MELTMASK - TIMELINE UNKNOWN

(Timeline Tuesday #96)

Meltmasks are a parasitic lifeform from an unknown timeline, their biology far removed from anything we know or understand on this layer of reality.

In their natural state, meltmasks are yellow in coloration. They are flat and oval-shaped, approximately the size of a human’s face. These creatures sport three holes within their body, creating the vague semblance of two eyes and a hollow, gaping mouth. Of course, these openings are not actually sensory organs, just the illusion of a face.

Meltmasks hover through the air, floating slowly as they creep towards their intended target. It is believed they do this by sensing body heat, although their skills of avoiding detection would suggest that meltmasks actually have a more sophisticated awareness of their surroundings. Some have theorized meltmasks possess a mild form of timeline detection, avoiding any currents of fate that might lead to them getting caught. Approximately ninety percent of meltmask attacks occur when their target is sleeping.

When a meltmask reaches its intended victim it will lay across the creature’s face. Over the course of an hour or so, this parasite with fuse with the target’s biological tissue, melting away and eventually disappearing into the host’s skin. Not only is the meltmask no longer visible, but the appearance of the target will have completely changed. Within another hour, the meltmask will connect to the brain of their target.

A meltmask host will awaken in a state of confusion, not sure how they arrived. They will be disoriented, an entire false history installed within the depths of their mind. The host will be convinced they are someone else, and when they look into their mirror their new face will confirm this. No matter how hard friends and family try convincing the host of their true identity, a host will push back against this due to their false memories from the meltmask.

A clinical process has been developed to remove meltmask parasites from their host, but these methods are difficult to enact. The host must agree to a medical treatment, and thanks to their new identity and false memories, this ask is a tall order. Instead, hosts typically disconnect from friends and family, setting out on a new, rather lonely path.

A meltmask host’s new personality will eventually drive them towards timeline research. Thanks to influence from their parasitic passenger, hosts will begin construction on a machine that serves as a one way timeline transporter. Once finished, they will disappear into a timeline tear that closes behind them, never to be seen again. Eventually, the host’s meltmask will return to our reality in search of another target.