Source: Dr Margaret Tuere, CDC
[NSecA@FtGGMeade.
R&D_DBioP..TC1

Destination: Lt Gen. Chris Lacolucci
DoD@Pent..NSec_Tac..JH1
(EYES ONLY--READ and DESTROY)
Message Reads:

General Lacolucci: I am sorry that this report is so late in coming, but I think you will understand the delay. It is only with the help of Doctors Matthew Chase and Michel Cote that this can be produced at all. If your agents will follow the instructions we have provided for capturing and shipping the creatures, we will be able to increase our output significantly, but I digress. The new sport, which we have named Specters, appears to be the nanites’ attempt to create an intrusion expert.

The function of this sport was very difficult to pinpoint at first, because there is not one major alteration, rather it is four changes working in concert. First, their legs have been strengthened and made more efficient. This relatively minor modification translates into a tremendous increase in the speed of the individual. While they cannot outrun bullets, they can run at near non-cybernetic Olympic speeds. Second, their palms and soles have been coated with a thin level of hexite. Unlike the Tinmen, they cannot form any useful tools from this supply. Instead, this hexite flows into the microscopic crevices of surfaces, almost like an all-purpose adhesive. This ability allows the creatures to climb almost any surface. Our test subject could even run while hanging upside-down from the ceiling. Third, their eyes have been altered so they can receive a tremendous amount of the electromagnetic spectrum. Not only do they have the equivalent of anti-dazzle, low light, UV, infra red, microscopic, and telescopic vision, and they can even see x-rays. Don’t worry, it is not as bad as you think. Despite the adventure vids, x-ray vision is very limited. They can only use it when there is a source, such as the sun or a projector. Even when there is a source, they cannot control the depth of the scan; instead, they see the world as if it were a hospital x-ray. I think this explains the rash of x-ray tube thefts from hospitals. The final transformation is the most startling. Underneath their skin, there are hundreds of thousands of nanites. Each nanite has one of two functions. Half of the nanites function as advanced recorders. The other half are holographic imagers. This means that they can create a real time hologram of their surroundings around themselves. It effectively gives them perfect camouflage. Their blending extends beyond the visible spectrum, so they are invisible to low light/UV as well. They can be seen using thermography, but the over laying patterns of the holograms have a dispersal effect making them indistinct. Luckily, there are limits to their abilities as well. The complexity of their environment can prevent their successful disappearance. Likewise, movement is difficult for them. When they move, their background changes, and the faster they move, the harder it is to keep the image clear. In the end, all four alterations used in concert create the Specter. The creature has reinforced limbs which gives it the strength to use it’s hexite patches to climb walls, and all the while, it will completely invisible to any guards who it can see using it’s advanced vision.

These monsters scare me. While they do not have the offensive capabilities of Tinmen or Bolters, the possibility that they are standing behind me as I write this terrifies me. Tell your men to redouble their efforts to eradicate these monstrosities. Remind them that they have the outward appearance of Scouts, except their palms and soles will be completely covered in hexite. Unless we stop them now, no place will be safe from the Plague menace.

Specter Skill: Fade (Int)

This includes the Specter’s ability to blend with their background and to adhere to surfaces. In order to calculate the difficulty of blending into the background, add the complexity of the background (Table 1) to the rate of the Specter’s movement (Table 2). When adding up the difficulty to climb, add the difficulty of the surface (Table 3) and any applicable climbing modifiers (Table 4).