[Johnny1A.2]

The CONSUMIDORO continued...

The 'subversive' consumidoro can be very different from the 'predatory' consumidoro. They most often appear entirely mundane, as noted above, and their physical changes, if present at all, will always be subtle. Their mental changes may be far more radical, but they will retain high intelligence and the ability to interact with humans in a convincing way. They often work as a member of a large group of fellow subversive consumidoro, and in fact the 'lone' subversive is a rare entity.

Unlike their predatory brethren, the subversive consumidoro tend to take the long view, and often work slowly and carefully toward complex long-term goals, either set by themselves or the Malignium itself. Some of the schemes pursued by 'subversive' consumidoro may require multiple centuries to play out in their entirety, which can make the motives and actions of such beings very opaque to normal humans with human time perspectives.

A subversive consumidoro may well seem to be engaging in beneficent actions, the actions may even be beneficial in the short term, which can be many decades in length. They might be an enemy or an ally equally well, as long as their long-term goals are advanced.

Subversive consumidoro are always subservient to the Malignium, and will defer their own goals to those of their master in all cases. That does not mean they have no desires and goals of their own, and sometimes they work active against each other, in pursuit of various goals and rivalries. The Malignium generally permits this, and sometimes even encourages such rivalry, as long as its own goals are not imperiled.

Whether predatory or subversive, consumidoro share certain weaknesses which derive from their basic nature. Animals tend to dislike them, and can often sense their nature. This even extends to a reluctance to eat their tissue. While that might seem advantageous, a reluctance to consume their tissue does not mean an animal will not attack them. The refusal of mosquitoes, or such creatures, to bite consumidoro can give away their nature to an knowledgeable observer, as well.

This reluctance is well-founded, because consumidoro tissues are toxic. Various chemical changes occur during the transformation that render the flesh of a consumidoro poisonous to most Terrestrial-derived life forms.

Animals can sometimes be trained to recognize the scent and 'feel' of a consumidoro, dogs and cats tend to react badly to them, horses tend to panic when even the subversive type is around.

Espers can be taught to recognize a consumidoro by their psychic effect, and even untrained sensitives often feel 'something not right' about them. This last effect is very difficult to screen or block.

The chemical/metabolic changes in a consumidoro make them very vulnerable to certain drugs and chemicals that are either less effective with normal humans, or in some cases totally harmless to normal humans.

To be continued...