The Stars are Fire
Artificial life can be created by selective breeding, synthetic and genetic engineering, or by accidental miscalculation in some unrelated high-energy or food-research program. When artificial life takes a wrong turn, the results run the gamut from disappointing to dangerous. If an artificial entity starts out benign, it's difficult to know if a hidden or slowly developing flaw will tip it over the edge into dangerous dysfunction-or if it just acts oddly because it doesn't know the social cues. Should synthetic beings be treated as people, pets, or monsters to be stamped out and destroyed? That's the eternal question and one that's usually answered by those most afraid of potential dangers that might accompany the creation of something no one intended.
Motive: Defense or destruction
Environment: Usually in secluded locations alone unless hiding in unused storage rooms of a large facility (Urban)
Health: 18
Damage: 5 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Combat: A mock organism can release an electrical discharge against a target at short range. In melee, a mock organism's poisoned claws inflict damage and require the target to succeed on a Might defense task, or the poison induces a coma-like slumber in the target. Each round the target fails to rouse-an Intellect task-they take 3 points of ambient damage.
Interactions: A mock organism is intelligent and can sometimes be swayed by reason. It might be passive, but if disturbed in a place it thought was secure against intrusion, it could grow belligerent and even murderous. Once so roused, a mock organism might still be calmed, but all such attempts are hindered.
Uses: A scientist's ruined lab contains several unexpected surprises, including a mock organism that yet grieves over the loss of its creator.
Loot: A mock organism requires many parts. Salvage from a destroyed mock organism could result in a manifest cypher or two and another item that, with a bit of jury-rigging, works as an artifact.
GM Intrusion: The character hit by the mock organism's melee attack doesn't take normal damage. Instead, the mock organism drops onto the character. The PC is pinned until they can succeed on a difficulty 6 Might-based task to escape. While pinned, the creation whispers mad utterances into the target's ear.