At some time in the late 1920s, in the New England region of the USA, a mysterious, powerful and scientifically advanced entity, existing over several more dimensions than the four familiar to humans, discovered the means to generate four-dimensional constructs of organic matter in order to extend its control over our reality. Its ultimate purpose is unknown, but many of its proclivities are harmful to the humans who have met up with it.

Description

The basis of this xenoform's bio-constructs is an amorphous organic protoplasm of translucent, bioluminescent jelly. This plasm is able to feed, regenerate itself, form various shapes, exert contractive force, and build complex sensory and information-processing networks. Masses of Brown Jelly extend the original xenoform's neural network, greatly increasing its intelligence and psionic potential, and transforming its personality into a peculiar multi-faceted hive consciousness. In many ways, an eighth-dimensional which has developed a Brown Jelly hive becomes an entirely different creature. It is likely that the evolution of this composite species is far from reaching its ultimate form.

The brown jelly substance can secrete a tough polymeric material, as the human body creates hair or skin, which protects the more complex and long-lived constructs from the outside environment.

Inspired by its encounters with humans using farm machinery, an enterprising eighth-dimensional based in Wyoming, USA, constructed an oval metallic shell to contain a large mass of Brown Jelly, enough to provide psionic levitation and teleportation of the shell. This form has been highly successful and much imitated by its colleagues.

Besides the large saucer-shell, Brown Jelly constructs fall into a number of known forms. Their physical abilities and complexity of senses and local data processing increase dramatically with their size.

Encounter

The smallest child-sized Attentives, up to 10 kg and 1m tall, are mostly used as sensors, or to perform minor tasks within the bio-shell. They are not complex enough to support links to the eighth-dimensional consciousness at any great distance.

Operatives weigh 30-40kg and stand between 1.0 and 1.3 metres tall. They contain a high proportion of muscle-like contractive tissue, making them capable in physical tasks. Their nervous system is optimised for calculation and has a relatively light extra-dimensional connection, so they are best suited to work inside or very close to a bio-shell.

The spindly, lightweight Projective constructs are optimised for long-distance connection to the central consciousness and the manifestation of psionic powers. They stand up to 1.6m tall but weigh no more than 30kg.

For tasks that require powerful abilities and independent operation, a Brown Jelly will occasionally invest a large section of its substance in Representative form. A Representative is taller than a man, easily as strong, and can call on devastating psionic effects.

Certain tasks within the bio-shell, such as monitoring of captured biologicals, do not even require an Attentive. The Brown Jelly may form immobile, undifferentiated bio-films for these tasks. A bio-film can sense movement, biochemical changes or levels of light and darkness, and report telepathically to the central consciousness.

Habitat/Society

The extradimensional has attracted many lesser imitators of its kind, through the eighth-dimensional equivalent of word of mouth. Over the past three decades, since the introduction of certain innovations in their technology, the species has contacted humans in such an indiscriminate wave that their constructs are now the most commonly known xenoform among innocent US citizens. They make a major contribution to the "Grey" phenomenon, which has been so useful to conceal the actions of various Illuminated groups.

Brown Jellies require certain forms of nutrient-rich Earth animal tissue, especially sources of undamaged DNA and nerve material, in order to sustain and develop their bio-constructs. They are responsible for many cattle mutilations, and possibly worse, to acquire this food.

Brown Jelly constructs each have a fully functioning brain cortex, and if cut off from contact with the eighth-dimensional, can operate on their own and slowly develop self-awareness. This is especially likely for Operatives, which have a relatively short-range connection to the bio-shell and are sturdy enough to fend for themselves. A rogue may come to dread the prospect of merging with the collective, snuffing out its individuality as surely as physical death. Certain rogues, who have been in contact with humans for many years, have begun to refer to this fear as an anthropomorphic “demon” – Iscii ba Fan, the Horror of Silence – which, in truth, is nothing more than the collective brain-mass from which the rogue beings themselves arose.

Adventure Hooks

Deep Black: The Hoffmann Institute's sources pass on word of a Delta Force team that has suffered heavy, unexplained casualties in an irregular “training mission” in New Mexico. Contacts in USAMRIID can get a small group into the military hospital where the survivors are recovering. From the highest level of the Institute, the heroes are asked to find out what the Delta Force soldiers were up to, and what happened to them.

The squad was sent in to an underground facility at Dulce, New Mexico, which was established secretly in the early 1970s by a group of conspirators within the US government. Several years ago, the COM-12 researchers there were decimated by an attack from within the complex by non-human entities. Despite efforts to negotiate a power-sharing arrangement, then a Special Forces assault when the deal proved unworkable, the human conspirators were driven out, leaving the Dulce facility as an alien beachhead in the US.

According to a civilian biochemist who made some progress in understanding the creature, before her unfortunate loss, the eighth-dimensional that has taken possession of the Dulce tunnels is “one who is vigilant against wrongdoing” – possibly a law enforcer of some kind, in the wholly unknown society from which it came.

If a group of agents can evade the COM-12 cordon around the abandoned base, it might be possible to negotiate with the inhabitant for information or access to the Dulce facility. A second goal of the mission is to determine if any of the missing Delta Force soldiers are still alive, what the creature wants with them, and whether they can be recovered.