with infestation and humans.
From these experiments they learned how to bring back dead bodies to life using Zerg infestation techniques. The one significant Terran they brought back to life was the (formerly) deceased Alexei Stukov. The Kimeran Pirates who found Morik and Infested Stukov also found a few files concerning Terran/Zerg infestation experiments which they later sold to the black market:
- "The Origin Of The Species."
- "Zerg/Human Genome Manipulation."
- "Saving Human Mental Faculties In Zerg/Human Hybridization Experiments."
- "Reanimation Using Zerg Infestation Techniques."
A Terran Mutate
The term used for any Terran who has been infested and had her intelligence restored is "Mutate". Their intelligence has generally been preserved through the use of Terran-devised nanites. The StarCraft Role Play Game Alternity: StarCraft Edition handles these "Mutates", as does the Deception "Map of the Month".
Further in the Role Playing Game Alternity there is a small Zerg Brood that was beaten and captured during the Brood War. Terran bioengineers mixed Terran and Zerg genes in order to create mutates to fight against the Zerg. These mutates received nanite treatment to preserve their intelligence, but they were always close to reverting back to their Zerg instincts and their nanites was all that kept them from loosing their sanities. In the end they joined in with Raynor's Raiders, lead by General Jim Raynor. These mutates had organs capable of launching spines in their chests (similar to Hydralisks).
Experiments by Zerg
The Zerg Overmind was successful in infesting Sarah Kerrigan while still leaving her the majority of her spirit, and all her intelligence. She even retained her some of her humanity, and also lost the last of her Neural Inhibitors, growing rapidly in psionic capabilities.
Infested Kerrigan
After the Brood War, Kerrigan began taking an interest in duplicating the experiment that created herself, using other human psionics to infest. She was well aware that her chances of duplicating the success of her own transformation, but she was still looking to make an additional, sentient Infested Terran. She sought out specifically psionic Terrans, but most of the humans used in her experiments were not.
These experiments mostly resulted in failure. Intelligence defects, or even mobility impairment were not uncommon. Herself and a Cerebrate believed that the problem was a compatibility issue with Terran/Zerg genes, and that the majority of results would end up in a less than satisfactory manner, and the few that were compatible could result in another Zerg/Terran hybrid (like Kerrigan) but less powerful.
One of these later experiments succeeded with ex-mercenary and (former) crime lord, Ethan Stewart. Her intentions were to make him her consort, and he quickly became one of her troop leaders.
Necro-Zerg Infestation
Kaloth, a Zerg Cerebrate who survived the Brood War and Kerrigan's hunt for Cerebrates, did other experiments of infesting Terrans, and use them as leaders. Among other things it managed to acquire Alexei Stukov's corpse (former United Earth Directorate Vice Admiral) and reanimated it. This Infested Stukov was able to to contact some remnants of the old Terran Confederacy, who were making high-tech research experimentation on Infested Terrans (Morik was one).
Stukov was put in control of a small Brood on Braxis, but was captured by a task force, led by Jim Raynor and Taldarin. In an effort to reverse the infestation process, they used a "Radical Nanotech Serum" made by the Protoss, and managed to weed out the infestation, while still keeping Stukov alive.
Known Infested Creatures
Known Infested Protoss
Little is known of the Protoss people being infested by the Zerg.
Sentient
Known Infested Terrans
Quite a few Terran people have been subjected to infestation.
Sentient
Infested Terrans who have kept their sentience, but possibly have harmed intelligence or and/or sanity.
- Samir Duran (it is unknown what species he actually belongs to, and if he actually was infested)
- Eschueta the Wicked (mercenary leader)
- Sarah Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, now the sole ruler of the Zerg
- Morik ("mutate" - infestation controlled by nanites)
- Sistask ("mutate" - infestation controlled by nanites)
- Ethan Stewart (infested by Kerrigan with intention to make him her consort)
- Alexei Stukov (reanimated through infestation by Cerebrate Kaloth, later purged by Protoss "radical nanotech serum")
Non-sentient
Terrans that has been infested and transformed to mindless drones.
Other Infested Creatures
Development
The original concept art of Infested Terrans mostly depicted them still carrying Terran weapons, but with sprouting fangs, claws and octopus-like tentacles. The "exploding-suicide-Terran" was probably a late development idea to fill a specific need (a suicide unit), as well as the ideas of infestation on a grander scale than just Kerrigan herself, enabling the Queen to infest Terran Command Centers. Still, due to the effort involved in creating such things, they were seldom used.
In StarCraft II, they get a more prominent role, as they will be able to use their ranged attacks instead of spending their lives to explode, and also look significantly cooler, which probably was a good reason for the change as well.
There has been very few pieces of Infested Protoss art, and not yet any ingame models. Current Infested Protoss Buildings produce Infested Terrans instead of Protoss. Dustin browder promised Gunnar "Leord" Petzall of IncGamers that there will be infested Protoss with a unique style, and unique abilities in the future.
Gallery
- General StarCraft II Shots
