Mimic

Mimic also known as Typhon Cacoplasmus by its scientific name is a hostile Typhon encountered on Talos I during Prey (2017).

Overview
Mimic is small, arachnid Typhon, which can camouflage itself to look like ordinary objects in the environment be it office chair or garbage can. Mimics are very agile, capable of quickly jumping from wall to wall. They kill by tightly wrapping their appendages around their victims and ramming one appendage down the victim's throat, rapidly devouring all of their flesh and then using said biomass to undergo fission, splitting into four new Mimics. Morgan can obtain Mimics mimicking power through neuromods. In-game, the mimics create a fear of any object in a room.

The variant Greater Mimic has that ability to turn into more complex objects like Turrets or Operators, these mimic facsimiles of actual machines will be fully operational, turrets firing and operators floating around.

TranStar scientists have no idea how they transform with theories ranging from it retreating into alternate dimensions and displacing an item from that dimension to make it looked like it shapeshifted, that the shapeshifting is simply the Mimic emitting a field that convinces organisms it is shapeshifted, that it changes its own molecular structure at will, or they just think that it is magic.

Design
Mimics look like a four legged arachnid, made entirely of black smoke-like web-like substance. The form is not unlike the headcrabs from the Half-Life series, with it even having a preference to attacking a person's head.

Strategy
The Psychoscope is able to detect a mimic when it has assumed the form of an item. Use this to check the area for mimics before advancing. Remember, however, that first version of detection chip can't detect Greater Mimic.

The Mimic's strategy revolves around ambush and strength in numbers, as the most numerous type of Typhon organism it's not uncommon to find several Mimics in a single area. In the absence of a viable target they prefer to assume the form of a inanimate object for the purpose of lying in wait for one to appear. The first thing that Morgan needs to remember is that Mimics can only assume the form of a object that is already present, so if they see more than one of the same object in a odd place then their best option is to try to eliminate both objects at once. Regular Mimic can't assume form of heavy object, while Greater Mimic can.

The Mimic will attempt to scare Morgan, causing them to waste valuable ammunition or stamina in a panic but if they're able to remain calm then they aren't much of a threat. Mimics require a living organism to reproduce, so if one such organism is nearby then it might be best to eliminate that organism first, or at the very least keep any Mimics in the area away from them, in order to prevent them from being able to reproduce.

Greater Mimics have to be immobilized before killing, as they (unlike regular Mimic) can jump on Morgan's face, making player helpless against other enemies in the area until he/she gets them off.

Trivia

 * The Mimic, Typhon Cacoplasmus, was the first Typhon organism discovered by humans.
 * Mimics have some resemblance to the Mimics from the film Edge of Tomorrow (2014).
 * Mimics resemble headcrabs from the Half-Life series.
 * If a single Mimic made it to earth and was able to reproduce, and each subsequent mimic iteration was able to as well, every 5 minutes; it would only take upwards of an hour to completely overrun a city the size of New York. If the mimics are effective and reproduce every minute, the city falls in roughly 12 minutes.
 * 4^n = number of mimics for each iteration/generation of Mimics replicating.