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STMP SHOC Button This article or section is based on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl cut content and may contain inaccurate information or speculation.

“The city is struck by a terrible mutated infection, the so-called parasite. The spores of the parasite are transmitted by air, they devour the victim's brain, growing into their body. The result is a human or canine body with a outgrowth instead of a head. Several tentacles hang down from the growth and enter the body. Parasites can use some of the skills of the devoured victim, like using firearms. A cloud of spores is shot at a short distance, from which the next parasite will develop in the victim's body if they get caught.
― Description of Dead City from design documents

The Parasite is an unrealized mutant capable of completely controlling humans and Animals. Its habitat was Dead City. It was also supposed to be in "MedPribor" Research Institute and Yantar.

Description[]

A creature of unknown origin that parasitizes other livings. It enters the victim's body in the form of spores and then begins to reproduce. Over time, the victim's brain is destroyed and a growth appears in place of the head. The main carriers of the parasite are humans and dogs. It is an object of research by Scientists.

Spherical outgrowth with bulges and sutures. It has about 10 tentacles of varying sizes underneath, which are used to dig into its prey. It has a large hole inside.

Lifestyle[]

The parasite gets on victim in the form of a spore, then begins to develop in the victim. As it develops, it eats the brain, attaches itself in place of the head, and uses tentacles to control it. Its victims are humans and dogs.

The parasites have a fairly large population and reproduce by directing spores into potential prey (parasites need to be at close range to do this) or into the air.

Relationships[]

Blind dogs and humans are targets for the mutant's parasitism.

Location[]

2002
  • Yantar Lake, protects the location of the Mist Creature.
  • Dead City, in large numbers in the area.
2003

Presents on the ground and in the underground. Also in anomalous ("fog") and radioactive zones.

Gameplay[]

The Parasite was not an important mutant species in the Zone, so it did not have an important role in the game's plot.

2002

The Parasite were to be found in Dead City in large numbers. Duty, with the help of the player, attempts to stop the parasites from leaving the city and wipe them out together.

2003

The mutant lives on the ground and in underground. Initially Barkeep asks to bring a single parasite, but the developers removed this quest and redesigned it about month later: now it could be taken from scientists who would tell the player where to find the infected; and it was necessary to use a special device to take samples of the mutant, rather than carrying the whole mutants.

History[]

2002[]

On October 8, 2002, a sketch of the mutant by Viktor Marchevsky was completed. It was shared along with the koan_podarok archive of design documents. It was also on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anthology. Silver Edition bonus disk.

In early October, the parasite is mentioned in the scenario_elements1.xls table as part of the Body mutant, but not directly[note 1]. In late October and early November, the mutant is described a bit in _story_.doc, which tells about a Duty mission. At the same time, the mutant was put by the developers in the "birth" tables (Количество родившихся.xls (en. Amount of births), скорость размножения.xls (en. Birth Speed), and Вероятность рождения.xls (en. Birth probability), so it can be assumed that the parasite could be in the game.

On November 1, Dmitry Yasenev registered a mutant class in clsid_game.h called AI_SPONGER. Further implementation of the mutant was not technically pursued.

2003[]

In mid-March, the parasite is listed as one of the mutant guards of the Mist Creature in the document Scenario_element_mist_creature.doc. Around the same time, the developers come up with a quest[note 2] related to the Barkeep and the mutant (Scenario_element_bar_stalker.doc), but in April, GSC comes up with almost similar quest with the scientists (Scenario_element_science_camps3.doc).

Also in April, Scenario_element_unnamed_city.doc is created, which tells about an unknown city filled with parasites. This is most likely the working title of Dead City.

Then the quest with the parasite and scientists is repeated in Scenario_x.doc and Scenario_5.doc.

At about the same time the parasite's lifestyle and habitats are described with more detail in stalker.doc.

In early June there is a mention of a mutant in 03_Element_element_mist_creature.doc, but this is a copy from Scenario_element_mist_creature.doc.

In late October and early November, parasites and Dead City[note 3] are mentioned in two documents[note 4]containing the plot of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost.

In late October, a mutant birth table was created, which also included a parasite. But the table itself is empty and contains no information.

Trivia[]

  • The parasite was most likely created under the influence of Half-Life, specifically Headcrabs.
  • There are actually organisms with similar behavior as the parasite in real life. For example Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, A species of fungus which attacks the nervous system of ants and controls them. Or Taenia multiceps, which eats the victim's brain and thereby disrupts its functioning.

References[]

  1. The document states that the Body has the ability to release parasite spores
  2. There are no details, only its presence.
  3. Specified as City
  4. One is an updated version of the other
Sources
ts_scenes_2003-2004\Scenes\arhive\scenario_elements1.xls
ts_scenes_2003-2004\Scenes\arhive\_story_.doc
lox_last_before_retarded_12.12.10\SOC\Tools\Ai_Func\Offline_func\Количество родившихся.xls
lox_last_before_retarded_12.12.10\SOC\Tools\Ai_Func\Offline_func\скорость размножения.xls
lox_last_before_retarded_12.12.10\SOC\Tools\Ai_Func\Offline_func\Вероятность рождения.xls
ts_scenes_2003-2004\Scenes\arhive\elements\Scenario_element_mist_creature.doc
ts_scenes_2003-2004\Scenes\arhive\elements\Scenario_element_bar_stalker.doc
ts_scenes_2003-2004\Scenes\arhive\elements\Scenario_element_science_camps3.doc
ts_scenes_2003-2004\Scenes\arhive\elements\Scenario_element_unnamed_city.doc
ts_scenes_2003-2004\Scenes\arhive\Scenario_x.doc
ts_scenes_2003-2004\Scenes\arhive\Scenario_5.doc
koan_podarok\1\stalker.doc
koan_podarok\1\Ivanov\03_Основные элементы.doc
ts_scenes_2003-2004\Scenes\arhive\update\stalker_lit4.doc
stalker\stalker_lit5.doc
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