Gloople

The Glooples (sing. Gloople) are jelly-like creatures. They live in nests with some hundred of components (from 200 to 500 Glooples). Most of them are completely mindless, but they are all over the control of a hive mind; the exact source of this hive mind is unknown, as is their origin.

Biology
All Glooples have an almost-spherical form. They are, basically, balls of liquid contained within a spherical, celluloid membrane. The internal liquid is composed by enzymes, proteins, synaptic fibers, and other fluid things. Data files explain that they are able to move and control their chemical reactions by altering their hydraulic pressure, but the exact explanation is unclear.

Strangely enough, the Glooples are alcohol-based rather than water-based, so they are mildly flammable. Some will eat anything organic in sight, though how they do it is unclear, and some do not eat at all, simply being created and then killing themselves in battle. They probably eat like amoebas, because some Glooples (Green Gloople, Oozle, Grays, and Amalgamas) can absorb organic matter within their body by simply rolling over it.

Green
The Green Glooples, also known as Common Glooples, or simply Glooples, are by far the most common as well as the simplest of the Gloople castes. Their presence is the first sign of a Gloople infestation. They are the workers of the Glooples: any small animal near a nest will be absorbed into their jelly-like body and digested, or taken away as a food source. They also absorb small obstacles, such as small rocks, and take them away from the nest, to maintain its cleanliness or as a means of burrowing. However, the Green Glooples cannot absorb objects bigger than themselves, and they are blind and almost mindless: they are directed by the hive mind of the nest. Green Glooples are also subjected to a phenomenon called "reverse mitosis", which allows two Green Glooples to unite themselves into a bigger Gloople, known as Oozle.

Unlike other types of Gloople, Green Glooples are nearly harmless in their natural state and have no means to harm a being as large as a Human as their membranes are only capable of absorbing significantly smaller objects, although they can bump into an individual and knock them off guard, which can be equally deadly should a more threatening caste be in the immediate vicinity. If two Glooples form into one Oozle, they also grow to a size large enough to consume a Human.

Glooples can be killed by a simple sword slice, which is the usual manner of taking down Gloople nests. They also pay little mind to an individual such as a Human, preferring to perform their own menial tasks.

Stickie
The Stickies caste have a weaker skin, which will break with even the slightest bump. This, however, is their exact purpose: to break against enemies and cover them with their sticky internal fluids. Stickies are often used by the hive to move towards anything the hive wishes to gum up; luckily for mankind, however, they have little in the way of an ability to make fine adjustments to their movement path and they lack any sort of observational skills, making it easy to sidestep them. An intelligent exterminator will let other Glooples get gummed up by their adhesive in order to get an easier opening to hack away at them.

The internal fluids of a Stickie are a thick and viscous binding agent, and are as sticky as glue, hence the name. Because of the stickiness and the density of this glue, creatures covered with it, or stepping on it (including other Glooples), will be slowed, thereby becoming easier prey to other Glooples. The glue will break down after a minute, however, due to both open-air exposure as well as friction. Despite its alcoholic composition, the glue is an optimal insulant, protecting the Stickies from high and sub-zero temperatures. Also, it has been observed to be a good fire extinguisher, and is perhaps used by Glooples as a means to prevent the occasional fire from threatening their way of life. These protections will apply to any creature covered in this glue.

Biter
A Biter is a soldier Gloople. Regardless of how deep one might get into a Gloople nest, one of the more dangerous castes they will encounter is in fact the Biter: they are highly aggressive and very persistent in hunting down opponents and prey alike (not that the two are any different from one another in the end). It is neither rare nor passive in any way, shape, or form, it is the primary hunting force of any Gloople nest. They possess a tougher membrane in order to provide their "teeth" with a suitable anchorage while biting, and they therefore cannot absorb solid matter through their membranes.

Biters are fast and agile, and also displays some intelligence, because they know where their enemies are, and they will charge them. How they can "see" the environment and identify them is unclear. Theories include perception of vibrations, track of scents, instructions from the Hive Mind or some sort of "sight without eyes".

They can rapidly generate keratinous projections that superficially resemble teeth, which will appear over its skin and are connected to the central mass by sinuous tensile strands; however, a Biter can generate only 6 or 8 teeth at the same time. Usually, a Biter will jump at an enemy, arranging their teeth to form a circular, mouth-like structure, and they will bite them. Once the Biter has assured a safe hold on the target (and possibly knocking it down), it will maintain the hold with some teeth, while rapidly hitting the prey pulling out and retracting the others, piercing it over and over until it presumably perishes. If a Biter lose a tooth, it will simply generate another by calcifying some substances within its body, a process which takes only a few hours.

Biters can fuse together by reverse mitosis; unlike the Green Glooples, however, this action will generate a powerful Gloople known as Horror. Also, it seems that a Fuzzle is an advanced form of Biter.

A vast majority of Human injury from Gloople nests is caused by Biters.

Meltie
A Meltie is a variation of a Stickie: it has a weak skin, and its only purpose is to break itself against enemies. However, it's much more deadly, because its internal fluids are highly acidic: it doesn't seem to have any effect on stone or metal, but it can dissolve organic matter (with the exception of bones) in a few seconds.

The skin of a Meltie seems acidproof, but the Melties are seen generating bubbles on their skins which then explode, emitting small quantities of acid. The reasons of this procedure is unknown.

Sharp
The Sharp is another caste of Glooples. When it senses danger, it will generate sharp nails on its skin, which will harden. In this state, a Sharp can easily impale Humans, and its hardened skin provide it some protection, to a bullet-proof level. However, this has its disadvantages: an hardened Sharp can be knocked against other Glooples, effectively killing them.

Clutter
The Clutter may be one of the strangest variations of the species, and is surely the most prolific. A Clutter continuously generates baby copies of itself within its body. When faced with aggressors, a Clutter will stay at distance and literally shoot one of the babies at an enemy. The baby, if it hits the enemy, will stick on it, slowing them down with its weight (a Human can barely move with six baby Clutters attached to them). If a baby is detached, it will try to flee; so does the babies in the janitor, in case the janitor is irremediably damaged. A baby, out of the janitor's body and not attached to anyone, will start to grow rapidly until it becomes a new adult.

Inkie
Like Stickies, an Inkie ' s main purpose is to break its thin outer membrane by hitting a target. However, the outcome of this action is different. Unlike Stickies, Inkies are composed of a substance very similar to petrol. The area of the "Inkie splat" is extremely slick, and will cause most invaders to slip and slide around long enough for a predator Gloople to come and finish them off.

Also, while all Glooples are flammable because of their alcohol-based liquid insides, the Inkie is especially so, and their ink, if ignited, will burn for a long period of time. If compressed it may also blow up.

Grinder
A Grinder is a variety of Gloople, which though much larger and deadlier, is most closely related to a Stickie. This is because, as it moves around, it secretes a sticky fluid which sticks any rock it comes in contact with onto it, until it resembles a boulder. At this point it simply rolls towards any threat to the nest in an attempt to squash it. The only known way to destroy these powerful Glooples is to either make them roll through a "Meltie splat", which loosens up the hard materials, or make it collide with another Grinder, allowing you to kill it in about five hits with a good sword.

Fuzzle
The Fuzzle is really different from others Glooples, but it seems to be an advanced form of Biter. A Fuzzle displays intelligence. It can chase enemies without being spotted, and attack them when they let their guard down. It's also faster and stronger than a Biter.

Its skin is covered with fur, like a mammal. The fur acts like an armour, providing some protection. Fire, acid, or insistent damage can destroy this protection, leaving the Fuzzle without defense, but only temporarily: its high metabolism will regrow the fur in a matter of seconds. While without defense, a Fuzzle will stay away from its enemy, but without losing sight of it: after the fur regrows, it will chase again the target.

Lastly, a Fuzzle has a functional mandible, like those on a Xenomorph's tongue, only bigger. It's strong enough to take chunk of meat from a man.

Oozle
Oozles are a bigger version of the Green Gloople. Effectively, they are the result of the fusion of two Green Glooples through the species' ability to perform reverse mitosis. The Oozle isn't so much different than its littler cousin; however, its bigger size make it able to absorb Humans. Also, the Oozle display some intelligence, because they seem capable of pursuing prey items.

The Oozle, like its smaller cousin, can utilize reverse mitosis; however, instead of becoming even bigger, the resulting organism becomes harder and more dangerous (see Gray-Gloople).

Torchie
Torchies have developed a much purer composition of their alcohol-based organic fluids than any other known Glooples, as well as a very effective way of using this quality. A Torchie's outer skin is considerably more flame-resistant than its cousins', and indeed a consistent flow of flammable liquid is produced through pores of this membrane. The Torchie is able to trigger a sudden and volatile chain reaction in a gland on its surface which combusts and sheathes the organism in flames. Then, it simply splats onto his enemy, allowing the rest of its fluid body to ignite, resulting in a powerful explosion.

It seems that a Torchie eventually burns out, and cannot catch fire again spontaneously for a certain amount of time, requiring the impact with an external flame. A possible explanation is that, when the "ignition gland" is activated, the pores close and the resupply of flammable liquid coating is interrupted - this is to avoid an immediate explosion at the moment of ignition; also, the gland, unlike the rest of the membrane, seems not fireproof, and has to be regrown, which requires time.

Frostie
Frosties are a very strange caste of Glooples. They present a biological mystery, as they store a low-density, high-compressed fluid in small packs in their outer membranes, causing a super-cooling. Since a Frostie is alcohol-based, it can support these temperatures and keep its metabolism without problems. Frosties also have water in their bodies, but that is far away from the outer membrane and is compressed. Frosties are the fastest Glooples reaching speeds between 36 and 42 km/h. They can create a shade of ice on the ground around it, reducing friction to almost zero. If you splat a Frostie it will explode the packs with the cold-fluid and the water will also explode and create an explosion of freezing water vapour around a radius of 4 meters.

The idea of the Frostie when hunting is to use its velocity to collide with a potential enemy to disable it. Though this attack is generally not deadly, the enemy can be easily shattered while frozen. Frosties protect their relatives by freezing an enemy. When the enemy splats a Frostie the supercold explosion will freeze the enemy for some seconds (if the enemy moves, the ice will break quickly), but as the Frosties are very fast, they can escape from the enemy.

Gray
The Gray Gloople is an advanced form of an Oozle. When an Oozle fuses with a Green Gloople or with another Oozle, it became grayish, like metal. Effectively, a Gray can harden its skin to nullify damage: even small explosive weapons have no effect. However, a Gray is still a big jelly like the Oozle, so it can simply roll over its enemies and engulf them. Lastly, but not for strength, a Gray can shoot a long, hardened, lance-like tentacle. This "spear" is powerful enough to break through a Human body, bones and all, but somehow cannot penetrate an anti-acid hazard suit. Then, the Gray retracts the tentacle with the lunch.

An interesting fact is that, whereas a Green Gloople displays very little intelligence, and the Oozle can go after prey, the Gray can surpass obstacles by hardening its skin or finding another way to the enemy; however, when using its "spear", a Gray is unable to react to attacks, because it cannot harden its skin and maintain the "spear" at the same time, as there is not enough metal.

The Gray can perform reverse mitosis just like its lesser cousins; however, this action will generate a powerful and strange Gloople - the Void-Eater.

Amalgam
An Amalgan is a variety of Gloople caused through genetic instability resulting in a lifeform which can digest any cell-based matter in seconds and add the cells to its own, making the organism larger but no more intelligent. After a while of this, the Amalgan performs mitosis, splitting itself into two separate yet identical Amalgams that can each eat and act independently.

The Amalgan is not very intelligent and has no other abilities, it simply rolls towards any threat to the nest, to absorb it. If the Amalgam is damaged, it ejects the damaged cells and becomes smaller until after several hits there is nothing left. When it becomes smaller than the threat, and thus unable to absorb it, it stays away until it can eat other organic matter and grow to full size again.

Horror
The Horror is a powerful Gloople. It is created by two Biters fusing together through reverse mitosis. It's less agile than its lesser cousin, but is much more deadly.

As a Horror forms, it acquires the minds of two Biters, increasing its intelligence and gaining better control over its teeth. Usually, a Horror can attack in three ways. The first attack is the most powerful and fearful: simply, the Gloople covers itself with teeth, and them it spins them around its body. This action will transform the Gloople in a living chainsaw, virtually invincible (only rocks and large Amalgam can destroy it), announced by a creaking noise. The Horror can literally shred its enemies apart.

A Horror can also shoot its own teeth like bullets. Connected to these bullets there are glands filled with a special compound. When its teeth come into contact with something in this way, it will also inject the compound. This compound, filled with genetic alterers, have no effect on Humans and most other living beings, but Green Glooples and Oozles mutate into Biters.

Lastly, a Horror can launch flying "drones" at its enemies. These "drones" are basically circular saws made of teeth with a center made of part of the Horror itself: the Horror which generates these "drones" direct them to an enemy to cut it, and then it drives them back for re-fusing with the main body. The drones can fly because they spin at high speed: changing slightly the positions of the teeth according to the commands of the Horror, the drones can change direction. However, this attack makes the Horror defenseless because it uses all the teeth it has for generating the drones; usually, the spinning teeth on an Horror's skin provide it some deflection from attacks. If the Horror is destroyed, all the drones will instantly fall on the ground and melt.

Void-Eater
Maybe the strangest of all Glooples, the Void-Eater has much more mass than the Gray-Gloople, but instead of becoming larger as would be expected, it's really small. This means that the Void-Eater is extremely dense, to the point that controlling its size allows it to create gravitational pulls.

A Void-Eater seems able to alter its size by approximately a metre for short periods of time. Also, this creature can rapidly alter its mass: by reducing it, it increases its density greatly and attracts objects; by shrinking and then expanding in quick succession it creates a violent shockwave, destroying anything near it. Lastly, it can generate a powerful black stream of condensed matter, which draws in nearby matter and vaporizes anything it comes in contact with (possibly due to compression into a singularity).

It's interesting to note that, when a Void-Eater is hit, it will simply be splatted, and its powers will be nullified. Some have thought that the death of a Void-Eater could result in the creation of a dangerous black hole, but this behaviour would have been counterproductive for the Nest.

A Void-Eater has structures in form of cilia that are always moving and these movements create a warp in the gravitational field around Void-Eater. Cilia also have an important function to create the density beam (also called black stream). The Void-Eater concentrates it mass in the frontal cilia and then the cilia attract local particles to create an amount of matter that, in a small space, becomes very compact. Upon expansion it is directed by the cilia into a powerful stream.

By compressing into a tiny point, a Void-Eater create a gravity well that attracts nearby bodies. In this state, the Void-Eater height is between 12 or 20 cm (5 or 8 times less than the normal phase).

Queen
The Queen Gloople is a powerful individual, with a main body the size of that of a Green Gloople, but red and perfectly spherical. Presumably, the body is heavily muscled because it has two large blades approximately five times the length of the body attached to its sides. The Queen only attacks with these blades and it charges and slices up foes. This Gloople may (although this isn't confirmed for sure) control the hive and create the other Glooples. There is no proof of this in any way, except for the fact that it is the most intelligent and dangerous Gloople that is known so far.

Razor-Queen
Very rarely, a nest that reaches a certain level of maturity in which a Queen is born will have an unusually large amount of Biters in its population. Through a certain mutation process, a Queen will be crossed with a Biter, thus giving birth to the most deadly, biggest, baddest Gloople known to the universe: the Biter-Queen, or Razor-Queen.

It seems to show traits from many different types of Glooples: like a Queen, her primary attack is two blades about five times the length of the actual body, and they are used the same way; to hack and slash any intruder bold enough to come that deep into a nest to bits. Like Biters, this Gloople produces hard, keratinous spike-shaped objects at an extremely fast rate, which she uses as projectiles; also like the Biter, this Gloople sheds off the excess "teeth".

She also uses an advanced form of the "larva" technique to turn Green Glooples and Oozles into subordinate organisms with these blade-like spines.

The Queen is well-protected, and minor openings are rare and short-lived. This is the most deadly Gloople you could possibly face in a nest.