Mimic

Mimics (Typhon cacoplasmus) are a variety of Typhon encountered on Talos I in Prey (2017) and Pytheas in Prey: Mooncrash.

Overview
Mimics are small Typhon which can camouflage themselves to look like inanimate objects in their environment, such as office chairs or garbage cans. They can also be seen attempting to arrange themselves into humanoid shapes, out of curiosity or threat display. Like all Typhon, they are composed of a shiny black semi-solid substance, which is shaped into central mass with four tentacle-like limbs.

They are very agile, capable of crawling, jumping, somersaulting, briefly sticking to walls, as well as deftly avoiding blows from a wrench. They feed by tightly wrapping their appendages around their victims and ramming one appendage down the victim's throat, rapidly devouring their nutrients and consciousness to then undergo fission, splitting into four new Mimics. However, they can kill Morgan or other player characters by stinging them, and are known, in lore, to sting certain other mimics, leading to the victims' transformation into weavers. Morgan can obtain the Mimic's mimicking power through neuromods. In-game, the mimics create a suspicion of any object in a room.

On Talos I, mutations in mimic reproduction result in the birth of greater mimics. While no greater mimics exactly like the ones mentioned before can be found on Pytheas, some of the mimics there mutate and can actively emit either flames or electrical arcs, or passively leave behind etheric clouds upon death. These lunar variants are also categorized as greater mimics, as they have more in common with them than typical mimics.

Transformation
TranStar scientists do not know how Mimics transform. The main theories on this subject include the ideas that:


 * 1. The Mimic retreats into alternate dimensions and displaces an item from that dimension.

The in-game support for this theory is that, when Morgan uses the Mimic Matter ability, he/she appears to dive into some sort of portal before the mimicked object's duplicate materializes and is viewed in third-person, as if viewed from somewhere near object when controlled. It is also supported by Morgan's apparent invincibility when mimicking an EAT, as if he/she is not a turret himself/herself.


 * 2. The Mimic emits a psychoactive field that convinces observers that it is an inanimate object.

Support for this theory is the chittering noises emitted by the Mimics.

However, because imitated smaller objects can physically fit through areas that are smaller than the Mimic, it is unlikely that this is the mechanism of mimicry, unless psychoactively cloaked individuals can also alter their forms to fit through small openings. The theory also fails to explain why EATs, which can detect cloaked poletergeists, cannot detect hidden Mimics (machines are immune to psychic abilities), unless the field emitted by a Mimic can somehow also trick EATs' sensors, and why Morgan enters an "out-of-body" state when cloaked.


 * 3. The Mimic changes its own molecular structure at will.

Mimic tumors contain organic, mineral and synthetic matter, which are not normally found in Typhon histology, and may be the result of Mimics' actually altering their molecular structure to try to imitate a nearby object's external appearance (normal Mimics), and potentially inner workings (greater Mimics).

If this were the case however, a fully transformed Mimic would be unable make the chittering noise or be able to move in its transformed state, as it would lack the anatomical structures necessary for locomotion. Furthermore, Morgan's third-person view when seemingly transformed would not be explained by this theory either.


 * 4. The Mimic employs "magic" (i.e. some set of rules beyond conventional physics).

It is unknown how Mimic detection psychoscope chipsets work, but, given their effectiveness, if their mechanisms were known, it might be possible to understand how Mimic Matter works. Interestingly, greater Mimics' mimicry ability requires a different chipset from normal Mimics' to be seen through, but normal Mimics can still be seen with this chipset. This might suggest that either:


 * A. greater Mimics' ability (wormholes, psychoactive field, or shape-shifting) is more refined than normal Mimics'


 * B. greater Mimics' ability might only be explained by one theory, whereas normal Mimics' might be explained by an interaction between the mechanisms of two theories, one of them including the one used to explain greater Mimics' mimicry.

Strategy
There is a chipset (Mimic Detection 1) that allows the Psychoscope to be 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 Mimics. If you do not have the chipset the best way to find hidden Mimics is to search a room for small to medium-sized duplicate objects or objects that appear to be out of place (interestingly, Mimics that are disguised as med kits don't usually have actual med kits around them). Remember that if it requires leverage to lift, then it's likely not a Mimic. However, a scripted mimic in Psychotronics turns into a Leverage I crate right after you get the psychoscope, another mimic has been observed duplicating a tool cart, which requires leverage 2 to move, and a greater mimic has apparently been seen to mimic a heavy object as well. Wander around the vicinity and hit the said objects with a wrench. Try to charge the attack with your wrench to get the jump on any mimics that you do find, as a fully charged wrench attack can usually one shot a 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 2-4 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.

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. However, if mimics can feed on corpses and multiply from what they have obtained from them, then it does not make sense that TranStar would feed them live volunteers, unless live humans are more nutritious for mimics than are dead ones. Also, mimics have not been recorded feeding on any non-living, non-human organisms, and January claims that the Typhon feed on consciousness, which is a trait not possessed by corpses or the many non-human organisms found on Talos I or Pytheas. The above claim is currently being investigated by having locked up one mimic with two fresh corpses in an otherwise empty security booth and waiting. A previous test was with two mimics and one fresh corpse, and, surprisingly a third mimic later appeared locked up with them, though it's unknown whether or not the mimic was already there or if it slipped in through one of the holes that were not sealed.
 * "Mimics require a living or dead organisms 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. Mimics are able to feed on "fresh" human corpses, though most encountered will be "consumed" by mimics already. Fresh bodies may be depleted by mimics so that they reproduce, but the player may move these out of reach somehow or choose to use Phantom Genesis to create allied phantoms out of dead bodies, which makes them inaccessible to mimics."

Shotguns, pistols and most powers are able to easily deal with mimics as they are not particularly durable compared to Phantoms and other more dangerous foes, and unlike these mimics completely lack a ranged attack, meaning the shotgun and wrench are effective against these enemies.

If the player has somewhat decent aim they should be able to kill the mimic in a single hit from the shotgun. Mimics are extremely vulnerable when assuming the form of an object, and a fully charged wrench attack should kill any hiding Mimic in a single shot. Be aware that this should only be used against regular mimics, and if you detect a greater mimic in hiding, then it would be best to use the shotgun, GLOO cannon, or EATs instead.

Trivia

 * The Mimic was the first Typhon organism discovered by humans.
 * 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. This however, is not counting the time it would take mimics to actually get to their prey.
 * 4^n = number of mimics for each iteration/generation of Mimics replicating.
 * When captivated by Typhon lures, mimics raise one of their four tentacles high in the air, just like the first special mimic did soon before being stung by its relatives and then becoming the first weaver in the solar system.
 * Mimics may be one of the more "pure" Typhon, as they were encountered before they had a chance to devour human subjects. Other forms (such as Phantoms) are based on human beings.
 * A regular Mimic has been observed opening a maintenance hatch with one of its tendrils.
 * Disguised Mimics can often be seen tumbling around, such as in the psychotronics lab, in the room where you encounter Aaron Ingram. In the room adjacent, you can see several Greater Mimics disguised as boxes and gurneys, unless they happen to be ordinary objects moved around by the resident poltergeist, which is sometimes the case.
 * A charged mimic remains charged for around eight seconds, regardless of whether or not the phantom that's charged it is still alive. The fact that its aura cannot be halted by nullwave suggests that it's a temporary passive ability bestowed upon them by its summoner.
 * According to Raphael Colantonio, the inspiration for the Mimic's ability to imitate comes from the monster of the same name from Dungeons and Dragons, a pen and paper role-playing game.
 * Mimics have some resemblance to the Mimics from the film Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and to the headcrabs from the Half-life series.