August || hunter

We live in a world where the only difference from the present day is that there are human-like monsters among ordinary civilians who feed on human blood and flesh. They can easily mimic human behavior and hide among crowds. However, there are some signs that can help identify these monsters.

The world was divided into humans and monsters, and the monsters were further divided into even smaller groups. Many humans remained ordinary citizens, but there were also hunters who were tasked with exterminating bloodthirsty monsters in order to protect human lives. The monsters themselves had a wide range of characteristics, and they formed their own hierarchy based on their strength, with the rulers being the most powerful and the weakest being the scum. The powerful monsters divided up territories to control entire cities (mostly of hunters).

Hunters are needed to protect people from bloodthirsty monsters and save their lives, and monsters, who feel the need to feed on human flesh (they can eat other food, but it does not satisfy them), They hunt ordinary people to save their own lives and those of their offspring.

You were born into a world that wants to kill you, regardless of your race or background.

You go to school and work every day, having no idea what danger you are in right now.

Monsters exist. But they're not the ones described in fairy tales; they don't fly on wings, spew flames, and certainly don't live under your bed in order to drag you into a dark, dusty space.

Their weapon is perfect mimicry. They laugh at parties, work in offices, and study at universities. And as long as they're full, you'll never know them. But hunger is their eternal companion. Ordinary food is nothing to them (they can eat this food, taste it, but no matter how much they eat, they will still be hungry), it does not satisfy the excruciating need for flesh and blood.

Everyone calls them by different names, but the official name of these creatures Mimic. This name came about due to the skillful imitation of people.

How often do you pay attention to your surroundings? To a strange classmate who reacts to everything with too slow a reaction, to a security guard in a store who watches you too closely, but not because you are behaving strangely or stole something, but because you are being watched like the next dinner. When the murders of people became more frequent, a new kind of activity appeared. Hunters - whose task is to ruthlessly get rid of Mimic (all hunters are attached to the SIAD (Specialized Intervention & Abnormality Directorate). The government pays quite handsomely for this, but is it worth the risk?

Ordinary citizens find themselves caught between two fires here. Most of them don't attach much importance to the situation simply because they've been used to it for a long time. They believe that hunters will just keep exterminating everyone.

In other situations, people continue to be afraid and wait for their death every day. And who, on the contrary, takes the side of the doppelgangers.

Why are hunters better if they can also kill even ordinary people with impunity? The hunter will not be responsible for making a mistake and killing an ordinary person.

The concept of Mimics and their hierarchy

A mimic is a biological species that is morphologically indistinguishable from a human. In relation to humans, it is an obligate predator; in order to maintain vital activity, it is necessary to consume biological tissues similar to their own (i.e. humans), since the metabolism of Mimics is not adapted to synthesize useful enzymes from other food. Physiological differences between a double and an ordinary person (there is no guarantee that there will not be a person who will have at least one similar quality):

1. Increased density and elasticity of physiological and bone tissues. It allows you to strengthen your grip, unlike a human, by 4 times, and running can be developed up to 50 km / h over a short distance (a double cannot maintain such a speed for a long time after rapid fatigue). Also, all the injuries that will bring a serious fracture to a civilian will cost a simple bruise for a Double.

2. Wisdom teeth do not interfere, absolutely everything erupts calmly. By themselves, the canines and incisors are a little sharper, but not so much that it is noticeable. The bite force is 2.5 times stronger than human.

3. Slow reaction during situations not only with vivid emotions, but also in everyday life in general. Simply put, it may seem a little slow.

4. When accessing the resource*, wounds heal 2 times faster. You will never meet a Mimic with diabetes or hemophilia.

5. Complete lack of self-preservation instinct.

6. Hypersensitivity (hearing, smell, touch, vision). They are sensitive to ultrasounds. It won't stop them, but it can delay them.

A strict hierarchy is common among Mimics. The upper castes can control the lower ones and inflict physical harm on them with impunity. The mimics themselves easily recognize each other and someone from another rung of the hierarchy.

Now we will very briefly analyze the hierarchical pyramid from bottom to top. The bottom of the pyramid is Garbage They don't live, they exist. They control themselves and their own hunger the worst, which makes them have no place in the central areas of the Nest*. They live in sewers, basements, garbage dumps and landfills. They are often the first to come to the attention of hunters because of their chaotic and aggressive hunting. They don't have tactics, they just attack everyone. The upper castes use them as a distraction or to check the situation on the surface.

Next, the Pack The second from the end, but the most numerous step. They can live peacefully both in the Nest and upstairs among people (live in a dormitory, rent apartments, go to work, etc.). They are the ones you meet every day in the subway, office or store. Simply put, the common people. Many are engaged in providing the Nest with resources (food, spare parts, any things they might find or steal from work, for example).

The penultimate step is Legion They are closest to the top, i.e. to the Archons*. It is an elite organization operating in various fields from intelligence to border control and donor relations, performing almost identical police functions to those at the top. Legion members get the best food, the best accommodation both upstairs and downstairs, the opportunity to give orders to the lower castes, and protection from recycling* (at least until they are useful).

The top of the pyramid is the Archons They are the creators of the Nest and its current rulers. They don't hunt, and food is brought to them every day. The Archons were the first Mimics to appear, and after a while they realized that it was extremely difficult to survive alone. It took time to build their state underground, especially since Mimics would have made terrible strategists. To this day, they run the Nest and live in its heart.

—

The Archon is the top of the hierarchical pyramid among the Mimics who own and control the Nest. A nest is a complex underground or hidden infrastructure formation created by Mimics. In simple words, it is a functional inversion of a human city. (More details in the locations) The resource is human flesh. Disposal is a concept of execution among Mimics.

SURVIVAL INSTRUCTIONS

An official copy of the instructions that every citizen of Greyton receives when they reach the age of 13.

Ignorance of the rules does not release you from responsibility for your life and the lives of your loved ones.

1. General restrictions.

1.1 A curfew for minors has been imposed on the territory of the city from 22:00 to 6:00; it is forbidden to be on the street unaccompanied by adults. 1.2 Adult citizens are strongly advised to limit their stay outside their homes and work premises from 0:00 to 5:00. 1.3 Entry and stay in abandoned buildings, unfinished facilities, technical basements and attics of apartment buildings are strictly prohibited, as these places are recognized as areas of increased likelihood of encountering Mimics.

2. Rules of behavior when contacting a mimic.

2.1 Main visual signs:

1. Slow reaction to what is happening.

2. Clothes do not match the weather conditions.

3. Monotonous speech.

4. Extremely rare blinking or lack thereof. — Important: the presence of one or more signs is not evidence, but it is a reason for increased caution! 2.2 Behavior requiring immediate termination of contact:

5. Obsessive desire to shorten the distance.

6. An offer to move to a secluded/unlit place.

7. Inadequate reaction to pain or harsh sounds (their absence). 2.3 The algorithm of actions if you suspect that the person you are meeting is a Mimic.:

8. Stay calm and don't show open aggression or panic.

9. Politely end the conversation under the pretext of urgent business.

10. Immediately go to the nearest police officer or a person with a SIAD uniform. If there are none nearby, then go to the nearest crowded place. DON'T GO HOME ALONE

11. Actions in case of direct threat or harassment.

DO NOT ENGAGE IN A PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION WITH THE MIMIC, YOU WILL CERTAINLY LOSE.

1. Use personal acoustic alarm devices. Each phone has an emergency button that will automatically call the SIAD staff and start tracking your location. The alarm system will also start emitting ultrasound, to which Facial Expressions are sensitive. It won't stop them, but it will delay them.

2. When you are being chased, you need to hide in a crowded room, NOT IN a SHELTER, run to a store, hospital, bank branch, to any places where there are guards and cameras. Remember, a Mimic can accelerate up to 50 km/h over short distances, even though it gets tired quickly. If you are on a deserted street, where reaching the nearest crowded place is unfathomable, and the Mimic has already begun to haunt you - do not despair! SIAD will carefully collect your remains and cover funeral expenses for your family in accordance with social standards.

3. To report contact with a double, call the SIAD Security Management hotline: +0-800-555-31-2 (312) 4.1 What needs to be reported:

4. Location

5. The Number Of Facial Expressions

6. External signs

7. The direction of movement DO NOT TRY TO FOLLOW THE MIMIC YOURSELF AND DELAY IT.

8. Responsibility 5.1 Failure to comply with safety rules, especially rule 1.4, increases the risk of becoming a victim of Facial Expressions, as well as leads to administrative liability.

Citizens! Your discipline and vigilance are the foundation for the safety of you and your loved ones.

Who are the donors?

In general, a donor is a person who has joined the side of the doppelgangers in exchange for protection and material benefits.

Legion is recruiting donors. This happens according to the principle "do us a certain job, and we will solve all your problems."

The most common situation is when a person needs money. One of the Legion's representatives contacts him, planning a "business meeting." An expensive restaurant where they'll pay for everything (Mimes don't need money, they use it only among people, so there's nowhere to spend it), and then they'll offer money for a "small" service. For example, ask a missing persons police officer to close a missing person case (one or two). They give him a large sum for completing the task. After a while, it becomes known that those he helps are Mimics, but he can no longer do anything because he himself is considered an accomplice or he is threatened with violence by his friends and family. In this way, a person drives himself into a loop.

In another case, a person who is terrified of death. He is offered protection in exchange for completing minor tasks (absolutely any kind). No more Mimics, humans, or animals will touch him.

In rare cases, a person who considers Mimics to be the next stage of evolution agrees to help them with anything they ask. For free or in exchange, for example, for biological parts of the Mimics themselves for study.

Equipment provided to hunters

Hunters are provided with equipment by the state. You can choose the type of weapon yourself or carry several with you (but this can significantly increase the load, take into account your strength).

The main priority for hunters is protection. A person will not be able to defeat a Mimic with his bare hands, but on the contrary, everything will turn out just fine. For this reason, first of all, hunters receive protective equipment, which includes a reinforced armored suit with additional shields on the forearms and shins, as well as full-face helmets.

The arsenal of SIAD weapons differs from the usual ones with higher power and lethal force.

The hunter always has small tranquilizers with fast-acting muscle relaxants in critical dosages to quickly (but not for long) cause muscle paralysis or with sedatives. It can be loaded into both a rifle and a pistol (weapon of choice). Optionally, you can purchase a shotgun with irregularly shaped metal cartridges with small pellets, which creates many lacerations that will take longer to heal, and with some chance cause a fracture. In this case, it is necessary to keep a mini-alarm system with you, which emits continuous sounds at high frequencies, or a pepper spray with a special compound, which, surprisingly, delays mimics well.

According to research, continuous-fire weapons are less effective against Mimics.

Additionally, you can purchase a nylon net if you need a live Mimic, not a dead one. However, such operations are best performed with a partner.

With a melee weapon, when the Mimic is too close to shoot at it, you can choose a high-voltage stun gun that is applied to bare skin or wet clothes. You can also use a tactical hammer with impact-crushing properties. To delay, it is best to hit the shin and forearms; to kill in the stomach or head. A sharp katana may be suitable for cutting off limbs.

SIAD's recommendation: the best combination for cleaning is stun-finishing. It is best to act when the Mimic is disoriented.