Created By Eye14
Documentation related to attacks from a teleporting organism. Such events were approaching anomaly status until around 1968, but were omitted from the SAP catalogue due to the discovery of their extraterrestrial origin (which is most likely natural).
Sea cubes, which may be alternatively referred to as Dormatafrans, are a species of invertebrate presumably belonging to the phylum Echinodermata (which includes sea stars, urchins, sand dollars, and crinoids). Such organisms resemble a small, octohedral structures approximately 4 cm to 10 cm in length. Each triangular face is comprised of 3 exoskeletal plates. At the center of these plates is a small gap, from any of which may extend a manner of appendages, listed below.
- A white, flattened, pseudopod-like structure.
- 4 to 9 small yellow tendrils, each measuring around half the length of the core body and ending in a black, bead-like eye.
- A jointed appendage terminating in a bulb-like organ, from which may extend up to 8 sensory limbs resembling microtubes.
- Black, claw-like hooks only around 5 mm long.
From the faces' composing armor plates extend a variable amount of biomineralized spines. These are thin and moderately delicate, lacking any curves and being linear extrusions of the shell surface. Occasionally, some may snap off or become damaged; each is filled with a slurry of regenerative, paste-like tissue that allows for their regeneration. These spikes form a volume that encompasses the organism. The spines, despite radiating out from the main body, are only able to grow to a fixed length. They grow at certain lengths at specific regions of the body, giving the outer volume a distinct "cube" shape formed of spines, with the core body mass being located at the center.
Dormatafrans are capable of at-will teleportation through poorly understood means. This exotic form of transportation is restricted by the target location: sea cubes may not teleport to areas occupied by solid structures. Locomotion appears regulated by a set of 8 identical, connected organs located in the core body, which require nutrients to operate. These enable the teleporting function that dormatafrans are infamously known for, but only within a certain radius, usually around 7 to 9 meters away from the original location. This may vary from individual to individual based on maturity, health, age, and genetics. Additionally, the intervals of time that a sea cube may teleport are dependent on how much "trans-spatial stamina" a specimen has; any given adult instance may typically be capable of around 30 teleportations in just under an hour, but must then rest for the next 20 hours to recover from the metabolically exhausting act.
While primarily aquatic in nature, specimens can breathe air for 90-minute durations and regularly leave the water to hunt for food. When not doing so, dormatafrans organize into "colonies" found in shallow water, groups which may display a hierarchy of dominance based of the size and teleportation capability of the constituent individuals. This amphibious lifestyle, when combined with their social and predatory nature, allows sea cubes to organize into "hunting parties" not dissimilar to those formed by ants. These may measure around 10 to 45 individuals in number.
Hunting behaviors consist of teleporting near their prey item's feet, a maneuver which aims to injury the legs and therefore impede the locomotion of the animal. This tactic is not without its own risks (if the individual does not teleport away after this, then if may be crushed and killed underfoot), and most individuals simply opt to "harass" the target by teleporting onto its back and digging into its flesh with their small hooks. Other strategies include teleporting to a location above the prey item and then falling onto it, piercing its skin and wearing it down by exhaustion and blood loss. Still others may teleport onto the neck or in-between the legs of the animal, with the primary goal of causing lethal lacerations to muscles and blood vessels.
Once the prey item has been worn down or "harassed" so that it cannot run away, dormatafrans will congregate around and on top of the injured animal, burrowing into its skin with their spines. They then will strip off muscle tissue from its skeletal attachment points, causing severe damage to what will soon become a desecrated corpse. Sea cubes will digest food for themselves, but will also store some in a special stomach, where it can then be regurgitated to feed other colony members upon arrival at the communal water site.
Sea cube specimens have displayed emergent intelligence, roving swarms have been documented to learn from past experiences and hunting excursions, navigating locations and environments that have been encountered by other individuals in the past.
Despite their name, sea cubes are only capable of living in fresh water, or brackish water in some cases. The dormatafran life cycle resembles that of a sea urchin: a bilaterally symmetrical larval form is released into the wild by adults after mating, where it will then independently mature into a fully developed specimen. However, dormatafrans hatch from clutches of around 80 to 90 eggs (only some of which will survive till sexual maturity). Their larval form resembles that of an 8 limbed, cigar-shaped seed. The foremost and hindmost limb pairs act as "stilts", enabling specimens to perch on objects. The other 4 are rigid and blade like, being a metallic color and acting in the same manner as the wings of insects. The larvae are not aquatic, rather, they are capable of flight and feed off smaller invertebrates or detritous. Because of their small size (larval sea cubes have a wingspan of around 4 cm), their possible prey items are restricted to mostly Dipterans (flies, gnats, and mosquitos). This is not, however, true for their mature forms: swarms and hunting parties of dormatafrans are capable of tackling dogs, deer, and even human specimens as prey items.
Dear Director [REDACTED],
As the leading scientist on anomalous invertebrates (my areas of specialty are mollusks and arthropods), I would like to request the research of SCAR Attack Events (or SCAREs) to be reassigned to an extraterrestrial specialist. While dormatafrans highly resemble invertebrates, biological analysis indicates they are completely foreign to Earth's biosphere. In other words, sea cubes are extraterrestrials.
Further discussion with my colleagues in the biology division has resulted in the development of several theories regarding the species' place of origin.
Dormatafrans most likely come from a planet where a certain clade of animals evolved the ability to teleport. It may be possible that this is a naturally occurring trait rather than the result of genome modification. Regardless of genetic tampering, the alien animals belonging to this group are suspected to dominate the planet. In fact, upon the discovery of this, I have developed several theories regarding this home-world.
- Because these teleporting organisms have a finite amount of potential trans-spatial movements, many creatures may develop spear-like tentacles, hooks, or sticky fronds at the ends of their limbs, able to extend outwards to snag prey items. Due to the prey organisms' tendency to teleport away, multiple of these appendages would be present, able to reclaim the food item by grabbing it and dragging it towards the mouth. This behavior would appear as if the predatory organism was "juggling" the teleporting prey item.
- Some predatory animals may possess no ambulatory limbs, resembling a large dome shape. Covering this dome would be small, serrated "harpoons" with a small ingot of flesh attached to the base. Any animal "tagged" by these spines would attempt to teleport away. However, the spine, now embedded in their flesh, would teleport them back. In actuality, the harpoon would be hollow, filled with neurons and teleportational organs. Each harpoon would, once attached to a host, attempt to teleport the prey item directly into the mouth of the centralized, dome-like body. Then, the creature would immediately bite down on the prey organism, doing so with such force that it breaks the bones of the victim. This would undoubtably rupture the prey's internal organs, rendering it unable to teleport.
- Some creatures may, in a manner similar to the growth of deer antlers, exhibit rigid cage-like structures. The inside and out of these protrusions would be lined with patches of inward- and outward-facing spines. Each spine, filled with a paralyzing venom, would act to transmit a deadly neurotoxin. The cage organism, which would teleport to a location that encloses the prey item, transmits the venom to the prey. This slows down the victim's metabolism, and also begins to poison the internal organs, specifically those used for teleportation. Once the prey is exhausted or sufficiently paralyzed, then it can be consumed by the predator.
Note that these have not been documented as of 1970-JAN-14, and it is unknown whether the Repository will be able to encounter and document more species originating from the dormatafrans' home planet. However, it is currently believed that organisms most arrived at Earth on alien cargo vessels, similar to how European rats are considered "pests" on ocean-going ships.
While the study of these fascinating concepts is a field of personal intrigue, I do not feel that I should continue, for I lack both experience with extraterrestrials and the necessary tools to perform such a task.
Sincerely,
Dr. Argo Keller
