Stroggification

     

Stroggification is a colloquialism that quickly became official medical terminology to refer to the process of an unwilling human victim undergoing forced Strogg cybernetic augmentation, with the goal of creating an obedient drone.

The Quake 4 manual describes it much simpler as "in a brutal surgical process, the limbs and flesh of the fallen are fused with metal and machinery to create the monstrosities that are the alien Strogg". In a broader sense it can therefore mean the process of creating any Strogg, which is the only method of Strogg procreation, which is achieved using mechanical parts and harvested biological components, usually from unwilling or dead donors. It is possible that the Strogg also clone bodies specifically for this purpose, genetically engineered and subsequently stroggified for maximum combat performance.

Although Stroggification can mean the general act of creating a new Strogg, it most famously refers to the process applied to captive marines to create the Tactical Class Strogg. This famously was undergone, and survived by a very lucky Corporal Matthew Kane, whose newly acquired Strogg physiology proved to be invaluable to the human war effort in the Second Invasion of Stroggos.

Background

The warlike Strogg have perfected the art of modifying organic beings and fusing them with cold metal in order to use them as cannon fodder for their endless expansion across the stars. Both the Strogg themselves - if they still exist and reproduce normally - and captured aliens are subjected to forced conversion at their medical facilities on Stroggos and even locally (as the GDF discovered during the defense of Earth in Australia)^[1] producing legions of fresh troops within hours of processing. Some captives are transported off-world to Stroggos for processing, and can only be later identified by DNA analysis, following the brutal, traumatic procedure.^[2][3]

Overview

“	They call this Stroggification? Looks more like mutilation to me.	”
—Marine medical team member working on Matthew Kane.

Stroggification is a rapid industrial process taking place in Strogg facilities that resemble a cross between an assembly line and a slaughterhouse, with little attention paid to maintaining hygiene or even cleaning up blood that inevitably ends up splattering the walls and floors. Those subjected to the procedure undergo a thorough scan at the beginning of the conveersion procedure, before being injected with a massive dose of steroids and assorted medical substances to keep them alive throughout the traumatic process,^[2] made worse by the fact that the Strogg do not provide analgesia or anesthesia: All subjects are fully conscious of what is happening to them, but are powerless to resist.^[4]

Nanites are infused into the subject during the conversion process, which repair tissue independently and will continue the process even after it's been separated from the body.^[5] This process may also lead to unexpected developments, such as seemingly dead Strogg regenerating and reactivating, attacking those studying them.^[6] At the same time, the basic cell structure remains largely unaltered,^[7] as the Strogg prefer fusing living tissue with artificial augmentations made from eg. tribinium,^[8] wired directly into the central nervous system, allowing the implants to be controlled as if they were a natural part of the body. The integration with the CNS is so deep that removing the implants is all but impossible.^[9]

However, Strogg don't alter the brain otherwise: Instead, control over the subject is achieved by a transceiver implanted at the base of the skull, which override signals from the brain, but leave higher functions intact until their inevitable atrophy. In effect, subjects remain aware of their actions, but unable to control or affect them.^[10] The transceiver is part of a neurocyte implanted through to the base of the skull, which also contains rudimentary AI^[11] to execute instructions received from Strogg leadership. Billions of Strogg are organized in this manner,^[12] controlled by a sophisticated centralized processing unit simply called the Nexus. This allow the Strogg unparalleled command and control capabilities, but also forms a theoretical Achilles' Heel:^[13] While the Strogg political structure is similarly centralized, a new Makron can be rapidly selected from various Warlords in the unlikely case of assassination. However, the loss of the Nexus would reduce a well-oiled war machine to disorganized warbands instantly.^[14]

Procedures

Procedures vary between the various types of Strogg conversions, but the usual process leaves barely half of the original body with the remainder replaced by artificial prostheses.^[15] The specifics of the hardware used vary, but allow any Strogg to read and understand Strogg language, and may include a multiphase transmitter, temporal implants wired directly into the cerebral cortex (also used as onboard memory, like computer RAM),^[16] on top of additional memory implanted in the skull and miscellaneous upgrades.^[11]

Other augmentations may include an onboard fusion reactor feeding integrated energy weapons and providing constant firepower, advanced servomotors and synthetic musccle groups augmenting motor functions, and of coure the neurocyte.^[17] This also provides protection against the degenerative effects of exposure to hazardous waste from Strogg chemical facilities, which causes abnormal deterioration of nerve cells around the hippocampus and somatosensory cortex.^[18] Some alien species are modified even further: Berserkers are fitted with automatic injection pumps to put the subject in a rage, providing bursts of strength and speed allowing them to overcome any individual marine.^[19]

The one common aspect is that all Strogg conversions are sustained by stroyent, a universal nutrient^[20] created out of captives not slated for conversion, including wounded Marines: After removing body armor and bones, the remaining flesh is liquified, mixed with steorids and shipped to the front.^[21]

Tactical Transfer

The Strogg constantly tinkeer and develop stroggification procedures, though experimental Strogg are rare. Lt. Voss of Rhino Squad is among the unfortunate few to experience this. However, the most revolutionary development was the creation of Tactical Strogg in response to the unprecedented resistance offered by the Terran Coalition of Man and its military arm, the Space Marine Corps. Instead of relying on specialized designs with pre-defined weapons, Tactical Strogg mirror their Marine counterparts, using regular firearms and operating in squads with superior flexibility to "conventional" designs. The procedure is roughly as follows:

• Transfer is stripped and placed on a conveyor belt.
• Transfer is scanned in a personnel containment unit via laser.
• Transfer is injected with steroid dosage and accompanying nanite colony via cardiopulmonary system.
• Transfer may also undergo additional steroid injection and facial mutilation by a Strogg Scientist.
• Transfer's legs are amputated, cutting directly though the femoral arteries via circular saw blade.
• Mechanical legs are placed where the transfer's legs used to be. Metal plates are riveted to the arms and body, and the legs are attached to the transfer's stumps.
• Neurocyte is implanted into the cerebrum using a large needle; the subject almost immediately gains knowledge of the Strogg language.
• Metal plates and armor are attached to the subject's backside, including the body and the back of the head.
• Transfer is put in a tank and transported to the Registration Station.
• Neurocyte is registered and activated; Subject becomes fully Strogg.
• Sequence completed.

The final step of Stroggification is the implantation of a neurocyte within the brain, for the purpose of control over a victim. Upon neurocyte activation, the victim will become fully Strogg, eager to obey the current Makron and capable of understanding and utilizing virtually any kind of Strogg technology. Kane, for example, after Stroggification, can use any Strogg health station and teleporters, read Strogg language, and pass security lasers without a problem despite being otherwise fatal.

Weaknesses

The Strogg neurocyte effects can be prevented if the Strogg transfer is intercepted before is allowed activation. Interrupting stroggification at any other phase could prove fatal to the patient. Matthew Kane was rescued in the intermediate phase between neurocyte implantation and neurocyte activation - this is a window of only a few seconds. Luckily, the process was carried out by hand via a Strogg scientist whose dispatch meant the procedure was aborted.

The procedure does have a failure rate. Botched transfers are treated as little more than waste and shipped off to the Waste Processing Facility for recycling into stroyent, although these failures retain some semblance of functioning: Enough that there are "zombies" or failed and slimy transfers that stalk the facility, armed with shotguns, acidic puke, and rudimentary Strogg functioning. ^[22]

References