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Height: Variable (5 to 7 feet in mass height)
Weight: 300 pounds
Danger Level: 5 (Dangerous)
Type: Terrestrial Mutation
Location: Abandoned Sewer Lines, Old Sewer Systems
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Entity 004-G, commonly referred to as the Gelatinous Rat Mass, is a grotesque and amorphous creature composed of hundreds, if not thousands, of mutated rats. Their bodies have become fused together into a writhing mass of flesh, bone, and fur, forming a singular entity. Limbs, tails, and heads of individual rats occasionally surface and retreat into the larger mass as it moves, creating a disturbing and chaotic visual.
The entity's composition is in a constant state of flux. While mostly grounded and slow-moving, the fused rats can stretch, contract, and twist their collective form to squeeze through narrow spaces, making containment difficult in cramped or aged sewer systems. The mass emits a rancid stench of decay, and while it does not possess high intelligence, it operates through a basic hive-mind driven by instinct and hunger.
Abilities:
1. Flesh Assimilation:
Entity 004-G can absorb nearby rats or smaller creatures into its mass, adding to its size and increasing its physical density. Injured or weakened creatures nearby are most vulnerable to being drawn into the gelatinous mass.
2. Toxic Excretion:
The entity secretes a thick, toxic slime that can cause severe infections and tissue damage upon contact. The slime also attracts vermin, leading to further mutations and growth of the entity.
3. Swarm Dispersal:
In moments of stress or defense, the individual rats within the mass can temporarily break off in swarms, attacking nearby threats. After dispersal, these rats return to the primary mass, reintegrating into the larger body.
Containment Procedure for Entity 004-G: Gelatinous Rat Mass
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Containment Class: Gamma
Location:
Entity 004-G is to be contained within an isolated section of the D.C.N. Underground Containment Facility, specifically in Sub-Level 9, designed for hazardous and unpredictable terrestrial mutations. Due to its ability to escape through small openings, containment cells must be equipped with adaptive barriers.
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Containment Measures:
1. Primary Containment Unit:
The containment chamber must be constructed of reinforced concrete and steel with no gaps or crevices exceeding 1 inch in width. The chamber's dimensions must be 20x20 feet with a 15-foot height clearance to allow for periodic expansions of the mass.
2. Fluidic Barrier System:
The floor of the chamber must be outfitted with a drainage and fluidic barrier system that circulates a low-level acidic solution to deter the entity from adhering to surfaces and attempting escape. The acid must be mild enough to avoid permanent damage but strong enough to prevent the entity from growing uncontrollably.
3. Vermin Deterrent Systems:
To prevent local rodents from being attracted to the entity, the surrounding area is fitted with vermin deterrent emitters that release ultrasonic pulses. These pulses are designed to keep common rodents from entering containment zones and becoming absorbed into the mass.
4. Waste Disposal and Hazardous Materials Protocol:
The entity regularly excretes toxic waste and biological residue, which must be cleaned bi-weekly by automated systems. Direct human contact with the mass or its byproducts is strictly prohibited. All cleaning must be performed using remote-controlled drones equipped with flame-based sterilization tools.
5. Nutrient Control:
Feeding of Entity 004-G is restricted to controlled doses of chemically-treated biological material to prevent rapid growth. Overfeeding or exposure to organic material must be carefully monitored to avoid the risk of containment breaches.
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Containment Breach Protocol:
1. Phase 1 – Containment Alert:
If Entity 004-G begins to breach its containment chamber, motion sensors will activate the emergency lockdown sequence. The entire containment wing is sealed, and a perimeter of high-voltage electric grids is deployed.
2. Phase 2 – Dispersal Countermeasures:
In the event that the entity disperses into swarming rats, fire suppression systems will release a gaseous compound designed to incapacitate smaller vermin, causing them to become immobile and vulnerable to retrieval.
3. Phase 3 – Recontainment:
Remote-operated drones will be deployed to corral the swarming mass back into the containment chamber. Any attempts by the entity to reassemble outside the containment chamber will trigger automatic acid flushing procedures to incapacitate it.
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Containment Breach History:
Incident 004-G-A:
Date: 07/13/2005
Summary: Entity 004-G broke containment after assimilating an influx of sewer rats that bypassed the vermin deterrent system. The entity expanded significantly, breaching a small crack in the containment wall. Response teams were able to recontain the mass after a 4-hour operation, utilizing flame units and a localized acid bath to reduce its size.
Incident 004-G-C:
Date: 12/05/2009
Summary: Following routine feeding, Entity 004-G demonstrated an aggressive behavior spike, leading to the partial destruction of automated cleaning drones. The entity attempted a breach by creating a narrow tunnel through its toxic excretions, dissolving part of the chamber wall. Recontainment was achieved with minimal staff injuries after an emergency gas dispersal and reinforcement of the chamber wall.
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Anthology Entry: Entity 004-G – The Gelatinous Mass
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Title: The Writhing Below
Report Filed by Agent Milo Arfield, Senior Operative, PILGRIM PARABLES D.C.N Unit
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"The sewers... they stink of death. You don't smell it at first; it hides beneath the rot and the filth. But once you're down there long enough, you understand what the real stench is. It's not the waste or decay... it's fear. Fear of what's crawling beneath, fear of the things that shouldn't be alive anymore but somehow are."
It started in the old city. People living above ground never knew what was lurking below their feet, but the disappearances started to pile up—maintenance workers, vagrants, even the occasional police officer that ventured too deep into the labyrinth of forgotten tunnels. At first, nobody thought much of it. The sewers were dangerous enough on their own. But the reports grew more frequent, more disturbing. People claimed they saw the walls move, claimed to hear screeching in the dark. Some thought it was rats, but no one could explain how rats could drag full-grown men into the depths.
That's when PILGRIM PARABLES was brought in.
I remember the first time I saw Entity 004-G, the Gelatinous Rat Mass. It was an early morning mission. The objective was simple: locate, contain, and neutralize. We didn't know what we were dealing with. All we had were scraps of reports—some kind of large animal, maybe an oversized rat. A joke of an assignment, or so we thought.
We entered the abandoned sewer system through an old maintenance hatch. The air down there was thick and wet, like breathing through a sponge soaked in filth. My partner, James, kept joking about needing a vacation. He stopped laughing the moment we heard it—the sound of flesh scraping against concrete. It was subtle at first, like something dragging itself along. Then the scurrying came. Dozens, maybe hundreds of tiny claws moving as one.
Our lights flickered in the dark. The thing crawled into view.
It wasn't just a rat. It was hundreds of them, maybe thousands, all fused together in some nightmarish mass of fur, teeth, and twisted bodies. Some of the rats still had their heads, their eyes blank and white. Others had limbs sticking out at impossible angles. And in the center of it all, there was this... thing. This writhing, gelatinous core, pulsing like a heartbeat, dragging the rest of them with it.
We opened fire.
Bullets barely slowed it down. It screeched—a sound I'll never forget. It wasn't a single voice; it was a chorus of broken, agonizing howls, like the entire mass was screaming in pain and rage. It lunged at us, and James... well, James wasn't fast enough. The thing wrapped itself around him, dragging him into the sewage. I heard him scream, heard his bones break as it absorbed him.
I ran.
I didn't stop running until I was topside again, gasping for breath, the scent of rot clinging to me like a second skin. The mission was a failure. James was gone. And the Gelatinous Mass was still down there, festering, growing. I filed my report, but nobody wanted to believe it. They sent another team. That team never came back.
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Post-Mission Summary:
Entity 004-G continues to pose a significant threat to urban environments with extensive underground sewer systems. Its ability to assimilate organic matter, particularly rats and other small creatures, into its mass makes it nearly impossible to destroy without causing massive collateral damage. Attempts to neutralize the entity have failed, with each recontainment effort requiring heavy losses.
The Gelatinous Rat Mass has shown signs of developing intelligence, or at least a survival instinct, as it has been recorded retreating from heavy firepower and returning only when provoked. Attempts to communicate or understand the entity's biology have been met with limited success.
End Report.
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Aftermath:
No one goes into the old sewer lines anymore. Officially, they're marked as "unsafe," closed off to the public due to structural concerns. But we know the truth. The people in charge have decided it's better to keep the problem buried. As long as the thing stays underground, they're content to leave it there. But I know it's only a matter of time before it resurfaces—bigger, stronger, hungrier.
I keep my ear to the ground, listening for the scurrying of rats. One day, it'll be back. And when it does, I just hope we're ready.
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