| “ | Ease yourself, do you not have need of the blessing? |
” |
| Parasite Tree | |
|---|---|
| Naming | |
| Others | World Tree D-04-108
|
| Morphology | |
| Body type | Floral |
| Intelligence | |
| Sentience | Sentient |
| Sapience | Social |
| Ecology | |
| Habitat | Forest |
| Locomotion | Immobile |
| Lifespan | Immortal |
| Status | Contained |
| Behind the Scenes | |
| Universe | Lobotomy Corporation |
Parasite Tree is a plantlike Abnormality that presents itself to the world as a benevolent nature spirit, instinctively broadcasting an aura of bliss to its surrounding Lobotomy Corporation facility, and promising blessings to naïve employees. It does not follow human ideas of good and evil, blessing or curse, and its abilities are not compatible with human survival, its WAW rating comes from the true nature of the blessings; they are actually the beginning of a plague. The five employees it blessed will start running in a panic before transforming into its saplings, who will start transforming other humans with a deadly neurotoxin.
Parasite Tree's E.G.O, 'Hypocrisy' is a costume of an elf hunter, clothed in undying flora. Its description insists that immortality is an abomination against nature, hence its name.
Parasite Tree's story records are an excerpt from the diary of a Lobotomy Corporation worker. The employee was worried about the uncannily peaceful atmosphere it exuded, becoming more spooked when their co-worker's attitude is altered from an encounter with the tree. They're sent by the Manager to work with it by themself after they complain. Afterwards, with degraded handwriting (sign of either the transformation or nerve damage), the author starts to display religious admiration of the tree. They're told by Parasite Tree to bring their co-worker under its blessing. She is the final one it needs, and the author begins exulting in their own transformation. The records end here.
Characteristics[]
Parasite Tree is bright green throughout its entire body, it has a thick trunk that opens into broad deciduous leaves at the top, an indentation like a sleeping face is at its center. The tree's roots appear to dig into the metallic floor of its containment unit. One glowing flower is in its leaves for every living person who has its blessing, but it will dramatically change when the fifth one has arrived. The Tree turns purple, its flowers turn into shrunken heads, and the face is replaced with a demonic eye. It also becomes impossible to work the tree again until all victims have been exterminated.
Infection Process[]
Parasite Tree is a restless Abnormality, it's always attempting to realize its plans for humanity. Any sort of completed job in the Facility X-394 will convince it to unnaturally grow more flora inside its containment unit, at the overgrowth's apex it begins telepathically calling for someone to receive its blessing. A prospective victim will be lured towards the cell unless their manager insists otherwise, similar to the powers of the Red Shoes. The gardening process can be halted by sending someone to work with it, effectively propitiating the tree through ceaseless attention. Parasite Tree puts on a caring attitude within its telepathic calls, and seems to sincerely believe that it is a benevolent entity.
Either way, no one leaves its unit without the tree's blessing. The tree's leaves will begin to glow, and the recipient begins to bask in its calming light, then a new flower glows amid its leaves. Afterwards they display euphoria and greater competence with work processes. Repression work always causes it to prematurely attract a victim, since this work type is associated with training and punishing an Abnormality, it might respond like this to deny its hypocritical behavior; the tree acts like a bridge between humanity and nature, but is divorced from both.
Saplings[]
After it has blessed five people, they turn irrevocably insane, sprinting in random directions until the transformation completes. They turn into humanoid saplings with faces frozen in horror, who fill their immediate surroundings with a toxin that corrodes human minds, any agent that succumbs to the toxin will repeat the transformation process.