[DR. ZANTECH]

They / He

A former scientist who used to work for Laminax, studying gootraxians with their team until they ended up transformed into one themselves during a site-wide blackout. Immediately following the transformation, their former friends and teammates turned on them, fearing that they would meet the same fate. Already terrified and confused from the sudden attack, they lashed out at their fellow scientists, leaving more than a few severely injured before they fled the facility and into the caverns.

After getting lost in the caverns for so long completely on their own and still adjusting to their new form, they became a whole new person. Donning the name "Zantech", the burned memory of their closest friends immediately turning on them is one of the last memories they have left of their former life, and they now hunt down Laminax workers with a cruel sense of vengeance. Unlike standard gootraxians, they don't hunt with the intent to infect humans, but with the intent to kill.

Prior to becoming infected, Zantech was considered top of their class. This level of intelligence has since remained, making them one of the most dangerous gootraxians the facility has come to face up against. They have no sense of empathy for the scientists they hurt, believing that every single one was personally involved with what happened to them, and have no qualms making their deaths slow and painful for their own satisfaction.

Every purple marking on their body glows in the dark, and they can also control this glow at will. It is fully in their power to dim them down so they can sneak up on whoever the next unfortunate person to cross them is. They are also equipped with incredible speed and a bit of hand-to-hand combat skill, along with the notable pair of black goggles that hide their eyes. They can use these to see further and lock onto targets. If they happen to lock onto you, you might as well give up.

Great with machinery and loves tinkering. Has absolutely hacked into facility equipment and gone on a rampage with it before. Probably inspired a dozen facility security upgrades.

The plush worm they carry with them is the only thing they have left from their former human life. It's a very big comfort for them and messing with it would be the worst (and last) mistake of your life.