The first of the write-ups for the aliens that arrived during the Y2K Invasion. These are the species used to infiltrate the IST embassies, various top secret military bases and other important or strategic targets across the world prior to the Y2K invasion. Many had been in place for literally decades, and had lives and even families among the human population. Best estimates following both post-mortem interrogation techniques and several years of interviews of captured Deltas indicate that the number of Delta infiltrators may have numbered as high as fifteen-hundred. This is alarming, because so far only around four-hundred and fifty have been accounted for in the wake of the war.IST Official Designation: Deltas - Codename: "Infiltrators" Georges "Iron Eagle" Kostakis stared numbly through the two-way glass at the pretty, if somewhat abused looking blond woman on the other side. Her IST uniform's heavy duty fabric had been torn and scorched during her capture, and she was missing one of her boots. His hands shook as Alrik "Magellan" Ostensson pressed a cup of coffee into them. The younger man didn't say anything, but Georges knew what the telepath was thinking.
"I can't do it."
Magellan nodded, "She's been asking about you, Georges. She seems genuinely concerned with your well being."
Georges wanted to vomit, Magellan had to take the cup out of his shaking hands to prevent it ending up on the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Alrik. I can't. Not after what she...how can she look so calm? How can she look so calm, Alrik?"
Magellan didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.
Georges rallied a little, "They say that there were others, like Astrid, who just went mad and started killing people at embassies all over the world. All at once like they got some signal. I watched her activate that...that thing and then they were there. Those...aliens."
"The press are calling the wormholes 'beanstalks', mostly because the giants came out of them." Magellan looked through the glass, "The medics have looked her over, it is Astrid as far as we can tell. Whether this is mind control or something else, we're not sure. We're not sure of anything right now."
Georges was shaking from the tears he'd been trying to hold back, "That's my wife on the other side of that glass shackled like a criminal, Alrik. What the hell happened? What the hell happened to my wife?"
Magellan didn't have an answer. But he, and the rest of the world, desperately needed one.
Description
The Deltas, or Infiltrators, were the first of the Ancient Astronaut forces that the IST's became aware of. Unfortunately, they became aware of them far too late to do any good. At approximately 6:30 A.M. on December 31, 1999 IST embassies across the world came under attack...from within. Long standing UN and IST staff as well as friends and family of the same committed murder, mayhem and sabotage bringing the embassies to their knees. With IST security compromised worldwide and organized response crippled, Ancient Astronaut beanstalks erupted at the heart of the compromised embassies releasing the first waves of Ancient Astronaut troops who were greeted by the traitors who had infiltrated the embassies. These infiltrators became known as Deltas. The Deltas were shapeshifting humanoids able to almost perfectly replicate a target individual. Many of the Deltas were killed during the attacks, some by IST members and UN security forces and others in suicide bombings and as collateral damage during the subsequent response to the invasion. A few solitary Deltas were captured by IST forces or local agencies and interrogated. Many of these Deltas claimed to actually be the people they were replicating, and according to the Deltas themselves some had been in position as sleeper agents for decades or even longer, waiting for the signal from their masters to strike. While some had simply assumed the lives of already established IST personnel a few of the most long-term infiltrators had earned their way inside the organization on their own merits. It became apparent in the early days of the post-war period that the surviving Deltas represented the best intelligence the human race was going to get about the Ancient Astronauts and their motivations.
Racial Template
859 Points
Attributes: ST -1 [-10]; IQ +2 [20]; HT -1 [-10].Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+5 [10].
Advantages: Binding 10 (Engulfing +60%) [32]; Corrosive Attack 3d-1 (Only on Engulfed Victims -30%) [18]; Xeno-Adaptability [20]; Hard to Kill 5 [10]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous) [40]; Mimicry [10]; Mind Shield +1 (Except versus Master Race Telepathy, -10%) [4]; Shapeshifting: Morph (Extra Points +300; Only humanoid forms -40%, Once On Stays On +50%, Copies Personality +100%, Copies Memories +100%, Genetic Match +100%, Needs Sample -50%, Nuisance Effect: Takes 3 Hours to Switch Forms -10%) [875].
Disadvantages: Delusion: "I am the person I am replicating." [-10]; Disciplines of Faith - Ritualism [-5]; Duty (Ancient Astronauts) (Add Extremely Hazardous and Involuntary to Alien Minion Template) [-10]; Edgy [-5]; Extreme Fanatacism [-15]; Loner [5]; Odious Racial Habit (Eats sapients) [-15]; Secret: infiltrator [-30], Slow Eater [-10], Social Stigma: Subjugated [-20].
Psychology
The Delta "species" is an unusual one from what little information has been gleaned and most of the xenologists that have studied them with any depth believe that they possess little in the way of their own personalities. Most Deltas appear to extremely fanatically devoted to the Ancient Astronaut cause, willing to do anything up to and including laying down their lives to accomplish their mission. By nature the Deltas are loners although they can suppress most of their native tendencies while under cover rather easily, as most appeared to be able to convince themselves that they were the people they were impersonating. Despite this, the Deltas seemed able to somehow reconcile their delusional beliefs with their ingrained nature enabling them to carry out their missions despite any "personal" feelings that resulted from their roles. It is believed that the peculiar rituals the surviving Deltas have displayed play some part in retaining a coherent mind state despite the conflicting personas they may possess. Deltas appear to only display one persona at a time, that being the persona they are currently wearing. The ability to shift personality as well as their appearance can be very disconcerting, as the Delta can shift from belief that it is one person to the next without any confusion, except possibly to the interviewer. Deltas have a deep seated aversion to assuming their "native" form and the few instances in which they appear to have complied turn out to be them simply assuming the form of one of the other Ancient Astronaut vassal species from their memories. Deltas are classical stalker personalities, learning as much as possible about their victims before striking and coming to not only understand their prey, but to feel both love and gratitude towards their victims for allowing them to take their lives. Their ability to identify so strongly as their victims has led most Deltas to express concern and even compassion for the friends, family and colleagues of their victims considering themselves to in fact "be" the victims for all intents and purposes.
Ecology
The true form of the Deltas remain a mystery to the world at large, as they retain their stolen shapes even in death, although on a deep cellular level some discrepancies were found that allowed for the development of some (very expensive) forensic techniques and clinical tests that can determine if a suspect is, in fact, a Delta...in theory. In most instances a Delta can perfectly imitate a victim, including memories, DNA, appearance, scars or other distinguishing features, personality, memories and even some skills and minor superhuman abilities. Captured Deltas have confirmed that this talent comes at the cost of the life of the person they are imitating. A Delta who wishes to assume a new form must swallow a victim whole and digest them in order to gain their shape. Xenobiologists believe that the Deltas may have evolved from some kind of trapping carnivore that gained environmental adaptations from the prey they consumed. Typical Delta methodology involves first subduing a target through subterfuge, drugs or even violence and then swallowing whole the still living but incapacitated victim who is then digested by powerful enzymes released by the Delta's stomach. A Delta has to be very careful when planning their abductions as they are effectively immobilized and incapacitated for up to thirty-six hours after consuming a fully grown human being and are completely unable to defend themselves while in this state. Theoretically, a victim of a Delta could survive for several minutes within a Delta before the corrosive enzymes or suffocation left them beyond medical assistance. A Delta can assume the metahuman abilities of a victim up to a certain point, manifesting metahuman abilities up to a certain level of power but not to the levels of some of the more powerful IST members.
Culture
The only true glimpse into the culture of the Delta vassal species has been gained from xenologists and xeno-psychologists who have studied the surviving Deltas, and that only through direct observation of their peculiar daily rituals. Every day, four times a day, a Delta will perform a complex series of gestures, singing in a barely audible monotone and movements the purpose of which eludes the researchers but seems to have some great significance to the Deltas. Preventing a Delta from performing these rituals leads to irritability, confusion, erratic behavior and eventual violent behavior and actions. The one Delta on which prolonged interruption of the rituals was performed on eventually lost all higher cognitive function and died, although this took thirty-five days to reach culmination. No other true details beyond their fanatical loyalty to their Ancient Astronaut patrons have been discovered although whether this is due to the reluctance of the Deltas to share details of their culture and their patrons culture or the simple fact that they are, as some researchers posit, merely constructs and homunculi designed and built to serve the Ancient Astronauts and their ritualistic behavior simply a mnemonic device designed to keep an inherently unstable mind stable in the face of having to reconcile so many personalities remains unknown.
Politics
Deltas are considered enemy combatants by every government on the planet as well as a threat to the security of every nation. As such, all surviving Deltas have been detained indefinitely in UN (and other) facilities around the world with no chance of release and kept away from all other Deltas or Ancient Astronaut prisoners-of-war. Those kept in UN facilities are treated according to the revised Geneva Convention put into effect in the wake of the Y2K war and are guaranteed the basic necessities of life with no exposure to outside sources of information. Experiments and tests are performed on them only with their consent. The treatment of Delta POWs by non-UN authorities, such as the PRC and the USA do not adhere as stringently to the Revised Geneva Convention as do the rank and file nations of the UN.
Occupational Template - Typical Infiltrator
Culture: Western, Muslim or East Asian [2]
Language: Four Human Languages at Native Level [6/each]
Skills: Primary Skills: Acting (A) IQ+4 [6]-16; Fast-Talk (A) IQ+1 [1]-13; Diplomacy (H) IQ [1]-12; Carousing (E) HT+2 [1]-11; Sex Appeal (A) HT+2 [1]-11†‡; Intimidation (A) Will+1 [1]-13; and Detect Lies (H) Per [1]-12; Forced Entry (E) DX+1 [2]-11; Escape (H) DX+1 [1]-11; Acrobatics (H) DX [2]-10; Electronics Operation (Security) (A) IQ+1 [4]-13; Lockpicking (A) IQ+1 [4]-13; and Traps (A) IQ+1 [4]-13.
Secondary Skills: Wrestling (A) DX [2]-10; Guns (Energy Pistol) (E) DX+1 [2]-11; Holdout (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; Fast-Draw (Pistol) (E) DX [1]-10; Filch (A) DX [2]-10, Stealth (A) DX+2 [8]-12; Pickpocket (H) DX-2 [1]-8; Savoir-Faire (any) (E) IQ+2 [1]-14; Electronics Operation (Communications) (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; Psychology (H) IQ-2 [1]-10; Body Language (A) Per-1 [1]-11.
Background Skills: Computer Operation (E) IQ+1 [2]-13; Driving (Automobile or Motorcycle) (A) DX-1 [1]-9;
Secondary Skills: Knot-Tying (E) DX [1]-15; Throwing (A) DX-1 [1]-9; Observation (A) Per [2]-12; Search (A) Per [2]-12; Area Knowledge (IST Embassy Host City) (E) IQ+1 [2]-13; Current Affairs (Political) (E) IQ+1 [2]-13; Research (A) IQ [2]-12; Shadowing (A) IQ [2]-12; Cryptography (H) IQ-1 [2]-11; Intelligence Analysis (H) IQ-1 [2]-11.
Michael R. Smith (lastfreehuman@gmail.com)
GURPS IST Aleph Wordpress (http://istaleph.wordpress.com/)
GURPS IST Aleph Twitter (http://twitter.com/IstAleph/)
Trek This! Wordpress (http://dthiller.wordpress.com/)
My Blog (http://lastfreehuman.wordpress.com/)
"I can't do it."
Magellan nodded, "She's been asking about you, Georges. She seems genuinely concerned with your well being."
Georges wanted to vomit, Magellan had to take the cup out of his shaking hands to prevent it ending up on the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Alrik. I can't. Not after what she...how can she look so calm? How can she look so calm, Alrik?"
Magellan didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.
Georges rallied a little, "They say that there were others, like Astrid, who just went mad and started killing people at embassies all over the world. All at once like they got some signal. I watched her activate that...that thing and then they were there. Those...aliens."
"The press are calling the wormholes 'beanstalks', mostly because the giants came out of them." Magellan looked through the glass, "The medics have looked her over, it is Astrid as far as we can tell. Whether this is mind control or something else, we're not sure. We're not sure of anything right now."
Georges was shaking from the tears he'd been trying to hold back, "That's my wife on the other side of that glass shackled like a criminal, Alrik. What the hell happened? What the hell happened to my wife?"
Magellan didn't have an answer. But he, and the rest of the world, desperately needed one.
Description
The Deltas, or Infiltrators, were the first of the Ancient Astronaut forces that the IST's became aware of. Unfortunately, they became aware of them far too late to do any good. At approximately 6:30 A.M. on December 31, 1999 IST embassies across the world came under attack...from within. Long standing UN and IST staff as well as friends and family of the same committed murder, mayhem and sabotage bringing the embassies to their knees. With IST security compromised worldwide and organized response crippled, Ancient Astronaut beanstalks erupted at the heart of the compromised embassies releasing the first waves of Ancient Astronaut troops who were greeted by the traitors who had infiltrated the embassies. These infiltrators became known as Deltas. The Deltas were shapeshifting humanoids able to almost perfectly replicate a target individual. Many of the Deltas were killed during the attacks, some by IST members and UN security forces and others in suicide bombings and as collateral damage during the subsequent response to the invasion. A few solitary Deltas were captured by IST forces or local agencies and interrogated. Many of these Deltas claimed to actually be the people they were replicating, and according to the Deltas themselves some had been in position as sleeper agents for decades or even longer, waiting for the signal from their masters to strike. While some had simply assumed the lives of already established IST personnel a few of the most long-term infiltrators had earned their way inside the organization on their own merits. It became apparent in the early days of the post-war period that the surviving Deltas represented the best intelligence the human race was going to get about the Ancient Astronauts and their motivations.
Racial Template
859 Points
Attributes: ST -1 [-10]; IQ +2 [20]; HT -1 [-10].Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+5 [10].
Advantages: Binding 10 (Engulfing +60%) [32]; Corrosive Attack 3d-1 (Only on Engulfed Victims -30%) [18]; Xeno-Adaptability [20]; Hard to Kill 5 [10]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous) [40]; Mimicry [10]; Mind Shield +1 (Except versus Master Race Telepathy, -10%) [4]; Shapeshifting: Morph (Extra Points +300; Only humanoid forms -40%, Once On Stays On +50%, Copies Personality +100%, Copies Memories +100%, Genetic Match +100%, Needs Sample -50%, Nuisance Effect: Takes 3 Hours to Switch Forms -10%) [875].
Disadvantages: Delusion: "I am the person I am replicating." [-10]; Disciplines of Faith - Ritualism [-5]; Duty (Ancient Astronauts) (Add Extremely Hazardous and Involuntary to Alien Minion Template) [-10]; Edgy [-5]; Extreme Fanatacism [-15]; Loner [5]; Odious Racial Habit (Eats sapients) [-15]; Secret: infiltrator [-30], Slow Eater [-10], Social Stigma: Subjugated [-20].
Psychology
The Delta "species" is an unusual one from what little information has been gleaned and most of the xenologists that have studied them with any depth believe that they possess little in the way of their own personalities. Most Deltas appear to extremely fanatically devoted to the Ancient Astronaut cause, willing to do anything up to and including laying down their lives to accomplish their mission. By nature the Deltas are loners although they can suppress most of their native tendencies while under cover rather easily, as most appeared to be able to convince themselves that they were the people they were impersonating. Despite this, the Deltas seemed able to somehow reconcile their delusional beliefs with their ingrained nature enabling them to carry out their missions despite any "personal" feelings that resulted from their roles. It is believed that the peculiar rituals the surviving Deltas have displayed play some part in retaining a coherent mind state despite the conflicting personas they may possess. Deltas appear to only display one persona at a time, that being the persona they are currently wearing. The ability to shift personality as well as their appearance can be very disconcerting, as the Delta can shift from belief that it is one person to the next without any confusion, except possibly to the interviewer. Deltas have a deep seated aversion to assuming their "native" form and the few instances in which they appear to have complied turn out to be them simply assuming the form of one of the other Ancient Astronaut vassal species from their memories. Deltas are classical stalker personalities, learning as much as possible about their victims before striking and coming to not only understand their prey, but to feel both love and gratitude towards their victims for allowing them to take their lives. Their ability to identify so strongly as their victims has led most Deltas to express concern and even compassion for the friends, family and colleagues of their victims considering themselves to in fact "be" the victims for all intents and purposes.
Ecology
The true form of the Deltas remain a mystery to the world at large, as they retain their stolen shapes even in death, although on a deep cellular level some discrepancies were found that allowed for the development of some (very expensive) forensic techniques and clinical tests that can determine if a suspect is, in fact, a Delta...in theory. In most instances a Delta can perfectly imitate a victim, including memories, DNA, appearance, scars or other distinguishing features, personality, memories and even some skills and minor superhuman abilities. Captured Deltas have confirmed that this talent comes at the cost of the life of the person they are imitating. A Delta who wishes to assume a new form must swallow a victim whole and digest them in order to gain their shape. Xenobiologists believe that the Deltas may have evolved from some kind of trapping carnivore that gained environmental adaptations from the prey they consumed. Typical Delta methodology involves first subduing a target through subterfuge, drugs or even violence and then swallowing whole the still living but incapacitated victim who is then digested by powerful enzymes released by the Delta's stomach. A Delta has to be very careful when planning their abductions as they are effectively immobilized and incapacitated for up to thirty-six hours after consuming a fully grown human being and are completely unable to defend themselves while in this state. Theoretically, a victim of a Delta could survive for several minutes within a Delta before the corrosive enzymes or suffocation left them beyond medical assistance. A Delta can assume the metahuman abilities of a victim up to a certain point, manifesting metahuman abilities up to a certain level of power but not to the levels of some of the more powerful IST members.
Culture
The only true glimpse into the culture of the Delta vassal species has been gained from xenologists and xeno-psychologists who have studied the surviving Deltas, and that only through direct observation of their peculiar daily rituals. Every day, four times a day, a Delta will perform a complex series of gestures, singing in a barely audible monotone and movements the purpose of which eludes the researchers but seems to have some great significance to the Deltas. Preventing a Delta from performing these rituals leads to irritability, confusion, erratic behavior and eventual violent behavior and actions. The one Delta on which prolonged interruption of the rituals was performed on eventually lost all higher cognitive function and died, although this took thirty-five days to reach culmination. No other true details beyond their fanatical loyalty to their Ancient Astronaut patrons have been discovered although whether this is due to the reluctance of the Deltas to share details of their culture and their patrons culture or the simple fact that they are, as some researchers posit, merely constructs and homunculi designed and built to serve the Ancient Astronauts and their ritualistic behavior simply a mnemonic device designed to keep an inherently unstable mind stable in the face of having to reconcile so many personalities remains unknown.
Politics
Deltas are considered enemy combatants by every government on the planet as well as a threat to the security of every nation. As such, all surviving Deltas have been detained indefinitely in UN (and other) facilities around the world with no chance of release and kept away from all other Deltas or Ancient Astronaut prisoners-of-war. Those kept in UN facilities are treated according to the revised Geneva Convention put into effect in the wake of the Y2K war and are guaranteed the basic necessities of life with no exposure to outside sources of information. Experiments and tests are performed on them only with their consent. The treatment of Delta POWs by non-UN authorities, such as the PRC and the USA do not adhere as stringently to the Revised Geneva Convention as do the rank and file nations of the UN.
Occupational Template - Typical Infiltrator
Culture: Western, Muslim or East Asian [2]
Language: Four Human Languages at Native Level [6/each]
Skills: Primary Skills: Acting (A) IQ+4 [6]-16; Fast-Talk (A) IQ+1 [1]-13; Diplomacy (H) IQ [1]-12; Carousing (E) HT+2 [1]-11; Sex Appeal (A) HT+2 [1]-11†‡; Intimidation (A) Will+1 [1]-13; and Detect Lies (H) Per [1]-12; Forced Entry (E) DX+1 [2]-11; Escape (H) DX+1 [1]-11; Acrobatics (H) DX [2]-10; Electronics Operation (Security) (A) IQ+1 [4]-13; Lockpicking (A) IQ+1 [4]-13; and Traps (A) IQ+1 [4]-13.
Secondary Skills: Wrestling (A) DX [2]-10; Guns (Energy Pistol) (E) DX+1 [2]-11; Holdout (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; Fast-Draw (Pistol) (E) DX [1]-10; Filch (A) DX [2]-10, Stealth (A) DX+2 [8]-12; Pickpocket (H) DX-2 [1]-8; Savoir-Faire (any) (E) IQ+2 [1]-14; Electronics Operation (Communications) (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; Psychology (H) IQ-2 [1]-10; Body Language (A) Per-1 [1]-11.
Background Skills: Computer Operation (E) IQ+1 [2]-13; Driving (Automobile or Motorcycle) (A) DX-1 [1]-9;
Secondary Skills: Knot-Tying (E) DX [1]-15; Throwing (A) DX-1 [1]-9; Observation (A) Per [2]-12; Search (A) Per [2]-12; Area Knowledge (IST Embassy Host City) (E) IQ+1 [2]-13; Current Affairs (Political) (E) IQ+1 [2]-13; Research (A) IQ [2]-12; Shadowing (A) IQ [2]-12; Cryptography (H) IQ-1 [2]-11; Intelligence Analysis (H) IQ-1 [2]-11.
Michael R. Smith (lastfreehuman@gmail.com)
GURPS IST Aleph Wordpress (http://istaleph.wordpress.com/)
GURPS IST Aleph Twitter (http://twitter.com/IstAleph/)
Trek This! Wordpress (http://dthiller.wordpress.com/)
My Blog (http://lastfreehuman.wordpress.com/)